But if you fondly pass our proffer'd offer, 1 Cit. In brief, we are the king of England's subjects; For him, and in his right, we hold this town. K. John. Acknowledge then the king, and let me in. 1 Cit. That can we not: but he that proves the king, To him will we prove loyal; till that time, K. John. Doth not the crown of England prove the And, if not that, I bring you witnesses, [king? Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed,- K. John. To verify our title with their lives. K. Phi. As many, and as well-born bloods as those,- K. Phi. Stand in his face, to contradict his claim. 1 Cit. Till you compound whose right is worthiest, We, for the worthiest, hold the right from both. K. John. Then God forgive the sin of all those souls, That to their everlasting residence, Before the dew of evening fall, shall fleet, In dreadful trial of our kingdom's king! K. Phi. Amen! Amen!-Mount chevaliers! to arms! Bast. St. George,-that swing'd the dragon, and e'er since, Sits on his horseback at mine hostess' door, Teach us some fence!-Sirrah, were I at home, At your den, sirrah, [to AUSTRIA] with your lioness, And make a monster of you. Aust. Peace; no more. 'Tis not the roundure, &c.] Roundure means the same as the French rondure, i. e. the circle.-STEEVENS. Bast. O, tremble; for you hear the lion roar. K. John. Up higher to the plain; where we'll set forth, In best appointment, all our regiments. Bast. Speed then, to take advantage of the field. K. Phi. It shall be so ;-[to LEWIS] and at the other hill Command the rest to stand.-God, and our right! SCENE II. [Exeunt. The same. Alarums and Excursions; then a Retreat. Enter a French Herald, with trumpets, to the gates. F. Her. You men of Angiers, open wide your gates, And let young Arthur, duke of Bretagne, in; Who, by the hand of France, this day hath made Enter an English Herald, with trumpets. E. Her. Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells; King John, your king and England's, doth approach, Commander of this hot malicious day! Their armours, that march'd hence so silver-bright, That is removed by a staff of France; Our colours do return in those same hands That did display them when we first march'd forth; And, like a jolly troop of huntsmen, come Our lusty English, all with purpled hands, Died in the dying slaughter of their foes:* Cit. Heralds, from off our towers we might behold, Of both your armies; whose equality Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answer'd blows; Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted power: Both are alike; and both alike we like. One must prove greatest: while they weigh so even, Enter, at one side, King JOHN, with his Power; ELINOR, K. John. France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away? Say, shall the current of our right run on? With course disturb'd even thy confining shores; A peaceful progress to the ocean. K. Phi. England, thou hast not sav'd one drop of blood, In this hot trial, more than we of France; Rather, lost more: And by this hand I swear, That sways the earth this climate overlooks, Gracing the scroll, that tells of this war's loss, Bast. Ha, majesty! how high thy glory towers, z Died in the dying slaughter of their foes:] It was one of the savage practices of the chase, for all to stain their hands in the blood of the deer as a trophy.-JOHNSON. 2 - censured:] i. e. Estimated. Our author ought rather to have written —whose superiority, or whose inequality, cannot be censured.-MALONE. When the rich blood of kings is set on fire! O, now doth death line his dead chaps with steel; Why stand these royal fronts amazed thus? C You equal potents, fiery-kindled spirits! Then let confusion of one part confirm The other's peace; till then, blows, blood, and death! king? 1 Cit. The king of England, when we know the king. K. Phi. Know him in us, that here hold up his right. K. John. In us, that are our own great deputy, And bear possession of our person here: Lord of our presence, Angiers, and of you. 1 Cit. A greater power than we, denies all this; And, till it be undoubted, we do lock Our former scruple in our strong-barr'd gates: Be by some certain king purg'd and depos'd. Bast. By heaven, these scroyles of Angiers, flout you, kings; And stand securely on their battlements, As in a theatre, whence they gape and point At your industrious scenes and acts of death. Your royal presences be rul'd by me; Do like the mutines of Jerusalem,f Be friends a while, and both conjointly bend · mouthing—] The old copy reads mousing, d King'd of our fears;] i. e. Ruled by our fears. f. · scroyles-] Escroulles, Fr. i. e. scabby, scrophulous fellows. mutines of Jerusalem,] i. e. The mutineers of Jerusalem. When Titus encamped before the Holy City, the Jews were divided into three factions, but "seeing Titus to be encamped upon the mount Olivet, the captaines of the seditious assembled together and fell at argument, every man with another, intending to turne their cruelty upon the Romaines, confirming and ratifying the same atonement and purpose, by swearing one to another: and so became peace among them."-Most Marvellous History of the Latter Times of the Jews' Commonwealth, translated by Peter Murray, 1575, quoted by MALONE. Your sharpest deeds of malice on this town: Leave them as naked as the vulgar air. To whom in favour she shall give the day, How like you this wild counsel, mighty states? Smacks it not something of the policy? K. John. Now, by the sky that hangs above our heads, I like it well;-France, shall we knit our powers, And lay this Angiers even with the ground; Then, after, fight who shall be king of it? Bast. An if thou hast the mettle of a king,- As we will ours, against these saucy walls: K. Phi. Let it be so :-Say, where will you assault? Into the city's bosom. Aust. I from the north. K. Phi. Our thunder from the south, Shall rain their drift of bullets on this town. Bast. O prudent discipline! From north to south; Austria and France shoot in each other's mouth: [Aside. I'll stir them to it :-Come, away, away! 1 Cit. Hear us, great kings; vouchsafe a while to stay, soul-fearing-] i. e. Soul-appalling. |