HISTORICAL NOTICE

OF

KING HENRY VI.-PART III.

The second part of the old drama which supplied our author with materials for the present production, is intitled 'The true Tragedie of Richarde Duke of Yorke, and the Death of good King Henrie the Sixt; with the whole Contention between the two Houses Lancaster and Yorke; as it was sundry times acted by the Right Honourable the Earle of Pembrooke his servants.' Both this and the preceding play were reprinted together in 1600, which Malone considers as a strong proof that they cannot be ascribed to the author of the first part of this sovereign's history.

The present historical drama was altered by Crowne, and brought on the stage in the year 1680, under the title of The Miseries of Civil War. The works of Shakspeare could have been little read at that period; for the author, in his prologue, declares the play to be intirely his own composition; whereas the very first scene is that of Jack Cade, copied almost verbatim from the Second Part of King Henry VI. and several others from his Third Part with as little variation.

The action of this play comprehends a period of sixteen years. It commences with the events immediately succeeding the first battle of Saint Albans in 1455, and concludes with the murder of King Henry

VI. and the birth of prince Edward, afterwards Edward V. in 1471.

Of these three plays,' says Dr. Johnson, 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.'