Can task the free breath of a sacred king?
Thou canst not, Cardinal, devise a name
So slight, unworthy, and ridiculous,

To charge me to an answer, 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 Heaven, are supreme head,
So, under him, that great supremacy,
Where we do reign, we will alone uphold,
Without the assistance of a mortal hand:
So tell the Pope; all reverence set apart
To him and his usurp'd authority.

K. Phil. Brother of England, you blaspheme in this. K. John. Though you, and all the kings of Christendom,

Are led so grossly by this meddling priest.
Dreading the curse that money may buy out;
And, by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust,
Purchase corrupted pardon of a man,

Who, in that sale, sells pardon from himself;
Though you, and all the rest, so grossly led,
This juggling witchcraft with revenue cherish;
Yet I, alone, alone do me oppose

Against the Pope, and count his friends my foes.
Pan. Then, by the lawful power that I have,
Thou shalt stand curs'd and excommunicate:
And blessed shall he be, that doth revolt
From his allegiance to a heretic;

And meritorious shall that hand be call'd,

That takes away by any secret course

Thy hateful life.

Con. O, lawful let it be,

That I have leave with Rome to curse awhile!

Good father Cardinal, cry thou, amen,

To my keen curses for, without my wrong, There is no tongue hath power to curse him right. Pan. Philip of France, on peril of a curse,

Let go the hand of that arch-heretic;
And raise the power of France upon his head,
Unless he do submit himself to Rome.

Aust. King Philip, listen to the Cardinal.

Faul. And hang a calf's-skin on his recreant limbs.

Aust. Well, ruffian, I must pocket up these wrongs,

Because

Faul. Your breeches best may carry them.

K. John. Philip, what say'st thou to the Cardinal?
Con. What should he say, but as the Cardinal ?
K. Phil. Good reverend father, make my person
yours,

And tell me how you would bestow yourself.
This royal hand and mine are newly knit:
And shall these hands, so lately purg'd of blood,
Unyoke this seizure, and this kind regreet?
My reverend father, let it not be so:
Out of your grace, devise, ordain, impose
Some gentle order; and then we shall be bless'd
To do your pleasure, and continue friends.

Pan. All form is formless, order orderless,
Save what is opposite to England's love.
Therefore, to arms! be champion of our church!
Or let the church, our mother, breathe her curse,
A mother's curse, on her revolting son.

France, thou may'st hold a serpent by the tongue,
A fasting tiger safer by the tooth,

Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold.
K. Phil. I may disjoin my hand, but not my faith.
Pan. So mak'st thou faith an enemy to faith;

O, let thy vow

First made to Heaven, first be to Heaven perform'd; That is, to be the champion of our church!

If not, then know,

The

of our curses light on thee,

So heavy, as thou shalt not shake them off,
But, in despair, die under their black weight.
Aust. Rebellion, flat rebellion!

Faul. Will't not be ?

Will not a calf's-skin stop that mouth of thine?
Lew. Father, to arms!

Blan. Upon my wedding-day?

Against the blood that thou hast married?
What! shall our feast be kept with slaughter'd men?
O husband, hear me ;-Even 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.

Con. O, upon my knee,

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

Blan. Now shall I see thy love: What motive may Be stronger with thee than the name of wife?

Con. That which upholdeth him, that thee upholds,

His honour: O, thine honour, Lewis, thine honour!
Lew. I muse your majesty doth seem so cold,
When such profound respects do pull you on.
Pan. I will denounce a curse upon his head.
K. Phil. Thou shalt not need :-England, I'll fall
from thee.

Con. O fair return of banish'd majesty !

K. John. France thou shalt rue this hour within

this hour.

Cousin, go draw your puissance together.-

[Exit FAULCONBRIDGE. France, I am burn'd up with inflaming wrath; A rage, whose heat hath this condition, That nothing can allay, nothing but blood, The blood, and dearest-valu'd blood of France. K. Phil. Look to thyself, thou art in jeopardy. K. John. No more than he that threats,--To arms [A Charge. Exeunt.

let's hie!

SCENE II.

France.

A Field of Battle.

Alarums.

Enter FAULCONBRIDGE.

Faul. Now, by my life, this day grows wondrous

hot;

Some airy devil hovers in the sky,

And pours down mischief.

[A Charge.

Enter AUSTRIA; FAULCON BRIDGE and AUSTRIA engage; FAULCONBRIDGE drives AUSTRIA off the Stage, and presently re-enters with the Lion's Skin in his Hand.

My mother is assailed in our tent,

And ta'en, I fear.

Faul. My lord, I rescu'd her;
Her highness is in safety, fear you not:
But on, my liege; for very little pains
Will bring this labour to an happy end.

[A Charge.-Exeunt.

SCENE III.

France.

Another Part of the Field.

A Retreat sounded.

Enter KING JOHN, ARTHUR, ELINOR, FAULCONBRIDGE,PEMBROKE, ESSEX, SALISBURY,HUBErt, ENGLISH GENTLEMEN, ENGLISH HERALD, and GUARDS.

K. John. So shall it be; your grace shall stay be

hind,

[TO ELINOR. So strongly guarded.-Cousin, look not sad:

[To ARTHUR.

Thy grandam loves thee; and thy uncle will
As dear be to thee as thy father was.

fore:

Arth. O, this will make my mother die with grief. K. John. Cousin, away for England; haste be[To FAULCON BRIDGE. And, ere our coming, see thou shake the bags Of hoarding abbots: imprisoned angels Set at liberty: the fat ribs of peace Must by the hungry now be fed upon :

Use our commission in his utmost force.

Faul. Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back,

When gold and silver becks me to come on.

I leave your highness :-Grandam, I will pray,
If ever I remember to be holy,

For
your faith safety; so I kiss
Eli. Farewell, gentle cousin.
K. John. Coz, Farewell.

your hand.

[Exit FAULCONBRIDGE.