K. John. Speak on, with favour; we are bent to hear.

Cit. That daughter there of Spain, the lady Blan:b, Is near to England; look upon the years

Of Lewis the Dauphin, and that lovely maid.
If lufty love should go in queft of beauty,
Where fhould he find it fairer than in Blanch?
If zealous love fhould go in fearch of virtue,
Where should he find it purer than in Blanch?
If love, ambitious, fought a match of Birth,
Whose veins bound richer blood than lady Blanch?
Such as fhe is, in beauty, virtue, birth,

Is the young Dauphin every way compleat :
If not compleat, 5 oh fay, he is not fhe;
And she again wants nothing, (to name Want,)
If want it be not, that she is not he.
He is the half part of a bleffed man,
Left to be finished by such a She:
And the a fair divided Excellence,
Whofe fulness of perfection lies in him.

Oh! two fuch filver currents, when they join,
Do glorifie the banks that bound them in:

And two fuch fhores, to two fuch streams made one,
Two fuch controlling bounds fhall you be, Kings,
To these two Princes, if
you marry them.
This union shall do more than battery can,
To our fast-closed gates: for at this match, 7
With fwifter Spleen than Powder can enforce,
The mouth of paffage fhall we fling wide ope,

* Zealous feems here to fignify pious, or influenced by motives of religion.

s If not complete of, fay, &c.] Şir T. Hanmer reads, O! say. 6 He is the half Part of a bleffed Man,

Left to be finished by fuch as She:] Dr. Thirlby prefcrib'd that Reading, which I have here reftor'd to the Text.

THEOBALD.

7

at this match, With fwifter Spleen, &c.] Our authour ufes Spleen for any violent hurry, or tumultuous fpeed. So in Midfummer Night's Dream he applies pleen to the lightning. I am loath to think that Shakespeare meant to play with the double of match for nuptia', and the match of a gun.

And

And give you entrance; but without this match,
The fea enraged is not half fo deaf,

Lions fo confident, mountains and rocks

So free from motion; no, not death himself
In mortal fury half fo peremptory,
As we to keep this City.

Faulc. Here's a ftay, s

8

That shakes the rotten carcafs of old Death
Out of his rags. Here's a large mouth, indeed,
That fpits forth death, and mountains, rocks and feas;
Talks as familiarly of roaring Lions,

As maids of thirteen do' of puppy-dogs.
What Cannoneer begot this lufty blood?
He fpeaks plain cannon-fire, and fmoak and bounce,
He gives the baftinado with his tongue:
Our ears are cudgel'd; not a word of his,
But buffets better than a fift of France;
Zounds! I was never so bethumpt with words,
Since I first call'd my brother's father dad.

Eli. Son, lift to this conjunction, make this match,
Give with our Neice a dowry large enough;
For by this knot thou fhalt so surely tie
Thy now unfur'd affurance to the Crown,
That yon green boy fhall have no Sun to ripe
The bloom, that promifeth a mighty fruit.
I fee a Yielding in the looks of France;

Mark, how they whifper; urge them, while their fouls Are capable of this ambition;

Left zeal now melted by the windy breath
Of foft petitions, pity and remorse,
Cool and congeal again to what it was.

Cit. Why answer not the double Majesties
This friendly Treaty of our threaten'd town?

K. Philip. Speak, England, firft, that hath been forward fift

To speak unto this City: what fay you?

K. John. If that the Dauphin there, thy Princely fon, Can in this book of beauty read, I love; Her dowry fhall weigh equal with a Queen. For Anjou, and fair Touraine, Maine, Poitiers," And all that we upon this fide the fea, Except this City now by us befieg'd, Find liable to our Crown and Dignity, Shall gild her bridal bed; and make her rich In titles, honours, and promotions;

As fhe in beauty, education, blood,

Holds hand with any Princess of the world.

K. Philip. What say'st thou, boy? look in the lady's face.

Lewis. I do, my lord, and in her eye I find
A wonder, or a wondrous miracle;

The fhadow of myself form'd in her eye;
Which, being but the fhadow of your fon,

9 Left zeal now meltedWe have here a very unusual,and, I think, not very juft image of zea', which in its highest degree is reprefented by others as a flame, but by Shakespeare as a froft. To reprefs zeal, in the language of others, is to cool, in Shakespeare's to melt it; when it exerts its utmost power it is commonly faid to flame, but by ShakeSpeare to be congealed.

In old editions, For ANGIERS and fair Touraine, Maine, Poitiers,

And all that We upon this Side
the Sea,
Except this City now by us be-
fieg'd,

Find liable, &c.- ] What was the City befieged, but Angiers? King John agrees to give up all he held in France, except the City of Angiers which he now befieg'd and laid Claim to. But could he give up all except Angiers, and give up That too? Anjou was one of the Provinces which the English held in France.

THEOBALD.

Becomes

Becomes a Sun, and makes your fon a fhadow.
I do proteft, I never lov'd myself,
Till now, infixed, I beheld myself,

Drawn in the flatt'ring table of her eye.

[Whispering with Blanch.

Faulc. Drawn in the flatt'ring table of her eye! Hang'd in the frowning wrinkle of her brow! And quarter'd in her heart' he doth espie

Himself love's traitor: this is pity now,

That hang'd, and drawn, and quarter'd, there should be, In fuch a Love, fo vile a lout as he.

Blanch. My uncle's will in this respect is mine.
If he fee aught in you, that makes him like,
That any thing he fees, which moves his liking,
I can with ease translate it to my will:

Or if you will, to speak more properly,
I will enforce it eafily to my love.
Further I will not flatter you, my lord,
That all I fee in you is worthy love,
Than this; that nothing do I fee in you,

(Though churlish thoughts themselves fhould be your judge)

That I can find fhould merit any hate.

K. John. What say these young Ones? what fay you, my Niece?

Blanch. That she is bound in Honour ftill to do What you in wisdom ftill vouchfafe to say.

K. John. Speak then, Prince Dauphin, can you love this lady?

Lewis. Nay, afk me, if I can refrain from love; For I do love her moft unfeignedly.

K. John. Then do I give Volqueffen, Touraine, Maine, Poitiers, and Anjou, thefe five Provinces, With her to thee; and this addition more, Full thirty thousand Marks of English coin. Philip of France, if thou be pleas'd withal, Command thy Son and Daughter to join hands. Ff2

K. Philip.

K. Philip. It likes us well; young Princes, clofe your hands.

Auft. And your lips too; for, I am well affur'd, That I did fo, when I was firft affur❜d.

K. Philip. Now, Citizens of Angiers, ope your gates,
Let in that amity which you have made:
For at Saint Mary's Chapel prefently

The Rites of Marriage fhall be folemniz'd.
Is not the lady Conftance in this troop?
I know, fhe is not; for this Match made up
Her prefence would have interrupted much.

Where is the and her fon, tell me, who knows?
Lewis. She's fad and paffionate at your Highness'

Tent.

K. Philip. And, by my faith, this league, that we have made,

Will give her fadnefs very little Cure.

Brother of England, how may we content

This widow lady? in her Right we came;
Which we, God knows, have turn'd another way
To our own vantage.

K. John. We will heal up all,

For we'll create young Arthur Duke of Britain,
And Earl of Richmond; and this rich fair town
We make him lord of. Call the lady Conftance;
Some speedy Meffenger bid her repair
To our Solemnity: I truft, we fhall,
If not fill up the measure of her will,
Yet in fome measure fatisfie her fo,
That we shall stop her exclamation.
Go we, as well as hafte will fuffer us,
To this unlook'd-for, unprepared, Pomp.

[Exeunt all but Faulconbridge.

Faulc. Mad world, mad Kings, mad compofition!

John,