Shakespeare's First Folio Part 259

Iohn. Then G.o.d forgiue the sinne of all those soules, That to their euerlasting residence, Before the dew of euening fall, shall fleete In dreadfull triall of our kingdomes King

Fran. Amen, Amen, mount Cheualiers to Armes

Bast. Saint George that swindg'd the Dragon, And ere since sit's on's horsebacke at mine Hostesse dore Teach vs some sence. Sirrah, were I at home At your den sirrah, with your Lionnesse, I would set an Oxe-head to your Lyons hide: And make a monster of you

Aust. Peace, no more

Bast. O tremble: for you heare the Lyon rore

Iohn. Vp higher to the plaine, where we'l set forth In best appointment all our Regiments

Bast. Speed then to take aduantage of the field

Fra. It shall be so, and at the other hill Command the rest to stand, G.o.d and our right.

Exeunt.

Heere after excursions, Enter the Herald of France with Trumpets to the gates.

F.Her. You men of Angiers open wide your gates, And let yong Arthur Duke of Britaine in, Who by the hand of France, this day hath made Much worke for teares in many an English mother, Whose sonnes lye scattered on the bleeding ground: Many a widdowes husband groueling lies, Coldly embracing the discoloured earth, And victorie with little losse doth play Vpon the dancing banners of the French, Who are at hand triumphantly displayed To enter Conquerors, and to proclaime Arthur of Britaine, Englands King, and yours.

Enter English Herald with Trumpet.

E.Har. Reioyce you men of Angiers, ring your bels, King Iohn, your king and Englands, doth approach, Commander of this hot malicious day, Their Armours that march'd hence so siluer bright, Hither returne all gilt with Frenchmens blood: There stucke no plume in any English Crest, That is remoued by a staffe of France.

Our colours do returne in those same hands That did display them when we first marcht forth: And like a iolly troope of Huntsmen come Our l.u.s.tie English, all with purpled hands, Dide in the dying slaughter of their foes, Open your gates, and giue the Victors way

Hubert. Heralds, from off our towres we might behold From first to last, the on-set and retyre: Of both your Armies, whose equality By our best eyes cannot be censured: Blood hath bought blood, and blowes haue answerd blowes: Strength matcht with strength, and power confronted power, Both are alike, and both alike we like: One must proue greatest. While they weigh so euen, We hold our Towne for neither: yet for both.

Enter the two Kings with their powers, at seuerall doores.

Iohn. France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away?

Say, shall the currant of our right rome on, Whose pa.s.sage vext with thy impediment, Shall leaue his natiue channell, and ore-swell With course disturb'd euen thy confining sh.o.r.es, Vnlesse thou let his siluer Water, keepe A peacefull progresse to the Ocean

Fra. England thou hast not sau'd one drop of blood In this hot triall more then we of France, Rather lost more. And by this hand I sweare That swayes the earth this Climate ouer-lookes, Before we will lay downe our iust-borne Armes, Wee'l put thee downe, 'gainst whom these Armes wee beare, Or adde a royall number to the dead: Gracing the scroule that tels of this warres losse, With slaughter coupled to the name of kings

Bast. Ha Maiesty: how high thy glory towres, When the rich blood of kings is set on fire: Oh now doth death line his dead chaps with steele, The swords of souldiers are his teeth, his phangs, And now he feasts, mousing the flesh of men In vndetermin'd differences of kings.

Why stand these royall fronts amazed thus: Cry hauocke kings, backe to the stained field You equall Potents, fierie kindled spirits, Then let confusion of one part confirm The others peace: till then, blowes, blood, and death

Iohn. Whose party do the Townesmen yet admit?

Fra. Speake Citizens for England, whose your king

Hub. The king of England, when we know the king

Fra. Know him in vs, that heere hold vp his right

Iohn. In Vs, that are our owne great Deputie, And beare possession of our Person heere, Lord of our presence Angiers, and of you

Fra. A greater powre then We denies all this, And till it be vndoubted, we do locke Our former scruple in our strong barr'd gates: Kings of our feare, vntill our feares resolu'd Be by some certaine king, purg'd and depos'd

Bast. By heauen, these scroyles of Angiers flout you kings, And stand securely on their battelments, As in a Theater, whence they gape and point At your industrious Scenes and acts of death.

Your Royall presences be rul'd by mee, Do like the Mutines of Ierusalem, Be friends a-while, and both conioyntly bend Your sharpest Deeds of malice on this Towne.

By East and West let France and England mount.

Their battering Canon charged to the mouthes, Till their soule-fearing clamours haue braul'd downe The flintie ribbes of this contemptuous Citie, I'de play incessantly vpon these Iades, Euen till vnfenced desolation Leaue them as naked as the vulgar ayre: That done, disseuer your vnited strengths, And part your mingled colours once againe, Turne face to face, and b.l.o.o.d.y point to point: Then in a moment Fortune shall cull forth Out of one side her happy Minion, To whom in fauour she shall giue the day, And kisse him with a glorious victory: How like you this wilde counsell mighty States, Smackes it not something of the policie

Iohn. Now by the sky that hangs aboue our heads, I like it well. France, shall we knit our powres, And lay this Angiers euen with the ground, Then after fight who shall be king of it?

Bast. And if thou hast the mettle of a king, Being wrong'd as we are by this peeuish Towne: Turne thou the mouth of thy Artillerie, As we will ours, against these sawcie walles, And when that we haue dash'd them to the ground, Why then defie each other, and pell-mell, Make worke vpon our selues, for heauen or h.e.l.l

Fra. Let it be so: say, where will you a.s.sault?

Iohn. We from the West will send destruction Into this Cities bosome

Aust. I from the North

Fran. Our Thunder from the South, Shall raine their drift of bullets on this Towne

Bast. O prudent discipline! From North to South: Austria and France shoot in each others mouth.

Ile stirre them to it: Come, away, away

Hub. Heare vs great kings, vouchsafe awhile to stay And I shall shew you peace, and faire-fac'd league: Win you this Citie without stroke, or wound, Rescue those breathing liues to dye in beds, That heere come sacrifices for the field.

Perseuer not, but heare me mighty kings

Iohn. Speake on with fauour, we are bent to heare

Hub. That daughter there of Spaine, the Lady Blanch Is neere to England, looke vpon the yeeres Of Lewes the Dolphin, and that louely maid.

If l.u.s.tie loue should go in quest of beautie, Where should he finde it fairer, then in Blanch: If zealous loue should go in search of vertue, Where should he finde it purer then in Blanch?

If loue ambitious, sought a match of birth, Whose veines bound richer blood then Lady Blanch?

Such as she is, in beautie, vertue, birth, Is the yong Dolphin euery way compleat, If not compleat of, say he is not shee, And she againe wants nothing, to name want, If want it be not, that she is not hee.

He is the halfe part of a blessed man, Left to be finished by such as shee, And she a faire diuided excellence, Whose fulnesse of perfection lyes in him.

O two such siluer currents when they ioyne Do glorifie the bankes that bound them in: And two such sh.o.r.es, to two such streames made one, Two such controlling bounds shall you be, kings, To these two Princes, if you marrie them: This Vnion shall do more then batterie can To our fast closed gates: for at this match, With swifter spleene then powder can enforce The mouth of pa.s.sage shall we fling wide ope, And giue you entrance: but without this match, The sea enraged is not halfe so deafe, Lyons more confident, Mountaines and rockes More free from motion, no not death himselfe In mortall furie halfe so peremptorie, As we to keepe this Citie

Bast. Heeres a stay, That shakes the rotten carka.s.se of old death Out of his ragges. Here's a large mouth indeede, That spits forth death, and mountaines, rockes, and seas, Talkes as familiarly of roaring Lyons, As maids of thirteene do of puppi-dogges.

What Cannoneere begot this l.u.s.tie blood, He speakes plaine Cannon fire, and smoake, and bounce, He giues the bastinado with his tongue: Our eares are cudgel'd, not a word of his But buffets better then a fist of France: Zounds, I was neuer so bethumpt with words, Since I first cal'd my brothers father Dad

Old Qu. Son, list to this coniunction, make this match Giue with our Neece a dowrie large enough, For by this knot, thou shalt so surely tye Thy now vnsur'd a.s.surance to the Crowne, That yon greene boy shall haue no Sunne to ripe The bloome that promiseth a mightie fruite.

I see a yeelding in the lookes of France: Marke how they whisper, vrge them while their soules Are capeable of this ambition, Least zeale now melted by the windie breath Of soft pet.i.tions, pittie and remorse, Coole and congeale againe to what it was

Hub. Why answer not the double Maiesties, This friendly treatie of our threatned Towne

Fra. Speake England first, that hath bin forward first To speake vnto this Cittie: what say you?

Iohn. If that the Dolphin there thy Princely sonne, Can in this booke of beautie read, I loue: Her Dowrie shall weigh equall with a Queene: For Angiers, and faire Toraine Maine, Poyctiers, And all that we vpon this side the Sea, (Except this Cittie now by vs besiedg'd) Finde liable to our Crowne and Dignitie, Shall gild her bridall bed and make her rich In t.i.tles, honors, and promotions, As she in beautie, education, blood, Holdes hand with any Princesse of the world

Fra. What sai'st thou boy? looke in the Ladies face

Dol. I do my Lord, and in her eie I find A wonder, or a wondrous miracle, The shadow of my selfe form'd in her eye, Which being but the shadow of your sonne, Becomes a sonne and makes your sonne a shadow: I do protest I neuer lou'd my selfe Till now, infixed I beheld my selfe, Drawne in the flattering table of her eie.

Whispers with Blanch.

Bast. Drawne in the flattering table of her eie, Hang'd in the frowning wrinkle of her brow, And quarter'd in her heart, hee doth espie Himselfe loues traytor, this is pittie now; That hang'd, and drawne, and quarter'd there should be In such a loue, so vile a Lout as he

Blan. My vnckles will in this respect is mine, If he see ought in you that makes him like, That any thing he see's which moues his liking, I can with ease translate it to my will: Or if you will, to speake more properly, I will enforce it easlie to my loue.

Further I will not flatter you, my Lord, That all I see in you is worthie loue, Then this, that nothing do I see in you, Though churlish thoughts themselues should bee your Iudge, That I can finde, should merit any hate