KING HENRY V      wr is my gracious Lord of Canterbury?

EXETER      nt here in presence.

KING HENRY V      Send 4 him, good uncle.

WESTMOREL&      shl we call in d ambassador, my liege?

KING HENRY V      nt yet, my cousin: we wud b resolved,
Be4e we hear him, of sum things of weight
That task r thoughts, concerning us & France.

[Enter d ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, & d BISHOP of ELY]

CANTERBURY      God & his angels guard Ur sacred throne
& make U long become it!

KING HENRY V      Sure, we thank U.
My learned lord, we pray U 2 proceed
& justly & religiously unfold
y d law Salique th@ they hv in France
Or shud, / shud not, bar us in r claim:
& God 4bid, my dear & faithful lord,
That U shud fashion, wrest, / bow Ur reading,
Or nicely charge Ur underst&ing soul
With opening titles miscreate, whose right
Suits nt in native colours wiv d truth;
4 God doth know how many now in health
Shall drop thr blud in approbation
Of wot Ur reverence shl incite us to.
thr4e take heed how U impawn r person,
How U awake r sleeping sword of war:
We charge U, in d name of God, take heed;
4 never 2 such kingdoms did contend
Without much fall of blud; whose guiltless drops
Are every one a woe, a sore complaint
'Gainst him whose wrong gives edge unto d swords
That make such waste in brief mortality.
Under this conjuration, speak, my lord;
4 we will hear, note & believe in heart
That wot U speak is in Ur conscience wash'd
As pure as sin wiv baptism.

CANTERBURY      Then hear me, gracious sovereign, & U peers,
That owe Urselves, Ur lives & services
To this imperial throne. thr is no bar
To make against Ur highness' claim 2 France
bt this, which they produce frm Pharamond,
'In terram Salicam mulieres ne succedant:'
'No woman shl succeed in Salique l&:'
Which Salique l& d French unjustly gloze
To b d realm of France, & Pharamond
The founder of this law & female bar.
Yet thr own authors faithfully affirm
That d l& Salique is in Germany,
Between d floods of Sala & of Elbe;
wr Charles d gr8, having subdued d Saxons,
thr left behind & settled certain French;
Who, holding in disdain d German women
4 sum dishonest manners of thr life,
Establish'd then this law; 2 wit, no female
Shud b inheritrix in Salique l&:
Which Salique, as I said, 'twixt Elbe & Sala,
Is @ this day in Germany call'd Meisen.
Then doth it well appear th@ Salique law
Was nt devised 4 d realm of France:
Nor did d French possess d Salique l&
Until four hundred one & twenty years
After defunction of King Pharamond,
Idly supposed d founder of this law;
Who died within d year of r redemption
Four hundred twenty-six; & Charles d gr8
Subdued d Saxons, & did seat d French
Beyond d river Sala, in d year
Eight hundred five. Besides, thr writers say,
King Pepin, which deposed Childeric,
Did, as heir general, being descended
Of Blithild, which was daughter 2 King Clothair,
Make claim & title 2 d crown of France.
Hugh Capet also, who usurped d crown
Of Charles d duke of Lorraine, sole heir male
Of d true line & stock of Charles d gr8,
To find his title wiv sum shows of truth,
'Through, in pure truth, it was corrupt & naught,
Convey'd himself as heir 2 d Lady Lingare,
Daughter 2 Charlemain, who was d son
To Lewis d emperor, & Lewis d son
Of Charles d gr8. Also King Lewis d Tenth,
Who was sole heir 2 d usurper Capet,
Cud nt keep quiet in his conscience,
Wearing d crown of France, till satisfied
That fair Queen Isabel, his gr&mother,
Was lineal of d Lady Ermengare,
Daughter 2 Charles d 4esaid duke of Lorraine:
By d which marriage d line of Charles d gr8
Was re-united 2 d crown of France.
So that, as clear as is d summerz sun.
King Pepinz title & Hugh Capetz claim,
King Lewis his satisfaction, all appear
To hold in right & title of d female:
So do d kings of France unto this day;