Bast. Here's a stay,9 That shakes the rotten carcase of old death Out of his rags! Here's a large mouth, indeed, That spits forth death, and mountains, rocks, and seas; Talks as familiarly of roaring lions, As maids of thirteen do of puppy-dogs! What cannoneer begot this lusty blood? He speaks plain cannon, fire, and smoke, and bounce; Eli. Son, list to this conjunction, make this match; Mark, how they whisper: urge them, while their souls Lest zeal, now melted, by the windy breath Of soft petitions, pity, and remorse, Cool and congeal again to what it was.' 1 Cit. Why answer not the double majesties This friendly treaty of our threaten'd town? K. Phil. Speak England first, that hath been forward first To speak unto this city: What say you? K. John. If that the Dauphin there, thy princely son, Can in this book of beauty read, I love, Her dowry shall weigh equal with a queen : For Anjou, and fair Touraine, Maine, Poictiers, [1] We have here a very unusual, and, I think, not very just image of zeat, which, in its highest degree, is represented by others as a flame, but by Shakespeare as a frost. To repress seal, in the language of others, is to cool, in Shakespeare's to melt it; when it exerts its utmost power it is commonly said to flame, but by Shakespeare to be congealed. JOHNSON. The poet means to compare seal to metal in a state of fusion, and not to dissolving ice. STEEVENS. As she in beauty, education, blood, Holds hand with any princess of the world. K. Phil. What say'st thou, boy? look in the lady's face Lew. I do, my lord, and in her eye I find A wonder, or a wondrous miracle, The shadow of myself form'd in her eye; Till now infixed I beheld myself, Drawn in the flattering table of her eye. [Whispers with BLANCH. Bast. Drawn in the flattering table of her eye!- And quarter'd in her heart!-he doth espy Himself love's traitor: This is pity now, That, hang'd, and drawn, and quarter'd, there should be, In such a love, so vile a lout as he. Blanch. My uncle's will, in this respect, is mine: That any thing he sees, which moves his liking, Or, if you will, (to speak more properly,) That all I see in you is worthy love, Than this, that nothing do I see in you, (Though churlish thoughts themselves should be your judge,) That I can find should merit any hate. K. John. What say these young ones? What say you, my niece? Blanch. That she is bound in honour still to do What you in wisdom shall vouchsafe to say. K. John. Speak then, prince Dauphin; can you love this lady? Lew. Nay, ask me if I can refrain from love; For I do love her most unfeignedly. K. John. Then do I give Volquessen, Touraine, Maine, Poictiers, and Anjou, these five provinces, With her to thee; and this addition more, Full thirty thousand marks of English coin.Philip of France, if thou be pleas'd withal, VOL. V. 3 B 2 Command thy son and daughter to join hands. K. Phil. It likes us well;-Young princes, close your hands. Aust. And your lips too; for, I am well assur'd, K. Phil. Now, citizens of Angiers, ope your gates, Lew. She is sad and passionate at your highness' tent. K. Phil. And, by my faith, this league, that we have made, Will give her sadness very little cure.- K. John. We will heal up all For we'll create young Arthur duke of Bretagne, [Exeunt all but the Bastard. The Citizens retire from the walls. Bast. Mad world! mad kings! mad composition! John, to stop Arthur's title in the whole, Hath willingly departed with a part :2 And France, (whose armour conscience buckled on; As God's own soldier,) rounded in the ear With that same purpose-changer, that sly devil; To part and to depart were formerly synonymous. STEEVENS. 31 i. e. whispered in the ear. This phrase is frequently used by Chaucer, as well as later writers. STEEVENS. That broker, that still breaks the pate of faith; Of kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids ;---- But the word maid,-cheats the poor maid of that; The world, who of itself is peised well, This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word, But for because he hath not woo'd me yet: [Exit. ACT III. SCENE I.-The same. The French King's Tent. Enter CONSTANCE, ARTHUR, and SALISBURY. Constance. GONE to be married! gone to swear a peace! Be well advis'd, tell o'er thy tale again : It cannot be; thou dost but say, 'tis so: Oppress'd with wrongs, and therefore full of fear And though thou now confess, thou didst but jest As doth the fury of two desperate men, As it makes harmful all that speak of it. Arth. I do beseech you, madam, be content. Const. If thou, that bid'st me be content, wert grim, Ugly, and sland'rous to thy mother's womb, Full of unpleasing blots, and sightless stains, [1] This was not the fact. Constance was at this time married to a third husband, Guido, brother to the Viscount of Touars. MALONE. [2] The poet uses sightless for that which we now express by unsightly, disagree able to the eyes. JOHNSON. |