with them; on the contrary, he laughs and breaks sinewy jests over them, as if he thought them witty and smart: upon witnessing the heartless and unprincipled bargaining of the Kings, he passes it off jocosely as a freak of the "mad world," and verbally frames for himself a plan that "smacks somewhat of the policy"; then, instead of acting out what he thus seems to relish as a capital thing, he goes on to shame down, as far as may be, all such baseness by an example of straightforward nobleness and magnanimity. Then too, with all his laughing roughness of speech and iron sternness of act, so blunt, bold, and downright, he is nevertheless full of humane and gentle feeling. With what burning eloquence of indignation does he denounce the supposed murder of Arthur! though he has no thought of abetting his claims to the throne against the present occupant. He abhors the deed as a crime: but to his keen, honest eye it is also a stupendous blunder; and he deplores it as such, because its huge offensiveness to England's heart is what makes it a blunder, and because he is himself in full sympathy with the national conscience, which cannot but be shocked at its hideous criminality. So it may be doubted whether he more resents the wickedness or the stupidity of the act. And how much it imperils the State is revealed to him in the hard strain it makes on his own determined allegiance. The Poet manages with great art that Falconbridge may be held to John throughout the play by ties which he is too clear of head and too upright of heart to think of renouncing. In the first place, he has been highly trusted and honoured by the King, and he cannot be ungrateful. Then again, in his clear-sighted and comprehensive public spirit, the diverse interests that split others into factions, and plunge them into deadly strife, are smoothly reconciled: political regards work even more than personal gratitude, to keep him steadfast to the King; and he is ready with tongue and sword to beat down whatsoever anywhere obstructs a broad and generous nationality. In the intercourse of State functionaries, he, to be sure, pays little heed to the delicacies and refinements of political diplomacy: his plain, frank nature either scorns them or is insensible to them: but his patriotism is thoroughly sound and true, and knows no taste of fear; and whatever foreign assailants dare to touch England or England's honour, he is for pounding them straight out of the way, and will think of no alternative but to be pounded out of the way by them.-As a representative character, he stands next to Falstaff. Thoroughly Gothic in features and proportions, and as thoroughly English in temper and spirit, his presence rays life and true manliness into every part of the drama. Is it strange that a nation which could grow such originals should have beaten all the rest of the world in every thing useful and beautiful and great? KING JOHN. KING JOHN. PERSONS REPRESENTED. PRINCE HENRY, his Son. HUBERT DE BURGH, Chamberlain. PHILIP, King of France. PANDULPH, the Pope's Legate. CHATILLON, Ambassador from PHILIP, the BASTARD, his Half- CONSTANCE, Mother to Arthur. Brother. JAMES GURNEY, Servant to Lady Falconbridge. PETER of Pomfret, a Prophet. ELINOR, Mother to King John. King of Castile. LADY FALCONBRIDGE. BLANCH, Daughter to Alphonso, Lords, Citizens of Angiers, Sheriff, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. SCENE.-Sometimes in England, and sometimes in France. ACT I. SCENE I.—Northampton. A Room of State in the Palace. 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, In my behaviour,1 to the majesty, The borrow'd majesty of England here. Eli. A strange beginning: borrow'd majesty ! Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim To this fair island and the territories, To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine; Which sways usurpingly these several titles, K. John. What follows, if we disallow of this? T' 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: Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France; 1 "In the speech and action I am now going to use." So in v. 2, of this play: Now hear our English King; for thus his royalty doth speak in me." 44 ་་ 2 Control here means coercion or constraint. Hooker often uses the word in the kindred sense of to rebuke, censure, or chastise; as in Preface, ii. 4: Authority to convent, to control, to punish, as far as excommunication," &c. And viii. 7: They began to control the ministers of the Gospel for attributing so much force and virtue to the Scriptures of God read." Also in Book vii. 16, 6: "Which letters he justly taketh in marvellous evil part, and therefore severely controlleth his great presumption in making himself a judge of a judge." For, ere thou canst report I will be there, So, hence ! Be thou the trumpet of our wrath, 4 An honourable conduct let him have : — [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 5 of two kingdoms must With fearful bloody issue arbitrate. K. John. Our strong possession and our right for us. Eli. [Aside to JOHN.] Your strong possession much more than your right, Or else it must go wrong with you and me : 3 The Poet here antedates the use of gunpowder by more than a hundred years. So, again, in ii. 1, we have the expression, "bullets wrapp'd in fire." John's reign began in 1199, and cannon are said to have been first used in the battle of Cressy, 1346. Shakespeare was never studious of historical accuracy in such points: he aimed to speak the language that was most intelligible to his audience, rendering the ancient engines of war by their modern equivalents. 4 Gloomy, dismal, doleful are among the old senses of sullen. So in 2 Henry IV., i. 1: And his tongue sounds ever after as a sullen bell, remember'd knolling a departing friend." Also in Milton's sonnet to Law"And by the fire help waste a sullen day.". Trumpet, in the line before, is put for trumpeter. Often so. And, in the line after, conduct for escort; also a frequent usage. See Twelfth Night, page 105, note 20. rence: 5 Manage for management, conduct, or administration; a frequent usage. So in The Merchant, iii. 4: "I commit into your hands the husbandry and manage of my house until my lord's return." |