THE FAMOVS VICTORIES OF HENRY THE FIFTH1 CONTAINING THE HONOURABLE BATTELL OF AGIN-COURT: AS IT WAS PLAIDE BY THE QUEENES MAIESTIES PLAYERS London: Printed by Thomas Creede, 1598 Enter the yoong Prince, Ned, and Tom. HENRY THE FIFTH. Come away, Ned and Tom. How now, Iockey? what newes with thee? IOCKEY. Faith, my lord, such newes as passeth! For the towne of Detfort is risen with hue and crie after your man, which parted from vs the last night and has set vpon and hath robd a poore carrier.2 30 HEN. 5. Sownes! the vilaine that was wont to spie out our booties? Iock. I, my lord, euen the very same. HEN. 5. Now, base-minded rascal to rob a poore carrier! Wel, it skils not; [35 Ile saue the base vilaines life i[f] I may. But tel me, Iockey, whereabout be the receiuers? Ioc. Faith, my lord, they are hard by; but the best is we are a horse-backe and they be a-foote, so we may escape them. 41 HEN. 5. Wel, i[f] the vilaines come, let 1 By God's wounds. 2 One who conveyed goods and parcels on a certain route at certain times. 1 The Famous Victories, written before 1588, is of importance as being our earliest extant history, or chronicle play, a type which later became exceedingly popular as a result of the victory over the Spanish Armada. It is also of interest as being the inspiration for Shakespeare's splendid trilogy, I Henry IV, II Henry IV, and Henry V. Sir John Oldcastle, sometimes called Jockey, was the original of Sir John Falstaff (whom Shakespeare first named Oldcastle); and Ned and the other "evil companions" who foregathered with the young Prince at the old taverne in Eastcheape," find their counterpart in Ned, Poins. and the rest, of the famous Boar's Head. From Tarlton's Jests we learn that the immortal Dick Tarlton, the lord of mirth," who died in 1588, assumed the clown's part of Dericke; possibly he created the rôle. The play must have been a favorite with theatre-goers; Nash, in Pierce Penilesse (1592), speaks of it in terms that imply its popularity. The text as we have it seems to have been cut down and otherwise mangled for traveling purposes; but this has not seriously affected its power to entertain. The play was entered in the Stationers' Registers in May, 1594; our earliest edition (A.) bears the date 1598. Another edition was published in 1617. I have reproduced the text of the 1598 quarto from Farmer's photographic facsimile of the copy in the Bodleian Library. In the original many lines are set as though they were verse (as is often the case with plays printed from prompt copies); I have chosen to print these as prose. And, of course, I have modernized the punctuation and the use of capital letters, and have added. in brackets, a few stage-directions. ALL. Why, my lord, you know our old hostes at Feuersham. HEN. 5. Our hostes at Feuersham! Blood, what shal we do there? We [115 haue a thousand pound about vs, and we shall go to a pettie ale-house? No, no. You know the olde tauerne in Eastcheape; there is good wine: - besides, there is a pretie wench that can talke well; for [120 I delight as much in their toongs as any part about them. ALL. We are readie to waite vpon your Grace. 124 HEN. 5. Gogs wounds, "wait"? we will go altogither; we are all fellowes. I tell you, sirs, and the king my father were dead, we would be all kings. Therefore, come away! NED. Gogs wounds, brauely spoken, Harry! [Exeunt omnes.] 131 Enter Iohn Cobler, Robin Pewterer, Lawrence Costermonger, [the watch]. JOHN COB. All is well here; all is well, maisters. ROBIN. How say you, neighbour Iohn Cobler? I thinke it best that my [135 neighbour, Robin Pewterer, went to Pudding Lane End, and we will watch here at Billinsgate Ward. How say you, neighbour Robin? how like you this? 139 ROBIN. Marry, well, neighbours; I care not much if I goe to Pudding Lanes End. But, neighbours, and you heare any adoe about me, make haste; and if I heare any ado about you, I will come to you. Exit Robin. LAW. Neighbor, what newes heare you of the young Prince? 146 IOнN. Marry, neighbor, I heare say he is a toward yoong Prince; for if he me[e]t any by the hie-way he will not let 1 to talke with him; - I dare not call him theefe, but sure he is one of these taking fellowes.2 151 LAW. Indeed, neighbour, I heare say he is as liuely a young Prince as euer was. IOнN. I, and I heare say if he vse it long, his father will cut him off from the crowne. But, neighbour, say nothing of that! 156 LAW. No, no, neighbour, I warrant IOHN. Neighbour, me-thinkes you begin to sleepe. If you will, we will sit down; for I thinke it is about midnight. you! 161 LAW. Marry, content, neighbour; let vs sleepe. [They fall asleep.] ROBIN. Why, I see thou art a plaine clowne. DERICKE. Am I a clowne? Sownes, maisters, do clownes go in silke ap- [180 parell? I am sure all we gentlemenclownes in Kent scant go so well. Sownes! you know clownes very well! Heare you, are you Maister Constable? And you be, speake, for I will not take it at his [185 hands. IOHN. Faith, I am not Maister Constable; but I am one of his bad officers, for he is not here. 189 DERICKE. Is not Maister Constable here? Well, it is no matter. Ile haue the law at his hands. IOHN. Nay, I pray you, do not take the law of vs. DER. Well, you are one of his beastly officers. 196 IOHN. I am one of his bad officers. DER. Why, then, I charge thee looke to him! 199 COBLER. Nay, but heare ye, sir; you seeme to be an honest fellow, and we are poore men; and now tis night, and we would be loth to haue any thing adoo; therefore, I pray thee, put it vp. 204 DER. First, thou saiest true; I am an honest fellow - and a proper, hansome fellow, too! and you seeme to be poore men; therefore I care not greatly. Nay, I am quickly pacified. But, and you chance to spie the theefe, I pray you laie hold on him. 211 THEEF. Why, what do you meane to do with me? Sownes, I am one of the kings liege people. 240 tooke another; but for the space of halfe an houre there was such a bloodie fray as passeth! And none coulde part them, vn- [275 till such time as the Maior and Sheriffe were sent for; and then, at the last, with much adoo, they tooke them; and so the yong Prince was carried to the Counter; and then, about one houre after, there [280 came a messenger from the Court in all haste from the king for my Lord Maior and the Sheriffe but for what cause I know not. COBLER. Here is newes indeede, Rob LAW. Marry, neighbour, this newes is strange indeede! I thinke it best, neigh DER. Heare you, sir, are you one of the bour, to rid our hands of this fellowe first. kings liege people? THEEFE. What meane you to doe with COв. Come, come, lets haue him away. THEEF. Why, what haue I done? ROBIN. Thou hast robd a poore fellow, and taken away his goods from him. 250 THEEFE. I neuer sawe him before. DER. Maisters, who comes here? Enter the Vintners boy. Boy. How now, good-man Cobler. COB. How now, Robin. What makes thou abroad at this time of night? 255 Boy. Marrie, I haue beene at the Counter; I can tell such newes as neuer you haue heard the like! COBLER. What is that, Robin? what is the matter? 260 Boy. Why, this night, about two houres ago, there came the young Prince, and three or foure more of his companions, and called for wine good store; and then they sent for a noyse 3 of musitians, and [265 were very merry for the space of an houre; then, whether their musicke liked them not, or whether they had drunke too much [ wine or no, I cannot tell, but our pots flue against the wals; and then they drew [270 their swordes and went into the streete and fought, and some tooke one part and some 1 A. Maisters vilaine. 2 A prison in London. 3 Band (of musicians). Enter Henry the Fourth, with the Earle of K. HEN. 4. Admit them to our presence. Enter the Maior and the Sheriffe. Now, my good Lord Maior of London, [309 the cause of my sending for you at this time is to tel you of a matter which I have learned of my Councell. Herein I vnderstand that you haue committed my sonne to prison without our leaus and li- [314 cense. What! althogh he be a rude youth, and likely to giue occasion, yet you might haue considered that he is a prince, and my sonne, and not to be halled to prison by euery subiect. 319 MAIOR. May it please your Maiestie to giue vs leaue to tell our tale? KING HEN. 4. Or else God forbid! Otherwise you might thinke me an vnequall iudge, hauing more affection to my sonne then to any rightfull iudgement. 325 MAIOR. Then I do not doubt but we shal rather deserue commendations at your Maiesties hands then any anger. 329 K. HEN. 4. Go too, say on. MAIOR. Then, if it please your Maiestie, this night betwixt two and three of the clocke in the morning my lord the yong Prince, with a very disordred companie, came to the old tauerne in Eastcheape; [334 and whether it was that their musicke liked them not, or whether they were ouercome with wine, I know not, but they drew their swords, and into the streete they went; and some tooke my lord the [339 yong Princes part, and some tooke the other; but betwixt them there was such a bloodie fray for the space of halfe an houre that neither watchmen 1 nor any other could stay them; till my brother, the [344 Sheriffe of London, and I were sent for; and, at the last, with much adoo, we staied them. But it was long first, which was a great disquieting to all your louing subiects thereabouts. And then, my [349 good lord, we knew not whether your Grace had sent them to trie vs whether we would doe iustice, or whether it were of their owne voluntarie will or not, we cannot tell. And, therefore, in such a case, [354 we knew not what to do; but, for our own safeguard, we sent him to ward; where he wanteth nothing that is fit for his Grace and your Maiesties sonne. And thus, most humbly beseeching your Maiestie to thinke of our answere. 360 HEN. 4. Stand aside vntill we haue further deliberated on your answere. Exit Maior [and Sheriff]. HEN. 4. Ah, Harry! Harry! now thrice-accursed Harry, that hath got- [364 I ten a sonne which with greefe will end his fathers dayes! Oh, my sonne, a prince 1 The watch. thou art, I, a prince, indeed and to deserue imprisonment! And well haue they done, and like faithfull subiects. Discharge them, and let them go. 370 L. EXE. I beseech your Grace, be good to my lord the yong Prince. HEN. 4. Nay, nay, tis no matter; let him alone. 374 L. OxF. Perchance the Maior and the Sheriffe haue bene too precise in this matter. HEN. 4. No, they haue done like faithfull subiects. I will go my-selfe to discharge them and let them go. 380 Exit omnes. |