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Two such controlling bounds shall you be, kings,

To these two princes, if you marry them.
This union shall do more than battery can,
To our fast-closed gates; for, at this match,
With swifter spleen than powder can enforce,
The mouth of passage shall we fling wide ope,
And give you entrance; but, without this match,
The sea enraged is not half so deaf,
Lions more confident, mountains and rocks
More free from motion, no, not death himself
In mortal fury half so peremptory,

As we to keep this city.

BAST.

Here's a stay,"

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 cannoncer begot this lusty blood?

He speaks plain cannon-fire, and smoke, and bounce;

He gives the bastinado with his tongue;
Our ears are cudgell'd; not a word of his,
But buffets better than a fist of France:
Zounds! I was never so bethump'd with words,
Since I first called my brother's father, dad.

ELI. Son, list to this conjunction, make this
match;

Give with our niece a dowry large enough:
For by this knot thou shalt so surely tie
Thy now unsur'd assurance to the crown,
That yon green boy shall have no sun to ripe
The bloom that promiseth a mighty fruit.
I see a yielding in the looks of France;

Mark, how they whisper: urge them, while their souls

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a Here's a stay,-] Stay, if that be the poet's word, is used, we suppose, in the sense of a sudden check or obstacle. It may not be the most suitable expression to introduce the following line; but it appears at least as good as flaw or say, which have been proposed to supersede it.

b Are capable of this ambition;] Capable is impressible, susceptible. So, in the next Act, Constance says,

"▬▬▬▬▬▬ I am sick and capable of fears."

Her dowry shall weigh equal with a queen:

*

For Anjou, and fair Touraine, Maine, Poictiers,
And all that we upon this side the sea
(Except this city now by us besieg'd)
Find liable to our crown and dignity,

Shall gild her bridal bed; and make her rich

In titles, honours, and promotions,

As she in beauty, education, blood,

Holds hand with any princess of the world. K. PHI. What sayst 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;
Which being but the shadow of your son,
Becomes a sun, and makes your son a shadow :
I do protest, I never lov'd myself,
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!

Hang'd in the frowning wrinkle of her brow!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.

[Aside.

BLANCH. My uncle's will, in this respect, is

mine.

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and "Hamlet," Act III. Sc. 4,

"His form and cause conjoin'd, preaching to stones,
Would make them capable."

e The flattering table-] Table the expositors define to mean picture, or the board or canvas on which any object is painted.

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AUST. And your lips too; for I am well assur'd That I did so, when I was first assur'd."

K. PHI. Now, citizens of Angiers, ope your gates;

Let in that amity which you have made,
For at saint Mary's chapel, presently,
The rites of marriage shall be solemniz'd.
Is not the lady Constance in this troop?
I know she is not; for this match, made up,
Her presence would have interrupted much:
Where is she and her son? tell me, who knows.
LEW. She is sad and passionate at your high-

ness' tent.

C

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For we'll create young Arthur duke of Bretagne,
And earl of Richmond; and this rich fair town
We make him lord of.-Call the lady Constance ;
Some speedy messenger bid her repair
To our solemnity:-I trust we shall,
If not fill up the measure of her will,
Yet in some measure satisfy her so,
That we shall stop her exclamation.
Go we, as well as haste will suffer us,
To this unlook'd-for, unprepared pomp.

[Exeunt all but the Bastard.-The
Citizens retire from the walls.

a Volquessen,-] The ancient name of that part of France now called Le Vexin; in Latin, Pagus Velocassinus. Thus, in the old play,

"And here in marriage I do give with her,
From me and my successors, English kings,
Volquesson, Poiters, Anjou, Torain, Main,
And thirtie thousand markes of stipened coyne."

b When I was first assur'd.] In the previous line assured is used in its ordinary sense; here it means affianced or contracted. The kiss was a part of the ceremony of betrothing. "Twelfth Night," Act V. Sc. 1,—

"A contract of eternal bond of love
Attested by the holy close of lips."

So, in

e Sad and passionate-] Passionate in this place signifies perturbed, agitated, not irascible.

d Willingly departed with-] That is, parted with. Depart and part were used of old synonymously. See note (a), page 62, of the present volume.

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That smooth-fac'd gentleman, tickling commodity, Commodity, the bias of the world;

k

The world, who of itself is peised well, Made to run even, upon even ground; Till this advantage, this vile drawing bias, This sway of motion, this commodity, Makes it take head from all indifferency, From all direction, purpose, course, intent: And this same bias, this commodity, This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word, Clapp'd on the outward eye of fickle France, Hath drawn him from his own determin'd aid, From a resolv'd and honourable war, To a most base and vile-concluded peace.And why rail I on this commodity? But for because he hath not woo'd me yet: Not that I have the power to clutch my hand, When his fair angels would salute my palm; But for my hand, as unattempted yet, Like a poor beggar, raileth on the rich. Well, whiles I am a beggar, I will rail, And say,there is no sin but to be rich; And being rich, my virtue then shall be, To say, there is no vice but beggary: Since kings break faith upon commodity, Gain, be my lord! for I will worship thee!

[Exit.

e Rounded in the ear-] Insinuated, whispered in the ear. Thus, in the "Spanish Tragedy," Act I.→

"Forthwith Revenge she rounded thee in th' ear."

f That broker,-] Broker in old language usually meant a pander, or procuress; but sometimes also, as in this passage, a dissembler, or cheat.

g Tickling commodity,-] Commodity is advantage, self-interest. So, in "Barnaby Riche's Farewell to Militarie Profession:""In the whiche Fineo, to his greate contentment, had the comoditie daiely to see his Fiamma," &c.

h Peised-] That is, balanced, poised.

i On the outward eye-] A continuation of the well-sustained metaphor derived from the game of bowls. The aperture on one side which contains the bias or weight that inclines the bowl, in running, from a direct course, was sometimes called the eye.

k His own determin'd aid,-] Mason suggested, and perhaps rightly, that we should read aim, instead of aid.

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a Act III.] In the old copy the Second Act extended to the conclusion of the speech of Lady Constance, when she throws herself upon the ground. The division now always adopted was made by Theobald.

Shall Lewis have Blanch? and Blanch those provinces ?

It is not so; thou hast mis-spoke, misheard;
Be well advis'd," tell o'er thy tale again:

b Be well advis'd,-] Be thoroughly assured. Advised, in this sense, is common both in Shakespeare and the books of his time.

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A widow, husbandless, subject to fears;
A woman, naturally born to fears;

And though thou now confess thou didst but jest,
With my vex'd spirits I cannot take a truce,b
But they will quake and tremble all this day.
What dost thou mean by shaking of thy head?
Why dost thou look so sadly on my son?
What means that hand upon that breast of thine?
Why holds thine eye that lamentable rheum,
Like a proud river peering o'er his bounds?
Be these sad signs confirmers of thy words?
Then speak again; not all thy former tale,
But this one word,-whether thy tale be true.

SAL. As true as, I believe, you think them false,

That give you cause to prove my saying true.

CONST. O, if thou teach me to believe this

sorrow,

Teach thou this sorrow how to make me die ;
And let belief and life encounter so,
As doth the fury of two desperate men,
Which, in the very meeting, fall, and die.—
Lewis marry Blanch! O, boy, then where art thou?
France friend with England! what becomes of
me?-

Fellow, be gone: I cannot brook thy sight;
This news hath made thee a most ugly man.
SAL. What other harm have I, good lady, done,
But spoke the harm that is by others done?

CONST. Which harm within itself so heinous is, 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,

d

Ugly, and slanderous to thy mother's womb,
Full of unpleasing blots and sightless stains,
Lame, foolish, crooked, swart, prodigious,
Patch'd with foul moles and eye-offending marks,
I would not care, I then would be content,
For then I should not love thee; no, nor thou
Become thy great birth, nor deserve a crown..
But thou art fair; and at thy birth, dear boy,
Nature and Fortune join'd to make thee great;

a Capable of fears,-] See note (b), page 297.

b I cannot take a truce,-] To take truce, in the language of our author, meant to make peace. Thus, in "Romeo and Juliet," Act III. Sc. 1,

"Romeo

Could not take truce with the unruly spleen Of Tybalt deaf to peace.”

Of Nature's gifts thou mayst with lilies boast,
And with the half-blown rose: but Fortune, O!
She is corrupted, chang'd, and won from thee;
She adulterates hourly with thine uncle John;
And with her golden hand hath pluck'd on France
To tread down fair respect of sovereignty,
And made his majesty the bawd to theirs.
France is a bawd to Fortune, and king John;
That strumpet Fortune, that usurping John :-
Tell me, thou fellow, is not France forsworn?
Envenom him with words; or get thee gone,
And leave those woes alone, which I alone
Am bound to under-bear.
SAL.

Pardon me, madam,

I may not go without you to the kings.
CONST. Thou mayst, thou shalt, I will not go
with thee;

I will instruct my sorrows to be proud,
For grief is proud, and makes his owner stout. (1)
To me, and to the state of my great grief,
Let kings assemble; for my grief's so great
That no supporter but the huge firm earth
Can hold it up here I and sorrows sit;
Here is my throne, bid kings come bow to it.
[She throws herself on the ground.

Enter KING JOHN, KING PHILIP, LEWIS, BLANCH, ELINOR, Bastard, AUSTRIA, and Attendants.

K. PHI. 'Tis true, fair daughter; and this blessed day

Ever in France shall be kept festival:
To solemnize this day, the glorious sun
Stays in his course, and plays the alchymist;
Turning, with splendour of his precious eye,
The meagre cloddy earth to glittering gold:
The yearly course that brings this day about
Shall never see it but a holiday.

CONST. A wicked day, and not a holy day!—
[Rising.
What hath this day deserv'd? what hath it done,
That it in golden letters should be set,
Among the high tides, in the kalendar?
Nay, rather, turn this day out of the week,
This day of shame, oppression, perjury:
Or, if it must stand still, let wives with child
Pray that their burthens may not fall this day,
Lest that their hopes prodigiously be cross'd:
But on this day let seamen fear no wrack;
No bargains break, that are not this day made:

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This day, all things begun come to ill end, Yea, faith itself to hollow falsehood change!

K. PHI. By heaven, lady, you shall have no

cause

To curse the fair proceedings of this day.
Have I not pawn'd to you my majesty?

CONST. You have beguil'd me with a counterfeit, Resembling majesty; which, being touch'd, and tried,

Proves valueless. You are forsworn, forsworn;
You came in arms to spill mine enemies' blood,
But now in arms you strengthen it with yours.
The grappling vigour, and rough frown of war,
Is cold in amity and painted peace,
And our oppression hath made up this league:-
Arm, arm, you heavens, against these perjur'd
kings!

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O Lymoges! O Austria !(2) thou dost shame That bloody spoil: thou slave, thou wretch, thou coward,

Thou little valiant, great in villainy!
Thou ever strong upon the stronger side!
Thou Fortune's champion, that dost never fight
But when her humorous ladyship is by
To teach thee safety! thou art perjur'd too,
And sooth'st up greatness. What a fool art
thou,

A ramping fool; to brag, and stamp, and swear,
Upon my party! Thou cold-blooded slave,
Hast thou not spoke like thunder on my side?
Been sworn my soldier? Bidding me depend
Upon thy stars, thy fortune, and thy strength?
And dost thou now fall over to my foes?
Thou wear a lion's hide! doff it for shame,
And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs.
AUST. O, that a man should speak those words
to me!

BAST. And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs.

AUST. Thou dar'st not say so, villain, for thy life. BAST. And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs.

K. JOHN. We like not this; thou dost forget

thyself.

(*) Old copies, days.

a The grappling vigour, and rough frown of war, Is cold in amity, and painted peace,-]

The ingenious annotator of Mr. Collier's folio would read "faint in peace;" but if any alteration be required, of which I am by no

Enter PANDULPH.

K. PHI. Here comes the holy legate of the pope. PAND. Hail, you anointed deputies of heaven!To thee, king John, my holy errand is. I, Pandulph, of fair Milan cardinal, And from pope Innocent the legate here, Do, in his name, religiously demand, Why thou, against the church, our holy mother, So wilfully dost spurn; and, force perforce, Keep Stephen Langton, chosen archbishop Of Canterbury, from that holy see? This, in our 'foresaid holy father's name, Pope Innocent, I do demand of thee.

K. JOHN. What earthly* name to interro-
gatories

Can task the free breath of a sacred king?
Thou canst not, cardinal, devise a name

So slight, unworthy, and ridiculous,

To charge me to an answer, as the pope.
Tell him this tale; and from the mouth of England
Add thus much more,-That no Italian priest
Shall tithe or toll in our dominions;
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.(3)
CONST.

O, lawful let it be, That I have room with Rome to curse a while!

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