To kiss the ground before young Malcolm's feet, Retreat. Flourish. Re-enter, with Drum and Colours, MALCOLM, old SIWARD,ROSSE, LENOX, ANGUS, CATHNESS, MENTETH, and Soldiers Mal. I would the friends we miss were safe arriv'd. Siw. Some must go off: and yet, by these I see, So great a day as this is cheaply bought. Mal. Macduff is missing, and your noble son. Rosse. Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier's debt: He only liv'd but till he was a man ; The which no sooner had his prowess confirm'd Siw. Then he is dead? Rosse. Ay, and brought off the field: your cause of sorrow Must not be measur'd by his worth, for then Siw. Had he his hurts before? Siw. Why then, God's soldier be he! I would not wish them to a fairer death: And so his knell is knoll'd. Mal. He's worth more sorrow, And that I'll spend for him. Macd. Hail, king! for so thou art: Behold, where stands The usurper's cursed head: the time is free: I see thee compass'd with thy kingdom's pearl, That speak my salutation in their minds; Whose voices I desire aloud with mine,Hail, king of Scotland! [Flourish. All. King of Scotland, hail! Mal. We shall not spend a large expense of time, Before we reckon with your several loves, Henceforth be earls, the first that ever Scotland Took off her life;-This, and what needful else [Flourish. Exeunt. + The kingdom's wealth or ornament. KING JOHN. LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTICE. THIS play was probably written in the year 1596. The action comprehends some of the principal events which occurred from the 34th year of King John's life to the time of his demise; or, during his short reign of seventeen years. Shakspeare has in some respects closely adhered to the old historians and chroniclers; but the Duke of Austria was not accessary to the death of Richard Coeur-de-lion; neither was John himself poisoned by a monk. However the gross licentiousness of the latter---his utter disregard of even the appearances of religion---and his habitual ridicule of the church, might favour such a supposition, it is certain that he died partly of grief, and partly of chagrin, at Newark. These incongruities, with the outline of Faulconbridge's character, our poet very likely derived from some previous dramatic production. With respect to the unfor tunate Arthur, when he first fell into the power of his uncle, he was confiued in the castle of Falaise, and the perfidious monarch endeavoured in vain to procure his assassination. He was afterwards conducted to the castle of Rouen, where John resided, and never afterwards heard of. The manner of his death is uncertain; but it is generally believed that the barbarous tyrant stabbed him with his own hand. Dr. Johnson says of this tragedy: "Though not written with the utmost power of Shakspeare, it is varied with a very pleasing interchange of incidents and characters: the lady's grief is very affecting; and the character of the Bastard contains that mixture of greatness and levity, which this author delighted to exhibit." The latter is, indeed, as odd a personage as any author ever drew; and his language is as peculiar as his ideas; but the scene in which John so darkly proposed to Hubert the murder of his innocent nephew, is beyond the commendation of criticism. Art could add little to its perfection; no change in dramatic taste can injure it ; and time itself can subtract nothing from its beauties.------Colly Cibber altered this drama, though not for the best. KING JOHN. DRAMATIS PERSONE. PRINCE HENRY, his Son; afterwards King ARTHUR, Duke of Bretagne, Son of Geffrey, ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE, Son of Sir Robert PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE, his Half-brother, PETER of Pomfret, a Prophet. CARDINAL PANDULPH, the Pope's legate. ELINOR, the Widow of King Henry II. and CONSTANCE, Mother to Arthur. Lords, Ladics, Citizens of Angiers, Sherif, SCENE, sometimes in England, and sometimes in France. ACT I. SCENE 1.-Northampton.-A Room of State in the Palace. K. John. Silence, good mother; hear the embassy. Chat. Philip of France, in right and true beOf thy deceased brother Geffrey's son, [half Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim Enter King JOHN, Queen ELINOR, PEMBROKE, To this fair island, and the territories; ESSEX, SALISBURY, and others, with CHA-To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine: TILLON. K. John. Now, say, Chatillon, what would Chat. Thus, after greeting, speaks the king of In my behaviour, to the majesty, Desiring thee to lay aside the sword, K. John. What follows, if we disallow of this? Eli. A strange beginning ;-borrow'd ma. To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld. jesty! In the mauner I now do. K. John. Here have we war for war, and blood for blood, Controlment for controlment so answer France. Chat. Then take my king's defiance from my | (Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!) The furthest limit of my embassy. K. John. Bear mine to him and so depart in And were our father, and his son like him ; peace : Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France; [Exeunt CHATILLON and PEMBROKE. Eli. What now, my son? have I not ever said, How that ambitious Constance would not cease, and made With very easy arguments of love; K. John. Our strong possession, and our right for us. Eli. Your strong possession, much more than Or else it must go wrong with you and me: hear. Enter the Sheriff of Northamptonshire, who whispers ESSEX. Essex. My liege, here is the strangest con troversy, Come from the country to be judg'd by you, Rob. The son and heir to that same Faulcon. K. John. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir ? You came not of one mother then, it seems. Bust. Most certain of one mother, mighty king, That is well known; and, as I think, one father: But, for the certain knowledge of that truth, And wound her honour with this diffidence. K. John. A good blunt fellow :-Why, being Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance? But once he slander'd me with bastardy O old Sir Robert, father, on my knee I give heaven thanks, I was not like to thee. Eli. He hath a trick of Coeur-de-liov's face, K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his Bast. Because he hath a half-face, like my With that half-face would he have all my land: Your brother did employ my father much ;- Your tale must be, how he employ'd my mo. ther, Rob. And once despatch'd him in an embassy K. John. Sirrah, your brother is legitimate; This calf, bred from his cow, from all the In sooth he might: then, if he were my bro- My mother's son did get your father's heir; Rob. Shall then my father's will be of no To dispossess that child which is not his ? Than was his will to get me, as I think. conbridge, And like thy brother, to enjoy thy land; shape, And I had his, Sir Robert his, like him; |