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Have hither march'd to your endamagement :
The cannons have their bowels full of wrath;
And ready mounted are they, to spit forth
Their iron indignation 'gainst your walls:
All preparation for a bloody fiege,

And merciless proceeding by these French,
Confront your city's eyes, your winking gates;
And, but for our approach, those sleeping stones,
That as a waist do girdle you about,
By the compulsion of their ordnance
By this time from their fixed beds of line
Had been difhabited, and wide havock made
For bloody power to rush upon your peace.
But, on the fight of us, your lawful king,-
Who painfully, with much expedient march,
Have brought a countercheck before your gates,
To fave unfcratch'd your city's threaten'd cheeks,--
Behold, the French, amaz'd, vouchfafe a parle :
And now, instead of bullets wrapp'd in fire,
To make a shaking fever in your walls,
They shoot but calm words, folded up in smoke,
To make a faithlefs error in your ears:
Which truft accordingly, kind citizens,
And let us in, your king; whofe labour'd spirits,
Forwearied in this action of fwift speed,

Crave harbourage within your city walls.

K. Phi. 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 thefe greens before your town ;

Being no further enemy to you,
Than the constraint of hospitable zeal,
In the relief of this oppreffed child,
Religiously provokes. Be pleased then
To pay that duty, which you truly owe,

To him that owes it; namely, this young prince:
And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear,

Save in afpéct, have all offence feal'd up;
Our cannons' malice vainly fhall be spent
Against the invulnerable clouds of heaven;
And, with a bleffed and unvex'd retire,
With unhack'd fwords, and helmets all unbruis'd,
We will bear home that lufty blood again,
Which here we came to spout against your town,
And leave your children, wives, and you, in peace.
But if you fondly pass our proffer'd offer,
'Tis not the roundure of your old-fac'd walls
Can hide you from our meffengers of war;
Though all these English, and their difcipline,
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?

1 Cit. In brief, we are the king of England's fubjects; 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? And, if not that, I bring you witnesses,

Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed,

Baft. Bastards, and elfe.

C 2

K. John.

K. John. To verify our title with their lives.

K. Phi. As many, and as well-born bloods as those,— Baft. Some baftards too.

K. Phi. Stand in his face, to contradict his claim.

Cit. Till you compound whose right is worthiest, We, for the worthiest, hold the right from both.

K. John. Then God forgive the fin 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! Baft. St. George,-that fwing'd the dragon, and e'er fince, Sits on his horseback at mine hoftefs' door,

Teach us fome fence!-Sirrah, were I at home,

At your den, firrah, [To AUSTRIA.] with your lioness, I'd fet an ox-head to your lion's hide,

And make a monster of you.

Auft.

Peace; no more.

Baft. O, tremble; for you hear the lion roar.

K. John. Up higher to the plain; where we'll set forth, In beft appointment, all our regiments.

Baft. Speed then, to take advantage of the field.

K. Phi. It shall be fo;-[To LEWIS.] and at the other hill 'Command the rest to stand.-God, and our right!

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE II,

The fame.

Alarums and Excurfions; 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;
Who, by the hand of France, this day hath made
Much work for tears in many an English mother,
Whofe fons lie scatter'd on the bleeding ground:
Many a widow's husband groveling lies,
Coldly embracing the difcolour'd earth;
And 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 an English Herald, with trumpets.

E. Her. Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells; 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 with Frenchmen's blood;
There ftuck no plume in any English crest,

That is removed by a staff of France;

Our colours do return in thofe fame hands

That did difplay them when we first march'd forth;
And, like a jolly troop of huntsmen, come

Our lufty English, all with purpled hands,

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Died in the dying flaughter of their foes:

Open your gates, and give the victors way.

Cit. Heralds, from off our towers we might behold,
From first to laft, the onset and retire
Of both your armies; whofe equality
By our best eyes cannot be cenfured:

Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answer'd blows;
Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted

power:

Both are alike; and both alike we like.

One must prove greatest: while they weigh fo even,
We hold our town for neither; yet for both.

Enter, at one fide, King JOHN, with his power; ELINOR, BLANCH, and the Bastard; at the other, King PHILIP, LEWIS, AUSTRIA, and Forces.

K. John, France, haft thou yet more blood to cast away? Say, fhall the current of our right run on ? Whose paffage, vex'd with thy impediment, Shall leave his native channel, and o'erfwell With course disturb'd even thy confining thores; Unless thou let his filver water keep

A peaceful progrefs to the ocean.

K. Phi. England, thou haft not fav'd one drop of blood, In this hot trial, 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 down our juft-borne arms,
We'll put thee down, 'gainst whom thefe arms we bear,
Or add a royal number to the dead;

Gracing the fcroll, that tells of this war's lofs,
With flaughter coupled to the name of kings.

Baft. Ha, majefty! how high thy glory towers,

When

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