The life and death of King Iohn.
Actus Tertius, Scæna prima.
Enter King Iohn, France, Dolphin, Blanch, Elianor, Philip,
Austria, Constance.
Fran.'Tis true (faire daughter) and this blessed day,Euer in
France shall be kept festiuall:
[960]
To solemnize this day the glorious sunneStayes in his course, and playes the Alchymist,Turning with splendor of his precious eyeThe meager cloddy earth to glittering gold:The yearely course that brings this day about,
[965]
Shall neuer see it, but a holy day.Const.A wicked day, and not a holy day.What hath this day deseru'd? what hath it done,That it in golden letters should be setAmong the high tides in the Kalender?
[970]
Nay, rather turne this day out of the weeke,This day of shame, oppression, periury.Or if it must stand still, let wiues with childePray that their burthens may not fall this day,Lest that their hopes prodigiously be crost:
[975]
But (on this day) let Sea‑men feare no wracke,No bargaines breake that are not this day made;This day all things begun, come to ill end,Yea, faith it selfe to hollow falshood change.Fra.By heauen Lady, you shall haue no cause
[980]
To curse the faire proceedings of this day:Haue I not pawn'd to you my Maiesty?Const.You haue beguil'd me with a counterfeitResembling Maiesty, which being touch'd and tride,Proues valuelesse: you are forsworne, forsworne,
[985]
You came in Armes to spill mine enemies bloud,But now in Armes, you strengthen it with yours.The grapling vigor, and rough frowne of WarreIs cold in amitie, and painted peace,And our oppression hath made vp this league:
[990]
Arme, arme, you heauens, against these periur'd Kings,A widdow cries, be husband to me (heauens)Let not the howres of this vngodly dayWeare out the daies in Peace; but ere Sun‑set,Set armed discord 'twixt these periur'd Kings,
[995]
Heare me, Oh, heare me.Aust.Lady
Constance, peace.
Const.War, war, no peace, peace is to me a warre:O
Lymoges, O
Austria, thou dost shame
That bloudy spoyle: thou slaue, thou wretch, y
u coward,
[1000]
Thou little valiant, great in villanie,Thou euer strong vpon the stronger side;Thou Fortunes Champion, that do'st neuer fightBut when her humourous Ladiship is byTo teach thee safety: thou art periur'd too,
[1005]
And sooth'st vp greatnesse. What a foole art thou,A ramping foole, to brag, and stamp, and sweare,Vpon my partie: thou cold blooded slaue,Hast thou not spoke like thunder on my side?Beene sworne my Souldier, bidding me depend
[1010]
Vpon thy starres, thy fortune, and thy strength,And dost thou now fall ouer to my foes?Thou weare a Lyons hide, doff it for shame,And hang a Calues skin on those recreant limbes.Aus.O that a man should speake those words to me.Phil.
[1015]
And hang a Calues‑skin on those recreant limbsAus.Thou dar'st not say so villaine for thy life.
Phil.And hang a Calues‑skin on those recreant limbs.Iohn.We like not this, thou dost forget thy selfe.Enter Pandulph.Fra.Heere comes the holy Legat of the Pope.Pan.
[1020]
Haile you annointed deputies of heauen;To thee King
Iohn my holy errand is:
I
Pandulph, of faire
Millane Cardinall,
And from Pope
Innocent the Legate heere,
Doe in his name religiously demand
[1025]
Why thou against the Church, our holy Mother,So wilfully dost spurne; and force perforceKeepe
Stephen Langton chosen Archbishop
Of
Canterbury from that holy Sea:
This in our foresaid holy Fathers name
[1030]
Pope
Innocent, I doe demand of thee.
Iohn.What earthie name to InterrogatoriesCan tast the free breath of a sacred King?Thou canst not (Cardinall) deuise a nameSo slight, vnworthy, and ridiculous
[1035]
To charge me to an answere, as the Pope:Tell him this tale, and from the mouth of
England,
Adde thus much more, that no
Italian Priest
Shall tythe or toll in our dominions:But as we, vnder heauen, are supreame head,
[1040]
So vnder him that great supremacyWhere we doe reigne, we will alone vpholdWithout th'assistance of a mortall hand:So tell the Pope, all reuerence set apartTo him and his vsurp'd athoritie.Fra.
[1045]
Brother of
England, you blaspheme in this.
Iohn.Though you, and all the Kings of ChristendomAre led so grossely by this medling Priest,Dreading the curse that money may buy out,And by the merit of vilde gold, drosse, dust,
[1050]
Purchase corrupted pardon of a man,Who in that sale sels pardon from himselfe:Though you, and al the rest so grossely led,This iugling witchcraft with reuennue cherish,Yet I alone, alone doe me oppose
[1055]
Against the Pope, and count his friends my foes.Pand.Then by the lawfull power that I haue,Thou shalt stand curst, and excommunicate,And blessed shall he be that doth reuoltFrom his Allegeance to an heretique,
[1060]
And meritorious shall that hand be call'd,Canonized and worship'd as a Saint,That takes away by any secret courseThy hatefull life.Con.O lawfull let it be
[1065]
That I haue roome with Rome to curse a while,Good Father Cardinall, cry thou AmenTo my keene curses; for without my wrongThere is no tongue hath power to curse him right.Pan.There's Law and Warrant (Lady) for my curse.Cons.
[1070]
And for mine too, when Law can do no right.Let it be lawfull, that Law barre no wrong:Law cannot giue my childe his kingdome heere;For he that holds his Kingdome, holds the Law:Therefore since Law it selfe is perfect wrong,
[1075]
How can the Law forbid my tongue to curse?Pand.Philip of
France, on perill of a curse,
Let goe the hand of that Arch‑heretique,And raise the power of
France vpon his head,
Vnlesse he doe submit himselfe to
Rome.
Elea.
[1080]
Look'st thou pale
France? do not let go thy hand.
Con.Looke to that Deuill, lest that
France repent,
And
Actus Secundus
[Act 3, Scene 1]
Enter Constance, Arthur, and Salisbury.Con.Gone to be married? Gone to sweare a peace?False blood to false blood ioyn'd. Gone to be freinds?
[885]
Shall
Lewis haue
Blaunch, and
Blaunch those Prouinces?
It is not so; thou hast mispoke, misheard,Be well aduis'd, tell ore thy tale againe.It cannot be, thou do'st but say 'tis so.I trust I may not trust thee, for thy word
[890]
Is but the vaine breath of a common man:Beleeue me, I doe not beleeue thee man,I haue a Kings oath to the contrarie.Thou shalt be punish'd for thus frighting me,For I am sicke, and capeable of feares,
[895]
Opprest with wrongs, and therefore full of feares,A widdow, husbandles, subiect to feares,A woman naturally borne to feares;And though thou now confesse thou didst but iestWith my vext spirits, I cannot take a Truce,
[900]
But they will quake and tremble all this day.What dost thou meane by shaking of thy head
?Why dost thou looke so sadly on my sonne?What meanes that hand vpon that breast of thine?Why holdes thine eie that lamentable rhewme,
[905]
Like a proud riuer peering ore his bounds?Be these sad signes confirmers of thy words?Then speake againe, not all thy former tale,But this one word, whether thy tale be true.Sal.As true as I beleeue you thinke them false,
[910]
That giue you cause to proue my saying true.Con.Oh if thou teach me to beleeue this sorrow,Teach thou this sorrow, how to make me dye,And let beleefe, and life encounter so,As doth the furie of two desperate men,
[915]
Which in the very meeting fall, and dye.Lewes marry
Blaunch? O boy, then where art thou?
France friend with
England, what becomes of me
?Fellow be gone: I cannot brooke thy sight,This newes hath made thee a most vgly man.Sal.
[920]
What other harme haue I good Lady done,But spoke the harme, that is by others done?Con.Which harme within it selfe so heynous is,As it makes harmefull all that speake of it.Ar.I do beseech you Madam be content.Con.
[925]
If thou that bidst me be content, wert grimVgly, and slandrous to thy Mothers wombe,Full of vnpleasing blots, and sightlesse staines,Lame, foolish, crooked, swart, prodigious,Patch'd with foule Moles, and eye‑offending markes,
[930]
I would not care, I then would be content,For then I should not loue thee: no, nor thouBecome thy great birth, nor deserue a Crowne.But thou art faire, and at thy birth (deere boy)Nature and Fortune ioyn'd to make thee great.
[935]
Of Natures guifts, thou mayst with Lillies boast,And with the halfe‑blowne Rose. But Fortune, oh,She is corrupted, chang'd, and wonne from thee,Sh'adulterates hourely with thine Vnckle
Iohn,
And with her golden hand hath pluckt on France
[940]
To tread downe faire respect of Soueraigntie,And made his Maiestie the bawd to theirs.France is a Bawd to Fortune, and king
Iohn,
That strumpet Fortune, that vsurping
Iohn:
Tell me thou fellow, is no France forsworne?
[945]
E
nvenom him with words, or get thee gone,
And leaue those woes alone, which I aloneAm bound to vnder‑beare.Sal.Pardon me Madam,I may not goe without you to the kings.Con.
[950]
Thou maist, thou shalt, I will not go with thee,I will instruct my sorrowes to bee proud,For greefe is proud, and makes his owner stoope,To me and to the state of my great greefe,Let kings assemble: for my greefe's so great,
[955]
That no supporter but the huge firme earthCan hold it vp: here I and sorrowes sit,Heere is my Throne, bid kings come bow to it.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<div type="scene" n="1" rend="notPresent">
<head rend="italic center">Actus Secundus</head>
<head type="supplied">[Act 3, Scene 1]</head>
<stage rend="italic center" type="entrance">Enter Constance, Arthur, and Salisbury.</stage>
<sp who="#F-jn-con">
<speaker rend="italic">Con.</speaker>
<l n="883">Gone to be married? Gone to sweare a peace?</l>
<l n="884">False blood to false blood ioyn'd. Gone to be freinds?</l>
<l n="885">Shall<hi rend="italic">Lewis</hi>haue<hi rend="italic">Blaunch</hi>, and<hi rend="italic">Blaunch</hi>those Prouinces?</l>
<l n="886">It is not so; thou hast mispoke, misheard,</l>
<l n="887">Be well aduis'd, tell ore thy tale againe.</l>
<l n="888">It cannot be, thou do'st but say 'tis so.</l>
<l n="889">I trust I may not trust thee, for thy word</l>
<l n="890">Is but the vaine breath of a common man:</l>
<l n="891">Beleeue me, I doe not beleeue thee man,</l>
<l n="892">I haue a Kings oath to the contrarie.</l>
<l n="893">Thou shalt be punish'd for thus frighting me,</l>
<l n="894">For I am sicke, and capeable of feares,</l>
<cb n="2"/>
<l n="895">Opprest with wrongs, and therefore full of feares,</l>
<l n="896">A widdow, husbandles, subiect to feares,</l>
<l n="897">A woman naturally borne to feares;</l>
<l n="898">And though thou now confesse thou didst but iest</l>
<l n="899">With my vext spirits, I cannot take a Truce,</l>
<l n="900">But they will quake and tremble all this day.</l>
<l n="901">What dost thou meane by shaking of thy head<c rend="italic">?</c>
</l>
<l n="902">Why dost thou looke so sadly on my sonne?</l>
<l n="903">What meanes that hand vpon that breast of thine?</l>
<l n="904">Why holdes thine eie that lamentable rhewme,</l>
<l n="905">Like a proud riuer peering ore his bounds?</l>
<l n="906">Be these sad signes confirmers of thy words?</l>
<l n="907">Then speake againe, not all thy former tale,</l>
<l n="908">But this one word, whether thy tale be true.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-jn-sal">
<speaker rend="italic">Sal.</speaker>
<l n="909">As true as I beleeue you thinke them false,</l>
<l n="910">That giue you cause to proue my saying true.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-jn-con">
<speaker rend="italic">Con.</speaker>
<l n="911">Oh if thou teach me to beleeue this sorrow,</l>
<l n="912">Teach thou this sorrow, how to make me dye,</l>
<l n="913">And let beleefe, and life encounter so,</l>
<l n="914">As doth the furie of two desperate men,</l>
<l n="915">Which in the very meeting fall, and dye.</l>
<l n="916">
<hi rend="italic">Lewes</hi>marry<hi rend="italic">Blaunch</hi>? O boy, then where art thou?</l>
<l n="917">
<hi rend="italic">France</hi>friend with<hi rend="italic">England</hi>, what becomes of me<c rend="italic">?</c>
</l>
<l n="918">Fellow be gone: I cannot brooke thy sight,</l>
<l n="919">This newes hath made thee a most vgly man.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-jn-sal">
<speaker rend="italic">Sal.</speaker>
<l n="920">What other harme haue I good Lady done,</l>
<l n="921">But spoke the harme, that is by others done?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-jn-con">
<speaker rend="italic">Con.</speaker>
<l n="922">Which harme within it selfe so heynous is,</l>
<l n="923">As it makes harmefull all that speake of it.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-jn-art">
<speaker rend="italic">Ar.</speaker>
<l n="924">I do beseech you Madam be content.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-jn-con">
<speaker rend="italic">Con.</speaker>
<l n="925">If thou that bidst me be content, wert grim</l>
<l n="926">Vgly, and slandrous to thy Mothers wombe,</l>
<l n="927">Full of vnpleasing blots, and sightlesse staines,</l>
<l n="928">Lame, foolish, crooked, swart, prodigious,</l>
<l n="929">Patch'd with foule Moles, and eye‑offending markes,</l>
<l n="930">I would not care, I then would be content,</l>
<l n="931">For then I should not loue thee: no, nor thou</l>
<l n="932">Become thy great birth, nor deserue a Crowne.</l>
<l n="933">But thou art faire, and at thy birth (deere boy)</l>
<l n="934">Nature and Fortune ioyn'd to make thee great.</l>
<l n="935">Of Natures guifts, thou mayst with Lillies boast,</l>
<l n="936">And with the halfe‑blowne Rose. But Fortune, oh,</l>
<l n="937">She is corrupted, chang'd, and wonne from thee,</l>
<l n="938">Sh'adulterates hourely with thine Vnckle<hi rend="italic">Iohn</hi>,</l>
<l n="939">And with her golden hand hath pluckt on France</l>
<l n="940">To tread downe faire respect of Soueraigntie,</l>
<l n="941">And made his Maiestie the bawd to theirs.</l>
<l n="942">France is a Bawd to Fortune, and king<hi rend="italic">Iohn</hi>,</l>
<l n="943">That strumpet Fortune, that vsurping<hi rend="italic">Iohn</hi>:</l>
<l n="944">Tell me thou fellow, is no France forsworne?</l>
<l n="945">E<c rend="inverted">n</c>venom him with words, or get thee gone,</l>
<l n="946">And leaue those woes alone, which I alone</l>
<l n="947">Am bound to vnder‑beare.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-jn-sal">
<speaker rend="italic">Sal.</speaker>
<l n="948">Pardon me Madam,</l>
<l n="949">I may not goe without you to the kings.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-jn-con">
<speaker rend="italic">Con.</speaker>
<l n="950">Thou maist, thou shalt, I will not go with thee,</l>
<l n="951">I will instruct my sorrowes to bee proud,</l>
<l n="952">For greefe is proud, and makes his owner stoope,</l>
<l n="953">To me and to the state of my great greefe,</l>
<l n="954">Let kings assemble: for my greefe's so great,</l>
<l n="955">That no supporter but the huge firme earth</l>
<l n="956">Can hold it vp: here I and sorrowes sit,</l>
<l n="957">Heere is my Throne, bid kings come bow to it.</l>
</sp>
</div>