KING JOHN. In ACT I. SCENE I. KING JOHN's palace: a room of state. Enter KING JOHN, QUEEN ELINOR, PEMBROKE, ESSEX, SALISBURY, and others, with CHATILLON. K. John. Now, say, Chatillon, what would France with us? Chat. Thus, after greeting, speaks the King of France my behaviour to the majesty, The borrowed majesty, of England here. Eli. A strange beginning: "borrowed majesty! Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim Which sways usurpingly these several titles, young Arthur's hand, Thy nephew and right royal sovereign. K. John. What follows if we disallow of this? Chat. The proud control of fierce and bloody war, To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld. K. John. Here have we war for war and blood for blood, Controlment for controlment: so answer France. Chat. Then take my king's defiance from my mouth, The farthest limit of my embassy. K. John. Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace: For ere thou canst report I will be there, So hence! Be thou the trumpet of our wrath And sullen presage of your own decay. Chatillon: printed in the folio Chatillion, as it is pronounced. ΤΟ 20 my cannon. There were no cannon until two hundred years later; but for that S. cared nothing, even if he knew it. An honourable conduct let him have: 30 [Exeunt Chatillon and Pembroke. Eli. What now, my son! have I not ever said This might have been prevented and made whole Which now the manage of two kingdoms must With fearful bloody issue arbitrate. K. John. Our strong possession and our right for us. Eli. Your strong possession much more than your right, Or else it must go wrong with and me: you So much my conscience whispers in your ear, Which none but heaven and you and I shall hear. Enter a Sheriff. Essex. My liege, here is the strangest controversy Come from the country to be judg'd by you K. John. Let them approach. Our abbeys and our priories shall pay This expedition's charge. Enter ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE and PHILIP, his bastard brother. What men are you? Bast. Your faithful subject I, a gentleman Rob. The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge. Bust. Most 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 heaven and to my mother: Of that I doubt, as all men's children may. Eli. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame thy mother And wound her honour with this diffidence. Bast. I, madam? no, I have no reason for it; That is my brother's plea and none of mine; 40 50 60 4 Caur-de-lion. This name was pronounced like one English word, Cordelion, and is so printed in the folio. At least from fair five hundred pounds a year: Heaven 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? Bast. I know not why, except to get the land. And were our father, and this son like him, I give heaven thanks I was not like to thee! K. John. Why, what a madcap hath heaven lent us here! Eli. He hath a trick of Coeur-de-lion's face; The accent of his tongue affecteth him. Do you not read some tokens of my son In the large composition of this man? father. K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his parts Bast. Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land: 75 whe'er whether. 92 half-face. The profile face on coins was called a half-face. 70 90 100 ΠΙΟ Full fourteen weeks before the course of time. K. John. Sirrah, your brother is legitimate; Rob. Shall then my father's will be of no force To dispossess that child which is not his? Bast. Of no more force to dispossess me, sir, Than was his will to get me, as I think. Eli. Whether hadst thou rather be a Faulconbridge And like thy brother, to enjoy thy land, Or the reputed son of Coeur-de-lion, Lord of thy presence and no land beside? Bast. Madam, an if my brother had my shape, And I had his, Sir Robert's his, like him; Lest men should say, Look, where three-farthings goes! I would not be Sir Nob in any case. Eli. I like thee well: wilt thou forsake thy fortune, Bequeath thy land to him and follow me? I am a soldier, and now bound to France. Bast. Brother, take you my land, I'll take my chance. Your face hath got five hundred pound a year, Yet sell your face for five pence and 't is dear. Madam, I'll follow you unto the death. Eli. Nay, I would have you go before me thither. • 120 130 140 150 130 Sir Robert's his. It would seem that for the sake of rhythm S. did not hesitate to write what we nowadays should speak as Sir Roberts's. 143 three-farthings. Elizabeth coined three-farthing pieces, which had a rose on them. 147 Nob Bob, Robert. Bast. Our country manners give our betters way. Bast. Philip, my liege, so is my name begun ; Philip, good old Sir Robert's wife's eldest son. K. John. From henceforth bear his name whose form thou bear'st: Kneel thou down Philip, but arise more great, Arise Sir Richard and Plantagenet. Bast. Brother by the mother's side, give me your hand : Bast. Madam, by chance but not by truth; what though? In at the window, or else o'er the hatch: Who dares not stir by day must walk by night, K. John. Go, Faulconbridge: now hast thou thy desire; A foot of honour better than I was; But many a many foot of land the worse. Well, now can I make any Joan a lady. "Good den, Sir Richard!” 160 170 180 [Exeunt all but Bastard. God-a-mercy, fellow!' And if his name be George, I'll call him Peter; For your conversion. Now your traveller, He and his toothpick at my worship's mess, And when my knightly stomach is suffic'd, Why then I suck my teeth and catechise My picked man of countries: " Thus, leaning on mine elbow, I begin, "I shall beseech you" — that is question now; My dear sir," 190 171 the hatch the lower half of a divided door, such as are now in many old houses in New England. 184 any Joan any common girl: so used from the commonness of the name. 153 respective respectful; that is, to remember men's names is too respectful and Sociable. toothpick. The travelled man used a toothpick, in S.'s day; the homely English man sucked his teeth. |