KING Henry the Sixth.

Humphry Duke of Gloucefter, 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 Somerfet, of the King's Party.
Duke of Suffolk,

Earl of Salisbury. Of the York Faction.
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,

Sons to the Duke of York.

Vaux, a Sea Captain, and Walter Whitmore, Pirates.

A Herald. Hume and Southwel, two Priefts.

Bolingbrook, an Aftrologer.

A Spirit, attending on Jordan the Witch.

Thomas Horner, an Armourer.

Peter, his Man.

Clerk of Chatham. Mayor of St. Albans.
Simpcox, an Impoftor.

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

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

Gloucefter.

Wife to Simpcox.

Petitioners, Aldermen, a Beadle, Sheriff and Officers, Citizens, with Faulconers, Guards, Messengers, and other Attendants.

The SCENE is laid very difper fedly in feveral Parts

of England.

The SECOND PART of

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.

A

SUFFOLK.

S by your high imperial Majefty 2
I had in charge at my depart for France,
As procurator for your Excellence,

• The Second part, &c.] This and the third part were firft written under the title of the Contention of York and Lancaster, 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 troublesom 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

B

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

As by your bigh, &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 presupposes the firft part already known. This is a fufficient proof that the second and third parts were not written without dependance on the first, though they were printed as containing a complete period of hiftory.

2

Το

To marry Princefs Margret 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, Alanson,
Seven Earls, twelve Barons, twenty reverend Bishops,
I have perform'd my task, and was efpous'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 King.

Το your moft gracious hand; that are the substance
Of that great fhadow I did represent;

The happieft gift that ever Marquefs gave,
The fairest Queen that ever King receiv'd.

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

I can express no kinder fign of love,

Than this kind kifs. O Lord, that lend'ft 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,

The mutual conf'rence 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-liefeft Sovereign,
Makes me the bolder to falute my King
With ruder terms, fuch as my wit affords,

3 The mutual confrence] I am the bolder to addrefs you, having already familiarifed you to my imagination.

mine alder-lieveft Sovereign;] Alder-lieve 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 bygbe and mighty Prince, and my ryght noble, and, after one, leveft Lord.

WARBURTON.

And

And over-joy of heart doth minifter.

K. Henry. Her fight did ravifh, but her grace in
fpeech,

Her words y-clad with wifdom's majesty,
Make me from wondring fall to weeping joys,
Such is the fulness of my heart's content.

Lords, with one cheerful voice welcome my Love.
All kneel. Long live Queen Margret, England's hap-
piness!

Q. Mar. We thank you all.

[Flourth. Suf. My Lord protector, fo it please your grace, Here are the articles of contracted Peace,

Between our Sovereign and the French King, Charles, For eighteen months concluded by confent.

Gle.reads.] Imprimis, It is agreed between the French King, Charles, and William de la Pole Marquess of Suffolk, Ambaffador for Henry King of England, that the faid Henry fhall efpoufe the Lady Margaret, daughter unto Reignier King of Naples, Sicilia, and Jerufalem, and crown her Queen of England, ere the thirtieth of May next enfuing.

Item, That the Dutchy of Anjou, and the County of Maine, fhall be releafed and delivered to the King her father. [Lets fall the Paper. K. Henry. Uncle, how now?

Glo. Pardon me, gracious Lord;

Some fudden qualm hath ftruck me to the heart, And dimm'd mine eyes, that I can read no further. K. Henry. Uncle of Winchester, I pray, read on. Win. Item, That the Dutchies of Anjou and Maine fhall be releafed and delivered to the King her father, and The fent over of the King of England's own proper cost and charges, without having any dowry.

K. Henry. They pleafe us well. Lord Marquefs,
kneel you down;

We here create thee the first duke of Suffolk,
And gird thee with the fword. Coufin of York,
We here difcharge your Grace from being Regent

B 3

I'th'

I'th' parts of France, till term of eighteen months
Be full expir'd. Thanks, uncle Winchester,
Glofter, York, Buckingham, and Somerset,
Salisbury and Warwick;

We thank you for all this great favour done,
In entertainment to my princely Queen.
Come, let us in, and with all speed provide
To fee her coronation be perform'd.

[Exeunt King, Queen, and Suffolk.

SCENE

Manent the reft.

II.

Glo. Brave peers of England, pillars of the state,
To you Duke Humphry muft unload his grief,
Your grief, the common grief of all the land.
What did my brother Henry spend his youth,
His valour, coin, and people in the wars?
Did he fo often lodge in open field,

In winter's cold, and fummer's parching heat,
To conquer France, his true inheritance?
And did my brother Bedford toil his wits
To keep by policy what Henry got?

Have you yourselves, Somerfet, Buckingham,
Brave York, and Salisbury, victorious Warwick,
Receiv'd deep scars in France and Normandy?
Or hath mine uncle Beauford, and myself,
With all the learned council of the realm,
Studied fo long, fat in the council-house,
Early and late, debating to and fro,

How France and Frenchmen might be kept in awe ?
And was his Highness in his infancy
Crowned in Paris, in defpight of foes?
And fhall these labours and these honours die!
Shall Henry's Conqueft, Bedford's vigilance,
Your deeds of war, and all our counsel die?
O peers of England, fhameful is this league,
Fatal this marriage; cancelling your fame,
Blotting your names from books of memory;

Razing