KING HENRY VI'. ACT I. SCENE I. London. A Room of ftate 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. Suf. As by your high imperial majesty 2 I had in charge at my depart for France, As In a note prefixed to the preceding play, I have briefly ftated 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 boufes 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 thefe 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 neceflary to apprize the reader of the method obferved in the printing of thefe plays. All the fines 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 thofe, I conceive, Shakspeare adopted as he found them. The fines to which inverted commas are prefixed, were, if my hypothefis be well founded, retouched, and greatly improved by him; and thofe with afterifks 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. Thefe two pieces, I imagine, were produced in their prefent form in I 2 1591. As procurator to your excellence 3, To marry princeis Margaret for your grace; In prefence of the kings of France and Sicil, And humbly now upon my bended knee, In fight of England and her lordly peers, 1591. See An Attempt to afcertain the order of Shakspeare's plays, Vol I. and the Differtation at the end of The third part of King Henry VI. Dr. Johnfon obferves very juftly, that these two parts were not written without a dependance on the first. Undoubtedly 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 twe boufes, &c. in two parts, was written by the author of the former play, or that Shakspeare was the author of thefe two pieces as they originally appeared. MALONE. 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 Lancafter. The prefent fcene 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 faction, in the thirty-third year of his reign [1455]: fo that it comprizes the hiftory and tranfactions of ten years. THEOBALD. This play was altered by Crowne, and acted in 1682. STEEVENS. 2 is by your bigb, &c.] It is apparent that this play begins where the former ends, and continues the feries 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 first, 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 marquelle of Suffolk, as procurator to king Henrie, efpoufed the faid ladie in the church of faint Martins. At the which marriage were prefent the father and mother of the bride; the French king himself that was uncle to the husband, 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 bishops," &c. STEEVENS. This paffage Holinfhed tranfcribed verbatim from Hall. MALONE. Deliver Deliver up my title in the queen To your most gracious hands, that are the fubftance The happieft gift that ever marquefs gave, The fairest queen that ever king receiv'd. 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, For thou haft given me, in this beauteous face, *If fympathy of love unite our thoughts. 2. Mar. Great king of England, and my gracious lord; 'The mutual conference 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-lefeft fovereign, Makes me the bolder to falute my king With ruder terms; fuch as my wit affords, 'And over-joy of heart doth minifter. K. Hen. Her fight did rayish: but her grace in fpeech, Her words y-clad with wifdom's majesty, Makes me, from wondering, fall to weeping joys7; • Such 4-that are- i. e. to the gracious hands of you, my fovereign, who are, &c. In the old play the line ftands : Unto your gracious excellence that are, &c. MALONE. The mutual conference-] I am the bolder to address you, having already familiarized you to my imagination. JOHNSON. mine alder-lefeft fovereign,] Alder-leweft, lays Mr. Tyrwhitt, in his GLOS. to Chaucer, fignifies, dearest of all. Leve or lefe, Sax. dear; Alder or Aller, gen. ca. pl. of all. MALONE. The word is ufed by Chaucer, Marfton, and Gafcoigne, STEEVENS. 7 Makes me, from wondering, fall to weeping joys;] This weeping jey, of which there is no trace in the original play, Shakspeare was extremely fond of; having introduced it in Much ado about nothing, K. Richard II. Macbeth, and King Lear. This and the preceding fpeech fand thus in the original play in quarto. I tranfcribe them that the reader may be the better able to judge concerning my hypothefis; and fhall quote a few other paffages for the fame purpose. To exhibit all 1 3 Such is the fulness of my heart's content. 'Lords, with one cheerful voice welcome my love. All. Long live queen Margaret, England's happiness! 2. Mar. We thank you all. [Flourish. Suf. My lord protector, fo it please your grace, Here are the articles of contracted peace, Between our fovereign and the French king Charles, Glo. [reads.] Imprimis, It is agreed between the French king, Charles, and William de la Poole, marquess of Suffolk, ambasador for Henry king of England,-that the jaid Henry fhall efpouje the lady Margaret,daughter unto Reignier king of Naples, Sicilia, and Jerufalem; and crown ber queen of England, ere the thirtieth of May next ensuing.—Ítem,-That the dutchy of Anjou and the county of Maine, fhall be releafed and delivered to the king her fatherK. Hen. Uncle, how now? Glo. Pardon me, gracious lord; Some fudden qualm hath ftruck me at the heart, Win. Item,-It is further agreed between them,-that the dutchies of Anjou and Maine shall be releafed and delivered over to the king her father; and fhe fent over of the king of England's own proper coft and charges, without having dowry. K. Hen. They pleafe us well.-Lord marquefs, kneel down; We here create thee the firft duke of Suffolk, all the fpeeches that Shakspeare has altered, would be almoft to print the two plays twice: Queen. The exceffive love I beare unto your grace, Left I should fpeake more than beteems a woman. Let this fuffice; my blifs is in your liking; And nothing can make poor Margaret miferable Unless the frowne of mightie England's king. Fr. King. Her lookes did wound, but now her speech doth Lovely Queen Margaret, fit down by my fide; [pierce. And uncle Glofter, and you lordly peeres, With one voice welcome my beloved Queene. MALONE. And And girt thee with the fword. Coufin of York, we here difcharge your grace Till term of eighteen months be full expir'd.Thanks, uncle Winchefter, Glofter, York, and Buckingham, Somerfet, Salisbury, and Warwick; We thank you all for this great favour done, [Exeunt King, Queen, and SUFFOLK. Glo. Brave peers of England, pillars of the state, To you duke Humphrey 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, 'Have you yourselves, Somerfet, Buckingham, Study'd fo long, fat in the council-houfe, Early and late, debating to and fro How France and Frenchmen might be kept in awe ? Been crown'd in Paris, in despight of foes; • Been crown'd-] The word Been was fupplied by Mr. Steevens. |