So newly join'd in love, fo ftrong in both,
Unyoke this feizure, and this kind regreet?
Play faft and loofe with faith? fo jeft with heav'n ?
Make fuch unconftant children of ourfelves,
As now again to fnatch our palm from palm?
Unfwear faith fworn, and on the marriage-bed
Of fmiling peace to march a bloody hoft,
And make a riot on the gentle brow
Of true fincerity? O holy Sir,

My Reverend Father, let it not be fo;
Out of your grace, devife, ordain, impofe
Some gentle order, and we shall be bless'd
To do your pleasure, and continue friends.

Pand. All form is formless, order orderlefs,
Save what is oppofite to England's love.
Therefore, to arms! be champion of our church!
Or let the church our mother breathe her curse,
A mother's curfe on her revolting fon.

France, thou may'ft hold a ferpent by the tongue, A chafed lion by the mortal paw,

A fafting tyger fafer by the tooth,

Than keep in peace that hand which thou doft hold.
K. Phil. I may disjoin my hand, but not my faith.
Pand. So mak'ft thou faith an enemy to faith;
And, like a civil war, fet'ft oath to oath,
Thy tongue againft thy tongue. O, let thy vow
First made to heav'n, first be to heav'n perform'd;
That is to be the champion of our church.
What fince thou fwor'ft, is fworn against thyself,
And may not be performed by thyself.
For that which thou haft fworn to do amifs,
Is yet amifs when it is truly done :

And being not done, where doing tends to ill,
The truth is then most done, not doing it.
The better act of purposes miftook,

Is to mistake again; tho' indirect,

Yet indirection thereby grows direct,.

And falfehood falfehood cures; as fire cools fire,
Within the fcorched veins of one new-burn'd.
It is religion that doth make vows kept,

But thou haft fworn against religion.

By what thou fwear'ft, against the thing thou fwear'ft,

And mak'ft an oath the furety for thy truth;
Against an oath the truth thou art unfure-
To fwear: fwear only not to be forfworn;
Elfe what a mockery fhould it be to fwear?
But thou doft fwear, only to be forfworn,
And moft forfworn, to keep what thou doft fwear
Therefore thy latter vows, against thy first,
Is in thyfelf rebellion to thyfelf.

And better conqueft never canft thou make,
Than arm thy conftant and thy nobler parts
Against thefe giddy, loofe fuggeftions.
Upon which better part, our pray'rs come in,
If thou vouchfafe them. But if not, then know
The peril of our curfes light on thee

So heavy, as thou fhalt not fhake them off;
But, in defpair, die under their black weight..
Auft. Rebellion, flat rebellion.

Faulc. Will't not be?

Will not a calve's-fkin ftop that mouth of thine?
Lewis. Father, to arms.

Blanch. Upon thy wedding-day?
Against the blood that thou haft married?

What, fhall our feaft be kept with flaughter'd men?
Shall braying trumpets, and loud churlish drums.
Clamours of hell, be meafures to our pomp?
O husband, hear me; (ah! alack, how new
Is husband in my mouth!); ev'n for that name,
Which till this time my tongue did ne'er pronounce
Upon my knee I beg, go not to arms
Against mine uncle.

Conft. O, upon my knee,

Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee,
Thou virtuous Dauphin, alter not the doom
Forethought by heav'n.

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, His honour. Oh, thine honour, Lewis, thine ho nour!

Lewis. I mufe your Majefty doth feem fo cold, When fuch profound refpects do pull you on. Pand. I will denounce a curfe upon his head. E e

VOL III.

K. Phil. Thou shalt not need. England, I'll fall

from thee.

Conft. O fair return of banish'd Majesty!

Eli. O foul revolt of French inconftancy!

K. John. France, thou fhalt rue this hour within this hour.

Faule. Old Time the clock-fetter, that bald fextonTime, 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 muft go withal? I am with both, each army hath a hand, And in their rage, I having hold of both, They whirl afunder, and difmember me. Hufband, I cannot pray that thou may'st win : Uncle, I needs must pray that thou may'ft lofe: Father, I may not wish the fortune thine; Grandam, I will not wish thy wishes thrive. Whoever wins, on that fide fhall I lofe; Affured lofs, before the match be play'd.

Lewis. Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lies. Blanch. There where my fortune lives, there my life dies.

K. John. Coufin, go draw our puiffance together.

[Exit Faulconbridge.

France, I am burn'd up with inflaming wrath;

A rage, whofe heat hath this condition,

That nothing can allay, nothing but blood,

"The blood, and dearest-valu'd blood of France.

K. Phil. Thy rage fhall burn thee up, and thou fhalt

turn

To afhes, ere our blood shall quench that fire.

Look to thyfelf, thou art in jeopardy.

K. John. No more than he that threats. To arms let's hie.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Changes to a field of battle.

Alarms, excurfions. Enter Faulconbridge, with Auftria's head.

[hot;

Faulc. Now, by my life, this day grows wond'rous Some fiery devil hovers in the sky, And pours down mischief. Auftria's head lie there.—

Thus hath King Richard's fon perform'd his vow,
And offer'd Auftria's blood for facrifice

Unto his father's ever-living foul.

Enter King John, Arthur, and Hubert.

K. John. There, Hubert, keep this boy. Richard, My mother is affailed in our tent,

And ta'en, I fear.

Faulc. My Lord, I refcu'd her.

Her Highnefs is in fafety, fear you not
But on, my Liege; for very little pains.
Will bring this labour to an happy end.

SCENE V.

[make up,

[Exeunt

Alarms, excurfions, retreat. Re-enter King John, Elinor, Arthur, Faulconbridge, Hubert, and Lords.

K. John. So fhall it be; your Grace shall stay behind

So ftrongly guarded. Coufin, look not fad,

[To Elinor.

[To Arthur.

Thy grandam loves thee, and thy uncle will
As dear be to thee as thy father was.
Arth. O! this will make my mother die with grief.
K. John. Coufin, away for England; hafte before,
[To Faulconbridge.

And ere our coming fee thou shake the bags
Of hoarding abbots; their imprifon'd angels
Set thou at liberty: the fat ribs of peace
Muft by the hungry war be fed upon.
Ufe our commiffion in its utmost force.

Faulc. Bell, book, and candle, fhall not drive me When gold and filver beck me to come on.

I leave your Highnefs. Grandam, I will pray

(If ever I remember to be holy)

For your fair fafety; fo I kifs your hand.
Eli. Farewel, my gentle coufin.

K. John. Coz, farewel.

Eli. Come hither, little kinfman ;

[back,

[Exit Faulc -hark, a word.

[Taking him to one fide of the stage..

K. John. [to Hubert on the other fide.] Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert, We owe thee much; within this wall of flefl

There is a foul counts thee her creditor,
And with advantage means to pay thy love.
And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath
Lives in this bofom, dearly cherished.
Give me thy hand, I had a thing to fay-
But I will fit it with fome better time.
By heaven, Hubert, I'm almost asham'd
To fay what good respect I have of thee.
Hub. I am much bounden to your Majefty.

K. John. Good friend, thou haft no caufe to fay fo yet,

But thou shalt have-and creep time ne'er fo flow,
Yet it fhall come for me to do thee good.
• I had a thing to fay,but let it go:
The fun is in the heav'n, and the proud day,
Attended with the pleafures of the world,
Is all too wanton, and too full of gawds,
To give me audience. If the midnight-bell
Did with his iron tongue and brazen mouth
• Sound one unto the drowsy race of night;
If this fame were a church-yard where we ftand,
And thou poffeffed with a thoufand wrongs;
Or if that furly fpirit Melancholy

• Had bak'd thy blood, and made it heavy-thick,
◄ Which elfe runs tickling up and down the veins,
• Making that ideot Laughter keep mens' eyes,

And ftrain their cheeks to idle merriment,

(A paffion hateful to my purposes);

Or if that thou couldft fee me without eyes,
Hear me without thine ears, and make reply
Without a tongue, ufing conceit alone,

Without eyes, ears, and harmful found of words;
Then, in defpight of broad-ey'd watchful day,
I would into thy bofom pour my thoughts.
But ah, I will not.'-Yet I love thee well;
And, by my troth, I think thou lov'ft me well.
Hub. So well, that what you bid me undertake,
Tho' that my death were adjunct to my act,
By heav'n I'd do't.

K. John. Do not I know thou would'ft?
Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine
On yon young boy. I'll tell thee what, my friend,

eye