I.

PHILIP, King of France, demanding the kingdom of England from JOHN, in right of ARTHUR.

"K. JOHN. From whom hast thou this great commission, France,

To draw my answer from thy articles?

K. PHIL. From that supernal judge, that stirs good thoughts

In any breast of strong authority,

To look into the blots and stains of right.

That judge hath made me guardian to this boy:
Under whose warrant, I impeach thy wrong;

And, by whose help, I mean to chastise it.
K. JOHN. Alack, thou dost usurp authority.
K. PHIL. Excuse; it is to beat usurping down.
ELINOR. Who is it thou dost call usurper, France?
CONST. Let me make answer;-thy usurping son.
LEW. Women and fools, break off your conference.
King John, this is the very sum of all,—
England and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine, Maine,
In right of Arthur, do I claim of thee;

Wilt thou resign them, and lay down thy arms?

K. JOHN. My life as soon:-I do defy thee, France."

After a battle, in which neither have the advantage, under the walls of Angiers, which city holds out for England, admitting neither party. The kings propose to assist each other in reducing the city; to avert which the citizens propose an amicable arrangement, that the Dauphin shall marry BLANCH of Castile, KING JOHN'S niece, and that there shall be peace between France and England.

"K. JOHN. If that the Dauphin there, thy princely son, Can in this book of beauty read, I love,

Her dowry shall weigh equal with a queen.

K. PHIL. What say'st thou, boy? Look in the lady's face.

LEW. I do, my lord.

K. JOHN. Speak then, Prince Dauphin; can you love

the lady?

LEW. Nay, ask me if I can refrain from love;

For I do love her most unfeignedly.

FAUL. (Aside.) Mad world! mad kings! mad compo

sition!

John, to stop Arthur's title in the whole,

Hath willingly departed with a part:

And France, whose armour conscience buckled on,
Whom zeal and charity brought to the field,

(As God's own soldier) rounded in the ear
With that same purpose-changer, that sly devil,

Commodity, the bias of the world,

Hath drawn him from his own determined aid,
From a resolved and honourable war,

To a most base and vile-concluded peace."

ACT II. S. 2.

III.

LORD SALISBURY is sent to CONSTANCE to inform her of the peace, and to fetch her to the kings.

"CONST.

Gone to be married! Gone to swear a peace.

Here is my throne, bid kings come bow to it."

(She throws herself on the ground.)

Enter KING JOHN, KING PHILIP, LEWIS, BLANCH, ELINOR, &c. &c.

"K. PHIL. "Tis true, fair daughter; and this blessed day Ever in France shall be kept festival.

The yearly course, that brings this day about,

Shall never see it but a holiday.

CONST. A wicked day, and not a holiday!

K. PHIL. By heaven, lady, you shall have no cause

To curse the fair proceedings of this day.

Have I not pawn'd to you my majesty?

CONST. You have beguiled me with a counterfeit.
You are forsworn, forsworn;

You came in arms to spill mine enemies' blood,
But now in arms you strengthen it with yours."

KING JOHN.

IV.

PANDULPH the legate from the Pope, excommunicates KING JOHN, for resisting the appointment of STEPHEN LANGTON as archbishop of Canterbury, and commands PHILIP to renounce his league with him.

"PAN. Philip of France, on peril of a curse

Let go the hand of that arch-heretic:

And raise the power of France upon his head,
Unless he do submit himself to Rome.

ELINOR. Look'st thou pale, France? do not let go thy hand.

CONST. Look to that, devil! lest that France repent, And by disjoining hands he 'll lose a soul.

LEW. Bethink you, father; for the difference
Is, purchase of a heavy curse from Rome,
Or the light loss of England for a friend :
Forego the easier.

BLANCH.

That's the curse of Rome.

PHI. I am perplex'd, and know not what to say.

V.

A battle is fought, and ARTHUR is taken prisoner. "ART. O this will make my mother die with grief. ELINOR. Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word. K. JOHN. Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye On yon young boy: I'll tell thee what, my friend, He is a very serpent in my way;

And wheresoe'er this foot of mine doth tread,

He lies before me: dost thou understand me?

"ART.

irons.

O save me, Hubert, save me! my eyes are out,

Even with the fierce looks of those bloody men.

HUB. Give me the iron, I say, and bind him here.
ART. Alas! what need you be so boist'rous rough?

I will not struggle, I will stand stone still.

For Heaven's sake, Hubert! let me not be bound:
Nay, hear me, Hubert! drive these men away,
And I will sit as quiet as a lamb;

I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word,

Nor look upon the iron angerly:

Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you

Whatever torment you do put me to."