certain pertinent aspects of John's character and it was found that the Church was presented in a consistently favorable light. It still remains to examine certain minor relations between Cardinal Pandulph and the other characters.

Philip Pandulph

The royal purple and the kingly crown are not the least marks of the kingship of Philip of France. There is noble purpose and high resolve in his demands on King John (II, i, 89-109, 112-117). Although John has appeared quite unexpectedly (II, i, 80), Philip proves himself John's equal in the battle that ensues. As a diplomat, Philip completely outwits John, even without the advantage of a victory. His every utterance is marked with dignity. Although he betrays the cause of Arthur for the sake of his own interests -far-reaching, indeed, yet he is not without redeeming qualities. He demands some provisions for Arthur, and he shows disgust for his part in this ignoble pact (II, i, 545549.) Later Philip admits his royal pledge to Constance, and he actually assures her that he will still redeem his pledge (III, i, 96-98). From these words it would seem that his plans were deeper than the mere happenings disclose.

The command of the Church that Philip of France should break his peace with King John is contrary to the plans and policy of the French king. It is precisely at this point that Philip pays his great tribute to the fairness of the Church and to her high authority. He not only asks the Cardinal, the representative of a partisan claim in the dispute, to advise him in the matter, but he also follows the Cardinal's counsel, although it be wholly contrary to his ambitions and quite averse to purely human sentiments. Backed by a character that is not unspotted, but by no means devoid of honor, Philip of France, not only shows his deep respect for the Cardinal, but emphasizes most admirably his high regard for the Catholic Church by his manifestation of his faith and confidence in her principles and judgement and by extending to her his wholehearted and disinterested service, at her command. Shakespeare has based Philip's compliance with the Church's request entirely on his obligation of conscience. Thus, the entire incident does honor to the Church, even though the interests of England are thereby jeopardized.

Lewis-Pandulph

Lewis, the Dauphin, belongs to the class of Hotspur. He is young, fiery and warlike. The vehemence of his spirited nature is well emphasized when he advocates immediate war on his own wedding day (III, i, 204-206, 300, 317-318). The defeat of the French forces after the excommunication brings confusion into the heart of the youthful Prince, and the expedition of John strikes his mind with utter amazement (III, iv, 10-14). With leaden feet he shuffles to the dungeon of shame and despair (III, iv, 107-111). All this is characteristic of a high spirited youth whose rosy philosophy of life is shaken to its very foundation at the first shock of failure. The Cardinal consoles the young Prince, and "with a prophetic spirit" points out how the present victory of John will redound to John's own discomfiture whereas the Prince's defeat may readily become the stepping stone to England's throne for the Dauphin Lewis (III, iv, 124-159). In this speech Pandulph proves himself a farsighted statesman, who has an imagination keen enough to see eventualities which subsequent events prove to have been no mere surmise. That Pandulph points out these eventualities in order to raise the drooping spirit of the Dauphin is just clear sighted wisdom, which is neither unethical nor immoral, and which only a fool would discountenance in the great game of international chess.

Accordingly the Dauphin Lewis had landed his forces in England, and with many English lords fighting under his banner, he cherished high prospects of victory. In the face of such high ambitions, Pandulph's announcement of John's reconciliation and his request that Lewis should, therefore, desist from further warfare (V, ii, 68-77), destroyed with one blow the castle of his most favored dreams. Such a blow to his youthful spirits naturally had a tremendous reaction. The reaction of Lewis at the instance of throwing aside his opportunities and his ambitions was certainly characteristic of a highly spirited youth. Lewis considers externals only: the indignity of an apparant retreat, the vast possibilities of the powers at his command, the prospect of a kingly crown, not the question of moral right. With his usual wisdom and self-composure, Pandulph allows the youth to vent his willful feelings in a tirade of words (V, ii, 78-108). Then, when the youth is breathless, Pandulph coolly remarks, "You looke but on the out-side of this worke." (V, ii, 114). But the headstrong youth will pause for no deliberate reflection.

This scene is said to reveal again the sentiments of Shakespeare, in much the same manner as John's defiance and boast. If this be true, it would be interesting to know just how Lewis could have reacted without revealing Shakespeare's sentiments. If Lewis would have immediately terminated the war at Pandulph's suggestion, this instance would probably have been catalogued among "the fatal influences of Rome". But no matter what suppositions may be made, the entire scene gives a purely natural character delineation, and it is quite essential to the plot that Lewis was made to react in this manner. If in this case Lewis is the mouthpiece of Shakespeare's innermost feelings, what evidence is there to indicate this? However, there is evidence to indicate the contrary, for in spite of all the bravado that Shakespeare puts into the mouth of Lewis, the great dramatist crowns the ambitions of the headstrong youth with defeat. And what is more, Shakespeare was too great a student of human nature to express his views through the irate words of a youth, and still vainly hope to influence the public. In view of Lewis' worldly motives in strongly rejecting Pandulph's proposals, and in view of the defeat of Lewis' designs, it is an ungrounded assumption to say that Shakespeare reflected his own innermost convictions in the indignant words of the impassioned Lewis.

Furthermore, Pandulph's action towards Lewis could not have been otherwise if the Cardinal's course were to be in harmony with sound principle. When Pandulph encouraged Lewis to continue the war against John, John was in the eyes of Christendom deposed as an excommunicate and a heretic. Consequently, Pandulph was fully justified in showing Lewis the English throne as the goal of his ambition. However, when Pandulph returned the crown to King John, the Cardinal did the only proper thing. John had been in possession of the crown before the excommunication. When John was reconciled to the Church, he was still in possession of the crown. Since John was once again within the communion of the Church, Pandulph was constrained to return the crown to John, for it was not his business to interfere with the royal succession to England's throne on ground that pertained merely to the internal politics of the Island Kingdom. Thus Pandulph acted strictly according to principle, and by token of the same principle Pandulph was constrained to bid Lewis return in peace to France. With John's reconcilliation Lewis' claims to the English throne ceased, and with the crown within his grasp, Lewis was loathe to admit that his position was now untenable. Pandulph's words at once take a deeper meaning: "You looke but on the out-side of this worke." Acquainted as they were with the law of excommunication, Elizabethans would doubtlessly have looked upon Pandulph's attitude towards Lewis, not in any way as capricious, but as fully in harmony with the law and certainly as most favorable to English nationalism.

As the play progresses, the power of the Dauphin in England is weakened by the return of the English lords to their allegiance and by the loss of the fresh supplies on Goodwin Sands (V, v, 10-13). Before this, the French had been in the ascendancy in England (V, i, 30-36; V, v, 1-8). But, while the English gained by the return of the lords, Faulconbridge lost half the English power in the Lincoln Washes (V, vi, 39-40). Thus, the two forces are somewhat balanced with the Dauphin holding an important part of England. It is then that the Cardinal arrives from Lewis with honorable terms of peace (V, vii, 81-86). Seemingly Pandulph has succeeded in dissuading Lewis from the invasion of England. But be this as it may, the fact that the Dauphin has "put his cause and quarrell to the disposing of the Cardinall" (V, vii, 91-92), shows that the Dauphin Lewis did hold the Cardinal in high esteem.

Thus Shakespeare presents again the Cardinal as acting strictly in accordance with his mission and in accordance with the laws and principles of the Catholic Church, and in doing so, he presents the Catholic Church as fair and just to the nations of the world.

Constance-Pandulph

Constance is a widow, whose only son, the ligitimate heir to the English throne, has been deprived of his inheritance by the usurping John. The sole ambition of the Lady Constance is to see her son crowned king of England. The position of Constance and Arthur is at once pitiable and pathetic. The fact that the King of France accepts a most favorable peace, contrary to his sworn promise to her and much to the detriment of her cause, seems like robbing the widow and the orphan. In this way the cause of Arthur gains the sympathy of the audience, for he is simply the helpless victim, whose inheritance has become the spoils of ambitious kings.

It is at this juncture that Pandulph comes upon the The Church's quarrel with King John aroused new hope in the heart of Constance. Here was her opportunity