FOOTNOTES:

[1] Scene I King John's palace] The court of England. Pope. Northampton ... palace. Capell.

Salisbury, and others] Capell and Salisbury. Ff.

Chatillon] Johnson. Chattilon Rowe. the Chattylion of France. Ff.

[2] borrowed] Ff. borrow'd Rowe.

[3] brother] F₄. brother, F₁ F₂ F₃.

[4] most] om. Pope.

[5] Anjou] Rowe. Anjowe Ff.

Touraine] Rowe (ed. 2). Torayne F₁. Lorayne F₂. Loraine F₃ F₄. Touaine Rowe (ed. 1).

[6] Controlment ... controlment] F₄. Controlement ... controlement F₁ F₂ F₃. See note ([III]).

[7] For ere] Or, ere Seymour conj.

report I ... there,] Capell. report, I ... there: Ff. (there; F₃ F₄).

[8] sullen] sudden Becket conj.

[9] Exeunt ...] Exit Chat. and Pem. Ff.

[10] manage] mannage Ff.

[11] Enter a Sheriff.] Enter the Sheriff of Northamptonshire and whispers Essex. Capell. See note ([IV]).

[12] expedition's] expeditious F₁.]

Enter ...] Enter R. F. and Philip. Ff. Exit Sheriff; and Re-enters with R. F. and P., his bastard brother. Capell (after line 47).

[13] Scene II. Pope.

Bast.] Philip. Ff. (and to line 132; afterwards Bast.).

[14] Robert] om. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[15] Cœur-de-lion] Cordelion Ff. (and passim).

[16] What] And what Capell.

[17] a'] a Ff. he Pope.

[18] whether] F₄. where F₁ F₂ F₃. See note ([V]).

as true] true Pope.

[19] yourself.] Rowe. your selfe F₁ F₂. your self F₃ F₄.

[20] him,] him: Ff.

[21] lent] sent Heath conj.

[22] trick] See note (VI).

[23] father. With ... land: ... year!] father? With ... land, ... year? F₁ F₂. father, With ... land, ... year? F₃ F₄.

[24] half that face] that half-face Theobald. half the face Anon. conj.

[25] lengths] length Capell conj.

[26] death] oath Anon. conj.

[27] And if] An if Hanmer.

[28] hazards] hazard Pope.

[29] Whether] Say Pope.

[30] thy] the Warburton.

[31] an if] Hanmer. and if Ff.

[32] Robert's] Robert Theobald. Robert's, Hanmer.

[33] And if] An if S. Walker conj.

[34] to his] with his Hanmer.

his ... this] this ... his Mason conj.

[35] I would] I'd Pope.

[36] I] F₂ F₃ F₄. It F₁. See note ([VII]).

sir Nob] Capell. sir nobbe F₁ F₂ F₃. Sir Nobbe F₄. sir Rob Lloyd conj.

[37] From ... bear'st] Pope. From ... bearest As two lines, the first ending name, in Ff.

[38] rise] Ff. rise up Pope. arise Steevens. to rise Keightley conj.

[39] grandam, Richard:] grandame Richard, F₁ F₂ F₃. grandam, Richard, F₄. grandam; Richard, Pope.

[40] what though?] what tho'? Theobald. what tho; Ff.

[41] wast] as Pope.

Exeunt ... Bastard.] Ff. Exeunt. Capell.

[42] Scene III. Pope. Scene II. The same. Anti-room of the same. Enter Bastard. Capell.

[43] many a many] many, many a Hanmer. many, ah, many a Collier (Collier MS.).

[44] too ... too] two ... too F₁.

too sociable] unsociable Pope.

[45] your conversion.] Capell. your conversion, Ff. your conversing. Pope. conversation. Lloyd conj.

[46] picked] piked Pope. picqued Theobald.

man of] man, of Steevens conj.

countries] courtesies Jackson conj.

[47] I ... now] Misplaced in Singer (ed. 2).

[48] Absey book] ABC-book Pope.

[49] Saving] Serving Theobald (Warburton conj.).

[50] Pyrenean] Perennean F₁. Pyrennean F₂ F₃ F₄. Pyreneans Collier (ed. 2, Collier MS.).

[51] toward] F₁ F₂. towards F₃ F₄.

[52] the mounting] a mounting Collier MS.

spirit] spirits Delius.

[53] smack ... smack] Theobald. smoake ... smacke F₁ F₂. smoak ... smack F₃ F₄. smack ... smoak Pope.

[54] And ... no] Put in brackets, as spurious, by Warburton.

[55] Which] This Johnson conj.

[56] Enter ...] Capell. Ff. after line 221.

it is] Pope. 'tis Ff.

How now] now Pope.

[57] Scene IV. Pope.

[58] scorn'st] scornest F₄.

[59] Gurney] F₄. Gournie F₁. Gourney F₂ F₃.

[60] Philip! sparrow:] Capell. Philip, sparrow, Ff. Philip,—spare me, Theobald (Warburton). Philip—spare oh! Grey conj.

[61] Exit Gurney] Exit James. Ff.

[62] to confess] confess Pope. to confess the truth Keightley conj.

[63] Could he get me?] Pope. Could get me Ff. Could not get me; Dyce (Collier MS.).

[64] beholding] beholden Pope.

[65] holp] help'd Pope.

[66] conspired] conspir'd Rowe.

[67] Knight, knight, good mother, Basilisco-like.] F₃ F₄. Knight, knight good mother, Basilisco-like: F₁ F₂. Omitted by Rowe (ed. 2). Knight—Knight, good mother, Basilisco like Pope. Knight, knight, good mother—Basilisco like. Theobald. Knight, knight,—good mother, Basilisco like. Id. conj. Knight—knight—good mother—Basilisco;—'slight! Id. conj. (withdrawn).

[68] What!] Theobald. What, Ff. Why Pope. Why, Hanmer.

[69] my charge!] my charge, Ff. thy charge, Long MS.

[70] Thou] F₄. That F₁ F₂ F₃.

[71] your folly] you folly F₂.

[72] hand] hands F₄.

[73] Ay] aye Ff.

[74] thee] the F₄.

[ACT II.]

Scene I. France. Before Angiers.

Enter Austria and forces, drums, etc. on one side: on the other King Philip of France and his Power; Lewis, Arthur, Constance and attendants.[75]

Lew. Before Angiers well met, brave Austria.[76]
Arthur, that great forerunner of thy blood,
Richard, that robb'd the lion of his heart
And fought the holy wars in Palestine,
By this brave duke came early to his grave:5
And for amends to his posterity,
At our importance hither is he come,
To spread his colours, boy, in thy behalf,
And to rebuke the usurpation
Of thy unnatural uncle, English John:10
Embrace him, love him, give him welcome hither.

Arth. God shall forgive you Cœur-de-lion's death
The rather that you give his offspring life,
Shadowing their right under your wings of war:[77]
I give you welcome with a powerless hand,15
But with a heart full of unstained love:[78]
Welcome before the gates of Angiers, duke.

Lew. A noble boy! Who would not do thee right?

Aust. Upon thy cheek lay I this zealous kiss,
As seal to this indenture of my love,20
That to my home I will no more return,
Till Angiers and the right thou hast in France,
Together with that pale, that white-faced shore,
Whose foot spurns back the ocean's roaring tides
And coops from other lands her islanders,25
Even till that England, hedged in with the main,
That water-walled bulwark, still secure
And confident from foreign purposes,
Even till that utmost corner of the west [79]
Salute thee for her king: till then, fair boy,30
Will I not think of home, but follow arms.

Const. O, take his mother's thanks, a widow's thanks,
Till your strong hand shall help to give him strength
To make a more requital to your love!

Aust. The peace of heaven is theirs that lift their swords [80]35
In such a just and charitable war.

K. Phi. Well then, to work: our cannon shall be bent [81]
Against the brows of this resisting town.
Call for our chiefest men of discipline,
To cull the plots of best advantages:40
We'll lay before this town our royal bones,
Wade to the market-place in Frenchmen's blood,
But we will make it subject to this boy.

Const. Stay for an answer to your embassy,
Lest unadvised you stain your swords with blood:45
My Lord Chatillon may from England bring
That right in peace which here we urge in war,
And then we shall repent each drop of blood
That hot rash haste so indirectly shed.[82]

Enter Chatillon.

K. Phi. A wonder, lady! lo, upon thy wish,50
Our messenger Chatillon is arrived!
What England says, say briefly, gentle lord;
We coldly pause for thee; Chatillon, speak.

Chat. Then turn your forces from this paltry siege
And stir them up against a mightier task.55
England, impatient of your just demands,
Hath put himself in arms: the adverse winds,
Whose leisure I have stay'd, have given him time
To land his legions all as soon as I;
His marches are expedient to this town,60
His forces strong, his soldiers confident.
With him along is come the mother-queen,
An Ate, stirring him to blood and strife;[83]
With her her niece, the Lady Blanch of Spain;
With them a bastard of the king's deceased;[84]65
And all the unsettled humours of the land,
Rash, inconsiderate, fiery voluntaries,
With ladies' faces and fierce dragons' spleens,
Have sold their fortunes at their native homes,
Bearing their birthrights proudly on their backs,[85]70
To make a hazard of new fortunes here:
In brief, a braver choice of dauntless spirits
Than now the English bottoms have waft o'er
Did never float upon the swelling tide,
To do offence and scath in Christendom. [Drum beats.[86]75
The interruption of their churlish drums
Cuts off more circumstance: they are at hand,[87]
To parley or to fight; therefore prepare.[87]

K. Phi. How much unlook'd for is this expedition!

Aust. By how much unexpected, by so much80
We must awake endeavour for defence;
For courage mounteth with occasion:
Let them be welcome then; we are prepared.

Enter King John, Elinor, Blanch, the Bastard, Lords, and Forces.[88]

K. John. Peace be to France, if France in peace permit [89]
Our just and lineal entrance to our own;85
If not, bleed France, and peace ascend to heaven,
Whiles we, God's wrathful agent, do correct [90]
Their proud contempt that beats His peace to heaven.[91]

K. Phi. Peace be to England, if that war return
From France to England, there to live in peace.90
England we love; and for that England's sake
With burden of our armour here we sweat.
This toil of ours should be a work of thine;
But thou from loving England art so far,
That thou hast under-wrought his lawful king,[92]95
Cut off the sequence of posterity,
Out-faced infant state and done a rape
Upon the maiden virtue of the crown.
Look here upon thy brother Geffrey's face;
These eyes, these brows, were moulded out of his:100
This little abstract doth contain that large
Which died in Geffrey, and the hand of time
Shall draw this brief into as huge a volume.[93]
That Geffrey was thy elder brother born,
And this his son; England was Geffrey's right105
And this is Geffrey's: in the name of God [94]
How comes it then that thou art call'd a king,
When living blood doth in these temples beat,
Which owe the crown that thou o'ermasterest?

K. John. From whom hast thou this great commission, France,110
To draw my answer from thy articles?[95]

K. Phi. From that supernal judge, that stirs good thoughts
In any breast of strong authority,[96]
To look into the blots and stains of right:[97]
That judge hath made me guardian to this boy:115
Under whose warrant I impeach thy wrong
And by whose help I mean to chastise it.

K. John. Alack, thou dost usurp authority.[98]

K. Phi. Excuse; it is to beat usurping down.[98][99]

Eli. Who is it thou dost call usurper, France?[98][100]120

Const. Let me make answer; thy usurping son.[98]

Eli. Out, insolent! thy bastard shall be king,[98]
That thou mayst be a queen, and check the world![98]

Const. My bed was ever to thy son as true[98]
As thine was to thy husband; and this boy[98]125
Liker in feature to his father Geffrey[98]
Than thou and John in manners; being as like[98][101]
As rain to water, or devil to his dam.[98]
My boy a bastard! By my soul, I think[98]
His father never was so true begot:[98]130
It cannot be, an if thou wert his mother.[98][102]

Eli. There's a good mother, boy, that blots thy father.[98]

Const. There's a good grandam, boy, that would blot thee.[98][103]

Aust. Peace![98]

Bast. Hear the crier.[98]

Aust. What the devil art thou?[98]

Bast. One that will play the devil, sir, with you,[98]135
An a' may catch your hide and you alone:[98][104]
You are the hare of whom the proverb goes,[98]
Whose valour plucks dead lions by the beard:[98]
I'll smoke your skin-coat, an I catch you right;[98][105]
Sirrah, look to't; i' faith, I will, i' faith.[98]140

Blanch. O, well did he become that lion's robe[98]
That did disrobe the lion of that robe![98]

Bast. It lies as sightly on the back of him[98]
As great Alcides' shows upon an ass:[98][106]
But, ass, I'll take that burthen from your back,[98]145
Or lay on that shall make your shoulders crack.[98]

Aust. What cracker is this same that deafs our ears[98]
With this abundance of superfluous breath?[98]

K. Phi. Lewis, determine what we shall do straight.[98][107]

Lew. Women and fools, break off your conference.[98][108]150
King John, this is the very sum of all;
England and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine, Maine,[109]
In right of Arthur do I claim of thee:[110]
Wilt thou resign them and lay down thy arms?

K. John. My life as soon: I do defy thee, France.155
Arthur of Bretagne, yield thee to my hand;[111]
And out of my dear love I'll give thee more
Than e'er the coward hand of France can win:
Submit thee, boy.[112]

Eli. Come to thy grandam, child.[112]

Const. Do, child, go to it grandam, child;[112][113][114]160
Give grandam kingdom, and it grandam will[112][114]
Give it a plum, a cherry, and a fig:[112]
There's a good grandam.[112]

Arth. Good my mother, peace![112]
I would that I were low laid in my grave:[112]
I am not worth this coil that's made for me.[112]165

Eli. His mother shames him so, poor boy, he weeps.[112]

Const. Now shame upon you, whether she does or no![112][115]
His grandam's wrongs, and not his mother's shames,[112][116]
Draws those heaven-moving pearls from his poor eyes,[112][117]
Which heaven shall take in nature of a fee;[112]170
Ay, with these crystal beads heaven shall be bribed[112][118]
To do him justice and revenge on you.[112]

Eli. Thou monstrous slanderer of heaven and earth![112]

Const. Thou monstrous injurer of heaven and earth![112]
Call not me slanderer; thou and thine usurp[112][119]175
The dominations, royalties and rights[112][120]
Of this oppressed boy: this is thy eld'st son's son,[112][121]
Infortunate in nothing but in thee:[112]
Thy sins are visited in this poor child;[112][122]
The canon of the law is laid on him,[112]180
Being but the second generation[112]
Removed from thy sin-conceiving womb.[112]

K. John. Bedlam, have done.[112][123]

Const. I have but this to say,[112]
That he is not only plagued for her sin,[112]
But God hath made her sin and her the plague[112]185
On this removed issue, plagued for her[112]
And with her plague; her sin his injury,[112][124]
Her injury the beadle to her sin,[112][125]
All punish'd in the person of this child,[112]
And all for her; a plague upon her![112][126]190

Eli. Thou unadvised scold, I can produce[112]
A will that bars the title of thy son.[112]

Const. Ay, who doubts that? a will! a wicked will;[112]
A woman's will; a canker'd grandam's will![112]

K. Phi. Peace, lady! pause, or be more temperate:[112]195
It ill beseems this presence to cry aim[112][127]
To these ill-tuned repetitions.[112]
Some trumpet summon hither to the walls
These men of Angiers: let us hear them speak
Whose title they admit, Arthur's or John's.200

Trumpet sounds. Enter certain Citizens upon the walls.[128]

First Cit. Who is it that hath warn'd us to the walls?

K. Phi. 'Tis France, for England.

K. John. England, for itself.
You men of Angiers, and my loving subjects,—

K. Phi. You loving men of Angiers, Arthur's subjects,
Our trumpet call'd you to this gentle parle,—205

K. John. For our advantage; therefore hear us first.[129]
These flags of France, that are advanced here
Before the eye and prospect of your town,
Have hither march'd to your endamagement:
The cannons have their bowels full of wrath,210
And ready mounted are they to spit forth
Their iron indignation 'gainst your walls:
All preparation for a bloody siege [130]
And merciless proceeding by these French [131]
Confronts your city's eyes, your winking gates;[132]215
And but for our approach those sleeping stones,
That as a waist doth girdle you about,[133]
By the compulsion of their ordinance [134]
By this time from their fixed beds of lime
Had been dishabited, and wide havoc made220
For bloody power to rush upon your peace.
But on the sight of us your lawful king,
Who painfully with much expedient march
Have brought a countercheck before your gates,
To save unscratch'd your city's threatened cheeks,[135]225
Behold, the French amazed vouchsafe a parle;
And now, instead of bullets wrapp'd in fire,[136]
To make a shaking fever in your walls,
They shoot but calm words folded up in smoke,
To make a faithless error in your ears:230
Which trust accordingly kind citizens,
And let us in, your king, whose labour'd spirits,[137]
Forwearied in this action of swift speed,[138]
Crave harbourage within your city walls.[139]

K. Phi. When I have said, make answer to us both.235
Lo, in this right hand, whose protection
Is most divinely vow'd upon the right
Of him it holds, stands young Plantagenet,
Son to the elder brother of this man,
And king o'er him and all that he enjoys:240
For this down-trodden equity, we tread
In warlike march these greens before your town,
Being no further enemy to you
Than the constraint of hospitable zeal
In the relief of this oppressed child245
Religiously provokes. Be pleased then
To pay that duty which you truly owe
To him that owes it, namely this young prince:[140]
And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear,
Save in aspect, hath all offence seal'd up;[141]250
Our cannons' malice vainly shall be spent
Against the invulnerable clouds of heaven;[142]
And with a blessed and unvex'd retire,
With unhack'd swords and helmets all unbruised.
We will bear home that lusty blood again255
Which here we came to spout against your town,
And leave your children, wives and you in peace.
But if you fondly pass our proffer'd offer,[143]
'Tis not the roundure of your old-faced walls [144]
Can hide you from our messengers of war,260
Though all these English and their discipline
Were harbour'd in their rude circumference.[145]
Then tell us, shall your city call us lord,
In that behalf which we have challenged it?[146]
Or shall we give the signal to our rage265
And stalk in blood to our possession?

First Cit. In brief, we are the king of England's subjects:
For him, and in his right, we hold this town.[147]

K. John. Acknowledge then the king, and let me in.

First Cit. That can we not; but he that proves the king,270
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 witnesses,
Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed,—275

Bast. Bastards, and else.[148]

K. John. To verify our title with their lives.

K. Phi. As many and as well-born bloods as those,—

Bast. Some bastards too.[148]

K. Phi. Stand in his face to contradict his claim.280

First Cit. Till you compound whose right is worthiest,
We for the worthiest hold the right from both.

K. John. Then God forgive the sin of all those souls [149]
That to their everlasting residence,
Before the dew of evening fall, shall fleet,285
In dreadful trial of our kingdom's king!

K. Phi. Amen, amen! Mount, chevaliers! to arms!

Bast. Saint George, that swinged the dragon, and e'er since [150]
Sits on his horse back at mine hostess' door,[150][151]
Teach us some fence! [To Aust.] Sirrah, were I at home,[152]290
At your den, sirrah, with your lioness,
I would set an ox-head to your lion's hide,[153]
And make a monster of you.

Aust. Peace! no more.

Bast. O, tremble, for you hear the lion roar.

K. John. Up higher to the plain; where we'll set forth295
In best appointment all our regiments.

Bast. Speed then, to take advantage of the field.[154]

K. Phi. It shall be so; and at the other hill [155]
Command the rest to stand. God and our right! [Exeunt.

Here after excursions, enter the Herald of France, with trumpets, to the gates.[156]

F. Her. You men of Angiers, open wide your gates,[157]300
And let young Arthur, Duke of Bretagne, in,[158]
Who by the hand of France this day hath made
Much work for tears in many an English mother,
Whose sons lie scattered on the bleeding ground:[159]
Many a widow's husband grovelling lies,[160]305
Coldly embracing the discoloured earth;[161]
And victory, with little loss, doth play [162]
Upon the dancing banners of the French,
Who are at hand, triumphantly display'd,[163]
To enter conquerors and to proclaim310
Arthur of Bretagne England's king and yours.[158]

Enter English Herald, with trumpet.[164]

E. Her. Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells;
King John, your king and England's, doth approach,
Commander of this hot malicious day:
Their armours, that march'd hence so silver-bright,315
Hither return all gilt with Frenchmen's blood;[165]
There stuck no plume in any English crest
That is removed by a staff of France;[166]
Our colours do return in those same hands
That did display them when we first march'd forth;320
And, like a jolly troop of huntsmen, come
Our lusty English, all with purpled hands,
Dyed in the dying slaughter of their foes:[167]
Open your gates and give the victors way.

First Cit. Heralds, from off our towers we might behold,[168]325
From first to last, the onset and retire
Of both your armies; whose equality
By our best eyes cannot be censured:
Blood hath bought blood and blows have answer'd blows;
Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted power:330
Both are alike; and both alike we like.
One must prove greatest: while they weigh so even,
We hold our town for neither, yet for both.

Re-enter the two Kings, with their powers, severally.[169]

K. John. France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away?[170]
Say, shall the current of our right run on?[171]335
Whose passage, vex'd with thy impediment,
Shall leave his native channel, and o'erswell
With course disturb'd even thy confining shores,
Unless thou let his silver water keep [172]
A peaceful progress to the ocean.340

K. Phi. England, thou hast not saved one drop of blood,
In this hot trial, more than we of France;
Rather, lost more. And by this hand I swear,
That sways the earth this climate overlooks,
Before we will lay down our just-borne arms,[173]345
We'll put thee down, 'gainst whom these arms we bear,
Or add a royal number to the dead,
Gracing the scroll that tells of this war's loss
With slaughter coupled to the name of kings.

Bast. Ha, majesty! how high thy glory towers,350
When the rich blood of kings is set on fire!
O, now doth Death line his dead chaps with steel;
The swords of soldiers are his teeth, his fangs;
And now he feasts, mousing the flesh of men,[174]
In undetermined differences of kings.355
Why stand these royal fronts amazed thus?
Cry, 'havoc!' kings; back to the stained field,
You equal potents, fiery kindled spirits![175]
Then let confusion of one part confirm
The other's peace; till then, blows, blood, and death!360

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

K. Phi. Speak, citizens, for England; who's your king?[176]

First Cit. The king of England, when we know the king.

K. Phi. Know him in us, that here hold up his right.

K. John. In us, that are our own great deputy,365
And bear possession of our person here,[177]
Lord of our presence, Angiers, and of you.[178]

First Cit. A greater power than we denies all this;[179]
And till it be undoubted, we do lock
Our former scruple in our strong-barr'd gates;370
King'd of our fears, until our fears, resolved,[180][181]
Be by some certain king purged and deposed.[181]

Bast. By heaven, these scroyles of Angiers flout you, kings,[182]
And stand securely on their battlements,
As in a theatre, whence they gape and point375
At your industrious scenes and acts of death.[183]
Your royal presences be ruled by me:[184]
Do like the mutines of Jerusalem,[185]
Be friends awhile and both conjointly bend [186]
Your sharpest deeds of malice on this town:380
By east and west let France and England mount
Their battering cannon charged to the mouths,
Till their soul-fearing clamours have brawl'd down
The flinty ribs of this contemptuous city:
I'ld play incessantly upon these jades,385
Even till unfenced desolation
Leave them as naked as the vulgar air.
That done, dissever your united strengths,
And part your mingled colours once again;
Turn face to face and bloody point to point;390
Then, in a moment, Fortune shall cull forth
Out of one side her happy minion,
To whom in favour she shall give the day,
And kiss him with a glorious victory.
How like you this wild counsel, mighty states?395
Smacks it not something of the policy?[187]

K. John. Now, by the sky that hangs above our heads,
I like it well. France, shall we knit our powers
And lay this Angiers even with the ground;
Then after fight who shall be king of it?400

Bast. An if them hast the mettle of a king,[188]
Being wrong'd as we are by this peevish town,
Turn thou the mouth of thy artillery,
As we will ours, against these saucy walls;
And when that we have dash'd them to the ground,405
Why then defy each other, and pell-mell
Make work upon ourselves, for heaven or hell.

K. Phi. Let it be so. Say, where will you assault?

K. John. We from the west will send destruction
Into this city's bosom.410

Aust. I from the north.

K. Phi. Our thunder from the south [189]
Shall rain their drift of bullets on this town.

Bast. O prudent discipline! From north to south:[190]
Austria and France shoot in each other's mouth:[190]
I'll stir them to it. Come, away, away![190]415

First Cit. Hear us, great kings: vouchsafe awhile to stay,
And I shall show you peace and fair-faced league;
Win you this city without stroke or wound;
Rescue those breathing lives to die in beds,
That here come sacrifices for the field:420
Persever not, but hear me, mighty kings.

K. John. Speak on with favour; we are bent to hear.[191]

First Cit. That daughter there of Spain, the Lady Blanch,
Is niece to England: look upon the years [192]
Of Lewis the Dauphin and that lovely maid:[193]425
If lusty love should go in quest of beauty,
Where should he find it fairer than in Blanch?
If zealous love should go in search of virtue,[194]
Where should he find it purer than in Blanch?
If love ambitious sought a match of birth,430
Whose veins bound richer blood than Lady Blanch?
Such as she is, in beauty, virtue, birth,
Is the young Dauphin every way complete:[193]
If not complete of, say he is not she;[195]
And she again wants nothing, to name want,435
If want it be not that she is not he:[196]
He is the half part of a blessed man,
Left to be finished by such as she;[197]
And she a fair divided excellence,[198]
Whose fulness of perfection lies in him.440
O, two such silver currents, when they join,
Do glorify the banks that bound them in;
And two such shores to two such streams made one,
Two such controlling bounds shall you be, kings,
To these two princes, if you marry them.445
This union shall do more than battery can
To our fast-closed gates; for at this match,
With swifter spleen than powder can enforce,[199]
The mouth of passage shall we fling wide ope.
And give you entrance: but without this match,450
The sea enraged is not half so deaf,
Lions more confident, mountains and rocks [200]
More free from motion, no, not Death himself[200]
In mortal fury half so peremptory,
As we to keep this city.

Bast. Here's a stay [201]455
That shakes the rotten carcass of old Death
Out of his rags! Here's a large mouth, indeed,
That spits forth death and mountains, rocks and seas,
Talks as familiarly of roaring lions
As maids of thirteen do of puppy-dogs!460
What cannoneer begot this lusty blood?[202]
He speaks plain cannon fire, and smoke and bounce;[203]
He gives the bastinado with his tongue:
Our ears are cudgell'd; not a word of his
But buffets better than a fist of France:465
Zounds! I was never so bethump'd with words
Since I first call'd my brother's father dad.[204]

Eli. Son, list to this conjunction, make this match;[205][206]
Give with our niece a dowry large enough:[206]
For by this knot thou shalt so surely tie[206]470
Thy now unsured assurance to the crown,[206][207]
That yon green boy shall have no sun to ripe[206]
The bloom that promiseth a mighty fruit.[206]
I see a yielding in the looks of France;[206]
Mark, how they whisper: urge them while their souls[206]475
Are capable of this ambition,[206]
Lest zeal, now melted by the windy breath[206][208]
Of soft petitions, pity and remorse,[206]
Cool and congeal again to what it was.[206]

First Cit. Why answer not the double majesties480
This friendly treaty of our threaten'd town?

K. Phi. Speak England first, that hath been forward first [209]
To speak unto this city: what say you?

K. John. If that the Dauphin there, thy princely son,[193]
Can in this book of beauty read 'I love,'485
Her dowry shall weigh equal with a queen:[210]
For Anjou, and fair Touraine, Maine, Poictiers,[211]
And all that we upon this side the sea,
Except this city now by us besieged,
Find liable to our crown and dignity,490
Shall gild her bridal bed and make her rich
In titles, honours and promotions,
As she in beauty, education, blood,[212]
Holds hand with any princess of the world.[213]

K. Phi. What say'st thou, boy? look in the lady's face.495

Lew. I do, my lord; and in her eye I find [214]
A wonder, or a wondrous miracle,
The shadow of myself form'd in her eye;[215]
Which, being but the shadow of your son,[215]
Becomes a sun and makes your son a shadow:[215][216]500
I do protest I never loved myself
Till now infixed I beheld myself [217]
Drawn in the flattering table of her eye.[218]

[Whispers with Blanch.

Bast. Drawn in the flattering table of her eye![219]
Hang'd in the frowning-wrinkle of her brow!505
And quarter'd in her heart! he doth espy
Himself love's traitor: this is pity now,
That, hang'd and drawn and quarter'd, there should be
In such a love so vile a lout as he.

Blanch. My uncle's will in this respect is mine:[220]510
If he see aught in you that makes him like,
That any thing he sees, which moves his liking,
I can with ease translate it to my will;[221]
Or if you will, to speak more properly,
I will enforce it easily to my love.[222]515
Further I will not flatter you, my lord,
That all I see in you is worthy love,
Than this; that nothing do I see in you,
Though churlish thoughts themselves should be your judge,
That I can find should merit any hate.520

K. John. What say these young ones? What say you, my niece?

Blanch. That she is bound in honour still to do
What you in wisdom still vouchsafe to say.[223]

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

Lew. Nay, ask me if I can refrain from love;525
For I do love her most unfeignedly.

K. John. Then do I give Volquessen, Touraine, Maine,
Poictiers, and Anjou, these five provinces,[224]
With her to thee; and this addition more,
Full thirty thousand marks of English coin.530
Philip of France, if thou be pleased withal,
Command thy son and daughter to join hands.

K. Phi. It likes us well; young princes, close your hands.[225]

Aust. And your lips too; for I am well assured [226]
That I did so when I was first assured.[226]535

K. Phi. Now, citizens of Angiers, ope your gates,[227]
Let in that amity which you have made;
For at Saint Mary's chapel presently
The rites of marriage shall be solemnized.
Is not the Lady Constance in this troop?540
I know she is not, for this match made up [228]
Her presence would have interrupted much:
Where is she and her son? tell me, who knows.[229]

Lew. She is sad and passionate at your highness' tent.[230]

K. Phil. And, by my faith, this league that we have made545
Will give her sadness very little cure.
Brother of England, how may we content
This widow lady? In her right we came;[231]
Which we, God knows, have turn'd another way,
To our own vantage.

K. John. We will heal up all;550
For we'll create young Arthur Duke of Bretagne [232]
And Earl of Richmond; and this rich fair town
We make him lord of. Call the Lady Constance;[233]
Some speedy messenger bid her repair
To our solemnity: I trust we shall,555
If not fill up the measure of her will,
Yet in some measure satisfy her so
That we shall stop her exclamation.
Go we, as well as haste will suffer us,
To this unlook'd for, unprepared pomp.560

[Exeunt all but the Bastard.[234]

Bast. Mad world! mad kings! mad composition![235]
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 field565
As God's own soldier, rounded in the ear
With that same purpose-changer, that sly devil,
That broker, that still breaks the pate of faith,
That daily break-vow, he that wins of all,
Of kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids,570
Who, having no external thing to lose [236]
But the word 'maid,' cheats the poor maid of that,[237]
That smooth-faced gentleman, tickling Commodity,
Commodity, the bias of the world,
The world, who of itself is peised well,[238]575
Made to run even upon even ground,
Till this advantage, this vile-drawing bias,[239]
This sway of motion, this Commodity,
Makes it take head from all indifferency,
From all direction, purpose, course, intent:580
And this same bias, this Commodity,
This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word,[240]
Clapp'd on the outward eye of fickle France,
Hath drawn him from his own determined aid,[241]
From a resolved and honourable war,585
To a most base and vile-concluded peace.[242]
And why rail I on this Commodity?[243]
But for because he hath not woo'd me yet:
Not that I have the power to clutch my hand,[244]
When his fair angels would salute my palm;590
But for my hand, as unattempted yet,[245]
Like a poor beggar, raileth on the rich.
Well, whiles I am a beggar, I will rail [246]
And say there is no sin but to be rich;
And being rich, my virtue then shall be595
To say there is no vice but beggary.
Since kings break faith upon commodity,
Gain, be my lord, for I will worship thee.[247] [Exit.