The Authorship of " King Henry VI." 207 



Contention, p. 55, 1. 35 f. : 



" He drag him hence, and with my sword cut off his head, 

 and beare it to the King." 



2 Henry VI, IV, x, 82-89 : 



" Die, damned wretch, the curse of her that bare thee : 



And as I thrust thy body in with my sword, 



So wish I I might thrvst thy soul to hell. 



Hence will I drag thee headlong by the heels 



Unto a dunghill which shall be thy grave. 



And there cut off most ungracious head ; 



Which I will bear in triumph to the king. 



Leaving thy trunk for crows to feed upon." 



Extended additions, which can be positively ascribed to Shake- 

 speare, are less frequent in 3 Henry VI, for in that play the alte- 

 rations of the 1623 text consist largely of mere changes of single 

 lines. Where longer insertions do occur, however, the relation 

 between the old and new matter is precisely the same as in 2 Henry VI. 

 A good example of the Shakespearean weakening of a simple but 

 strong speech by remote reference and involved rhetoric is found in 

 Clarence's defiance of Warwick (J Henry VI, V, i, 81 ff.) 



The True Tragedy gives the first part of this address as follows : 



" Father of Warwike, know you what this meanes ? 



I throw mine infamie at thee, 



I will not ruinate my fathers house. 



Who gave his bloud to lime the stones together. 



And set up Lancaster. Thinkest thou 



That Clarence is so harsh imnaturall, 



To lift his sword against his brothers life ? 



And so proud harted Warwike I defie thee, 



And to my brothers turne my blushing cheekes." 



Instead of these nine lines, the 1623 text prints nineteen. I italicize 

 those which are peculiar to the later version : 



" Father of Warwick, know you what this means ? 



Look here, I throw my infamy at thee : 



I will not ruinate my father's house, 



Who gave his blood to lime the stones together, 



And set up Lancaster. Why, trow'st thou, Warwick, 



That Clarence is so harsh, so blunt, unnatural. 



To bend the fatal instruments of war 



