The SECOND PART of (1)

King HENRY VI.

SCENE, The Palace.

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.

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SUFFOLK.

S by your high imperial Majefty

I had in charge at my depart from France,
As procurator for 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 dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Bretaigne, Alanson,
Seven Earls, twelve Barons, twenty reverend Bishops,
I have perform'd my task, and was efpous'd:

And

(1) The Second Part of K, Henry VI.] This and the third part of K. Henry VI. contain that troublefom Period of this Prince's Reign, which took in the whole Contention betwixt the two Houles of Tork and Lancaster: And under that Title were

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thefe

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.

Το your moft gracious hand; that are the fubstance
Of that great shadow 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 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-liefeft Sovereign;
Makes me the bolder to falute my King
With ruder terms; fuch as my wit affords,
And over-joy of heart doth minister.

K. Henry. Her fight did ravifh, but her grace in speech, Her words y-clad 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

piness!

Q. Mar. We thank you all.

[Flourish. Suff. My lord protector, fo it please your grace, Here are the articles of contracted Peace,

thefe two Plays first acted and published. The present Scene opens with K. Henry's Marriage, which was in the 23d Year of his Reign; and closes with the first Battle fought at St. Albans, and won by the York Faction, in the 3 3d Year of his Reign. So that it comprizes the History and Tranfactions of to Years.

Between

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, Ambafador 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 released 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 struck 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 fhall be releafed and delivered to the King her father, and he fent over of the King of England's own proper coft and charges, without having any dowry.

K. Henry. They please 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 Somerfet,
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.

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.

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What!

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 your felves, Somerfet, Buckingham,
Brave York; and Salisbury, victorious Warwick,
Receiv'd deep fears in France and Normandy?
Or hath mine uncle Beauford, and my self,
With all the learned council of the realm,
Studied fo long, fat in the council-houfe,
Early and late, debating to and fro,
How France and Frenchmen might be kept in awe,
And was his Highness in his infancy
Crowned in Paris, in defpight of foes?
And shall 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. Nephew, what means this paffionate difcourfe?

This peroration with such circumstances?

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

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

Sal. Now, by the death of him who dy'd for all,
These counties were the keys of Normandy:
But wherefore weeps Warwick, my valiant fon?
War. For grief that they are past recovery.

For were there hope to conquer them again,

My

My fword should fhed hot blood, mine eyes no tears.
Anjou and Maine! myself did win them both :
Those provinces these 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 should have torn and rent my very heart,
Before I would have yielded to this league.

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 starv'd in France,
Before-

Car. My lord of Glofter, 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 speeches that you do mislike,
But 'tis my prefence that doth trouble you.
Rancour will out, proud prelate; in thy face,
I fee thy fury: if I longer stay,
We fhall 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:
'Tis known to you, he is mine enemy:
Nay more, an enemy unto you all;
And no great friend, I fear me, to the King.
Confider, lords, he is the next of blood,
And heir apparent to the English crown.
Had Henry got an empire by his marriage,
And all the wealthy kingdoms of the weft,
There's reafon he should be difpleas'd at it.
Look to it, lords, let not his fimoothing words
Bewitch your hearts; be wife and circumfpect.
What though the common people fayour him,

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[Exit.

Calling