Call not me slanderer; thou, and thine, usurp Of this oppressed boy. This is thy eldest son's son, Thy sins are visited in this poor child; I have but this to say, That he's not only plagued for her sin, Eli. Thou unadvised scold, I can produce A will, that bars the title of thy son. Const. Ay, who doubts that? A will! a wicked will; A woman's will; a cankered grandam's will! K. Phi. Peace, lady; pause, or be more temperate. It ill beseems this presence, to cry aim To these ill-tuned repetitions. Some trumpet summon hither to the walls Trumpets sound. Enter Citizens upon the Walls. 1 Cit. Who is it that hath warned us to the walls. K. Phi. 'Tis France, for England. K. John. England, for itself. You men of Angiers, and my loving subjects,-— K. Phi. You loving men of Angiers, Arthur's subjects, Our trumpet called you to this gentle parle. K. John. For our advantage;-therefore, hear us first.These flags of France, that are advanced here Before the eye and prospect of your town, Have hither marched 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 preparation for a bloody siege, And merciless proceeding by these French, Confront your city's eyes, your winking gates; And but for our approach those sleeping stones, That as a waist do girdle you about, And let us in, your king; whose labored spirits, Crave harborage within your city walls. K. Phi. When I have said, make answer to us both. Lo, in this right hand, whose protection Is most divinely vowed upon the right And king o'er him, and all that he enjoys. In warlike march these greens before your town; Than the constraint of hospitable zeal, To him that owes it; namely, this young prince; Then, tell us, shall your city call us lord, 1 Cit. In brief, we are the king of England's subjects; For him, and in his right, we hold this town. K. John. Acknowledge then the king, and let me in. 1 Cit. That can we not: but he that proves the king, To him will we prove loyal; till that time, Have we rammed 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 thousand hearts of England's breed,- K. John. To verify our title with their lives. K. Phi. As many, and as well-born bloods as those,Bast. Some bastards too. K. Phi. Stand in his face, to contradict his claim. 1 Cit. Till you compound whose right is worthiest, We, for the worthiest, hold the right from both. K. John. Then God forgive the sin of all those souls, That to their everlasting residence, Before the dew of evening fall, shall fleet, In dreadful trial of our kingdom's king! K. Phi. Amen, Amen!-mount, chevaliers! to arms! Bast. St. George,-that swinged the dragon, and e'er since, Sits on his horseback at mine hostess' door, Teach us some fence.- Sirrah, were I at home, At your den, sirrah, [To AUSTRIA.] with your lioness, I'd set an ox-head to your lion's hide, And make a monster of you. Aust. Peace; no more. Bast. 0, tremble; for you hear the lion roar. K. John. Up higher to the plain; where we'll set forth, In best appointment, all our regiments. Bast. Speed, then, to take advantage of the field. K. Phi. It shall be so;-[To LEWIS.] and at the other hill Command the rest to stand.-God, and our right! SCENE II. The same. [Exeunt. Alarums and Excursions; then a Retreat. Enter a French Herald, 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 Enter an 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 armors, that marched hence so silver-bright, Our colors do return in those same hands That did display them when we first marched forth; Cit. Heralds, from off our towers we might behold, From first to last, the onset and retire Of both your armies; whose equality By our best eyes cannot be censured. Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answered blows; Strength matched with strength, and power confronted power: Both are alike; and both alike we like. One must prove greatest; while they weigh so even, Enter, at one side, KING JOHN, with his Power; ELINOR, K. John. France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away? Say, shall the current of our right run on? Whose passage, vexed with thy impediment, With course disturbed, even thy confining shores; A peaceful progress to the ocean. K. Phi. England, thou hast not saved one drop of blood, In this hot trial, more than we of France; Rather, lost more. And by this hand I swear, That sways the earth this climate overlooks,Before we will lay down our just-borne arms, We'll put thee down, 'gainst whom these arms we bear, Gracing the scroll, that tells of this war's loss, Bast. Ha, majesty! how high thy glory towers, The other's peace; till then, blows, blood, and death! 1 Cit. A greater power than we, denies all this; And, till it be undoubted, we do lock Our former scruple in our strong-barred gates; Bast. By Heaven, these scroyles of Angiers flout you, kings; And stand securely on their battlements, At your As in a theatre, whence they gape and point Be friends a while, and both conjointly bend |