Add thus much more,-That no Italian priest
Shall tithe or toll in our dominions;
But as we under heaven are fupreme head,
So, under him, that great fupremacy,
Where we do reign, we will alone uphold,
Without the affistance of a mortal hand :
So tell the pope; all reverence set apart,
To him, and his ufurp'd authority.
K. Phi. Brother of England, you blaspheme in this.
K. John. Though you, and all the kings of Christendam,
Are led fo grofsly by this meddling priest,
Dreading the curfe that money may buy out;
And, by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust,
Purchase corrupted pardon of a man,
Who, in that fale, fells pardon from himself:
Though you, and all the reft, fo grossly led,
This juggling witchcraft with revenue cherish;
Yet I, alone, alone do me oppose
Against the pope, and count his friends my foes.
Pand. Then, by the lawful power that I have,
Thou shalt ftand curs'd, and excommunicate:
And blessed fhall he be, that doth revolt
From his allegiance to an heretick;
And meritorious shall that hand be call'd,.
Canonized, and worship'd as a faint,
That takes away by any fecret course
Thy hateful life.
Conft.
That I have room with Rome to curfe a while!
Good father cardinal, cry thou, amen,
To my keen curfes; for, without my wrong,
There is no tongue hath power to curse him right. Pand. There's law and warrant, lady, for my curfe. Conft. And for mine too; when law can do no right,
Let it be lawful, that law bar no wrong:
Law cannot give my child his kingdom here;
For he, that holds his kingdom, holds the law:
Therefore, fince law itself is perfect wrong,
How can the law forbid my tongue to curse?
Pand. Philip of France, on peril of a curse,
Let go the hand of that archheretick;
And raise the power of France upon his head,
Unless he do submit himself to Rome.
Eli. Look'ft thou pale, France? do not let go thy hand. Conft. Look to that, devil! left that France repent, And, by disjoining hands, hell lofe a foul.
Auft. King Philip, listen to the cardinal.
Baft. And hang a calf's-skin on his recreant limbs. Auft. Well, ruffian, I must pocket up these wrongs, Because.
Baft. Your breeches beft may carry them.
K. John. Philip, what say'st thou to the cardinal?
Conft. What should he say, but as the cardinal?
Lew. Bethink you, father; for the difference
Is, purchase of a heavy curse from Rome,
Or the light, lofs of England for a friend:
Forgo the eafier.
That's the curfe of Rome.'
Conft. O Lewis, ftand faft; the devil tempts thee here, In likeness of a new untrimmed bride.
Blanch. The lady Constance speaks not from her faith, But from her need.
O, if thou grant my need, Which only lives but by the death of faith,
That need must needs infer this principle,-
That faith would live again by death of need;
O, then, tread down my need, and faith mounts up;
Keep my need up, and faith is trodden down.
K. John. The king is mov'd, and anfwers not to this. Conft. O, be remov'd from him, and answer well. Auft. Do fo, king Philip; hang no more in doubt. Baft. Hang nothing but a calf's-fkin, most sweet lout. K. Phi. I am perplex'd, and know not what to say. Pand. What can't thou fay, but will perplex thee more, If thou ftand excommunicate, and curs`d?
K. Phi. Good reverend father, make my perfon yours, And tell me, how you would bestow yourself.
This royal hand and mine are newly knit;
And the conjunction of our inward souls
Married in league, coupled and link'd together
With all religious ftrength of facred vows;
The latest breath, that gave the found of words,
Was deep-fworn faith, peace, amity, true love,
Between our kingdoms, and our royal felves;
And even before this truce, but new before,-
No longer than we well could wash our hands,
To clap this royal bargain up of peace,--
Heaven knows, they were befmear'd and over-ftain'd
With flaughter's pencil; where revenge did paint
The fearful difference of incenfed kings:
And fhall these hands, fo lately purg'd of blood,
So newly join'd in love, so strong in both,
Unyoke this feizure, and this kind regreet?
Play fast and loose with faith? so jeft with heaven,
Make fuch unconftant children of ourselves,
As now again to fnatch our palm from palm;
Unfwear faith fworn; and on the marriage bed
Of smiling peace to march a bloody host,
And make a riot on the gentle brow
Of true fincerity? O holy fir,
My reverend father, let it not be fo :
Out of your grace, devise, ordain, impose
Some gentle order; and then we shall be bless'd
To do your pleasure, and continue friends.
Pand. All form is formless, order orderless,
Save what is oppofite to England's love.
Therefore, to arms! be champion of our church!
Or let the church, our mother, breathe her curfe,
A mother's curfe, on her revolting fon.
France, thou may'ft hold a ferpent by the tongue,
A cafed lion by the mortal paw,
A fafting tiger fafer by the tooth,
Than keep in peace that hand which thou doft hold,
K. Phi. I may disjoin my hand, but not my faith.
Pand. So mak'ft thou faith an enemy to faith;
And, like a civil war, fet'ft oath to oath,
Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow
First made to heaven, first be to heaven perform'd;
That is, to be the champion of our church!
What fince thou fwor'st, is sworn against thyself,
And may not be performed by thyself:
For that, which thou haft fworn to do amifs,
Is not amifs, when it is truly done;
And being not done, where doing tends to ill,
The truth is then most done not doing it :
The better act of purposes mistook
Is, to mistake again; though indirect,
Yet indirection thereby grows
And falfehood falfehood cures; as fire cools fire,
Within the fcorched veins of one new burn'd.
It is religion, that doth make vows kept;
But thou haft fworn against religion;
By what thou fwear'st, against the thing thou fwear'st;
And mak'st an oath the furety for thy truth
Against an oath: The truth thou art unfure
To fwear, fwear only not to be forfworn;
Elfe, what a mockery should it be to fwear?
But thou doft fwear only to be forsworn;
And most forfworn, to keep what thou dost swear.
Therefore, thy latter vows, against thy first,
Is in thyfelf rebellion to thyself:
And better conquest never canst thou make,
Than arm thy constant and thy nobler parts
Against these giddy loose suggestions :
Upon which better part our prayers come in,
If thou vouchsafe them: but, if not, then know,
The peril of our curses light on thee;
So heavy, as thou shalt not shake them off,
But, in despair, die under their black weight.
Auft. Rebellion, flat rebellion!
Will not a calf's-skin stop that mouth of thine?
Upon thy wedding day?
Against the blood that thou haft married?
What, fhall our feast be kept with slaughter'd men?
Shall braying trumpets, and loud churlish drums,—
Clamours of hell,-be measures to our pomp?
O husband, hear me !-ah, alack, how new
Is husband in my mouth!-even for that name,
Which till this time my tongue did ne'er pronounce,
Upon my knee I beg, go not to arms
Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee,
Thou virtuous Dauphin, alter not the doom
Fore thought by heaven.
Blanch. Now fhall I fee thy love; What motive may
Be stronger with thee than the name of wife?
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