第17章 ACT IV(1)

SCENE 1.Park.The palace

Enter the KING,GLOUCESTER,WINCHESTER,YORK,SUFFOLK,SOMERSET,WARWICK,TALBOT,EXETER,the GOVERNOR OF PARIS,and others

GLOUCESTER.Lord Bishop,set the crown upon his head.WINCHESTER.God save King Henry,of that name the Sixth!GLOUCESTER.Now,Governor of Paris,take your oath [GOVERNOR kneels]That you elect no other king but him,Esteem none friends but such as are his friends,And none your foes but such as shall pretend Malicious practices against his state.This shall ye do,so help you righteous God!Exeunt GOVERNOR and his train

Enter SIR JOHN FASTOLFE

FASTOLFE.My gracious sovereign,as I rode from Calais,To haste unto your coronation,A letter was deliver'd to my hands,Writ to your Grace from th'Duke of Burgundy.TALBOT.Shame to the Duke of Burgundy and thee!I vow'd,base knight,when I did meet thee next To tear the Garter from thy craven's leg,[Plucking it off]Which I have done,because unworthily Thou wast installed in that high degree.Pardon me,princely Henry,and the rest:This dastard,at the battle of Patay,When but in all I was six thousand strong,And that the French were almost ten to one,Before we met or that a stroke was given,Like to a trusty squire did run away;In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;Myself and divers gentlemen beside Were there surpris'd and taken prisoners.Then judge,great lords,if I have done amiss,Or whether that such cowards ought to wear This ornament of knighthood-yea or no.GLOUCESTER.To say the truth,this fact was infamous And ill beseeming any common man,Much more a knight,a captain,and a leader.TALBOT.When first this order was ordain'd,my lords,Knights of the Garter were of noble birth,Valiant and virtuous,full of haughty courage,Such as were grown to credit by the wars;Not fearing death nor shrinking for distress,But always resolute in most extremes.He then that is not furnish'd in this sort Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight,Profaning this most honourable order,And should,if I were worthy to be judge,Be quite degraded,like a hedge-born swain That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.KING HENRY.Stain to thy countrymen,thou hear'st thy doom.Be packing,therefore,thou that wast a knight;Henceforth we banish thee on pain of death.Exit FASTOLFE

And now,my Lord Protector,view the letter Sent from our uncle Duke of Burgundy.GLOUCESTER.[Viewing the superion]What means his Grace,that he hath chang'd his style?No more but plain and bluntly 'To the King!'Hath he forgot he is his sovereign?Or doth this churlish superion Pretend some alteration in good-will?What's here?[Reads]'I have,upon especial cause,Mov'd with compassion of my country's wreck,Together with the pitiful complaints Of such as your oppression feeds upon,Forsaken your pernicious faction,And join'd with Charles,the rightful King of France.'O monstrous treachery!Can this be so That in alliance,amity,and oaths,There should be found such false dissembling guile?KING HENRY.What!Doth my uncle Burgundy revolt?GLOUCESTER.He doth,my lord,and is become your foe.KING HENRY.Is that the worst this letter doth contain?GLOUCESTER.It is the worst,and all,my lord,he writes.KING HENRY.Why then Lord Talbot there shall talk with him And give him chastisement for this abuse.How say you,my lord,are you not content?TALBOT.Content,my liege!Yes;but that I am prevented,I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd.KING HENRY.Then gather strength and march unto him straight;Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason.And what offence it is to flout his friends.TALBOT.I go,my lord,in heart desiring still You may behold confusion of your foes.Exit