But truth is truth; large lengths of seas and shores
Between my father and my mother lay,
(As I have heard my father speak himself)
When this same lusty 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 son, was none of his
And, if he were, he came into the world
Full fourteen weeks before the course of time.
Then, good my liege, let me have what is mine;
My father's land, as was my father's will.

K. John. 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 hazard of all husbands
That marry wives. Tell me, how if
Who, as you say, took pains to get this son,
Had of
your

father claim'd this son for his ?
In sooth, 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,
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.

Rob. Shall then my father's will be of no force,
To dispoffefs that child which is not his?

Phil. Of no more force to difpoffefs me, sir, Than was his will to get me, as I think.

Eli. Whether hadît chou rather,-be a Faulconbridge, And like thy brother to enjoy thy land ;

my brother,

This cercludes-]-Is a decisive argument. VOL. III.

T

Or

Or the reputed fon of Coeur-de-lion,
Lord of thy presence, and no land beside ?

Pbil. Madam, an if my brother had my shape,
And I had his, fir Robert his, like him ;
And if my legs were two such riding-rods,
My arms such eel-skins stuft; my face so thin,
That in mine ear I durst not stick a rose,
Left men should say, Look, where three-farthings goes!
And, to his shape, were heir to all this land,
'Would I might never fir from off this place,
I'd give it every foot to have this face ;
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.

Phil. 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 'tis dear.
Madam, I'll follow you unto the death.

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

Pbil. Philip, my liege ; fo is my name begun;
Philip, good old fir Robert's wife's eldest son.
K. Jobn. From henceforth bear his name whose form

thou bear'st:
Kneel thou down Philip, but arifs more great ;
Arise sir Richard, and Placagenet.

Pbil. Brother by the mother's side, give me your hand; My father gave me honour, yours gave land:

& Lord of the presence,)-Master of shy own dignity, of that princely appearance; great in thy own person.

three-farthings)—a álver coin of that value, with a rose on the reverse.

for Nob).- cant word for head, w Bab for Robert; alluding to his brother both as Knight and Robert.

Now

h

Now blessed be the hour, by night or day,
When I was got, fir Robert was away.

Eli. The very spirit of Plantagener !
I am thy grandame, Richard ; call me fo.
Pbil. Madam, by chance, but not k by truth: What

though?
Something about, a little from the right;

In at the window, or else o'er the hatch :
Who dares not ftir by day; must walk by night;

And have is have, however men do catch :
Near or far off, well won is still well lot ;.
And I am I, howe'er I was begot.

K. John. Go, Faulconbridge ; now hast thou thy desire, A landlefs knight makes thee a landed 'squire. Come, madam, and come, Richard; we muft speed For France, for France ; for it is more than need.

Pbil. Brother, adieu ; good fortune come to thee, For thou wast got i' the way of honesty !

[Exeunt all but Philip. "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, fir Richard, God-a-mercy, fellow ;And if his name be George, I'll call him Peter : For new-made honour doth forget men's names-; • 'Tis too respective, and too sociable, For your conversion. Now

your

traveller, He and his tooth-pick at my worship's mess;

by truth: What ibongb?]-by honefty-What then? ebout,]—irregularly-these proverbial phrases allude to his base birth, and extraordinary advancement.

A foor]- A step or degree. . Good den, fir Ricbard, --God-a-mercy, follow ;)-Good day, the Salutation of an inferiorthe knight's reply.

'Tis too refpetive, and too sociable, &c.]'Tis too respectful and familiar, for your newly-created knight, to pay attention to such mat. P mefs;]-dinner. T 2

And

ters.

7 And when my nightly stomach is suffic'd, Why then I suck my teeth, and catechise

My piked man of countries: My dear fir,
(Thus, leaning on my elbow, I begin)
I fall beseech you-That is question now.;
And then comes answer 'like an ABC-book :-
O fir, says answer, at your best command;
At your employment; at your service, fir:-
No, fir, says question; I, sweet fir, at yours:
And so, e'er answer knows what question 'would,
(Saving in dialogue of compliment ;
And talking of the Alps, and Apennines,
The Pyrenean, and the river Po)
It draws toward supper in conclusion.
But this is worshipful society,
And fits the mounting spirit like myself :
For he is but'a bastard to the time,
That doth not "sınack of observation ;
(And so am I, whether I smack, or no)
And not alone in habit and device,
Exterior form, outward accoutrement ;
But from the inward motion to deliver
Sweet, sweet, sweet poison for the age's tooth:
Which though I will not practise to deceive,
Yet, to avoid deceit, I mean to learn ;
For it shall strew the footsteps of my rising.-

9 My piked man of countries:]-My fantastic guest, with pointed beard or shoes.—My picked man. i like an ABC-book :]-in the form of a catechisın.

• would, (faving in dialogue of compliment;}-propound to him, excepting the occafion given for compliments, and some flight common place remarks on the Alps, &c.

a baftard to the time, ]-held now-a-days in low esteem. *fmack of obfervation ; &c.]-exhibit some spice of foreign manners ; and that not only by his outward habit and address, but also by the infallible criterion of politeness, a perpetual propensity to flatterju that sweet poifon, fo highly palatable to the age's footb. Arew ibe footsteps of my rising.)-facilitate my promotion,

But

1

But who comes in such hafte, in riding robes ?
What woman-post is this ? hath she no husband,
That will take pains to blow a horn before her ?

Enter Lady Faulconbridge and James Gurney.
O me! it is my mother :-How now, good lady?
What brings you here to court so hastily?

Lady. Where is that save, thy brother? where is he? That holds in chase mine honour up and down?

Phil. My brother Robert? old sir Robert's fon? * Colbrand the giant, that same mighty man? Is it fir Robert's son, that you seek so ?

Lady. Sir Robert's fon! Ay, thou unreyerend boy, Sir Robert's fon: Why scorn'st thou at sir Robert ? He is fir Robert's son; and so art thou.

Pbil. James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave a while ? Gur. Good leave, good Philip.

Pbil. ' Philip ?-parrow !- James, * There's toys abroad; anon I'll tell thee more.

[Exit James, Madam, I was not old fir Robert's fon; Sir Robert might have eat his part in me Upon Good-friday, and ne'er broke his faft : Sir Robert could do well; Marry, confess! Could he get me ? Sir Robert could not do it ; We know his handy-work : Therefore, good mother, To whom am I beholden for these limbs ? Sir Robest never holp to make this leg.:

Lady. Halt thou conspired with thy brother too, That for thine own gain should'st defend mine honour ? What means this fcorn, thou most untoward knave?

* Colbrand the giant, ]-flain by Guy Earl of Warwick, in the presence of K. Atbelftan.

Pbilip-parrow ! ]-the nickname of that bird—Do you call, or take me for a sparrow, James ? ? There's soys abroad;}-Some idle stories have got wind. T 3

Phil.