1 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 witnesses, Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed, Bast. Bastards, and else. K. John. To verify our title with their lives. K. Phi. As many, and as well born bloods as those, Bast. Some bastards too. 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, K. Phi. Amen, Amen!-Mount, chevaliers! 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, I'd set an ox-head to your lion's hide, And make a monster of you. Aust. In best appointment, all our regiments. K. Phi. It shall be so;-[To LEWIS] and at the other hill Command the rest to stand.-God, and our right! [Exeunt. SCENE II. 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; E. Her. Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring King John, your king and England's, doth approach, Commander of this hot malicious day! Their armours, that march'd hence so silverbright, Hither return all gilt with Frenchmen's blood; There stuck no plume in any English crest, That is removed by a staff of France; Our colonrs do return in those same hands That did display them when we first march'd forth; And, like a jolly troop of huntsmen, come From first to last, the onset and retire 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, We hold our town for neither; yet for both. Enter, at one side, KING JOHN, with his Power; Say, shall the current of our right run on? 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,Before we will lay down our just borne arms, We'll put thee down, 'gainst whom these arms we bear, Or add a royal number to the dead; Gracing the scroll, that tells of this war's loss, Why stand these royal fronts amazed thus? K. John. Whose party do the townsmen yet admit? K. Phi. Speak, citizens, for England; who's your 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: King'd of our fears; until our fears resolv'd, 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, Do like the mutines of Jerusalem, Be friends a while, and both conjointly bend The flinty ribs of this contemptuous city: Leave them as naked as the vulgar air. To whom in favour she shall give the day, K. John. Now, by the sky that hangs above 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,Being wrong'd, as we are, by this peevish town, Turn thou the mouth of thy artillery, As we will ours; against these saucy walls: And when that we have dash'd them to the ground, Why, then defy each other; and, pell-mell, Make work upon ourselves for heaven, or hell. K. Phi. Let it be so:-Say, where will you assault? K. John. We from the west will send destruction Into this 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, And I shall show you peace, and fair-fac'd league; Win you this city without stroke or wound; K. John. Speak on, with favour; we are bent to hear. 1 Cit. That daughter there of Spain, the lady Blanch, Is near to England; Look upon the years Such as she is, in beauty, virtue, birth, And she again wants nothing, to name want, |