KING JOHN. KING JOHN. PERSONS REPRESENTED. PRINCE HENRY, his son; afterwards King ARTHUR, Duke of Bretagne, son of Geffrey, WILLIAM MARESHALL, Earl of Pembroke. WILLIAM LONGSWORD, Earl of Salisbury. HUBERT DE BURGH, chamberlain to the King. ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE, son of Sir Robert Faulconbridge. PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE, his half-brother, PETER of Pomfret, a prophet. ELINOR, the widow of King Henry II., BLANCH, daughter to Alphonso, King of Lady FAULCONBRIDGE, mother to the Bas tard and Robert Faulconbridge. Lords, Ladies, Citizens of Angiers, Sheriff, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. ACT I. SCENE I.-Northampton. A Room of State in the Palace. King John. Now say, Chatillon, what would France with us? The borrow'd majesty of England here. Eli. A strange beginning;-borrow'd majesty! K. John. Silence, good mother; hear the embassy. Of thy deceased brother Geffrey's son, Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine: Which sways usurpingly these several titles; Thy nephew and right royal sovereign. K. John. What follows if we disallow of this? Chat. The proud control of fierce and bloody war, To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld. K. John. Here have we war for war, and blood for blood,' Controlment for controlment: so answer France. Chat. Then take my king's defiance from my mouth, The farthest limit of my embassy. K. John. Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace: For ere thou canst report I will be there, So, hence! Be thou the trumpet of our wrath, [Exeunt CHATILLON and PEMBROKE. Eli. What now, my son? have I not ever said, This might have been prevented, and made whole, Which now the manage of two kingdoms must With fearful bloody issue arbitrate. K. John. Our strong possession, and our right, for us. Or else it must go wrong with you and me : So much my conscience whispers in your ear; Which none but Heaven, and you, and I, shall hear. Enter the Sheriff of Northamptonshire, who whispers ESSEX. Essex. My liege, here is the strangest controversy, Come from the country to be judged by you, That e'er I heard: Shall I produce the men? K. John. Let them approach.— Our abbeys, and our priories, shall pay [Exit Sheriff. Re-enter Sheriff, with ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE, and PHILIP, his bastard Brother. This expedition's charge.-What men are you? Born in Northamptonshire; and eldest son, Of Coeur-de-Lion, knighted in the field. K. John. What art thou? Rob. The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge. You came not of one mother then, it seems. Bast. Most certain of one mother, mighty king, That is well known: and, as I think, one father: But, for the certain knowledge of that truth, I put you o'er to Heaven, and to my mother; Of that I doubt, as all men's children may. Eli. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame thy mother, And wound her honour with this diffidence. Bast. I, madam? no, I have no reason for it; That is my brother's plea, and none of mine; The which if he can prove, 'a pops me out At least from fair five hundred pound a-year : Heaven guard my mother's honour, and my land! K. John. A good blunt fellow :-Why, being younger born, Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance? Bast. I know not why, except to get the land. But whe'r I be as true begot, or no, (Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!) And were our father, and this son, like him ;— O old sir Robert, father, on my knee I give Heaven thanks I was not like to thee. K. John. Why, what a madcap hath Heaven lent us here! Eli. He hath a trick of Coeur-de-Lion's face; The accent of his tongue affecteth him: Do you not read some tokens of my son K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his parts, Rob. My gracious liege, when that my father liv'd Bast. Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land: To treat of high affairs touching that time : Full fourteen weeks before the course of time. K. John. Sirrah, your brother is legitimate; Had of your father claim'd this son for his? Bast. Of no more force to dispossess me, sir, Than was his will to get me, as I think. Eli. Whether hadst thou rather be a Faulconbridge, And like thy brother, to enjoy thy land; Or the reputed son of Cœur-de-Lion, Lord of thy presence, and no land beside? Bast. Madam, an if my brother had my shape, And I had his, sir Robert his, like him; And if my legs were two such riding-rods; My arms such eel-skins stuff'd; my face so thin, That in mine ear I durst not stick a rose, Lest men should say, Look, where three-farthings goes; I would give it every foot to have this face; It would not be sir Nob in any case. Eli. I like thee well: Wilt thou forsake thy fortune, Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me? I am a soldier, and now bound to France. Bast. Brother, take you my land, I 'll take my chance: Your face hath got five hundred pound a-year; Yet sell your face for five pence, and 't is dear. Madam, I'll follow you unto the death. Eli. Nay, I would have you go before me thither. Bast. Our country manners give our betters way. K. John. What is thy name? Bast. Philip, my liege; so is my name begun; Philip, good old sir Robert's wife's eldest son. K. John. From henceforth bear his name whose form thou bearest : Kneel thou down, Philip, but arise more great; Arise, sir Richard, and Plantagenet. Bast. Brother, by the mother's side, give me your hand; My father gave me honour, yours gave land: Now blessed be the hour, by night or day, When I was got, sir Robert was away. Eli. The very spirit of Plantagenet ! I am thy grandame, Richard; call me so. Bast. Madam, by chance, but not by truth: What though? Something about, a little from the right, In at the window, or else o'er the hatch; Who dares not stir by day must walk by night; Near or far off, well won is still well shot; And I am I, howe'er I was begot. K. John. Go, Faulconbridge; now hast thou thy desire, A landless knight makes thee a landed squire.— Come, madam, and come, Richard; we must speed For France, for France; for it is more than need. Bast. Brother, adieu; Good fortune come to thee! For thou wast got i' the way of honesty. [Exeunt all but the Bastard. A foot of honour better than I was; But many a many foot of land the worse. Good den, sir Richard,-God-a-mercy, fellow; And talking of the Alps and Apennines, It draws toward supper in conclusion so. And fits the mounting spirit like myself: Enter Lady FAULCONBRIDGE, and JAMES GURNEY. O me! it is my mother :-How now, good lady? What brings you here to court so hastily? Lady F. Where is that slave, thy brother? where is he? That holds in chase mine honour up and down? Bast. My brother Robert? old sir Robert's son? |