And then we fhall repent each drop of blood,
That hot rash hafte fo indirectly fhed.

Enter Chatilion.

K. Philip. A wonder, Lady! lo, upon thy wish
Our meffenger Chatilion is arriv'd;

What England fays, fay briefly, gentle Lord,
We coldly paufe for thee. Chatilion, fpeak.

Chat. Then turn your forces from this paltry fiege, And ftir them up against a mightier task.

England, impatient of your juft demands,

Hath put himfelf in arms; the adverfe winds,
Whofe leifure I have ftaid, have giv'n him time
To land his legions all as foon as I.
His marches are expedient to this town,
His forces ftrong, his foldiers confident.
With him along is come the Mother-Queen;
An Aé, ftirring him to blood and ftrife.
With her, her niece, the Lady Blanch of Spain;
With them a baftard of the King deceas'd,
And all th' unfettled humours of the land;
Rafh, inconfid'rate, fiery voluntaries,
With Ladies faces, and fierce dragons fpleens,
Have fold their fortunes at their native homes,
Bearing their birthrights proudly on their backs,
To make a hazard of new fortunes here.
In brief, a braver choice of dauntless spirits,
Than now the English bottoms have waft o'er,
Did never float upon the fwelling tide,
To do offence and scathe in Chriftendom.
The interruption of their churlish drums [Drums beat.
Cuts off more circumftance; they are at hand.

To parly, or to fight, therefore prepare.

K. Philip. How much unlook'd for is this expedition! Auft. By how much unexpected, by fo much We must awake endeavour for defence;

For courage mounteth with occafion:

et them be welcome then, we are prepar'd.

Enter

Auft. What cracker is this fame, that deafs our ears
With this abundance of fuperfluous breath?
King Philip, determine what we shall do freight.
K.Philip. Women and fools, break off your conference.
King John, this is the very fum of all;

England, and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine, Maine,
In right of Arthur I do claim of thee:

Wilt thou refign them, and lay down thy arms?

K. John. My life as foon.I do defy thee, France. Arthur of Britain, yield thee to my hand; And out of my dear love I'll give thee more, Than e'er the coward-hand of France can win. Submit thee, boy.

Eli. Come to thy grandam, child.

Conft. Do, child, go to it grandam, child.
Give grandam kingdom, and it grandam will
Give it a plum, a cherry, and a fig;
There's a good grandam.

Arth. Good my mother, peace;

I would, that I were low laid in my grave;
I am not worth this coil, that's made for me.

Eli. His mother shames him fo, poor boy, he weeps. Conft. Now fhame upon you, whe're the does or no! His grandam's wrong, and not his mother's fhames, Draws thofe heav'n-moving pearls from his poor eyes, Which heav'n fhall take in nature of a fee:

Ay, with these crystal beads heav'n fhall be brib'd
To do him juftice, and revenge on you.

Eli. Thou monftrous flanderer of heav'n and earth!
Conft. Thou monftrous injurer of heav'n and earth,
Call me not flanderer; thou, and thine, ufurp
The domination, royalties and rights

Of this oppreffed boy; this is thy eldeft fon's fon,
Infortunate in nothing but in thee:

Thy fins are visited in this poor child;
The canon of the law is laid on him;
Being but the fecond generation
Removed from thy fin-conceiving womb..
K. John. Bedlam, have done.
Conft. I have but this to say,

That

That he is not only plagued for her fin,
But God hath made her fin and her the plague
On this removed iffue, plagu'd for her,
And with her plague her fin; his injury,
Her injury, the beadle to her fin,
All punish'd in the perfon of this child,
And all for her, a plague upon her!

Eli. Thou unadvis'd fcold, I can produce

A will, that bars the title of thy fon.

Conft. Ay, who doubts that? a will!-a wicked will A woman's will, a cankred grandam's will.

K. Phil. Peace, Lady; paufe, or be more temperate It ill befeems this prefence to cry aim

To thefe ill-tuned repetitions.

Some trumpet fummon hither to the walls
Thefe men of Angiers; let us hear them fpeak.
Whofe title they admit, Arthur's or John's.

[Trumpet Sounds.

Enter a Citizen upon the Walls.

Cit. Who is it, that hath warn'd us to the walls
K. Philip. "Tis France, for England.

K. John. England for itself;

You men of Angiers and my loving fubjects

K. Philip. You loving men of Angiers, Arthur's subjects, Our trumpet call'd you to this gentle parle

K. John. For our advantage; therefore hear us firft:
Thefe flags of France, that are advanced here
Before the eye and profpect of your town,
Have hither march'd to your endamagement.
The cannons have their bowels full of wrath ;
And ready mounted are they to fpit forth
Their iron indignation 'gainst your walls:
All preparations for a bloody fiege

And, merciless proceeding, by thefe French,
Confront your city's eyes, your winking gates;
And but for our approach, thofe fleeping ftones,
That as a wafte do girdle you about,

By the compulfion of their ordinance

By this time from their fixed beds of lime
VOL. III.

e

Had

Had been difhabited, and wide havock made
For bloody power to rush upon your peace.
But on the fight of us your lawful King,
(Who painfully with much expedient march
Have brought a counter.check before your gates,
To fave unfcratch'd your city's threatned cheeks)
Behold, the French, amaz'd, vouchsafe a parle ;
And now, instead of bullets wrap'd in fire,
To make a fhaking fever in your walls,
They fhoot but calm words folded up in fmoak,
To make a faithlefs error in your ears;
Which truft accordingly, kind citizens;
And let in us, your King, whofe labour'd fpirits,
Fore-weary'd in this action of fwift speed,
Crave harbourage within your city-walls.

your town:

K. Philip. When I have said, make answer to us both. Lo in this right hand, whose protection Is most divinely vow'd upon the right Of him it holds, ftands young Plantagenet; Son to the elder brother of this man, And King o'er him, and all that he enjoys. For this down-trodden equity, we tread In warlike march these greens before Being no further enemy to you, Than the constraint of hofpitable zeal, In the relief of this oppreffed child, Religiously provokes. Be pleased then To pay that duty, which you truly owe To him that owns it; namely, this young And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear, Save in afpect, hath all offence feal'd up: Our cannons malice vainly fhall be spent Against th' invulnerable clouds of heav'n; And with a bleffed, and unvext retire,

Prince.

With unhack'd fwords, and helmets all unbruis'd,
We will bear home that lufty blood again,
Which here we came to fpout against your towns
And leave your children, wives, and you in peace.
But if you fondly pafs your proffer'd offer,
Tis not the founder of your old-fac'd walls

Can

Can hide you from our meffengers of war:
Tho' all thefe English, and their difcipline,
Were harbour'd in their rude circumference.
Then tell us, fhall your city call us Lord,
In that behalf which we have challeng'd it ?'
Or fhall we give the fignal to our rage,
And ftalk in blood to our poffeffion?

Cit. In brief, we are the King of England's fubjects; For him, and in his right, we hold this town.

K. John. Acknowledge then the King, and let me in. Cit. That can we not; but he that proves the King, To him will we prove loyal; till that time, Have we ramm'd up our gates against the world.

K.John.Doth not the crown of England prove the King? And if not that, I bring you witneffes,

Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed-
Faulc. (Baftards, and else.)

K. John. To verify our title with their lives..
K.Philip. As many, and as well-born bloods as thofe
Faulc. (Some bastards too.)

K. Philip. Stand in his face to contradict his claim. Cit. Till you compound, whofe right is worthiest, We for the worthieft hold the right from both.

K. John. Then God forgive the fin of all thofe fouls, That to their everlafting refidence,

Before the dew of evening fall, fhall fleet,

In dreadful trial of our kingdom's King!

K. Philip. Amen, amen.-- -Mount, chevaliers, to arms! Faulc. Saint George, that fwing'd the dragon, and e'er

Sits on his horseback at mine hoftefs' door,

Teach us fome fence. Sirrah, were I at home
At your den, firrah, with your lionnefs,
I'd fet an ox-head to your lion's hide,
And make a monster of you.

Auft. Peace, no more,

[fince

[To Auftria.

Faulc. O, tremble; for you hear the lion roar.
K. John. Up higher to the plain, where we'll fet forth

In best appointment all our regiments.

Faulc. Speed then to take th' advantage of the field.

K. Philip.