SECOND PART OF KING HENRY VI. ] This and The Third Part of King Henry VI. contain that troublefome period of this prince's reign which took in the whole contention betwixt the houses of York and Lancaster: aud under that title were these two plays firft acted and published. The present scene opens with king Henry's marriage, which was in the twenty-third year of his reign [ A. D. 1445 and clofes with the firft battle fought at St. Albans, and won by the York fadion, in the thirty-third year of his reign [A. D 1455]: fo that it comprizes the hiftory and tranfactions of ten years. THEOBALD. : This play was altered by Crowne, and a&ed in the year 1681. STEEVENS. In a note prefixed to the preceding play, I have briefly flated my opinion concerning the drama now before us, and that which follows it; to which the original editors of Shakspeare's works in folio have given the titles of The Second and Third Parts of King Henry VI. The Contention of the two famous houfes of Yorke and Lancaster in two parts, was published in quarto, in 1600; and the first part was entered on the Stationers' books, (as Mr. Steevens has obferved,} March 12, 1593-4. On these two plays, which I believe to have been written by fome preceding author, before the year 1590, Shakspeare formed, as I conceive, this and the following drama; altering, retrenching, or amplifying, as he thought proper. The reafons on which this hypothefis is founded, I fhall fubjoin at large at the end of The third part of King Henry VI. At prefent it is only neceffary to apprize the reader of the method obferved in the printing of these plavs. All the lines printed in the usual manner, are found in the original quarto plays (or at leaft with fuch minute variations as are not worth noticing); and thofe, I conceive, Shakfpeare adopted as he found them. The lines to which inverted commas are prefixed, were, if my hypothefis be well founded, retouched, and greatly improved by him; and those with afterisks were his own original production; the embroidery with which he ornamented the coarfe ftuff that had been awkwardly made up for the ftage by fome of his contemporaries. The fpeeches which he new-modelled, he improved, fometimes by amplification, and fometimes by retrenchment.' These two pieces, I imagine, were produced in their prefent form in 1591. See An Attempt to afcertain the order of Shakspeare's plays, Vol. II. and the Differtation at the end of The third part of King Henry VI. Dr. Johnfon obferves very juftly, that thefe two parts were not written without a dependance on the firft. Undoubt edly not; the old play of K. Henry VI. (or, as it is now called, The first part, certainly had been exhibited before thefe were written in any form. But it does not follow from this conceffion, either that The Contention of the two houfes, &c. in two parts, was written by the author of the former play, or that Shakspeare was the author of these two pieces as they originally appeared. MALONE. 1 King Henry the Sixth: Humphrey, Duke of Glofter, his uncle. Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, great uncle to the king. Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York: Duke of Somerset, Duke of Suffolk, Duke of Buckingham, of the king's párty. Young Clifford, his fon.) Earl of Salisbury, of the York faction. Lord Scales, Governour of the Tower. Lord Say. A Sea-captain, Mafter, and Mafter's Mate, and Walter Whitmore. Two Gentlemen, prifoners with Suffolk. Hume and Southwell, two priests. Bolingbroke, a Conjurer. A fpirit raised by him. Thomas Horner, an Armourer. Peter, his man. Clerk of Chatham. Mayor of Saint Alban's. Simpcox, an Impoftor. 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. Margery Jourdain, a Witch. Wife to Simpcox. KING HENRY VI. 12, A C T I. SCENE I. London. A Room of ftate in the Palace. Flourish of trumpets: then hautboys. Enter, on one fide, 2 SUF. As by your high imperial majefly 3 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 fèries of tranfa&tions 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 firit, though they were printed as containing a complete period of hiftory. JOHNSON. 3 As procurator to your excellence, &c.] So, in Holinfhed, p. 625: "The marqueffe of Suffolk, as procurator to king Henrie, elpoufed the faid ladie in the church of Saint Martins. At the which marriage were present the father and mother of the bride; the French king himself that was uncle to the hufband, and the French queen alfo that was aunt to the wife. There were alfo the dukes of Orleance, of Calabre, of Alanfon, and of Britaine, feaven earles, twelve barons, twenty bishops," &c. STEEVENS. This paffage Holinfhed tranfcribéd verbatim from Hall. MALONE. To marry princefs Margaret for your grace: In prefence of the kings of France and Sicil, I have perform'd my task, and was efpous'd: To your most gracious hands, that are the substance The happieft gift that ever marquess gave, K. HEN. Suffolk, arife. - Welcome, queen Margaret: I can exprefs no kinder fign of love, Than this kind kifs.- O Lord, that lends me life, *If fympathy of love unite our thoughts. Q. MAR. Great king of England, and my gracious lord; 5 The mutual conference that my mind hath had— that are fovereign, who are, &c. 6 i. e. to the gracious hands of you, my In the old play the line flands: Unto your gracious excellence that are kc, MALONE. 6 The mutual conference. I am the bolder to addrefs you, having already familiarized you to my imagination. JOHNSON. mine alder-liefeft fovereign,] Alder-lieveft is an old English. |