And though thou now confess thou didst but jest, 16 20 24 What means that hand upon that breast of thine? That give you cause to prove my saying true. 28 CONSTANCE. O! if thou teach me to believe this sorrow, Teach thou this sorrow how to make me die; As doth the fury of two desperate men 32 36 Lewis marry Blanch! O boy! then where art thou? But spoke the harm that is by others done? CONSTANCE. Which harm within itself so heinous is As it makes harmful all that speak of it. 41 ARTHUR. I do beseech you, madam, be content. CONSTANCE. If thou, that bidd'st me be content, wert grim, Ugly and slanderous to thy mother's womb, 44 Nature and Fortune join'd to make thee great : I SALISBURY. Pardon me, madam, may not go without you to the kings. CONSTANCE. with thee. Thou mayst, thou shalt: I will not go I will instruct my sorrows to be proud; 808 68 72 [Seats herself on the ground. Enter KING JOHN, KING PHILIP, LEWIS, BLANCH, ELINOR, the BASTARD, DUKE OF AUSTRIA, and Attendants. PHILIP. 'Tis true, fair daughter; and this blessed day Ever in France shall be kept festival: 76 80 CONSTANCE. [Rising.] A wicked day, and not a holy day! What hath this day deserv'd? what hath it done 84 That it in golden letters should be set PHILIP. By heaven, lady, you shall have no cause To curse the fair proceedings of this day: Have I not pawn'd to you my majesty ? CONSTANCE. You have beguil'd me with a counterfeit Resembling majesty, which, being touch'd and tried, Proves valueless: you are forsworn, forsworn; 100 104 108 And our oppression hath made up this league. AUSTRIA. CONSTANCE. a war. 112 Lady Constance, peace! O, Lymoges! O, Austria! thou dost shame That bloody spoil: thou slave, thou wretch, thou coward! Thou little valiant, great in villany! Thou ever strong upon the stronger side! Thou Fortune's champion, that dost never fight 116 To teach thee safety! thou art perjur'd too, AUSTRIA. 120 124 128 O! that a man should speak those words to me. THE BASTARD. And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs. AUSTRIA. Thou dar'st not say so, villain, for thy life. 132 THE BASTARD. And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs. KING JOHN. We like not this; thou dost forget thyself. Enter PANDULPH. PHILIP. Here comes the holy legate of the pope. PANDULPH. Hail, you anointed deputies of heaven! To thee, King John, my holy errand is. 137 I Pandulph, of fair Milan cardinal, And from Pope Innocent the legate here, Do in his name religiously demand 140 Why thou against the church, our holy mother, So wilfully dost spurn; and, force perforce, Keep Stephen Langton, chosen Archbishop Of Canterbury, from that holy see ? 144 This, in our foresaid holy father's name, Pope Innocent, I do demand of thee. KING JOHN. What earthly name to interrogatories Can task the free breath of a sacred king? 148 Thou canst not, cardinal, devise a name So slight, unworthy and ridiculous, To charge me to an answer, as the pope. Tell him this tale; and from the mouth of England 152 Add thus much more: that no Italian priest PHILIP. 156 160 Brother of England, you blaspheme in this. KING JOHN. Though you and all the kings of Christendom Are led so grossly by this meddling priest, Against the pope, and count his friends my foes. 164 168 PANDULPH. Then, by the lawful power that I have, Thou shalt stand curs'd and excommunicate: 173 And blessed shall he be that doth revolt From his allegiance to a heretic; And meritorious shall that hand be call'd, 176 Canonized and worshipp'd as a saint, That takes away by any secret course That I have room with Rome to curse awhile. To my keen curses; for without my wrong PANDULPH. my curse. CONSTANCE. no right, 180 There's law and warrant, lady, for 184 And for mine too: when law can do Let it be lawful that law bar no wrong. 188 |