452

Pand. I will denounce a curfe upon his head. K. Phil. Thou shalt not need. England, I'll fall from thee.

Conft. O fair return of banish'd Majesty!

Eli. O foul revolt of French inconstancy!

K. John. France, thou shalt rue this hour within this hour.

Faul. Old time the clock-fetter, that bald fexton time,

Is it, as he will? well then, France fhall rue.

Blanch. The fun's o'ercaft with blood: fair day,
adieu!

Which is the fide that I must go withal?
I am with both, each army hath a hand,
And in their rage, I having hold of both,
They whirl afunder, and difmember me.
Husband, I cannot pray that thou may'ft win:
Uncle, I needs muft pray that thou may'ft lofe:
Father, I may not wish the fortune thine :
Grandam, I will not with thy wishes thrive:
Whoever wins, on that fide fhall I lose :
Affured lofs, before the match be play'd.

Lewis. Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lies.
Blanch. There where my fortune lives, there my
life dies.

K. John. Coufin, go draw our puiffance together. Exit Faulconbridge. France, I am burn'd up with inflaming wrath, A rage, whofe heat hath this condition That nothing can allay, nothing but blood, The blood, and deareft-valu'd blood of France.

K. Phil. Thy rage fhall burn thee up, and thou
fhalt turn

To afhes, ere our blood fhall quench that fire:
Look to thyself, thou art in jeopardy.

K. John. No more than he that threats. To arms,

let's hie.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

Alarms, Excurfions: Enter Faulconbridge, with
Auftria's Head.

Faulc.

OW,

Now,

by my life, this day grows wond'rous hot;

• Some airy devil hovers in the sky,

And pours down mischief. Auftria's head lie there.— Thus hath King Richard's fon perform'd his vow, And offer'd Auftria's blood for facrifice

Unto his father's ever-living foul.

Enter King John, Arthur, and Hubert.

K. John. There, Hubert, keep this boy. Richard,

make up;

My mother is affailed in our tent,

And ta'en, I fear.

Faul. My Lord, I refcu'd her:

Her highness is in fafety, fear you not.
But on, my Liege; for very little pains
Will bring this labour to an happy end.

'Some airy devil-] We muft read, Some fiery devil, if we will have the caufe equal to the effect. WARBURTON.

There is no end of fuch alterations; every page of a vehement and negligent writer will afford opportunities for changes of terms, if mere propriety will

[Exeunt.

juftify them. Not that of this change the propriety is out of controverfy. Dr. Warburton will have the devil fiery, because he makes the day hot; the authour makes him airy, because he hovers in the sky, and the heat and mischief are natural confequences of his malignity.

SCENE V.

Alarms, Excurfions, Retreat. Re-enter King John, Elinor, Arthur, Faulconbridge, Hubert, and Lords.

K. John. So fhall it be-your Grace fhall ftay behind

(70 Elinor.

So ftrongly guarded-Coufin, look not fad,

[To Arthur.

Thy grandam loves thee, and thy uncle will
As dear be to thee, as thy father was.
Arth. O, this will make my mother die with grief.
K. John. Coufin, away for England; hafte before,
[To Faulconbridge.
And, ere our coming, fee thou shake the bags
Of hoarding Abbots; their imprison'd angels
Set thou at liberty: the fat ribs of peace
Muft by the hungry now be fed upon.

Ufe our commiffion in its utmost force.

2

Faulc. 3 Bell, book, and candle fhall not drive me back,

When gold and filver beck me to come on.

I leave your highness-Grandam, I will pray (If ever I remember to be holy)

For your fair fafety; fo I kifs your hand.

Eli. Farewel, my gentle coufin.

K. John. Coz, farewel.

[Exit Faulc.

Eli. Come, hither, little kinfman;-hark, a word.
[Taking him to one fide of the stage.

K. John. [To Hubert on the other fide.
Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert,
We owe thee much; within this wall of flesh
There is a foul counts thee her creditor,
And with advantage means to pay thy love:
And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath
Lives in this bofum, dearly cherished.
Give me thy hand, I had a thing to fay
But I will fit it with fome better time.
By heaven, Hubert, I'm almoft afhain'd
To fay what good refpect I have of thee.

Hub. I am much bounden to your Majefty.

K. John. Good friend, thou haft no caufe to fay fo
yet,

But thou fhalt have-and creep time ne'er fo flow,
Yet it fhall come for me to do thee good.
I had a thing to fay-but, let it go:
The fun is in the heav'n, and the proud day,
Attended with the pleasures of the world,
Is all too wanton, and too full of gawds,
To give me audience. If the midnight bell
Did with his iron tongue and brazen mouth
+ Sound one unto the drowsy race of night;
If this fame were a church-yard where we ftand,
And thou poffeffed with a thoufand wrongs;
Or if that furly spirit Melancholy

Had bak'd thy blood and made it heavy thick,
Which elfe runs tickling up and down the veins,
Making that ideot laughter keep mens' eyes,
And ftrain their cheeks to idle merriment;

4 Sound ON unto the drowfie race of night;] We fhould read, Sound ONE

WARBURTON.

(A paffion hateful to my purposes)

Or if thou could'ft fee me without eyes,
Hear me without thine ears, and make reply
Without a tongue, ufing conceit alone,
Without eyes, ears, and harmful found of words;
Then, in defpight of broad-ey'd watchful day,
I would into thy bofom pour my thoughts:
But ah, I will not- -yet I love thee well
And, by my troth, I think, thou lov'ft me well.
Hub. So well, that what you bid me undertake,
Tho' that my death were adjunct to my act,
By heav'n, I'd do't.

K. John. Do not I know, thou would'ft?
Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye
On yon young boy: I'll tell thee what, my friend;
He is a very ferpent in my way,

And, wherefoe'er this foot of mine doth tread,
He lies before me. Doft thou understand me?
Thou art his keeper.

Hub. And I'll keep him so,

That he shall not offend your Majefty.

K. John. Death.

Hub. My Lord?

Hub. He fhall not live.

K. John. A grave.

K. John. Enough.

I could be merry now.

Hubert, I love thee;

Remember:

[Returning to the Queen.

Well, I'll not fay what I intend for thee:

Madam, fare you well.

I'll fend thofe pow'rs o'er to your Majesty.

Eli. My bleffing go with thee!

K. John. For England, coufin, go.
Hubert fhall be your man, t'attend on you
With all true duty; on, toward Calais, ho!

[Exeunt.

SCENE