KING JOHN

N Owe say Chatillion, what would France with us? Silence (good mother) hear the Embassy. What follows if we disallow of this? Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace, Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France : For ere thou canst report, I will be there: The thunder of my Cannon shall be herd, So hence: be thou the trumpet of our wraths And sullen presage of your own decay; And honourable conduct let him have, Pembroke look too't farewell Chattillion. Out strong possession, and our right for us, Let them approach: Our Abbeys and our Priories shall pay This expeditious charge what men are you? What art thou? Is that the elder, and art thou the heir? You came not of one mother then it seems. A good blunt fellow: why being younger born Does he lay claim to thine inheritance? Why what a madcap hath heaven lent us here? Mine eye hath well examined his parts, And finds them perfect Richard : sirrah speak, What does move you to claim your brother l worser. Sirrah, your brother is Legitimate, Your father's wife did after wedlock bear him: And if she did play false, the fault was hers; Which fault lies on the hazards of all husbands That marry wives: tell me, how if my brother Who as you say, took pains to get this son, Had of your father claimed this son for his, Insooth, good friend, your father might have kept This Calf, bred from his Cow from all the world: Insooth he might: then if he were my brother's, My brother might not claim him, nor your father Being none of his, refuse him: this concludes, My mother's son did get your father's heir, Your father's heir must have your father's land. What I thy name? From henceforth bear his name Whose for me thou bearest: Kneel thou down Philip, but rise more great, Arise Sir Richard, and Plantagenet. Go, Falconbridge, now hast thou thy desire, A landless Knight, makes thee a landed Squire: Come Madam, and come Richard, we must speed For France, for France, for it is more then needs. Peace be to France : If France in peace permit Our joust and lineal entrance to our own; If not, bleed France, and peace ascend to heaven. While we Gods wrathful agent do correct Their proud contempt that beats his peace to heaven. From whom hast thou this great commission To draw my answer from thy Articles? Alack thou dost usurp authority. Thus have I yielded up into your hand The Circle of my glory. Here have we what for war, & blood for blood, Controlment for controlment so answer France. My life as soon: I do defy thee France, Arthur of Britain, yield thee to my hand, And out of my deer love I'll give thee more, Then ere the coward hand of France can win; Submit thee boy. Bedl have done. England for it self: You men of Angiers, and my loving subjects. For our advantage, therefore hear us first: These flags of France that are advanced here Before the eye and prospect of your Town, Have hither marched to your endamagement. The Canons have their bowels full of wrath, And ready mounted are they to spit forth Their Iron indignation against your walls: All preparation for a bloody siege And merciless proceeding, by these French. Comfort yours Cities eyes, your winking gates: And but for our approach, those sleeping stones, That as a waste does girdle you about By the compulsion of their Ordinance, By this time from their fixed beds of lime Had been dishabited, and wide havoc made For bloody power to rush upon your peace. But on the sighed of us your lawful King, Who painfully with much expedient march Have brought a counter-cheeke before your gates, To save vnscratch'd your Cities threatened cheeks: Behold the French amazed vouchsafe a parley, And now instead of bullets wrapped in fire 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, Which trust accordingly kind Citizens, And let us in. Your King, whose laboured spirits Fore-wearied in this Actium of swift speed, Craves harbourage within your City walls. Acknowledge then the King, and let me in. Does not the Crown of England, prove the King? And if not that, I bring you Witnesses Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed. To verify our title with their lives. Then God forgive the sin of all those souls, That to their everlasting residence, Before the Due of evening fallen, shall fleet In dreadful trial of our kingdoms King. Up higher to the plain, where we'll set forth In best appointment all our Regiments. France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away? Say, shall the currant of our right room on, Whose passage vexed with thy impediment, Shall leave his native channel, and overswell with course disturbed even thy confining shores, Unless thou let his silver Water, keep A peaceful progress to the Ocean. Whose party do the Townsmen yet admit? In Us, that are our own great Deputy, And bear possession of our Person here Lord of our presence Angiers, and of you. 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? We from the West will send destruction Into this Cities bosom. Speak on with favour, we are bent to hear. If that the Dolphin there thy Princely son, Can in this book of beauty r and, I love: Her Dowry shall weigh equal with a Queen: For Angiers, and fair Toraine Main, Poyctiers, And all that we upon this side the Sea, (Except this City now by us besiedg'd) Find liable to our Crown and Dignity, Shall gild her bridal bed and make her rich In titles, honours, and promotions, As she in beauty, education, blood, Holds hand with any Princess of the world. What say these young-ones? What say you my Niece? Speak then Prince Dolphin, can you love this Lady? Then do I give Ʋ olquessen, Toraine, Main, Poyctiers, 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 pleased withal, Command thy son and daughtet to join hands. We will heal up all, For we'll create young Arthur Duke of Britain And Earl of Richmond; and this rich fair Town We make him Lord of. Call the Lady Constance, Some speedy Messenger bid her repair To our solemnity: I trust we shall, (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 hast will suffer us, To this unlooked for unprepared pomp. We Like not this, thou dost forget thy self. What earthy name to Interrogatories Can taste the free breath of a sacred King? Thou canst not (Cardinal) devise a name So slight, unworthy, and ridiculous To charge me to and answer, as the Pope: Tell him this tale, and from the mouth of England, Add thus much more, that no Italian Priest Shall tithe or toll in our dominions: But as we, under heaven, are supreme head, So under him that great supremacy Where we do reign, we will alone uphold Without the assistance of a mortal hand: So tell the Pope, all reverence set apart To him and his usurped authority. Though you, and all the Kings of Christendom Are led so grossly by this meddling Priest, Dreading the curse that money may buy out, And by the merit of vild gold, dross, dust, Purchase corrupted pardon of a man, Who in that sale sells pardon from himself: Though you, and all the rest so grossly led, This juggling witchcraft with reuennue cherish, Yet I alone, alone do me oppose Against the Pope, and count his friends my foes. Philip, what sayest thou to the Cardinal? The king is moved, and answers not to this. Cousin ; go draw our puissance together, France, I am burned up with inflaming wrath, A rage, whose heat hath this condition; That nothing can allay, nothing but blood, The blood and dearest valued blood of France. No more then he that threats. To Arms le'ts High. Hubert, keep this boy: Philip make up, My Mother is assailed in our Tent, And taken I fear. So shall it be: your Grace shall stay behind So strongly guarded: Cousin, look not sad, Thy Grandame loves thee, and thy Uncle will As deer be to thee, as thy father was. Cousin away for England, haste before, And ere our coming see thou shake the bags Of hoarding Abbots, imprisoned angels Set at liberty: the fat ribs of peace Must by the hungry now be fed upon: Use our Commission in his utmost force. Coz, farewell. Come hither Hubert. Oh my gentle Hubert, We owe thee much: within this wall of flesh There is a soul counts thee her Creditor, And with advantage means to pay thy love: And my good friend, thy voluntary oath Lives in this bosom, dearly cherished. Give me thy hand, I had a thing to say, But I will fit it with some better tune. By heaven Hubert, I am almost ashamed To say what good respect I have of thee. Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet, But thou shalt have: and creep time never so slow, Yet it shall come, for me to do thee good. I had a thing to say, but let it go: The Sun is in the heaven, and the proud day, Attended with the pleasures of the world, Is all too wanton, and too full of gawdes To give me audience: If the midnight bell Did with his iron tongue, and brazen mouth Found on into the drowzy raze of night: If this same were a Churchyard where we stand, And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs: Or if that surly spirit melancholy Had baked thy blood, and made it heavy, thick, Which else runs tickling up and down the veins, Making that idiot laughter keep men's eyes, And strain their cheeks to idle merriment, A passion hateful to my purposes: Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes, Hear me without thine ears, and make reply Without a tongue, using conceit alone, Without eyes, ears, and harmful found of words: Then, in despite of brooded watchful day, I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts: But (ah) I will not, yet I love thee well, And by my troth I think thou lovest me well. Do not I know thou wouldst? Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert throw thine eye On you young boy: I'll tell thee what my friend, He is a very serpent in my way, And wheresoever this foot of mine does tread, He lies before me: dost thou understand me? Thou art his keeper. Death. A Grave. Enough. I could be merry now, Hubert, I love thee. Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee: Remember: Madam, Fare you well, I'll send those powers over to your Majesty. For England Cousin, go. Hubert shall be your man, attend on you Withal true duty: On towards Calais, hoa. Here once again we fit: once against crowned And looked upon, I hope, with cheerful eyes. Let it be so: I do commit his youth To your direction: Hubert, what news with you? We cannot hold mortalities strong hand. Good Lords, although my will to give, is living, The suit which you demand is gone, and dead. He tells us Arthur is deceased to night. Withhold thy speed, dreadful Occasion: Oh make a league with me, Till I have pleased My discontented Peers. What? Mother dead? How wildly then walks my Estate in France? Under whose conduct came those powers of France, That thou for truth givest out are landed here? Bear with me Cousin, for I was amazed Under the tide; but now I breath again Aloft the flood, and can give audience To any tongue, speak it of what it will. Thou idle Dreamer, wherefore didst thou so? Hubert, away with him: imprison him, And on that day at noon, whereon he says I shall yield up my Crown, let him be hanged. Deliver him to safety, and return, For I must use thee. Oh my gentle Cousin, Hearest thou the news abroad, who are arrived? Gentle kinsman, go And thrust thy self into their Companies, I have a way to win their loves again: Bring them before me. Nay, but make haste: the better foot before. Oh, let me have no subject enemies, When adverse Forreyners affright my Towns With dreadful pomp of stout invasion. Be Mercury, set feathers to thy heals, And fly (Like thought) from them, to me again. Spoke Like a sprightful Noble Gentleman. Go after him: for he perhaps shall need Some Messenger betwixt me, and the Peers, And be thou he. My mother dead? It is the curse of Kings, to be attended By slaves, that take their humours for a warrant, To break within the bloody house of life, And on the winking of Authority To understand a Law; to know the meaning Of dangerous Majesty, when perchance it frowns More upon humour, then advised respect. Does Arthur live? Oh hast thee to the Peers, Throw this report on their incensed rage, And make them tame to their obedience. Forgive the Comment that my passion made Upon thy feature, for my rage was blind, And foul imaginary eyes of blood Presented thee more hideous then thou art. O, answer not; but to my Closet bring The angry Lords, with all expedient hast, I conjure thee but slowly: run more fast. Now keep your holy word, go meet the French, And from his holiness use all your power To stop their marches before we are inflamed: Our discontented Counties do revolt: Our people quarrel with obedience, Swearing Allegiance, and the love of soul To stranger-bloud, to for en Royalty; This inundation of mistempered humour, Rests by you only to be qualified. Then pause not: for the present time's so sick, That present medicine must be ministered, Or overthrow incurable ensues. Is this Ascension day: did not the Prophet Say, that before Ascension day at noon, My Crown I should give off? even so I have: I did suppose it should be on constraint, But (heaven be thanked) it is but voluntary. Would not my Lords return to me again After they herd young Arthur was alive? That villain Hubert told me he did live. The Legate of the Pope hath been with me, And I have made a happy peace with him, And he hath promised to dismiss the Powers Led by the Dolphin. Have thou the ordering of this present time. How goes the day with us? o tell me Hubert. This Fever that hath troubled me so long, Lies heavy on me: o, my heart is sick. Tell him towards Swinstead, to the Abbey there. Aye me, this tyrant Fever burns me up, And will not let me welcome this good news. Set on towards Swinstead: to my Litter straight, Weakness possesses me, and I am faint. I marry, now my soul hath elbow room, It would not out at windows, nor at doors, There is so hight a summer in my bosom, That all my bowels crumble up to dust: I am a scribbled form drawn with a pen Upon a Parchment, and against this fire Do I shrink up. The salt in them is hight. Within me is a hell, and there the poison Is, as a fiend, confined to tyrannise, On vnrepreeuable condemned blood. O Cozen, thou art come to set mine eye: The tackle of my heart, is cracked and burned, And all the shrowds wherewith my life should sail, Are turned to one thread, one little hair: My heart hath one poor string to stay it by, Which holds but till thy news be uttered, And then all this thou seest, is but a clod, And module of confounded royalty. Some reasons of this double Coronation I have possessed you with, and think them strong. And more, more strong, then lesser is my fear I shall endue you with: Mean time, but ask What you would have reformed that is not well, And well shall you perceive, how willingly I will both hear, and grant you your requests. Why do you bend such solemn brows on me? Think you I bear the Sheeres of destiny? Have I commandment on the pulse of life? O where hath our Intelligence been drunk? Where hath it slept? Where is my Mother's care? That such and Army could be drawn in France, And she not hear of it? Thou hast made me giddy With these ill tidings: Now? What says the world To your proceedings? Do not seek to stuff My head with more ill news: for it is full. Five Moons? O, when the last account betwixt heaven & earth Is to be made, then shall this hand and Seal Witness against us to damnation. How oft the sighed of means to do ill deeds, Make deeds ill done? Hadst not thou been by, A fellow by the hand of Nature marked, Quoted, and signed to do a deed of shame, This murder had not come into my mind. But taking note of thy abhorred Aspect, Finding thee fit for bloody villainy: Apt, liable to be employed in danger, I faintly broke with thee of Arthurs death: And thou, to be endeared to a King, Made it no conscience to destroy a Prince. Hadst thou but shook thy head, or made a pause When I spoke darkly, what I purposed: Or turned and eye of doubt upon my face; As bid me tell my tale in express words: Deep shame had struck me dumb, made me break off, And those thy fears, might have wrought fears in me. But, thou didst understand me by my signs, And didst in signs again parley with sin, Yea, without stop, didst let thy heart consent, And consequently, thy rude hand to act The deed, which both our tongues held vild to name. Out of my sighed, and never see me more: My Nobles leave me, and my State is braved, Even at my gates, with ranks of foreign powers; Nay, in the body of this fleshly Land, This kingdom, this Confine of blood, and breathe Hostility, and civil tumult reigns Between my conscience, and my Cousin's death. Poisoned, ill fare: dead, forsook, cast off, And none of you will bid the winter come To thrust his ycy fingers in my maw; Nor let my kingdoms Rivers take their course Through my burned bosom: nor entreat the North To make his bleak winds kiss my parched lips, And comfort me with cold. I do not ask you much, I beg cold comfort: and you are so straight And so ingrateful, you deny me that. They burn in indignation: I repent: There is no sure foundation set on blood: No certain life achieved by others death: A fearful eye thou hast. Where is that blood, That I have seen inhabit in those cheeks? So foul a sky, clears not without a storm, Pour down thy weather: how goes all in France? Why seekest thou to possess me with these fears? Why urgest thou so oft young Arthurs death? Thy hand hath murdered him: I had a mighty cause To wish him dead, but thou hadst none to kill him. France, y u shalt rue this hour within this hour.