To thefe ill-tuned repetitions."

Some trumpet fummon hither to the walls
These men of Angiers; let us hear them fpeak,
Whose title they admit, Arthur's or John's.

Trumpets found. Enter Citizens upon the walls.
I CIT. Who is it, that hath warn'd us to the walls?
K. PHI. 'Tis France, for England.

K. JOHN.

England, for itfelf: You men of Angiers, and my loving fubjects,K. PHI. 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 first."

5 It ill befeems this prefence, to cry aim

To thefe ill-tuned repetitions.] Dr. Warburton has well obferved on one of the former plays, that to cry aim is to encourage. I once thought it was borrowed from archery; and that aim! having been the word of command, as we now say prefent! to cry aim had been to incite notice, or raise attention. But I rather think, that the old word of applaufe was J'aime, I love it, and that to applaud was to cry J'aime, which the English, not easily pronouncing Je, funk into aime, or aim. Our exclamations of applause are ftill borrowed, as bravo and encore. JOHNSON.

Dr. Johnfon's first thought, I believe, is beft. So, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Love's Cure, or The Martial Maid:

"Can I cry aim

"To this against myself?"

Again, in Churchyard's Charge, 1580, p. 8. b:
"Yet he that ftands, and giveth aime,

"Maie judge what fhott doeth lose the game;
"What fhooter beats the marke in vaine,
"Who shooteth faire, who fhooteth plaine."

Again, in our author's Merry Wives of Windfor, Vol. III. p. 409, where Ford fays: "and to thefe violent proceedings all my neighbours fhall cry aim." See the note on that paflage.

STEEVENS.

For our advantage-Therefore, hear us firft.] If we read

These 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 preparation for a bloody fiege,

8

And mercilefs proceeding by these French,
Confront your city's eyes,' your winking gates;
And, but for our approach, those sleeping stones,
That as a waift do girdle you about,
By the compulsion of their ordnance
By this time from their fixed beds of lime
Had been dishabited,' and wide havock made
For bloody power to rush upon your peace,
But, on the fight of us, your lawful king,-
Who painfully, with much expedient march,
Have brought a countercheck before your gates,
To fave unfcratch'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 fmoke,3

For your advantage, it would be a more fpecious reason for interrupting Philip. TYRWHITT.

7 Confront your city's eyes,] The old copy reads-Comfort, &c. Mr. Rowe made this neceffary change. STEEVENS.

४

your winking gates;] i. e. gates haftily closed from an apprehenfion of danger. So, in K. Henry IV. Part II:

"And winking leap'd into deftruction." MALONE.

dishabited,] i. e. diflodged, violently removed from their places a word, I believe, of our author's coinage. STEEVENS. —a countercheck-] This, I believe, is one of the ancient terms used in the game of chefs. So, in Mucedorus, 1598:

2

"Poft hence thyself, thou counterchecking trull." STEEVENS. 3 They Shoot but calm words, folded up in smoke,] So, in our author's Rape of Lucrece:

"This helplefs/moke of words, doth me no right." MALONE.

To make a faithlefs error in your ears:
Which truft accordingly, kind citizens,
And let us in, your king; whofe labour'd fpirits,
Forwearied in this action of fwift speed,
Crave harbourage within your city walls.

K. PHI. When I have faid, make anfwer to us both.
Lo, in this right hand, whofe 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 thefe greens before your town;
Being no further enemy to you,

Than the constraint 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 owes it; namely, this young prince:
And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear,
Save in afpéct, have all offence feal'd up;
Our cannons' malice vainly shall be spent
Against the invulnerable clouds of heaven;
And, with a bleffed and unvex'd retire,
With unhack'd fwords, and helmets all unbruis'd,
We will bear home that lufty blood again,
Which here we came to fpout against your town,
And leave your children, wives, and you, in
But if you fondly pafs our proffer'd offer,

peace.

4 Forwearied-] i. e. worn out. Sax. So, Chaucer, in his Romaunt of the Rofe, fpeaking of the mantle of Avarice:

"And if it were forwerid, the

"Would havin," &c. STEEVENS.

To him that owes it ;] i. e. owns it. See our author and his contemporaries, paflim. So, in Othello:

that fweet fleep

"That thou ow'dft yesterday." STEEVENS.

'Tis not the roundure of your old-fac'd walls
Can hide you from our meflengers of war;
Though all these 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 signal to our rage,
And ftalk in blood to our poffeffion?

I 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.

I 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 againft the world.
K. JOHN. Doth not the crown of England prove
the king?

And, if not that, I bring you witneffes,

Twice fifteen thoufand hearts of England's breed,BAST. Baftards, and elfe.

K. John. To verify our title with their lives.

K. PHI. As many, and as well-born bloods as thofe,

BAST. Some baftards too.

4 Tis not the roundure, &c.] Roundure means the fame as the French rondeur, i. e. the circle.

So, in All's left by Luft, a tragedy by Rowley, 1633:

will fhe meet our arms

"With an alternate roundure?"

Again, in Shakspeare's 21ft Sonnet:

-all things rare,

"That heaven's air in this huge rondure hems.”

STEEVENS,

K. PHI. Stand in his face, to contradict his claim. I CIT. Till you compound whofe right is worthieft, We, for the worthiest, hold the right from both.

K. JOHN. Then God forgive the fin of all those fouls,

That to their everlasting refidence,

Before the dew of evening fall, fhall fleet,
In dreadful trial of our kingdom's king!

K. PHI. Amen, Amen!-Mount, chevaliers! to arms!

BAST. St. George,—that swing'd the dragon, and e'er fince,

Sits on his horfeback at mine hoftefs' door,
Teach us fome fence!-Sirrah, were I at home,
At your den, firrah, [To AUSTRIA.] with your lioness,
I'd fet 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 fet forth,

In beft appointment, all our regiments.

BAST. Speed then, to take advantage of the

field.

K. PHI. It shall be fo;- [TOLEWIS.] and at the other hill

Command the reft to stand.-God, and our right! [Exeunt.

I'd fet an ox-bead to your lion's hide,] So, in the old fpurious play of K, John:

"But let the frolick Frenchman take no fcorn,
"If Philip front him with an English horn."

STEEVENS.