To solemnize this day the glorious Sun
Stays in his course, and plays the alchemist,
Turning with splendour of his precious eye
The meagre cloddy earth to glittering gold:
The yearly course that brings this day about
Shall never see it but a holiday.

Const. [Rising.] A wicked day, and not a holy day!
What hath this day deserved? what hath it done,

That it in golden letters should be set

Among the high tides in the calendar? 5
Nay, rather turn this day out of the week,
This day of shame, oppression, perjury :
Or, if it must stand still, let wives with child
Pray that their burdens may not fall this day,
Lest that their hopes prodigiously be cross'd:6
But on this day let seamen fear no wreck;
No bargains break that are not this day made:
This day, all things begun come to ill end;
Yea, faith itself to hollow falsehood change!

K. Phi. By Heaven, lady, you shall have no cause
To curse the fair proceedings of this day:

Have I not pawn'd to you my majesty?

Const. You have beguiled me with a counterfeit
Resembling majesty; which, being touch'd and tried,
Proves valueless: you are forsworn, forsworn ;
You came in arms to spill mine enemies' blood,
But now in arms you strengthen it with yours:
The grappling vigour and rough frown of war
Is cold in amity and painted peace,

And our oppression hath made up this league.

5 "High tides of the calendar" are times set down in the almanac to be specially observed; days marked for public honour and celebration.

6 Lest their hopes be frustrated by monstrous births.

7 But in the exceptive sense; from be out.

Arm, arm, you Heavens, against these perjured Kings!

A widow cries; be husband to me, Heavens !

Let not the hours of this ungodly day

Wear out the day in peace; but, ere sunset,
Set armèd discord 'twixt these perjured Kings!
Hear me, O, hear me !

Aust.

Lady Constance, peace!

Const. War! war! no peace! peace is to me a war.

O Limoges ! O Austria! thou dost shame

That bloody spoil: thou slave, thou wretch, thou coward!

Thou little valiant, great in villainy !

Thou ever strong upon the stronger side!

Thou Fortune's champion that dost never fight

But when her humorous ladyship is by

To teach thee safety! thou art perjured too,
And soothest up greatness. What a fool wert thou,
A ramping fool, to brag, and stamp, and swear,
Upon my party 18 Thou cold-blooded slave,
Hast thou not spoke like thunder on my side?
Been sworn my soldier? bidding me depend
Upon thy stars, thy fortune, and thy strength?
And dost thou now fall over to my foes?
Thou wear a lion's hide! doff it for shame,

And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs.

Aust. O, that a man should9 speak those words to me !
Bast. And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs.
Aust. Thou darest not say so, villain, for thy life.
Bast. And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs.
K. John. We like not this; thou dost forget thyself.

8 Party for part; that is, side. The two words were often used interchangeably. See vol. iv. page 65, note I.

9 Should for would; the two being often used indiscriminately. Constance means that Austria is a coward, and that a calf's-skin would fit him better than a lion's.

K. Phi. Here comes the holy legate of the Pope.

Enter PANDULPH, attended.

Pand. Hail, you anointed deputies of Heaven!

To thee, King John, my holy errand is.

I Pandulph, of fair Milan Cardinal,
And from Pope Innocent the legate here,
Do in his name religiously demand,

Why thou against the Church, our holy mother,
So wilfully dost spurn, and, force perforce,10
Keep Stephen Langton, chosen Archbishop
Of Canterbury, from that holy see?

This, in our foresaid holy father's name,
Pope Innocent, I do demand of thee.

K. John. What earthly name to interrogatories
Can task the free breath of a sacred king?11
Thou canst not, Cardinal, devise a name

So slight, unworthy, and ridiculous,

To charge me to an answer, as the Pope.

Tell him this tale; and from the mouth of England
Add thus much more, That no Italian priest
Shall tithe or toll in our dominions ;

But as we, under Heaven, are supreme head,
So, under Him, that great supremacy,
Where we do reign, we will alone uphold,
Without th' assistance of a mortal hand:
So tell the Pope; all reverence set apart
To him and his usurp'd authority.15

12

10 Force and perforce were often thus used together, merely to intensify the expression. Cotgrave explains it, " of necessitie, will he nill he, in spite of his teeth."

11 The order is, "What earthly name can task to interrogatories the free breath," &c.; meaning, simply, "what earthly power can hold a free king responsible, or call him to account?"

12" All reverence to him and his usurp'd authority being set apart"; that is, cast off.

K. Phi. Brother of England, you blaspheme in this.

K. John. Though you, and all the kings of Christendom, Are led so grossly by this meddling priest,

Dreading the curse that money may buy out;

And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust,
Purchase corrupted pardon of a man,
Who in that sale sells pardon from himself;
Though you and all the rest, so grossly led,
This juggling witchcraft with revenue cherish;
Yet I, alone, alone do me oppose

Against the Pope, and count his friends my foes.
Pand. Then, by the lawful power that I have,
Thou shalt stand cursed and excommunicate :
And blessed shall he be that doth revolt
From his allegiance to an heretic;
And meritorious shall that hand be call'd,
Canónizéd, and worshipp'd as a saint,
That takes away by any secret course
Thy hateful life.

That I have room with Rome to curse awhile!
Good father Cardinal, cry thou amen

Το my keen curses; for without my wrong

There is no tongue hath power to curse him right.

Pand. There's law and warrant, lady, for my curse.
Const. And for mine too: when law can do no right,
Let it be lawful that law bar no wrong:

Law cannot give my child his kingdom here;
For he that holds his kingdom holds the law:
Therefore, since law itself is perfect wrong,
How can the law forbid my tongue to curse?

Pand. Philip of France, on peril of a curse,
Let go the hand of that arch-heretic ;
And raise the power of France upon his head,

Unless he do submit himself to Rome.

Eli. Look'st thou pale, France? do not let go thy hand. Const. Look to that, devil; lest that France repent, And by disjoining hands, Hell lose a soul.

Aust. King Philip, listen to the Cardinal.

Bast. And hang a calf's-skin on his recreant limbs. Aust. Well, ruffian, I must pocket up these wrongs, Because

Bast.

Your breeches best may carry them.
K. John. Philip, what say'st thou to the Cardinal?
Const. What should he say, but as the Cardinal?
Lou. Bethink you, father; for the difference

Is, purchase of a heavy curse from Rome,
Or the light loss of England for a friend:
Forego the easier.

Blanch.

That's the curse of Rome.

Const. O Louis, stand fast! the Devil tempts thee here In likeness of a new-uptrimmèd bride.

Blanch. The Lady Constance speaks not from her faith, But from her need.

Const.

O, if thou grant my need, Which only lives but by the death of faith,

That need must needs infer this principle,

That faith would live again by death of need!

O, then, tread down my need, and faith mounts up;
Keep my need up, and faith is trodden down!

K. John. The King is moved, and answers not to this. Const. O, be removed from him, and answer well! Aust. Do so, King Philip; hang no more in doubt. Bast. Hang nothing but a calf's-skin, most sweet lout. K. Phi. I am perplex'd, and know not what to say. Pand. What canst thou say but will perplex thee more, If thou stand excommunicate and cursed?

K. Phi. Good reverend father, make my person yours,