Dramatis Perfonæ. KING John. Prince Henry, Son to the King. Arthur, Duke of Bretagne, and Nephew to the King. Pembroke, Bigot, Faulconbridge, Baftard-Son to Richard the Firft. Robert Faulconbridge, Suppos'd Brother to the Baftard. James Gurney, Servant to the Lady Faulconbridge. Peter of Pomfret, a Prophet. Philip, King of France. Lewis, the Dauphin. Arch-Duke of Auftria. Cardinal Pandulpho, the Pope's Legate. Melun, a French Lord. Chatilion, Ambassador from France to King John. Elinor, Queen-Mother of England. Conftance, Mother to Arthur. Blanch, Daughter to Alphonfo King of Caftile, and Niece to King John. Lady Faulconbridge, Mother to the Baftard, and Robert Faulconbridge. Citizens of Angiers, Heralds, Executioners, Messengers, Soldiers, and other Attendants. The SCENE, Sometimes in England; and, sometimes, in France. The (1) The LIFE and DEATH of KING JOHN. A C T I. SCENE, the Court of England. Enter King John, Queen Elinor, Pembroke, Effex, and Salisbury, with Chatilion. N° King JOHN. WOW fay, Chatilion, what would France with us ? The borrow'd Majefty of England here. (1) The LIFE and DEATH-] Tho' this Play have this title, yet the action of it begins at the thirty-fourth year of his life; and takes in only fome transactions of his reign to the time of his demife, being an interval of about feventeen years. Of all the English Princes, (as Mr. Warburton observ'd to me,) that Shakespeare has taken into tragedy, King John was the fittest to have made a hero for a tragedy on the ancient plan. Henry IV, V, and VIII, had qualities great enough for it, but were generally fortunate. Richard II, and Henry VI, (fit Verbo Venia) were, at times, little better than poltrons: And Richard III. was fo black a villain, that the ancients would have thought him fitter for a gibbet than a ftage. But John had that turbulence and grandeur of the paffions, that inconftancy of temper, that equal mixture of good and ill, and that series of misfortunes confequent thereto, as might make him very fit for a hero in a juft compofition, P5 Eli. |