KING Henry the Sixth.

Humphry Duke of Gloucester, Uncle to the King. Cardinal Beauford, Bishop of Winchester, great Uncle to the King.

Duke of York pretending to the Crown.
Duke of Buckingham,
Duke of Somerset,
Duke of Suffolk,

}

Of the York Faction.

Of the King's Party.

Earl of Warwick,
Lord Clifford, of the King's Party.
Lord Say.

Lord Scales, Governor of the Tower.
Sir Humphry Stafford.

Young Stafford, bis Brother.
Alexander Iden, a Kentish Gentleman.
Young Clifford, Son to the Lord Clifford.
Edward Plantagenet,
Richard Plantagenet,
Vaux, a Sea Captain, and Walter Whitmore, Pirates.
A Herald. Hume and Southwel, two Priefts.
Bolingbrook, an Aftrologer.

} Sons to the Duke of York.

A Spirit, attending on Jordan the Witch.
Thomas Horner, an Armourer. Peter, bis Man.
Clerk of Chatham. Mayor of St. Albans.
Simpcox, an Impoftor.

Jack Cade, Bevis, Michael, John Holland, Dick the Butcher, Smith the Weaver, aad several others, Rebels. Margaret, Queen to King Henry VI. fecretly in Love with the Duke of Suffolk.

Dame Eleanor, Wife to the Duke of Gloucefter.
Mother Jordan, a Witch employed by the Dutchefs of

Gloucefter.

Wife to Simpcox.

Petitioners, Aldermen, a Beadle, Sheriff and Officers, Citizens, with Faulconers, Guards, Melfengers, and

other Attendants.

The SCENE is laid very difperfedly in feveral Parts of England.

King HENRY VI.

ACT I. SCENE I

The PALACE.

Flourish of Trumpets: then, Hautboys. Enter King
Henry, Duke Humphry, Salisbury, Warwick, and
Beauford on the one fide: The Queen, Suffolk, York,
Somerset, and Buckingham on the other.

SUFFOLK.

S by your high imperial Majefty'
I had in charge at my depart for France,
As procurator for your Excellence,

A

The fecond part, &c.] This and the third part were firft written under the title of the Contention of York and Lancafter, printed in 1600, but fince vaftly improved by the author. POPE. The fecond Part of K.Henry VI.] This and the Third part of King Henry VI.contain that troublefom Period of this Prince's Reign, .which took in the whole Contention betwixt the two Houfes of York and Lancaster: And under that title were thefe two Plays first acted and published. The prefent Scene opens with K.Henry's Marriage, which was in the 23d Year of his Reign; and clofes with the firft Battle fought

2

at St. Albans, and won by the York Faction, in the 33 Year of his Reign. So that it comprizes the Hiftory and Tranfactions of 10 Years. THEOBALD.

2 As by your high, &c.] Vide Hall's Chronicle, Fol. 66. Year 23. Init.

POPE.

It is apparent that this play begins where the former ends, and continues the series of tranfactions, of which it prefuppofes the first part already known. This is a fufficient proof that the fecond and third parts were not written without dependance on the firft, tho' they were printed as containing a complete period of history.

To marry Princess Marg❜ret for your Grace;
So in the famous ancient city, Tours,

In prefence of the kings of France and Sicil,
The dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Bretaigne, Alanfort
Seven Earls, twelve Barons, twenty reverend Bishops,
I have perform'd my task, and was espous'd:
And humbly now upon my bended knee,
In fight of England and her lordly peers.
Deliver up my title in the Queen

[Prefenting the Queen to the KingTo your moft gracious hand; that are the fubftance Of that great fhadow I did reprefent;

The happiest gift that ever Marquefs gave,
The faireft Queen that ever King receiv'd.

K. Henry. Suffolk, arife. Welcome, Queen Margaret;

I can exprefs no kinder fign of love,

Than this kind kifs. O Lord, that lend'st me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!
For thou haft giv'n me, in this beauteous face,
A world of earthly bleffings to my foul;
If fympathy of love unite our thoughts.

Q. Mar. Great King of England, and my gracious
Lord,

3.

The mutual conf'rence that my mind hath had, 3
By day, by night, waking and in my dreams,
In courtly company, or at my beads,
With you, mine alder-liefeft Sovereign,
Makes me the bolder to falute my King
With ruder terms, fuch as my wit affords,

3 The mutual conf'rence-] I am the bolder to addrefs you, having already familiarifed you to my imagination.

mine alder-lieveft Sovereign; Alder-lieveft is an old English word given to him to whom the speaker is fupreme

ly attached: Lieveft being the fuperlative of the comparative, levar, rather, from lief. So Hall in his Chronicle, Henry VI. Folio 12. Ryght hyghe and mighty Prince, and my right noble, and, after one, levest Lord.

WARBURTON.

And