French.
K. Henry.
Peace to this meeting, wherefore we are met.7 note
Unto our brother France, and to our sister,
Health and fair time of day; joy and good wishes,
To our most fair and princely cousin Catharine;
And as a branch and member of this royalty,
By whom this great assembly is contriv'd,
We do salute you, Duke of Burgundy.
And, Princes French, and Peers, health to you all.
Fr. King.
Right joyous are we to behold your face;
Most worthy brother England, fairly met!
So are you, Princes English, every one.
Q. Isa.
So happy be the issue, brother England,
Of this good day, and of this gracious meeting,
As we are now glad to behold your eyes,
Your eyes, which hitherto have borne in them
Against the French, that met them in their bent,
The fatal balls of murdering basilisks;
The venom of such looks we fairly hope
Have lost their quality, and that this day
Shall change all griefs, and quarrels into love.
K. Henry.
To cry Amen to that, thus we appear.
Q. Isa.
You English Princes all, I do salute you.
Burg.
My duty to you both on equal love
Great Kings of France, and England. That I've labour'd
-- 476 --
With all my wits, my pains, and strong endeavours,
To bring your most imperial Majesties
8 noteUnto this bar and royal interview,
Your Mightinesses on both parts can witness.
Since then my office hath so far prevail'd,
That, face to face and royal eye to eye,
You have congreeted, let it not disgrace me,
If I demand, before this royal view,
What rub or what impediment there is,
Why that the naked, poor, and mangled peace,
Dear nurse of arts, plenties and joyful births,
Should not in this best garden of the world,
Our fertile France, put up her lovely visage?
Alas! she hath from France too long been chas'd;
And all her husbandry doth lie on heaps,
Corrupting in its own fertility.
9 note
Her vine, the merry chearer of the heart,
Unpruned dies; her hedges even pleach'd,
Like * noteprisoners, wildly over-grown with hair,
Put forth disorder'd twigs: her fallow leas
The darnel, hemlock, and rank fumitory
Doth root upon; while that the coulter rusts,
That should deracinate such savag'ry:
The even mead, that erst brought sweetly forth
The freckled cowslip, burnet, and green clover,
Wanting the scythe, all uncorrected, rank,
Conceives by idleness; and nothing teems,
But hateful docks, rough thistles, kecksies, burs,
Losing both beauty and utility;
-- 477 --
And all our vineyards, fallows, meads, and hedges,
Defective in their nurtures, grow to wildness.
Even so our houses, and ourselves and children
Have lost, or do not learn for want of time,
The sciences, that should become our country;
But grow like savages, as soldiers will,
That nothing do but meditate on blood,
To swearing and stern looks, 1 note
diffus'd attire,
And every thing that seems unnatural.
Which to reduce into our 2 noteformer favour,
You are assembled; and my speech intreats,
That I may know the Let, why gentle peace
Should not expel these inconveniencies;
And bless us with her former qualities.
K. Henry.
If, Duke of Burgundy, you would the peace,
Whose want gives growth to th' imperfections
Which you have cited, you must buy that peace
With full accord to all our just demands,
Whose tenours and particular effects
You have, enschedul'd briefly, in your hands.
Burg.
The King hath heard them; to the which as yet
There is no answer made.
K. Henry.
Well, then the peace
Which you before so urg'd, lies in his answer.
Fr. King.
I have but with a cursorary eye
O'er-glanc'd the articles; pleaseth your Grace
T'appoint some of your council presently
To sit with us, once more with better heed
-- 478 --
To re-survey them; we will suddenly
3 note
Pass, or accept, and peremptory answer.
K. Henry.
Brother, we shall. Go, uncle Exeter,
And brother Clarence, and you, brother Glo'ster,
Warwick and Huntington, go with the King;
And take with you free pow'r to ratify,
Augment, or alter, as your wisdoms best
Shall see advantageable for our dignity,
Any thing in, or out of, our Demands;
And we'll consign thereto. Will you, fair sister,
Go with the Princes, or stay here with us?
Q. Isa.
Our gracious brother, I will go with them;
Haply, a woman's voice may do some good,
When Articles too nicely urg'd be stood on.
K. Henry.
Yet leave our cousin Catherine here with us.
She is our capital demand, compris'd
Within the fore-rank of our articles.
Q. Isa.
She hath good leave.
[Exeunt.
Samuel Johnson [1765], The plays of William Shakespeare, in eight volumes, with the corrections and illustrations of Various Commentators; To which are added notes by Sam. Johnson (Printed for J. and R. Tonson [and] C. Corbet [etc.], London) [word count] [S11001].
