But as we, under heaven, are supreme head,
So under Him that great supremacy,
Where we do reign, we will alone uphold,
Without the assistance of a mortal hand:
So tell the Pope, all reverence set apart
To him and his usurp'd authority.

K. Phi. Brother of England, you blaspheme in this.
K. John. Though you and all the kings of Christendom
Are led so grossly by this meddling priest,

Dreading the curse that money may buy out;
And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust,
Purchase corrupted pardon of a man,
Who in that sale sells pardon from himself,
Though you and all the rest so grossly led
This juggling witchcraft with revenue cherish,
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 stand curs'd and excommunicate:
And blessed shall he be that doth revolt
From his allegiance to an heretic;
And meritorious shall that hand be call'd,
Canonized and worshipp'd as a saint,
That takes away by any secret course
Thy hateful life.

Const.

O, lawful let it be

That I have room with Rome to curse awhile!

Good father Cardinal, cry thou amen

Το my keen curses; for without my wrong

There is no tongue hath power to curse him right.

Pand. There's law and warrant, lady, for my curse.
Const. And for mine too: when law can do no right,
Let it be lawful that law bar no wrong:
Law cannot give my child his kingdom here,
For he that holds his kingdom holds the law;
Therefore, since law itself is perfect wrong,
How can the law forbid my tongue to curse?

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 submit himself to Rome.

Eli. Look'st thou pale, France? do not let go thy hand.
Const. Look to that, Devil; lest that France repent,

And by disjoining hands, hell lose a soul.

Aust. King Philip, listen to the Cardinal.

Bast. And hang a calf's-skin on his recreant limbs.

160

170

180

190

Bast.

Your breeches best may carry them.
K. John. Philip, what say'st thou to the Cardinal?
Const. What should he say, but as the Cardinal?
Lew. 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 easier.

Blanch.

That's the curse of Rome.

Const. O Lewis, stand fast! the Devil tempts thee here In likeness of a new untrimmed bride.

Blanch. The Lady Constance speaks not from her faith, But from her need.

Const.

O. if thou grant my need,
Which only lives but by the death of faith,
That need must needs infer this principle,
That faith would 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 moved, and answers not to this.
Const. O, be remov'd from him, and answer well!
Aust. Do so, King Philip; hang no more in doubt.
Bast. Hang nothing but a calf's-skin, most sweet lout.
K. Phi. I am perplex'd, and know not what to say.
Pand. What canst thou say but will perplex thee more,
If thou stand excommunicate and curs'd?

K. Phi. Good reverend father, make my person yours,
And tell me how you would bestow yourself.

This royal hand and mine are newly knit,
And the conjunction of our inward souls
Married in league, coupled and link'd together
With all religious strength of sacred vows ;
The latest breath that gave the sound of words
Was deep-sworn faith, peace, amity, true love
Between our kingdoms and our royal selves,
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 overstain'd
With slaughter's pencil, where revenge did paint
The fearful difference of incensed kings:

210

220

230

So newly join'd in love, so strong in both,

And shall these hands, so lately purg'd of blood,

240

Unyoke this seizure and this kind regreet?

untrimmed in deshabille: there is an allusion to the temptation of St. Anthony.

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 host,
And make a riot on the gentle brow
Of true sincerity? O, holy sir,
My reverend father, let it not be so!
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 son.

France, thou mayst hold a serpent by the tongue,
A chafed lion by the mortal paw,

A fasting tiger safer by the tooth,

Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold.
K. Phi. 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 perform'd,
That is, to be the champion of our church!

What since thou swor'st is sworn against thyself
And may not be performed by thyself,

250

260

For that which thou hast sworn to do amiss

270

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 falsehood falsehood cures, as fire cools fire

Within the scorched veins of one new-burn'd.

It is religion that doth make vows kept;

But thou hast sworn against religion,

By what thou swear'st against the thing thou swear'st,
And makest an oath the surety for thy truth

Against an oath: the truth thou art unsure

To swear, swears only not to be forsworn;

280

270 For that which thou hast sworn, etc. These lines, from 270 to 200, are involved and somewhat obscure, and are a striking example of a see-sawing antithetical affectation of sententiousness into which Shakespeare's ingenuity and easy manipulation of language sometimes betrayed him.

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 later vows against thy first

Is in thyself rebellion to thyself;

And better conquest never canst thou make
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.
Aust. Rebellion, flat rebellion!

Bast.

Will 't not be?

Will not a calf's-skin stop that mouth of thine?

Lew. Father, to arms!

Blanch.

Upon thy wedding-day?

Against the blood that thou hast married?

What, shall our feast be kept with slaughter'd men?

Shall braying trumpets and loud churlish drums,
Clamours of hell, be measures to our pomp?

O husband, hear me! ay, 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.

Const.

O, upon my knee,

Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee,
Thou virtuous Dolphin, alter not the doom
Forethought by heaven!

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

Const. That which upholdeth him that thee upholds,
His honour: O, thine honour, Lewis, thine honour!
Lew. 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.

200

300

310

K. Phi. Thou shalt not need. England, I will fall from

thee.

Const. O fair return of banish'd majesty!

Eli. O foul revolt of French inconstancy!

320

K. John. France, thou shalt rue this hour within this hour. Bast. Old Time the clock-setter, that bald sexton Time, Is it as he will? well then, France shall rue.

Blanch. The sun 's o'ercast with blood: fair day, adieu!

Which is the side 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 mayst win;
Uncle, I needs must pray that thou mayst lose ;
Father, I may not wish the fortune thine;
Grandam, I will not wish thy wishes thrive:
Whoever wins, on that side shall I lose ;
Assured loss before the match be play'd.

Lew. Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lies.

Blanch. There where my fortune lives, there my life dies. K. John. Cousin, go draw our puissance together.

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-valued blood, of France.

330

[Exit Bastard.

K. Phi. Thy rage shall burn thee up, and thou shalt turn To ashes, ere our blood shall quench that fire:

Look to thyself, thou art in jeopardy.

340

K. John. No more than he that threats. To arms let's hie!

SCENE II. The same. Plains near Angiers.

Alarums, excursions.

Enter the BASTARD, with AUSTRIA'S head.

Bast. Now, by my life, this day grows wondrous hot;
Some airy devil hovers in the sky

And pours down mischief. Austria's head lie there,
While Philip breathes.

Enter KING JOHN, ARTHUR, and HUBERT.

K. John. Hubert, keep this boy. Philip, make up:
My mother is assailed in our tent,

And ta'en, I fear.
Bast.
My lord, I rescued 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.

SCENE III. The same.

[Exeunt.

[Exeunt.

Alarums, excursions, retreat. Enter KING JOHN, ELINOR, ARTHUR, the BASTARD, HUBERT, and Lords.

K. John. [To Elinor.] So shall it be; your grace shall stay

behind.

So strongly guarded. [To Arthur.] Cousin, look not sad:

2 cousin: applied in a general way to any kinsman.