Const. No, I defy1 all counsel, all redress, And stop this gap of breath with fulsome dust, Come, grin on me; and I will think thou smil'st, K. Phi. O, fair affliction, peace. Const. No, no, I will not, having breath to cry.O that my tongue were in the thunder's mouth! Then with a passion would I shake the world; And rouse from sleep that fell anatomy, Which cannot hear a lady's feeble voice, Which scorns a modern 3 invocation. Pand. Lady, you utter madness, and not sorrow. I am not mad: this hair I tear is mine; 1 To defy formerly signified to refuse, to reject. Or madly think a babe of clouts were he. K. Phi. Bind up those tresses; O, what love I note In the fair multitude of those her hairs! Where but by chance a silver drop hath fallen, Like true, inseparable, faithful loves, Const. To England, if you will.1 Bind up your hairs. Const. Yes, that I will; and wherefore will I do it? I tore them from their bonds; and cried aloud, O that these hands could so redeem my son, And will again commit them to their bonds, And, father cardinal, I have heard you say, For, since the birth of Cain, the first male child, 3 2 There was not such a gracious creature born. Pand. You hold too heinous a respect of grief. 1 Probably Constance, in despair, means to apostrophize the absent king John:-"Take my son to England if you will." 2 To suspire, Shakspeare uses for to breathe. 3 Gracious is used by Shakspeare often in the sense of beautiful, comely, graceful. K. Phi. You are as fond of grief, as of your child. Const. Grief fills the room up of my absent child, Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me; Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words, Remembers me of all his gracious parts, Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form; Then, have I reason to be fond of grief. Fare you well; had you such a loss as I, I could give better comfort than you do.I will not keep this form upon my head, [Tearing off her head-dress. When there is such disorder in my wit. [Exit. K. Phi. I fear some outrage, and I'll follow her. [Exit. Lew. There's nothing in this world can make me joy; Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale, Vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man; And bitter shame hath spoiled the sweet world's1 taste, Lew. All days of glory, joy, and happiness. 1 The old copy reads word's. The alteration was made by Pope. Malone thinks that it is unnecessary; and that by the sweet word, life is meant. Steevens prefers Pope's emendation. For even the breath of what I mean to speak Thy foot to England's throne; and, therefore, mark. That, whiles warm life plays in that infant's veins, Lew. But what shall I gain by young Arthur's fall? Pand. You, in the right of lady Blanch, your wife, May then make all the claim that Arthur did. Lew. And lose it, life and all, as Arthur did. Pand. How green are you, and fresh in this old world! John lays you plots; the times conspire with you; For he that steeps his safety in true blood, Shall find but bloody safety, and untrue. This act, so evilly born, shall cool the hearts Of all his people, and freeze up their zeal ; That none so small advantage shall step forth, To check his reign, but they will cherish it; No natural exhalation in the sky, No scape of nature, no distempered day, No common wind, no customed event, But they will pluck away his natural cause, And call them meteors, prodigies, and signs, Abortives, presages, and tongues of Heaven, Plainly denouncing vengeance upon John. Lew. May be, he will not touch young Arthur's life, But hold himself safe in his prisonment. Pand. O, sir, when he shall hear of your approach, 1 "John lays you plots." A similar phrase occurs in the First Part of King Henry VI.: "He writes, me here." 2 The old copy reads scope. The emendation is Pope's. If that young Arthur be not gone already, Anon becomes a mountain. O, noble dauphin, 3 Lew. Strong reasons make strong actions. Let us go; If you say, ay, the king will not say, no. [Exeunt. ACT IV. SCENE I. Northampton. A Room in the Castle. Enter HUBERT and two Attendants. Hub. Heat me these irons hot; and, look thou stand 1 Hurly is tumult. 2 The image is taken from the manner in which birds are sometimes caught; one being placed for the purpose of drawing others to the net by his note or call. 3 The first folio reads strange; the second folio strong. 4 There is no circumstance, either in the original play or in this of |