Effex. My Liege, here is the ftrangeft controverfie, Our abbies and our priories fhall pay This expedition's charge What men are you? Enter Robert Faulconbridge, and Philip, his Brother. Phil. Your faithful fubject, I, a gentleman Born in Northamptonshire, and eldest fon, As I fuppofe, to Robert Faulconbridge. A foldier, by the honour-giving hand Of Cœur de lion knighted in the field. K John. What art thou? Rob. The fon and heir to that fame Faulconbridge Phil. Moft certain of one mother, mighty King, Eli. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame thy mother, And wound her honour with this diffidence. Phil. I, Madam? no, I have no reason for it; That is my brother's plea, and none of mine; The which if he can prove, he pops me out At least from fair five hundred pound a year : Heav'n guard my mother's honour, and my land! K. John. A good blunt fellow: why, being younger born, Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance ? Phil. I know not why, except to get the land; But whether I be true begot or no, P. 3. If If old Sir Robert did beget us both, I give heav'n thanks, I was not like to thee. K. John. Why, what a mad cap hath heav'n lent us here? Eli. He hath a trick of Caur-de lion's face, K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his parts, Rob, My gracious Liege, when that my father liv'd, Your brother did imploy my father much (2) With half that Face] But why with balf that Face? There is no Queftion but the Poet wrote, as I have reftor'd the Text, With that half-face-Mr. Pope, perhaps, will be angry with me for discovering an Anachronism of our Poet's, in the next Line; where he alludes to a Coin not ftruck 'till the Year 1504, in the Reign of King Henry VII. viz, a Groat, which, as well as the half-Groat, bare but half-faces impress'd. Vide Stow's Survey of London, p. 47. Holingshed, Cambden's Remains, &c. The Poet fneers at the meagre fharp Visage of the elder Brother, by comparing him to a Silver Groat, that bore the King's Face in Profile, fo fhew'd but half the Face. The Groats of all our Kings of England, and, indeed, all their other Coins of Silver, one or two only excepted, had a full Face crown'd; 'till Henry VII. at the Time above-mention'd, coin'd Groats and half Groats, as alfo fome Shillings, with half Faces, that is, Faces in Profile, as all our Coin has now. The firft Groats of King Henry VIII. were like those of his Father; tho' afterwards he return'd to the broad Faces again. Thefe Groats with the Impreffion in Profile, are undoubtedly here alluded to: tho', as I faid, the Poet is knowingly guilty of an Anachronism in it: for, in the Time of King John there were no Groats at all: they being firft, as far as appears, coin'd in the Reign of King Edward III. Phil. Well, Sir, by this you cannot get my land. K. John. Sirrah, your brother is legitimate; To difpoffefs that child, which is not his ? Eli. Whether hadft thou rather be a Faulconbridge, And, like thy brother, to enjoy thy land: Or the reputed fon of Coeur-de-lions P 4. Lord Lord of thy prefence, and no land befide? And if my legs were two fuch riding rods, Left men should fay, "Look, where three farthings goes! And to his fhape were heir to all this land;" I would not be Sir Nobbe in any cafe. Eli. I like thee well; wilt thou forfake thy fortune, Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me I am a foldier, and now bound to France. Phil. Brother, take you my land, I'll take my chance ; Eli. Nay, I would have you go before me thither. Phil. Philip, my Liege, fo is my name begun ;. (3) -- my Face so thin, That in mine Ear I durft not stick a Rose, Left Men fhould fay, Look, where three-farthings goes!] In this very obfcure Paffage our Poet is anticipating the Date of another Coin; humourously to rally a thin Face, eclipfed,. as it were, by a full-blown Rofe. We muft obferve, to explain this Allufion, that Queen Elizabeth was the first, and indeed the only, Prince who coin'd in England three-half-pence, and three-farthing Pieces. She at one and the fame Time, coin'd Shillings, Six-pences, Groats, Three-pences, Two-pences, Three-, half pence, Pence, Three-farthings, and Half-pence: And these Pieces all had her Head, and were alternately with the Rofe behind, and without the Rofe. The Shilling, Groat, Two-pence, Penny, and Half-penny had it not: The other intermediate Coins, viz. the Six-pence, Three-pence, Three-half-pence, and Three-farthings had the Rofe.. Johns K. John. From henceforth bear his name, whofe form Kneel thou down Philip, but rise up more great; Phil. Brother by th' mother's fide, give me your My father gave me honour, yours gave land. Phil. Madam, by chance, but not by truth; what Something about, a little from the right, In at the window, or elfe o'er the hatch : Who dares not ftir by day, muft walk by night, And have is have, however men do catch; Near or far off, well won is ftill well fhot; And I am I, howe'er I was begot. K. John. Go, Faulconbridge, now haft thou thy de- fire; A landless Knight makes thee a landed 'Squire: [Exeunt all but Philip. A foot of honour better than I was, For your converfing. Now your traveller, -My dear Sir, |