Aust. O, that a man should speak those words to

me!

130

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

limbs.

Aust. Thou darest 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.

Enter Pandulph.

140

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 willfully doth spurn; and force perforce
Keep Stephen Langton, chosen archbishop
Of Canterbury, from that holy see:
This, in our foresaid holy father's name,

134. "Thou dost forget thyself"; the following lines from the old play explain the ground of the Bastard's quarrel with Austria:

“Aust. Methinks that Richard's pride, and Richard's fall
Should be a precedent to fright you all.

Faulc. What words are these? How do my sinews shake!
My father's foe clad in my father's spoil!
How doth Alecto whisper in my ears,
Delay not, Richard, kill the villain straight;
Disrobe him of the matchless monument,
Thy father's triumph o'er the savages!—
Now by his soul I swear, my father's soul,
Twice will I not review the morning's rise,
Till I have torn that trophy from thy back,

And split thy heart for wearing it so long."-H. N. H.

Pope Innocent, I do demand of thee. K. John. What earthly name to interrogatories 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.

150

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.

160

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

170

Against the pope and count his friends my foes. Pand. Then, by the lawful power that I have,

148. "task," Theobald's correction of the Folios; Folios 1, 2, "tast"; Folios 3, 4, "taste"; Rowe conjectured "tax."-I. G.

Thou shalt stand cursed 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 worship'd as a saint,

That takes away by any secret course
Thy hateful life.

Const.

O, lawful let it be

That I have room with Rome to curse awhile!
Good father cardinal, cry thou amen

181

To my keen curses; for without my wrong
There is no tongue hath power to curse him

right.

Pand. There's law and warrant, lady, for my

curse.

Const. And for mine too: when law can do no

right,

Let it be lawful that law bar no wrong:

Law cannot give my child his kingdom here,
For he that holds his kingdom holds the law;
Therefore, since law itself is perfect wrong,
How can the law forbid my tongue to curse? 190
Pand. Philip of France, on peril of a curse,
Let go the hand of that arch-heretic;

And raise the power of France upon his head,
Unless he do submit himself to Rome.

Eli. Look'st thou pale, France? do not let go thy hand.

Const. Look to that, devil; lest that France repent, And by disjoining hands, hell lose a soul.

Aust. King Philip, listen to the cardinal.

Bast. And hang a calf's-skin on his recreant limbs.

Aust. Well, ruffian, I must pocket up these

wrongs,

Because

Bast. Your breeches best may carry them.

200

K. John. Philip, what say'st thou to the cardinal?
Const. What should he say, but as the cardinal?
Lew. Bethink you, father; for the difference
Is purchase of a heavy curse from Rome,
Or the light loss of England for a friend:
Forgo the easier. ·

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.

211

O, if thou grant my need, Which only lives but by the death of faith, That need must needs infer this principle, That faith would live again by death of need. O then, tread down my need, and faith mounts

up;

Keep my need up, and faith is trodden down! K. John. The king is moved, and answers not to

this.

Const. O, be removed from him, and answer well!

209. "new untrimmed bride"; so the Folios; Theobald, "new and trimmed,” or, “new untamed,” “new betrimmed"; Dyce, “new-uptrimmed." Staunton was probably right when he suggested that “untrimmed" is descriptive of the bride with her hair hanging loose. -I. G.

213. “infer,” prove.—C. H. H.

Aust. Do so, King Philip; hang no more in doubt. Bast. Hang nothing but a calf's-skin, most sweet

lout.

K. Phi. I am perplex'd, and know not what to

say.

221

Pand. What canst thou say but will perplex thee

more,

If thou stand excommunicate and cursed?

K. Phi. 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, 232
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 over-
stain'd

With slaughter's pencil, where revenge did
paint

240

The fearful difference of incensed kings:
And shall these hands, so lately purged 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,

225. "bestow yourself,” act.-C. H. H.