;—

But this which they produce from Pharamond;
In terram Salicam mulieres nè fuccedant 9;
No woman fball fucceed in Salique land:
Which Salique land the French unjustly gloze
To be the realm of France, and Pharamond
The founder of this law and female bar.
Yet their own authors faithfully affirm,
That the land Salique lies in Germany,
Between the floods of Sala and of Elbe,
Where Charles the Great, having fubdu'd the Saxons,
There left behind and fettled certain French;
Who, holding in difdain the German wonen,
For some dishoneft manners of their life,
Establish'd then this law; to wit, no female
Should be inheritrix in Salique land;

Which Salique, as I faid, 'twixt Elbe and Sala,
Is at this day in Germany call'd Meisen.
Thus doth it well appear, the Salique law
Was not devised for the realm of France:
Nor did the French poffefs the Salique land,
Until four hundred one-and-twenty years
After defunction of king Pharamond,
Idly fuppos'd the founder of this law;
Who died within the year of our redemption
Four hundred twenty-fix; and Charles the Great,
Subdu'd the Saxons, and did feat the French

Beyond the river Sala, in the year

Eight hundred five. Befides, their writers fay,
King Pepin, which depofed Childerick,
Did, as heir general, being defcended

Of Blithild, which was daughter to king Clothair,
Make claim and title to the crown of France.
Hugh Capet alfo, who ufurp'd the crown

Of Charles the duke of Lorain, fole heir male
Of the true line and stock of Charles the Great,

This fpeech (together with the Latin paffage in it) may as well be faid to be taken from Holinfhed as from Hall.

STEEV. Το

To fine his title with fome fhew of truth,

(Though, in pure truth, it was corrupt and naught)
Convey'd himself as heir to the lady Lingare,
Daughter to Charlemain, who was the fon
To Lewis the emperor, and Lewis the fon
Of Charles the Great. Alfo king Lewis the Ninth,
Who was fole heir to the ufurper Capet,
Could not keep quiet in his confcience,
Wearing the crown of France, 'till fatisfy'd
That fair queen Ifabel, his grandmother,
Was lineal of the lady Ermengare,

Daughter to Charles the forefaid duke of Lorain :›
By which marriage, the line of Charles the Great
Was re-united to the crown of France.
So that, as clear as is the fummer's fun,
King Pepin's title, and Hugh Capet's claim,
King Lewis his fatisfaction, all appear
To hold in right and title of the female ›
So do the kings of France until this day,
Howbeit they would hold up this Salique law,
To bar your highnefs claiming from the female;
And rather chufe to hide them in a net,

Than amply to imbare their crooked titles 2,
Ufurp'd from you and your progenitors.

K. Henry:

* To fine his title, &c.] This is the reading of the quarto of 1608, that of the folio is, To find his title. I would read,

To line his title with feme fhew of truth.

To line may fignify it at once to decorate and to strengthen. In Macbeth:

He did line the rebels with hidden help and vantage. Dr. Warburton fays, that to fine his title, is to refine or im prove it. The reader is to judge.

I now believe that find is right; the jury finds for the plaintiff, or finds for the defendant: to find his title is, to determine in favour of his title with fome fhew of truth. JOHNSON.

2 r. Pope reads:

Than openly imbrace.] But where is the antithefis betwixt bide in the preceding line, and imbrace in this? The two old folios read, Than amply to imbarre.-We certainly must read, as Mr. Warburton advifed me, Than amply to imbare-lay

open,

K. Henry. May I with right and confcience make

this claim?

Cant. The fin upon my head, dread fovereign!
For in the book of Numbers is it writ,

When the fon dies, let the inheritance
Descend unto the daughter. Gracious lord,
Stand for your own; unwind your bloody flag;
Look back unto your mighty ancestors:

Go, my
dread lord, to your great grandfire's tomb,
From whom you claim; invoke his warlike spirit,
And your great uncle's Edward the black prince;
Who on the French ground play'd a tragedy,
Making defeat on the full power of France;
While his most mighty father, on a hill,
Stood fmiling, to behold his lion's whelp
Forage in blood of French nobility.—
O noble English, that could entertain
With half their forces the full power of France;
And let another half stand laughing by,
All out of work, and cold for action 3!

Ely. Awake remembrance of these valiant dead,
And with your puiffant arm renew their feats.
You are their heir, you fit upon their throne;
The blood, and courage, that renowned them,
Runs in your veins; and my thrice-puiffant liege

open, difplay to view. I am furpriz'd Mr. POPE did not start this conjecture, as Mr. Rowe had led the way to it in his edition; who reads,

Than amply to make bare their crooked titles. THEOBALD. Mr. THEOBALD might have found in the quarto of 1608, this reading,

Than amply to embrace their crooked caufes; out of which line Mr. POPE formed his reading, erroneous indeed, but not merely capricious. JOHNSON.

I know of no fuch word as imbare. To unbar is to open, which I fuppofe to be the word fet down by the poet, and was probably oppofed to bar. STEEVENS.

cold for action!] The next fpeeches of Ely, Exeter, Westmorland, and Canterbury, were added after the 4to 1608.

STEEVENS.

Is in the very May-morn of his youth,
Ripe for exploits and mighty enterprize.

Exe. Your brother kings and monarchs of the earth
Do all expect that you fhould roufe yourself,
As did the former lions of your blood.

Weft. 4 They know your grace hath cause; and means and might,

So hath your highness; never king of England
Had nobles richer, and more loyal fubjects;
Whose hearts have left their bodies here in England,
And lie pavilion'd in the fields of France.
Cant. O, let their bodies follow, my

dear liege 5,

With blood, and fword, and fire, to win your right: In aid whereof, we of the fpiritualty

Will raife your highnefs fuch a mighty fum,

As never did the clergy at one time

Bring in to any of your ancestors.

K. Henry. We must not only arm to invade the French,

But lay down our proportions to defend

Against the Scot, who will make road upon us
With all advantages.

Cant. They of thofe Marches, gracious fovereign, Shall be a wall fufficient to defend

Our inland from the pilfering borderers.

↑ They know your GRACE HATH caufe, and means, and might, So bath your highness ;

We should read,

your RACE HAD caufe

which is carrying on the fenfe of the concluding words of

Exeter.

As did the former lions of your blood;

meaning Edward III. and the Black prince. WARBURTON. I do not fee but the prefent reading may ftand as I have pointed it. JoHNSON.

5 Thefe two lines Dr. WARBURTON gives to Weftmorland, but with fo little reafon that I have continued them to Canterbury. The credit of old copies, though not great, is yet more than nothing. JOHNSON.

K. Henry.

K. Henry. We do not mean the courfing fnatchers only,

But fear the main intendment of the Scot,
Who hath been ftill a giddy neighbour to us:
For you fhall read, that my great grandfather
7 Never went with his forces into France,
But that the Scot on his unfurnish'd kingdom
Came pouring, like a tide into a breach,
With ample and brim-fulness of his force;
Galling the gleaned land with hot affays;
Girding with grievous fiege caftles and towns;
That England, being empty of defence,

Hath fhook, and trembled, 8 at the ill neighbourhood. Cant. She hath been then more fear'd than harm'd, my liege:

For hear her but exampled by herself,

When all her chivalry hath been in France,
And she a mourning widow of her nobles,
She hath herself not only well defended,
But taken, and impounded as a stray,
The king of Scots, whom fhe did fend to France,
To fill king Edward's fame with prifoner kings;
9 And make your chronicle as rich with praise,

As

6 -giddy neighbour] That is, inconftant, changeable. JOHNSON. 7 Nover went with his forces into France,] Shakespeare wrote

the line thus,

Ne'er went with his FULL forces into France. The following expreffions of unfurnish'd kingdom, gleaned land, and empty of defence, fhew this. WARBURTON.

There is no need of alteration. JOHNSON.

The 4to 1608 reads,

never my great grandfather

Unmask'd his power for France. STEEVENS.

at the ill neighbourhood.] The 4to 1608 reads,
at the bruit thereof. STEEVENS.

And make his chronicle as rich with PRAISE,] He is fpeaking of king Edward's prifoners; fo that it appears Shakespeare

wrote,

as rich with PRIZE,

B 2

i. e.