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KING HENRY VI - SECOND PART
KING HENRY VI - SECOND PART WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE HISTORY OF KING HENRY THE SIXTH SECOND PART
by William Shakespeare
Dramatis Personae
KING HENRY THE SIXTH.
HUMPHREY Duke of Gloster his uncle.
CARDINAL BEAUFORT Bishop of Winchester
great-uncle to the King.
RICHARD PLANTAGENET Duke of York.
EDWARD and RICHARD his sons.
DUKE OF SOMERSET.
DUKE OF SUFFOLK.
DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.
LORD CLIFFORD.
YOUNG CLIFFORD his son.
EARL OF SALISBURY.
EARL OF WARWICK.
LORD SCALES.
LORD SAY.
SIR HUMPHREY STAFFORD and WILLIAM
STAFFORD his brother.
SIR JOHN STANLEY.
VAUX.
MATTHEW GOFFE.
A Sea-Captain Master and Master's-Mate and WALTER
WHITMORE.
Two Gentlemen prisoners with Suffolk.
JOHN HUME and JOHN SOUTHWELL priests.
ROGER BOLINGBROKE a conjurer.
THOMAS HORNER an armourer. PETER his man.
Clerk of Chatham. Mayor of Saint Albans.
SIMPCOX an impostor.
ALEXANDER IDEN a Kentish gentleman.
JACK CADE a rebel.
GEORGE BEVIS JOHN HOLLAND DICK the butcher
SMITH the weaver MICHAEL etc. followers of Cade.
Two Murderers.
MARGARET Queen to King Henry.
ELEANOR Duchess of Gloster.
MARGARET JOURDAIN a witch.
Wife to Simpcox.
Lords Ladies and Attendants Petitioners Aldermen a Herald
a Beadle Sheriff and Officers Citizens Prentices
Falconers Guards Soldiers Messengers &c.
A Spirit.
SCENE: England.
ACT I
SCENE I.
London. The palace
[Flourish of trumpets: then hautboys. Enter the KING GLOSTER
SALISBURY WARWICK and CARDINAL BEAUFORT on the
one side; the QUEEN SUFFOLK YORK SOMERSET and
BUCKINGHAM on the other.]
SUFFOLK.
As by your high imperial Majesty
I had in charge at my depart for France
As procurator to your excellence
To marry Princess Margaret for your grace
So in the famous ancient city Tours
In presence of the Kings of France and Sicil
The Dukes of Orleans Calaber Bretagne and Alencon
Seven earls twelve barons and twenty reverend bishops
I have perform'd my task and was espous'd
And humbly now upon my bended knee
In sight of England and her lordly peers
Deliver up my title in the queen
To your most gracious hands that are the substance
Of that great shadow I did represent:
The happiest gift that ever marquess gave
The fairest queen that ever king receiv'd.
KING.
Suffolk arise.--Welcome Queen Margaret.
I can express no kinder sign of love
Than this kind kiss.--O Lord that lends me life
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!
For thou hast given me in this beauteous face
A world of earthly blessings to my soul
If sympathy of love unite our thoughts.
QUEEN.
Great King of England and my gracious lord
The mutual conference that my mind hath had
By day by night waking and in my dreams
In courtly company or at my beads
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
Her words yclad 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.
[Flourish.]
SUFFOLK.
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.
GLOSTER.
[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 ere the thirtieth
of May next ensuing. Item that the duchy of Anjou and the
county of Maine shall be released and delivered to the king her
father'--
[Lets the paper fall.]
KING.
Uncle how now!
GLOSTER.
Pardon me gracious lord;
Some sudden qualm hath struck me at the heart
And dimm'd mine eyes that I can read no further.
KING.
Uncle of Winchester I pray read on.
CARDINAL.
[Reads] 'Item It is further agreed between them
that the duchies of Anjou and Maine shall be released and
delivered over to the king her father and she sent over of the
King of
England's own proper cost and charges without having any dowry.'
KING.
They please us well.--Lord marquess kneel down.
We here create thee the first duke of Suffolk
And girt thee with the sword.--Cousin of York
We here discharge your grace from being regent
I' the parts of France till term of eighteen months
Be full expir'd.--Thanks uncle Winchester
Gloster York Buckingham Somerset
Salisbury and Warwick;
We thank you all for this great favour done
In entertainment to my princely queen.
Come let us in and with all speed provide
To see her coronation be perform'd.
[Exeunt King Queen and Suffolk.]
GLOSTER.
Brave peers of England pillars of the state
To you Duke Humphrey must unload his grief
Your grief the common grief of all the land.
What! did my brother Henry spend his youth
His valour coin and people in the wars?
Did he so often lodge in open field
In winter's cold and summer's parching heat
To conquer France his true inheritance?
And did my brother Bedford toil his wits
To keep by policy what Henry got?
Have you yourselves Somerset Buckingham
Brave York Salisbury and victorious Warwick
Receiv'd deep scars in France and Normandy?
Or hath mine uncle Beaufort and myself
With all the learned counsel of the realm
Studied so long sat in the council-house
Early and late debating to and fro
How France and Frenchmen might be kept in awe
And had his highness in his infancy
Crowned in Paris in despite of foes?
And shall these labours and these honours die?
Shall Henry's conquest Bedford's vigilance
Your deeds of war and all our counsel die?
O peers of England shameful is this league!
Fatal this marriage cancelling your fame
Blotting your names from books of memory
Razing the characters of your renown
Defacing monuments of conquer'd France
Undoing all as all had never been!
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