King John departs farther from the facts of history than any other of Shakespeare's historicai plays. He here follows for the most part not Holinshed, but an old play which appeared in 1591 enWind The Troublesome Raigne of King John of England. He follows it, however, not in the close way in which he had previously worked when writing 2 and3 Hury VI., the main incidents are the Bale, but Shakespeare elevates and almost recreates the characters; for the most eloquent and poetical passages ho original is to be found in the old play. The character of the king grows more arkly treacherous in Shakespeare's, barely a hint of the earlier author suggested the scene, so powerful and so subcle, in which John insinuates to Hubert his murderous desires; the boyish inence of Arthur and the pathos of his life become real and living as they are dealt with by the gination of Shakespeare; Constance is no longer a fierce and ambitious virago, but a passionate, Sosing mother; Faulconbridge is ennobled by a manly tenderness and a purer patriotisin. ShakeSpare depicts, with true English spirit, the faithlessness, the ambition, the political greed, and the Siphistry of the court of Rome; but he wholly omits a ribald scene of the old play, in which the ientiousness of monasteries is exposed to ridicule. As to the date of King John all that can be asted with confidence is that it lies somewhere between the early historics (Henry VI, with Richard If and the group of later histories, the trilogy consisting of 1 and 2 Henry IV. and Henry V. Thus f the historical series it is brought close to Richard II. Neither play contains pro-e, but the treatt of Faulconbridge's part shows more approach to the alliance of a humorous or comic element with history (which becomes complete in Henry 11.) than does anything in the play of Richard II. A Joks and Richard II. have the common characteristic of containing very inferior dramatic work de by side with work of a high and difficult kind. The chief point of difference with respect to Som is that Richard II. contains a much larger proportion of rhymed verse, and on the whole we suail perhaps not err in regarding Richard II, as the earlier of the two. in peace: Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France; [Exeunt Chatillon and Pembroke. Eli. What now, my son! have I not ever said How that ambitious Constance would not cease Till she had kindled France and all the world, With very easy arguments of love, Which now the manage of two kingdoms must With fearful bloody issue arbitrate. K. John. Our strong possession and our right for us. Eli. Your strong possession much more than your right, 40 Or else it must go wrong with you and me : So much my conscience whispers in your ear, Which none but heaven and you and I shall hear. Enter a Sheriff. Esser. My liege, here is the strangest controversy Come from the country to be judged by you Enter ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE and PHILIP his bastard brother. What men are you? Bast. Your faithful subject I, a gentleman Born in Northamptonshire and eldest son, 51 As I suppose, to Robert Faulconbridge, A soldier, by the honor-giving hand Of Coeur-de-lion knighted in the field. K. John. What art thou ? Rob. The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge. K. John. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir? You came not of one mother then, it seems. Bast. Most certain of one mother, mighty king; That is well known; and, as I think, one father: 60 But for the certain knowledge of that truth And wound her honor with this diffidence. Bust. I, madam ? no, I have no reason for it ; That is my brother's plea and none of mine: K. John. A good blunt fellow. Why, being younger born, Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance? But once he slander'd me with bastardy: Compare our faces and be judge yourself. 80 I give heaven thanks I was not like to thee! K. John. Why, what a madcap hath heaven Bast. Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land: Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother. Rob. And once dispatch'd him in an embassy 100 To Germany, there with the emperor Where how he did prevail I shame to speak, But truth is truth: large lengths of seas and shores Between my father and my mother lay, My father's land, as was my father's will. K. John. Sirrah, your brother is legiti mate: Your father's wife did after wedlock bear him, And if she did play false, the fault was hers; Which fault lies on the hazards of all husbands That marry wives. Tell me, how if my broth er, 120 Who, as you say, took pains to get this son, Had of your father claim'd this son for his ? in sooth, good friend, your father might have kept This calf bred from his cow from all the world; In sooth he might; then, if he were my brother's, My brother might not claim him; nor your father, Being none of his, refuse him: this concludes; My mother's son did get your father's heir; Your father's heir must have your father's land. Rob. Shall then my father's will be of no force 130 To dispossess that child which is not his? Bast. Of no more force to dispossess me, sir, Than was his will to get me, as I think. Eli. Whether hadst thou rather be a Faulconbridge And like thy brother, to enjoy thy land, And I had his, sir Robert's his, like him ; thin That in mine ear I durst not stick a rose Lest men should say 'Look, where threefarthings goes And, to his shape, were heir to all this land, Would I might never stir from off this place, I would give it every foot to have this face; I would not be sir Nob in any case. Eli. I like thee well: wilt thou forsake thy fortune, Bequeath thy land to him and follow me ? Your face hath got five hundred pound a year, Yet sell your face for five pence and 'tis dear. Madam, I'll follow you unto the death. Eli. Nay, I would have you go before me thither. Bast. Our country manners give our betters way. K. John. What is thy name? Bast. Philip, my liege, so is my name be gun; Philip, good old sir Robert's wife's eldest son. K. John. From henceforth bear his name whose forin thon bear'st: 160 Kneel thou down Philip, but rise more great, Arise sir Richard and Plantagenet. Bast. Brother by the mother's side, give me your hand : My father gave me honor, yours gave land. Now blessed be the hour, by night or day, When I was got, sir Robert was away! Eli. The very spirit of Plantagenet! I am thy grandam, Richard ; call me so. Bast. Madam, by chance but not by truth, what though? Something about, a little from the right, 170 In at the window, or else o'er the hatch : Who dares not stir by day must walk by night, And have is have, however men do catch : Near or far off, well won is still well shot, And I am I, howe'er I was begot. K. John. Go, Faulconbridge: now hast thou thy desire; A landless knight makes thee a landed squire. Come, madam, and come, Richard, we must speed For France, for France, for it is more than need. Bast. Brother, adieu: good fortune come to thee! 180 He and his toothpick at my worship's mess, And when my knightly stomach is sufficed, Why then I suck my teeth and catechize My picked man of countries: My dear sir,' Thus, leaning on mine elbow, I begin, 'I shall beseech you '-that is question now And then comes answer like an Absey book : 'O sir,' says answer, at your best command; At your employment; at your service, sir;' No, sir,' says question, 'I, sweet sir, at yours:" 6 And so, ere answer knows what question would, Saving in dialogue of compliment, 200 Who lives and dares but say thou didst not well When I was got. I'll send his soul to hell. If thou hadst said him nay, it had been sin : ACT II. SCENE I. France. Before Angiers. Enter AUSTRIA and forces, drums, etc. on one side on the other KING PHILIP of FranCE and his power; LEWIS, ARTHUR, CONSTANCE and attendants. 20 As seal to this indenture of my love, Whose foot spurns back the ocean's roaring tides And coops from other lands her islanders, That water-walled bulwark, still secure Till your strong hand shall help to give him strength To make a more requital to your love! Aust. The peace of heaven is theirs that lift their swords It such a just and charitable war. K. Phi. Well then, to work our cannon shall be bent To land his legions all as soon as I ; His marches are expedient to this town, 60 backs, 70 To make a hazard of new fortunes here: [Drum beats. The interruption of their churlish drums Aust. By how much unexpected, by so much 80 We must awake endeavor for defence; Enter KING JOHN, ELINOR, BLANCH, the K. John. Peace be to France, if France in peace permit Our just and lineal entrance to our own; heaven, Whiles we, God's wrathful agent, do correct Their proud contempt that beats His peace to heaven. K. Phi. Peace be to England, if that war From France to England, there to live in peace. |