Loud fhouts and falutations from their mouths,
Even in the presence of the crowned king.
Thus I did keep my perfón fresh and new,
My presence, like a robe pontifical,
Ne'er feen, but wonder'd at; and fo my state,
Seldom, but fùmptuous, fhew'd like a feast,
And won, by rareness, fuch folemnity.
The skipping king, he ambled up and down
With fhallow jefters, and rafh bavin wits,
Soon kindled, and foon burnt; 'fcarded his ftate;
Mingled his royalty with carping fools;
Had his great name profaned with their fcorns }
And gave his countenance, against his name,
To laugh at gybing boys, and ftand the pufh
Of every beardless, vain comparative;
Grew a companion to the common streets,
Enfeoff'd himself to popularity.

That, being daily fwallow'd by mens eyes,
They furfeited with honey, and began

To loath a taste of sweetness; whereof a little
More than a little, is by much too much.

So when he had occafion to be feen,

He was but as the cuckow is in June,

Heard, not regarded; feen but with fuch eyes,

As, fick and blunted with community,

Afford no extraordinary gaze;

Such, as is bent on fun-like majefty,

When it fhines feldom in admiring eyes;

But rather drowz'd, and hung their eye-lids down, Slept in his face, and rendred such aspect

As cloudy men ufe to their adverfaries,

Being with his prefence glutted, gorg'd and full,
And in that very line, Harry, ftand'st thou;
For thou haft loft thy princely privilege
With vile participation; not an eye,

But is a-weary of thy common fight,

Save mine, which hath defir'd to fee thee more:
Which now doth, what I would not have it do,
Make blind itself with foolish tenderness.

Our author is fo little under the discipline of Art, that we are apt to ascribe his happieft fucceffes, as well as his most unfortunate failings, to Chance. But I cannot help thinking, there is more of contrivance and care in his execution of this play, than in almost any he has written. It is a more regular drama than his other historical plays, lefs charged with abfurdities, and less involved in confufion. It is indeed liable to

those

those objections, which are made to Tragicomedy. But if the pedantry of learning could ever recede from its dogmatical rules, I think that this play, instead of being condemned for being of that species, would obtain favour for the fpecies itself, though perhaps correct tafte may be offended with the tranfitions from grave and important, to light and ludicrous fubjects: and more ftill with thofe from great and illuftrious, to low and mean perfons. Foreigners, unused to these compofitions, will be much difgufted at them. The vulgar call all animals that are not natives of their own country, monfters, however beautiful they may be in their form, or wifely adapted to their climate, and natural deftination. The prejudices of Pride are as violent and unreasonable, as the fuperftitions of Ignorance. On the French Parnaffus, a tragi-comedy of this kind will be deemed a monfter fitter to be fhewn to the people at a fair, than exhibited to circles of the learned and polite. From fome peculiar circumstances

relating to the characters in this piece, we may, perhaps, find a fort of apology for the motley mixture thrown into it. We cannot but suppose, that at the time it was written, many stories yet fubfifted of the wild adventures of this Prince of Wales, and his idle companions. His fubfequent reformation, and his conquests in France, rendered him a very popular character. It was a delicate affair to expose the follies of Henry V. before a people proud of his victories, and tender of his famé, at the fame time fo informed of the extravagancies, and exceffes of his youth, that he could not appear divefted of them with any degree of historical probability. Their enormity would have been greatly heightened, if they had appeared in a piece entirely ferious, and full of dignity and decorum. How happily therefore was the character of Falftaffe introduced, whofe wit and festivity in fome measure excufe the Prince for admitting him into his familiarity, and fuffering himself to be led by him into fome irregularities. There is hardly a

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young

young Hero, full of gaiety and spirit, who, if he had once fallen into the fociety of fo pleasant a companion, could have the feverity to difcard him, or would not fay, as the Prince does,

He could better fpare a better man.

How skilfully does our author follow the tradition of the Prince's having been engaged in a robbery, yet make his part in it a mere frolic to play on the cowardly and braggart temper of Falstaffe! The whole conduct of that incident is very artful: he rejects the propofal of the Robbery, and only complies with the playing a trick on the Robbers; and care is taken to inform

you,

that

ap

the money is returned to its owners. There is great propriety likewise in the behaviour of Prince Henry, when he suppofes Falstaffe to lie dead before him: to have expreffed no concern, would have peared unfeeling; to have lamented fuch a companion too seriously, ungraceful: with a fuitable mixture of tenderness and contempt he thus addreffes the body;

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