Even till that utmost corner of the west Const. O, take his mother's thanks, a widow's thanks, Till your strong hand shall help to give him strength To make a more requital to your love! Aust. The peace of heaven is theirs that lift their swords In such a just and charitable war. K. Phi. Well then, to work: our cannon shall Against the brows of this resisting town. Const. Stay for an answer to your embassy, Enter CHATILLON. K. Phi. A wonder, lady! lo, upon thy wish, Our messenger Chatillon is arrived! What England says, say briefly, gentle lord; We coldly pause for thee; Chatillon, speak. Chat. Then turn your forces from this paltry siege 34. more, greater. 30 40 50 choose the best positions for attack. 40. To cull the plots, etc., to 45. unadvised, rashly. And stir them up against a mightier task. His marches are expedient to this town, With ladies' faces and fierce dragons' spleens, [Drum beats. K. Phi. How much unlook'd for is this expedi- Aust. By how much unexpected, by so much We must awake endeavour for defence; For courage mounteth with occasion: Let them be welcome then; we are prepared. 60. expedient, expeditious. 63. Atè, the goddess of revenge. Ff Ace.' 64. Blanch was the daughter of John's sister Eleanor, married 60 70 80 to Alphonso VIII. of Castile. 67. voluntaries, volunteers. Enter KING JOHN, ELINOR, BLANCH, the Bastard, Lords, and forces. K. John. Peace be to France, if France in peace permit Our just and lineal entrance to our own; If not, bleed France, and peace ascend to heaven, K. Phi. Peace be to England, if that war return Look here upon thy brother Geffrey's face; 90 These eyes, these brows, were moulded out of his : 100 95. under-wrought, undermined. 96. posterity. Cf. note to ii. I. 2 above. 97. Outfaced infant state, defied the royal authority personated in a child. IOI. large, full-grown form. 103. draw this brief, expand ་ this abstract.' 106. this is Geffrey's; i.e. this boy is Geffrey's son (and as such inheritor of his 'right' to England). The phrase is ambiguous, but the other possible interpretations (e.g. this territory is Geffrey's) are less natural. When living blood doth in these temples beat, To draw my answer from thy articles? K. Phi. From that supernal judge, that stirs good thoughts In any breast of strong authority, 110 To look into the blots and stains of right: Const. My bed was ever to thy son as true Than thou and John in manners; being as like My boy a bastard! By my soul, I think It cannot be, an if thou wert his mother. Eli. There's a good mother, boy, that blots thy father. Const. There's a good grandam, boy, that would blöt thee. Aust. Peace! 109. owe, own. 116. impeach, accuse. 123. a queen, and check the world; an allusion to the queen at chess. 130 131. This charge against Eleanor has no support in Holinshed; but both Fabyan and Stow report traditions of her adultery (Hol. ed. Stone, p. 51). Bast. Aust. Hear the crier. What the devil art thou? Blanch. O, well did he become that lion's robe Bast. It lies as sightly on the back of him But, ass, I'll take that burthen from your back, ears With this abundance of superfluous breath? King John, this is the very sum of all; Wilt thou resign them and lay down thy arms? 136. your hide; i.e. the legendary lion's hide worn by Richard, and seized as a trophy by Austria (his murderer, in the romance). 137. the hare of whom the proverb goes. The proverb was familiar from Erasmus' Adagia, in the form: Mortuo leoni et lepores insultant.' In English it occurs in nearly identical words in Kyd's Spanish Tragedy. It was a favourite device of the emblem-writers. 139. smoke, thrash. 144. Alcides', i.e. the skin 140 130 of the Nemean lion borne by Hercules. 147. cracker, braggart. 149. King Philip. Theobald's emendation. Ff have 'King, Lewis,' as a part of Austria's speech; and, 'Lewis' as the next speaker. But John's reply makes it clear that the French king is the speaker in VV. 150-4, and therefore the person addressed in v. 149. 152. Anjou. Theobald's correction for Ff Angiers. |