Whose valour plucks dead lions by the beard:
I'll smoke your skin-coat, an I catch you right;
Sirrah, look to't; i' faith, I will, i' faith.

140

Blanch. O, well did he become that lion's robe

That did disrobe the lion of that robe!

Bast. It lies as sightly on the back of him

As great Alcides' shows upon an ass:

But, ass, I'll take that burthen from your back,

145

Or lay on that shall make your shoulders crack.

Aust. What cracker is this same that deafs our ears

With this abundance of superfluous breath?

K. Phi. Lewis, determine what we shall do straight.

Lew. Women and fools, break off your conference.

150

King John, this is the very sum of all;

England and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine, Maine,

In right of Arthur do I claim of thee:

Wilt thou resign them and lay down thy arms?

K. John. My life as soon: I do defy thee, France.

155

Arthur of Bretagne, yield thee to my hand;

And out of my dear love I'll give thee more
Than e'er the coward hand of France can win :
Submit thee, boy.

Eli.
Come to thy grandam, child.
Const. Do, child, go to it grandam, child;
Give grandam kingdom, and it grandam will

Give it a plum, a cherry, and a fig:

There's a good grandam.

Arth.

Good my mother, peace!

I would that I were low laid in my grave:
I am not worth this coil that's made for me.

139. an] Theobald. and Ff. 144. Alcides' shows] Alcides shews Theobald. Alcides shooes Ff. (shoos F4). Alcides' should Keightley conj.

149. K. Phi. Lewis] Capell. King Lewis Ff. King Philip Theobald. King,-Lewis Knight (Malone conj., withdrawn). See note (IX).

150. Lew.] K. Philip. Theobald. 152. Anjou] Theobald. Angiers

Ff.

153. do II do Theobald.
156. Bretagne] Hanmer. Britaine
FF. Britain F3. Brittain F4.

159-197. Submit thee...repetitions]
Put in the margin, as spurious, by Pope.
160. Do, child, go] Do, go, child,
go; go Capell.

160, 161. it...it] F2F3F4. yt...it F. it...if Johnson. it's...it's Capell.

160

165

Eli. His mother shames him so, poor boy, he weeps.
Const. Now shame upon you, whether she does or no!
His grandam's wrongs, and not his mother's shames,
Draws those heaven-moving pearls from his poor eyes,
Which heaven shall take in nature of a fee;

Ay, with these crystal beads heaven shall be bribed.

To do him justice and revenge on you.

170

Eli.

Thou monstrous slanderer of heaven and earth! Const. Thou monstrous injurer of heaven and earth!

Call not me slanderer; thou and thine usurp

175

The dominations, royalties and rights

Of this oppressed boy: this is thy eld'st son's son,

Infortunate in nothing but in thee:

Thy sins are visited in this poor child;

The canon of the law is laid on him,
Being but the second generation

Removed from thy sin-conceiving womb.

180

I have but this to say,

185

That he is not only plagued for her sin,

But God hath made her sin and her the plague

On this removed issue, plagued for her
And with her plague; her sin his injury,
Her injury the beadle to her sin,

All punish'd in the person of this child,
And all for her; a plague upon her!

190

Eli. Thou unadvised scold, I can produce

A will that bars the title of thy son.

Const. Ay, who doubts that? a will! a wicked will;

A woman's will; a canker'd grandam's will!

K. Phi. Peace, lady! pause, or be more temperate :

195

It ill beseems this presence to cry aim

To these ill-tuned repetitions.

Some trumpet summon hither to the walls

These men of Angiers: let us hear them speak

Whose title they admit, Arthur's or John's.

200

Trumpet sounds. Enter certain Citizens upon the walls. First Cit.

Who is it that hath warn'd us to the walls?

K. Phi. 'Tis France, for England.

K. John.

You men of Angiers, and my loving subjects,

England, for itself.

K. Phi. You loving men of Angiers, Arthur's subjects,

Our trumpet call'd you to this gentle parle,

205

K. John. For our advantage; therefore hear us first.

These flags of France, that are advanced here
Before the eye and prospect of your town,
Have hither march'd to your endamagement:
The cannons have their bowels full of wrath,
And ready mounted are they to spit forth
Their iron indignation 'gainst your walls:
All preparation for a bloody siege
And merciless proceeding by these French
Confronts your city's eyes, your winking gates;
And but for our approach those sleeping stones,

210

215

That as a waist doth girdle you about,
By the compulsion of their ordinance
By this time from their fixed beds of lime
Had been dishabited, and wide havoc made
For bloody power to rush upon your peace.
But on the sight of us your lawful king,
Who painfully with much expedient march
Have brought a countercheck before your gates,
To save unscratch'd your city's threatened cheeks,
Behold, the French amazed vouchsafe a parle ;
And now, instead of bullets wrapp'd in fire,
To make a shaking fever in your walls,

220

225

They shoot but calm words folded up in smoke,
To make a faithless error in your ears:

230

Which trust accordingly kind citizens,

And let us in, your king, whose labour'd spirits,

Forwearied in this action of swift speed,

Crave harbourage within your city walls.

K. Phi. When I have said, make answer to us both.

235

Lo, in this right hand, whose protection

Is most divinely vow'd upon the right

Of him it holds, stands young Plantagenet,

Son to the elder brother of this man,

And king o'er him and all that he enjoys:

240

To him that owes it, namely this young prince:
And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear,

Save in aspect, hath all offence seal'd up;
Our cannons' malice vainly shall be spent
Against the invulnerable clouds of heaven;
And with a blessed and unvex'd retire,
With unhack'd swords and helmets all unbruised,
We will bear home that lusty blood again
Which here we came to spout against your town,
And leave your children, wives and you in peace.
But if you fondly pass our proffer'd offer,
'Tis not the roundure of your old-faced walls
Can hide you from our messengers of war,
Though all these English and their discipline
Were harbour'd in their rude circumference.
Then tell us, shall your city call us lord,

In that behalf which we have challenged it?
Or shall we give the signal to our rage

And stalk in blood to our possession?

250

First Cit. In brief, we are the king of England's subjects:

For him, and in his right, we hold this town.

255

260

265

K. John. Acknowledge then the king, and let me in.
First Cit. That can we not; but he that proves the king, 270

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 witnesses,

Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed,—

Bast. Bastards, and else.

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

K. Phi. As many and as well-born bloods as those,—
Bast. Some bastards too.

275