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ON THE FABLE AND COMPOSITION OF THE

FIRST PART OF

HENRY VI

THE hiftorical transactions contained in this play, take in the compass of above thirty years. I must observe, however, that our author, in the three parts of Henry VI. has not been very precife to the date and difpofition of his facts; but shuffled them, backwards and forwards, out of time. For instance; the lord Talbot is killed at the end of the fourth act of this play, who in reality did not fall till the 13th of July, 1453: and The Second Part of Henry VI. opens with the marriage of the king, which was folemnized eight years before Talbot's death, in the year 1445. Again, in the fecond part, dame Eleanor Cobham is introduced to infult queen Margaret; though her penance and banishment for forcery happened three years before that princefs came over to England. I could point out many other tranfgreffions against history, as far as the order of time is concerned. Indeed, though there are feveral mafter-strokes in these three plays, which inconteftably betray the workmanship of Shakespeare; yet I am almost doubtful, whether they were entirely of his writing. And unless they were wrote by him very early, I fhould rather imagine them to have been brought to him as a director of the ftage; and fo have received fome finishing beauties at his hand. An accurate obferver will eafily fee, the diction of them is more obfolete, and the numbers more mean and profaical, than in the generality of his genuine compofitions.

THEOBALD.

Of

Of this play there is no copy earlier than that of the folio, in 1623, though the two fucceeding parts are ex tant in two editions in quarto. That the fecond and third parts were published without the firft, may be admitted as no weak proof that the copies were furreptitiously obtained, and that the printers at that time gave the public thofe plays, not fuch as the author defigned, but fuch as they could get them. That this play was written before the two others is indubitably collected from the feries of events; that it was written and played before Henry the Fifth is apparent, because in the epilogue there is mention made of this play, and not of the other parts:

Henry the fixth in fawaddling bands crown'd king,
Whofe ftate fo many had the managing

That they loft France, and made his England bleed
Which oft our flage hath shean.

France is loft in this play. The two following contain, as the old title imports, the contention of the houses of York and Lancaster.

The fecond and third parts of Henry VI, were print. ed in 1600. When Henry V. was written we know not, but it was printed likewife in 1600, and therefore before the publication of the firft part: the firft part of Henry VI. had been often hewn on the ftage, and would certainly have appeared in its place had the author been the publisher. JOHNSON.

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King HENRY the Sixth.

MEN.

Duke of GLOSTER, Uncle to the King, and Protector.
Duke of BEDFORD, Uncle to the King, and Regent of France.
Cardinal BEAUFORT, Bishop of Winchester, and great Un-
Duke of EXETER.
[cle to the King,

Duke of SOMERSET.

Earl of WARWICK.

Earl of SALISBURY.

Earl of SUFFOLK.

Lord TALBOT.

Young TALBOT, his Son.

Sir JOHN FASTOLFE.

RICHARD PLANTAGENET, afterwards Duke of York.
MORTIMER, Earl of March.

WOODVILE, Lieutenant of the Tower. Lord Mayor of
London. Sir THOMAS GARGRAVE. Sir WILLIAM
GLANSDALE. Sir WILLIAM LUCY.
VERNON, of the White Rofe, or York Faction.
BASSET, of the Red Rofe, 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.

Baftard of Orleans.

Governor of Paris.

Mafter-Gunner of Orleans. Boy, his Son.

An old Shepherd, Father to Joan la Pucelle.

WOMEN.

MARGARET, Daughter to Reignier, and afterwards Queen to King Henry.

Countess of AUVERGNE.

JOAN LA PUCELLE, commonly called JOAN OF ARC; a Maid pretending to be infpir'd from Heaven, and setting up for the Championess of France.

Fiends, attending her.

Lords, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and several Attendants both on the English and French.

The SCENE is partly in England, and partly in France.

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