The SECOND PART of (1)

King HENRY VI

A C T I.

SCENE, the Palace.

Flourish of trumpets: then, hautboys. Enter King Henry, Duke Humphry, Salisbury, Warwick, and Beauford on the one fide: The Queen, Suffolk, Yorky Somerfet, and Buckingham on the other.

A

SUFFOLK.

S by your high imperial Majefty,

I had in charge at my depart for France,
As procurator for your excellence,

To marry Princess Margret for your grace;

So

(1) The second part of K. Henry VI.] This and the third part of K. Henry VI. contain that troublefome period of this Prince's reign, which took in the whole contention betwixt the two houfes of Tork and Lancaster: And under that title were thefe two plays first acted and publish'd. The prefent fcene opens with K. Henry's marriage, which was in the 23d year of his reign; and clofes with the first battle fought at St, Albans, and won by the York faction, in the 33d year of his reign. So that it comprizes the hiftory and tranfactions of ten years. There are befides, as I have above hinted, fome intermediate incidents crouded in; which tranfgrefs upon the order of

So in the famous ancient city, Tours,

In prefence of the Kings of France and Sicil,
The Dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Bretaigne, Alanfon,
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. To your most gracious hand; that are the fubftance 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 kifs. 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 mod hath had, By day, by night, waking, and in my dreams, In courtly company or at my beads,

With mine alder-liefeft Sovereign;

you

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 ravish, but her grace in fpeech, Her words y-clad with wifdom's majesty,

Make me from wond'ring 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.

[Flourish.

time. For Eleanor Dutchefs of Gloucester's conviction and banishment for forcery, (which are here introduc'd) happen'd in the 20th year of K. Henry VI. in the 3d year before his marriage with Queen Margaret.

Suff

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 Marquis 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. (2)

Item. That the dutchy of Anjou, and the county of Maine, fhall be released and delivered to the King her father. [Lets fall the papr.

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 fball be releafed and delivered to the King her father, and fhe fent over of the King of England's own proper coft and charges, without having any dowry.

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

We here create thee the firft 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,

In entertainment to my princely Queen.
Come, let us in, and with all speed provide

(2) Ere the thirteenth of May next ensuing.] This is an error only of our modern impreffions. I have fet the text right from the joint authorities of the firft old quarto, the first and fecond folio's, and the chronicles both of Hall and Holing fhead.

A 41

Το

To fee her coronation be perform❜d.

[Exeunt King, Queen, and Suffolk. Manent the reft.

Glo. Brave Peers of England, pillars of the ftate,
To 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 yourfelves, Somerfet, Buckingham,
Brave York, and Salisbury, victorious Warwick,
Receiv'd deep fears in France and Normandy?
Or hath mine uncle Beauford, and myself, (3)
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 counfel 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.

Car. Nephew, what means this paffionate difcourfe? This peroration with fuch circumftances?

For France, 'tis ours; and we will keep it ftill.

(3) Or bath mine uncle Bedford---] Here again the indolence of our modern editors is very fignal; for within fix lines Gloucefter is made to call Bedford both his brother and uncle. I have the warrant of the older books for restoring the true reading here.

Glo

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 duchy of Anjou and Maine
Unto the poor King Reignier, whofe large ftyle
Agrees not with the leannefs of his purfe.

Sal. Now, by the death of him who dy'd for all,
Thefe 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! myfelf did win them both :
Thofe provinces thefe 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 ftarv'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 miflike,
But 'tis my prefence that doth trouble you.
Rancour will out, proud Prelate; in thy face,
I'fee thy fury if I longer ftay,

:

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:

A 5

[Exit.

'Tiss