Dramatis Perfonæ MEN. HENRY THE SIXTH. EARL OF RICHMOND, a Youth, afterwards Henry the Seventh. LORD RIVERS, Brother to the Lady Gray, Wife to Edward Duke of York, afterwards Edward the Fourth. LORD CLIFFORD. LORD HASTINGS. WOMEN. 1 1 MARGARET OF ANJOU, Queen to Henry the Sixth. LADY GRAY, Wife to Edward Duke of York, afterwards Queen. HENRY the SIXTH. THIRD PART. MR R. Theobald fufpects the three parts of this Drama to be fpurious, on account of fome obfolete expreffions in them, alder-lieveft, unneath, mailed, me-feemeth, darraign, exigent, a-brook, &c.*; and Doctor Warburton is of the fame opinion, from the want of fpirit and effect in the compofition. If I was to offer an objection to the authenticity of thefe Pieces, it should be rather from their barrenness of fentiment, or reflection; though I think there is enough of the ftile and manner of Shakespeare, in them all, to evince them to be his. There is a natural inftinct, even ftronger than that of felf-prefervation, implanted in all the brute creation for the fafety of their young - The fimpleft animals manifest an art, and the moft pufillanimous fhew a courage, in the defence of their progeny ; but this, only till they become capable of taking care of themselves. Account for this Providence, upon the principle of uninspired mechanifm, if ye can, ye unphilofophic Sophifters! Clifford. Unreasonable † creatures feed their young; Mr. Theobald does not enumerate the words, but I have taken this task upon me, in order to give the fulleft force to his criticifm. The Antients have left us an humane maxim, that we should never speak ill of the dead. I think we should carry this moral even further, by doing them every juftice in our power. What has particularly induced me to make this remark, is, that Doctor Johnfon fays he can obferve but two expreffions of the old phrafeology, throughout thefe three Plays. I do not mean to make any comparifon between the fenfe, knowledge, or literature of these two critics; but Dr. Johnfon is alive, to answer for himself, and poor Theobald muft now fpeak by another's tongue. † Irrational, Yet, Yet, in protection of their tender ones, Who hath not feen them, even with those wings The eafe and fecurity of the fubject is finely contrafted with the anxiety and danger of the Prince, in one of our Author's oft-repeated reflections upon this fubject, in a foliloquy made by the King reclining on a hillock, during the warfare between the houfes of York and Lancaster. Would I were dead, if God's good will were fo! To carve out dials quaintly, point by point; So many days my.ewes have been with young, Would bring white hairs unto a quiet grave. Ah! what a life were this! how fweet, how lovely! To fhepherds looking on their filly fheep, Throughout this fpeech, and many other places, our Author ufes baur as a word of two syllables. All All which fecure and fweetly he enjoys, When care, mistrust, and treasons wait on him. ACT III. SCENE I. Upon the occafion of Queen Margaret and Warwick's going to France; one to folicit the aid of Lewis for Lancafter, and the other for York, poor. Henry makes a very natural reflection, foreboding how the ballance will probably incline, where intereft holds the fcales between two fupplicants, whereof one has only fomething to afk, and the other fomething to proffer. King. My queen and fon are gone to France for aid; And Lewis a prince foon won with moving words. In the fame Scene, this unhappy Prince, who appears, throughout, to be more fit for a fubject, than X a king, |