perhaps of only half the number. A copyist by the ear, or an unskilful shorthand writer, might mutilate and exhibit à poet's thoughts or expressions imperfectly; but he would not dilate and amplify them, or introduce totally new matter. Malone then exhibits a sufficient number of instances to prove, beyond the possibility of doubt, his position: so that (as he observes) we are compelled to admit either that Shakspeare wrote two sets of plays on the story which forms his Second and Third Parts of King Henry VI. hasty sketches, and entirely distinct and more finished performances; or else we must acknowledge that he formed his pieces on a foundation laid by another writer or writers; that is upon the two parts of The Contention of the Two Houses of York, &c. It is a striking circumstance that almost all the passages in the Second and Third Parts of King Henry VI. which resemble others in Shakspeare's undisputed plays, are not found in the original pieces in quarto, but in his rifaccimento in folio. As these resemblances to his other plays, and a peculiar Shakspearian phraseology, ascertain a considerable portion of these disputed dramas to be the production of that poet; so, on the other hand, other passages, discordant (in matters of fact) from his other plays, are proved by this discordancy not to have been composed by him: and these discordant passages, being found in the original quarto plays, prove that those pieces were composed by another writer. It is observable that several portions of English history had been dramatized before the time of Shakspeare. Thus we have King John, in two parts, by an anonymous writer; Edward I. by George Peele; Edward II. by Christopher Marlowe; Edward III. anonymous; Henry IV. containing the deposition of Richard II. and the accession of Henry to the crown, anonymous; Henry V. and Richard III. both by anonymous authors. It is therefore highly probably that the whole of the story of Henry VI. had been brought on the scene, and that the first of the plays here printed (formerly called The Historical Play of King Henry VI. and now named The First Part of King Henry VI. as well as the Two Parts of the Contention of the Houses of York and Lancaster) were the compositions of some of the authors who had produced the historical dramas above enumerated. Mr. Boswell, speaking of the originals of the second and third of these plays, says That Marlowe may have had some share in these compositions, I am not disposed to deny; but I cannot persuade myself that they entirely proceeded from his pen. Some passages are possessed of so much merit, that they can scarcely be ascribed to any one except the most distinguished of Shakspeare's predecessors; but the tameness of the general style is very different from the peculiar characteristics of that poet's mighty line, which are great energy both of thought and language, degenerating too frequently into tumour and extravagance. The versification appears to me to be of a different colour. That Marlowe, Peele, and Greene, may all of them have had a share in these dramas, is consonant to the frequent practice of the age; of which ample proofs may be found in the extracts from Henslowe's MS. printed by Mr. Malone.' From the passage alluding to these plays in Greene's Groatsworth of Wit, it seems probable that they were produced previous to 1592, but were not printed until they appeared in the folio of 1623. To Johnson's high panegyric of that impressive scene in this play, the death of Cardinal Beaufort, we may add that Schlegel says 'It is sublime beyond all praise. Can any other poet be named who has drawn aside the curtain of eternity at the close of this life in such an overpowering and awful manner? And yet it is not mere horror with which we are filled, but solemn emotion; we have an exemplification of a blessing and a curse in close proximity; the pious king is an image of the heavenly mercy, which even in his last moments labours to enter into the soul of the sinner.' PERSONS REPRESENTED. KING HENRY THE SIXTH: HUMPHREY, Duke of Gloster, his Uncle. CARDINAL BEAUFORT, Bishop of Winchester, great Uncle to the King. RICHARD PLANTAGENET, Duke of York: EDWARD and RICHARD, his Sons. DUKE of SOMERSET, DUKE of SUFFOLK, DUKE of BUCKINGHAM, of the King's Party. }of the York Faction. LORD SCALES, Governor of the Tower. LORD SAY. SIR HUMPHEY STAFFORD, and his Brother. SIR JOHN STANLEY. A Sea Captain, Master, and Master's Mate, and WALTER WHITMORE. Two Gentlemen, Prisoners with Suffolk. HUME and SOUTHWELL, two Priests. BOLINGBROKE, a Conjuror. A Spirit raised by him. THOMAS HORNER, an Armourer. PETER, his Man. Clerk of Chatham. Mayor of St. Albans. SIMPCOX, an Impostor. Two Murderers. JACK CADE, a Rebel: GEORGE, JOHN, DICK, SMITH the Weaver, MICHAEL, &c. his Followers. ALEXANDER IDEN, a Kentish Gentleman. MARGARET, Queen to King Henry. ELEANOR, Duchess of Gloster. MARGERY JOURDAIN, a Witch. Wife to Simpcox. Lords, Ladies, and Attendants; Petitioners, Aldermen, a Beadle, Sheriff, and Officers; Citizens, Prentices, Falconers, Guards, Soldiers, Messengers, &c. SCENE, dispersedly in various parts of England. SECOND PART OF KING HENRY VI. ACT I. SCENE I. London. A Room of State in the Palace. Flourish of Trumpets; then Hautboys. Enter, on one side, KING HENRY, DUKE of GLOSTER, SALISBURY, WARWICK, and CARDINAL BEAUFORT; on the other, QUEEN MARGARET, led in by SUFFOLK; YORK, SOMERSET, BUCKINGHAM, and Others, following. Suffolk. As by your high imperial majesty To marry Princess Margaret for your grace; 1 The marquesse of Suffolk, as procurator to King Henry, espoused the said ladie in the church of St. Martins. At the which marriage were present the father and mother of the bride; the French king himself, that was uncle to the husband; and the French queen also, that was aunt to the wife. There were also the Dukes of Orleance, of Calabre, of Alanson, and of Britaine; seven earles, twelve barons, twenty bishops.'-Hall and Holinshed. Seven earles, twelve barons, twenty reverend bi shops,― I have perform'd my task, and was espous'd; To your most gracious hands, that are the substance 2 The happiest gift that ever marquess gave, K. Hen. Suffolk, arise.—Welcome, Queen Margaret; I can express no kinder sign of love, Than this kind kiss.-O Lord, that lends me life, * If sympathy of love unite our thoughts. Q. Mar. Great king of England, and my gracious lord; 3 The mutual conference that my mind hath had By day, by night; waking, and in my dreams; In courtly company, or at my beads, With you mine alder-liefest sovereign, 2 i. e. to the gracious hands of you, my sovereign, who are, In the old play the line stands: 'Unto your gracious excellence, that are.' &c. 3 I am the bolder to address you, having already familiarized you to my imagination. : i.e. most beloved of all: from alder, of all; formerly used in composition with adjectives of the superlative degree and liefest, dearest, or most loved. Thus Chaucer, in Troilus and Cressida, iii. 240:- 'Mine alder-lievest lord, and brother dear.' And Gascoigne : and to mine alder-lievest lord I must indite.' It was apparently obsolete in Shakspeare's time; for Marston puts it into the mouth of his Dutch Courtezan. A similar word is still in use in Germany and Holland. Our ancestors had also alder-best, alder-first, alder-last, &c. |