SCENE VI.

Baft. Mad world, mad Kings, mad compofition!
John to stop Arthur's title in the whole,
Hath willingly departed with a part:

And France, whofe armour confcience buckled on,
Whom zeal and charity brought to the field,
As God's own foldier; rounded in the ear
With that fame purpose-changer, that fly devil,
That broker, that ftill breaks the pate of faith,
That daily break-vow, he that wins of all
Of Kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids,
Who having no external thing to lofe

But the word maid, cheats the poor maid of that;
That smooth-fac'd gentleman, tickling Commodity:
Commodity, the biafs of the world,

The world, which of it felf is poifed well,
Made to run even, upon even ground;
Till this advantage, this vile-drawing biass,
This fway of motion, this Commodity,
Makes it take head from all indifferency,
From all direction, purpose, courfe, intent.
And this fame biafs, this Commodity,

This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word,
Clapt on the outward eye of fickle France,
Hath drawn him from his own determin'd aid,
From a refolv'd and honourable war,
To a most base and vile-concluded peace.
And why rail I on this Commodity?

But for because he hath not wooed me yet:
Not that I have the power to clutch my hand,
When his fair angels would falute my palm;
But that my hand, as unattempted yet,
Like a poor beggar, raileth on the rich.
Well, while I am a beggar, I will rail,
And fay there is no fin but to be rich:
And being rich, my virtue then fhall be,
To fay there is no vice, but beggary.

B 4

Since

Since Kings break faith upon commodity,
Gain be my lord, for I will worship thee.

SCENE VII.

Enter Conftance, Arthur and Salisbury.

!

[Exit.

ONE to be marry'd gone to fwear a peace!

Conft. G falfe blood to falfe blood join'd! Gone to be

friends!

Shall Lewis have Blanch, and Blanch thofe provinces ?
It is not fo, thou haft mif-fpoke, mif-heard;
Be well advis'd, tell o'er thy tale again,

It cannot be; thou dost but say 'tis fo.
I think I may not trust thee, for thy word
Is but the vain breath of a common man:
I have a King's oath to the contrary.
Thou shalt be punish'd for thus frighting me,
For I am fick, and capable of fears,

Oppreft with wrongs, and therefore full of fears:
A widow, husbandlefs, fubject to fears,
A woman, naturally born to fears

And tho thou now confefs thou didst but jest,
With my vext fpirits I can't take a truce,
But they will quake and tremble all this day.
What doft thou mean by fhaking of thy head?
Why doft thou look fo fadly on my fon?
What means that hand upon that breast of thine?
Why holds thine eye that lamentable rheum,
Like a proud river peering o'er his bounds?
Be thefe fad figns confirmers of thy words?
Then fpeak again; not all thy former tale,
But this one word, whether thy tale be true.
Sal. As true, as I believe you think them false
That give you caufe to prove my faying true.
Conft. Oh if thou teach me to believe this forrow,
Teach thou this forrow how to make me die ;
And let belief and life encounter fo,
As doth the fury of two defp'rate men,
Which in the very meeting, fall and die.

Lewis.

Lewis wed Blanch! O boy, then where art thou?
France friend with England! what becomes of me?
Fellow be gone, I cannot brook thy fight.

*

Arth. I do befeech you, mother, be content.
Conft. If thou that bidft me be content, wert grim,
Ugly, and fland'rous to thy mother's womb,
Full of unpleafing blots, and fightless stains,
Lame, foolish, crooked, fwart, prodigious,
Patch'd with foul moles, and eye-offending marks;
I would not care, I then would be content:
For then I fhould not love thee: no, nor thou
Become thy great birth, nor deserve a crown.
But thou art fair, and at thy birth, dear boy!
Nature and Fortune join'd to make thee great.
Of Nature's gifts thou may'ft with lillies boast,
And with the half-blown rofe. But Fortune, oh!
She is corrupted, chang'd, and won from thee,
Adulterates hourly with thine uncle John,
And with her golden hand hath pluckt on France
To tread down fair respect of foveraignty,
And made his majesty the bawd to theirs.
France is a bawd to Fortune, and to John,
That ftrumpet Fortune, that ufurping John!
Tell me, thou fellow, is not France forfworn?
Envenom him with words, or get thee gone,
And leave thefe woes alone which I alone
Am bound to under-bear.

Sal. Pardon me, madam,

I may not go without you to the Kings.

Conft. Thou may't, thou fhalt, I will not go with thee. I will inftruct my forrow to be proud;

B. 5

I cannot brook thy fight;

For

This news hath made thee a moft ugly man.
Sal. What other harm have I, good lady, done
But fpoke the harm that is by others done?
Conft. Which harm within it felt fo heinous is,

As it makes harmful all that speak of it.
Arth. I do befe ech you,'

For grief is proud, and makes his owner stoop.
To me, and to the ftate of my great grief,
Let Kings affemble: for my grief's fo great,
That no fupporter but the huge firm earth
Can hold it up: Here I and forrow fit:
Here is my throne, bid Kings come bow to it.

ACT III. SCENE I.

Continues in France.

Enter King John, King Philip, Lewis, Blanch, Elinor, Philip the Baftard, Auftria, and Conftance.

H

"T

K. PHILIP.

IS true, fair daughter, and this bleffed day, Ever in France fhall be kept feftival: To folemnize this day, the glorious fun Stays in his courfe, and plays the alchymist, Turning with fplendour of his precious eye The meager cloddy earth to glitt ring gold. The yearly courfe that brings this day about, Shall never fee it, but a holy-day...

Conft. What hath this day deferv'd? what hath it done, That it in golden letters fhould be fet

-Among the high tides in the kalendar?
Nay, rather turn this day out of the week,
This day of fhame, oppreffion, perjury:
Or if it muft ftand ftill, let wives with child
Pray that their burthens may not fall this day,
Left that their hopes prodigiously be croft:
Except this day, let feamen fear no wrack;
No bargains break, that are not this day made;
This day all things begun came to ill end,
Yea, faith it felf to hollow falfhood chang'd.

K. Philip

K. Philip. By heaven, lady, you fhall have no caufe
To curfe the fair proceedings of this day:
Have I not pawn'd to you my Majefty?

Conft. You have beguil'd me with a counterfeit
Refembling Majefty, which touch'd and try'd
Proves valueless: you are forfworn, forfworn.
You came in arms to fpill my enemies blood,
But now in arms, you ftrengthen it with yours.
The grapling vigour and rough frown of war
Is cold in amity and painted peace,

And our oppreffion bath made up this league:
Arm, arm, ye heav'ns, against these perjur'd Kings:
A widow cries, be husband to me, heav'n!
Let not the hours of this ungodly day

Wear out the days in peace; but ere fun-fet,
Set armed difcord 'twixt these perjur'd Kings.
Hear me, oh hear me!

Auft. Lady Conftance, peace.

Conft. War, war, no peace; peace is to me a war: O Lymoges, O Auftria! thou doft shame

- That bloody fpoil: thou flave, thou wretch, thou coward, Thou little valiant, great in villany

Thou ever ftrong upon the stronger fide;
Thou fortune's champion, that doft never fight
But when her humourous ladyship is by
To teach thee fafety; thou art perjur'd too,
And footh ft up greatnefs. What a fool art thou,
A ramping fool, to brag, to ftamp, and fwear,
Upon my party; thou cold-blooded flave,
Haft thou not spoke like thunder on my fide,
Been fworn my foldier, bidding me depend
Upon thy ftars, thy fortune, and thy ftrength?
And doft thou now fall over to my foes?"
Thou wear a Lion's hide? doff it for fhame,
And hang a calve's skin on those recreant limbs.
Auft. O that a man would speak those words to me.
Baft. And hang a calve's-skin on thofe recreant limbs.
Auft. Thou dar'ft not fay fo, villain, for thy life.
Bafi, And hang a calve's-skin on those recreant limbs.