Give grandam kingdom, and it' grandam will Arth. Good my mother, peace! I would, that I were low laid in my grave; Eli. His mother shames him so, poor boy, he weeps. Const. Now shame upon you, whe'r she does, or no! His grandam's wrongs, and not his mother's shames, Draw those heaven-moving pearls from his poor eyes, Which heaven shall take in nature of a fee; Ay, with these crystal beads heaven shall be bribed Eli. Thou monstrous slanderer of heaven and earth! Const. Thou monstrous injurer of heaven and earth! Call not me slanderer; thou, and thine usurp The dominations, royalties, and rights, Of this oppressed boy: this is thy eldest son's son, Thy sins are visited in this poor child; That he's not only plagued for her sin, All punish'd in the person of this child, Eli. Thou unadvised scold, I can produce A will, that bars the title of thy son. Const. Ay, who doubts that? a will! a wicked will; A woman's will; a canker'd grandam's will! K. Phi. Peace, lady; pause, or be more temperate: It ill beseems this presence, to cry aim* To these ill-tuned repetitions. Some trumpet summon hither to the walls These men of Angiers; let us hear them speak, Whose title they admit, Arthur's or John's. Trumpets sound. Enter CITIZENS upon the walls. 1 Cit. Who is it that hath warn'd us to the walls? K. Phi. "Tis France, for England. K. John. England, for itself: You men of Angiers, and my loving subjects, K. Phi. You loving men of Angiers, Arthur's subjects, Our trumpet call'd you to this gentle parlé. *To encourage. K. John. For our advantage, therefore hear us first.- And merciless proceeding by these French, By the compulsion of their ordnance And let us in, your king; whose labour'd spirits, Crave harbourage within your city walls. K. Phi. When I have said, make answer to us both. Is most divinely vow'd upon the right And king o'er him, and all that he enjoys: For this down-trodden equity we tread In warlike march these greens before your town; Than the constraint of hospitable zeal, To him that owest it; namely, this young prince: Save in aspéct, have all offence seal'd up; With unhack'd swords, and helmets all unbruised, *Half-closed. + Worn out. + Owns. And leave your children, wives, and you, in peace. 1 Cit. In brief, we are the king of England's subjects; For him, and in his right, we hold this town. K. John. Acknowledge then the king, and let me in. 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? Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed,- K. John. To verify our title with their lives. K. Phi. As many, and as well-born bloods as those,- K. Phi. Stand in his face, to contradict his claim. 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. Phi. 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, At your den, sirrah [To AUSTRIA], with your lioness, I'd set an ox-head to your lion's hide, 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. Phi. It shall be so [To LEWIS]; and at the other hill Command the rest to stand.-God, and our right! SCENE II-The same. [Exeunt. Alarums and Excursions; then a Retreat. Enter a 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; * Circuit. Who, by the hand of France, this day hath made Enter an English HERALD, with trumpets. E. Her. Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells, Their armours, that march'd hence so silver-bright, 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, Of both your armies; whose equality By our best eyes cannot be censured: Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answer'd blows; Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted power: One must prove greatest: while they weigh so even, Enter, at one side, KING JOHN, with his power; ELINOR, K. John. France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away? Say, shall the current of our right run on? Whose passage, vex'd with thy impediment, Shall leave his native channel, and o'er-swell With course disturb'd even thy confining shores, A peaceful progress in the ocean. K. Phi. England, thou hast not saved 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, *Judged, determined. Or add a royal number to the dead; Bast. Ha, majesty! how high thy glory towers, The other's peace; till then, blows, blood, and death! 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 you, kings; And stand securely on their battlements. As in a theatre, whence they gape and point At your industrious scenes and acts of death. Be friends a while, and both conjointly bend 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, * Potentates. + Ruled by. + Mutineers. § Alarming. |