But on the fight of us your lawful King,
(Who painfully with much expedient march
Have brought a counter-check before your gates,
To fave unfcratch'd your city's threatned cheeks)
Behold, the French, amaz'd, vouchfafe a parle;
And now, inftead of bullets wrap'd in fire,
To make a fhaking fever in your walls,
They shoot but calm words folded up in fmoak,
To make a faithlefs error in your ears;
Which truft accordingly, kind citizens;
And let in us, your King, whofe labour'd fpirits,
Fore-weary'd in this action of fwift fpeed,
Crave harbourage within your city-walls.
K. Philip. When I have faid, make answer to us
both.
Lo! in this right hand, whofe protection
Is most divinely vow'd upon the right
Of him it holds, ftands young Plantagenet;
Son to the elder brother of this man,
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:
Being no further enemy to you,
Than the constraint of hofpitable zeal,
In the relief of this oppreffed child,
Religiously provokes. Be pleased then
To pay that duty, which you truly owe
To him that owns it; namely, this young prince.
And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear,
Save in afpect, hath all offence feal'd up:
Our cannons' malice vainly fhall be spent
Against th' invulnerable clouds of heav'n;
And with a bleffed, and unvext retire,
With unhack'd swords, and helmets all unbruis'd,
We will bear home that lufty blood again,
Which here we came to fpout against your town;
And leave your children, wives, and you in peace.
But if you fondly pass our proffer'd offer,
'Tis not the rounder of your old-fac❜d walls
Can hide you from our meffengers of war:
Tho' all thefe English, and their discipline,
Were harbour'd in their rude circumference,
Then tell us, fhall your city call us lord,
In that behalf which we have challeng'd it?
Or fhall we give the fignal to our rage,
And ftalk in blood to our poffeffion?
Cit. In brief, we are the King of England's fubje&s; For him, and in his right, we hold this town.
K. John. Acknowledge then the King, and let me in.
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?
And if not that, I bring you witnesses,
Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed
Faulc. (Baftards, and elfe.)
K. John. To verify our title with their lives.
K. Philip. As many, and as well-born bloods as
thofe
Faulc. (Some bastards too.)
K. Philip. Stand in his face to contradict his claim. Cit. Till you compound, whofe right is worthieft, We for the worthieft hold the right from both.
K. John. Then God forgive the fin of all thofe fouls,
That to their everlasting refidence,
Before the dew of evening fall, fhall fleet,
In dreadful tryal of our kingdom's King!
K. Philip. Amen, Amen.- Mount chevaliers, to
Faule. Saint George that fwing'd the dragon, and
Sits on his horfeback at mine hoftefs' door,
Teach us fome fence. Sirrah, were I at home
At your den, firrah, with your Lioness,
I'd fet an ox-head to your Lion's hide,
And make a monfter of you.-
Faulc. O, tremble; for you hear the Lion roar. K. John. Up higher to the plain, where we'll fet forth
In best appointment all our regiments.
Faule. Speed then to take th' advantage of the field.
K.Philip. It fhall be fo; and at the other hill
Command the rest to ftand. God, and our right!
[Exeunt.
A long Charge founded: then, after excurfions, enter the
Herald of France with trumpets to the gates.
F. Her. You men of Angiers, open wide your gates,
And let young Arthur Duke of Bretagne in;
Who by the hand of France this day hath made
Much work for tears in many an English mother,
Whose fons lye scatter'd on the bleeding ground:
And many a widow's husband groveling lies,
Coldly embracing the difcolour'd earth;
While victory with little lofs doth play
Upon the dancing banners of the French;
Who are at hand triumphantly display'd,
To enter conquerors; and to proclaim
Arthur of Bretagne, England's King, and yours.
Enter English Herald with Trumpets.
E. Her. Rejoice, you men of Angiers; ring your
King John, your King and England's, doth approach,
Commander of this hot malicious day.
Their armours, that march'd hence fo filver-bright,
Hither return all gilt in Frenchmens' blood.
There ftruck no plume in any English Crest,
That is removed by a ftaff of France.
Our Colours do return in thofe fame hands;
That did display them, when we first march'd forth;
And, like a jolly troop of huntfmen, come
Our lufty English, all with purpled hands;
Dy'd in the dying flaughter of their foes.
Open your gates, and give the victors way.
Cit. Heralds, from off our tow'rs we might behold,
From firft to last, the Onset and Retire
Of both your armies, whofe equality
By our beft eyes cannot be cenfured;
Blood hath bought blood, and blows have anfwer'd blows;
Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted power.
Both are alike, and both alike we like;
One must prove greateft. While they weigh fo even, We hold our town for neither; yet for both.
Enter the two Kings with their Powers, at feveral Doors.
K. John. France, haft thou yet more blood to caft
away?
Say, fhall the current of our Right run on?
Whofe paffage, vext with thy impediment,
Shall leave his native channel, and o'er-fwell
With course disturb'd ev'n thy confining fhores;
Unless thou let his filver water keep
A peaceful progrefs to the ocean.
K. Philip. England, thou haft not fav'd one drop
In this hot tryal, more than we of France;
! Rather loft more. And by this hand I swear,
That fways the earth this climate overlooks,
Before we will lay by our just-borne arms,
We'll put thee down, 'gainst whom these arms we bear;
Or add a royal number to the dead;
Gracing the fcroul, that tells of this war's loss,
With flaughter coupled to the name of Kings.
Faulc. Ha! Majefty,-how high thy glory towers,
When the rich blood of Kings is fet on fire!
Oh, now doth Death line his dead chaps with fteel;
The swords of foldiers are his teeth, his phangs;
And now he feafts, mouthing the flesh of men
In undetermin'd diff'rences of Kings.
Why stand these royal Fronts amazed thus?
Cry havock, Kings; back to the ftained field,
You equal Potents, fiery-kindled spirits!
Then let Confufion of one part confirm
The other's peace; till then, blows, blood, and death.
K. John. Whofe party do the townsmen yet admit?
K. Philip. Speak, Citizens, for England, who's your
King?
Cit. The King of England, when we know the
K. Philip. Know him in us, that here hold up
K. John. In us, that are our own great deputy,
And bear poffeffion of our perfon here;
Lord of our presence, Angiers, and of you.
Cit. A greater pow'r, than ye, denies all this
And till it be undoubted, we do lock
Our former fcruple in our strong-barr'd gates.
Kings are our fears,until our fears refolv'd
2 A greater pow'r, than wE, denies all this;
Kings Of our fears,-] We fhould read than ye: What power was this? their fears. It is plain therefore we should read Kings are our fears,
i. e. our fears are the Kings which at present rule us.
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