My tender youth was never yet attaint To cross the feas to England, and be crown'd I reft perplexed with a thousand cares. 1 i. e. judge. fpecially for forrow. [Exit. 5 And fo condu&t me, where from company, I may revolve and ruminate my grief 2. Glo. Ay, grief, I fear me, both at first and last. [Exeunt Glofter and Exeter. Suf. Thus Suffolk hath prevail'd: and thus he 10 As did the youthful Paris once to Greece; [goes, With hope to find the like event in love, But profper better than the Trojan did, Margaret fhall now be queen, and rule the king: But I will rule both her, the king, and realm. [Exit. 2 Grief in this line is taken generally for pain or uneafiness; in the line that follows, SECOND Petitioners, Aldermen, a Beadle, Sheriff, and Officers, Citizens, with Faulconers, Guards, Messengers, and cther Attendants. The SCENE is laid very difperfedly in feveral Parts of England. SCENE I. The Palace. ACT Flourish of Trumpets: then Hautbeys. Enter King Suf. As had in charge at my depart for France, S by your high imperial majesty As procurator to your excellence, To marry princess Margaret for your grace; 5 I. The fairest queen that ever king receiv'd. K. Hen. Suffolk, arife.-Welcome, queen Margaret: I can exprefs no kinder fign of love, 10 Than this kind kiss-O Lord, that lends me life, [fhops,-15 2. Mar. Great king of England, and my gracious The mutual conference that my mind hath had➡ This and the Third Part, (which were firft written under the title of The Contention of York and Lancaster, printed in 1600, and afterwards greatly improved by the author) contain that troublesome period of this prince's reign, which took in the whole contention betwixt the houses of York and Lancafter; and under that title were these two plays first acted and published. The present scene opens with king Henry's marriage, which was in the twenty-third year of his reign; and clofes with the first battle fought at St. Albans, and won by the York faction, in the thirty-third year of his reign: so that it comprizes the history and tranfactions of ten years. It is apparent that this play begins where the former ends, and continues the series of transactions of which it pre-fuppofes the First Part already Suf. My lord protector, so it please your grace, 5 Did he fo often lodge in open field, In winter's cold, and summer's parching heat, To keep by policy what Henry got? Have you yourselves, Somerset, Buckingham, [awe? 15 Been crown'd in Paris, in defpight of foes; Gho.reads.] Imprimis, "It is agreed between "the French king, Charles, and William de la "Poole, marquefs of Suffolk, embaffador for Hen-20 66 ry king of England,-that the faid Henry fhall "efpouse the lady Margaret, daughter to Reignier "king of Naples, Sicilia, and Jerufalem; and "crown her queen of England, ere the thirtieth ❝of May next enfuing," Item, "That the dutchies of Anjou and of "Maine fhall be released and delivered to the "king her fa—” K. Henry. Uncle, how now? Gio. Pardon me, gracious lord; Some fudden qualm hath struck me to the heart, K. Henry. Uncle of Winchefter, I pray, read on. [courfe? 1251 Car. Nephew, what means this paffionate difThis peroration with fuch circumstance2? For France, 'tis ours; and we will keep it ftill. Gl. Ay, uncle, we will keep it, if we can; 30 Suffolk, the new-made duke that rules the roast, Sal. Now, by the death of Him who dy'd for all, "that the dutchies of Anjou and Maine fhall be 35 Thefe counties were the keys of Normandy : "releafed and delivered to the king her father; " and the fent over of the king of England's own 66 proper coft and charges, without having any ❝ dowry." But wherefore weeps Warwick, my valiant fon? K. Henry. They please us well.-Lord marquefs, 40 Anjou and Maine! myself did win them both; kneel down; We here create thee the firft duke of Suffolk, And gird thee with the fword. Coufin of York, we here difcharge your grace Somerset, Salisbury, and Warwick; We thank you all for this great favour done, [Excunt King, Queen, and Suffolk. 45 Thofe provinces these arms of mine did conquer: Mort Dieu ! York. For Suffolk's duke-may he be fuffocate, I never read but England's kings have had Glo. Brave peers of England, pillars of the ftate, 55 For cofts and charges in transporting her! To you duke Humphrey must unload his grief, [France, She fhould have ftaid in France, and starv'd in • According to Warburton, alder-lievest is an old English word given to him to whom the speaker is fupremely attached; lieweft being the fuperlative of the comparative levar, rather, from lief; but Mr. Steevens afferts alder-liefeft to be a corruption of the German word alder-liebfte, beloved above all things; and adds, that the word is used by Chaucer, 2 Meaning, this speech crowded with so many instances of aggravation. Glo Glo. My lord of Winchester, I know your mind; We shall begin our ancient bickerings 1.- With-God preferve the good duke Humphrey ! Buck. Why should he then protect our sovereign, Sam. Coufin of Buckingham, though phrey's pride, [Exit. Hum And greatnefs of his place, be grief to us, [Exeunt Buckingham and Somerfet. Sal. Pride went before, ambition follows him. While thefe do labour for their own preferment, Behoves it us to labour for the realm. I never faw but Humphrey duke of Glofter More like a foldier, than a man o' the church, 20 Which I will win from France, or else be flain, The peers agreed; and Henry was well pleas'd,' 25 To change two dukedoms for a duke's fair daughter. I cannot blame them all; What is't to them? 'Tis thine they give away, and not their own. Pirates may make cheap pennyworth of their pillage, And purchase friends, and give to courtezans, 30 Still revelling, like lords, 'till all be gone : While as the filly owner of the goods Weeps over them, and wrings his hapless hands, And fhakes his head, and trembling ftands aloof, While all is fhar'd, and all is borne away; 35 Ready to ftarve, and dares not touch his own. So York must fit, and fret, and bite his tongue, While his own lands are bargain'd for, and fold. Methinks, the realms of England, France, and IreBear that proportion to my flesh and blood, [land, 40 As did the fatal brand Althea burnt Unto the prince's heart of Calydon 4. Anjou and Maine, both given unto the French! Cold news for me; for I had hope of France, Even as I have of fertile England's foil. 45 A day will come, when York fhall claim his own: And therefore I will take the Nevils' parts, And make a fhew of love to proud duke Hum. phrey, And, when I fpy advantage, claim the crown, 50 For that's the golden mark I seek to hit : Nor fhall proud Lancaster ufurp my right, Nor hold the fcepter in his childish fist, Thy deeds, thy plainness, and thy house-keeping,|55|Then, York, be still a while, 'till time do ferve: Hath won the greatest favour of the commons, [queen, Watch thou, and wake, when others be afleep, To pry into the fecrets of the state; Till Henry, furfeiting in joys of love, With his new bride, and England's dear-bought 60 And Humphrey with the peers be fall'n at jars : Then will I raise aloft the milk-white rofe, With whose sweet smell the air fhall be perfum'd; 3 Tickle for ticklish. 4 i. e. Meleager. And And in my standard bear the arms of York, The Duke of Glofter's House. Enter Duke Humphrey and his wife Eleanor. corn, Hanging the head at Ceres' plenteous load? Put forth thy hand, reach at the glorious gold :- Glo. O Nell, fweet Nell, if thou dost love thy With sweet rehearsal of my morning's dream. Was broke in twain; by whom, I have forgot, Elean. What, what, my lord! are you fo choleric Glo. Nay, be not angry, I am pleas'd again. Mef. My lord protector, 'tis his highness' pleasure, Follow I muft, I cannot go before, I would remove these tedious ftumbling-blocks, [man, 20 Where are you there? Sir John! nay, fear not, We are alone; here's none but thee and I. 25 30 35 1401 45 Enter Hume. Hume. Jefu preferve your royal majesty! Elean. My majefty! why, man, I am but grace. Hume. But, by the grace of God, and Hume's advice, Your grace's title shall be multiply'd. Elean. What fay'it thou, man? haft thou as With Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch; A fpirit rais'd from depth of under ground, When from Saint Albans we do make return, Hume. Hume must make merry with the Marry, and hall. But, how now, Sir John Hume? And in that chair where kings and queens are 50 The bufinefs afketh filent secrecy. crown'd; Where Henry, and dame Margaret, kneel'd to me, Glo. Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide outright : 1 Whereas is the fame as where. Dame Eleanor gives gold, to bring the witch: I dare not fay, from the rich cardinel, 55 And from the great and new-made duke of Suffolk; |