Wade to the market-place in Frenchmen's blood, But we will make it subject to this boy. Const. Stay for an answer to your embassy, Lest unadvis'd you stain your swords with blood: My lord Chatillon may from England bring That right in peace, which here we urge in war; And then we shall repent each drop of blood, That hot rash haste so indirectly shed. Enter CHATIllon. K. Phi. A wonder, lady!-lo, upon thy wish, What England says, say briefly, gentle lord, And stir them up against a mightier task. His marches are expedient to this town, 8 expedient-] Immediate, expeditious. Did never float upon the swelling tide, [Drums beat. Cuts off more circumstance: they are at hand, K. Phi. How much unlook'd for is this expedition! 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 prepar'd. Enter King JOHN, ELINOR, BLANCH, the Bastard, PEMBROKE, and Forces. K. John. Peace be to France; if France in permit Our just and lineal entrance to our own! peace If not, bleed France, and peace ascend to heaven! K. Phi. Peace be to England; if that war re turn From France to England, there to live in peace! Outfaced infant state, and done a rape 1 9 scath] Destruction, harm. under-wrought] i. e. underworked, undermined. 2 These eyes, these brows, were moulded out of his : To draw my answer from thy articles? In K. Phi. From that supernal judge, that stirs good thoughts any breast of strong authority, To look into the blots and stains of right. That judge hath made me guardian to this boy : K. John. Alack, thou dost usurp authority. son. Eli. Out, insolent! thy bastard shall be king; That thou may'st be a queen, and check the world! Const. My bed was ever to thy son as true, As thine was to thy husband: and this boy scription. this brief -] A brief is a short writing, abstract, or de His father never was so true begot; It cannot be, an if thou wert his mother.3 Eli. There's a good mother, boy, that blots thy father. Const. There's a good grandam, boy, that would blot thee. Aust. Peace! Bast. Aust. Hear the crier. What the devil art thou? Bast. One that will play the devil, sir, with you, An 'a may catch your hide and you alone.* 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, But, ass, I'll take that burden from your back; 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. 3 an if thou wert his mother.] Constance alludes to Elinor's infidelity to her husband, Lewis the Seventh, when they were in the Holy Land; on account of which he was divorced from her. She afterwards (1151) married our King Henry II. 4 One that will play the devil, sir, with you, An'a may catch your hide and you alone.] The story is, that Austria, who killed King Richard Caur-de-lion, wore, as the spoil of that prince, a lion's hide, which had belonged to bim. Lew. Women and fools, break off your con- King John, this is the very sum of all,- Wilt thou resign them, and lay down thy arms? Arthur of Bretagne, yield thee to my hand; 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. Eli. His mother shames him so, poor boy, he weeps. Const. Now shame upon you, whe'r she does, or no! His grandam's wrongs, and not his mother's shames, Eli. Thou monstrous slanderer of heaven and Const. Thou monstrous injurer of heaven and Call not me slanderer; thou, and thine, usurp Of this oppressed boy: This is thy eldest son's son, |