KING Henry VI.

Humphry Duke of Gloucester,

Cardinal Beaufort, Bp. of Winchefter, Uncles to the King. Duke of York, pretending to the Crown.

Duke of Buckingham,

Duke of Somerfet,

Duke of Suffolk,

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Of the King's Party.

Earl of Salisbury, of the York Faction.
Earl of Warwick,

Lord Clifford, of the King's Party.
Lord Say.

Lord Scales, Governor of the Tower.
Sir Humphry Stafford.

Young Stafford, his Brother.

Alexander Iden, a Kentish Gentleman.

Young Clifford, Son to the Lord Clifford.

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Edward Plantagenet, 2 Sons to the Duke of York.
Richard Plantagenet, S

Vaux. A Sea Captain, and Walter Whitmore

Hume and Southwel

-2 Priefts.

Bolingbrook, an Aftrologer.

A Spirit attending on Jordan the Witch

Thomas Horner, an Armorer.

Pirates.

Peter his Man.

Mayor of St. Albans.

Simpcox, an Impoftor.

Jack Cade, Bevis, Michael, John Holland, Dick the Butcher,

Smith the Weaver, and feveral others

Margaret, Queen to King Henry VI. with the Duke of Suffolk.

Rebels.

fecretly in Love

Dame Elinor, Wife to the Duke of Gloucester.

Mother Jordan, a Witch employ'd by the Dutchess of

Gloucefter.

Wife to Simpcox.

Petitioners, Aldermen, a Beadle, Sheriff and Officers, with Guards, Meffengers, and other Attendants.

The SCENE is laid very difperfedly in feveral Parts of England.

+ The SECOND PART of

King HENRY VI.

ACT I. SCENE I.

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

SUFFOLK.

S by your high imperial majesty,
I had in charge at my depart for France,
As procurator to your excellence,
To marry Princess Margret for your

grace;

So in the famous ancient city, Tours,

In prefence of the Kings of France and Sicil,

The

This and the third part were firft written under the Title of The Contention of Tork and Lancaster: printed in 1600; but fince vastly improved by the Author.

+ Vide Hall's Chron. fol. 66, year 23. Init.

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 moft gracious hand, that are the fubftance
Of that great fhadow I did reprefent:

The happiest 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'ft me life,
Lend me a heart repleat 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 bad,
By day, by night, waking, and in my dreams,
In courtly company, or at my beads,
With you mine alder-liefeft 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. Henry. Her fight did ravish, but her grace in fpeech,

Her words yclad with wifdom's majefty,

Make me from wondring, 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. pinefs.

Q. Mar. We thank you all.

[Flourish.

Suff. My lord protector, fo it pleafe your grace,

Here are the articles of contracted peace,

Between our foveraign and the French King Charles,
For eighteen months concluded by confent.

Glo.

Glo. Reads.] Imprimis, it is agreed between the French King, Charles, and William de la Pole, Marquifs of Suffolk, ambaffador for Henry King of England, that the faid Henry fhall efpoufe the tady Margaret, daughter unto Reignier, King of Naples, Sicilia, and Jerufalem, and crown her Queen of England, ere the thirteenth of May next enfuing.

Item. That the dutchy of Anjou, and the county of Main, fall be releafed and delivered to the King her 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 dimn'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 Main fhall be releafed and delivered to the King her father, and she sent 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 5

We here create thee the firft Duke of Suffolk,
And girt thee with the fword. Coufin of Tork,
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,
Glo'fter, York, Buckingham, and Somerset,
Salisbury and Warwick,

We thank you all for this great favour done,
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.

SCENE II.

Manent the reft.

Glo. Brave peers of England, pillars of the state,
To you Duke Humphry 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,
To conquer France, his true inheritance?
And did my brother Bedford toil his wits
To keep by policy what Henry got?

Have you your felves, Somerfet, Buckingham,
Brave York, and Salisbury, victorious Warwick,
Receiv'd deep Scars in France and Normandy:
Or hath mine uncle Bedford, and my felf,
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 aw
And was his highnefs in his infancy
Crowned in Paris, in defpight of foes?
And fhall thefe 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,
Rafing the characters of your renown,

Defacing monuments of conquer'd France,

Undoing all, as all had never been.

Car. Nephew, what means this paffionate dif courfe?

This peroration with fuch circumstances?

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

Gio.