THE LIFE AND DEATH OF KING JOHN. ACT I. SCENE I. KING JOHN's palace. Enter KING JOHN, QUEEN ELINOR, PEMBROKE, ESSEX, SALISBURY, and others, with CHATILLON. K. John. Now, say, Chatillon, what would France with us? Chat. Thus, after greeting, speaks the King of France In my behaviour to the majesty, The borrowed majesty, of England here. Eli. A strange beginning: borrowed majesty!' K. John. Silence, good mother; hear the embassy. Chat. Philip of France, in right and true behalf Of thy deceased brother Geffrey's son, Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim To this fair island and the territories, SCENE 1. King John's palace.] The Salisbury, and others] Capell. and 5 10 Chatillon] Johnson. Chattilon Rowe. the Chattylion of France Ff. 4, 5 borrowed] Ff. borrow'd Rowe. 8 brother] F brother, F.FF. 9 most] om. Pope. To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine, Which sways usurpingly these several titles, K. John. What follows if we disallow of this? To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld. 15 K. John. Here have we war for war and blood for blood, Controlment for controlment: so answer France. 20 Chat. Then take my king's defiance from my mouth, The farthest limit of my embassy. 25 K. John. Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace: Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France; For ere thou canst report I will be there, The thunder of my cannon shall be heard: So hence! Be thou the trumpet of our wrath And sullen presage of your own decay. An honourable conduct let him have: Pembroke, look to 't. Farewell, Chatillon. 330 [Exeunt Chatillon and Pembroke. Eli. What now, my son! have I not ever said How that ambitious Constance would not cease Till she had kindled France and all the world, Upon the right and party of her son? This might have been prevented and made whole 11 Anjou] Rowe. Aniowe Ff. Touraine] Rowe (ed. 2). Torayne 20 Controlment...controlment] F4. Con- 22 farthest] furthest Steveens (1793). 25 For ere] Or, ere Seymour conj. 38 35 report I...there,] Capell. report, I 28 sullen] sudden Becket conj. 34 son?] sonne. F1. With very easy arguments of love, Which now the manage of two kingdoms must K. John. Our strong possession and our right for us. right, 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 a Sheriff. 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 This expedition's charge. Enter ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE, and PHILIP his bastard brother. What men are you? Bast. Your faithful subject I, a gentleman Born in Northamptonshire, and eldest son, 37 manage] mannage Ff. 43 Enter a Sheriff.] Enter the Sheriff of Northamptonshire and whispers 44 Essex.] Salisbury. Fleay conj. Enter...] Enter R. F. and Philip. with R. F. and P., his bastard brother. Capell (after line 47). 50 SCENE II. Pope. Bast.] Philip. Ff (and to line 132; afterwards Bast.). subject I, a] Capell. Subiect, I a Ff. Subject, I, a Rowe. 52 Robert] om. FF3F4. 54 Cour-de-lion] Cordelion Ff (and passim). Rob. The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge. K. John. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir? 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. 55 60 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; 65 70 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 once he slander'd me with bastardy: But whether I be as true begot or no, That still I lay upon my mother's head; But that I am as well begot, my liege, Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!- If old Sir Robert did beget us both 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! 80 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 In the large composition of this man? K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his parts And finds them perfect Richard. Sirrah, speak, What doth move you to claim your brother's land? Bast. Because he hath a half-face, like my father. With half that face would he have all my land: A half-faced groat five hundred pound a year! Rob. My gracious liege, when that my father lived, Your brother did employ my father much,— Bast. Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land: Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother. Rob. And once dispatch'd him in an embassy To treat of high affairs touching that time. 85 90 96 100 But truth is truth: large lengths of seas and shores 105 81 him,] him: Ff. 84 lent] sent Hudson (Heath conj.). See note (VI). 92-94 father. With...land:...year !] father, With...land;...year. Capell. father? With...land,...year? FF2 father, With...land,...year? F3F4. father, With...land?...year! Theobald. 93 half that face] that half-face Theobald. half the face Anon. conj. half a face Vaughan conj. 96 much,-] much- Rowe. much. Ff. 105 lengths] length Capell conj. |