The transactions comprized in this history take up about nine years. The action commences with the account of Hotspur's being defeated and killed (1403]; and closes with the death of King Henry IV. and the coronation of King Henry V. [1412-13.)

THEOBALD. This play was entered at Stationers' Hall, August 23. 1600.

STEEVENS. The Second Part of King Henry IV. I suppose to have been written in 1598. MalonE.

Mr. Upton thinks these two plays improperly called The First and Second Parts of Henry the Fourth. The first play ends, he says, with the peaceful settlement of Henry in the kingdom by the defeat of the rebels. This is hardly true : for the rebels are not yet finally suppressed. The second, he tells us, shows Henry the Fifth in the various lights of a good-natured rake, till, on his father's death, he assumes a more manly character. This is true; but this representation gives us no idea of a dramatick action. These two plays will appear to every reader, who shall peruse them without ambition of critical discoveries, to be so connected, that the second is merely a sequel to the first; to be two only because they are too long to be one. Jonsson.

King Henry the Fourth.
Henry, Prince of Wales, afterwards King

Henry V.;
THOMAS, Duke of Clarence;
Prince John of Lancaster', afterwards his sons.

(2 Henry V.) Duke of Bedford; Prince HUMPHREY of Gloster, afterwards

(2 Henry V.) Duke of Gloster ;
Earl of WARWICK;
Earl of WesTMORELAND; of the King's party.
GOWER; HARCOURT;
Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
A Gentleman attending on the Chief Justice.
Earl of NORTHUMBERLAND;
SCROOP, Archbishop of York;

Enemies to
Lord MOWBRAY; Lord Hastings;

the King Lord BARDOLPH; Sir John Colville;) Travers and Morton, Domesticks of Northumberland. Falstaff, BARDOLPH, Pistol, and Page. Poins and Pero, Attendants on Prince Henry. SHALLow and SILENCE, Country Justices. Davy, Servant to Shallow. Mouldy, Shadow, Wart, FEEBLE, and BullCALF,

Recruits. Fang and Snare, Sheriff's Officers. RUMOUR. A Porter. A Dancer, Speaker of the Epilogue. Lady NORTHUMBERLAND. Lady Percy. Hostess Quickly. Doll TEAR-SHEET. Lords and other Attendants ; Officers, Soldiers, Messen

ger, Drawers, Beadles, Grooms, &c.

SCENE, ENGLAND.

ersonæ Dramatis

the

Part of this

i See note under the Play. STEEVENS.

INDUCTION.

Warkworth. Before Northumberland's Castle.

Enter Rumour', painted full of tongues. Rum. Open your ears; For which of you will stop The vent of hearing, when loud Rumour speaks ? I, from the orient to the drooping west, Making the wind my post-horse, still unfold The acts commenced on this ball of earth : Upon my tongues continual slanders ride ; The which in every language I pronounce, Stuffing the ears of men with false reports. I speak of peace, while covert enmity, Under the smile of safety, wounds the world : And who but Rumour, who but only I, Make fearful musters, and prepar'd defence; Whilst the big year, swol'n with some other grief, Is thought with child by the stern tyrant war, And no such matter! Rumour is a pipe Blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures; And of so easy and so plain a stop, That the blunt monster with uncounted heads, The still-discordant wavering multitude, Can play upon it. But what need I thus My well-known body to anatomize

Among my houshold? Why is Rumour here?
I run before king Harry's victory;
Who, in a bloody field by Shrewsbury,
Hath beaten down young Hotspur, and his troops,
Quenching the flame of bold rebellion
Even with the rebels' blood.' But what mean I
To speak so true at first? my office is
To noise abroad, -that Harry Monmouth fell
Under the wrath of noble Hotspur's sword;
And that the king before the Douglas' rage
Stoop'd his anointed head as low as death.
This have I rumour'd through the peasant towns
Between that royal field of Shrewsbury
And this worm-eaten hold of ragged stone,
Where Hotspur's father, old Northumberland,
Lies crafty-sick: the posts come tiring on,
And not a man of them brings other' news
Than they have learn'd of me; From Rumour's

tongues They bring smooth comforts false, worse than true wrongs.

[Exit.