*KING HENRY V.] This play was writ (as appears from a paffage in the chorus to the fifth Act) at the time of the earl of Effex's commanding the forces in Ireland in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and not till after Henry the Sixth had been played, as may be seen by the conclufion of this play. POPE. The tranfactions comprised in this hiftorical play commence about the latter end of the firft, and terminate in the eighth year of this king's reign: when he married Katharine princefs of France, and closed up the differences betwixt England and that crown. THEOBALD. This play, in the quarto edition, 1608, is ftyled The Chronicle Hiftory of Henry &c. which feems to have been the title anciently appropriated to all Shakspeare's historical dramas. So, in The Antipodes, a comedy, by R. Brome, 1638: "Thefe lads can act the emperors' lives all over, The players likewife in the folio edition, 1623, rank these pieces under the title of Hiftories. It is evident, that a play on this fubject had been performed before the year 1592. Nah, in Pierce Penniless his Supplication to the Devil, dated 1592, fays: -what a glorious thing it is to have Henry the Fift reprefented on the ftage, leading the French king prifoner, and forcing both him and the Dolphin to fweare fealtie. Perhaps this is the fame play as was thus entered in the books of the Stationers' company: "Tho. Strode] May 2, 1594. A booke entituled The famous Victories of Henry the Fift, containing the honorable Battle of Agincourt." There are two more entries of a play of Henry V. viz. between 1596 and 1615, and one August 14th, 1600. I have two copies of it in my poffeffion: one without date, (which feems much the elder of the two) and another (apparently printed from it) dated 1617, though printed by Bernard Alfop (who was printer of the other edition) and fold by the fame perfon and at the fame place. Alfop appears to have been a printer before the year 1600, and was afterwards one of the twenty appointed by decree of the ftar-chamber to print for this kingdom. I believe, however, this piece to have been prior to that of Shakspeare for feveral reafons. First, because it is highly probable that it is the very « difpleafing play" alluded to in the epilogue to the Second Part of King Henry IV.-for Oldcastle died a martyr. Oldcastle is the Falstaff of the piece, which is defpicable, and full of ribaldry and impiety from the firft fcene to the laft.Secondly, becaufe Shakspeare feems to have taken not a few hints from it; for it comprehends in fome measure the story of the two parts of Henry IV. as well as of Henry V: and no ignorance, I think, could debafe the gold of Shakspeare into fuch drofs; though no chemistry but that of Shakspeare could exalt fuch base metal into gold.—When the Prince of Wales in Henry IV. calls Falstaff my old lad of the Caftle, it is probably but a fneering allufion to the deserved fate which this performance met with; for there is no proof that our poet was ever obliged to change the name of Oldcafle into that of Falftaff, though there is an abfolute certainty that this piece muft have been condemned by any audience before whom it was ever reprefented. Laftly, because it appears (as Dr. Farmer has obferved) from the Jefts of the famous comedian Tarlton, 4to. 1611, that he had been particularly celebrated in the part of the Clown in Henry V. and though this character does not exist in our play, we find it in the other, which, for the reafons already enumerated, I fuppofe to have been prior to this. This anonymous play of Henry V. is neither divided into acts or fcenes, is uncommonly fhort, and has all the appearance of having been imperfectly taken down during the representation. As much of it appears to have been omitted, we may suppose that the author did not think it convenient for his reputation to publish a more ample copy. There is, indeed, a play, called Sir John Oldcastle, published in 1600, with the name of William Shakspeare prefixed to it. The prologue being very fhort, I fhall quote it, as it ferves to prove, that a former piece, in which the character of Oldcastle was introduced, had given great offence: "The doubtfull title (gentlemen) prefixt 66 Upon the argument we have in hand, May breed fufpenfe, and wrongfully disturbe STEEVENS. * Mr. Oldys, in a manufcript note in his copy of Langbaine, fays, that Tarlton appeared in the character of the Judge who receives the box on the ear. This Judge is likewise a character in the old play. I may add, on the authority of the books at Stationers' Hail, that Tarlton published what he called his Farewell, a ballad, in Sept. 1588. In Oct. 1589, was entered, "Tarlton's Repentance, and bis Farewell to his Friends in his Sickness a little before bis Death;" in 1590, "Tarlton's Newes out of Purgatorie;" and in the fame year, "A pleafaunt Ditty Dialogue-wife, between Tarlton's Ghoft and Robyn Good-fellowe." STEEVENS. The piece to which Nafh alludes, is the old anonymous play of King Henry V. which had been exhibited before the year 1589, Tarlton, the comedian, who performed in it both the parts of the Chief Juftice and the Clown, having died in that year. It was entered on the Stationers' books in 1594, and, I believe, printed in that year, though I have not met with a copy of that date. An edition of it printed in 1598, was in the valuable collection of Dr. Wright. See alfo Vol. VIII. p. 370, n. 4; and the present Vol. p. 123, n. 7. The play before us appears to have been written in the middle of the year 1599. See An Attempt to afcertain the Order of ShakSpeare's Plays, Vol. I. The old King Henry V. may be found among Six old Plays on which Shakspeare founded, &c. printed for S. Leacroft, 1778. MALONE. |