THE connexion between the last scene of the First Part of Henry VI. and the first scene of the Second Part is as perfect as if they each belonged to one play. The concluding words of that last scene show us Suffolk departing for France for the accomplishment of the anxious wish of Henry

"That lady Margaret do vouchsafe to come
To cross the seas to England."

In the first lines of the Second Part we find Suf-
folk returned from his mission, the purpose of
which, as expressed in the last scene of the First
Part, he here recapitulates. The passage of the
poet is almost exactly copied from the historians,
-Holinshed being in this case a literal transcriber
from Hall:-" The Marquis of Suffolk, as procu-
rator to King Henry, espoused the said lady in the
church of Saint Martin's. At the which marriage
were present the father and mother of the bride;
the French king himself, which was uncle to the
husband; and the French queen also, which was
aunt to the wife. There were also the Dukes of
Orleans, of Calaber, of Alanson, and of Britaine,
seven earls, twelve barons, twenty bishops, beside
knights and gentlemen."
HISTORIES.-VOL. II. G

The displeasure of the Duke of Gloster at this marriage is indicated by the poet in the last scene of the First Part. There Henry says,

." Agree to any covenants.' The announcement of the surrender of Anjou and Maine is reserved by the dramatist for the scene before us. This surrender is the chief cause of the Duke of Gloster's indignation, as expressed in the celebrated speech,

"Brave peers of England, pillars of the state," &c. The poet makes the duke intimate no dislike of the queen's person; and Henry, indeed, expressly thanks him

"for this great favour done, In entertainment to my princely queen." The poet here follows Holinshed, who copies Fabian :-"On the eighteenth of May she came to London, all the lords of England in most sumptuous sort meeting and receiving her upon the way, and specially the Duke of Gloster, with such honour as stood with the dignity of his person." Of this circumstance Hall has no mention. Margaret of Anjou arrived in England in 1445.

81

.

Her impatience under the authority of the Protector Gloster, and her intrigues to procure his disgrace, are set forth very graphically by Hall :-"This woman, perceiving that her husband did not frankly rule as he would, but did all things by the advice and counsel of Humphrey Duke of Gloster, and that he passed not much on the authority and governance of the realm, determined with herself to take upon her the rule and regiment both of the king and his kingdom, and to deprive and evict out of all rule and authority the said duke, then called the lord protector of the realm: lest men should say and report that she had neither wit nor stomach, which would permit and suffer her husband, being of perfect age and man's estate, like a young scholar or innocent pupil to be governed by the disposition of another man.” But the hatred of Queen Margaret to "duke Humphrey's wife" is purely an invention of the poet. The disgrace of Eleanor Cobham took place three years before the arrival of Margaret in England. It is insinuated, however, by the chroniclers, that the accusation of the duchess upon a charge of sorcery and treason was prompted by the enemies of the protector. The following is Hall's account of this tragedy, in which "horror and absurdity are mingled in about equal portions :" *--

"But renom will once break out, and inward grudge will soon appear, which was this year to all men apparent: for divers secret attempts were advanced forward this season against the noble duke Humphrey of Gloster, afar off, which in conclusion came so near that they bereft him both of life and land, as you shall hereafter more manifestly perceive. For first this year, dame Eleanor Cobham, wife to the said duke, was accused of treason, for that she, by sorcery and enchantment, intended to Pictorial History of England, vol. ii., p. 83.

destroy the king, to the intent to advance and to promote her husband to the crown: upon this she was examined in Saint Stephen's chapel, before the bishop of Canterbury, and there by examination convict and judged to do open penance in three open places within the city of London, and after that adjudged to perpetual prison in the Isle of Man, under the keeping of Sir John Stanley, knight. At the same season were arrested, as aiders and counsellors to the said duchess, Thomas Southwel, priest and canon of Saint Stephen's in Westminster; John Hum, priest; Roger Bolingbroke, a cunning necromancer; and Margery Jourdain, surnamed the witch of Eye: to whose charge it was laid, that they, at the request of the duchess, had devised an image of wax representing the king, which by their sorcery a little and little consumed, intending thereby in conclusion to waste and destroy the king's person, and so to bring him death; for the which treason they were adjudged to die and so Margery Jourdain was burnt in Smithfield, and Roger Bolingbroke was drawn and quartered at Tyburn, taking upon his death that there was never no such thing by them imagined. John Hum had his pardon, and Southwel died in the Tower before execution. The Duke of Gloster took all these things patiently, and said little."

SCENE I.-Saint Alban's.

Enter KING HENRY, QUEEN MARGARET, GLOSER, CARDINAL, and SUFFOLK, with Falconers hollaing.

Q. Mar. Believe me, lords, for flying at the brook,a

I saw not better sport these seven years' day: Yet, by your leave, the wind was very high; And ten to one old Joan had not gone out.b

K. Hen. But what a point, my lord, your falcon made,

And what a pitch she flew above the rest!To see how God in all his creatures works! Yea, man and birds are fain of climbing high.

с

a Flying at the brook-flying at birds of the brook; hawking at waterfowl.

b Percy explains that "the wind was so high it was ten to one that old Joan would not have taken her flight at the game."

c Fain. Steevens says that fain here signifies fond; and he quotes Heywood's Epigrams on Proverbs: '

"Fayre words make fooles faine." Surely, in this quotation fain means glad,-the Saxon meau

Suf. No marvel, an it like your majesty, My lord protector's hawks do tower so well; They know their master loves to be aloft, And bears his thoughts above his falcon's pitch. Glo. My lord, 't is but a base ignoble mind That mounts no higher than a bird can soar. Car. I thought as much; he would be above the clouds.

Glo. Ay, my lord cardinal: How think you by that?

Were it not good your grace could fly to heaven?
K. Hen. The treasury of everlasting joy!
Car. Thy heaven is on earth; thine

thoughts

eyes and

Glo. What means this noise?
Fellow, what miracle dost thou proclaim?
One. A miracle! miracle!

Suf. Come to the king, and tell him what
miracle.

One. Forsooth, a blind man at St. Alban's shrine,

Within this half-hour, hath receiv'd his sight; A man that ne'er saw in his life before.

K. Hen. Now, God be prais'd! that to believing souls

Gives light in darkness, comfort in despair! Enter the Mayor of St. Alban's, and his brethren : and SIMPCOX, borne between two persons in a chair; his wife and a great multitude following. Car. Here come the townsmen on procession, To present your highness with the man.

K. Hen. Great is his comfort in this earthly vale,

Although by his sight his sin be multiplied. Glo. Stand by, my masters, bring him near the king;

His highness' pleasure is to talk with him.

K. Hen. Good fellow, tell us here the circum

stance,

That we for thee may glorify the Lord.
What, hast thou been long blind, and now

restor❜d?

Simp. Born blind, an 't please your grace.
Wife. Ay, indeed, was he.

Suf. What woman is this?

Wife. His wife, an 't like your worship.

Glo. Hadst thou been his mother thou couldst have better told.

K. Hen. Where wert thou born? Simp. At Berwick in the north, an 't like your grace.

K. Hen. Poor soul! God's goodness hath been great to thee:

Let never day nor night unhallow'd pass,
But still remember what the Lord hath done.
Q. Mar. Tell me, good fellow, cam'st thou
here by chance,

Or of devotion, to this holy shrine ?

Simp. God knows, of pure devotion; being call'd

A hundred times, and oftener, in my sleep
By good Saint Alban; who said, 'Simpcox,

come;

Come, offer at my shrine, and I will help thee.' Wife. Most true, forsooth; and many time

and oft

Myself have heard a voice to call him so. Car. What, art thou lame?

Simp. O master, that you could! Glo. My masters of St. Alban's, have you not beadles in your town, and things called whips? May. Yes, my lord, if it please your grace. Glo. Then send for one presently.

May. Sirrah, go fetch the beadle hither straight. [Exit an Attendant. Glo. Now fetch me a stool hither by and by. [4 stool brought out.] Now, sirrah, if you mean to save yourself from whipping, leap me over this stool and run away.

Simp. Alas, master, I am not able to stand alone; you go about to torture me in vain.

Re-enter Attendant, with the Beadle.

Glo. Well, sir, we must have you find your legs. Sirrah beadle, whip him till he leap over that same stool.

Bead. I will, my lord.—Come on, sirrah; off with your doublet quickly.

Simp. Alas, master, what shall I do? I am not able to stand.

[After the Beadle hath hit him once, he leaps over the stool, and runs away; and the people follow, and cry, A Miracle!

K. Hen. O God, seest thou this, and bear'st so long?

Q. Mar. It made me laugh to see the villain