But truth is truth; large lengths of feas and fhores
Between my
father and my mother lay,
(As I have heard my father speak himself)
When this fame lufty gentleman was got.
Upon his death-bed he by will bequeath'd
His lands to me; and took it on his death,
That this, my mother's fon, was none of his ;
And, if he were, he came into the world

Full fourteen weeks before the course of time.
Then, good my liege, let me have what is mine,
My father's land, as was my father's will.

K. John. Sirrah, your brother is legitimate;
Your father's wife did after wedlock bear him:
And, if she did play false, the fault was hers;
Which fault lies on the hazard of all husbands
That marry wives. Tell me, how if
my brother,
Who, as you fay, took pains to get this fon,
Had of your father claim'd this fon for his ?
In footh, good friend, your father might have kept
This calf, bred from his cow, from all the world;
In footh, he might then, if he were my brother's,
My brother might not claim him; nor your father,
Being none of his, refufe him: This concludes-
My mother's fon did get your father's heir;
Your father's heir must have your father's land.
Rob. Shall then my father's will be of no force,
To difpoffefs that child which is not his?
Phil. Of no more force to difpoffefs me, fir,

Than was his will to get me, as I think.

Eli. Whether hadft thou rather,-be a Faulconbridge, And like thy brother to enjoy thy land;

This concludes-]-Is a decifive argument.

VOL. III.

T

Or

Or the reputed fon of Coeur-de-lion,

Lord of thy prefence, and no land befide?

Phil. Madam, an if my brother had my shape,
And I had his, fir Robert his, like him ;
And if my legs were two such riding-rods,
My arms fuch eel-fkins stuft; my face fo thin,
That in mine ear I durft not stick a rose,

Left men fhould fay, Look, where three-farthings goes!
And, to his shape, were heir to all this land,
'Would I might never ftir from off this place,
I'd give it every foot to have this face;

I would not be ' fir Nob in any cafe.

Eli. I like thee well; Wilt thou forfake thy fortune, Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me?

I am a foldier, and now bound to France.

Phil. Brother, take you my land, I'll take my chance:
Your face hath got five hundred pound a year;
Yet fell your face for five pence, and 'tis dear.
Madam, I'll follow you unto the death.

Eli. Nay, I would have you go before me thither.
Phil. Our country manners give our betters way.
K. John. What is thy name?

Phil. Philip, my liege; fo is my name begun;
Philip, good old fir Robert's wife's eldest fon.

K. John. From henceforth bear his name whofe form thou bear'ft:

Kneel thou down Philip, but arife more great;

Arife fir Richard, and Platagenet.

Phil. Brother by the mother's fide, give me your hand; My father gave me honour, yours gave land :—

8 Lord of thy prefence,]-Master of thy own dignity, of that princely appearance; great in thy own person.

verfe.

three-farthings]-a filver coin of that value, with a rofe on the re

i fir Nob]-a cant word for head, as Bob for Robert; alluding to hiz brother both as Knight and Robert.

Now

Now bleffed be the hour, by night or day,
When I was got, fir Robert was away.

Eli. The very spirit of Plantagenet !—
I am thy grandame, Richard; call me fo.

Phil. Madam, by chance, but not by truth: What though?

1

Something about, a little from the right,

In at the window, or else o'er the hatch:
Who dares not ftir by day, muft walk by night;

And have is have, however men do catch:
Near or far off, well won is ftill well shot;
And I am I, howe'er I was begot.

K. John. Go, Faulconbridge; now haft thou thy defire, A landless knight makes thee a landed 'squire.— Come, madam, and come, Richard; we muft fpeed For France, for France; for it is more than need. Phil. Brother, adieu; good fortune come to thee, For thou waft got i' the way of honesty!

[Exeunt all but Philip.

"A foot of honour better than I was;

But many a many foot of land the worse.
Well, now can I make any Joan a lady :-
"Good den, fir Richard, God-a-mercy, fellow ;—
And if his name be George, I'll call him Peter:
For new-made honour doth forget men's names;
'Tis too refpective, and too fociable,

For your converfion. Now your traveller,-
He and his tooth-pick at my worship's 'mefs;

k by truth: What though ?]-by honefty-What then?

1

about,]-irregularly-thefe proverbial phrafes allude to his bafe birth, and extraordinary advancement.

m

A foot]-A ftep or degree.

Good den, fir Richard,-God-a-mercy, fellow-Good day, the falutation of an inferior-the knight's reply.

'Tis too refpective, and too fociable, &c.]'Tis too respectful and familiar, for your newly-created knight, to pay attention to fuch mat

ters.

P mefs;]-dinner.

T 2

And

And when my nightly ftomach is fuffic❜d,
Why then I fuck my teeth, and catechife
My piked man of countries:-My dear fir,
(Thus, leaning on my elbow, I begin)
I fball beseech you-That is queftion now;
And then comes answer like an ABC-book :—
O fir, fays anfwer, at your best command;
At your employment; at your service, fir :—
No, fir, fays question; I, sweet fir, at yours:
And fo, e'er anfwer knows what question would,
(Saving in dialogue of compliment ;

And talking of the Alps, and Apennines,
The Pyrenean, and the river Po)
It draws toward fupper in conclufion.
But this is worshipful fociety,

S

And fits the mounting fpirit like myself:
For he is but a bastard to the time,
That doth not "fmack of observation;
(And so am I, whether I fmack, or no)
And not alone in habit and device,
Exterior form, outward accoutrement;
But from the inward motion to deliver
Sweet, fweet, fweet poifon for the age's tooth:
Which though I will not practife to deceive,
Yet, to avoid deceit, I mean to learn;

W

For it shall strew the footsteps of my rifing.

My piked man of countries:]-My fantastic gueft, with pointed beard or fhoes.-My picked man.

like an ABC-book:]-in the form of a catechifm.

• would, (faving in dialogue of compliment ;]-propound to him, excepting the occafion given for compliments, and fome flight common place remarks on the Alps, &c.

a baftard to the time,]-held now-a-days in low esteem.

fmack of obfervation ; &c.]-exhibit fome spice of foreign manners; and that not only by his outward habit and addrefs, but also by the infallible criterion of politenefs, a perpetual propenfity to flattery, that sweet poifon, fo highly palatable to the age's tooth.

W

frew the footsteps of my rifing.]-facilitate my promotion.

But

But who comes in fuch hafte, in riding robes?
What woman-poft is this? hath fhe no husband,
That will take pains to blow a horn before her?

Enter Lady Faulconbridge and James Gurney.

O me! it is my mother:-How now, good lady?
What brings you here to court so hastily?

Lady. Where is that flave, thy brother? where is he? That holds in chase mine honour up and down? Phil. My brother Robert? old fir Robert's fon? 'Colbrand the giant, that fame mighty man? Is it fir Robert's fon, that you feek fo?

Lady. Sir Robert's fon! Ay, thou unreverend boy, Sir Robert's fon: Why fcorn'ft thou at fir Robert? He is fir Robert's fon; and fo art thou,

Phil. James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave a while? Gur. Good leave, good Philip.

Phil. Philip?-fparrow!-James,

'There's toys abroad; anon I'll tell thee more.

[Exit James,

Madam, I was not old fir Robert's fon;
Sir Robert might have eat his part in me
Upon Good-friday, and ne'er broke his fast:
Sir Robert could do well; Marry, confefs!
Could he get me? Sir Robert could not do it;
We know his handy-work :-Therefore, good mother,
To whom am I beholden for these limbs?

Sir Robert never holp to make this leg.

Lady. Haft thou confpired with thy brother too, That for thine own gain fhould'ft defend mine honour? What means this fcorn, thou moft untoward knave?

Colbrand the giant,]-flain by Gay Earl of Warwick, in the prefence of K. Athelstan.

Philip?-Sparrow !]-the nickname of that bird-Do you call, or take me for a fparrow, James?

There's toys abroad;]-Some idle ftories have got wind.