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THE THIRD PART OF

KING HENRY THE SIXTH.

THIS tragedy was first printed in its present form, in the folio of 1623. It is an enlarged and improved version by Shakespeare, of "The True Tragedie of Richard, Duke of Yorke," &c. before adverted to, as that, we conceive, was an alteration and improvement by him of an earlier drama, the work of one or more of his contemporaries.

From the circumstance of Robert Greene's paraphrasing a line of "The True Tragedy:

"O, tiger's hart, wrapt in a woman's hide;"

when reflecting on Shakespeare, in his "Groatsworth of Wit," 1592,* and of some resemblances between passages in his acknowledged dramas and passages in “The True Tragedy," it may be inferred that he had some share in the production of the piece or pieces, on which were based "The First Part of the Contention," and "The True Tragedie of Richard, Duke of Yorke." This deduction is strengthened by a passage in "Greene's Funeralls, By R. B. Gent." 4to. Lond. 1594, a small tract of twelve leaves preserved in the Bodleian Library :

"Greene is the pleasing Obiect of an eie;

Greene pleasde the eies of all that lookt upon him.
Greene is the ground of everie Painter's die;
Greene gave the ground to all that wrote upon him
Nay, more, the men that so Eclipst his fame,
Purloynde his Plumes, can they deny the same?"

* "Yes, trust them not: for there is an upstart crow beautified with our feathers, that with his Tygre's heart wrapt in a player's hyde, supposes hee is as well able to

bombast out a blanke verse as the best of you; and, being
an absolute Johannes Factotum, is, in his own concey,
the onely Shake-scene in a countrey."

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Soldiers, and other Attendants on King Henry and King Edward, Messengers,

Watchmen, &c.

SCENE,-During part of the Third Act, in France; during the rest of the Play, in England.

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WAR. I wonder how the king escap'd our hands. YORK. While we pursu'd the horsemen of the north,

He slily stole away, and left his men :
Whereat the great lord of Northumberland,
Whose warlike ears could never brook retreat,
Cheer'd up the drooping army; and himself,
Lord Clifford, and lord Stafford, all abreast,
Charg'd our main battle's front, and, breaking in,
Were by the swords of common soldiers slain.

EDW. Lord Stafford's father, duke of Buckingham,

Is either slain, or wounded dangerous:

The Parliament-House.

I cleft his beaver with a downright blow;
That this is true, father, behold his blood.

[Showing his bloody sword. MONT. And, brother, here's the earl of Wiltshire's blood, [To YORK, showing his. Whom I encounter'd as the battles join'd. RICH. Speak thou for me, and tell them what I

did.

[Throwing down the DUKE of SOMERSET's head. YORK. Richard hath best deserv'd of all my

sons.

But, is your grace dead, my lord of Somerset ?
NORF. Such hope have all the line of John of
Gaunt!
[head.
RICH. Thus do I hope to shake king Henry's
WAR. And so do I.-Victorious prince of York,
Before I see thee seated in that throne
Which now the house of Lancaster usurps,

VOL. II.

401

DD

I vow by heaven these eyes shall never close.
This is the palace of the fearful king,
And this the regal seat: possess it, York;
For this is thine, and not king Henry's heirs'.
YORK. Assist me then, sweet Warwick, and I
will;

For hither we have broken in by force.

NORF. We'll all assist you; he that flies shall die. [my lords; YORK. Thanks, gentle Norfolk :-stay by me, And, soldiers, stay, and lodge by me this night. WAR. And, when the king comes, offer him no violence,

Unless he seek to thrust you out perforce.
[The Soldiers retire.
YORK. The queen, this day, here holds her
parliament,

But little thinks we shall be of her council:
By words or blows here let us win our right.
RICH. Arm'd as we are, let's stay within this
house.

WAR. The bloody parliament shall this be call'd,
Unless Plantagenet, duke of York, be king,
And bashful Henry depos'd, whose cowardice
Hath made us bywords to our enemies.

YORK. Then leave me not, my lords; be resolute,

I mean to take possession of my right.

WAR. Neither the king, nor he that loves him best,

The proudest he that holds up Lancaster, Dares stir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells. I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares :Resolve thee, Richard; claim the English crown. [WARWICK leads YORK to the throne, who seats himself.

Flourish. Enter KING HENRY, CLIFFORD, NORTHUMBERLAND, WESTMORELAND, EXETER, and others, with red roses in their hats.

K. HEN. My lords, look where the sturdy rebel sits,

Even in the chair of state! belike he means (Back'd by the power of Warwick, that false peer,) To aspire unto the crown, and reign as king.Earl of Northumberland, he slew thy father;And thine, lord Clifford; and you both have vow'd revenge

On him, his sons, his favourites, and his friends. NORTH. If I be not, heavens be reveng'd on me! [steel.

CLIF. The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in

a Patience is for poltroons,-] An old Italian proverb says the same: Pazienza è pasto di poltroni."

b But when, &c.] In the folio 1623, this is assigned to Westmoreland: in "The True Tragedy," 1595, it has, rightly, the prefix, Exeter.

I am thine.] "The True Tragedy" reads:-"Thou art deceiv'd: I am thine," which Malone adopts.

WEST. What, shall we suffer this? let's pluck him down:

My heart for anger burns; I cannot brook it.
K. HEN. Be patient, gentle earl of Westmore-
land.

CLIF. Patience is for poltroons, such as he;
He durst not sit there, had your father liv'd.
My gracious lord, here in the parliament
Let us assail the family of York.

NORTH. Well hast thou spoken, cousin ; be it so. K. IIEN. Ah, know you not the city favours them,

And they have troops of soldiers at their beck? EXE. But when the duke is slain, they'll quickly

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CLIF. Whom should he follow but his natural king? [of York. WAR. True, Clifford; and that's Richard, duke K. HEN. And shall I stand, and thou sit in my throne?

YORK. It must and shall be so: content thyself. WAR. Be duke of Lancaster, let him be king. WEST. He is both king and duke of Lancaster ; And that the lord of Westmoreland shall maintain. WAR. And Warwick shall disprove it. You

forget That we are those which chas'd you from the field And slew your fathers, and with colours spread, March'd through the city to the palace-gates.

NORTH. Yes, Warwick, I remember it to my

grief;

And, by his soul, thou and thy house shall rue it.

WEST. Plantagenet, of thee, and these thy sons, Thy kinsmen, and thy friends, I'll have more lives Than drops of blood were in my father's veins.

CLIF. Urge it no more; lest that, instead of

words,

As the earldom was.] For earldom, "The True Tragedy" has kingdome.

e And that's Richard,-] And, omitted in the folio, 1623, is restored from "The True Tragedy."

f Yes, Warwick.-] The earlier version reads, "No, Warwick," which is preferable.

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