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The kings thus ioynd in league of perfect loue,
They may fo deale with Arthur duke of Britaine,
Who is but young, and yet vnmeet to raigne,
As he shall stand contented euery way.
Thus haue I boldly (for the common good)
Deliuered what the citie gaue in charge.
And as vpon conditions you agree,

So fhall we stand content to yeeld the towne.

Arth. A proper peace, if fuch a motion hold; These kings beare armes for me, and for my right, And they shall share my lands to make them friends.

2. Elian. Sonne John, follow this motion, as thou loueft thy mother.

Make league with Philip, yeeld to any thing:

Lewis fhall haue my neece, and then be fure
Arthur shall haue fmall fuccour out of France.

John. Brother of France, you heare the citizens :
Then tell me, how you meane to deale herein.

Conft. Why Iohn, what canst thou giue vnto thy neece,
Thou haft no foote of land but Arthurs right?
Lew. Bir lady citizens, I like your choyce,

A louely damfel is the lady Blanch,

Worthy the heire of Europe for her pheere.

Conft. What kings, why ftand you gazing in a trance?

Why how now lords? accurfed citizens

To fill and tickle their ambitious eares,

With hope of gaine, that fprings from Arthurs loffe.
Some difmall planet at thy birth-day raign'd,

For now I fee the fall of all thy hopes.

K. Phil. Ladie, and duke of Brittaine, know you both, The king of France refpects his honor more,

Than to betray his friends and fauourers.
Princeffe of Spaine, could you affect my fonne,
If we vpon conditions could agree?

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Baft. Swounds madam, take an English gentleman;
Slaue as I was, I thought to haue moou'd the match.
Grandame you made me halfe a promise once,
That lady Blanch should bring me, wealth inough,
And make me heire of store of English land.

2 Elian. Peace Philip, I will looke thee out a wife, We must with policie compound this ftrife.

Baftar. If Lewis get her, well, I fay no more: But let the frollicke Frenchman take no fcorne,

If Philip front him with an English horne.

Iohn. Ladie, what answer make you to the K. of France? Can you affect the Dolphin for your lord?

Blanch. I thanke the king that likes of me fo well, -
To make me bride vnto fo great a prince:

But giue me leaue my lord to pause on this,
Leaft beeing too too forward in the cause,

It may be blemish to my modeftie.

2. Elinor. Sonne Iohn, and worthy Philip K., of France, Do you confer a while about the dower,

And I will schoole my modeft neece fo well,

That fhe fhall yeeld as foone as you haue done.

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Conftance. I, theres the wretch that brocheth all this il,: Why flie I not vpon the bedlams face,

And with my nayles pull forth her hatefull eyes...
Arthur. Sweet mother cease these haftie madding fits:
For my fake, let my grandam haue her will.

O would fhe with her hands pull forth my heart,
I could afford it to appeafe thefe broyles.

But (mother) let vs wifely winke at all,

Leart farther harmes enfue our hastie fpeech..

Phil. Brother of England, what dowrie wilt thou giue Vnto my fonne in marriage with thy necee?

John. First Philip knowes her dowrie out of Spaine,
To be fo great as may content a king soun
But more to mend and amplifie the fame,
I giue in money thirtie thousand markes.
For land I leaue it to thine owne demand...

Phil. Then I demand Volqueffon, Torain, Main,
Poiters and Aniou, these fiue prouinces,

Which thou as king of England holdst in France:
Then shall our peace be foone concluded on.

Baft. No leffe then fiue fuch prouinces at once?
John. Mother what fhai I do? my brother got thefe lands
With much effufion of our English bloud :'

And shall I giue it all away at once?

2 Elin. John giue it him, fo fhalt thou liue in peace, And keepe the refi.tue fans icopardie.

Lohn. Philip, bring foorth thy fonne, here is my neece, And here in marriage I do giue with her From me and my fucceffors English kings, Volqueffon, Poiters, Aniou, Torain, Main, And thirtie thousand markes of ftipend coyne. Now cittizens, how like you of this match?

Citiz. We ioy to fee fo fweete a peace begun. Lewis, Lewis with Blanch shall euer liue content. But now king John, what say you to the duke? Father, fpeake as you may in his behalfe.

Phil. K. Iohn, be good vnto thy nephew here, And giue him fomewhat that fhall please you beft. Iohn. Arthur, although thou troublest Englands peace Yet here I giue thee Brittaine for thine owne, Together with the earledome of Richmont, And this rich cittie of Angiers withall.

2. Elian. And if thou feeke to please thine vncle John, Shalt fee my fonne how I will make of thee.

John. Now euery thing is forted to this end,
Lets in, and there prepare the marriage rites,
Which in S. Maries chappell presently
Shall be performed ere this prefence part.

Manent Conftance and Arthur.

Exeunt.

Art. Madam good cheere, these drouping languifhments
Adde no redresse to falue our awkward haps,
If heauens haue concluded these euents,
To fmall auaile is bitter penfiuenesse :

Seasons will change, and so our present greefe
May change with them, and all to our releefe.

Conft. Ah boy, thy yeares I fee are farre too greene

To looke into the bottome of these cares.

But I, who see the poyse that weigheth downe
Thy weale, my wifh, and all the willing meanes
Wherewith thy fortune and thy fame fhould mount.
What ioy, what ease, what reft can lodge in me,
With whom all hope and hap doe difagree?

Arth. Yet ladies teares, and cares, and folemn fhewes,
Rather then helpes, heape vp more worke for woes.
Conft. If any power will heare a widowes plaint,
That from a wounded foule implores redenge:
Send fell contagion to infect this clime,

This curfed countrey, where the traitors breath,
Whose periurie (as proud Briareus,)

Beleaguers all the fkie with mif-beleefe.

He promift Arthur, and he fware it too,

To fence thy right, and check thy fo-mans pride:
But now black-fpotted periure as he is,
He takes a truce with Elnors damned brat,
And marries Lewis to her louely neece,
Sharing thy fortune, and thy birth-dayes gift
Betweene thefe louers: ill betide the match.

And

And as they shoulder thee from out thine owne,
And triumph in a widowes tearefull cares :

So heau'ns crosse them with a thriftleffe course,
Is all the blood yfpilt on either part,

Clofing the cranies of the thirftie earth,
Growne to a loue-game and a bridall feast ?
And must thy birth-right bid the wedding banes?
Poore helpelesse boy, hopelesfe and helplesse too,
To whom misfortune feemes no yoake at all.
Thy stay, thy ftate, thy imminent mishaps
Woundeth thy mothers thoughts with feeling care,
Why lookst thou pale? the colour flies thy face:
I trouble now the fountaine of thy youth,

And make it muddie with my doles difcourfe,
Goe in with me, reply not louely boy,
We must obscure this mone with melodie,

Leaft worfer wrack enfue our male-content.

Exeunt.

Enter the King of England, the King of France, Arthur,
Bastard, Lewis, Lymoges, Conftance, Blanch, Chattillion,
Pembrooke, Salisburie, and Elianor.

John. This is the day, the long-defired day,
Wherein the realmes of England and of France
Stand highly bleffed in a lafting peace.
Thrice happie is the bridegroome and the bride,
From whose sweet bridall such a concord springs,
To make of mortall foes immortall friends.

Conft. Vngodly peace made by anothers warre.
Phil. Vnhappie peace, that tyes thee from reuenge,
Rouze thee Plantaginet, liue not to fee

The butcher of the great Plantaginet.

Kings, princes, and ye peeres of either realmes,

Pardon my rafhines, and forgiue the zeale

That

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