THE LIFE

AND DEATH OF

KING JOHN

IV: A

PERSONS

KING JOHN.

REPRESENTED

PRINCE HENRY: SON TO THE KING.

ARTHUR: DUKE OF BRETAGNE, NEPHEW TO THE KING.

JAMES GURNEY: SERVANT TO LADY FAULCONBRIDGE.

PETER OF POMFRET: A PROPHET.

PHILIP: KING OF FRANCE.

LEWIS: THE DOLPHIN.

LYMOGES: DUKE OF AUSTRIA.

CARDINAL PANDULPH: THE POPE'S LEGATE.

MELUN: A FRENCH LORD.

CHATILLON: AMBASSADOR FROM FRANCE.

ELINOR: MOTHER TO KING JOHN.

CONSTANCE: MOTHER TO ARTHUR.

BLANCH OF SPAIN: NIECE TO KING JOHN.

LADY FAULCONBRIDGE.

LORDS, CITIZENS OF ANGIERS, SHERIFF, HERALDS, OFFICERS, SOLDIERS, MESSENGERS, ATTENDANTS.

SCENE-England and France.

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF KING JOHN

ACT I

SCENE I. A Palace in England.

Enter KING JOHN, QUEEN ELINOR, PEMBROKE, ESSEX,
SALISBURY, and others, with CHATILLON.

K. 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!
K. JOHN. Silence, good Mother; hear the Embassy.
CHAT. Philip of France, in right and true behalf
Of thy deceased brother Geffrey's son,
Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim
To this fair island and the territories,1
To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine;
Desiring thee to lay aside the sword

Which sways usurpingly these several titles,
And put the same into young Arthur's hand,
Thy nephew and right royal Sovereign.

K. JOHN. What follows if we disallow of this?
CHAT. The proud control2 of fierce and bloody war

To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld.

ΙΟ

20

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 farthest 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,

A

ACT I
Sc. I

The thunder of my cannon shall be heard:
So, hence! Be thou the trumpet of our wrath,
And sullen presage of your own decay.
An honourable conduct1 let him have:
Pembroke, look to 't. Farewell, Chatillon.

30

[Exeunt CHATILLON and PEMBROKE.

ELI. What now, my Son! have I not ever said
How that ambitious Constance would not cease
Till she had kindled France and all the world
Upon the right and party2 of her son?

This might have been prevented, and made whole
With very easy arguments of love;

Which now the manage of two Kingdoms must
With fearful bloody issue arbitrate.

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:
So much my conscience whispers in your ear,
Which none but Heaven and you and I shall hear.

Enter a Sheriff.

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 Abbeys and our Priories shall pay

This expedition's charge.

Enter ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE and PHILIP his

bastard brother.

What men are you?

BAST. Your faithful subject I: a gentleman

Born in Northamptonshire, and eldest son,
As I suppose, to Robert Faulconbridge,
A soldier by the honour-giving hand

Of Cordelion3 knighted in the field.

K. JOHN. What art thou?

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.

41

50

BAST. Most certain of one mother, mighty King;

That is well known; and, as I think, one father : 60
But for the certain knowledge of that truth

I put you o'er to Heaven and to my mother:

Of that I doubt, as all men's children may.

ELI. Out on thee, rude Man! thou dost shame thy mother,
And wound her honour with this diffidence.

BAST. I, Madam? no; I have no reason for it:
That is my brother's plea, and none of mine;
The which if he can prove, 'a pops me out
At least from fair five hundred pound a year:
Heaven guard my mother's honour and my land!

70

K. JOHN. A good blunt fellow. Why, being younger born,
Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance?

BAST. I know not why, except to get the land.

But once he slander'd me with bastardy :

But whether I be as 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 yourself.
If old Sir Robert did beget us both,

And were our father, and this son like him,

O old Sir Robert, Father, on my knee

I give Heaven thanks I was not like to thee!

80

K. JOHN. Why, what a madcap hath Heaven sent us here!

ELI. He hath a trick1 of Cordelion's face;

The accent of his tongue affecteth him:
Do you not read some tokens of my son
In the large composition of this man?
K. JOHN. Mine eye hath well examined his parts,
And finds them perfect Richard. Sirrah, speak,
What doth move you to claim your brother's land?
BAST. Because he hath a half-face, like my father.
With that half-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 employ my father much—
BAST. Well, Sir, by this you cannot get my land:
Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother.

1 (heralds') copy.

90

2 Harry Seventh's groats (the first minted) bore the king's profile.

ACT I

Sc. I