Trumpets sound. Enter Citizens upon the Walls.
1 Cit. Who is it, that hath warn'd us to the walls? K. Phi. 'Tis France, for England.
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 23. K. John. 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 march'd to your endamagement: The cannons have their bowels full of wrath; And ready mounted are they, to spit forth Their iron indignation 'gainst your walls: All preparation for a bloody siege, And merciless proceeding by these French, Confront your city's eyes, your winking gates; And, but for our approach, those sleeping stones, That as a waist do girdle you about, By the compulsion of their ordnance By this time from their fixed beds of lime Had been dishabited, and wide havock made 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 threaten'd cheeks, - Behold, the French, amaz'd, vouchsafe a parle : And now, instead of bullets wrapp'd 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 labour'd spirits, Forwearied 24 in this action of swift speed, Crave harbourage within your city walls.
K.Phi. When I have said, make answer to us both.
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: 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 child, Religiously provokes. Be pleased then To pay that duty, which you truly owe, To him that owes 25 it; namely, this young prince: And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear, Save in aspéct, have all offence seal'd up; Our cannons' malice vainly shall be spent Against the invulnerable clouds of heaven; And, with a blessed and unvex'd retire, With unhack'd swords, and helmets all unbruis'd, We will bear home that lusty blood again, 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, 'Tis not the roundure 26 of your old-fac'd walls Can hide you from our messengers of war; Though all these English, and their discipline,
Were harbour'd in their rude circumference. Then, tell us, shall your city call us lord, In that behalf which we have challeng'd it? Or shall we give the signal to our rage, And stalk in blood to our possession ?
1 Cit. In brief, we are the king of England's sub
For him, and in his right, we hold this town. K.John. Acknowledge then the king, and let me in. 1 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 witnesses, Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed,- Bast. Bastards, and else.
K. John. To verify our title with their lives.
K. Phi. As many, and as well born bloods as
Bast. Some bastards too.
K. Phi. Stand in his face, to contradict his claim. 1 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,
That to their everlasting residence, Before the dew of evening fall, shall fleet, In dreadful trial of our kingdom's king!
K. Phi. Amen, Amen! -Mount, chevaliers! to arms!
Bast. St. George, that swing'd the dragon, and e'er since,
Sits on his horseback at mine hostess' door, Teach us some fence; -Sirrah, were I at home, At your den, sirrah [To Austria], with your lioness,
I'd set an ox-head to your lion's hide 27,
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
In best appointment, all our regiments.
Bast. Speed then, to take advantage of the field. K. Phi. It shall be so; -[To LEWIS] and at the
Command the rest to stand.-God, and our right! [Exeunt.
Alarums and Excursions; then a Retreat. Enter a French Herald, with trumpets to the gates.
F. Her. You men of Angiers, open wide your gates,
And let young Arthur, Duke of Bretagne, in; Who, by the hand of France, this day hath made Much work for tears in many an English mother, Whose sons lie scatter'd on the bleeding ground: Many a widow's husband groveling lies, Coldly embracing the discolour'd earth; And victory, with little loss, doth play Upon the dancing banners of the French; Who are at hand, triumphantly display'd, To enter conquerors, and to proclaim Arthur of Bretagne, England's king, and yours.
Enter an English Herald, with trumpets. 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, Hither return all gilt with Frenchmen's bloodo; There stuck no plume in any English crest, That is removed by a staff of France; Our colours do return in those same hands That did display them when we first march'd forth; And, like a jolly troop of huntsmen3, come Our lusty English, all with purpled hands, Dyed in the dying slaughter of their foes : Open your gates, and give the victors way.
Cit. Heralds, from off our towers we might be
From first to last, the onset and retire Of both your armies; whose equality By our best eyes cannot be censured 4:
2 Shakspeare has used this image again in Macbeth, Actii. Sc.3:
His silver skin laced with his golden blood.' It occurs also in Chapman's translation of the sixteenth Iliad :The curets from great Hector's breast all gilded with
Again in the same translator's version of the nineteenth Odys
'And show'd his point gilt with the gushing gore.'
3 It was anciently one of the savage practices of the chase for all to stain their hands in the blood of the deer as a trophy. Shakspeare alludes to the practice again in Julius Cæsar :
« ForrigeFortsett » |