did paint

Was deep-sworn faith, peace, amity, true love, Between our kingdoms, and our royal felves ; And even before this truce, but new before, No longer than we well could wash our hands, To clap this royal bargain up of peace, Heaven knows, they were besmear'd and over-stain'd With Naughter's pencil ; where revenge The fearful difference of incensed kings : And shall these hands, fo lately purg'd of blood, So newly join'd in love, fo ftrong . in both, Unyoke this seizure, and this kind regreet ? Play fast and loose with faith? so jest with heaven, Make such unconstant children of ourselves, As now again to snatch our palm from palm ; Unswear faith sworn ; and on the marriage bed Of smiling peace to march a bloody hoft, And make a riot on the gentle brow Of true sincerity ? O holy fir, My reverend father, let it not be fo: Out of your grace, devise, ordain, impose Some gentle order ; and then we shall be blest To do your pleasure, and continue friends.

Pand. All form is formless, order orderless, Save what is opposite to England's love. Therefore, to arms! be champion of our church! Or let the church, our mother, breathe her curse, A mother's curse, on her revolting fon. France, thou may'st hold a serpent by the tongue, A cased lion by the mortal paw, A fasting tyger safer by the tooth, Than keep in peace that hand which thou doft hold.

* in both,]-the former enmity, and present reconciliation.

regreet?]-interchange of falutations.
cafed]-caged, pent up, irritated by confinement.

K. Pbil.

K. Phil. I may disjoin my hand, but not my faith.

Pand. So mak'st thou faith an enemy to faith; And, like a civil war, set'st oath to oath, Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow First made to heaven, first be to heaven performid; That is, to be the champion of our church ! What since thou sworst, is sworn against thyself, And may not be performed by thyself: For that, which thou haft sworn to do amiss, Is not amiss, when it is truly done : And being not done, where doing tends to ill, The truth is then most done not doing it: The better act of purposes mistook Is, to mistake again ; ' though indirect, Yet indirection thereby grows direct, And fallhood falfhood cures; as fire cools fire, Within the scorched veins of one new burn'd. It is religion, that doth make vows kept; But thou haft sworn against religion : By which thou swear'st against the thing thou swear'st; And mak’st an oath the surety for thy truth Against an oath : 8 The truth thou art unsure To swear, swear only not to be forfworn O; Else, what a mockery should it be to swear? But thou dost swear only to be forsworn ! ; And most forsworn, to keep what thou dost swear. Therefore, thy latter vows, against thy first, Is in thyself rebellion to thyself : And better conquest never canst thou make,

wben it is truly done : ]-i. e. (as he explains it) “ when it is not “ done at all." - Is most amiss.

The trutb]-This phrase implies, throughout this speech, rectitude of conduft, fibough indirea,j-though this course be fo.

• The truth thou art unsure to swear, fwear only not to be for sworn ;) In all matters of doubt, let not thy latter oaths contradict thy former.

Than

X 3

Than arm thy constant and thy nobler parts
Against these giddy loose suggestions :
Upon which better part our prayers come in,
If thou vouchsafe them: but, if not, then know,
The peril of our curses light on thee ;
So heavy, as thou shalt not shake them off,
But, in despair, die under their black weight.

Auft. Rebellion, flat rebellion !

Faulc. Will't not be ?
Will not a calf's-lkin stop that mouth of thine ?

Lewis. Father, to arms !

Blanch. Upon thy wedding day ?
Against the blood that thou hast married ?
What, shall our feast be kept with Naughter'd men ?
Shall braying trumpets, and loud churlish drums,
Clamours of hell,-be measures to our pomp

?
O husband, hear me!--ah! alack, how new
Is husband in my mouth !-even for that name,
Which 'till this time my tongue did ne'er pronounce,
Upon my knee I beg, go not to arms
Against mine uncle.

Conf. Oh, upon my knee,
Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee, ,
Thou virtuous Dauphin, alter not the doom
Fore-thought by heaven.

Blanch. Now shall I see thy love; What motive may Be stronger with thee than the name of wife?

Conft. That which upholdeth him that thee upholds, His honour: Oh, thine honour, Lewis, thine honour!

Lewis. 'I muse, your majesty doth seem so cold,
When such profound respects do pull you on.

Pand. I will denounce a curse upon his head.
K. Phil. Thou shalt not need :-England, I'll fall from

thee.
braying)-harsh. i I muje,]—I wonder, am surprised.

Conft.

Conft. O fair return of banish'd majesty!
Eli. O foul revolt of French inconftancy!
K. John. France, thou shalt rue this hour within this

hour. Fauls. Old time the clock-setter, that bald fexton timer Is it as he will ? well then, France shall rue.

Blanch. The sun's o'ercast with blood : Fair day, adieu ! Which is the fide that I must

go

withal ?
I am with both : each army hath a hand,
And, in their rage, I having hold of both,
They whirl asunder, and dismember me.
Husband, I cannot pray that thou may'st win ;
Uncle, I needs must pray that thou may'st lose;
Father, I may not wish the fortune thine;
Grandam, I will not wish thy wishes thrive :
Whoever wins, on that fide shall I lose;
Afsured loss, before the match be play'd.

Lewis. Lady, with me; with me thy fortune lives.
Blanch. There where my fortune lives, there my life

dies. K. John. Cousin, go draw our puissance together.

[Exit Faulconbridge. France, I am burn'd up with inflaming wrath ; A rage, whose heat hath this condition, That nothing can allay, nothing but blood, The blood, and dearest-valu'd blood, of France.

K. Phil. Thy rage shall burn thee up, and thou shalt

turn

To alhes, ere our blood shall quench that fire:
Look to thyself, thou art in jeopardy.
K. John. No more than he that threats.--To arms let's
hie!

[Exeunt.

Is it as be will?]-Is it referred to his deciGon ?

X 4

SCENE

Alarums, Excursions : enter Faulconbridge, with Auftria's

bead. Faulo. Now, by my life, this day grows wondrous hot ; Some airy devil hovers in the sky, And pours down mischief.' Auftria's head lie there; While Philip breathes.

Enter King Jobu, Arthur, and Hubert. K. John. Hubert, keep thou this boy :--Cousin, make

up; My mother is assailed in our tent, And ta'en, I fear.

Fault. My lord, I rescu'd her ; Her highness is in safety, fear you not : But on, my liege; for very little pains Will bring this labour to an happy end. [Exeunt,

Alarums, excursions, retreat. Re-enter King John, Elinor,

Arthur, Faulconbridge, Hubert, and Lords. K. John. So shall it be ; your grace shall stay behind,

[To Elinor. So strongly guarded.--Cousin, look not fad:

[To Artbur. Thy grandam loves thee; and thy uncle will As dear be to thee as thy father was. Arth. O, this will make my mother die with grief.

! Hubert, keep this boy :-Pbilip, &c.

K. Joba