Page:Henry IV Part 1 (1917) Yale.djvu/145



The sources of the serious plot of both parts of Shakespeare's Henry IV are (1) the 1587 edition of The Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland by Raphael Holinshed 'of Bromecote in the County of Warr(wick)'; and (2) either Samuel Daniel's poem, The Civill Wars of England (1595) or some lost poem, play, or chronicle followed by both Daniel and Shakespeare.

The source of the comic plot is a crude and slight chronicle play called The Famous Victories of Henry V, first acted in 1588, licensed in 1594, and published in 1598.

The next daie in the morning earlie, being the even of Marie Magdalene (July 21. 1403), they set their battells in order on both sides, and now, whilest the warriors looked when the token of battell should be given, the abbat of Shrewesburie, and one of the clerks of the privie seale, were sent from the king vnto the Persies, to offer them pardon, if they would come to any reasonable agreement. By their persuasions, the lord Henrie Persie began to give ear vnto the kings offers, & so sent with them his vncle the earle of Worcester, to declare vnto the king the causes of those troubles

It was reported for a truth, that now when the king had condescended vnto all that was reasonable at his hands to be required, and seemed to humble himself