The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 244

England, impatient of your just demands, Hath put himself in arms. The adverse winds, Whose leisure I have stay'd, have given him time To land his legions all as soon as I; His marches are expedient to this town, His forces strong, his soldiers confident.

With him along is come the mother-queen, An Ate, stirring him to blood and strife; With her the Lady Blanch of Spain; With them a b.a.s.t.a.r.d of the king's deceas'd; And all th' unsettled humours of the land- Rash, inconsiderate, fiery voluntaries, With ladies' faces and fierce dragons' spleens- Have sold their fortunes at their native homes, Bearing their birthrights proudly on their backs, To make a hazard of new fortunes here.

In brief, a braver choice of dauntless spirits Than now the English bottoms have waft o'er Did never float upon the swelling tide To do offence and scathe in Christendom. [Drum beats]

The interruption of their churlish drums Cuts off more circ.u.mstance: they are at hand; To parley or to fight, therefore prepare.

KING PHILIP. How much unlook'd for is this expedition!

AUSTRIA. By how much unexpected, by so much We must awake endeavour for defence, For courage mounteth with occasion.

Let them be welcome then; we are prepar'd.

Enter KING JOHN, ELINOR, BLANCH, the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, PEMBROKE, and others

KING JOHN. Peace be to France, if France in peace permit Our just and lineal entrance to our own!

If not, bleed France, and peace ascend to heaven, Whiles we, G.o.d's wrathful agent, do correct Their proud contempt that beats His peace to heaven!

KING PHILIP. Peace be to England, if that war return From France to England, there to live in peace!

England we love, and for that England's sake With burden of our armour here we sweat.

This toil of ours should be a work of thine; But thou from loving England art so far That thou hast under-wrought his lawful king, Cut off the sequence of posterity, Outfaced infant state, and done a rape Upon the maiden virtue of the crown.

Look here upon thy brother Geffrey's face: These eyes, these brows, were moulded out of his; This little abstract doth contain that large Which died in Geffrey, and the hand of time Shall draw this brief into as huge a volume.

That Geffrey was thy elder brother born, And this his son; England was Geffrey's right, And this is Geffrey's. In the name of G.o.d, How comes it then that thou art call'd a king, When living blood doth in these temples beat Which owe the crown that thou o'er-masterest?

KING JOHN. From whom hast thou this great commission, France, To draw my answer from thy articles?

KING PHILIP. From that supernal judge that stirs good thoughts In any breast of strong authority To look into the blots and stains of right.

That judge hath made me guardian to this boy, Under whose warrant I impeach thy wrong, And by whose help I mean to chastise it.

KING JOHN. Alack, thou dost usurp authority.

KING PHILIP. Excuse it is to beat usurping down.

ELINOR. Who is it thou dost call usurper, France?

CONSTANCE. Let me make answer: thy usurping son.

ELINOR. Out, insolent! Thy b.a.s.t.a.r.d shall be king, That thou mayst be a queen and check the world!

CONSTANCE. My bed was ever to thy son as true As thine was to thy husband; and this boy Liker in feature to his father Geffrey Than thou and John in manners-being as Eke As rain to water, or devil to his dam.

My boy a b.a.s.t.a.r.d! By my soul, I think His father never was so true begot; It cannot be, an if thou wert his mother.

ELINOR. There's a good mother, boy, that blots thy father.

CONSTANCE. There's a good grandam, boy, that would blot thee.

AUSTRIA. Peace!

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Hear the crier.

AUSTRIA. What the devil art thou?

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. One that will play the devil, sir, with you, An 'a may catch your hide and you alone.

You are the hare of whom the proverb goes, Whose valour plucks dead lions by the beard; I'll smoke your skin-coat an I catch you right; Sirrah, look to 't; i' faith I will, i' faith.

BLANCH. O, well did he become that lion's robe That did disrobe the lion of that robe!

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. It lies as sightly on the back of him As great Alcides' shows upon an a.s.s; But, a.s.s, I'll take that burden from your back, Or lay on that shall make your shoulders crack.

AUSTRIA. What cracker is this same that deafs our ears With this abundance of superfluous breath?

King Philip, determine what we shall do straight.

KING PHILIP. Women and fools, break off your conference.

King John, this is the very sum of all: England and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine, Maine, In right of Arthur, do I claim of thee; Wilt thou resign them and lay down thy arms?

KING JOHN. My life as soon. I do defy thee, France.

Arthur of Britaine, yield thee to my hand, And out of my dear love I'll give thee more Than e'er the coward hand of France can win.

Submit thee, boy.

ELINOR. Come to thy grandam, child.

CONSTANCE. Do, child, go to it grandam, child; Give grandam kingdom, and it grandam will Give it a plum, a cherry, and a fig.

There's a good grandam!

ARTHUR. Good my mother, peace!

I would that I were low laid in my grave: I am not worth this coil that's made for me.

ELINOR. His mother shames him so, poor boy, he weeps.

CONSTANCE. Now shame upon you, whe'er she does or no!

His grandam's wrongs, and not his mother's shames, Draws those heaven-moving pearls from his poor eyes, Which heaven shall take in nature of a fee; Ay, with these crystal beads heaven shall be brib'd To do him justice and revenge on you.

ELINOR. Thou monstrous slanderer of heaven and earth!

CONSTANCE. Thou monstrous injurer of heaven and earth, Call not me slanderer! Thou and thine usurp The dominations, royalties, and rights, Of this oppressed boy; this is thy eldest son's son, Infortunate in nothing but in thee.

Thy sins are visited in this poor child; The canon of the law is laid on him, Being but the second generation Removed from thy sin-conceiving womb.

KING JOHN. Bedlam, have done.

CONSTANCE. I have but this to say- That he is not only plagued for her sin, But G.o.d hath made her sin and her the plague On this removed issue, plagued for her And with her plague; her sin his injury, Her injury the beadle to her sin; All punish'd in the person of this child, And all for her-a plague upon her!

ELINOR. Thou unadvised scold, I can produce A will that bars the t.i.tle of thy son.

CONSTANCE. Ay, who doubts that? A will, a wicked will; A woman's will; a cank'red grandam's will!

KING PHILIP. Peace, lady! pause, or be more temperate.

It ill beseems this presence to cry aim To these ill-tuned repet.i.tions.

Some trumpet summon hither to the walls These men of Angiers; let us hear them speak Whose t.i.tle they admit, Arthur's or John's.

Trumpet sounds. Enter citizens upon the walls

CITIZEN. Who is it that hath warn'd us to the walls?

KING PHILIP. 'Tis France, for England.

KING JOHN. England for itself.

You men of Angiers, and my loving subjects- KING PHILIP. You loving men of Angiers, Arthur's subjects, Our trumpet call'd you to this gentle parle- KING JOHN. For our advantage; therefore hear us first.

These flags of France, that are advanced here Before the eye and prospect of your town, Have hither march'd to your endamagement; The cannons have their bowels full of wrath, And ready mounted are they to spit forth Their iron indignation 'gainst your walls; All preparation for a b.l.o.o.d.y siege And merciless proceeding by these French Confront your city's eyes, your winking gates; And but for our approach those sleeping stones That as a waist doth girdle you about By the compulsion of their ordinance By this time from their fixed beds of lime Had been dishabited, and wide havoc made For b.l.o.o.d.y power to rush upon your peace.

But on the sight of us your lawful king, Who painfully with much expedient march Have brought a countercheck before your gates, To save unscratch'd your city's threat'ned cheeks- Behold, the French amaz'd vouchsafe a parle; And now, instead of bullets wrapp'd in fire, To make a shaking fever in your walls, They shoot but calm words folded up in smoke, To make a faithless error in your cars; Which trust accordingly, kind citizens, And let us in-your King, whose labour'd spirits, Forwearied in this action of swift speed, Craves harbourage within your city walls.

KING PHILIP. When I have said, make answer to us both.

Lo, in this right hand, whose protection Is most divinely vow'd upon the right Of him it holds, stands young Plantagenet, Son to the elder brother of this man, And king o'er him and all that he enjoys; For this down-trodden equity we tread In warlike march these greens before your town, Being no further enemy to you Than the constraint of hospitable zeal In the relief of this oppressed child Religiously provokes. Be pleased then To pay that duty which you truly owe To him that owes it, namely, this young prince; And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear, Save in aspect, hath all offence seal'd up; Our cannons' malice vainly shall be spent Against th' invulnerable clouds of heaven; And with a blessed and unvex'd retire, With unhack'd swords and helmets all unbruis'd, We will bear home that l.u.s.ty blood again Which here we came to spout against your town, And leave your children, wives, and you, in peace.

But if you fondly pa.s.s our proffer'd offer, 'Tis not the roundure of your old-fac'd walls Can hide you from our messengers of war, Though all these English and their discipline Were harbour'd in their rude circ.u.mference.

Then tell us, shall your city call us lord In that behalf which we have challeng'd it; Or shall we give the signal to our rage, And stalk in blood to our possession?

CITIZEN. In brief: we are the King of England's subjects; For him, and in his right, we hold this town.

KING JOHN. Acknowledge then the King, and let me in.

CITIZEN. That can we not; but he that proves the King, To him will we prove loyal. Till that time Have we ramm'd up our gates against the world.

KING JOHN. Doth not the crown of England prove the King?

And if not that, I bring you witnesses: Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed- b.a.s.t.a.r.d. b.a.s.t.a.r.ds and else.

KING JOHN. To verify our t.i.tle with their lives.

KING PHILIP. As many and as well-born bloods as those- b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Some b.a.s.t.a.r.ds too.

KING PHILIP. Stand in his face to contradict his claim.

CITIZEN. Till you compound whose right is worthiest, We for the worthiest hold the right from both.

KING JOHN. Then G.o.d forgive the sin of all those souls That to their everlasting residence, Before the dew of evening fall shall fleet In dreadful trial of our kingdom's king!

KING PHILIP. Amen, Amen! Mount, chevaliers; to arms!

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Saint George, that swing'd the dragon, and e'er since Sits on's horse back at mine hostess' door, Teach us some fence! [To AUSTRIA] Sirrah, were I at home, At your den, sirrah, with your lioness, I would set an ox-head to your lion's hide, And make a monster of you.

AUSTRIA. Peace! no more.

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. O, tremble, for you hear the lion roar!

KING JOHN. Up higher to the plain, where we'll set forth In best appointment all our regiments.

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Speed then to take advantage of the field.

KING PHILIP. It shall be so; and at the other hill Command the rest to stand. G.o.d and our right! Exeunt

Here, after excursions, enter the HERALD OF FRANCE, with trumpets, to the gates

FRENCH HERALD. You men of Angiers, open wide your gates And let young Arthur, Duke of Britaine, in, Who by the hand of France this day hath made Much work for tears in many an English mother, Whose sons lie scattered on the bleeding ground; Many a widow's husband grovelling lies, Coldly embracing the discoloured earth; And victory with little loss doth play Upon the dancing banners of the French, Who are at hand, triumphantly displayed, To enter conquerors, and to proclaim Arthur of Britaine England's King and yours.

Enter ENGLISH HERALD, with trumpet

ENGLISH HERALD. Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells: King John, your king and England's, doth approach, Commander of this hot malicious day.

Their armours that march'd hence so silver-bright Hither return all gilt with Frenchmen's blood.