self from the spectator's recollection of their past success. For the sake of three historical dramas of mine which have already afforded you entertainment, let me (says he) entreat your indulgence to a fourth. Surely this was a stronger plea in his be half than any arising from the kind reception which another might have already met with in the same way of writing. Shakspere's claim to favour is founded on his having previous ly given pleasure in the course of three of those histories; be. cause he is a bending, supplicatory author, and not a literary bully like Ben Jonson; and because he has ventured to exhibit a series of annals in a suite of plays, an attempt which 'till then had not received the sanction of the stage.

I hope Dr. Farmer did not wish to exclude the three dramas before us, together with the Taming of a Shrew, from the number of those produced by our author, on account of the Latin quotations to be found in them. His proofs of Shakspere's want of learning are too strong to stand in need of such a support and yet Venus and Adonis, "the first heire of his invention," is usher'd into the world with a Latin motto:

Vilia miretur vulgus; mihi flavus Apollo
Pocula Castalia plena ministrat aqua.

STEEVENS.

Though the objections, which have been raised to the genuineness of the three plays of Henry the sixth, have been fully considered and answered by Dr. Johnson, it may not be amiss to add here, from a contemporary writer, a passage, which not only points at Shakspere as the author of them, but also shews, that, however meanly we may now think of them in comparison with his later productions, they had, at the time of their appearance, a sufficient degree of excellence te alarm the jealousy of the older playwrights. The passage, to which I refer, is in a pamphlet, entitled, Green's Groats

worth

worth of Witte, supposed to have been written by that volu minous author, Robert Greene, M. A. and said, in the titlepage, to be published at his dying request; probably, about 1592. The conclusion of this piece is an address to his brother-poets, to dissuade them from writing any more for the stage, on account of the ill treatment which they were used to receive from the players. It begins thus: To those gentlemen, bis quondam acquaintance, that spend their wits in making playes, R. G. wisheth a better exercise, &c. After having addrest himself particularly to Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Lodge (as I guess from circumstances, for their names are not mentioned), he goes on to a third (perhaps George Peele); and having warned him against depending on so meane a stay as the players, he adds: Yes, trust them not for there is an upstart crow beautified with our feathers, that with his tygres head wrapt in a player's hyde, supposes hee is as well able to bombaste out a blanke verse as the best of you; and being an absolute Johannes fac totum is in his own conceit, the onely Shake scene in a countrey. There can be no doubt, I think, that Shake-scene alludes to Shakspere; or that bis tygres bead wrapt in a player's hyde is a parodie upon the following line of York's speech to Margaret, The Third Part of Henry the Sixth, at I. sc. iv;

"Oh tygres heart, wrapt in a woman's hide.”

TYRWHITT.

Lord CLIFFORD,

Earl of EXETER,

Lords on King Henry's Side.

RICHARD, Duke of York.

EDWARD, Earl of March, afterwards King,

GEORGE, Duke of Clarence,

RICHARD, Duke of Glocester,

EDMUND, Earl of Rutland,
Duke of NORFOLK,
Marquis of MONTAGUE,
Earl of WARWICK,
Earl of SALISBURY,
Earl of PEMBROKE,
Lord HASTINGS,

his Sons.

of the Duke of York's Party.

}

Uncles to the Duke of York.

Lord STAFFORD,

Lord RIVERS, Brother to the Lady Gray.

Sir JOHN MONTGOMERY, Lieutenant of the Tower.

Mayor of York, Sir JOHN SOMERVILLE.

HUMPHREY, and SINKLO, two Huntsmen,
LEWIS XI. King of France.

WOMEN.

Queen MARGARET. BONA, Sister to the French King.
Lady GRAY, afterwards Queen to Edward IV.

Soldiers, and other Attendants on King Henry, and King
Edward, &c.

In Part of the Third Act, the SCENE is laid in France; during all the rest of the Play, in England.

THIRD PART OF

HENRY

VI.

London.

ACT 1. SCENE I.

The Parliament-House. Alarum. Enter Duke of YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and others, with white Roses in their Hats.

Warwick.

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 :

Whereat the great lord of Northumberland,
Whose warlike ears could never brook retreat,
Cheer'd up the drooping army; and himself,
Lord Clifford, and lord Stafford, all a-breast,
Charg'd our main battle's front, and, breaking in,
Were by the swords of common soldiers slain.

Edw.

11

Edw. Lord Stafford's father, duke of Buckingham, Is either slain, or wounded dangerouśly : I cleft his beaver with a downright blow; That this is true, father, behold his blood.

[Shewing his bloody Sword.

Mont. And, brother, here's the earl of Wiltshire's [To WARWICK, shewing his.

blood,

Whom I encounter'd as the battles join'd.

Rich. Speak thou for me, and tell them what I did.

[Throwing down the Duke of SOMERSET's Head. York. Richard hath best deserv'd of all my sons. Is your grace dead, my lord of Somerset ?

Norf. Such hope have all the line of John of Gaunt!

Rich. Thus do I hope to shake king Henry's head.. War. And so do I-Victorious prince of York, 21 Before I see thee seated in that throne

Which now the house of Lancaster usurps,

I vow by heaven, these eyes shall never close.
This is the palace of the fearful king,

And this the regal seat: possess it, York;
For this is thine, and not king Henry's heirs.

York. Assist me then, sweet Warwick, and I will; For hither are we broken in by force.

Norf. We'll all assist you; he, that flies, shall die. York. Thanks, gentle Norfolk.-Stay by me, my

lords;

And, soldiers, stay, and lodge by me this night.

31

War.