THE SECOND PART OF KING HENRY VI ACT FIRST SCENE I London. The palace. Flourish of trumpets; then hautboys. Enter, the King, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, Salisbury, Warwick, and Cardinal Beaufort, on the one side; The Queen, Suffolk, York, Somerset, and Buckingham, on the other. Suf. As by your high imperial majesty I had in charge at my depart for France, To marry Princess Margaret for your grace, In presence of the Kings of France and Sicil, 1. "As by your high," &c.; "The Contention" reads:-"As by your high imperial majesty's command.”—I. G. 7. “and”; the reading of F. 1; Ff. 2, 3, 4, omit it.—I. G. Seven earls, twelve barons, and twenty reverend I have perform'd my task and was espoused: 10 To your most gracious hands, and are the sub stance Of that great shadow I did represent; The happiest gift that ever marquess gave, The fairest queen that ever king received. King. Suffolk, arise. Welcome, Queen Margaret: I can express no kinder sign of love Than this kind kiss. O Lord, that lends me Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness! 20 If sympathy of love unite our thoughts. Queen. Great King of England and my gracious lord, The mutual conference that my mind hath had, 30 With you, mine alder-liefest sovereign, Makes me the bolder to salute my king With ruder terms, such as my wit affords And over-joy of heart doth minister. King. Her sight did ravish; but her grace in speech, 19. "lends"; Rowe, "lend'st."—I. G. Her words y-clad with wisdom's majesty, Makes me from wondering fall to weeping joys; Such is the fulness of my heart's content. Lords, with one cheerful voice welcome my love. All [kneeling]. Long live Queen Margaret, England's happiness! Queen. We thank you all. 40 [Flourish. Suff. My lord protector, so it please your grace, Here are the articles of contracted peace Between our sovereign and the French king Charles, For eighteen months concluded by consent. Glou. [Reads] 'Imprimis, It is agreed between the French king Charles and William de la Pole, Marquess of Suffolk, ambassador for Henry King of England, that the said Henry shall espouse the Lady Margaret, daughter unto Reignier King of Naples, Sicilia and Jerusalem, and crown her Queen of England cre the thirtieth of May next 50 ensuing. Item, that the duchy of Anjou and the county of Maine shall be released and delivered to the king her father-' King. Uncle, how now! Glou. [Lets the paper fall. Pardon me, gracious lord; Some sudden qualm hath struck me at the heart, And dimm'd mine eyes, that I can read no further. Sachy of Anjou and the county of Maine"; changed by Capell from Qq. to "dutchies of Anjou and Maine.”—I. G. King. Uncle of Winchester, I pray, read on. tween them, that the duchies of Anjou and King. They please us well. Lord marquess, kneel down: We here create thee the first duke of Suffolk, We here discharge your grace from being re- I' the parts of France, till term of eighteen Be full expired. Thanks, uncle Winchester, We thank you all for this great favor done, 70 [Exeunt King, Queen, and Suffolk. 60. Of course the reader will observe that this item does not run the same as it did in the hands of Gloster. Malone remarks, that "the words of the astrument could not thus vary whilst it was passing from the 1.nds of the duke to those of the cardinal." Doubtless Gloster had caught the drift and substance of the document, but the dimness of his eyes prevented his reading with literal exactness.-H. N. H. 63. "kneel down"; Pope reads "kneel you down"; Keightley, Collier MS., "kneel thee down." Perhaps "kneel" is to be read as a dissyllable.-I. G. Glou. Brave peers of England, pillars of the state, To you Duke Humphrey must unload his grief, In winter's cold and summer's parching heat, 80 Have you yourselves, Somerset, Buckingham, Received deep scars in France and Normandy? 90 How France and Frenchmen might be kept in awe, And had his highness in his infancy And shall these labors and these honors die? 88. "Beaufort"; Ff. read "Beauford"; Rowe, "Bedford."-I. G. 93. “And had his highness in his infancy Crowned”; Grant White's emendation of Ff., "And hath Crowned"; Rowe reads "And was Crowned"; Capell, "Or hath Malone, "And hath ... Been crown'd"; Been crown'd.”—I. G. |