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. * "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 cut a blanke verse as the best of you; and, being an absolute Johannes Factotum, is, in his own conceyt, the onely Shake-scene in a countrey.' 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. 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 : EDW. Lord Stafford's father, duke of Buckingham, Is either slain, or wounded dangerous: I cleft his beaver with a downright blow; [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 D D I vow by heaven these eyes shall never close. 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. 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 Westmoreland. 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. HEN. 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 fly.b 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, d 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. |