Of foft petitions, pity, and remorse,
Cool and congeal again to what it was.

Cit. Why anfwer not the double majesties
This friendly treaty of our threaten'd town?

K. Phil. Speak England first, that hath been forward first To speak unto this city: What say you?

K. John. If that the Dauphin there, thy princely fon, Can in this book of beauty read, I love,

Her dowry fhall weigh equal with a queen:
For Anjou, and fair Touraine, Maine, Poitiers,
And all that we upon this fide the fea
(Except this city now by us befieg'd)
Find liable to our crown and dignity,
Shall gild her bridal bed; and make her rich
In titles, honours, and promotions,

As fhe in beauty, education, blood,

Holds hand with any princefs of the world.

K. Phil. What fay'ft thou, boy? look in the lady's face. Lewis. I do, my lord; and in her eye I find

A wonder, or a wondrous miracle,

The shadow of myself form'd in her eye;

Which, being but the fhadow of your fon,

Becomes a fun, and makes your fon a fhadow:
I do proteft, I never lov'd myself,

'Till now infixed I beheld myself,

Drawn in the flattering table of her eye.

[Whispers with Blanch.

Faulc. Drawn in the flattering table of her eye!Hang'd in the frowning wrinkle of her brow!And quarter'd in her heart!-he doth efpy Himself love's traitor: This is pity now,

That hang'd, and drawn, and quarter'd, there fhould be, In fuch a love fo vile a lout as he.

Blanch. My uncle's will, in this refpect is mine: If he fee ought in you, that makes him like,

That

That any thing he fees, which moves his liking,
I can with ease translate it to my will;
Or, if you will, (to speak more properly)
I will enforce it easily to my love.
Further I will not flatter you, my lord,
That all I fee in you is worthy love,
Than this, that nothing do I fee in you,

(Though churlish thoughts themselves fhould be your judge)

That I can find should merit any hate,

K. John. What say these young ones? What fay you, my niece?

Blanch. That fhe is bound in honour still to do What you in wisdom still vouchfafe to fay.

K. John. Speak then, prince Dauphin; can you love this lady?

Lewis. Nay, afk me if I can refrain from love; For I do love her most unfeignedly.

K. John. Then do I give. Volqueffen, Touraine, Maine, Poitiers, and Anjou, thefe five provinces, With her to thee; and this addition more, Full thirty thousand marks of English coin.Philip of France, if thou be pleas'd withal, Command thy son and daughter to join hands.

K. Philip. It likes us well;-Young princes, close your hands.

Auft. And your lips too; for, I am well affur'd, That I did fo, when I was first affur'd.

a

K. Phil. Now, citizens of Angiers, ope your gates, Let in that amity which you have made; For at faint Mary's chapel, prefently, The rites of marriage fhall be folemniz'd.Is not the lady Conftance in this troop?

a

7 Volqueen,]-the Vexin. * first affur'd.]—affianced, contracted.

Į know,

I know, fhe is not; for this match, made up,
Her prefence would have interrupted much :-
Where is the and her fon; tell me, who knows?

Lewis. She is fad and paffionate at your highness' tent.
K. Phil. And, by my faith, this league, that we have
made,

Will give her sadness very little cure.-
Brother of England, how may we content
This widow lady? In her right we came;
Which we, God knows, have turn'd another way,
To our own vantage.

K. John. We will heal up all:

For we'll create young Arthur duke of Bretagne,
And earl of Richmond; and this rich fair town
We make him lord of.-Call the lady Constance;
Some speedy meffenger bid her repair

To our folemnity :-I truft we shall,
If not fill up the measure of her will,
Yet in fome measure fatisfy her fo,.
That we shall stop her exclamation.
Go we, as well as hafte will fuffer us,
To this unlook'd for unprepared pomp.

[Exeunt all but Faulconbridge.

Faulc. Mad world! mad kings! mad compofition!
John, to stop Arthur's title in the whole,
Hath willingly departed with a part:

And France, (whofe armour confcience buckled on;
Whom zeal and charity brought to the field,
As God's own foldier) rounded in the ear
With that fame purpose-changer, that fly devil;
That broker, that still breaks the pate of faith
That daily break-vow; he that wins of all,

Mad-Strange, abfurd. d rounded]-whispered.

e departed with]-relinquished.

Of

Of kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids,
(Who having no external thing to lofe

But the word maid, cheats the poor maid of that)
That smooth-fac'd gentleman, tickling commodity,-
Commodity, the bias of the world;

The world, who of itself is ' peised well,
Made to run even, upon even ground;
'Till this advantage, this vile drawing bias,
This fway of motion, this commodity,
Makes it take head from all indifferency,
From all direction, purpofe, course, intent:
And this fame bias, this commodity,

This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word,
Clapt on the outward eye of fickle France,
Hath drawn him from his own-determin'd aid,
From a refoly'd and honourable war,
To a moft bafe and vile-concluded peace.-
And why rail I on this commodity?

But for because he hath not woo'd me yet:
Not that I have the power to clutch my hand,
When his fair angels would falute my palm;
'But for my hand, as unattempted yet,
Like a poor beggar, raileth on the rich.
Well, whiles I am a beggar, I will rail,
And fay, there is no fin, but to be rich;
And being rich, my virtue then shall be,
To fay, there is no vice, but beggary:
Since kings break faith upon commodity,
Gain, be my lord; for I will worship thee!

e Commodity]-Self-interest. peised ]-poised.

bis fair angels]-coin.

[Exit.

"I will turn difeafes to commodity." HENRY IV. Part II. A&t I. S. 2. Fal. clutch]-clench, fhut it faft.

But for]-But because.

ACT

ACT III. SCENE I.

The French King's Pavilion.

Enter Conftance, Arthur, and Salisbury.

Conft. Gone to be marry'd! gone to swear a peace! False blood to false blood join'd! Gone to be friends! Shall Lewis have Blanch? and Blanch those provinces ? It is not fo; thou haft mif-fpoke, mif-heard;

Be well advis'd, tell o'er thy tale again :
It cannot be; thou doft but fay, 'tis fo;
I truft, I may not trust thee; for thy word
Is but the vain breath of a common man :
Believe me, I do not believe thee, man;
I have a king's oath to the contrary.

Thou shalt be punish'd for thus frighting me,
For I am fick, and capable of fears;

Opprefs'd with wrongs, and therefore full of fears;
A widow, husbandlefs, fubject to fears;

A woman, naturally born to fears :

And though thou now confess thou didst but jest,
With my vext spirits I cannot take a truce,
But they will quake and tremble all this day.
What doft thou mean by shaking of thy head?
Why doft thou look fo fadly on my son ?
What means that hand upon that breast of thine?
Why holds thine eye that lamentable rheum,
Like a proud river peering o'er his bounds?
Be these fad figns confirmers of thy words?
Then speak again; not all thy former tale,
But this one word, whether thy tale be true.

Sal.