Sidebilder
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

Enter King John, Queen Elinor, Pembroke, Effex, and Salisbury, with Chatilion.

K. John:

N

WOW fay, Chatilion, what would France
with us?

Chat. Thus, after greeting, fpeaks the
King of France,

In my behaviour, to the Majefty

The borrow'd Majefty of England here.

Eli. A ftrange beginning; borrow'd Majefty!
K. John. Silence, good mother, hear the embaffie.
Chat. Philip of France, in right and true behalf
Of thy deceafed brother Geffrey's fon,

Arthur Plantagenet, lays lawful claim

To this fair inland, and the territories :

The troublesome reign of K. John was written in two parts by

W. Shakespear and W. Rowley, and printed 1611. But the prefent Play is entirely different, and infinitely superior to it.

То

To Ireland, Poitiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine:
Defiring thee to lay afide the fword
Which fways ufurpingly these several titles,
And put the fame into young Arthur's hand,
Thy nephew, and right royal Sovereign.

K. John. What follows, if we difallow of this?
Chat. The proud controul of fierce and bloody war,
Tinforce these rights so forcibly withheld.

K. John. Here have we war for war, and blood for blood, Controulment for controulment; fo answer France. Chat. Then take my King's defiance from my mouth, The fartheft limit of my embassie.

K. John. Bear mine to him, and fo 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 fhall be heard.
So, hence! be thou the trumpet of our wrath,
And fullen prefage of your own decay.
An honourable conduct let him have,
Pembroke, look to't; farewel, Chatilion.

[Ex. Chat and Pem,

Eli. What now, my fon, have I not ever faid
How that ambitious Conftance would not cease
'Till fhe had kindled France and all the world,
Upon the right and party of her fon?

This might have been prevented, and made whole
With very eafie arguments of love;

Which now the manage of two kingdoms must
With fearful bloody iffue arbitrate.

K. John. Our ftrong poffeffion and our right for us.
Eli. Your ftrong poffeffion much more than your right,

Or else it must go wrong with you and me ;

So much my confcience whispers in your ear,

Which none but heaven, and you, and I fhall hear.

Effex. My Liege, here is the ftrangeft controverfie

Come from the country to be judg'd by you
That e'er I heard; fhall I produce the men?
K. John. Let them approach.

Our Abbies and our Priories shall pay
This expedition's charge-

What men are you?

SCENS

[blocks in formation]

Enter Robert Faulconbridge and the Baftard.
Baft. Your faithful fubject, I, a gentleman
Born in Northamptonshire, and eldeft fon,
As I fuppofe, to Robert Faulconbridge,
A foldier, by the honour-giving hand
Of Coeur-de-lion knighted in the field.
K. John. What art thou?

Rob. The fon and heir to that fame Faulconbridge.
K. John. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir?
You came not of one mother then it seems?

Baft. Moft certain of one mother, mighty King,
That is well known, and as I think one father;
But for the certain knowledge of that truth,
I put you o'er to heav'n and to my mother;
Of that I doubt, as all men's children may.

Eli. Out on thee, rude man, thou doft shame thy mother, And wound her honour with this diffidence.

Baft. I, Madam?. no, I have no reason for it;
That is my brother's plea, and none of mine,
The which if he can prove, he pops me out
At least from fair five hundred pound a year:
Heav'n guard my mother's honour and my land!

K. John. A good blunt fellow: why, being younger born, Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance ?

Baft. I know not why, except to get the land; But once he flander'd me with baftardy:

But whether I be true begot or no,

That ftill I lay upon my mother's head
But that I am as well begot, my Liege,
(Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!)
Compare our faces, and be judge your felf,

If old Sir Robert did beget us both,

יזי

And were our father, and this fondike him ;
O old Sir Robert, father, on my knee

I give heav'n thanks I was not like to thee.

K.John. Why, what a mad-cap hath heav'n lent us here? Eli. He hath a trick of Coeur-de-lian's face,

The accent of his tongue affecteth him:

Do you not read fome tokens of my fon
VOL. IV.

R

In the large compofition of this man ?

[ocr errors]

K. John. Mine eye hath well examin'd his parts, And finds them perfect Richard: firrah, speak, What doth move you to claim your brother's land? Baft. Because he hath a half-face, like. my father, With that half-face would he have all my land? A half-fac'd groat, five hundred pound a year? Rob. My gracious Liege, when that my father liv'd, Your brother did employ my father much

[ocr errors]

Baft. Well, Sir, by this you cannot get my land,
Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother.
Rob. And once difpatch'd him in an embaffie
To Germany; there with the Emperor
To treat of high affairs touching that time:
Th' advantage of his abfence took the King,
And in the mean time fojourn'd at my father's;
Where, how he did prevail, I fhame to speak:
But truth is truth; large lengths of feas and fhores
Between my father and my mother lay,
(As I have heard my father speak himself)
When this fame lufty gentleman was got.
Upon his death-bed he by will bequeath'd
His lands to me, and took it on his death
That this my mother's fon was none of his ;
An if he were, he came into the world
Full fourteen weeks before the courfe of time
Then, good my Liege, let me have what is mine,
My father's lands, as was my father's will.

[ocr errors]

K. John. Sirrah, your brother is legitimate,
Your father's wife did after wedlock bear him :
And if she did play falfe, the fault was hers,
Which fault lies on the hazard of all hufbands
That marry wives. Tell me, how if my brother,
Who as you fay took pains to get this fon,
Had of your father claim'dy this fon for his
In footh, good friend, your father might have kept
This calf, bred from his cow, from all the world.
In footh he might then if he were my brother's, i
My brother might not claim him for your father,
Being none of his, refufe him this concludes,

My

My mother's fon did get your father's heir,
Your father's heir must have your father's land.
Rob. Shall then my father's will be of no force
To difpoffefs that child which is not his?
Baft. Of no more force to difpoffefs me, Sir,
Than was his will to get me, as I think.

:/

Eli. Say, hadft thou rather be a Faulconbridge,
And like thy brother, to enjoy thy land:
Or the reputed fon of Coeur-de-lion,
Lord of thy prefence, and no land befide?

Baft. Madam, an if my brother had my shape,
And I had his, Sir Robert's, his, like him,
And if my legs were two fuch riding rods,
My arms fuch eel-skins ftuft; my face fo thin,
That in mine ear I durft not stick a rofe, *

Left men fhould fay, look where three farthings goes;
And with his fhape were heir to all this land;
Would I might never ftir from off this place,
I'd give it ev'ry foot to have this face:

I would not be † Sir Nobbe in any case.

Eli. I like thee well; wilt thou forfake thy fortune, Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me ?

I am a foldier and now bound to France.

}

Baft. Brother, take you my land, I'll take my chance; Your face hath got five hundred pound a year,

Yet fell your face for five pence, and 'tis dear.
Madam, I'll follow you unto the death.

Eli. Nay, I would have you go before me thither.
Baft. Our country manners give our betters way.
K. John. What is thy name?

Baft. Philip, my Liege, fo is my name begun,
Philip, good old Sir Robert's wife's eldest fon.

[bear'ft: K.John. From henceforth bear his name whofe form thou Kneel thou down Philip, but rise up more great, Arife Sir Richard and Plantagenet.

Baft. Brother by th' mother's fide, give me your hand,

Alluding to the three farthing pieces current in Queen Elizabeth's time which had a rofe on the reverfe and being of filver they must be fuppofed to be very thin.

Sir Nobbe, a nickname, in contempt of Sir Robert.

« ForrigeFortsett »