Not what you are, I know it will excuse
This sudden execution of my will.

And so, conduct me where, from company,
I may revolve and ruminate my grief.

Glo. Ay, grief, I fear me, both at first and last.

[Exit.

[Exeunt GLOSTER and EXETER. Suf. Thus Suffolk hath prevail'd; and thus he goes, As did the youthful Paris once to Greece, With hope to find the like event in love, But prosper better than the Trojan did. Margaret shall now be queen, and rule the king; But I will rule both her, the king, and realm.

[Exit.

THE HISTORY OF

KING HENRY VI.

PART IL

THE Second Part of Henry VI. appears to be an enlargement and improvement of an older play written by the author, in the earlier period of his dramatic career. That play was printed under the title of "The first part of the Contention betwixt the two famous houses of Yorke and Lancaster, with the death of the goode Duke Humphrey: And the banishment and death of the Duke of Suffolke, and the Tragicall end of the proud Cardinal of Winchester, with the notable Rebellion of Jack Cade: And the Duke of Yorke's first claim unto the Crowne." This enumeration of the leading transactions of the Play are all strictly in accordance with historical facts, and the chief personages in the action are marked with strong and distinct accuracy in the delineation. About ten years are comprised in the action of the play. It opens with the marriage of Henry and Margaret, 1445, and closes with the first battle fought at St. Albans, and won by the York faction, in 1455.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

KING HENRY THE SIXTH.

HUMPHREY, DUKE OF GLOSTER, 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,

Of the KING'S Party.

Of the York Faction.

YOUNG CLIFFORD, his Son,

Earl of Salisbury,

EARL OF WARWICK,

LORD SCALES, Governor of the Tower. LORD SAY, Sir HUMPHREY STAFFORD, and WILLIAM STAFFORD, his Brother. Sir JOHN STANLEY.

WALTER WHITMORE.

A Sea-captain, Master, and Master's Mate.
Two Gentlemen, prisoners with SUFFOLK. VAUX.
HUME and SOUTHWELL, Priests.

BOLINGBROKE, a Conjurer. A Spirit raised by him.
THOMAS HORNER, an Armorer. PETER, his Man.
Clerk of Chatham. Mayor of St. Albans.

SIMPCOX, an Impostor. Two Murderers.

JACK CADE, a Rebel.

GEORGE, JOHN, DICK, SMITH, the Weaver, MICHAEL, &c., Cade's Followers. ALEXANDER IDEN, a Kentish Gentleman.

MARGARET, Queen to KING Henry.

ELEANOR, DUCHESS OF GLOster.

MARGERY JOURDAIN, a Witch. Wife to SIMPCOX.

Lords, Ladies, and Attendants; Herald; Petitioners, Aldermen, a Beadle, Sheriff, and Officers; Citizens, Prentices, Falconers, Guards, Soldiers, Messengers, &c.

SCENE,—In various Parts of England.

ACT I

SCENE I.-London. A Room of State in the Palace.

Flourish of Trumpets: then Hautboys. Enter, on one side, 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 I had in charge at my depart from France, As procurator to your excellence,

To marry princess Margaret for your grace;

So, in the famous ancient city, Tours,

In presence of the kings of France and Sicil,

The dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Bretaigne, and Alençon,

Seven earls, twelve barons, and twenty reverend bishops,

I have perform'd my task, and was espous'd:

And humbly now, upon my bended knee,

In sight of England and her lordly peers,

Deliver up my title in the queen

To your most gracious hands, that are the substance
Of that great shadow I did represent;

The happiest gift that ever marquess gave,

The fairest queen that ever king receiv'd.

K. Hen. Suffolk, arise.-Welcome, queen Margaret:

I can express no kinder sign of love,

Than this kind kiss.-O Lord, that lends me life,

Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!
For thou hast given me, in this beauteous face,
A world of earthly blessings to my soul,

If sympathy of love unite our thoughts.

Q. 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-liefest * sovereign,
Makes me the bolder to salute my king
With ruder terms, such as my wit affords,

And over-joy of heart doth minister.

K. Hen. Her sight did ravish; but her grace in speech, Her words y-clad with wisdom's majesty,

Makes me from wondering fall to weeping joys;

Such is the fulness of my heart's content.

Lords, with one cheerful voice welcome my love.

All. [Kneeling.] Long live queen Margaret, England's happiness!

Q. Mar. We thank you all.

Suf. My lord protector, so it please your grace,

Here are the articles of contracted peace,

Between our sovereign, and the French king Charles,
For eighteen months concluded by consent.

[Flourish.

Glo. [Reads.] "Imprimis, It is agreed between the French king, Charles, and William De-la-Poole, marquess of Suffolk, embassador for Henry king of England,-that the said Henry shall espouse the lady Margaret, daughter unto Reignier king of Naples, Sicilia, and Jerusalem; and crown her queen of England ere the thirtieth of May next ensuing. Item, That the duchy of Anjou and the county of Maine shall be released and delivered to the king her father".

K. Hen. Uncle, how now! Glo. Pardon me, my gracious lord; Some sudden qualm hath struck me at the heart, And dimm'd mine eyes, that I can read no farther.

K. Hen. Uncle of Winchester, I pray, read on.

Car. [Reads.] “ Item, It is farther agreed between them, that the duchies of Anjou and Maine shall be released and delivered over to the king her father; and she sent over of the king of England's own proper costs and charges, without having any dowry."

K. Hen. They please us well.-Lord marquess, kneel down: We here create thee the first duke of Suffolk, And girt thee with the sword.-Cousin of York, We here discharge your grace from being regent

* A'der-liefest-most dearly beloved.

I' the parts of France, till term of eighteen months
Be full expir'd. Thanks, uncle Winchester,
Gloster, York, Buckingham, Somerset,
Salisbury, and Warwick;

We thank you all for this great favor done,
In entertainment to my princely queen.
Come, let us in; and with all speed provide
To see her coronation be perform'd.

[Exeunt KING, QUEEN, and Suffolk,
Glo. Brave peers of England, pillars of the state,
To you duke Humphrey must unload his grief,—
Your grief, the common grief of all the land.
What did my brother Henry spend his youth,
His valor, coin, and people, in the wars?
Did he so often lodge in open field,

In winter's cold, and summer'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, Salisbury, and victorious Warwick,
Receiv'd deep scars in France and Normandy?
Or hath mine uncle Beaufort and myself,
With all the learned council of the realm,
Studied so long, sat in the council-house
Early and late, debating to and fro

How France and Frenchmen might be kept in awe?
And hath his highness in his infancy

Been crowned in Paris, in despite of foes?

And shall these labors, and these honors, die?
Shall Henry's conquest, Bedford's vigilance,
Your deeds of war, and all our counsel, die?
O peers of England, shameful 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 passionate discourse,

This peroration with such circumstance?

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

Glo. Ay, uncle, we will keep it, if we can;

But now it is impossible we should.

Suffolk, the new-made duke that rules the roast,
Hath given the duchies of Anjou and Maine
Unto the poor king Reignier, whose large style
Agrees not with the leanness of his purse.