P. 122, c. 1, l. 60. till mischief, and despair, Drive you to break your necks, or hang P yourselves!] Perhaps Shakspeare intended to remark, in this execration, the frequency of suicide among the English, which has been commonly imputed to the gloominess of their air JOHNSON. Id l. 63.—remorse-] i. e. compassion, pity. ld. c. 2. l. 17. baleful enemies] Baleful is sorrowful; but it had anciently the same meaning as baneful. Id 1 29. with a coronet;] Coronet is here used for a crown. Id 1 45 upon comparison?] Do you stand to compare your present state, a state which you have neither right or power to maintain, with the terms which we offer. Id. L. 47. Of benefit-] Benefit is here a term of law. Be content to live as the beneficiary of our king. JOHNSON. Id. SCENE V. 123, c. 1, 1. 5. So am I driven,] This simile is somewhat obscure; he seems to mean, that as a ship is driven against the tide by the wind, so he is driven by love against the current of his interest. JOHNSON. 1 35.at a triumph-] A triumph, in the age of Shakspeare, siguified a public exhibition, such as a mask, a revel, &c. Id. c. 2, l. 1. -by attorneyship;] By the intervention of another man's choice; or the discretional agency of another. Id. 1. 9. "bringeth bliss,"-MALONE. Id. 1. 43. If you do censure me, &c.] To censure is here simply to judge. If in judging me you consider the past frailties of your own youth. Id. l. 47. - ruminate my grief.] Grief in the first line is taken generally for pain or uneasiness; in the second specially for sorrow. :: THIS and The Third Part of King Henry VI. contain that troublesome period of this prince's reign which took in the whole contention betwixt the houses of York and Lancaster and under that title were these two plays first 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 closes with the first battle fought at St. Alban's and won by the York faction, in the thirty-third year of his reign (A. D. 1455) so that it comprizes the history and transactions of ten years. THEOBALD. : This play was altered by Crowne, and acted in the year 1681. STEEVENS. The Contention of the Two famous Houses 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 observed), March 12, 1593-4. On these two plays, which I believe to have been written by some preceding author, before the year 1590, Shakspeare formed, as 1 conceive, his and the following drama; altering, retrenching, or amplifying, as he thought proper. The speeches which he new-modelled, he improved, sometimes by amplification, and sometimes by retrenchment. These two pieces, I imagine, were produced in their present form in 1591. Dr. Johnson observes very justly, that these two parts were not written without a dependance on the first. Undoubtedly not; the old play of King Henry VI. (or, as it is now called, The First Part) certainly had been exhibited before these were written in any form. But it does not follow from this concession, either that The Contention of the Two Houses, &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. KING HENRY VI. KING HENRY THE SIXTH. PART II. PERSONS REPRESENTED. VAUX. HUME and SOUTHWELL, two Priests. A Spirit raised by him. THOMAS HORNER, an Armourer. PETER, his Man. Clerk of Chatham. Mayor of Saint Alban's. SIMPCOX, an Impostor.-Two Murderers. GEORGE. JOHN, DICK, SMITH, the Weaver; MI- ALEXANDER IDEN, a Kentish Gentleman. MARGARET, Queen to King Henry. Lords, Ladies, and Attendants; Petitioners, Aldermen, SCENE,-Dispersedly in various parts of England. ACT I SCENE L-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 SUPFOLK; YORK. SOMERSET, BUCKINGHAM, and others following. Suf As by your high imperial majesty I had in charge at my depart for France, As procurator to your excellence, To To marry princess Margaret for your grace; So in the famous ancient city Tours, In presence of the kings of France and Sicil, The dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Bretaigne, and Seven earls, 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 The happiest gift, that ever marquess gave, All. Long live queen Margaret, England's happi ness! Q. Mar. We thank you all. - Glo. [Reads.] Imprimis, It is agreed between the French king, Charles, and William de la Poole, marquess of Suffolk, ambassador for Henry king of England, that the said Henry shall espouse the lady Margaret, daughter unto Reignier king of Naples, Sicilia, and Jerusalem; and crown her queen of England, ere the thirtieth of May next ensuing.--Item, That the duchy of Anjou and the county of Maine shall be released and delivered to the king her father-— K. Hen. Uncle, how now? Glo. Pardon me, gracions lord; Some sudden qualm hath struck me at the heart, And dimm'd mine eyes, that I can read no further K. Hen. Uncle of Winchester, I pray, read on. Win. Item, It is further agreed between them, -that the duchies of Anjou and Maine shall be released and delivered over to the king her father; and she sent over of the king of England's own proper cost and charges, without having dowry. K. Hen. They please us well.-Lord marquess, kneel down; K. Hen. Suffolk, arise.-Welcome, queen Mar- We here create thee the first duke of Suffolk, The mutual conference that my mind hath had— K. Hen. Her sight did ravish: but her grace in Her words y-clad with wisdom's majesty, And girt thee with the sword. Cousin of York, we here discharge your grace Somerset, Salisbury, and Warwick; [Exeunt King, Queen, and Suffolk. In winter's cold, and summer's parching heat, |