Enter CHORUS. O, FOR a muse of fire, that would ascend And let us, cyphers to this great accompt, [1] This goes upon the notion of the Peripatetic system, which imagined several heavens one above another; the last and highest of which was one of fire. WARBURTON It alludes likewise to the aspiring nature of fire, which, by its levity, at the sepa ration of the chaos, took the highest seat of all the elements. JOHNSON. [2] This image of the warlike Henry very much resembles Montfaucon's de scription of the Mars discovered at Bresse, who leads a lion and a lioness in couples and crouching for employment. TOLLET. [3] Nothing shows more evidently the power of custom over language, than that the frequent use of calling a circle an O could so much hide the meanness of the metaphor from Shakespeare, that he has used it many times where he makes his most eager attempts at dignity of style. JOHNSON. [4] The helmets. JOHNSON. [5] Imaginary for imaginative, your powers of fancy. JOHNSON. Think, when we talk of horses, that you see them Into an hour-glass; For the which supply, Who, prologue-like, your humble patience pray, PERSONS REPRESENTED. King HENRY the Fifth. Duke of GLOSTER, 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 Archbishop of CANTERBURY. Bishop of ELY. Earl of CAMBRIDGE, Lord SCROOP, Sir THOMAS GREY, conspirators against the king. Sir THOMAS ERPINGHAM, GOWER, FLUELLEN, MACMORRIS, 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. Ambassadors to the king of England. 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, Messengers, and Attendants. The SCENE at the beginning of the play, lies in England; but afterwards, wholly in France. |