A will, that bars the title of thy fon.
Conft. Ay, who doubts that? a will!
A woman's will, a cankred grandam's will.
K. Phil. Peace, Lady; paufe, or be more temperate: It ill befeems this prefence to cry Aim
To thefe ill-tuned repetitions.
Some trumpet fummon hither to the walls
Thefe men of Angiers; let us hear them speak,
Whole title they admit, Arthur's or John's.
Enter a Citizen upon the Walls.
Cit. Who is it, that hath warn'd us to the walls?
K. Philip. 'Tis France, for England.
K. John. England for itself;
You men of Angiers and my loving fubjects
K. Philip. You loving men of Angiers, Arthur's fubjects,
Our trumpet call'd you to this gentle parle
K. John. For our advantage; therefore hear us firft:
Thefe flags of France, that are advanced here
Before the eye and profpect of your town,
Have hither march'd to your endamagement.
The cannons have their bowels full of wrath;
And ready mounted are they to spit forth
Their iron indignation 'gainst your walls:
All preparations for a bloody fiege
And merciless proceeding, by these French,
Confront your city's eyes, your winking gates;
And, but for our approach, thofe fleeping stones,
That as a waste do girdle you about,
By the compulfion of their ordinance
By this time from their fixed beds of lime
Had been dishabited, and wide havock made
For bloody power to rufh upon your peace.
But on the fight of us your lawful King,
(Who painfully with much expedient march
Have brought a counter-check before your gates,
To fave unfcratch'd your city's threatned cheeks)
Behold, the French, amaz'd, vouchfafe a parle;
And now, instead of bullets wrap'd in fire,
To make a fhaking fever in your walls,
They shoot but calm words folded up in smoak,
To make a faithlefs error in your ears;
Which trust accordingly, kind citizens;
And let in us, your King, whofe labour'd spirits,
Fore-weary'd in this action of fwift speed,
Crave harbourage within your city-walls.
K. Philip. When I have faid, make answer to us both. Lo! in this right hand, whose protection
Is moft divinely vow'd upon the right
Of him it holds, ftands young Plantagenet ;
Son to the elder brother of this man,
And King o'er him, and all that he enjoys.
For this down-trodden equity, we tread
In warlike march these greens before
Being no further enemy to you,
Than the conftraint of hofpitable zeal,
In the relief of this oppreffed child,
Religiously provokes. Be pleafed then
To pay that duty, which you truly owe
To him that owns it; namely, this young prince.
And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear,
Save in afpect, hath all offence feal'd up:
Our cannons malice vainly shall be spent
Against th' invulnerable clouds of heav'n;
And with a bleffed, and unvext retire,
With unhack'd fwords, and helmets all unbruis'd,
We will bear home that lufty blood again,
Which here we came to spout against your town;
And leave your children, wives, and you in peace.
But if you fondly pafs our proffer'd offer,
'Tis not the rounder of your old-fac'd walls
Can hide you from our meffengers of war:
Tho' all thefe English, and their difcipline,
Were harbour'd in their rude circumference.
Then tell us, fhall your city call us lord,
In that behalf which we have challeng'd it ?
Or fhall we give the fignal to our rage,
And ftalk in blood to our poffeffion?
Cit. In brief, we are the King of England's fubjects; For him, and in his right, we hold this town.
K. John. Acknowledge then the King, and let me in. Cit. That can we not; but he that proves the King, To him will we prove loyal; till that time,
Have we ramm'd up our gates against the world.
K. John. Doth not the crown of England prove the
King?
And if not that, I bring you witnesses,
Twice fifteen thoufand hearts of England's breed-
Faulc. (Baftards, and else.)
K. John. To verify our title with their lives.
K. Philip. As many, and as well-born bloods as those
Faulc. (Some bastards too.)
K. Philip. Stand in his face to contradict his claim. Cit. Till you compound, whofe right is worthieft, We for the worthieft hold the right from both.
K. John. Then God forgive the fin of all thofe fouls, That to their everlafling refidence,
Before the dew of evening fall, fhall fleet,
In dreadful tryal of our kingdom's King!
K. Philip. Amen, Amen.-
Faulc. Saint George, that fwing'd the dragon, and e'er
Sits on his horseback at mine hoftefs' door,
Teach us fome fence. Sirrah, were I at home
At your den, firrah, with your Lioness,
I'd fet an ox-head to your Lion's hide,
And make a monfter of you.
Faulc. O, tremble; for you hear the Lion roar. K. John. Up higher to the plain, where we'll fet forth In beft appointment all our regiments.
Faulc. Speed then to take th' advantage of the field. K. Philip. It fhall be fo; and at the other hill Command the reft to ftand. God, and our right!
A long Charge founded: then, after excurfions, enter the
Herald of France with trumpets to the gates.
F. Her. You men of Angiers, open wide your gates,
And let young Arthur Duke of Bretagne in;
Who by the hand of France this day hath made
Much work for tears in many an English mother,
Whofe fons lye fcatter'd on the bleeding ground:
And many a widow's husband groveling lyes,
Coldly embracing the difcolour'd earth;
While victory with little lofs doth play
Upon the dancing banners of the French;
Who are at hand triumphantly display'd,
To enter conquerors; and to proclaim
Arthur of Bretagne, England's King, and yours.
Enter English Herald with Trumpets.
E. Her. Rejoice, you men of Angiers; ring your bells; King John, your King and England's, doth approach, Commander of this hot malicious day.
Their armours, that march'd hence fo filver-bright,
Hither return all gilt in Frenchmens' blood.
There ftuck no plume in any English Creft,
That is removed by a staff of France.
Our Colours do return in thofe fame hands;
That did display them when we first march'd forth;
And, like a jolly troop of huntsmen, come
Our lufty English, all with purpled hands;
Dy'd in the dying flaughter of their foes.
Open your gates, and give the victors way.
Cit. Heralds, from off our tow'rs we might behold,
From first to laft, the Onset and Retire
Of both your armies, whofe equality
By our best eyes cannot be cenfured;
Blood hath bought blood, and blows have anfwer'd blows;
Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted power.
Both are alike, and both alike we like;
One must prove greatest. While they weigh fo even, We hold our town for neither; yet for both.
Enter the two Kings with their Powers, at feveral Doors. K. John. France, haft thou yet more blood to caft away?
Say, fhall the current of our Right run on?
Whofe paffage, vext with thy impediment,
Shall leave his native channel, and o'er-fwell
With course disturb'd ev❜n thy confining shores;
Unless thou let his filver water keep
A peaceful progrefs to the ocean.
K. Philip. England, thou haft not fav'd one drop of
In this hot tryal, more than we of France;
Rather loft more. And by this hand I swear,
That sways the earth this climate overlooks,
Before we will lay by our juft-borne arms,
We'll put thee down, 'gainst whom these arms we bear;
Or add a royal number to the dead;
Gracing the fcroul, that tells of this war's lofs,
With flaughter coupled to the name of Kings.
Faulc. Ha! Majefty,-how high thy glory towers,
When the rich blood of Kings is fet on fire!
Oh, now doth Death line his dead chaps with fteel;
The fwords of foldiers are his teeth, his phangs;
And now he feafts, mouthing the flesh of men
In undetermin'd diff'rences of Kings.
Why ftand these royal fronts amazed thus?
Cry havock, Kings; back to the stained field,
You equal Potents, fiery-kindled spirits!
Then let Confufion of one part confirm
The other's peace; till then, blows, blood, and death.
K. John. Whofe party do the townsmen yet admit?
K. Philip. Speak, Citizens, for England, who's your
King?
Cit. The King of England, when we know the King.
K. Philip. Know him in us, that here hold up his
Right.
K. John. In us, that are our own great deputy,
And bear poffeffion of our person here;
Lord of our prefence, Angiers, and of you.
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