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.

Edward Plantagenet,
Plantagenet,}

Richard Plantagenet,

Sons to the Duke of York.

Vaux, A Sea Captain, and Walter Whitmore-Pirates.

A Herald.

Hume and Southwel, two Priefts.

Bolingbrook, an Aftrologer.

A Spirit, attending on Jordan the Witch.

Thomas Horner, an Armourer.

Peter, his Man.

Clerk of Chatham.

Mayor of St. Albans.

Simpcox, an Impoftor:

Jack Cade, Bevis, Michael, John Holland, Dick the Butcher, Smith the Weaver, and feveral others, Rebels.

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

Dame Eleanor, Wife to the Duke of Gloucefter.

Mother Jordan, a Witch employ'd by the Dutchess of Gloucefter. Wife to Simpcox.

Petitioners, Aldermen, a Beadle, Sheriff and Officers, Citizens, with Faulconers, Guards, Meffengers, and other Atten dants.

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

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

SUFFOLK.

S by your high imperial Majesty
I had in charge at my depart from France,
As procurator for
As procurator for your Excellence,

To marry Princefs Margret for your

Grace;

So in the famous ancient city, Tours,

In presence of the Kings of France and Sicil,

The fecond part, &c.] This and the third part were first written under the title of the Contention of York and Lancaster, printed in 1600, but fince vaftly improved by the Author.

Mr Pope

2 As by your high, &c.] Vide Hall's Chronicle, Fol. 66. Year

23. Init.

Mr. Pope.

B 2

The

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 substance Of that great fhadow I did reprefent:

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'it 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 mine alder-lieveft 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 wifdom'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: Lievest being the fuperlative of the comparative, levar, rather, from lief. So Hall in his Chronicle, Henry VI. Folio 12. Ryght byghe and mighty Prince, and my ryght noble, and, after one, levelt Lord.

Lords,

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. Suff. My lord protector, fo it pleafe 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, Ambaffador for Henry King of England, that the faid Henry hall 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, fhall 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 fball be releafed and delivered to the King her father, and The 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 first duke of Suffolk,
And gird thee with the fword. Coufin of York,
We here difcharge 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
To fee her coronation be perform❜d.

[Exeunt King, Queen, and Suffolk.

SCENE

Manent the rest.

II.

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 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 scars 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.

Car.