* THIRD PART OF KING HENRY VI.] The action of this play (which was at firft printed under this title, The True Tragedy of Richard Duke of York, and the good King Henry the Sixth; or, The Second Part of the Contention of York and Lancafter,) opens juft after the first battle at Saint Albans, [May 23, 1455,] wherein the York faction carried the day; and closes with the murder of King Henry VI. and the birth of Prince Edward, afterwards King Edward V. [November 4, 1471.] So that this hiftory takes in the space of full fixteen years. THEOBALD. I have never seen the quarto copy of the Second part of THE WHOLE CONTENTION, &c. printed by Valentine Simmes for Thomas Millington, 1600; but the copy printed by W. W. for Thomas Millington, 1600, is now before me; and it is not precifely the fame with that described by Mr. Pope and Mr. Theobald, nor does the undated edition (printed in fact, in 1619,) correfpond with their defcription. The title of the piece printed in 1600, by W. W. is as follows: The True Tragedie of Richarde Duke of Yorke, and the Death of good King Henrie the Sixt : With the whole Contention between the Two Houfes Lancafter and Yorke as it was fundry Times acted by the Right Honourable the Earle of Pembrooke his Servants. Printed at London by W. W. for Thomas Millington, and are to be fold at his Shoppe under St. Peter's Church in Cornewall, 1600. On this piece Shakspeare, as I conceive, in 1591 formed the drama before us, See Vol. XIII. p. 2, and the Effay at the end of this play. MALONE.. The prefent hiftorical drama was altered by Crowne, and brought on the ftage in the year 1680, under the title of The Miferies of Civil War. Surely the works of Shakspeare could have been little read at that period; for Crowne, in his Prologue, declares the play to be entirely his own compofition : "For by his feeble skill 'tis built alone, "The divine Shakspeare did not lay one ftone." whereas the very firft fcene is that of Jack Cade copied almoft verbatim from The Second Part of King Henry VI. and several others from this third part, with as little variation. STEEVENS. King Henry the Sixth: Edward, Prince of Wales, his Son. Duke of Somerfet. Duke of Exeter. Lords on K. Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York: Edmund, Earl of Rutland, George, afterwards Duke of Clarence, Marquis of Montague, his Sons. Earl of Warwick, Earl of Pembroke, Lord Haftings, Lord Stafford, Sir John Mortimer, Sir Hugh Mortimer, } of the Duke of York's party. Uncles to the Duke of York. Henry, Earl of Richmond, a Youth. Sir William Stanley. Sir John Montgomery. Sir John Somerville. Tutor to Rutland. Mayor of York. Lieutenant of the Tower. A Nobleman. Two Keepers. A Huntfman. A Son that has killed his Father. A Father that has killed his Son, Queen Margaret. Lady Grey, afterwards Queen to Edward IV. Soldiers, and other Attendants on King Henry and SCENE, during part of the third Act, in France; during all the rest of the Play, in England. |