The meagre cloddy earth to glittering gold:
The yearly course, that brings this day about,
Shall never fee it but a holy-day.

Conft. A wicked day, and not a holy-day !

What hath this day deferv'd? what hath it done;
That it in golden letters fhould be fet,
Among the high-tides, in the kalendar?
Nay, rather, turn this day out of the week;
This day of shame, oppreffion, perjury :
Or, if it must stand still, let wives with child
Pray, that their burthens may not fall this day,
Left that their hopes prodigiously be croft:

But on this day, let feamen fear no wreck;
No bargains break, that are not this day made:
This day, all things begun come to ill end;
Yea, faith itself to hollow falfhood change!

[Rifing.

K. Phil. By heaven, lady, you shall have no cause
To curfe the fair proceedings of this day :
Have I not pawn'd to you my majesty?

Conft. You have beguil'd me with a counterfeit,
Refembling majefty; which, being touch'd, and try'd,
Proves valueless: You are forsworn, forfworn ;
You came in arms to fpill mine enemies' blood,
But now in arms you ftrengthen it with yours:
The grappling vigour and rough frown of war,
Is' clad in amity and painted peace,

г

And our oppreffion hath made up this league :-
Arm, arm, you heavens, against these perjur'd kings!
A widow cries; be hufband to me, heavens!

the high tides,]-folemn festivals, or other remarkable occurrences. P prodigionfly]-by a birth that is prodigious, the production of a

monster.

But]-Save, except-lucky and unlucky days were formerly marked in almanacks. in arms-in mutual embraces.

$ cold.

Let

Let not the hours of this ungodly day
Wear out the day in peace; but, ere fun-set,
Set armed discord 'twixt these perjur'd kings!
Hear me, oh, hear me !

Auft. Lady Conftance, peace.

Conft. War! war! no peace! peace is to me a war. 'O Lymoges! O Auftria! thou doft shame

That bloody spoil: Thou flave, thou wretch, thou coward;
Thou little valiant, great in villainy!

Thou ever ftrong upon the ftronger fide!
Thou fortune's champion, that doft never fight
But when her humourous ladyship is by
To teach thee safety! thou art perjur'd too,
And footh'ft up greatnefs. What a fool art thou,
A ramping fool; to brag, and ftamp, and fwear,
Upon my party! Thou cold-blooded slave,
Haft thou not spoke like thunder on my fide?
Been fworn my foldier? bidding me depend
Upon thy ftars, thy fortune, and thy strength?
And doft thou now fall over to my foes?
Thou wear a lion's hide! doff it for shame,
And hang a calf's-fkin on those recreant limbs.

Auft. O, that a man would speak those words to me!
Faulc. And hang a calf's-fkin on those recreant limbs.
Auft. Thou dar'ft not fay fo, villain, for thy life.
Faule. And hang a calf's skin on those recreant limbs.
K. John. We like not this; thou doft forget thyfelf.

Enter Pandulph.

K. Phil. Here comes the holy legate of the pope.
Pand. Hail, you anointed deputies of heaven!—

O Lymoges! O Auftria !]-Here Shakespeare hath conjoined the two well known enemies of Richard: the Duke of Austria once threw him into prison; but he fell before the castle of Vidomar, Viscount of Limoges, by the arrow of Bertrand de Gourdon.

Το

To thee, king John, my holy errand is.
I Pandulph, of fair Milan cardinal,
And from pope Innocent the legate here,
Do, in his name, religiously demand,

Why thou against the church, our holy mother,
So wilfully doft fpurn; and, "force perforce,
Keep Stephen Langton, chofen archbishop
Of Canterbury, from that holy fee?
This, in our 'forefaid holy father's name,
Pope Innocent, I do demand of thee.

K. John. What earthly name to interrogatories
Can task the free breath of a facred king?
Thou canst not, cardinal, devise a name
So flight, unworthy, and ridiculous,
To charge me to an answer, as the pope.

Tell him this tale, and from the mouth of England:
Add thus much more,-That no Italian priest

Shall tithe or toll in our dominions;

But as we under heaven are fupreme head,
So, under him, that great fupremacy,
Where we do reign, we will alone uphold,
Without the affistance of a mortal hand:
So tell the pope; all reverence fet apart,
To him, and his ufurp'd authority.

K. Phil. Brother of England, you blafpheme in this. K. John. Though you, and all the kings of Chriftendom, Are led fo grossly by this meddling priest,

Dreading the curfe that money may buy out;
And, by the merit of vile gold, drofs, duft,
Purchase corrupted pardon of a man,
Who, in that fale, fells pardon from himself :
Though you, and all the reft, fo grofsly led,
This juggling witchcraft with revenue cherish;
"force perforce,]-by main force.

VO L. III.

X

Yet

Yet I, alone, alone do me oppose

Against the pope, and count his friends my foes.
Pand. Then, by the lawful power that I have,
Thou shalt ftand curft, and excommunicate:
And blessed shall he be, that doth revolt
From his allegiance to an heretic;
And meritorious fhall that hand be call'd,
Canonized, and worship'd as a faint,
That takes away by any fecret courfe
Thy hateful life.

Conft. O, lawful let it be,

V

That I have room with Rome to curfe a while!
Good father cardinal, cry thou, amen,

To my keen curfes; for, without my wrong,

There is no tongue hath power to curse him right. Pand. There's law and warrant, lady, for my curfe. Conft. And for mine too; when law can do no right, Let it be lawful, that law bar no wrong:

W

Law cannot give my child his kingdom here;
For he, that holds his kingdom, holds the law:
Therefore, fince law itself is perfect wrong,
How can the law forbid my tongue to curfe?
Pand. Philip of France, on peril of a curse,
Let go the hand of that arch-heretic ;

And raise the power of France upon his head,
Unless he do fubmit himself to Rome.

Eli. Look'ft thou pale, France? do not let go thy hand. Conft. Look to that, devil! left that France repent, And, by disjoining hands, hell lofe a foul.

Auft. King Philip, liften to the cardinal.

Faulc. And hang a calf's-skin on his recreant limbs. Auft. Well, ruffian, I muft pocket up thefe wrongs, Because

room with Rome]-JULIUS CAESAR, A&t III. S. 1. Ant. w bar]-obftruct.

Faulc.

Faulc. Your breeches beft may carry them.

K. John. Philip, what fay'ft thou to the cardinal?
Conft. What should he say, but as the cardinal?
Lewis. Bethink you, father; for the difference
Is, purchase of a heavy curse from Rome,
Or the light loss of England for a friend :
Forego the eafier.

Blanch. That's the curfe of Rome.

Conft. O Lewis, ftand faft; the devil tempts thee here, In likeness of a new untrimmed bride.

Blanch. The lady Conftance speaks not from her 'faith, But from her need.

Conft. Oh, if thou grant my need,

Which only lives but by the death of faith,

That need must needs infer this principle,-
That faith will live again by death of need:

O, then, tread down my need, and faith mounts up;
Keep my need up, and faith is trodden down.

K. John. The king is mov'd, and answers not to this.
Conft. O, be remov'd from him, and answer well.
Auft. Do fo, king Philip; hang no more in doubt.
Faulc. Hang nothing but a calf's-skin, most sweet lout.
K. Phil. I am perplex'd, and know not what to say.
Pand. What can't thou fay, but will perplex thee more,
If thou ftand excommunicate, and curst?

K. Phil. Good reverend father, make my perfon yours, And tell me, how you would beftow yourself.

This royal hand and mine are newly knit ;
And the conjunction of our inward fouls
Marry'd in league, coupled and link'd together
With all religious ftrength of facred vows;
The latest breath, that gave the found of words,

* untrimmed]-in a defhabille, difencumbered of the formalities of drefs, of all nuptial pomp. and trimmed-adorned, decked out to the atmoft. 2 of faith,]-fidelity.

y faith,]-belief.