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 Marquifs gave,
The fairest Queen that ever King receiv'd.

K. Henry. Suffolk, arife. Welcome, Queen Margaret; I can exprefs no kinder fign of love,

Than this kind kiss. O Lord, that lend'st 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 3 mine alder-lievest Sovereign;
Makes me the bolder to falute my King
With ruder terms; fuch as my wit affords,
And over-joy of heart doth minifter.

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

Her words y-clad with wisdom's majesty,

Make me from wondring fall to weeping joys,
Such is the fulness of my heart's content.

3 mine alder-lieveft Sovereign ;] Alder-lieveft is an old English word given to him to whom the fpeaker is fupremely attached: Lieveft being the fuperlative of the comparative, levar, rather, from lief. So Hall in his Chronicle, Henry VI. Folio 12. Ryght hyghe and mighty Prince, and my ryght noble, and, after one, leveft Lord.

Lords,

Lords, with one cheerful voice welcome my love. All kneel. Long live Queen Margret, England's happiness!

Q. Mar. We thank you all

[Flourish. Suff. 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.

Glo. [reads.] Imprimis, It is agreed between the French King, Charles, and William de la Pole Marquifs of Suffolk, Ambassador for Henry King of England, that the faid Henry ball 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, shall be releafed and delivered to the King ber 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 please us well. Lord Marquis,
kneel you down;

We here create thee the first duke of Suffolk,
And gird thee with the fword. Coufin of York,
We here discharge your Grace from being Regent
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,
B 3

In

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.

s c E NE

Manent the rest.

II.

Glo. Brave peers of England, pillars of the state,
Το you Duke Humphry muft unload his grief,
Your grief, the common grief of all the land.
What! did my brother Henry fpend 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, Somerset, Buckingham,
Brave York, and Salisbury, victorious Warwick,
Receiv'd deep fcars 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 Highnefs in his infancy
Crowned in Paris, in defpight of foes?
And fhall these labours and thefe 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 the characters of your renown,
Defacing monuments of conquer'd France,
Undoing all, as all had never been.

€ar.

Car. Nephew, what means this paffionate discourse?
This peroration with fuch circumftances?
For France, 'tis ours; and we will keep it ftill.
Glo. Ay, uncle, we will keep it if we can;
But now it is impoffible we should.

Suffolk, the new-made Duke that rules the roaft,
Hath giv❜n the dutchy of Anjou and Maine
Unto the poor King Reignier, whofe large style
Agrees not with the leannefs of his purse.

Sal. Now, by the death of him who dy'd for all,
These counties were the keys of Normandy:
But wherefore weeps Warwick, my valiant fon?
War. For grief that they are paft recovery.
For were there hope to conquer them again,
My fword should shed hot blood, mine eyes no tears.
Anjou and Maine! myself did win them both:
Those provinces these arms of mine did conquer.
And are the cities, that I got with wounds,
Delivered up again with peaceful words?

York. For Suffolk's Duke, may he be fuffocate, That dims the honour of this warlike ifle! France fhould have torn and rent my very heart, Before I would have yielded to this league. I never read, but England's Kings have had Large fums of gold, and dowries with their wives: And our King Henry gives away his own, To match with her that brings no vantages. Glo. A proper jeft, and never heard before, That Suffolk fhould demand a whole fifteenth, For coft and charges in transporting her:

She should have ftaid in France, and starv'd in France, Before

Car. My lord of Glo'fter, now ye grow too hot: It was the pleasure of my lord the King.

Glo. My lord of Winchester, I know your mind. 'Tis not my fpeeches that you do mislike, But 'tis my prefence that doth trouble you. Rancour will out, proud prelate; in thy face, B 4

[Exit.

I fee thy fury: if I longer stay,
We shall begin our ancient bickerings.
Lordings, farewel; and fay, when I am gone,
I prophefy'd, France will be loft ere long.
Car. So, there goes our protector in a rage:
'Tis known to you, he is mine enemy:
Nay more, an enemy unto you all;
And no great friend, I fear me, to the King.
Confider, lords, he is the next of blood,
And heir apparent to the English crown.
Had Henry got an empire by his marriage,
* And all the wealthy kingdoms of the east,
There's reafon he fhould be difpleas'd at it.
Look to it, lords, let not his fmoothing words,
Bewitch your hearts; be wife and circumfpect.
What though the common people favour him,
Calling him Humphry, the good Duke of Glo'fter,
Clapping their hands and crying with loud voice,
Jefu maintain your royal excellence!

With, God preferve the good Duke Humphry!
I fear me, lords, for all this flattering glofs,
He will be found a dangerous protector.

Buck. Why fhould he then protect our fovereign,
He being of age to govern of himself?
Coufin of Somerfet, join you with me,
And altogether with the Duke of Suffolk,
We'll quickly hoift Duke Humphry from his feat.
Car. This weighty bufinefs will not brook delay.
I'll to the Duke of Suffolk prefently.

[Exit.

Som. Coufin of Buckingham, though Humphry's pride And greatness of his place be grief to us, Yet let us watch the haughty Cardinal : His infolence is more intolerable Than all the princes in the land befide: If Glofter be difplac'd, he'll be protector.

4 And all the wealthy kingdoms of the WEST,] certainly Shakespear wrote EAST.

Buck