England, and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine, Maine, Wilt thou resign them, and lay down thyms? K. John. My life as soon And, out of my dear love I do defy thee, France. to mynd; thee more nce can win : Eli. Come to thy grandam, child. Const. Do, child, go it' grandam, child; Arth. Good my mother, peace! I would, that I were low laid in my grave; Eli. His mother shames him so, poor boy, he weeps. 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; That he's not only plagued for her sin, But God hath made her sin and her the plague On this removed issue, plagu'd for her, [5] Read he'r he does, or no-i. e. whether he weeps, or not. Constance, so far from admitting, expressly denies that she shames him. RITSON. [6] The key to these words is contained in the last speech of Constance, where she alludes to the denunciation of the second commandment, of "visiting the ini quities of the parents upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation," &e. HENLEY. And with her plague, her sin; his injury Eli. Thou unadvised scold, I can produce Const. Ay, who dous A woman's will; a car son. a will! a wicked will; andam's will! K. Phil. Peace, laa,; pause, or be more temperate : It ill beseems this presence, to cry aim To these ill-tuned repetitions. Some trumpet summon hither to the walls These men of Angiers; let us hear them speak, Trumpets sound. Enter Citizens upon the walls. 1 Cit. Who is it, that hath warn'd us to the walls? K. Phil. 'Tis France, for England. K. John. England, for itself: You men of Angiers, and my loving subjects, K. Phil. 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. And merciless proceeding by these French, [7] i. e. gates hastily closed from an apprehension of danger. MALONE. B VOL. V. And now, instead of bullets wrapp'd in fire, And let us in, your king; whose labour'd spirits, K. Phil. When I have said, make answer to us. In warlike march these greens before your town; Than the constraint of hospitable zeal, To him that owes it ; namely, this young prince : And stalk in blood to our possession? 1 Cit. In brief, we are the king of England's subjects, [8] i e owns it. See our author and his contemporaries, passim. STEEVENS. [9] Roundure means the same as the Fr. rondeur, i. e. the circle. STEEVENS For him, and in his right, we hold this town. K. John. Acknowledge then the king, and let me in. 1 Cit. That can we not; but he that proves the king, 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. Phil. As many, and as well-born bloods as those,Bast. Some bastards too. K. Phil.-Stand in his face, to contradict his claim. 1 Cit. Till you compound whose right is worthiest, We, for the worthiest, hold the right from both. 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. Phil. Amen, Amen!-Mount, chevaliers! to arms! Bast. St. George,-that swing'd the dragon, and e'er since, Sits on his horseback at mine hostess' door, Teach us some fence !-Sirrah, were I at home, 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. K. Phil. It shall be so;-[To LEW.] and at the other hill Command the rest to stand.-God, and our right! The same. SCENE II. [Exeunt, Alarums and Excursions: then a retreat. Enter a French Herald, with trumpets, to the gates. F. Her. You men of Angiers, open wide your gates, And let young Arthur, duke of Bretagne, in ; Who, by the hand of France, this day hath made Much work for tears in many an English mother, Whose sons lie scatter'd on the bleeding ground: E. Her. Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells; King John, your king and England's, doth approach, Commander of this hot, malicious day! Their armours, that march'd hence so silver-bright, That is removed by a staff of France; Our colours do return in those same hands Cit. Heralds, from on our towers we might behold, Of both your armies; whose equality ; Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answer'd 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, Enter, at one side, King JOHN, with his power; ELINOR, K. John. France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away? Say, shall the current of our right run on n? [1] This speech is very poetical and smooth, and except the conceit of the widon's husband embracing the earth, is just and beautiful. JOHNSON. [2] It was, I think, one of the savage practices of the chase, for all to stain their bands in the blood of the deer, as a trophy. JOHNSON. [3] The English Herald falls somewhat below his antagonist. Süver armour gült with blood is a poor image. JOHNSON. [4] i. e. cannot be estimated. MALONE. |