K. Iohn. Mine eye hath well examined his parts, And findes them perfect Richard: firra speake, What doth moue you to claime your brothers land. 97 Philip. Because he hath a half-face like my father? 100 102 100. father?] father, Ff, Rowe,+. father. Cam.+, Neils. Craig. father! Del. father: Cap. et cet. 101. halfe that face] Ff, Rowe, Pope, Coll. i, Cam.+, Del. Neils. Craig. half the face Anon. ap. Cam. half a face Vaughan. that half-face Theob. et cet. 102. Om. Donovan. a yeere?] Ff, Rowe, Pope, Theob. Han. Warb. a year. Cap. a-year! Knt, Sta. Fle. a year! Johns. et cet. IOI. halfe that face] THEOBALD: But why 'with half that face?' There is no question but the poet wrote as I have restored the text. [See Text. Notes.]— COLLIER (ed. i.): The meaning is, that because Robert had only a thin narrow face, like his father, yet with only half the face of his father, he would have all his father's land. [Theobald's alteration] does not express what the poet seems to have intended. Philip ridicules Robert for having, in fact, only half of the half-face of his father, yet claiming all the inheritance by reason of it. [In his second edition Collier accepts Theobald's reading, though 'somewhat reluctantly,' as he acknowledges. He yields, however, only because it is corroborated by the MS. Corrector.ED.]-DYCE (Remarks, etc., p. 87): The 'half that' of the Folio is merely a transposition made by a mistake of the original compositor.... The context proves Theobald's alteration to be absolutely indispensable. According to the old reading (in spite of Collier's strange explanation) the second line contradicts the first. It may, perhaps, be worth remarking here that the following line of Rom. & Jul., II, vi, 34, 'I cannot sum up half my sum of wealth,' is given in the old editions thus (the words 'half my' being shuffled out of their right place): ‘I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth,' and 'I cannot sum up some of half my wealth.' [Wherein does one line, as printed in the folio, contradict the other? Collier's explanation, so far from being 'strange,' is, to my mind, a most lucid and convincing argument against any alteration of the text.—ED.] 102. halfe-fac'd groat] THEOBALD calls attention to the anachronism in thus alluding 'to a coin not struck till the year 1504, in the reign of Henry VII, viz.: a groat, which as well as the half-groat, bore but half-faces impressed. The poet sneers at the meagre sharp visage of the elder brother, by comparing him to a silver groat that bore the king's face in profile, so showed but half the face. [It will be noticed that Theobald here inadvertently refers this epithet to the wrong brother, Philip was the elder; the whole point of the controversy turns on the fact that the younger brother, Robert, claimed the inheritance. Theobald also says that although groats were coined in the time of Edward III, they, as well as all other coins, bore the king's face in full. He cites, in corroboration of the half-faced groat of Henry VII, Stowe: Survay of London, p. 47; Holinshed; Camden: Remains Rob. My gracious Liege, when that my father liu'd, Your brother did imploy my father much. 103 105 Phil. Well fir, by this you cannot get my land, Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother. Rob. And once dispatch'd him in an Embaffie To Germany, there with the Emperor 104, 106. imploy...employ'd] imploy... imploy'd Ff. (imploi'd F), Rowe,+. employ...employ'd Cap. et seq. 104. much.] much- Rowe, Han. Var. '73, Ktly. much.- Coll. Theob. et cet. much; 105, 106. Om. Words. Donovan. 107. And] And Wh. i, Huds. iii. 108 108. Germany,] Germany; Pope,+. there] Ff, Rowe,+ (−Var. '73), Dyce, Cam.+. there, Cap. et cet. Concerning Britain.-ED.]-STEEVENS: The same contemptuous allusion occurs in The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntington, 1601, 'You half-fac'd groat, you thickcheeked chitty-face.'-[V. i; Haz.-Dods., p. 188.] Again, in Histriomastix, 1610: 'Whilst I behold yon half-fac'd minion.'-[IV, i, 57; ed. Simpson.]-NARES (Gloss., s. v. Half-faced): Falstaff ridicules Shadow for his thin face, with the same contemptuous epithet: "This same half-faced fellow, Shadow-he presents no mark to the enemy.'—2 Henry IV: III, ii, 283. I am inclined to think that no more than a contemptuous idea of something imperfect is meant by 'half-faced' in the famous rant of Hotspur: 'But out upon this half-faced fellowship!'—1 Henry IV: I, iii, 208. It has been supposed to allude to the half-facing of a dress; but that seems too minute. Here also it means merely imperfect: 'With all other odd ends of your half-faced English.'-Nashe: Apology for Pierce Penilesse. [This last reference from Nashe is quite wrong. In the first place, there is no such title among his writings, as given either in Grosart's or McKerrow's editions. The quotation is, however, correct, and is to be found in the tractate Strange Newes of the Intercepting Certaine Letters, ed. Grosart, vol. ii, p. 210. This inaccurate reference would hardly be worth the correction, were it not that unfortunately Nares has misled the astute editor of the N. E. D., who has copied this fictitious title as a reference for the use of 'half-faced' in the sense imperfect, citing (N) as the authority, presumably Nares; but without reference to volume or page in any edition. From the context in all the passages quoted it is quite evident that 'half-faced' in the present line in King John means unfinished, imperfect. Does it not almost exactly correspond with what Gloucester says of himself?—'Deform'd, unfinished, sent before my time Into this breathing world scarce half made up.'-Rich. III: I, i, 20. -ED.] 103. when that] For other examples of 'that' used as a conjunctional affix, see, if needful, ABBOTT, § 287. 107, 108. an Embassie To Germany] BOSWELL-STONE (p. 50): Perhaps Sir Robert Faulconbridge usurped the mission of William Longchamp, Bishop of Ely, and Chancellor; sent by Richard in 1196 to confer with the Emperor Henry VI, who was anxious to prevent peace being made between the King and Philip of France. Or we may imagine that Sir Robert was one of the 'diverse noble men' who represented Richard at the coronation of the Emperor Otto IV. in 1198. The objection that neither of these dates is consistent with Faulconbridge's dramatic age need not trouble us, for Richard-who sent Sir Robert to Germany To treat of high affaires touching that time: 109. time:] time. F., Johns. Var. '73, Coll. Hal. Ktly, Glo. Cla. 110. Th'] Ff, Rowe,+ (-Var. '73), Knt, Wh. i, Dyce ii, iii, Fle. Huds. ii. The Cap. et cet. 112. Where...preuaile,] Where,...prevail, F1, Rowe,+. Where...prevail Coll. Cam.+, Del. Fle. Speake:] speak. Ktly. 113-116. Om. Wordsworth. 113, 114. Om. Donovan. 113. truth, large] truth; large Pope et seq. large...fhores] And true it is, my father Words. 113 lengths] length Cap. conj. IIO 115 120 115. As...himfelfe] F.F3. As...himjelf, F, Rowe, Coll. Cam.+, Del. Words. Fle. (As...himself) Pope et cet. 116. got:] Ff, Cap. gol. Rowe et cet. 117. he...bequeath'd] did...bequeath Words. 118. death] oath Anon. conj. ap. Cam. 119-141. Om. Words. 119. this...fonne] Fa. this...son F,F, Rowe, Pope, Sing. Ktly, Huds. Cam.+, Fle. Rlfe. this,...son, Theob. et cet. 120. And] Ff, Rowe, Pope, Theob. Warb. Johns. An Han. Del. S. Walker. And, Cap. et cet. began to reign in 1189, and Faulconbridge could not therefore have numbered more than ten historic years at the opening of Act I. in 1199. 118. tooke it on his death] STEEVENS: That is, entertained it as his fixed opinion when he was dying.-STAUNTON dissents from this interpretation by Steevens, and adds: 'We believe it was a common form of speech, and signified that he swore, or took oath, upon his death, of the truth of his belief. Thus Falstaff says: “—and when mistress Bridget lost the handle of her fan, I took't upon my honour thou hadst it not."-Merry Wives, II, ii, 11. So also, in Beaumont & Fletcher's Lover's Progress: "-upon my death I take it uncompelled, that they were guilty."'— V, iii.-MOBERLY: 'Wished that he might die if it was not true.' Why should anyone propose to read oath, especially as Falstaff says: 'I'll take it on my death I gave him this wound'?-1 Henry IV: V, iv, 153.-WRIGHT: That is, maintained it by an oath, the asseveration being as true as his death was certain; or, as I rather incline to believe, staking his life as security for his truth. See Hall's Chronicle, Henry VII, fol. 51b: 'And there Perkyn standyng on a lytle skaffolde, redde hys confession, whiche before you haue heard, and toke it on hys death to be true.' [Wright quotes two passages from Holinshed wherein this and a like phrase of asseveration are used as guarantees for the truth of a statement. Such examples might doubtless be multiplied, but these are sufficient to show that Steevens is clearly wrong in putting a too literal interpretation on the phrase.— ED.] Full fourteene weekes before the course of time: K. Iohn. Sirra, your brother is Legittimate, 121. time:] time. Johns. et seq. 122. Then...Liedge] Then...Liege, F. Then,...Liege, Pope et seq. 124. Sirra,] Sirrah, F, et seq. Legittimate] F.. 126–136. And if...fathers heyre] Om. Donovan. 126. And] Ff, Rowe,+, Coll. Wh. Dyce, Cam.+. And, Cap. et cet. 121 125 129 127. hazards] hazard Pope,+, Var. '78, '85, Ran. 128. wiues:] wives. Rowe et seq. 129. Who] F2F3, Pope, Han. Sta. Huds. Cam.+, Del. Words. Neils. Craig. Who Ktly. Who, F, et cet. Jay,] say Pope, Han. 121. Full fourteene weekes] On the question of the viability of a child thus prematurely born, see, if needful, CHESNEY: Sh. as a Physician, p. 33 et seq.-ED. 124. your brother is Legittimate] GREY (i, 275): Shakespeare appears to be out in his law; [since Robert says] That his father was sent into Germany, and the king took advantage of his absence. Which was proof that his brother Philip was illegitimate. It would have been reckon'd otherways, if his father had been anywhere within the four seas (the jurisdiction of the King of England). See Wood's Institute of the Laws of England, book I, chap. 6.-C. K. DAVIS (p. 144): [In ancient common-law] a child born after the marriage, and during the husband's life, was presumed to be legitimate. It was formerly the established doctrine that this presumption in favor of legitimacy could not be rebutted, unless the husband was absent during the whole period of the wife's pregnancy. So, if a man be within the four seas and his wife hath a child, the law presumeth that it is the child of the husband; and against this presumption the law will admit no proof (Co. Litt., 3730; 1 Phill. Ev. marg., p. 630). . . . Sir Robert was not absent in Germany during the whole period of the wife's pregnancy, and for that reason the presumption of the legitimacy, as it was at that time, became conclusive. It is also to be remarked that the king pays no attention to the declarations said to have been made by Sir Robert denying his paternity of Philip. In this he rules correctly, for nothing is better settled than that the declarations of father or mother are inadmissible to bastardize their children. This grotesque affront to common sense has long since ceased to be law. Evidence is admissible in our day to attack the legitimacy of a child even where the father was infra quatuor maribus during the whole period from conception to birth. The testimony, however, must be of the most cogent character, and leave no room for doubt. 127. Which fault] Compare III, i, 42; and for other examples of 'which' used as an adjective, see ABBOTT, § 269. 129. you say, tooke paines] This is not, I think, any inadvertence on Shake 130 Had of your father claim'd this fonne for his, 130. his,] Ff, Rowe, Pope. hisKtly. his? Theob. et cet. 132. Cow] Cow, F4, Rowe,+. world:] world. Pope, Theob. Han. Warb. world, Johns. 133. might:] might. Ktly. 134. claime] clam F. 135. him:] him. Fleay, Neils. concludes,] Ff, Rowe, Pope, Theob. Han. Warb. Ktly. concludes. 135 139 Johns. concludes; Cam.+, Del. Fleay, 138. Shal then] Shall then Ff. Shall, then, Coll. Dyce, Hal. Wh. i, Sta. Huds. Fleay. force,] force F, Rowe,+, Coll. Dyce, Wh. i, Fleay. 139. his.] his? F, et seq. speare's part; but one of those happy touches which contribute so much to the natural flow of the dialogue. It is quite in keeping that the king should not at once recall that it was Philip who used this phrase in regard to himself. (See 1. 86, ante.)-ED. 132. Calfe, bred from his Cow] STEEVENS: The decision of King John coincides with that of Menie, the Indian lawgiver: 'Should a bull beget a hundred calves on cows not owned by his master, those calves belong solely to the proprietors of the cows.' See The Hindu Laws, etc., translated by Sir W. Jones, London edit., p. 251. [See also F. F. Heard: Sh. as a Lawyer, p. 97.] 135. concludes] JOHNSON: This is a decisive argument. As your father, if he liked him, could not have been forced to resign him, so, not liking him, he is not at liberty to reject him.-DELIUS considers that according to the punctuation of the Folio 'this concludes' is to be connected with the succeeding sentence, and therefore does not bear the interpretation given by Johnson.-WRIGHT, in support of Johnson, quotes: 'The text most infallibly concludes it.'-Love's Labour's Lost, IV, ii, 120. 138, 139. Will... no force, To dispossesse] VERPLANCK: The dramatist is both legally and historically accurate. From the time of the Norman conquest lands in England ceased to be devisable, as they had been under the Saxon law. This remained in force until the Statute of Wills, in 32 Henry VIII, authorising the devises of real estate, under some restrictions, afterwards re-enacted and extended under Charles II. (See II. Blackstone's Commentaries, 374-6.) One of the exceptions to this rule was in the county of Kent, which did not apply here, as the lands are described in Northamptonshire. I do not mention this as bearing on the question of Shakespeare's asserted legal studies, because it is taken from the old King John, and it is probable it was founded on a traditional account of a true incident. |