Chat. Philip of France, in right and true behalf
Of thy deceased brother Geffrey's Son,
Arthur Plantagenet, lays lawful claim
To this fair Ifland, and the territories :
To Ireland, Poitiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine:
Defiring thee to lay afide the sword
Which fways ufurpingly these feveral titles,
And put the fame into young Arthur's hand,
Thy nephew, and right royal Sovèraign.
K. John. What follows, if we difallow of this? Chat. The proud controul of fierce and bloody war, T'inforce thefe rights fo forcibly with-held.
K. John. Here have we war for war, and blood for
Controulment for controulment; fo anfwer France.
Chat. Then take my King's defiance from
The fartheft limit of my embaffie.
K. John. Bear mine to him, and fo depart in peace.
Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France,
For ere thou canft report, I will be there,
The thunder of my cannon fhall be heard.
So hence! be thou the trumpet of our wrath,
And fullen prefage of your own decay.
An honourable conduct let him have,
Pembroke look to't; farewel Chatilion.
[Ex. Chat. and Pem,
Eli. What now, my fon, have I not ever faid
How that ambitious Conftance would not cease
Till fhe had kindled France and all the world,
Upon the right and party of her fon?
This might have been prevented, and made whole
With very eafie arguments of love;
Which now the manage of two kingdoms must
With fearful, bloody iffue, arbitrate.
K. John. Our strong poffeffion and our right for us.
Eli. Your ftrong poffeffion much more than your right,.
Or else it must go wrong with you and me;
So much my confcience whispers in your ear,
Which none but heav'n, and you, and I fhall hear.
Effex. My Liege, here is the ftrangest controverfie Come from the country to be judg'd by you, That e'er I heard: fhall I produce the men? K. John. Let them approach.
Our abbies and our priories fhall pay
This expedition's charge What men are you?
Enter Robert Faulconbridge and the Baftard.
Baft. Your faithful fubject, I, a gentleman
Born in Northamptonshire, and eldest Son,
As I fuppofe, to Robert Faulconbridge,
A foldier, by the honour-giving hand
Of Coeur-de-lion knighted in the field.
K. John. What art thou?
Robert. The fon and heir to that fame Faulconbridge. K. John. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir? You came not of one mother then it feems?
Baft. Moft 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 heav'n, and to my mother;
Of that I doubt, as all men's children may.
Eli. Out on thee, rude man, thou doft fhame thy mother,
And wound her honour with this diffidence.
Baft. I, madam? no, I have no reafon for it?
That is my brother's plea, and none of mine,
The which if he can prove, he pops me out
At least from fair five hundred pound a year:
Heav'n guard my mother's honour and my land.
K. John. A good blunt fellow: why, being younger born,
Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance?
Baft. I know not why, except to get the land; But once he flander'd me with bastardy:
But whether I be true begot or no,
That still I lay upon my mother's head ;
But that I am as well begot, my Liege,
(Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me)
Compare our faces, and be judge your felf.
If old Sir Robert did beget us both,
And were our father, and this fon like him;
O old Sir Robert, father, on my knee
I give heav'n thanks I was not like to thee.
K. John. Why what a mad-cap hath heav'n lent us here?
Eli. He hath a trick of Cœur-de-lion's face,
The accent of his tongue affecteth him:
Do you not read fome tokens of my fon
In the large compofition of this man?
K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his parts,
And finds them perfect Richard: firrah, fpeak,
What doth move you to claim your brother's land?
Baft. Because he hath a half-face, like my father,
With half that face would he have all my land,
A half-fac'd groat, five hundred pound a year?
Rob. My gracious Liege, when that my Father liv'd,
Your brother did imploy my father much-
Baft. Well, Sir, by this you cannot get my land.
Your tale must be how he imploy'd my mother,
Rob. And once dispatch'd him in an embassie
To Germany; there with the Emperor
To treat of high affairs touching that time:
Th'advantage of his abfence took the King,
And in the mean time fojourn'd at my father's;
Where, how he did prevail, I fhame to fpeak:
But truth is truth; large lengths of feas and shores
Between my father and my mother lay,
(As I have heard my father fpeak himself )
When this fame lufty gentleman was got.
Upon his death-bed he by will bequeath'd
His lands to me, and took it on his death
That this my mother's fon was none of his
And if he were, he came into the world
Full fourteen weeks before the course of time:
Then good my Liege, let me have what is mine,
My father's land, as was my father's will.
K. John. Sirrah, your brother is legitimate,
Your father's wife did after wedlock bear him:
And if the did play falfe, the fault was hers,
Which fault lyes on the hazard of all husbands
That marry wives. Tell me, how if my brother,
Who as you fay took pains to get this fon,
Had of your father claim'd this fon for his,
In footh, good friend, your father might have kept
This calf, bred from his cow, from all the world.
In footh he might; then if he were my brother's,
My brother might not claim him; nor your father,.
Being none of his, refufe him; this concludes,
My mother's fon did get your father's heir,
Your father's heir muft have your father's land.
Rob. Shall then my father's will be of no force
To difpoffefs that child which is not his?
Baft. Of no more force to difpoffefs me, Sir,
Than was his will to get me, as I think.
Eli. Say, hadft thou rather be a Faulconbridge,
And, like thy brother, to enjoy thy land
Or the reputed fon of Caur-de-lion,
Lord of thy prefence, and no land befide ?
Baft. Madam, and if my brother had my fhape,
And I had his; Sir Robert's his, like him,
And if my legs were two fuch riding rods,
My arms fuch Eel-skins ftuft; my Face fo thin,
That in mine ear I durft not stick a rofe,
Left men should say, look where three farthings goes,
And to his fhape were heir to all this land;
Would I might never ftir from off this place,
I'd give it ev'ry foot to have this face :
I would not be †Sir Nobbe in any cafe.
Eli. I like thee well; wilt thou forfake thy fortune, Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me?
I am a foldier and now bound to France.
† Sir Nobbe, a nickname, in contempt, of Sir Robert..
Baft. Brother, take you my land, I'll take my chance; Your face hath got five hundred pound a year,
Yet fell your face for five pence, and 'tis dear.
Madam, I'll follow you
Eli. Nay, I would have you go before me thither."
Baft. Our country manners give our betters way.
K. John. What is thy name!
Baft. Philip, my Liege, fo is my name begun,
Philip, good old Sir Robert's wife's eldeft fon.
K. John. From henceforth bear his name whofe form thou bear'st :
Kneel thou down Philip, but rife up more great,
Arife Sir Richard and Plantagenet.
Baft. Brother by th'mother's fide, give me your hand,
My father gave me honour, yours gave land.
Now bleffed by the hour, by night or day,
When I was got, Sir Robert was away.
Eli. The very fpirit of Plantagenet
I am thy grandam; Richard, call me fo.
Baft. Madam, by chance, but not by truth, what tho Something about a little from the right,
In at the window, or elfe o'er the hatch:
Who dares not stir by day, muft walk by night,
And have is have, however men do catch;
Near or far off, well won is ftill well-fhot,
And I am I, howe'er I was begot.
K. John, Go Faulconbridge, now haft thou thy defire, A landless Knight makes thee a landed 'Squire: Come madam, and come Richard; we must speed For France, for France, for it is more than need. Baft. Brother adieu, good Fortune come to thee, For thou was got i'th' way of honefty, [Ex. all but Baft.
A foot of honour better than I was
But many, a many foot of land the worse !
Well, now can I make any Joan a lady.
Good-den, Sir Richard, Godamercy fellow,"
|