Shakespeare's Henry the Fifth Author:William Shakespeare Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The Life of King Henry the Fifth Prologue Enter Chorus Chor. O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention, A kingdom for a s... more »tage, princes to act And monarchs to behold the swelling scene! Then should the warlike Harry, like himself, 5 Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels, Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire Crouch for employment. But pardon, gen- tles all, The flat unraised spirits that have dared On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth 10 So great an object: can this cockpit hold The vasty fields of France? or may we cram Within this wooden O the very casques That did affright the air at Agincourt? O, pardon! since a crooked figure may 15 Attest in little place a million; And let us, ciphers to this great accompt, On your imaginary forces work. Suppose within the girdle of these walls O Are now confined two mighty monarchies, 20 Whose high upreared and abutting fronts The perilous narrow ocean parts asunder: Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts; Into a thousand parts divide one man, And make imaginary puissance; 25 Think, when we talk of horses, that you see them Printing their proud hoofs i' the receiving earth; For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings, Carry them here and there; jumping o'er times, Turning the accomplishment of many years 30 Into an hour-glass: for the which supply, Admit me Chorus to this history; Who prologue-like your humble patience pray, Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play. [Exit. ACT FIRST Scene I London. An ante-chamber in the King's palace. Enter the Archbishop Of Canterbury, and the Bishop Of Ely. Cant. My lord, I'll tell you; that self bill is urged, Which in the eleventh year of the last kin...« less