THIRD PART OF

KING HENRY VI.

THIS historical drama, like the preceding one, was not printed in its present form till it appeared in the folio edition of our author's works, in 1623. It was formed on a play by Marlowe, or by Marlowe, Peele, and Greene, called The True Tragedy of Richard Duke of York, and the good King Henry the Sixth ; or, The Second Part of the Contention of York and Lancaster. Shakspeare's alteration of this original play was made, according to Malone, in 1591.

The lines which he retained as he found them, are, as in the previous play, printed in the usual manner; those speeches which he altered or expanded, are distinguished by inverted commas; and to all the lines entirely composed by Shakspeare, asterisks are prefixed.

The play opens just after the first battle of Saint Albans, [May 23, 1455,] wherein the York faction carried the day; and closes with the murder of King Henry VI. and the birth of prince Edward, afterwards Edward V. [November 4, 1471.] So that this history takes in the space of full sixteen years.

King HENRY the Sixth.

EDWARD, prince of Wales, his son.
LEWIS XI. king of France.

Duke of SOMERSET. Duke of EXETER.

Earl of OXFORD. Earl of NORTHUM-lords on King BERLAND. Earl of WESTMORELAND. HENRY's side. Lord CLIFFORD.

RICHARD PLANTAGENET, duke of York.

EDWARD, earl of March, afterwards
King Edward IV.

EDMUND, earl of Rutland,

GEORGE, afterwards duke of Clarence,

RICHARD, afterwards duke of Glocester,
Duke of NORFOLK,

Marquis of MONTAGUE,

>his sons.

Earl of WARWICK,

Earl of PEMBROKE,
Lord HASTINGS,

Lord STAFFORD,

Sir JOHN MORTIMER,

Sir HUGH MORTIMER, S

of the duke of YORK's party.

uncles to the duke of YORK.

HENRY, earl of Richmond, a youth.

Lord RIVERS, brother to Lady Grey. Sir WILLIAM STANLEY. Sir JOHN MONTGOMERY. Sir JOHN SOMERVILLE. Tutor to Rutland. Mayor of York. Lieutenant of the Tower. A Nobleman. Two Keepers. A Huntsman. A Son that has killed his father. A Father that has killed his son.

Queen MARGARET.

Lady GREY, afterwards queen to Edward IV.
BONA, sister to the French queen.

Soldiers, and other Attendants on King Henry and King
Edward, Messengers, Watchmen, &c.

SCENE, during part of the third act, in France; during all the rest of the play, in England.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-London. The Parliament-House.

Drums. Some Soldiers of YORK's Party break in. Then, Enter the Duke of YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NorFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and others, with white Roses in their Hats.

War. I WONDER, how the king escap'd our hands.
York. While we pursu'd the horsemen of the north,
He slily stole away, and left his men:

Whereat the great lord of Northumberland,
Whose warlike ears could never brook retreat,

• Cheer'd up the drooping army; and himself,

Lord Clifford, and lord Stafford, all a-breast,

Charg'd our main battle's front, and, breaking in,
Were by the swords of common soldiers slain."
Edw. Lord Stafford's father, duke of Buckingham,

• Is either slain, or wounded dangerous:

I cleft his beaver with a downright blow;

That this is true, father, behold his blood.

[Showing his bloody Sword.

Mont. And, brother, here's the earl of Wiltshire's [To YORK, shewing his.

blood,

Whom I encounter'd as the battles join'd.

Third Part of King Henry VI.] This play is only divided from the former for the convenience of exhibition; for the series of action is continued without interruption, nor are any two scenes of any play more closely connected than the first scene of this play with the last of the former.-JOHNSON.

b Were by the swords of common soldiers slain.] This is an inadvertency: the elder Clifford was slain by York, and his son lives to revenge his death.-M. MASON.

Rich. Speak thou for me, and tell them what I did.
[Throwing down the duke of SOMERSET's Head.
*York. Richard hath best deserv'd of all my sons.-
What, is your grace dead, my lord of Somerset?
Norf. Such hope have all the line of John of Gaunt!
Rich. Thus do I hope to shake king Henry's head.
War. And so do I.-Victorious prince of York,
Before I see thee seated on that throne

Which now the house of Lancaster usurps,
I vow by heaven, these eyes shall never close.
This is the palace of the fearful king,

And this the regal seat: possess it, York;
For it is thine, and not king Henry's heirs'.

York. Assist me then, sweet Warwick, and I will;
For hither we have broken in by force.

Norf. We'll all assist you; he, that flies, shall die.
York. Thanks, gentle Norfolk,-Stay by me, my lords;-
And, soldiers, stay, and lodge by me this night.

War. And, when the king comes, offer him no violence, • Unless he seek to thrust you out by force. [They retire. * York. The queen, this day, here holds her parliament, But little thinks, we shall be of her council:

By words, or blows, here let us win our right.
Rich. Arm'd as we are, let's stay within this house.
War. The bloody parliament shall this be call'd,
Unless Plantagenet, duke of York, be king;
And bashful Henry depos'd, whose cowardice
Hath made us by-words to our enemies.

York. Then leave me not, my lords; be resolute;

I mean to take possession of my right.

War. Neither the king, nor he that loves him best,
The proudest he that holds up Lancaster,

Dares stir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells.

and tell them what I did.] At the time of the first battle of St. Alban's, at which Richard is represented in the last scene of the preceding play to have fought, he was but one year old, having been born at Fotheringay Castle, Oct. 21, 1454. At the time to which the third scene of the first act of this play is referred, he was but six years old, and in the fifth act, in which Henry is represented as having been killed by him in the Tower, not more than sixteen years and eight months.--MALONE.

d - if Warwick shake his bells.] The allusion is to falconry. The hawks had sometimes little bells hung upon them, perhaps to dare the birds; that is, to fright them from rising.-JoHNSON.