Faulc. What words are thefe ? how do my finews 6 My father's foe clad in my father's spoil! [fhake! How doth Alecto whisper in my ears, Delay not, Richard, kill the villain ftrait; Difrobe him of the matchlefs monument, Thy father's triumph o'er the favages. Now, by this foul I swear, my father's foul, Twice will I not review the morning's rife, 'Till I have torn that trophy from thy back; And fplit thy heart for wearing it fo long. K. John. We like not this, thou doft forget thyfelf. SCENE III. Enter Pandulph.

K. Phil, Here comes the holy Legate of the pope.
Pand. Hail, you anointed deputies of heaven!
To thee, King John, my holy errand is:

I, Pandulph, of fair Milain Cardinal,
And from Pope Innocent the Legate here,
Do in his name religiously demand

Why thou against the church, our holy mother;
So wilfully doft fpurn, and force perforce
Keep Stephen Langton, chofen Archbishop
Of Canterbury, from that holy fée ?
This in our 'forefaid holy father's name,
Pope Innocent, I do demand of thee.

K. John. What earthly name to interrogatories
Can tafk the free breath of a facred King?
Thou canst not, Cardinal, devife a name
So flight, unworthy, and ridiculous,

To charge me to an anfwer, as the pope.

Tell him this tale, and from the mouth of England
Add thus much more, That no Italian priest
Shall tithe or toll in our dominions.

But as we, under Heav'n, are fupreme head,
So, under him, that great fupremacy,
Where we do reign, we will alone uphold,
Without th' affiftance of a mortal hand.
So tell the Pope, all rev'rence fet apart
To him and his ufurp'd authority.

K.Phil. Brother of England, you blafpheme in this. K. John. Tho' you and all the Kings of Christendom Are led fo grofsly by this meddling prieft,

VOL. III.

Sf

Dreading

Breading the cure that money may buy ent,
And by the men a vé vile gold, droši, dzi,
Le commuoted pardon of a man.

that the fells pardon from himfelf; The you, and all the reh, fo groišly led, Thajurging witchtreft with revenue cherith; Yet ĺal Re, alone, do me oppo.e

Again the Pore, and count his friends my foes.
Pand. Then by the lawful power that I have,
Thou shalt ftand curs'd, and excommunicate;
And bletfed fhall he be that doth revoit
From his allegiance to an heretic;

And meritorious fhall that hand be call'd,
Canonized and worshipp'd as a faint,
That takes away by any fecret courie
Thy hateful life.

Conft. O, lawful let it be,

That I have room with Rome to curfe a while.
Good Father Cardinal, cry thou, Amen,
To my keen curfes; for without my wrong
There is no tongue hath power to curfe him right.
Pand. There's law and warrant, lady, for my curfe,
Conft. And for minetco; when law can do no right,
Let it be lawful that law bar no wrong:
Law cannot give my child his kingdom here;
For he that holds his kingdom, holds the law;
Therefore, fince law itfelf is perfect wrong,
How can the law forbid my tongue to curfe?
Pand. Philip of France, on peril of a curse,
Let
go the hand of that arch-heretic;
And raife the pow'r of France upon his head,
Unless he do fubmit himfelf to Rome.

Eli. Look'ft thou pale, France? do not let go thy hand.

Conft. Look to that, devil! left that France repent, And, by disjoining hands, hell lofe a foul.Auft. King Philip, liten to the Cardinal.

Faule. And hang a calve's-fkin on his recreant limbs. Auf. Well, ruffian, I muft pocket up these wrongs, Becaufe

Faule. Your breeches beft may carry them.
K. John. Philip, what fay'ft thou to the Cardinal?

Conf.

Conft. What fhould he fay, but as the Cardinal?
Lewis Bethink you, father; for the difference
Is purchase of a heavy curfe from Rome,

Or the light loss of England for a friend;
Forego the eafier.

Blanch. That's the curse of Rome,

Conft. Lewis, ftand faft; the devil tempts thee here In likeness of a new untrimmed bride *.

K.Phil. I am perplex'd, and know not what to fay. Pand. What can'ft thou fay, but will perplex thee

more,

If thou ftand excommunicate and curs'd?

K. Phil. Good Rev'rend Father, make my perfon

your's;

And tell me, how you would beftow yourself,
This royal hand and mine are newly knit,
And the conjunction of our inward fouls
Marry'd in league, coupled and link'd together,
With all religious ftrength of facred vows.
The latest breath that gave the found of words,
Was deep-fworn faith, peace, amity, true love,
Between our kingdoms and our royal felves.
And even before this truce, but new before,
No longer than we well could wash our hands
To clap this royal bargain up of peace,

Heav'n knows, they were befmear'd and over-ftain'd
With flaughter's pencil; where Revenge did paint
The fearful diff'rence of incenfed Kings.
And fhall thefe hands, fo lately purge'd of blood,

a new untrimmed † bride.

Blanch. The Lady Conftance fpeaks not from her faith; But from her need.

Conft. O, it thou grant my need,

Which only lives but by the death of faith,

'That need mut needs infer this principle,

That faith would live agon by death of need:

O, then tread down my need, and faith mounts up;

Keep my nced up, and faith is trodden down.

K John. The King is mov'd, and anfwers not to this.
Conit O, be remov'd from him, and answer well.
Auft. Do fo, King Pailip; hang no more in doubt.
Faulc. Ilang nothing but a calve's fkin, moft fweet lout.
K. Phil. I am perplex's, &c.

So newly join'd in love, fo ftrong in both,

Unyoke this feizure, and this kind regreet ?

Play faft and loofe with faith, fo jeft with heav'n?
Make fuch unconstant children of ourselves,
As now again to fnatch our palm from palm?
Unfwear faith fworn, and on the marriage-bed
Of fmiling peace to march a bloody hoft,
And make a riot on the gentle brow
Of true fincerity? O holy Sir,

My Reverend Father, let it not be fo;
Out of your grace, devife, ordain, impose
Some gentle order, and we shall be blefs'd
To do your pleasure, and continue friends.

Pand. All form is formlefs, order orderlefs,
Save what is oppofite to England's love.
Therefore, to arms! be champion of our church
Or let the church our mother breathe her curse,
A mother's curfe on her revolting fon.

France, thou may'ft hold a ferpent by the tongue, A chafed lion by the mortal paw,

A fafting tyger fafer by the tooth,

Than keep in peace that hand which thou doft hold.
K. Phil. I may disjoin my hand, but not my faith.
Pand. So mak'ft thou faith an enemy to faith;
And, like a civil war, fet'ft oath to oath,
Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow
First made to heav'n, firft be to heav'n perform'd;
That is to be the champion of our church.
What fince thou fwor'ft, is fworn against thyfelf,
And may not be performed by thyself.

For that which thou haft fworn to do amifs,

Is yet amifs when it is truly done:

And being not done, where doing tends to ill,

The truth is then moft done, not doing it.
The better act of purpofes mistook,

Is to mistake again; tho' indirect,

Yet indirection thereby grows direct,

And falfehood falfehood cures; as fire cools fire,
Within the fcorched veins of one new-burn'd.
It is religion that doth make vows kept,

But thou haft fworn against religion.

By what thou fwear'ft, against the thing thou fwear't,

And

And mak'ft an oath the furety for thy truth;
Against an oath the truth thou art unfure-
To fwear: fwear only not to be forfworn;
Elfe what a mockery fhould it be to fwear?
But thou doft fwear, only to be forfworn,
And most forfworn, to keep what thou doft swear.
Therefore thy latter vows, against thy first,
Is in thyself rebellion to thyself.

And better conqueft never canft thou make,
Than arm thy constant and thy nobler parts
Against these giddy, loofe fuggestions.
Upon which better part, our pray'rs come in,
If thou vouchsafe them. But if not, then know,
The peril of our curfes light on thee

So heavy, as thou shalt not shake them off;
But, in defpair, die under their black weight.
Auft. Rebellion, flat rebellion.

Faulc. Will't not be?

Will not a calve's-fkin ftop that mouth of thine?
Lewis. Father, to arms.

Blanch. Upon thy wedding-day?

Against the blood that thou haft married?
What, fhall our feast be kept with flaughter'd men?
Shall braying trumpets, and loud churlifh drums,
Clamours of hell, be measures to our pomp?
O husband, hear me; (ah! alack, how new
Is husband in my mouth!), ev'n for that name,
Which till this time my tongue did ne'er pronounce,
Upon my knee I beg, go not to arms

Against mine uncle.

Conft. O, upon my knee,

Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee,
Thou virtuous Dauphin, alter not the doom
Forethought by heav'n.

Blanch. Now fhall I fee thy love; what motive may Be ftronger with thee than the name of wife?

Conft. That which upholdeth him, that thee upholds. His honour. Oh, thine honour, Lewis, thine honour!

Lewis. I mufe your Majefty doth feem fo cold, When fuch profound refpects do pull you on. Pand. I will denounce a curfe upon his head.

K. Phil.