SCENE [I. France.] Before Angiers. Enter AUSTRIA [and forces, drums, etc., on one side on the other] KING PHILIP of France [and his power]; LEWIS, ARTHUR, CONSTANCE [and attendants]."

Lew. Before Angiers well met, brave Austria.

Arthur, that great forerunner of thy blood,
Richard, that robb'd the lion of his heart
And fought the holy wars in Palestine,
By this brave duke came early to his grave;
And for amends to his posterity,
At our importance hither is he come
To spread his colours, boy, in thy behalf,
And to rebuke the usurpation

Of thy unnatural uncle, English John.

10

Embrace him, love him, give him welcome

My Lord Chatillon may from England bring That right in peace which here we urge in war, And then we shall repent each drop of blood That hot rash haste so indirectly shed.

To land his legions all as soon as I;

His marches are expedient to this town,
His forces strong, his soldiers confident.
With him along is come the mother-queen,
An Ate, stirring him to blood and strife;
With her her niece, the Lady Blanch of Spain;
With them a bastard of the king's deceas'd; s
And all the unsettled humours of the land,
Rash, inconsiderate, fiery voluntaries
With ladies' faces and fierce dragons' spleens,
Have sold their fortunes at their native homes,
Bearing their birthrights proudly on their
backs,

To make a hazard of new fortunes here.
In brief, a braver choice of dauntless spirits
Than now the English bottoms have waft o'er
Did never float upon the swelling tide,
To do offence and scath in Christendom.
The interruption of their churlish drums
Cuts off more circumstance. They are at hand,
[Drum beats.

To parley or to fight; therefore prepare.

temperate.

195

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. 200
Trumpet sounds. Enter a CITIZEN upon the
walls [attended].

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 parle K. John. For our advantage; therefore hear us first.

206

214

These flags of France, that are advanced here
Before the eye and prospect of your town,
Have hither march'd to your endamagement.
The cannons have their bowels full of wrath, 210
And ready mounted are they to spit forth
Their iron indignation 'gainst your walls.
All preparation for a bloody siege
And merciless proceeding by these French
Confronts your city's eyes, your winking gates;
And but for our approach those sleeping stones,
That as a waist doth girdle you about,
By the compulsion of their ordinance
By this time from their fixed beds of lime
Had been dishabited, and wide havoc made 220
For bloody power to rush upon your peace.
But on the sight of us your lawful king,
Who painfully with much expedient march
Have brought a countercheck before your
gates,

Cit. Till you compound whose right is worthiest,

We for the worthiest hold the right for both. K. John. Then God forgive the sin of all those souls

That to their everlasting residence,

285

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. Saint George, that swinged the dragon, and e'er since

Sits on his horseback at mine hostess' door, Teach us some fence! [To Aust.] Sirrah, were I at home,

At your den, sirrah, with your lioness,

I would set an ox-head to your lion's hide,
And make a monster of you.

Aust.

290

Peace! no more. Bast. O, tremble, for you hear the lion

roar.

From first to last, the onset and retire

325

We hold our town for neither, yet for both. Re-enter the two KINGS, with their powers, at several doors.

K. John. France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away?

Say, shall the current of our right run on ? 335 Whose passage, vex'd with thy impediment, Shall leave his native channel and o'erswell With course disturb'd even thy confining shores, Unless thou let his silver water keep

A peaceful progress to the ocean.

340

K. Phi. 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, That sways the earth this climate overlooks, Before we will lay down our just-borne arms, We'll put thee down, 'gainst whom these arms we bear,

346

Or add a royal number to the dead,
Gracing the scroll that tells of this war's loss
With slaughter coupled to the name of kings.
Bast. Ha, majesty! how high thy glory
towers,

350

When the rich blood of kings is set on fire! O, now doth Death line his dead chaps with steel;

355

The swords of soldiers are his teeth, his fangs;
And now he feasts, mousing the flesh of men,
In undetermin'd differences of kings.
Why stand these royal fronts amazed thus?
Cry, havoc kings. Back to the stained field,
You equal potents, fiery-kindled spirits!
Then let confusion of one part confirm
The other's peace. Till then, blows, blood, and
death!

360

K. John. Whose party do the townsmen yet admit ?

K. Phi. Speak, citizens, for England, who 's your king?

Cit. The King of England, when we know the King.

K. Phi. Know him in us, that here hold up

his right.

366

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.

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, Kings of our fear, until our fears, resolv'd, 371 Be by some certain king purg'd and depos'd. Bast. By heaven, these scroyles of Angiers flout you, kings,