KING JOHN. DRAMATIS PERSONA. PRINCE HENRY, his Son. ARTHUR, Duke of Bretagne, Nephew to KING JOHN. WILLIAM MARESHALL, Earl of Pembroke. GEFFREY FITZ-PETER, Earl of Essex, Chief Justiciary of England. WILLIAM LONGSWORD, Earl of Salisbury. ROBERT BIGOT, Earl of Norfolk. HUBERT DE BURGH, Chamberlain to the KING. ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE. PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE, his Half-brother. JAMES GURNEY, Servant to LADY FAULCONBRIDGE. PETER OF POMFRET, a Prophet. PHILIP, King of France. LEWIS, the Dauphin. ARCHDUKE OF AUSTRIA. CARDINAL PANDULPH, the Pope's Legate. MELUN, a French Lord. CHATILLON, Embassador from France. ELINOR, Widow of King Henry II., and Mother to KING JOHN. BLANCH, Daughter to Alphonso, King of Castile, and Niece to KING JOHN. Lords, Ladies, Citizens of Angiers, Sheriff, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and Attendants. SCENE,-Sometimes in ENGLAND, and sometimes in FRANCE. KING JOHN. ACT I. SCENE I.-NORTHAMPTON. A Room of State in the Palace. Enter KING JOHN, Queen ELINOR, PEMBROKE, ESSEX, SALISBURY, and others, with CHATILLON. K. John. Now, say, Chatillon, what would France with us? In my behaviour, to the majesty, The borrow'd majesty of England here. Eli. A strange beginning;-borrow'd majesty! King John. Silence, good mother; hear the embassy. Of thy deceased brother Geffrey's son, Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine; Which sways usurpingly these several titles, Thy nephew and right royal sovereign. K. John. What follows, if we disallow of this? To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld. K. John. Here have we war for war, and blood for blood, Controlment for controlment: so answer France. Chat. Then take my king's defiance from my mouth, The farthest limit of my embassy. K. John. Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace : Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France: For ere thou canst report I will be there, The thunder of my cannon shall be heard: [Exeunt CHATILLON and PEMBROKE. Eli. What now, my son! have I not ever said, This might have been prevented, and made whole, Which now the manage of two kingdoms must With fearful bloody issue arbitrate. K. John. Our strong possession, and our right for us. Or else it must go wrong with you, and me: So much my conscience whispers in your ear, Enter the Sheriff of Northamptonshire, who whispers Essex. K. John. Let them approach. Our abbeys, and our priories, shall pay [Exit Sheriff. Re-enter Sheriff, with ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE, and PHILIP, his bastard Brother. What men are you? Bast. Your faithful subject I; a gentleman Born in Northamptonshire, and eldest son, A soldier, by the honour-giving hand K. John. What art thou? Rob. The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge. You came not of one mother, then, it seems. Bast. Most certain of one mother, mighty king,- Eli. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame thy mother, And wound her honour with this diffidence. Bast. I, Madam? no, I have no reason for it,— The which if he can prove, 'a pops me out K. John. A good blunt fellow.-Why, being younger born, Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance? Bast. I know not why, except to get the land But whe'r I be as true begot, or no, (Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!) And were our father, and this son like him,— O, old Sir Robert, father, on my knee I give heaven thanks, I was not like to thee. K. John. Why, what a madcap hath heaven lent us here! Eli. He hath a trick of Coeur-de-lion's face; The accent of his tongue affecteth him: Do you not read some tokens of my son In the large composition of this man? K. John. Mine eye hath well examinèd his parts, Bast. Well, Sir, by this you cannot get my land: |