King Henry the Fifth. Duke of Glo'ster, Duke of Bedford, }brothers to the King. Duke of Exeter, uncle to the King. Duke of York, cousin to the King. Earls of Salisbury, Westmoreland, and Warwick. Bishop of Ely. Earl of Cambridge, Lord Scroop, Sir Thomas Grey. conspirators against the King. Sir Thomas Erpingham, Gower, Fluellen, Mackmorris, Jamy, officers in king Henry's army. Bates, Court, Williams, soldiers in the same. Nym, Bardolph, Pistol, formerly servants to Falstaff, now soldiers in the same. Boy, servant to them. A Herald. Chorus. Charles the Sixth, king of France. Lewis, the Dauphin. Dukes of Burgundy, Orleans, and Bourbon. The Constable of France. Rambures, and Grandpree, French Lords. Governor of Harfleur. Montjoy, a French Herald. Isabel, queen of France. Katharine, daughter of Charles and Isabel. Alice, a lady attending on the princess Katharine. Quickly, Pistol's wife, an hostess. Lords, Ladies, Officers, French and English Soldiers, The SCENE, at the beginning of the play, lies in England; but afterwards, wholly in France. Bard. Hear me, hear me what I say:-he that strikes the first stroke, I'll run him up to the hilts, as I am a soldier. OBSERVATIONS ON THE FABLE AND COMPOSITION OF KING HENRY V. THIS play was writ (as appears from a passage in the chorus to the fifth act) at the time of the earl of Essex's commanding the forces in Ireland in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and not till after Henry the Sixth had been played, as may be seen by the conclusion of this play. POPE. The transactions comprised 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 closed up the differences betwixt England and that THEOBALD. crown. This play, in the quarto edition, 1608, is styled The Chronicle History of Henry &c. which seems to have been the title anciently appropriated to all Shakspeare's historical dramas. So, in The Antipodes, a comedy, by R. Brome, 1638: "These lads can act the emperors' lives all over, "And Shakspeare's Chronicled Histories to boot." The players likewise in the folio edition, 1623, rank these pieces under the title of Histories. It is evident, that a play on this subject had been performed before the year 1592. Nash, in Pierce Penniless his Supplication to the Devil, dated 1592, says: what a glorious thing it is to have Henry the Fift represented on the stage, leading the ii French king prisoner, and forcing both him and the Dolphin to sweare fealtie." STEEVENS. The piece to which Nash alludes, is the old anonymous play of King Henry V. which had been exhibited before the year 1580, Tarlton, the comedian, who performed in it both the parts of the Chief Justice and the Clown, having died in that year. It was entered on the Stationers' books in 1594, and, I believe, printed in that year, though I have not met with a copy of that date. An edition of it, printed in 1598, was in the valuable collection of Dr. Wright. The play before us appears to have been written in the middle of the year 1599. The old King Henry V. may be found among Six old Plays on which Shakspeare founded, &c. printed for S. Leacroft, 1778. MALONE. This play has many scenes of high dignity, and many of easy merriment. The character of the king is well supported, except in his courtship, where he has neither the vivacity of Hal, nor the grandeur of Henry. The humour of Pistol is very happily continued his character has perhaps been the model of all the bullies that have yet appeared on the English stage. The lines given to the Chorus have many admirers; but the truth is, that in them a little may be praised, and much must be forgiven; nor can it be easily discovered why the intelligence given by the Chorus is more necessary in this play than in many others where it is omitted. The great defect of this play is the emptiness and narrowness of the last act, which a very little diligence might have easily avoided. JOHNSON, |