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 First. Robert Faulconbridge, fuppos'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 Austria.

Card. Pandulpho, the Pope's Legate.

Melun, a French Lord.

Chatillon, Ambaffador 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, fometimes in England; and fometimes in France.

Of this Play there are three editions in 4to preceding the first folio.

1. 1591, for Samfon Clarke.

2

II. 1611, Valentine Simm
for John Helme.

III. 1622, Aug. Mathews for
Thomas Dewe.

THE

The LIFE and DEATH of

KING JOHN.

SCENE I.

The Court of England.

"Enter King John, Queen Elinor, Pembroke, Effex, and Salisbury, with Chatillon.

King JOHN.

YOW, fay, Chatillon, what would France with us?

Chat. Thus, after greeting, fpeaks the King

The borrow'd Majefty of England here.

Eli. A ftrange beginning. Borrow'd Majefty!
K. John. Silence, good mother; hear the embaffy.
Chat. Philip of France, in right and true behalf
Of thy deceased brother Geffrey's fon,

Arthur Plantagenet, lays lawful claim.
To this fair island, and the territories,

To Ireland, Poitiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine ;
Defiring thee to lay afide the fword,

Which fways ufurpingly these several titles;
And put the fame into young Arthur's hand,
Thy nephew, and right-royal Sovereign.

K. John. What follows, if we difallow of this?
Chat. The proud controul of fierce and bloody

war,

T'inforce these rights fo forcibly with-held.

K. John. Here have we war for war, and blood for blood,

Controulment for controulment; fo answer France. Chat. Then take my King's defiance from my mouth, The fartheft limit of my embaffy.

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,

have a fignification that I have never found in any other authour. The king of France, fays the Envoy, thus fpecks in my behaviour to the Majefty of England: That is, the king of Fran e fpeaks in the character which I here affume. I once thought that these two lines, in my behaviour, &c. had been uttered by the ambaffador as part of his master's meffage, and that behaviour had meant the conduct of the king of

France towards the king of England, but the ambaffador's fpeech, as continued after the interruption, will not admit this meaning. 3 Controul.] Oppofition from contrelier.

4 Be thou as lightning.] The fimile does not fuit well: the lightning indeed appears before the thunder is heard, but the lightning is deftructive, and the thunder innocent.

And

And fullen prefage of your own decay.
An honourable conduct let him have,
Pembroke, look to't; farewel, Chatillon.

[Exeunt Chat. and Pem.
Eli. What now, my fon? Have I not ever said,
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 easy arguments of love;

Which now the manage of two kingdoms muft
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 whifpers in your ear,
Which none but heav'n, and you, and I shall hear.
Enter Effex.

Effex. My Liege, here is the strangest controversie, 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 abbies and our priories fhall pay

This expedition's charge

SCENE II.

[Exit Effex.

Enter Robert Faulconbridge, and Philip, bis Brother.

What men are you?

Phil. Your faithful fubject, I, a gentleman

5 Sullen prefage.] By the epithet fullen, which cannot be applied to a trumpet, it is plain, that our authour's imagination had now fuggefted a new idea.

It is as if he had faid, be a trum et to alarm with our invafion, be a bird of ill omen to croak out the prognostick of your own ruin. Dd3

Born

Born in Northamptonshire, and eldest son,
As I fuppofe, to Robert Faulconbridge,
A foldier, by the honour giving hand
Of Caur 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 seems?

Phil. 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 mens' children may.

Eli. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame thy mother,

And wound her honour with this diffidence.

Phil. 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, he pops me out At leaft 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?

Phil. 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 ftill 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 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 Caur-de-lion's face,

The