lieve it was anciently called, The Play of King Henry VI.—The Contention, &c. printed in two parts, in quarto, 1600, was, I conceive, the production of some playwright who preceded, or was contemporary with Shakspeare; and out of that piece he formed the two plays which are now denominated the Second and Third Parts of King Henry VI.; as, out of the old plays of King John and The Taming of the Shrew, he formed two other plays with the same titles.

This old play of King Henry VI. now before us, or as our author's editors have called it, the first part of King Henry VI. I suppose, to have been written in 1589, or before. The disposition of facts in these three plays, not always corresponding with the dates, which Mr. Theobald mentions, and the want of uniformity and consistency in the series of events exhibited, may perhaps be in some measure accounted for by the hypothesis now stated. As to our author's having accepted these pieces as a director of the stage, he had, I fear, no pretension to such a situation at so carly a period. MALONE.

The chief argument on which the first paragraph of the foregoing note depends, is not, in my opinion, conclusive. This historical play might have been one of our author's earliest dramatick efforts : and almost every young poet begins his career by imitation. Shakspeare, therefore, till he felt his own strength, perhaps servilely conformed to the style and manner of his predecessors. STEEVENS.

King HENRY the Sixth.

Duke of GLOSTER, Uncle to the King, and Protector. Duke of BEDFORD, Uncle to the King, and Regent of

France.

THOMAS BEAUFORT, Duke of Exeter, great Uncle to

the King.

HENRY BEAUFORT, great Uncle to the King, Bishop of Winchester, and afterwards Cardinal.

JOHN BEAUFORT, Earl of Somerset; afterwards Duke. RICHARD PLANTAGENET, eldest Son of Richard late Earl of Cambridge; afterwards Duke of York.

Earl of WARWICK. Earl of SALISBURY. Earl of SUF

FOLK.

Lord TALBOT, afterwards Earl of Shrewsbury:
JOHN TALBOT, his Son.

EDMUND MORTIMER, Earl of March.

Mortimer's Keeper, and a Lawyer.

Sir JOHN FASTOLFE. Sir WILLIAM LUCY.

Sir WILLIAM GLANSDALE. Sir THOMAS GARGRAVE.
Mayor of London. WOODVILLE, Lieut. of the Tower.
VERNON, of the White Rose, or York faction.
BASSET, of the Red Rose, or Lancaster faction.
CHARLES, Dauphin, and afterwards King of France.
REIGNIER, Duke of Anjou, and titular King of Naples.
Duke of BURGUNDY. Duke of ALENÇON.
Governor of Paris. Bastard of Orleans.
Master-Gunner of Orleans, and his Son.
General of the French Forces in Bourdeaux.
A French Sergeant. A Porter.

An old Shepherd, Father to Joan la Pucelle.
MARGARET, Daughter to Reignier; afterwards married
to King Henry.

Countess of AUVERGNE.

JOAN LA PUCELLE, commonly called Joan of Arc.
Fiends appearing to La Pucelle, Lords, Warders of the
Tower, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and
several Attendants both on the English and French.
SCENE, partly in ENGLAND, and partly in FRANCE.

FIRST PART OF

KING HENRY VI.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Westminster Abbey.

Dead March. Corpse of King HENRY the Fifth discovered, lying in state; attended on by the Dukes of BEDFORD, GLOSTER, and EXETER; the Earl of WarWICK, the Bishop of WINCHESTER, Heralds, &c.

Bed. Hung be the heavens with black1, yield day to night!

Comets, importing change of times and states,
Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky;

And with them scourge the bad revolting stars,
That have consented unto Henry's death!
+Henry the fifth, too famous to live long!
England ne'er lost a king of so much worth.

Glo. England ne'er had a king, until his time.

Virtue he had, deserving to command:

His brandish'd sword did blind men with his beams; His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings;

His sparkling eyes replete with wrathful fire,

More dazzled and drove back his enemies,

1 Hung be the heavens with black,] Alluding to our ancient stagepractice when a tragedy was to be expected.

+"King Henry," &c. MALONE.

Than mid-day sun, fierce bent against their faces.
What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech:
He ne'er lift up his hand, but conquered.

Exe. We mourn in black; Why mourn we not in blood?

Henry is dead, and never shall revive:

Upon a wooden coffin we attend;
And death's dishonourable victory
We with our stately presence glorify,
Like captives bound to a triumphant car.
What? shall we curse the planets of mishap,
That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?
Or shall we think the subtle-witted French 2
Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him,
By magick verses have contriv'd his end?

Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings.
Unto the French the dreadful judgment day
So dreadful will not be, as was his sight.

The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought:

The church's prayers made him so prosperous.

Glo. The church! where is it? had not church-men

pray'd,

His thread of life had not so soon decay'd:

None do you like but an effeminate prince,
Whom, like a school-boy, you may over-awe.

Win. Gloster, whate'er we like, thou art protector;
And lookest to command the prince, and realm.
Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe,
More than God, or religious churchmen, may.

Glo. Name not religion, for thou lov'st the flesh; And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st, Except it be to pray against thy foes.

The subtle-witted French, &c.] There was a notion prevalent a long time, that life might be taken away by metrical charms. As superstition grew weaker, these charms were imagined only to have power on irrational animals. In our author's time it was supposed that the Irish could kill rats by a song.

Bed. Cease, cease these jars, and rest your minds in

Instead of gold, we'll offer up our arms;

Since arms avail not, now that Henry's dead.
Posterity, await for wretched years,

-

When at their mothers' moist eyes † babes shall suck ;
Our isle be made a nourish 3 of salt tears,
And none but women left to wail the dead.
Henry the fifth! thy ghost I invocate;
Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils!
Combat with adverse planets in the heavens!
A far more glorious star thy soul will make,
Than Julius Cæsar, or bright

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My honourable lords, health to you all!
Sad tidings bring I to you out of France,
Of loss, of slaughter, and discomfiture:

Guienne, Champaigne, Rheims, Orleans,

Paris, Guysors, Poictiers, are all quite lost.

Bed. What say'st thou, man, before dead Henry's corse?

Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns
Will make him burst his lead, and rise from death.
Glo. Is Paris lost? is Rouen yielded up?

If Henry were recall'd to life again,

These news would cause him once more yield the ghost. Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was us’d? Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money. Among the soldiers this is mutter'd, —

That here you maintain several factions;

And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought,

3 Our isle be made a nourish,] probably a nurse.