ARTHUR, Duke of Bretagne, nephew to the CHATILLON, ambassador from France to

king.

The EARL OF PEMBROKE.

King John.

The EARL OF SALISBURY.

The Lord BIGOT.

HUBERT DE BURGH.

PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE.

PHILIP, King of France.

QUEEN ELINOR, mother to King John.
CONSTANCE, mother to Arthur.

Lords, Citizens of Angiers, Sheriff, Heralds,
Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other
Attendants.

SCENE: Partly in England, and partly in Wales.

THE ARGUMENT.

(A.D. 1199-1216.)

The

THIS Play covers the whole reign of King John, a period of seventeen years. rightful heir to the throne, on the death of Richard I., the third son of Henry II., was Arthur, the son of Geoffrey, the fourth son of that monarch. But Richard was induced by his mother Elinor to name as his successor John, her fifth and favourite

son.

PART I.-Constance, Arthur's mother, prevails upon Philip of France to espouse the cause of her son, who, as Duke of Bretagne, is the French King's vassal. Accordingly, at the commencement of the Play, Chatillon, the French ambassador, demands the crown for Arthur in his master's name, with the alternative of war. John indignantly resents the interference, and bids defiance to the French monarch. Chatillon departs with the challenge; but, as he is detained by contrary winds, John, accompanied by Philip Faulconbridge, succeeds in reaching the French coast with a powerful army as soon as

he.

The English and the French forces confront one another before the town of Angiers. Each demands the surrender of the town. But the citizens will open their gates only to the victor. A bloody fight ensues, in which neither party gains any decided advantage. John and Philip, laying aside their animosities, then unite their forces against the town. At this juncture, one of the citizens, to save the town, proposes a marriage between the Dauphin and Blanch of Brittany, Prince Arthur's sister-a proposal to which the monarchs agree. Their alliance is short-lived. Presently Pandulph, the papal legate, appears. He curses and excommunicates John for refusing to promote Stephen Langton, an Englishman long resident in France, to the arch

bishopric of Canterbury. He threatens Philip with the same fate unless he breaks his alliance with John. Urged by Constance and the Dauphin, Philip agrees to do so, and the war is renewed. Prince Arthur is taken prisoner, and John sends him to England under charge of Hubert de Burgh, his chamberlain. Hubert has undertaken to put him to death, but Arthur's touching entreaties turn him from his wicked purpose.

PART II.-Pembroke, Salisbury, and other lords, believing Arthur to have been murdered, fly to join the Dauphin, whom Pandulph has persuaded to invade England. Arthur meantime, in making his escape from prison, leaps from the castle wall, and is killed. The disaffected lords find his body, and believe him to have been murdered. King John, on hearing from Hubert that Arthur still lives, dispatches him to inform the lords of his safety. He arrives upon the scene as they are contemplating the dead body of the prince, which offers a sad contradiction to his story.

King John, in his extremity, resigns his crown into the hands of Pandulph, who rewards his submission by replacing it on his head, and promises to urge the Dauphin to retire. But in this he fails. A battle ensues, the issue of which is doubtful. Towards the end of the fight, the Count Melun, a wounded French lord, informs Pembroke and Salisbury that the Dauphin intends to requite their aid by putting them to death. They therefore resolve to return to King John. He, in the meantime, has retired to Swinstead Abbey, where a villanous monk has given him poison. When the lords join him he is in the throes of death; and he dies while listening to Faulconbridge's account of the loss of the best part of his power in the treacherous Washes. The English nobles rally round Prince Henry, who is led, by the overtures of the Dauphin for peace, to hope for a happy and peaceful succession.

PART I.

SCENE-KING JOHN'S PALACE.

Enter KING JOHN, QUEEN ELINOR, PEMBROKE, SALISBURY, and others, with CHATILLON.

K. John. Now, say, Chatillon, what would France with us?
Chat. Thus, after greeting, speaks the King of France

In my behaviour to the majesty,

The borrowed majesty, of England here.

Eli. A strange beginning: "borrowed majesty !"
K. John. Silence, good mother; hear the embassy.
Chat. Philip of France, in right and true behalf
Of thy deceased brother Geffrey's son,

Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim
To this fair island and the territories,—

To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine;
Desiring thee to lay aside the sword

Which sways usurpingly these several titles,
And put the same into young Arthur's hand,
Thy nephew and right royal sovereign.

K. John. What follows if we disallow of this?

Chat. The proud control of fierce and bloody war,

To enforce these rights, so forcibly withheld.

K. John. Here have we war for war and blood for blood,
Controlment for controlment: so answer France.

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20

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Chat. Then take my king's defiance from my mouth,
The farthest limit of my embassy.

K. John. Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace :
Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France;
For ere thou canst report I will be there,
The thunder of my cannon shall be heard :
So hence! Be thou the trumpet of our wrath,
And sullen presage of your own decay.-
An honourable conduct let him have:
Pembroke, look to't.-Farewell, Chatillon.

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[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,
Upon the right and party of her son?

This might have been prevented and made whole
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.

[Philip of France, and Lewis the Dauphin, with the Archduke of Austria, espouse the cause of Arthur. John invades France, defeats Philip near Angiers, and takes Arthur prisoner.]

SCENE-NEAR ANGIERS.

Alarums, excursions, retreat.

Enter KING JOHN, ELINOR, Arthur,
HUBERT, and Lords.

Eli. Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word.
K. John. Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert,
We owe
thee much! within this wall of flesh

There is a soul counts thee her creditor,
And with advantage means to pay thy love:
And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath
Lives in this bosom, dearly cherished.
Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say,-
But I will fit it with some better time.
By heaven, Hubert, I am almost ashamed
To say what good respect I have of thee.

Hub. I am much bounden* to your majesty.

K. John. Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet,
But thou shalt have; and creep time ne'er so slow,
Yet it shall come for me to do thee good.

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I had a thing to say,-but let it go:
The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day,
Attended with the pleasures 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 on into the drowsy race of night;

If this same were a churchyard where we stand,
And thou possessèd with a thousand wrongs;
Or if that surly spirit, Melancholy,

Had baked thy blood, and made it heavy-thick,
Which else runs tickling up and down the veins,
Making that idiot, Laughter, keep men's eyes
And strain their cheeks to idle merriment,-
A passion hateful to my purposes;

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70

Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes,
Hear me without thine ears, and make reply
Without a tongue, using conceit * alone,

80

Without eyes, ears, and harmful sound of words ;—
Then, in despite of brooded watchful day,
I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts:
But, ah, I will not !—yet I love thee well;
And, by my troth,* I think thou lov'st me well.
Hub. So well, that what you bid me undertake,
Though that my death were adjunct to my act,
By heaven, I would do it.

K. John.
Do not I know thou wouldst ?--
Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye
On yon young boy: I'll tell thee what, my friend,
He is a very serpent in my way;

And wheresoe'er this foot of mine doth tread,

He lies before me: dost thou understand me?
Thou art his keeper.

Hub.

And I'll keep him so,

Death.

That he shall not offend your majesty.

He shall not live.

K. John.

Enough.

100

I could be merry now. Hubert, I love thee ;-
Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee:
Remember.-Madam, fare you well:

I'll send those powers o'er to your majesty.
Eli. My blessing go with thee!

K. John.

For England, cousin, go:

Hubert shall be your man, attend on you
With all true duty.--On toward Calais, ho!

[Exeunt.

[Arthur is sent to England with the other prisoners, and is confined in a castle.]