KING JOHN. FIRST printed in the folio of 1623.-Though some critics have fancied that they could discover certain "notes of time" in this play, there are, in fact, none: we only know that it was written before 1598, as it is enumerated among works by Shakespeare in Meres's Palladis Tamia, &c., which was published during that year (see the Memoir of Shakespeare).-King John is founded on an older play, in Two Parts, entitled The Troublesome Raigne of Lohn King of England, with the discouerie of King Richard Cordelions base sonne (vulgarly named, The Bastard Fawconbridge): also the death of King Iohn at Swinstead Abbey, &c.,-first printed in 1591, afterwards in 1611, and 1622:-the earliest edition is without an author's name : but the publisher of the second edition put on the title-page the name "W. Sh."; which in the third edition became "W. Shakespeare." By whom it was really written is a vain inquiry: more than one poet would seem to have been concerned in its composition. (See it, reprinted by Steevens, among Twenty of the Plays of Shakespeare, &c., 1766, and by Nichols among Six Old Plays, on which Shakespeare founded, &c., 1779.) DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. KING JOHN. PRINCE HENRY, his son; afterwards King Henry III. ARTHUR, duke of Bretagne, son to Geffrey, late Duke of Bretagne, the elder brother to King John. WILLIAM MARESHALL, earl of Pembroke. GEFFREY FITZ-PETER, earl of Essex, chief-justiciary of England. ROBERT BIGOT, earl of Norfolk. HUBERT DE BURGH, chamberlain to the King. ROBERT FALCONBRIDGE, son to Sir Robert Falconbridge. PHILIP FALCONBRIDGE, his half-brother, bastard son to King JAMES GURNEY, servant to Lady Falconbridge. PETER of Pomfret, a prophet. PHILIP, king of France. LOUIS, the Dauphin. Archduke of Austria. CARDINAL PANDULPH, the Pope's legate. MELUN, a French lord. CHATILLON, ambassador from France to King John. ELINOR, widow of King Henry II. and mother to King John. CONSTANCE, mother to Arthur. BLANCH, daughter to Alphonso, king of Castile, and niece to King John. LADY FALCONBRIDGE, mother to the Bastard and Robert Falcon bridge. Lords, Citizens of Angiers, Sheriff, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. SCENE-Sometimes in England, and sometimes in France. KING JOHN. ACT I. SCENE I. Northampton. A room of state in the palace. Enter King JOHN, Queen ELINOR, PEMBROKE, ESSEX, SALISBURY, and others, with CHATILLON. K. John. Now, say, Chatillon, what would France with us? Chat. Thus, after greeting, speaks the King of France, In my behaviour, to the majesty, The borrow'd majesty of England here. Eli. A strange beginning;-borrow'd majesty! Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine; Which sways usurpingly these several titles, K. John. What follows, if we disallow of this? T'enforce these rights so forcibly withheld. 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 mouth, The furthest limit of my embassy. K. John. Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace : Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France; For ere thou canst report I will be there, The thunder of my cannon shall be heard : [Exeunt Chatillon and Pembroke. Eli. What now, my son! have I not ever said This might have been prevented and made whole Which now the manage of two kingdoms must With fearful bloody issue arbitrate. K. John. Our strong possession and our right for us. Or else it must go wrong with you and me: So much my conscience whispers in your ear, Enter the Sheriff of Northamptonshire, who whispers ESSEX. Come from the country to be judg'd by you, That e'er I heard: shall I produce the men? K. John. Let them approach. Our abbeys and our priories shall pay This expedition's charge. [Exit Sheriff. Re-enter Sheriff, with ROBERT FALCONBRIDGE, and PHILIP his bastard brother. What men are you? Bast. Your faithful subject I, a gentleman Born in Northamptonshire, and eldest son, Rob. The son and heir to that same Falconbridge. K. John. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir? Bast. Most certain of one mother, mighty king,— I put you o'er to heaven and to my mother :- Eli. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame thy mother And wound her honour with this diffidence. Bast. I, madam? no, I have no reason for it,— K. John. A good blunt fellow.-Why, being younger Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance? Bast. I know not why, except to get the land. But once he slander'd me with bastardy: But whêr I be as true begot or no, That still I lay upon my mother's head; But, that I am as well begot, my liege, Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!- And were our father, and this son like him,- I give heaven thanks I was not like to thee! K. John. Why, what a madcap hath heaven lent(1) us here! Eli. He hath a trick of Coeur-de-lion's face; The accent of his tongue affecteth him: Do K. John. Mine eye hath well examinèd his parts, Bast. Because he hath a half-face, like my father, |