1

Auft. The peace of heaven is theirs, that lift, England we love; and for that England's fake, In fuch a juft and charitable war. [their fwords With burthen of our armour here we sweat : This toil of ours thould be a work of thine; But thou from loving England art so far,

K. Philip. Well then, to work; our cannon
fhall be bent

Against the brows of this refifting town――――
Call for our chiefeft men of difcipline,
To cull the plots of beft advantages :-
We'll lay before this town our royal bones,
Wade to the market-place in Frenchmen's blood,
But we will make it fubject to this boy.

Conf. Stay for an anfwer to your embassy,
Left unadvis'd you stain your swords with blood:
My lord Chatillon may from England bring
That right in peace, which here we urge in war;
And then we fhall repent each drop of blood,
That hot rash haste so indirectly thed.

Enter Chatilion.

That thou haft under-wrought 3 its lawful king,
Cut of the fequence of pofterity,
Out-faced infant ftate, and done a rape
Upon the maiden virtue of the crown.
Look here upon thy brother Geffrey's face ;-
Thefe eyes, thefe brows, were moulded out of his :
This little abftract doth contain that large,
Which dy'd in Geffrey; and the hand of time
Shall draw this brief into as huge a volume.
That Geffrey was thy elder brother born,
And this his fon; England was Geffrey's right,
And this is Geffrey's: In the name of God,
How comes it then, that thou art call'd a king,

K. Philip. A wonder, lady !—lo, upon thy wifh, When living blood doth in these temples beat, Our meffenger Chatillon is arriv'd.

What England fays, fay briefly, gentle lord,
We coldly paufe for thee; Chatillon, fpeak. [fiege,
Chat. Then turn your forces from this paltry
And stir them up againft a mightier task.
England, impatient of your jutt demands,
Hath put himself in arms; the adverfe winds,
Whofe leifure I have ftaid, have given him time
To land his legions all as foon as I :
His marches are expedient to this town,
His forces ftrong, his foldiers confident.
With him along is come the mother-queen,
An Ate, stirring him to blood and strife;
With her, her niece, the lady Blanch of Spain;
With them a battard of the king deceas'd :
And all the unfettled humours of the land,-
Rafh, inconfiderate, fiery voluntaries,

With ladies' faces, and fierce dragons' spleens,―
Have fold their fortunes at their native homes,
Bearing their birthrights proudly on their backs,
To make a hazard of new fortunes here.
In brief, a braver choice of dauntless fpirits,
Than now the English bottoms have waft o'er,
Did never float upon the fwelling tide,
To do offence and feath2 in Chriftendom.
The interruption of their churlith drums

[Drums beat.

Cuts off more circumftance: They are at hand,
To parley, or to fight; therefore, prepare.

K. Philip. How much unlook'd for is this ex-
pedition!

Auft. By how much unexpected, by fo much
We must awake endeavour for defence;
For courage mounteth with occafion :

Let them be welcome then, we are prepar'd.

Enter King John, Faulconbridge, Elinor, Blanch,
Pembroke, and others.

Which owe the crown that thou o'er-maftereft?

K. John. From whom haft thou this great com-
miffion, France,

To draw my answer from thy articles? [thoughts
K. Phil. From that fupernal judge,that stirs good
In any breaft of strong authority,

To look into the blots and stains of right.
That judge hath made me guardian to this boy :
Under whofe warrant, I impeach thy wrong;
And by whofe help, I mean to chaltise it.

K. John. Alack, thou doft ufurp authority.
K. Philip. Excufe it; 'tis to beat ufurping down.
Eli. Who is it, thou doft call ufurper, France ?
Conft. Let me make anfwer;-thy ufurping fon.
Eli. Out, infolent! thy bastard shall be king;
That thou may'it be a queen, and check the world!
Conft. My bed was ever to thy fon as true,
As thine was to thy husband: and this boy
Liker in feature to his father Geffrey,
Than thou and John in manners; being as like,
As rain to water, or devil to his dam.
My boy a baftard! By my foul, I think,
His father never was fo true begot
It cannot be, an if thou wert his mother.
Eli. There's a good mother, boy, that blots thy
Conft. There's a good grandam, boy, that would
blot thee.

Auf. Peace!

Faule. Hear the crier.

Auft. What the devil'art thou?

[father.

Faule. One that will play the devil, fir, with you,
An a' may catch your hide and you alone.
You are the hare of whom the proverb goes,
Whofe valour plucks dead lions by the beard;
I'll fmoak your fkin-coat, an I catch you right;
Sirrah, lock to't; 'faith, I will, i'faith.

Blanch. O, well did he become that lion's robe,
That did difrobe the lion of that robe!

Fauls. It lies as fightly on the back of him,

K. John, Peace be to France; if France in peace Our just and lineal entrance to our own! [permit | As great Alcides' fhoes upon an afs :-If not; bleed France, and peace afcend to heaven! But, ats, I'll take that burden from your back; Whiles we, God's wrathful agent, do correct Or lay on that, thall make your shoulders crack. Their proud contempt that beat his peace to heaven. Auft. What cracker is this fame, that deafs our K.Philip. Peace be to England; if that war return With this abundance of fuperfluous breath? [ears From France to England, there to live in peace! 'King Lewis, determine what we fhall do strait. That is, expeditious. 2 i, e. deftruction, harm. 3 i. e. undermined.

K. Philip. Women, and fools, break off your Whofe title they admit, Arthur's, or John's.

conference.

King John, this is the very fum of all,-
England, and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine, Maine,
In right of Arthur do I claim of thee:
Wilt thou refign them, and lay down thy arms?

K. John. My life as foon:—I do defy thee, France.
Arthur of Bretagne, yield thee to my hand;
And, out of my dear love, I'll give thee more
Than e'er the coward hand of France can win :
Submit thee, boy.

Eli. Come to thy grandam, child.

Conft. Do, child, go to it' grandam, child:
Give grandam kingdom, and it' grandam will
Give it a plum, a cherry, and a fig:
There's a good grandam.

Arth. Good my mother, peace!

I would, that I were low laid in my grave;

I am not worth this coil, that's made for me.

[Trumpets found.

Enter Citizens upon the walls.

I Cit. Who is it, that hath warn'd us to the walls?
K. Phil. 'Tis France, for England.

K. John. England, for itself:

You men of Angiers, and my loving fubjects,—
K. Phil. You loving men of Angiers, Arthur's
fubjects,

Our trumpet call'd you to this gentle parle.

K. Jobn. For our advantage;-Therefore, hear
us first.-

Thefe flags of France, that are advanced here
Before the eye and profpect of your town,
Have hither march'd to your endamagement:
The cannons have their bowels full of wrath;
And ready mounted are they, to spit forth
Their iron indignation 'gainft your walls:
All preparation for a bloody fiege,

Eli. His mother shames him so, poor boy, he And merciless proceeding by these French,

weeps.

Confronts your city's eyes, your winking gates;
And, but for our approach, those sleeping stones,
That as a waift do girdle you about,
By the compulfion of their ordinance
By this time from their fixed beds of lime

Conft. Now fhame upon you, whe'r fhe does, or no!
His grandam's wrongs, and not his mother's fhames,
Draw those heaven-moving pearls from his poor
Which heaven fhall take in nature of a fee; [eyes,
Ay, with these crystal beads heaven shall be brib'd | Had been dishabited, and wide havock made
To do him juftice, and revenge on you.

Eli.Thou monftrous flanderer of heaven and earth!
Conft.Thou monftrous injurer of heaven and earth!
Call not me flanderer; thou, and thine, ufurp
The dominations, royalties, and rights,

For bloody power to rush upon your peace.
But, on the fight of us, your lawful king,-
Who, painfully, with much expedient march,
Have brought a countercheck before your gates,
To fave unfcratch'd your city's threaten'd cheeks,→→

Of this oppreffed boy: This is the eldest fon's fon, Behold, the French, amaz'd, vouchtafe a parle :

Infortunate in nothing but in thee;

Thy fins are vifited in this poor child;
The canon of the law is laid on him,
Being but the fecond generation
Removed from thy fin-conceiving womb.
K. John. Bedlam, have done.
Conft. I have but this to fay,-
That he's not only plagued for her fin,

But God hath made her fin and her the plague
On this removed iffue, plagu'd for her,
And with her .-Plague her fon; his injury,
Her injury, the beadle to her fin,
All punish'd in the perfon of this child,
And all for her2; A plague upon her!

Eli. Thou unadvifed fcold, I can produce
A will, that bars the title of thy fon.

And now, inftead of bullets wrap'd in fire,
To make a fhaking fever in your walls,
They shoot but calm words, folded up in smoke,
To make a faithless error in your ears:
Which truft accordingly, kind citizens,
And let us in, your king; whofe labour'd fpirits,
Forweary'd in this action of swift speed,
Crave harbourage within your city walls.

K. Phil. When I have faid, make answer to us
Lo, in this right hand, whofe protection [both.
Is moft divinely vow'd upon the right

Of him it holds, ftands young Plantagenet;
Son to the elder brother of this man,

And king o'er him, and all that he enjoys:
For this down-trodden equity, we tread
(will; In warlike march thefe greens before your town ;
Being no further enemy to you,
Than the conftraint of hofpitable zeal,
In the relief of this oppreffed child,
Religiously provokes. Be pleased then
To pay that duty, which you truly owe,

Conft. Ay, who doubts that? a will! a wicked
A woman's will; a cankred grandam's will!
K. Phil. Peace, lady; paufe, or be more tempe-
It ill befeems this prefence, to cry aim 3
To thefe ill-tuned repetitions.---
Some trumpet summon hither to the walls
Thefe men of Angiers; let us hear them fpeak,

[rate:

To him that owes 4 it; namely, this young prince:
And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear,

Dr. Johnson thus explains this very obfcure paffage: "He is not only made miserable by vengeance for her fin or crime; but her fin, her offspring. and the, are made the inftruments of that vengeance, on this defcendant; who, though of the fecond generation, is plagued for her and with her; to whom she is not only the caufe but the inftrument of evil.” 2 The fame able and judicious commentator affigns the following meaning to this perplexed fentence: "Instead of inflicting vengeance on this innocent and remote defcendant, punjh her fon, her immediate offspring: then the affliction will fall where it is deferved; his injury will be her injury, and the infery of her fin; her fon will be a beadle, or chaftifer, to her crimes, which are now all punished in the perfon of this child.” i. e. to encourage. See note 8, p. 57.

4 i. e. owns it.

Save in afpect, have all offence feal'd up;
Our cannons' malice vainly shall be spent
Against the invulnerable clouds of heaven;
And, with a bleffed and unvex'd retire,
With unhack'd fwords, and helmets all unbruis'd,
We will bear home that lufty blood again,
Which here we came to fpout against your town,
And leave your children, wives, and you, in peace.
But if you fondly pafs our proffer'd offer,
'Tis not the roundure of your old fac'd walls
Can hide you from our meffengers of war ;
Though all these English, and their difcipline,
Were harbour'd in their rude circumference.
Then, tell us, fhall your city call us lord,
In that behalf which we have challeng'd it?
Or fhall we give the fignal to our rage,
And stalk in blood to our poffeffion?

[jects;
Cit. In brief, we are the king of England's fub-
For him, and in his right, we hold this town. [in.
K. John. Acknowledge then the king, and let me
Cit. That can we not; but he that proves the king,
To him will we prove loyal; 'till that time,
Have we ramm'd up our gates against the world.
K. John. Doth not the crown of England prove
the king?

And, if not that, I bring you witneffes,
Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed,-
Faule. Baftards, and elfe.

K. John. To verify our title with their lives.
K. Philip. As many, and as well-born bloods as
Faulc. Some baftards too.
[thofe,-

K. Phil.--Stand in his face, to contradict his
claim.

Cit. 'Till you compound whofe right is worthieft,| We, for the worthieft, hold the right from both.

[fouls

K. John. Then God forgive the fin of all thofe
That to their everlasting refidence,
Before the dew of evening fall, shall fleet,
In dreadful trial of our kingdom's king!
K. Phil. Amen, Amen!-Mount, chevaliers!
to arms!
[and e'er fince
Faule. Saint George,-that fwing'd the dragon,
Sits on his horfeback at mine hoftefs' door,
Teach us fome fence !-Sirrah, were I at home,
At your den, firrah, with your lionefs,
I'd fet an ox-head to your lion's hide,
And make a monster of you.-

Auft. Peace; no more.

[To Auftria.

|Much work for tears in many an English mother,
Whofe fons lye fcatter'd on the bleeding ground:
Many a widow's hufband groveling lies,
Coldly embracing the difcolour'd earth; .
And victory, with little lofs, doth play
Upon the dancing banners of the French;
Who are at hand, triumphantly difplay'd
To enter conquerors, and to proclaim
Arthur of Bretagne, England's king and yours.
Enter English Herald, with trumpets.
E. Her. Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your
bells;
[proach,
King John, your king, and England's, doth ap-
Commander of this hot malicious day!
Their armours, that march'd hence fo filver-bright,
Hither return all gilt with Frenchmen's blood;
There ftuck no plume in any English creft,
That is removed by a staff of France;
Our colours do return in those fame hands
That did difplay them when we first march'd forth;
And, like a jolly troop of huntímen, come
Our lufty English, all with purpled hands,
Dy'd in the dying flaughter of their foes:
Open your gates, and give the victors way. [hold,
Cit. Heralds, from off our towers we might be-
From first to laft, the onfet and retire
Of both your armies; whofe equality
By our beft eyes cannot be cenfured:
Blood hath bought blood, and blows have anfwer'd
Strength match'd with strength, and power con-
fronted power:

[blows;

Both are alike; and both alike we like.
One must prove greatest; while they weigh fo even,
We hold our town for neither; yet for both.
Enter the two Kings with their powers, at feveral doors.

K. John. France, haft thou yet more blood to caft
Say, fhall the current of our right run on? [away ?
Whofe paffage vext with thy impediment,
Shall leave his native channel, and o'er-fwell
With courfe disturb'd even thy confining shores;
Unless thou let his filver water keep
A peaceful progrefs to the ocean.

[blood,

K. Phil. England, thou haft not fav'd one drop of
In this hot trial, more than we of France;
Rather, loft more: And by this hand I fwear,
That fways the earth this climate over-looks,→→
Before we will lay by our just-borne arms, [bear,
We'll put thee down, 'gainft whom thefe arms we
Or add a royal number to the dead;
Gracing the fcrowl, that tells of this war's lofs,
With flaughter coupled to the name of kings.

Faule. Ha, majetty! how high thy glory towers,
When the rich blood of kings is fet on fire!
Oh, now doth death line his dead chaps with steel;
The fwords of foldiers are his teeth, his phangs;
And now he feafts, mouthing the flesh of men,
In undetermin'd differences of kings.-
Why ftand these royal fronts amazed thus ?
Cry, Havock, kings 2! back to the stained field,
You equal potents 3, fiery-kindled spirits!
Then let confufion of one part confirm [death!
The other's peace; 'till then, blows, blood, and

i, e. the circle. 2 i, e. command flaughter to proceed. 3 Potentates.

K. John.

[your king?

K.John. Whofe party do the townsmen yet admit?

K. Phil. Speak, citizens, for England; who's And I fhall fhew you peace, and fair-fac'd league;
Cit. The king of England, when we know the Win you this city without stroke, or wound;
king.
[his right. Refcue thofe breathing lives to die in beds,
K. Phil. Know him in us, that here hold up That here come facrifices for the field:
Perfever not, but hear me, mighty kings.

K. Jobe. In us, that are our own great deputy,
And bear poffeffion of our person here;
Lord of our prefence, Angiers, and of you.

Cit. A greater power, than ye, denies all this;
And, 'till it be undoubted, we do lock
Out former fcruple in our ftrong-barr'd gates:
Kings of our fears; until our fears, refolv'd,
Be by fome certain king purg'd and depos'd.
Fauk. By heaven, these fcroyles of Angiers
flout you, kings;

That thakes the rotten carcafe of old death
Out of his rags! Here's a large mouth, indeed,
That fpits forth death, and mountains, rocks, and
Talks as familiarly of roaring lions,
[feas;
As maids of thirteen do of puppy-dogs!
What cannoneer begot this lufty blood?
He fpeaks plain cannon, fire, and fmoak, and bounce;
He gives the baftinado with his tongue;
Our ears are cudgel'd; not a word of his,
But buffets better than a fift of France:

Zounds! I was never fo bethumpt with words,
Since I firft call'd my brother's father, dad.

Eli. Son, lift to this conjunction, make this match;
Give with our niece a dowry large enough;
For by this knot thou fhalt fo furely tie

Faule. O prudent difcipline! From north to Thy now unfur'd affurance to the crown,

That yon green boy fhall have no fun to ripe
The bloom that promifeth a mighty fruit.
I fee a yielding in the looks of France;
Mark, how they whisper: urge them, while their

i. e. fcabby, fcrophulous fellows. 2 The Lady Blanch was niece to king John by his fifter Elianor. 3 i. c, pious. 4 Our author ufes Spleen for any violent hurry, or tumultuous speed.

Are capable of this ambition;

Left zeal, now melted by the windy breath
Of soft petitions, pity, and remorfe,
Cool and congeal again to what it was.
Cit. Why anfwer not the double majesties
This friendly treaty of our threaten'd town?

K. Phil. Speak England first, that hath been for-
To fpeak unto this city: What fay you? [ward firit
K. Fobn. If that the Dauphin there, thy princely
Can in this book of beauty read, I love, [fon,
Her dowry fhall weigh equal with a queen:
For Anjou, and fair Touraine, Maine, Poitiers,
And all that we upon this fide the fea
(Except this city now by us befieg'd)
Find hable to our crown and dignity,

Shall gild her bridal bed; and make her rich
In titles, honours, and promotions,
As the in beauty, education, blood,
Holds hand with any princefs of the world.

[face.

K. Pbil. What fay'ft thou, boy? look in the lady's
Lewis. I do, my lord; and in her eye I find

A wonder, or a wondrous miracle,
The fhadow of myself form'd in her eye;
Which, being but the shadow of your fon,
Becomes a fun, and makes your fon a fhadow;
I do proteft, I never lov'd myself,
'Till now infixed I beheld myself,
Drawn in the flattering table of her eye.

[bifpers with Blach.
Faule. Drawn in the flattering table of her eye-
Hang'd in the frowning wrinkle of her brow!--
And quarter'd in her heart !--he doth efpy
Himfelf love's traitor: This is pity now,
'That hang'd, and drawn, and quarter'd, there
fhould be,

In fuch a love, fo vile a lout as he.

Blanch. My uncle's will, in this respect, is mine
If he fee ought in you, that makes him like,
That any thing he fees, which moves his liking,
I can with eale tranflate it to my will;
Or, if you will, (to fpeak more properly)
I will enforce it eafily to my love.
Further I will not flatter you, my lord,
That all I fee in you is worthy love,
Than this, that nothing do I fee in you,

Command thy fon and daughter to join hands.
K. Phil. It likes us well;-Young princes,
clote your hands.

4. And your lips too; for, I am well affur'd, That I did fo, when I was firft affur'd 2.

K.Phil. Now, citizens of Angiers, ope your gates,
Let in that amity which you have made;
For at Saint Mary's chapel, prefently,
The rites of marriage shall be folemniz'd.—
Is not the lady Conftance in this troop ?---
I know, the is not; for this match, made up,
Her prefence would have interrupted much ;-
Where is the and her fon; tell me, who knows?
Lewis. She is fad and paflionate at your high-
[have made,
K. Phil. And, by my faith, this league, that we
Will give her fadnefs very little cure.-
Brother of England, how may we content
This widow lady? In her right we came ;
Which we, God knows, have turn'd another way,

nefs' tent.

To our own vantage.

K. Jabn. We will heal up all :

For we'll create young Arthur duke of Bretagne,
And el of Richmond; and this rich fair town
We make him lord of--Call the lady Conftance;
Some fpeedy meffenger bid her repair
To our folemnity :-I truft we fhall,
If not fill up the measure of her will,
Yet in fome menfure fatisfy her fo,
That we shall stop her exclamation.
Go we, as well as harte will suffer us,
To this unlook'd for unprepared pomp.

[Exeunt all but Foulcanb,idge.
Faule. Mad world! mad kings! mad compofi-
John, to ftop Arthur's title in the whole, [tion!
Hath willingly departed 3 with a part :

:| And France, (whofe armour confcience buckled on;
Whom zeal and charity brought to the field,
4. God's own foldier) rounded in the ear +
With that same purpofe-changer, that fly devil;
That broker, that ftill breaks the pate of faith;
That daily break-yow; he that wins of all,
Of kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids,
(Who having no external thing to lofe

But the word maid, cheats the poor maid of that)

(Though churlish thoughts themselves fhould be That fmooth-fac'd gentleman, tickling commodity,-❤

your judge)

That I can find should merit any hate.

K. John. What fay thefe young ones? What fay you, my nicce ?

Blanch. That the is bound in honour still to do What you in wifdom itill vouchfafe to say.

K. John. Speak then, prince Dauphin; can you
love this lady?

Lewis, Nay, afk me if I can refrain from love;
For I do love her moft unfeignedly. [Maine,
K. John. Then do I give Volquetfen 1, Touraine,
Poiétiers, and Anjou, these five provinces,
With her to thee; and this addition more,
Full thirty thousand marks of English coin.→→
Philip of France, if thou be pleas'd withal,

This is the ancient name for the country now 3 To part and to depart were formerly fynonymous.

Commodity 5, the bias of the world;
The world, who of itfelf is peifed well,
Made to run even, upon even ground;
'Till this advantage, this vile drawing bias,
This fway of motion, this commodity,
Makes it take head from all indifferency,
From all direction, purpose, course, intent;
And this fame bias, this commodity,
This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word,
Clapt on the outward eye of fickle France,
Hath drawn him from his own determin'd aid,
From a refolv'd and honourable war,
To a moit bafe and vile-concluded peace.--
And why rail I on this commodity ?
But for because he hath not woo'd me yet: