Paris. A Room of State.
 Enter KING HENRY, GLOUCESTER, WINCHESTER, DUKE OF YORK, SUFFOLK,
 SOMERSET, WARWICK, TALBOT, EXETER, GOVERNOR OF PARIS, and OTHERS.

Gloucester	Lord bishop, set the crown upon his head.

Winchester	God save King Henry, of that name the sixth!

Gloucester	Now, Governor of Paris, take your oath-
													[GOVERNOR kneels.
	That you elect no other king but him,
	Esteem none friends but such as are his friends,
	And none your foes but such as shall pretend
	Malicious practices against his state:
	This shall ye do, so help you righteous God!
									[Exeunt GOVERNOR and his Train.

                             Enter FALSTAFF.

Falstaff	My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais
	To haste unto your coronation,
	A letter was delivered to my hands,
	Writ to your grace from th' Duke of Burgundy.
													[He delivers the letter.

Talbot	Shame to the Duke of Burgundy and thee!
	I vowed, base knight, when I did meet thee next
	To tear the Garter from thy craven's leg.
	Which I have done, because unworthily
	Thou was installd in that high degree.
	Pardon me, princely Henry and the rest,
	This dastard, at the battle of Patay,
	When but in all I was six thousand strong,
	And that the French were almost ten to one,
	Before we met or that a stroke was given,
	Like to a trusty squire did run away;
	In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;
	Myself and divers gentlemen beside
	Were there surprised and taken prisoners.
	Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss,
	Or whether that such cowards ought to wear
	This ornament of knighthood - yea or no.

Gloucester	To say the truth, this fact was infamous,
	And ill-beseeming any common man,
	Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader.

Talbot	When first this order was ordained, my lords,
	Knights of the Garter were of noble birth,
	Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage,
	Such as were grown to credit by the wars;
	Not fearing death nor shrinking for distress,
	But always resolute in most extremes.
	He then that is not furnished in this sort
	Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight,
	Profaning this most honourable order,
	And should, if I were worthy to be judge,
	Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain
	That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.

King Henry	Stain to thy countrymen, thou hear'st thy doom!
	Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight;
	Henceforth we banish thee on pain of death.
													[Exit FALSTAFF.
	And now, my Lord Protector, view the letter
	Sent from our uncle, Duke of Burgundy.

Gloucester	[Viewing the address.]
	What means his grace that he hath changed his style?
	No more but plain and bluntly "To the king"?
	Hath he forgot he is his sovereign,
	Or doth this churlish superscription
	Pretend some alteration in good will?
	What's here?

		[Reads.]	"I have, upon especial cause,
		Moved with compassion of my country's wrack,
		Together with the pitiful complaints
		Of such as your oppression feeds upon,
		Forsaken your pernicious faction,
		And joined with Charles, the rightful King of France."

	O monstrous treachery! Can this be so,
	That in alliance, amity, and oaths,
	There should be found such false dissembling guile?

King Henry	What, doth my uncle Burgundy revolt?

Gloucester	He doth, my lord, and is become your foe.

King Henry	Is that the worst this letter doth contain?

Gloucester	It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes.

King Henry	Why then Lord Talbot there shall talk with him,
	And give him chastisement for this abuse.
	How say you, my lord; are you not content?

Talbot	Content, my liege? Yes, but that I am prevented,
	I should have begged I might have been employed.

King Henry	Then gather strength, and march unto him straight.
	Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason,
	And what offence it is to flout his friends.

Talbot	I go, my lord, in heart desiring still
	You may behold confusion of your foes.
													[Exit.

                         Enter VERNON and BASSET.

Vernon	Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign.

Basset	And me, my lord, grant me the combat too.

York	This is my servant; hear him, noble prince.

Somerset	And this is mine; sweet Henry, favour him.

King Henry	Be patient, lords, and give them leave to speak.
	Say, gentlemen, what makes you thus exclaim?
	And wherefore crave you combat, or with whom?

Vernon	With him, my lord, for he hath done me wrong.

Basset	And I with him, for he hath done me wrong.

King Henry	What is that wrong whereof you both complain?
	First let me know, and then I'll answer you.

Basset	Crossing the sea from England into France,
	This fellow here, with envious carping tongue,
	Upbraided me about the rose I wear,
	Saying the sanguine colour of the leaves
	Did represent my master's blushing cheeks
	When stubbornly he did repugn the truth
	About a certain question in the law
	Argued betwixt the Duke of York and him;
	With other vile and ignominious terms;
	In confutation of which rude approach,
	And in defence of my lord's worthiness,
	I crave the benefit of law of arms.

Vernon	And that is my petition, noble lord;
	For though he seem with forgd quaint conceit
	To set a gloss upon his bold intent,
	Yet know, my lord, I was provoked by him,
	And he first took exceptions at this badge,
	Pronouncing that the paleness of this flower
	Bewrayed the faintness of my master's heart.

York	Will not this malice, Somerset, be left?

Somerset	Your private grudge, my Lord of York, will out,
	Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it.

King Henry	Good Lord, what madness rules in brainsick men,
	When for so slight and frivolous a cause
	Such factious emulations shall arise!
	Good cousins both, of York and Somerset,
	Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at peace.

York	Let this dissension first be tried by fight,
	And then your highness shall command a peace.

Somerset	The quarrel toucheth none but us alone;
	Betwixt ourselves let us decide it then.

York	There is my pledge; accept it, Somerset.

Vernon	Nay, let it rest where it began at first.

Basset	Confirm it so, mine honourable lord.

Gloucester	Confirm it so? Confounded be your strife,
	And perish ye with your audacious prate!
	Presumptuous vassals, are you not ashamed
	With this immodest clamorous outrage
	To trouble and disturb the king and us?
	And you, my lords, methinks you do not well
	To bear with their perverse objections,
	Much less to take occasion from their mouths
	To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves.
	Let me persuade you take a better course.

Exeter	It grieves his highness. Good my lords, be friends.

King Henry	Come hither, you that would be combatants.
	Henceforth I charge you, as you love our favour,
	Quite to forget this quarrel and the cause.
	And you, my lords, remember where we are-
	In France, amongst a fickle wavering nation.
	If they perceive dissension in our looks,
	And that within ourselves we disagree,
	How will their grudging stomachs be provoked
	To wilful disobedience, and rebel!
	Beside, what infamy will there arise
	When foreign princes shall be certified
	That for a toy, a thing of no regard,
	King Henry's peers and chief nobility
	Destroyed themselves and lost the realm of France!
	O, think upon the conquest of my father,
	My tender years, and let us not forgo
	That for a trifle that was bought with blood!
	Let me be umpire in this doubtful strife.
	I see no reason, if I wear this rose,
													[Putting on a red rose.
	That any one should therefore be suspicious
	I more incline to Somerset than York:
	Both are my kinsmen, and I love them both.
	As well may they upbraid me with my crown
	Because, forsooth, the King of Scots is crowned.
	But your discretions better can persuade
	Than I am able to instruct or teach;
	And, therefore, as we hither came in peace,
	So let us still continue peace and love.
	Cousin of York, we institute your grace
	To be our regent in these parts of France;
	And, good my Lord of Somerset, unite
	Your troops of horsemen with his bands of foot;
	And like true subjects, sons of your progenitors,
	Go cheerfully together and digest
	Your angry choler on your enemies.
	Ourself, my Lord Protector, and the rest,
	After some respite will return to Calais;
	From thence to England, where I hope ere long
	To be presented by your victories
	With Charles, Alenon, and that traitorous rout.
													[Flourish. Exeunt.
                   Manet YORK, WARWICK, EXETER, VERNON.

Warwick	My Lord of York, I promise you, the king
	Prettily, methought, did play the orator.

York	And so he did; but yet I like it not,
	In that he wears the badge of Somerset.

Warwick	Tush, that was but his fancy; blame him not.
	I dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no harm.

York	And if I wist he did - but let it rest;
	Other affairs must now be managd.
													[Exeunt.
                              Manet EXETER.

Exeter	Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy voice;
	For had the passions of thy heart burst out,
	I fear we should have seen deciphered there
	More rancorous spite, more furious raging broils,
	Than yet can be imagined or supposed.
	But howsoe'er, no simple man that sees
	This jarring discord of nobility,
	This shouldering of each other in the court,
	This factious bandying of their favourites,
	But sees it doth presage some ill event.
	'Tis much when sceptres are in children's hands,
	But more when envy breeds unkind division:
	There comes the ruin, there begins confusion.
													[Exit.
