My boy a bastard! By my soul, I think, It cannot be, an if thou wert his mother. Eli. There's a good mother, boy, that blots thy father. Const. There's a good grandame, 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,' Blanch. O, well did he become that lion's robe, Bast. It lies as sightly on the back of him, Aust. What cracker is this same, that deafs our ears Wilt thou resign them, and lay down thy arms? K. John. My life as soon:-I do defy thee, France. Eli. Come to thy grandame, child. Const. Do, child, go to it' grandame, child; Give grandame kingdom, and it' grandame will Give it a plum, a cherry, and a fig: There's a good grandame. 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. Eli. His mother shames him so, poor boy, he weeps. (1) One that will play the devil, sir, with you. Shakspeare does not tell us what was the cause of quarrel between the Bastard and Austria. But it was this: Austria, in token of Coeur-de-Lion having been slain through him, wore a lion's hide. Faulconbridge resents this as an insult. His grandame's wrongs, and not his mother's shames, Ay, with these crystal beads Heaven shall be brib'd Eli. Thou monstrous slanderer of heaven and earth! Of this oppressed boy: This is thy eldest son's son, Thy sins are visited in this poor child. K. John. Bedlam, have done! I have but this to say,— That he's not only plagued for her sin, Eli. Thou unadvised scold, I can produce A will, that bars the title of thy son. Const. Ay, who doubts that? a will! a wicked will; A woman's will; a canker'd grandame's will! K. Phi. Peace, lady; pause, or be more temperate: It ill beseems this presence, to cry aim1 To these ill-tuned repetitions. Some trumpet summon hither to the walls These men of Angiers; let us hear them speak, Trumpet sounds. Enter Citizens upon the Walls. Cit. Who is it that hath warn'd us to the walls? K. John. K. Phi. You loving men of Angiers, Arthur's subjects, Our trumpet call'd you to this gentle parle— K. John. For our advantage;-Therefore, hear us first. These flags of France, that are advanced here Before the eye and prospect of your town, Have hither march'd to your endamagement : The cannons have their bowels full of wrath; (1) To cry aim, i. e. to encourage. And ready-mounted are they, to spit forth And merciless proceeding, by these French, By the compulsion of their ordnance And let us in. Your king, whose labour'd spirits Craves harbourage within your city walls. K. Phi. When I have said, make answer to us both. Lo, in this right hand, whose protection Is most divinely vow'd upon the right And king o'er him, and all that he enjoys: In warlike march these greens before your town; Than the constraint of hospitable zeal, To him that owes it,-namely, this young prince : With unhack'd swords, and helmets all unbruis'd, (1) Your winking gates, i. e. gates hastily closed from a fear of danger. (2) Owes,-owns. We will bear home that lusty blood again, 1 'Tis not the rounder 1 of your old-fac'd walls Cit. In brief, we are the king of England's subjects; K. John. Acknowledge then the king, and let me in. To him will we prove loyal; till that time, Have we ramm'd up our gates against the world. K. John. Doth not the crown of England prove the king? And if not that, I bring you witnesses, Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed,— K. John. To verify our title with their lives. K. Phi. As many, and as well-born bloods as those,- K. Phi. Stand in his face, to contradict his claim. K. John. Then God forgive the sin of all those souls, That to their everlasting residence, Before the dew of evening fall, shall fleet, In dreadful trial of our kingdom's king! K. Phi. Amen, Amen!-Mount, chevaliers! to arms! Bast. St. George, that swindg'd the dragon, and e'er since, Sits on his horseback at mine hostess' door, Teach us some fence!-Sirrah, were I at home, At your den, sirrah, [to AUSTRIA] with your lioness, And make a monster of you. Aust. Peace; no more. Bast. O, tremble; for you hear the lion roar. K. John. Up higher to the plain; where we'll set forth, In best appointment, all our regiments. Bast. Speed then, to take advantage of the field. (1) 'Tis not the rounder. Rounder is a word borrowed from the French rondeur. It means the circle, &c. K. Phi. It shall be so ;-[to LEWIS] and at the other hill Command the rest to stand.-God and our right!' SCENE II.-The same. [Exeunt. Alarums and Excursions; then a Retreat. Enter a French F. Her. You men of Angiers, open wide your gates, Enter an English Herald, with Trumpets. E. Her. Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells; Their armours, that march'd hence so silver bright, Our colours do return in those same hands That did display them when we first march'd forth; Hubert. Heralds, from off our towers we might behold, Of both your armies; whose equality By our best eyes cannot be censured: 2 Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answered blows; Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted power: Both are alike; and both alike we like. One must prove greatest: while they weigh so even, We hold our town for neither; yet for both. (1) God and our right. This English motto seems to be rather out of place in the mouth of a king of France. Richard the First is said to have originally used the motto, Dieu et mon Droit. (2) Cannot be censured, i. e. cannot be judged of. |