OBSERVATIONS.

SECOND PART OF King Henry VI.] This and The Third Part of King Henry VI. contain that troublesome period of this prince's reign which took in the whole contention betwixt the houses of York and Lancaster: and under that title were these two plays first acted and published. The present scene opens with King Henry's marriage, which was in the twenty-third year of his reign [A. D. 1445] and closes with the first battle fought at St. Albans, and won by the York faction, in the thirty-third year of his reign [A. D. 1455] so that it comprizes the history and transactions of ten years.

THEOBALD.

This play was altered by Crowne, and acted in the year STEEVENS.

1681.

It is apparent that this play begins where the former ends, and continues the series of transactions, of which it presupposes the first part already known. This is a sufficient proof that the second and third parts were not written without dependance on the first, though they were printed as containing a complete period of history.

The Three Parts of Henry VI.-These plays, considered, without regard to characters and incidents, merely as narratives in verse, are more happily conceived and more accurately finished, than those of King John, Richard II. or the tragic scenes of Henry IV. and V.

Of these three plays I think the second the best. The truth is, that they have not sufficient variety of action, for the incidents are too often of the same kind; yet many of the characters are well discriminated. King Henry and his queen, king Edward, the duke of Gloster, and the earl of Warwick, are very strongly and distinctly painted. JOHNSON.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

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,

of the king's party.

of the York faction.

Young CLIFFORD, his son,

Earl of SALISBURY,
Earl of WARWICK,

Lord SCALES, Governor of the Tower. Lord SAY.

Sir HUMPHREY STAFFORD, and his brother. Sir JOHN

STANLEY.

A Sea-captain, Master, and Master's Mate, and WALTER WHITMORE.

Two gentlemen, prisoners with Suffolk.

A Herald.

VAUX.

HUME and SOUTHWELL, two priests.

BOLINGBROKE, a conjurer. A Spirit raised by him.

THOMAS HORNER, an armourer.

PETER, his man.

Clerk of Chatham. Mayor of Saint Albans.

SIMPCOX, an imposter. Two Murderers.

JACK CADE, a rebel :

GEORGE, JOHN, DICK, SMITH the weaver, MICHAEL, &c

MARGARET, queen to king Henry.

ELEANOR, duchess of Gloster.

MARGERY JOURDAIN, a witch. Wife to Simpcox.

Lords, Ladies, and Attendants; Petitioners, Aldermen, a Beadle, Sheriff, and Officers; Citizens, Prentices, Falconers, Guards, Soldiers, Messengers, &c.

SCENE, dispersedly in various parts of England.