King John: Prince Henry, his son; afterwards King Henry III. Arthur, Duke of Bretagne, son of Geffrey, late Duke of Bretagne, the elder brother of 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, son of Sir Robert Faulconbridge : Philip Faulconbridge, his half-brother, bastard son to James Gurney, servant to Lady Faulconbridge. Philip, King of France. Lewis, the Dauphin. Arch-duke of Austria. Cardinal Pandulph, the Pope's legate. Melun, a French lord. Chatillon, ambassador from France to King John. Elinor, the widow of King Henry II. and mother of King John. Constance, mother to Arthur. Blanch, daughter to Alphonso, King of Castile, and niece to King John. Lady Faulconbridge, mother to the bastard, and Robert Faulconbridge. Lords, Ladies, Citizens of Angiers, Sheriff, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other 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. King John. Now, say, Chatillon, what would France with us? Chat. Thus, after greeting, speaks the king of France, In my behaviour,' to the majesty, The borrow'd majesty of England here. Eli. A strange beginning;-borrow'd majesty! To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine: Which sways usurpingly these several titles ; K. John. What follows, if we disallow of this? 1 In the manner I now do. 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 furthest 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, [Exeunt CHATILLON and PEMBROKE. This might have been prevented, and made whole, Which now the manage2 of two kingdoms must K. John. Our strong possession, and our right, for us. Eli. Your strong possession, much more than your right; Or else it must go wrong with you, and me: 2 Conduct, administration. Enter the Sheriff of Northamptonshire, who whispers ESSEX. Essex. My liege, here is the strangest controversy, Come from the country to be judg'd by you, That e'er I heard: Shall I produce the men? K. John. Let them approach. Our abbies, and our priories, shall pay [Exit Sheriff, Re-enter Sheriff, with ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE, and PHILIP, his bastard Brother. This expedition's charge. What men are you ? Rob. The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge. K. John. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir? You came not of one mother then, it seems. Bast. Most certain of one mother, mighty king, That is well known; and, as I think, one father: But, for the certain knowledge of that truth, I put you o'er to heaven, and to my mother; Eli. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame thy And wound her honour with this diffidence. |