A will that bars the title of thy son.

Const. Ay, who doubts that? a will! a wicked will; A woman's will; a canker'd 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
These men of Angiers: let us hear them speak,
Whose title they admit, Arthur's or John's.

Trumpet sounds. Enter Citizens upon the walls.

First Cit. Who is it that hath warn'd 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 call'd 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 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 preparation for a bloody siege

And merciless proceeding by these French
Confront your city's eyes, (28) your winking gates;
And, but for our approach, those sleeping stones,
That as a waist do girdle you about,

By the compulsion of their ordnance(29)
By this time from their fixed beds of lime
Had been dishabited, and wide havoc made
For bloody power to rush upon your peace.
But, on the sight of us, your lawful king,-
Who painfully, with much expedient march,
Have brought a countercheck before your gates,
To save unscratch'd your city's threaten'd cheeks,—
Behold, the French, amaz'd, vouchsafe a parle ;
And now, instead of bullets wrapp'd in fire,
To make a shaking fever in your walls,

They shoot but calm words, folded up in smoke,
To make a faithless error in your ears:

Which trust accordingly, kind citizens,

And let us in, your king; whose labour'd spirits,
Forwearied in this action of swift speed,

Crave harbourage 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 vow'd upon the right
Of him it holds, stands 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 your town;
Being no further enemy to you

Than the constraint of hospitable zeal
In the relief of this oppressed child
Religiously provokes. Be pleased, then,
To pay that duty which you truly owe

To him that owes it, namely, this young prince:
And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear,
Save in aspéct, have all offence seal'd up;
Our cannons' malice vainly shall be spent
Against th' invulnerable clouds of heaven;
And with a blessed and unvex'd retire,
With unhack'd swords and helmets all unbruis'd,
We will bear home that lusty blood again,
Which here we came to spout against your town,
And leave your children, wives, and you in peace.
But if you fondly pass our proffer'd offer,
'Tis not the rondure(31) of your old-fac'd walls
Can hide you from our messengers of war,
Though all these English, and their discipline,
Were harbour'd in their rude circumference.
Then, tell us, shall your city call us lord,
In that behalf which we have challeng'd it?
Or shall we give the signal to our rage,

And stalk in blood to our possession?

(30)

First 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. First 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 thousand hearts of England's breed,-
Bast. Bastards, and else.

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. Ph. Stand in his face, to contradict his claim.
First 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. Saint George, that swinge'd the dragon, and e'er since

Sits on his horse' back at mine hostess' door,

Teach us some fence !-[To Austria] Sirrah, were I at home,
At your den, sirrah, 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. 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.

K. Phi. It shall be so ;-[To Louis] and at the other hill Command the rest to stand.-God and our right!

[Exeunt, severally, the English and French Kings, &c.

After excursions, 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

Much work for tears in many an English mother,
Whose sons lie scatter'd on the bleeding ground:
Many a widow's husband grovelling lies,
Coldly embracing the discolour'd earth;
And victory, with little loss, 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 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 armours, that march'd hence so silver-bright,
Hither return all gilt with Frenchmen's blood;
There stuck no plume in any English crest

That is removed by a staff of France;

Our colours do return in those same hands

That did display them when we first march'd forth;
And, like a jolly troop of huntsmen, come
Our lusty English, all with purpled hands,
Dy'd in the dying slaughter of their foes:
Open your gates, and give the victors way.

First Cit. Heralds, (32) from off our towers we might be-
hold,

From first to last, the onset and retire
Of both your armies; whose equality
By our best eyes cannot be censurèd :

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,
We hold our town for neither; yet for both.

Re-enter, on one side, King JOHN, ELINOR, BLANCH, the Bastard, Lords, and Forces; on the other, King PHILIP, Louis, Austria, and Forces.

K. John. France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away? Say, shall the current of our right run on ?(33)

Whose passage, vex'd with thy impediment,
Shall leave his native channel, and o'erswell
With course disturb'd even thy confining shores,
Unless thou let his silver waters(34) keep

A peaceful progress to the ocean.

K. Phi. England, thou hast not sav'd 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,
Or add a royal number to the dead,

Gracing the scroll that tells of this war's loss
With slaughter coupled to the name of kings.

Bast. Ha, majesty! how high thy glory towers,
When the rich blood of kings is set on fire!
O, now doth Death line his dead chaps with steel;
The swords of soldiers are his teeth, his fangs;
And now he feasts, mousing the flesh of men,
In undetermin'd differences of kings.-
Why stand these royal fronts amazed thus?
Cry "havoc," kings! back to the stained field,
You equal-potent, fiery-kindled spirits!(35)
Then let confusion of one part confirm

The other's peace; till then, blows, blood, and death!
K. John. Whose party do the townsmen yet admit?
K. Phi. Speak, citizens, for England; who's your king?
First Cit. The king of England, when we know the

king.

K. Phi. 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.

First Cit. A greater power than we(36) denies all this;

And till it be undoubted, we do lock

Our former scruple in our strong-barr'd gates;

King'd of our fears, until our fears, resolv'd,

Be by some certain king purg'd and depos'd. (37)

Bast. By heaven, these scroyles of Angiers flout you,

kings,