* SECOND PART OF KING HENRY VI.] 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 houfes 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 clofes with the first battle fought at St. Albans, and won by the York faction, in the thirtythird 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. In a note prefixed to the preceding play, I have briefly stated 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 Lancafter 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 plays. All the lines printed in the ufual manner, are found in the original quarto plays (or at least with fuch minute variations as are not worth noticing) and those, I conceive, Shakspeare 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 afterifks were his own original production; the embroidery with which he ornamented the coarse ftuff that had been aukwardly made up for the stage 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 present form in 1591. See An Attempt to afcertain the Order of Shak-~ Speare's Plays, Vol. II. and the Differtation at the end of The Third Part of King Henry V1. Dr. Johnson obferves very juftly, that these two parts were not written without a dependance on the firft. 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 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. ΝΑ 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: Edward and Richard, his Sons. Duke of Somerset, Duke of Suffolk, Duke of Buckingham, Lord Clifford, Young Clifford, his Son,J Earl of Salisbury, Earl of Warwick, of the King's Party. } of the York Faction. Lord Scales, Governour of the Tower. Lord Say. Sir Humphrey Stafford, and his Brother. Sir John Stanley. A Sea-captain, Mafter, and Master's Mate, and Walter Whitmore. Two Gentlemen, Prifoners with Suffolk. Hume and Southwell, Two Priefts. Bolingbroke, a Conjurer. A Spirit 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. Eleanor, Duchess of Glofter. Margery Jourdain, a Witch. Wife to Simpcox. Lords, Ladies, & Attendants; Petitioners, Aldermen, a Beadle, Sheriff, & Officers; Citizens, Prentices, Falconers, Guards, Soldiers, Messengers, &c. SCENE, difperfedly 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 fide, 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. I SUF. As by your high imperial majesty I had in charge at my depart for France, As procurator to your excellence,2 As by your high &c.] Vide Hall's Chronicle, fol. 66, year 23, init. Pore. It is apparent that this play begins where the former ends, and continues the feries of tranfactions of which it presupposes the first part already known. This is a fufficient proof that the second and third parts were not written without dependance on the firft, though they were printed as containing a complete period of hiftory. JOHNSON. 2 As procurator to your excellence, &c.] So, in Holinfhed, p. 625: "The marqueffe of Suffolk, as procurator to king Henrie, efpoufed 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 husband, To marry princess Margaret for your grace; Seven earls, twelve barons, twenty reverend bifhops, I have perform'd my tafk, and was efpous'd: To your moft gracious hands, that are 3 the substance The happiest gift that ever marquefs gave, K. HEN. Suffolk, arife.-Welcome, queen Margaret: I can exprefs no kinder fign of love, Than this kind kiss.—O Lord, that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness! For thou haft given 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; and the French queen alfo that was aunt to the wife. There were also the dukes of Orleance, of Calabre, of Alanfon, and of Britaine, feaven earles, twelve barons, twenty bifhops," &c. STEEVENS. This paffage Holinshed transcribed verbatim from Hall. MALONE. that are-] i. e. to the gracious hands of you, my vereign, who are, &c. In the old play the line ftands: "Unto your gracious excellence that are" &c. fo MALONE. |