Lew. Bethink you, father; for the difference 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, O, then, tread down my need, and faith mounts up; K. John. The king is mov'd, 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. Phil. I am perplex'd, and know not what to say. Pand.What can'st thou say, but will perplex thee more, If thou stand excommunicate, and curs'd? K.Phil. 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: And shall these hands, so lately purg'd of blood, So newly join'd in love, so strong in both, Unyoke this seizure, and this kind regreet? Play fast and loose with faith? so jest with heaven, [6] It is a political maxim, that kingdoms are never married Lewis, upon the wedding is for making war upon his new relations. JOHNS. Make such unconstant children of ourselves, Of true sincerity? O holy sir, My reverend father, let it not be so : Some gentle order; and then we shall be bless'd Pand. All form is formless, order orderless, Therefore, to arms! be champion of our church! France, thou may'st hold a serpent by the tongue, A fasting tiger safer by the tooth, Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost held. Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow For that, which thou hast sworn to do amiss, Is not amiss when it is truly done; And being not done, where doing tends to ill, 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 ; By what thou swear'st, against the thing thou swear'st; And most forsworn, to keep what thou dost swear. And better conquest never canst thou make, So heavy, as thou shalt not shake them off, Bast. Will't not he? Will not a calf's-skin stop that mouth of thine ? Blanch. Upon thy wedding day? Against the blood that thou hast married? What, shall our feast be kept with slaughter'd men? O husband, hear me !-ah, alack, how new Against mine uncle. Const. O, upon my knee, Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee, 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. K. Phil. Thou shalt not need :-England, I'll fall, from thee. Const. O fair return of banish'd majesty ! Eli. O foul revolt of French inconstancy! 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 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 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.[Exit Bastard. 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 ashes, 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! The same. SCENE II. [Exeunt. 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,7 And pours down mischief. While Philip breathes. Austria's head lie there; [7] Shakspeare here probably alludes to the distinctions and divisions of demonologists, so much regarded in his time. They distributed the devils into different tribes and classes, each of which had its peculiar qualities, attributes, &c. These are described at length in Burton's Anatomie of Melancholy, Part I. sect. ii. p. 45, 1632: "Of these sublunary devils-Psellus makes six kinds; fiery, aeriall, terrestriall, watery,and subterranean devils, besides those faieries, satyres, nymphes," &c. "Fiery spirits or divells are such as commonly worke by blazing starres, fire-drakes, and counterfeit sunnes and moones, and sit on ships' masts," &c. &c. "Aeriall spirits or divells are such as keep quarter most part in the aire, cause many tempests, thunder and lightnings, teare oakes, fire steeples, houses, strike men and beasts, make it raine stones," &c. PERCY. 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 rescu'd her; Her highness is in safety, fear you not : The same. SCENE III. [Exeunt. Alarums; Excursions; Retreat. Enter King JOHN, ELINOR, ARTHUR, the Bastard, HUBERT, and Lords. K. John. So shall it be; your grace shall stay behind, [TO ELINOR. So strongly guarded.-Cousin, look not sad: [TO ARTHUR. Thy grandam loves thee; and thy uncle will Arth. O, this will make my mother die with grief. And, ere our coming, see thou shake the bags 8 Bast. Bell, book, and candle 9 shall not drive me back, When gold and silver becks me to come on. I leave your highness :-Grandam, I will pray (If ever I remember to be holy,) For your fair safety; so I kiss your hand. Eli. Farewell, my gentle cousin. [Exit Bastard. Eli. Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word. [She takes ARTHUR aside. K. John. Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert, We owe thee much; within this wall of flesh There is a soul, counts thee her creditor, [8] This expression like many other of our author's, is taken from the sacred writings "And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation." 107th P salm.-Again: "He hath filled the hungry with good things." &c. St. Luke, i 53. MAL. [9] In an account of the Romish curse given by Dr. Grey, it appears that three candles were extinguished, one by one, in different parts of the execra tion. JOHNS. [1] Gards are any showy ornaments. STEEV. |