Than the constraint of hofpitable zeal,
In the relief of this oppreffed child,
Religiously provokes. Be pleafed then
To pay that duty, which you truly owe,

To him that owes it; namely, this young prince:

And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear,

Save in afpect, have all offence seal'd up;
Our cannons' malice vainly shall be spent
Against the invulnerable clouds of heaven;
And, with a bleffed and unvex'd retire,

With unhack'd fwords, and helmets all unbruis'd,
We will bear home that lufty blood again,
Which here we came to fpout against your town,
And leave your children, wives, and you, in
But if you fondly pass our proffer'd offer,

'Tis not the roundure of your old fac❜d walls
Can hide you from our meffengers of war;
Though all these English, and their difcipline,
Were harbour'd in their rude circumference.`
Then, tell us, fhall your city call us lord,
In that behalf which we have challeng'd it?
Or fhall we give the fignal to our rage,
And ftalk in blood to our poffeffion?

peace.

Cit. In brief, we are the king of England's subjects; For him, and in his right, we hold this town.

t

K. John. Acknowledge then the king, and let me in. Cit. That can we not: but he that proves the king, To him will we prove loyal; 'till that time, Have we ramm'd up our gates against the world.

K. John. Doth not the crown of England prove the king? And, if not that, I bring you witneffes,

Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed,-
Faulc. Baftards, and elfe.

2 that owes it;]-whofe right it is. roundure]-circular enclosure, K. John.

K. John. To verify our title with their lives.

K. Philip. As many, and as well-born bloods as those,Faulc. Some bastards too.

K. Phil.-Stand in his face to contradict his claim. Cit. 'Till you compound whofe right is worthieft, We, for the worthieft, hold the right from both.

K. John. Then God forgive the fin of all those fouls, That to their everlasting refidence,

Before the dew of evening fall, fhall fleet,

In dreadful trial of our kingdom's king!

K. Phil. Amen, Amen!-Mount, chevaliers! to arms! Faulc. Saint George,—that fwing'd the dragon, and e'er fince

Sits on his horfeback at mine hoftefs' door,

Teach us fome fence!-Sirrah, were I at home,

At your den, firrah, with your lionefs,

I'd fet an ox-head to your lion's hide,

And make a monster of you.

Auft. Peace; no more.

[To Auftria,

Faulc. O, tremble; for you hear the lion roar.

K. John. Up higher to the plain; where we'll fet forth,

In best appointment, all our regiments.

Faulc. Speed then, to take advantage of the field.

K. Phil. It fhall be fo;-and at the other hill

Command the reft to ftand.-God, and our right!

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

After excurfions, enter the Herald of France, with trumpets, to the gates.

F. Her. You men of Angiers, open wide your gates, And let young Arthur, duke of Bretagne, in;

Who, by the hand of France, this day hath made

VOL. III.

U

Much

Much work for tears in many an English mother,
Whofe fons lye fcatter'd on the bleeding ground:
Many a widow's husband groveling lies,
Coldly embracing the difcolour'd earth;
And victory, with little lofs, doth play
Upon the dancing banners of the French;
Who are at hand, triumphantly difplay'd,
To enter conquerors, and to proclaim
Arthur of Bretagne, England's king, and yours.

Enter English Heralds, with trumpets.

E. Her. Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells; King John, your king and England's, doth approach, Commander of this hot malicious day!

b

Their armours, that march'd hence fo filver-bright,
Hither return all gilt with Frenchmen's blood;
There stuck no plume in any English creft,
That is removed by a ftaff of France;

Our colours do return in those fame hands

That did display them when we first march'd forth;
And, like a jolly troop of huntsmen, come

с

Our lufty English, all with purpled hands,
Dy'd in the dying flaughter of their foes:
Open your gates, and give the victors way.

Cit. Heralds, from off our towers we might behold,
From first to laft, the onset and retire
Of both your armies; whofe equality
By our best eyes cannot be cenfured:

d

Blood hath bought blood, and blows have anfwer'd blows;

malicious]-destructive.

e like a jolly troop of buntfmen.]

here thy bunters stand,
Sign'd in thy spoil, and crimson'd in thy lethe."
JULIUS CAESAR, A& III. S. 1.

• cenfured:]-discriminated.

Ant.

Strength

Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted

power:

Both are alike; and both alike we like.

One must prove greatest: while they weigh fo even,
We hold our town for neither; yet for both.

Enter the two Kings with their powers, at feveral doors.

K. John. France, haft thou yet more blood to caft away? Say, fhall the current of our right run on? Whose paffage vext with thy impediment, Shall leave his native channel, and o'er-fwell With course disturb'd even thy confining fhores ; Unless thou let his filver water keep

A peaceful progrefs to the ocean.

K. Phil. England, thou haft not fav'd one drop of blood, In this hot trial, more than we of France;

Rather, loft more: And by this hand I swear,
That sways the earth this climate overlooks,-
Before we will lay down our juft-borne arms,
We'll put thee down, 'gainst whom thefe arms we bear,
Or add a royal number to the dead

Gracing the fcrowl, that tells of this war's lofs,
With flaughter coupled to the name of kings.
Faulc. Ha, majefty! how high thy glory towers,
When the rich blood of kings is fet on fire!
Oh, now doth death line his dead chaps with fteel;
The fwords of foldiers are his teeth, his phangs;
And now he feafts, moufing the flesh of men,
In undetermin'd differences of kings.-
Why stand these royal fronts amazed thus ?
'Cry, havock, kings! back to the stained field,

с rome. f moufing]-mammacking, tearing to pieces-mouthing. Cry, bavock,]-Command flaughter to proceed.

U 2

You

You equal 'potents, fiery-kindled fpirits!

Then let confufion of one part confirm

The other's peace; 'till then, blows, blood, and death!
K. John. Whofe party do the townsmen yet admit ?
K. Phil. Speak, citizens, for England; who's your king?
Cit. The king of England, when we know the king.
K. Phil. Know him in us, that here hold up his right.
K. John. In us, that are our own great deputy,
And bear poffeffion of our perfon here;
'Lord of our prefence, Angiers, and of you.

Cit. A greater power, than we, denies all this
And, 'till it be undoubted, we do lock
Our former fcruple in our ftrong-barr'd gates:

k

King'd of our fears; until our fears, resolv'd,

Be by fome certain king purg'd and depos'd.

1

Faulc. By heaven, thefe fcroyles of Angiers flout you, kings;

And ftand fecurely on their battlements,

As in a theatre, whence they gape and point
At your induftrious fcenes and acts of death.
Your royal prefences be rul'd by me;

n

Do like the mutines of Jerusalem,

Be friends a while, and both conjointly bend
Your sharpeft deeds of malice on this town:
By caft and weft let France and England mount
Their battering cannon, charged to the mouths;

'Till their foul-fearing clamours have brawl'd down The flinty ribs of this contemptuous city:

Ꮒ

h potents,]-potentates.

iLord of our prefence, Angiers, and of you.]-Of imperial dignity, and king of you.

k King'd of our fears:]-Under the control of our fears at prefent, and destined to remain fo, until our fears or doubts about our rightful fovereign are removed.

A mutines-mutineers.

m illuftrious.

feroyles]-fcrubs.
• foul-fearing]-foul-appalling.