Have sold their fortunes at their native homes,
Bearing their birthrights proudly on their backs,
To make a hazard of new fortunes here:
In brief, a braver choice of dauntless spirits
Than now the English bottoms have waft o'er
Did never float upon the swelling tide,

70

To do offence and scath in Christendom. [Drum beats.
The interruption of their churlish drums

75

Cuts off more circumstance: they are at hand,

To parley or to fight; therefore prepare.

K. Phi. How much unlook'd for is this expedition!

Aust. By how much unexpected, by so much We must awake endeavour for defence;

For courage mounteth with occasion:

Let them be welcome then; we are prepared.

Enter KING JOHN, ELINOR, BLANCH, the Bastard, Lords, and

Forces.

80

K. John. Peace be to France, if France in peace permit

Our just and lineal entrance to our own;

If not, bleed France, and peace ascend to heaven,
Whiles we, God's wrathful agent, do correct
Their proud contempt that beats His peace to heaven.

K. Phi. Peace be to England, if that war return
From France to England, there to live in peace.
England we love; and for

that England's sake

85

90

70 birthrights] birth-rights F,Fq birth-
right F3F4.

75 [Drum beats.] F1 (after line 77).
Drummes beates. F2. Drums beats.
F3. Drums beat. F
77, 78 hand, To...fight;] Capell. hand,
To...fight, Ff.
hand. To... fight,
Pope.

84 SCENE II. Pope.

Enter...] Dyce. Enter K. of Eng-
land, Bastard, Queene, Blanch, Pem-
broke, and others. Ff.

85 lineal] lawful Gould conj.
own] town Gould conj.
87 Whiles] Whilst Rowe.
88 beats] beat Hanmer.

With burden of our armour here we sweat.
This toil of ours should be a work of thine;
But thou from loving England art so far,
That thou hast under-wrought his lawful king,
Cut off the sequence of posterity,

95

Out-faced infant state and done a rape

Upon the maiden virtue of the crown.

Look here upon thy brother Geffrey's face;

These eyes, these brows, were moulded out of his :
This little abstract doth contain that large

100

105

Which died in Geffrey, and the hand of time
Shall draw this brief into as huge a volume.
That Geffrey was thy elder brother born,
And this his son; England was Geffrey's right,
And this is Geffrey's: in the name of God
How comes it then that thou art call'd a king,
When living blood doth in these temples beat,
Which owe the crown that thou o'ermasterest?
K. John. From whom hast thou this great commission,

France,

To draw my answer from thy articles?

In

110

K. Phi. From that supernal judge, that stirs good

thoughts

any breast of strong authority,

92 burden] burthen F4.

95 his] its Rowe. her Collier, ed. 2 (Collier MS.). this Anon. conj. (N. and Q., 1874).

97 Out-faced] Outraced Gould conj.

state] right Gould conj.

103 huge] large Rowe. See note (VIII). 106 this] his Rann (Mason conj.).

this is Geffrey's] Geffrey is his or Geffrey's right is his Seymour conj. his is Arthur's Hudson conj. is this

Geffrey's or this is Geffrey Vaughan conj.

Geffrey's in the name of God]
Geffrey's;...God Rowe. Geffreyes in
...God: FF,F, (Geffreys F3). Gef-
freys,...God, F. Geffrey's son (or
heir):...God Jervis conj.

111 from] to Hanmer.
113, 114 breast...right:] breast, of strong
authority; To...right, Fleay.
113 breast] beast F1.

To look into the blots and stains of right:
That judge hath made me guardian to this boy:
Under whose warrant I impeach thy wrong,
And by whose help I mean to chastise it.
K. John. Alack, thou dost usurp authority.
Excuse; it is to beat usurping down.
Who is it thou dost call usurper, France?
Const. Let me make answer; thy usurping son.
Eli. Out, insolent! thy bastard shall be king,
That thou mayst be a queen, and check the world!
Const. My bed was ever to thy son as true

K. Phi.
Eli.

As thine was to thy husband; and this boy
Liker in feature to his father Geffrey

Than thou and John in manners; being as like
As rain to water, or devil to his dam.

My boy a bastard! By my soul, I think
His father never was so true begot :

It cannot be, an if thou wert his mother.

115

120

125

130

Eli. There's a good mother, boy, that blots thy father. Const. There's a good grandam, boy, that would blot thee.

Aust. Peace!

Bast.

Aust.

Hear the crier.

What the devil art thou?

Bast. One that will play the devil, sir, with you, 135 An a' may catch your hide and you alone :

114 blots] bolts Warburton.
118-150 Alack...conference.] Put in

the margin, as spurious, by Pope. 119 Excuse; it is] Malone. Excuse it

is Ff. Excuse it, 'tis Rowe (ed. 2). 120 is it] Ff. is it that Rowe (ed. 1).

is't that Rowe (ed. 2).

127 John in manners; being] Capell

(Roderick conj.). John, in manners
being Ff. John in manners, being
Vaughan conj.

131 an if] Theobald. and if Ff.
133 There's...thee.] As in Pope. Two
lines in Ff, ending boy...thee.
would] wouldst Theobald (ed. 1).
136 An a'] Theobald. And a Ff.

You are the hare of whom the proverb goes,
Whose valour plucks dead lions by the beard:
I'll smoke your skin-coat, an I catch you right;
Sirrah, look to 't; i' faith, I will, i' faith.

Blanch. O, well did he become that lion's robe
That did disrobe the lion of that robe!

Bast. It lies as sightly on the back of him As great Alcides' shows upon an ass:

140

145

But, ass, I'll take that burthen from your back,
Or lay on that shall make your shoulders crack.
Aust. What cracker is this same that deafs our ears
With this abundance of superfluous breath?
King Philip, determine what we shall do straight.

K. Phi. Women and fools, break off your conference. King John, this is the very sum of all;

England and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine, Maine,
In right of Arthur do I claim of thee:

Wilt thou resign them and lay down thy arms?

151

K. John. My life as soon: I do defy thee, France. 155 Arthur of Bretagne, yield thee to my hand;

And out of my dear love I'll give thee more

Than e'er the coward hand of France can win :
Submit thee, boy.

139 an] Theobald. and Ff.

141 Blanch.] Const. Cowden Clarke conj. did] doth Anon. conj.

144 Alcides' shows] Alcides shews Theo-
bald. Alcides shooes Ff (shoos F1).
Alcides shew'd Keightley. Alcides'
should Id. conj. Alcides' does Hud-
son (Vaughan conj.). Alcides' spoil
Kinnear conj. Alcides' robes Gould
conj.

shows...ass] shoes...ape Fleay.
an ass] a dwarf or a child Fleay
conj.

145 burthen] burden F3.

149 King Philip] Theobald. King
Lewis Ff. K. Phi. Lewis Capell.
King,-Lewis Knight(Malone conj.,
withdrawn). See note (IX).
150 K. Phi.]K. Philip. Theobald. Lew.
Ff.

152 Anjou] Theobald. Angiers Ff.
153 do II do Theobald.

156 Bretagne] Hanmer. Britaine F1F2.
Britain F. Brittain F4.
159-197 Submit thee...repetitions.] Put

in the margin, as spurious, by Pope.

Eli.

Come to thy grandam, child. Const. Do, child, go to it grandam, child; Give grandam kingdom, and it grandam will Give it a plum, a cherry, and a fig:

There's a good grandam.

Arth.

Good my mother, peace!

I would that I were low laid in my grave :

I am not worth this coil that's made for me.

160

165

Eli. His mother shames him so, poor boy, he weeps. Const. Now shame upon you, whether she does or no! His grandam's wrongs, and not his mother's shames, Draws those heaven-moving pearls from his poor eyes, Which heaven shall take in nature of a fee; Ay, with these crystal beads heaven shall be bribed To do him justice and revenge on you.

170

Eli. Thou monstrous slanderer of heaven and earth! Const. Thou monstrous injurer of heaven and earth! Call not me slanderer; thou and thine usurp

The dominations, royalties and rights

Of this oppressed boy: this is thy eld'st son's son,
Infortunate in nothing but in thee:

Thy sins are visited in this poor child;
The canon of the law is laid on him,
Being but the second generation

175

180

160 Do, child, go] Do, go, child, go; go

Capell. Do, child, go, child, go
Lettsom conj.

160, 161 it...it] FF3F4 yt...it F1.
it'...it' Johnson. it's...it's Capell.
164 [weeping. Collier MS.

167 whether] where F1F2F3. whe're F4. she] he Ritson conj.

168 wrongs] wrong F4

169 Draws] Ff. Draw Capell.

171 heaven shall] shall heaven Collier

MS.

175 not me] me not F4.
176 dominations] F1. domination F2
F3F4

177 this is thy eld'st] Capell. this is thy
eldest Ff. thy eldst Hudson (Rit-
son conj.). this thy eldest Vaughan
conj. This' thy eld'st Fleay.

eld'st son's son] eldest's son Anon. conj.

179 in] on Collier MS.