Enter the two Kings with their Powers, at feveral Doors. K. John. France, haft thou yet more blood to caft away? Say, fhall the current of our Right run on? A peaceful progrefs to the ocean. K. Philip. England, thou haft not fav'd one drop of blood In this hot tryal, more than we of France; Gracing the fcroul, that tells of this war's lofs, Faulc. Ha! Majefty,-how high thy glory towers, When the rich blood of Kings is fet on fire! Oh, now doth Death line his dead chaps with steel; The other's peace; till then, blows, blood, and death. his Cit. The King of England, when we know the King. K. John. In us, that are our own great deputy, Lord of our prefence, Angiers, and of you. Cit. A greater pow'r, than ye, denies all this; (7) And till it be undoubted, we do lock Our former fcruple in our ftrong-barr'd gates. Be by fome certain King purg'd and depos'd. And ftand fecurely on their battlements, As in a Theatre, whence they gape and point Be friends a while, and both conjointly bend Leave them as naked as the vulgar air. Smacks it not something of the Policy? K. John. Now by the sky, that hangs above our heads, I like it well. France, fhall we knit our Pow'rs, (7) A greater Pow'r than We denies all this ;] We must cer tainly read, as Mr. Warburton acutely obferv'd to Me; A greater Pow'r, than Ye, denies all this: i. e. Tho' each of You pretend to be our rightful Kings, you are as yet only fo in fwaying over our Fears, in the Terrors we have of you; not acknowledg'd Kings in our Obedience. Then, Then, after, fight who shall be King of it? As we will ours, against these fawcy walls; Auft. I from the north. K. Philip. Our thunder from the fouth Shall rain their drift of bullets on this town. Faulc. O prudent difcipline! from North to South; Auftria and France fhoot in each other's mouth. I'll ftir them to it; come, away, away! Cit. Hear us, great Kings; vouchfafe a while to stay, And I fhall fhew you peace, and fair-fac'd league; Perfever not, but hear me, mighty Kings. K. John. Speak on, with favour; we are bent to hear. Cit. That daughter there of Spain, the lady Blanch, And he again wants nothing, (to name Want,) e He He is the half part of a bleffed man, (8) Lions fo confident, mountains and rocks So free from motion; no, not death himself As we to keep this City. Faule. Here's a stay, That shakes the rotten carcafs of old Death Out of his rags. Here's a large mouth, indeed, As maids of thirteen do of puppy-dogs. What Cannoneer begot this lufty blood? He fpeaks plain cannon-fire, and smoak and bounce, He gives the baftonado with his tongue : Our ears are cudgel'd; not a word of his, Zounds! I was never fo bethumpt with words, Since I first call'd my brother's father dad. Eli. Son, lift to this conjunction, make this match, Give with our Neice a dowry large enough;For by this knot thou fhalt fo furely tie (8) He is the half Part of a blessed Man, Left to be finished by fuch as She:] The ingenious Dr. Thira prefcrib'd that Reading, which I have here reftor'd to the Texti and which is abfolutely requifite to the Sense of the Passage. Thy Thy now unfur'd affurance to the Crown, Mark, how they whisper; urge them, while their fouls Are capable of this ambition; Left zeal now melted by the windy breath Of foft petitions, pity and remorse, Cool and congeal again to what it was. Cit. Why anfwer not the double Majesties This friendly Treaty of our threaten'd town? K. Philip. Speak, England, firft, that hath been forward first To speak unto this City: what fay you? K. John. If that the Dauphin there, thy Princely fon, Except this City now by us befieg'd, (9) For ANGIERS and fair Touraine, Maine, Poi&iers, Except this City now by us befieg'd, Find liable, &c.] This is a remarkable Inftance of Careleffnefs in a Point that ftares common Senfe full in the Face: and yet thus all the Editors in their profound Sagacity. What was the City befieg'd, but Angiers? King John, confenting to match the Lady Blanch with the Dauphin, agrees, in Part of her Dow ry, to give up all he held in France, except the City of Angiers which he now befieg'd and laid Claim to.. But could it be thought, that he should at one and the fame time give up all except Angiers, and give up That too? Anjou was one of the Provinces, which the English held in France; and which the French King by Chatilion claim'd of K. John in Right of Duke Arthur, at the very Opening of the Play. Angiers, instead of Anjou, has been falfely printed in feveral other Paffages of this Hiftory. |