KING HENRY V, ACT I. SCENE I. An antichamber in the English court, at Kenelworth. Enter the archbishop of Canterbury, and bishop of Ely. Cant. My lord, I'll tell you,-that felf bill is urg'd, Which Life of Henry V.] This play was writ (as appears from a paffage in the chorus to the fifth act) at the time of the earl of Effex's commanding the forces in Ireland in the reign of queen Elizabeth, and not 'till after Henry the VIth had been played, as may be seen by the conclufion of this play. PoPE. Life of Henry V.] The tranfactions comprifed in this historical play commence about the latter end of the first, and terminate in the eighth year of this king's reign: when he married Katharine princess of France, and clofed up the differences betwixt England and that crown. THEOBALD. This play in the quarto edition, 1608, is ftyled the Chronicle Hiftory of Henry, &c. which feems to have been the title anciently appropriated to all Shakespeare's historical dramas. So, in The Antipodes, a comedy by R. Brome, 1638: These lads can act the emperor's lives all over, "And Shakespeare's Chronicled Hiftories to boot." The players likewife in the folio edition, 1623, rank these pieces under the title of Hiftories. It is evident, that a play on this fubject had been performed before the year 1595. Nah, in Pierce Penniless his Supplication to the Devil, dated 1595, fays: "what a glorious thing it is to have Henry the Fift reprefented on the ftage leading the French king prifoner, and forcing both him and the dolphin to sweare fealtie." STEEVENS. 2 Archbishop of Canterbury.] This firft fcene was added fince the edition of 1608, which is much fhort of the prefent editions, B 4 wherein Which, in the eleventh year o' the last king's reign Was like, and had indeed against us past, But wherein the fpeeches are generally enlarged and raifed: feverat whole fcenes befides, and all the chorufes alfo, were fince added by Shakespeare. POPE. On this fubject a play was written about the time of Shakefpcare; but whether before or after his Henry V. made its appearance, has not yet been abfolutely determined. (It is thus entered in the books of the Stationers' company. "Tho. Strode] May 2, 1594. A booke entituled the famous Victories of Henry the Fift, containing the honorable Battell of Agincourt." There are two more entries of a play of Henry V. viz. between 1596 and 1615, and one August 14th, 1600.) I have two copies of it in my poffeffion: one without date (which feems much the elder of the two) and another (apparently printed from it) dated 1617, though printed by Bernard Alfop (who was printer of the other edition) and fold by the fame perfon and at the fame place. Alfop appears to have been a printer before the year 16co, and was afterwards one of the twenty appointed by decree of the starchamber to print for this kingdom, I believe, however, this piece to have been prior to that of Shakespeare for several reafons. First, because it is highly probable that it is the very difpleafing play" alluded to in the epilogue to the fecond part of King Henry IV.-for Oldcastle died a martyr. Oldcastle is the Falstaff of the piece, which is defpicable, and full of ribaldry and impiety from the firft fcene to the laft.-Secondly, because Shakefpeare feems to have taken not a few hints from it; for it comprehends in fome measure the ftory of the two parts of Henry IV. as well as of Henry V. and no ignorance I think could debase the gold of Shakespeare into fuch drofs; though no chemistry but that of Shakespeare could exalt fuch bafe metal into gold. When the prince of Wales in Henry IV. calls Falftaff my old lad of the Caftle, it is probably but a fneering allufion to the deferved fate which this performance met with; for there is no proof that our poet was ever obliged to change the name of Oldcastle into that of Falstaff, though there is an abfolute certainty that this piece must have been condemned by any audience before whom it was ever represented. Laftly, because it appears (as Dr. Farmer has obferved) from the Jefts of the famous comedian Tarlton, 4to. 1611, that he had been particularly celebrated in the part of the Clown † in Henry + Mr. Oldys, in a manufcript note in his copy of Langbaine, fays, that Tarlton appear'd in the character of the Judge who receives the box on the ear. This Judge is likewife a character in the old play. But that the fcambling and unquiet time3 Ely. Henry V. and though this character does not exist in our play, we find it in the other, which, for the reasons already enumerated, I fuppofe to have been prior to this. This anonymous play of Henry V. is neither divided into acts or fcenes, is uncommonly fhort, and has all the appearance of having been imperfectly taken down during the reprefentation. As much of it appears to have been omitted, we may fuppofe that the author did not think it convenient for his reputation to publish a more ample copy. There is, indeed, a play, called Sir John Oldcastle, published in 1600, with the name of William Shakespeare prefixed to it. The prologue being very short, I fhall quote it, as it ferves to prove, that a former piece, in which the character of Oldcastle was introduced, had given great offence : "The doubtfull title (gentlemen) prefixt STEEVENS. 3 The fcambling and unquiet time.] In the old houshold book of the 5th earl of Northumberland, there is a particular fection appointing the order of fervice for the feambling days in lent, that is, days on which no regular meals were provided, but every one fcambled, i. e. fcrambled and shifted for himself as well as he could. So, in the old noted book intitled, "Leicester's Commonwealth," one of the marginal heads is, "Scambling between Lei I may add, on the authority of the books at Stationer's-Hall, that Tarlton published what he called his Farewell, a ballad, in Sept. 1588. In Oct. 1589, was enter'd, "Tarlton's Repentance, and his Farewell to his Friends in his Sickness a little before his Death;" in 1590, "Tarlton's Newes out of Purgatorie:" and in the fame year, "A pleafaunt Ditty Dialogue-wife, between Tarlton's Ghoft and Robyn Goodfellowe." STEEVENS. cefter Ely. But how, my lord, fhall we refift it now? Would they ftrip from us; being valu'd thus,- A thousand pounds by the year: Thus runs the bill. Cant. 'Twould drink the cup and all. Ely. But what prevention? Cant. The king is full of grace, and fair regard. Ely. And a true lover of the holy church. cefter and Huntington at the upfhot." Where in the text, the author fays, "Haftings, for ought I fee, when he cometh to the fcambling, is like to have no better luck by the bear [Leicefter] then his ancestors had by the boare [K. Rich. III.]" edit. 1641, 12mo. p. 87. So again, Shakespeare himself makes king Hen. V. fay to the princefs Katharine," I get thee with fcambling, and thou must therefore prove a good foldier-breeder." Act V. PERCY. Shakespeare uses the fame word in Much Ado about Nothing: "Scambling, out-facing, fashion-mong'ring boys." Again, in Ram-Alley, or Merry Tricks, 1611: 66 the widow and myself "Will feamble out the fhaking of the sheets, Again, in the Merry Devil of Edmonton, 1626: "Leave us to feamble for her getting out." STEEVENS. |