Lewis. Bethink you, father; for the difference Or the light loss of England for a friend; Blanch. That's the curfe of Rome. Conft. Lewis, ftand fast; the Devil tempts thee here (11) In likeness of a new and trimmed bride. Blanch. The lady Conftance fpeaks not from her faith: But from her need. Conft. Oh, if thou grant my need, Which only lives but by the death of faith, K. John. The King is mov'd, and answers not to this. lout. K. Philip. I am perplext, and know not what to say. Pand. What can't thou fay, but will perplex thee more, If thou ftand excommunicate and curft? K. Philip. Good rev'rend father, make my perfon And tell me, how you would bestow yourself. -the Devil tempts thee here (11) In Likeness of a new untrimmed Bride.] Tho' all the Copies concur in this Reading, yet as untrimmed cannot bear any Signification to fquare with the Senfe required, I cannot help thinking it a corrupted Reading. 1 have ventur'd to throw out the Negative, and read; In Likeness of a new and trimmed Bride. i. e. of a new Bride, and One, deck'd and adorn'd as well by Att as Nature. Marry'd Marry'd in league, coupled and link'd together Heav'n knows, they were befmear'd and over-ftain'd As now again to snatch our palm from palm ? My reverend father, let it not be so; Pand. All form is formlefs, order orderlefs, Therefore, to arms! be champion of our Church! France, thou may'st hold a ferpent by the tongue, A fafting tyger fafer by the tooth, Than keep in peace that hand, which thou doft hold. What What fince thou fwor'ft, is fworn against thyself; And being not done, where doing tends to ill, Is to mistake again; tho' indirect, And falfhood falfhood cures; as fire cools fire, By what thou fwear'ft, against the thing thou fwear'st: And better conqueft never canst thou make, So heavy, as thou fhalt not fhake them off; Faulc. Will't not be? Will not a calve's-skin ftop that mouth of thine? Blanch. Upon thy wedding-day? Against the blood that thou haft married? What, fhall our feaft be kept with flaughter'd men? Is husband in my mouth?) ev'n for that name, Against mine uncle. Conf. O, upon my knee, Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee, Blanch. Now fhall I fee thy love; what motive may Be ftronger with thee than the name of wife? Conft. That which upholdeth him, that thee upholds, Conft. O fair return of banish'd Majesty! K. John. France, thou shalt rue this hour within this hour. Faulc. Old time the clock-fetter, that bald fexton time, Is it, as he will? well then, France fhall rue. Blanch. The fun's o'ercaft with blood fair day, adieu! Which is the fide that I must go withal? I am with both, each army hath a hand, Lewis. Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lies. dies. K. John. Coufin, go draw our puiffance together. [Exit Faulconbridge. France, France, I am burn'd up with inflaming wrath, K. Philip. Thy rage shall burn thee up, and thou fhalt turn To afhes, ere our blood fhall quench that fire: K. John. No more, than he that threats. To arms, let's hie. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to a Field of Battle. Alarms, Excurfions: Enter Faulconbridge, with Austria's Faulc. Head. TOW, by my life, this day grows wondrous hot; (12) Now, 'by my life, this Some fiery devil hovers in the sky, And pours down mischief. Auftria's head lie there.— Unto his father's ever-living foul. Enter King John, Arthur, and Hubert. K. John. There, Hubert, keep this boy. Richard, make up ; My mother is affailed in our tent, And ta'en, I fear. Faulc. My lord, I refcu'd her: Her highness is in fafety, fear you not. (12) it grows wondrous hot; Some airy Devil hovers in the Sky.] 1have, by Mr. Wat burton's Direction, ventur'd to fubftitute, fiery Devil. It is a very unconclufive Inference, fure, that, because it grew wond'rous hot, fome airy Devil hover'd in the Sky. It is a fort of Reasoning, that carries an Air of Ridicule; unless we could determine, that the Poet meant no more by the Epithet than to exprefs the Sacred Text, in which the Devil is ftiled the Prince of the Air. But |