SCENE I. Northampton. A Room of State in the Palace. Enter KING JOHN, QUEEN ELINOR, PEMBROKE, ESSEX, SALISBURY, and others, with CHATILLION. King John. OW, say, Chatillion, what would France Chat. Thus, after greeting, speaks the In my behaviour, to the Majesty, Eli. A strange beginning;-borrow'd Majesty! To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjowe, Toraine, Maine: K. John. What follows, if we disallow of this? Chat. The proud control of fierce and bloody war, To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld. K. John. Here have we war for war, and blood for blood, Controlment for controlment: so answer France. Chat. Then take my King's defiance from my mouth, The farthest limit of my embassy. K. John. Bear mine to him; and so depart in peace. Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France; For, ere thou canst report I will be there, The thunder of my cannon shall be heard. So, hence! Be thou the trumpet of our wrath, And sullen presage of your own decay.An honourable conduct let him have. Pembroke, look to't; farewell, Chatillion. [Exeunt CHAT. and PEMB. Eli. What now, my son! have I not ever said, How that ambitious Constance would not cease, Till she had kindled France, and all the world, Upon the right and party of her son? This might have been prevented and made whole, Which now the manage of two kingdoms must K. John. Our strong possession, and our right for us. right; Or else it must go wrong with you, and me: Enter the Sheriff of Northamptonshire, who whispers Esser. My liege, here is the strangest controversy, 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. [Exit Sheriff. Our abbies and our priories shall pay Re-enter Sheriff, with ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE, and This expedition's charge.-What men are you? Rob. The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge. K. John. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir? You came not of one mother then, it seems. Bast. Most 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 Heaven, and to my mother; Of that I doubt, as all men's children may. Eli. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame thy mother, And wound her honour with this diffidence. Bast. 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, 'a pops me out At least from fair five hundred pound a year. Heaven 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? Bast. I know not why, except to get the land; But once he slander'd me with bastardy. But whe'r I be as true begot or no, That still I lay upon my mother's head; -Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!— And were our father, and this son like him . . . I give Heaven thanks, I was not like to thee. K. John. Why, what a madcap hath Heaven lent us here? Eli. He hath a trick of Cœur-de-lion's face, K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his parts, Rob. My gracious liege, when that my father liv'd, Your brother did employ my father much Bast. Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land; Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother. Rob. And once despatch'd him in an embassy To Germany, there with the Emperor To treat of high affairs touching that time. The advantage of his absence took the King, And in the mean time sojourn'd at my father's; Where how he did prevail, I shame to speak. But truth is truth; large lengths of seas and shores Between my father and my mother lay -As I have heard my father speak himself— When this same lusty 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 son 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 hazards of all husbands That marry wives. Tell me, how if my brother -Who, as you say, took pains to get this son- ... In sooth, good friend, your father might have kept Bast. Of no more force to dispossess me, sir, Eli. Whether hadst thou rather be a Faulconbridge, And like thy brother, to enjoy thy land; Or the reputed son of Cœur-de-lion, Lord of thy presence, and no land beside? Bast. Madam, an if my brother had my shape, And I had his, Sir Robert his, like him; Lest men should say, Look, where three-farthings goes! And, to his shape, were heir to all this land, I would not be Sir Nob in any case. Eli. I like thee well. Wilt thou forsake thy fortune, Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me? I am a soldier, and now bound to France. Bast. Brother, take you my land, I'll take my chance. Your face hath got five hundred pounds a year, Eli. Nay, I would have you go before me thither. |