For him, and in his right, we hold this town. K. John. Acknowledge then the king, and let me i n. 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! SCENE II. [Exeunt. The same. Alarums and Excursions: then a Retreat. Enter at 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, 3* VOL. 1V. 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 That did display them when we first march'd forth; Cit. Heralds, from off our towers we might behold, From first to last, the onset and retire Of both your armies; whose equality By our best eyes cannot be censured :4 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, We hold our town for neither; yet for both. Enter, at one side, King JOHN, with his Power; ELINOR, BLANCH, and the Bastard; at the other, King PHILIP, LewIS, AUSTRIA, and Forces. K.John. France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away? Say, shall the current of our right run on? This speech is very poetical and smooth, and except the conceit of the widow'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 hands in the blood of the deer, as a trophy. JOHNS [3] The English Herald falls somewhat below his antagonist. Silver ar mour gilt with blood is a poor image JOHNSON. [4] i. e. cannot be estimated. MAL. Whose passage, vex'd with thy impediment, A peaceful progress to the ocean. K.Phil. England, thou hast not sav'd one drop of blood, In this hot trial, more than we of France; Rather, lost more: And by this hand I swear, We'll put thee down, gainst whom these arms we bear, Gracing the scroll, that tells of this war's loss, Rast. Ha, majesty ! how high thy glory towers, Why stand these royal fronts amazed thus ? Then let confusion of one part confirm The other's peace; till then, blows, blood, and death! K. John. Whose party do the townsmen yet admit ? K. Phil. Speak, citizens for, England; who's your king? Cit. The king of England, when we know the king. K. Phil. Know him in us, that here hold up his right. K. John. In us, that are our own great deputy, And bear possession of our person here; Lord of our presence, Angiers, and of you. 1 Cit. A greater power than we, denies all this; And, till it be undoubted, we do lock Our former scruple in our strong-barr'd gates: Bast. By heaven, these scroyles of Angiers? flout [5] That is, command slaughter to proceed. So, in Julius Cæsar : "Cry, havock, and let slip the dogs of war." JOHNS. [6] i. e. our fears are the kings which at present rule us. [7] Escroulles, Fr. i.e. scabby, scrophulous fellows. WARB. STEEV. And stand securely on their battlements, Be friends a while, and both conjointly bend Even tili unfenced desolation Leave them as naked as the vulgar air. To whom, in favour, she shall give the day, How like you this wild counsel, mighty states? Smacks it not something of the policy? K. John. Now, by the sky that hangs above our heads, I like it well;-France, shall we knit our powers, Then, after, fight who shall be king of it? Bast. An if thou hast the mettle of a king,- As we will ours, against these saucy walls : Make work upon ourselves, for heaven, or hell. K. Phil. Let it be so :-Say, where will you assault ? K. John. We from the west will send destruction Into this city's bosom. Aust. I from the north. K. Phil. Our thunder from the south, Shall rain their drift of bullets on this town. Bast. O prudent discipline! From north to south ; Austria and France shoot in each other's mouth; [Aside. I'll stir them to it :-Come, away, away! 1 Cit Hear us, great kings: vouchsafe a while to stay, And I shall show you peace, and fair-faced league ; Win you this city, without stroke, or wound; K. John. Speak on, with favour; we are bent to hear. 1 Cit. That daughter there of Spain, the lady Blanch, Is near to England; Look upon the years Of Lewis the Dauphin, and that lovely maid: Is the young Dauphin every way complete : O, two such silver currents, when they join, Do glorify the banks that bound them in : And two such shores to two such streams made one, Two such controling bounds shall you be, kings, Lions more confident, mountains and rocks As we to keep this city. Bast. Here's a stay, 9 [8] Zealous seems here to signify pious, or influenced by motives of religion. JOHNS. [9] Stay, I apprehend, here signifies a supporter of a cause. Here's an extraordinary partizan, that shakes &c. It is observable, that partizan, in like manner, though now generally used to signify an adherent to a party, originally meant a pike or halberd. MAL. |