K. Phil. As many, and as well-born bloods as those,Bast. Some bastards too. K. Phil.-Stand in his face, to contradict his claim. i 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. Phil. Amen, Amen !-Mount chevaliers! to arms! Bust. St. George, that swing'd the dragon, and e'er since, Sits on his horseback at mine hostess' door, Teach us some fence!-Sirrah, were I at home, And make a monster of you. Aust. Peace; no more. Bast. O, 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. er bill Command the rest to stand.-God, and our right! [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The same. 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 Many a widow's husband grovelling lies, Enter an English Herald, with trumpets. Their armours that march'd hence so silver-bright, Our colours do return in those same hands Cit. Heralds, from off our towers we might behold, Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answer'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 so even, Enter, at one side, King John, with his Power ; Elinor, Blanch, and the Bastard; at the other, King Philip, Lewis, Austria, and Forces. K.John. France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away? Say, shall the current of our right run on? A peaceful progress to the ocean. K. Phil. England, thou hast not sav'd one drop of blood, In this hot trial, more than we of France; Gracing the scroll, that tells of this war's loss, The other's peace; till then, blows, blood, and death! 1 Cit. The king of England, when we know the king. K. Phil. Know him in us, that here hold up his right. K. John. In us, that are our own great deputy, And bear possession of our person here; Lord of our presence, Angiers, and of you. 1 Cit. A greater power than we, denies all this; And, till it be undoubted, we do lock Our former scruple in our strong-barr'd gates: Bast. By heaven, these scroyles of Angiers flout you, kings; And stand securely on their battlements, As in a theatre, whence they gape and point Be friends a while, and both conjointly bend Leave them as naked as the vulgar air. To whom, in favour, she shall give the day, How like you this wild counsel, mighty states? K. John. Now, by the sky that hangs above our heads, I like it well ;-France, shall we knit our powers, And lay this Angiers even with the ground; Then, after, fight who shall be king of it? Bast. An if thou hast the mettle of a king,Being wrong'd, as we are, by this peevish town,Turn thou the mouth of thy artillery, As we will ours, against these saucy walls : And when that we have dash'd them to the ground, K. Phil. Let it be so:-Say, where will you assault? K. John. We from the west will send destruction Into this city's bosom. Aust. I from the north. K. Phil. Our thunder from the south, Shall rain their drift of bullets on this town. Bast. O prudent discipline! From north to south; Austria and France shoot in each other's mouth; I'll stir them to it :-Come, away, away! [Aside. 1 Cit. Hear us, great kings: vouchsafe a while to stay, And I shall show you peace, and fair-faced league; K. John. Speak on, with favour; we are bent to hear. Is the young dauphin every way complete: If not complete, O say, he is not she; And she again wants nothing, to name want, If want it be not, that she is not he : |