CITIZENS OF ANGIERS-Messrs. Davenport, Lewiss,

FRENCH KNIGHTS-Messrs. Dick, Powers, Reeves,

SCENE-Sometimes in England, sometimes in France.

KING JOHN.

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE I.

England.-The Palace.

Flourish of Drums and Trumpets.

KING JOHN upon the Throne, QUEEN ELINOR, ESSEX, SALISBURY, PEMBROKE, HUBERT, CHATILLON,-English and French GENTLEMEN,-and English GUARDS, discovered.

K, John. Now, say, Chatillon, what would France with us?

Cha. 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!
K. John. Silence, good mother;-hear the em-
bassy.

Cha. Philip of France, in right and true behalf
Of thy deceased brother, Geffrey's son,
Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim
To this fair island and the territories;

To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine:
Desiring thee to lay aside the sword,
Which sways usurpingly these several titles,
And put the same into young Arthur's hand,
Thy nephew, and right royal sovereign.

K. John. What follows, if we disallow of this? Cha. The proud control of fierce and bloody war, To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld.

K. John. Here have we war for war, and blood for blood,

Controlment for controlment; so answer France. Cha. 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:
So, hence! Be thou the trumpet of our wrath,
And sullen presage of your own decay.-
An honourable conduct let him have;
Hubert, look to't:-Farewell, Chatillon.

[Exeunt CHATILLON, HUBERT, and the
FRENCH GENTLEMEN.

Eli. What now, my son? have I not ever said,
How that ambitious Constance would not cease,
Till she had kindled France, and all the world,
Upon the right and party of her son?

This might have been prevented and made whole,
With very easy arguments of love;

Which now the manage of two kingdoms must
With fearful bloody issue arbitrate.

Enter ENGLISH HERALD, who whispers ESSEX.
K. John. Our strong possession, and our right,
for us.

Eli. Your strong possession, much more than your

right;

Or else it must go wrong with you,

and me.

Ess. My liege, here is the strangest controversy
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.-

[Exit ENGLISH HERALD.

Our abbeys and our priories shall pay

This expedition's charge.

Enter ENGLISH HERALD, with PHILIP and ROBERT
FAULCONBRIDGE.

What men are you? [Exit ENGLISH HERALD.
Faul. Your faithful subject I, a gentleman,
Born in Northamptonshire; and eldest son,
As I suppose, to Robert Faulconbridge;
A soldier, by the honour-giving hand
Of Coeur-de-lion, knighted in the field.
K. John. What art thou?

Rob. The son and heir to that same Faulcon-
bridge.

K. John. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir? You came not of one mother then, it seems.

Faul. Most certain of one mother, mighty King, That is well known; and, as I think, one father: But, for the certain knowledge of that truth, I put you o'er to Heaven, and to my mother: Of that I doubt, as all men's children may.

Eli. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame thy mother,

And wound her honour with this diffidence.

Faul. I, madam? no, I have no reason for it;
That is my brother's plea, and none of mine:-
The which if he can prove, 'a pops me out
At least from fair five hundred pound a year:
Heav'n guard my mother's honour and my land!

K. John. A good blunt fellow. Why, being younger born,

Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance?

Faul. I know not why, except to get the land.
But once he slander'd me with bastardy:
But whether 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!)
Compare our faces, and be judge yourself.
If old Sir Robert did beget us both,

And were our father, and this son like him ;-
O, old Sir Robert, father, on my knee

I give Heaven thanks, I was not like to thee.

K. John. Why, what a mad-cap hath Heaven lent us here!

Eli. He hath a trick of Coeur-de-lion's face;
The accent of his tongue affecteth him:-
Do you not read some tokens of my son
In the large composition of this man?

K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his parts, And finds them perfect Richard.-Sirrah, speak, What doth move you to claim your brother's land? Rob. My gracious liege, when that my father liv❜ă,

Your brother did employ my father much;

Faul. Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land; Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother. Rob. And once despatch'd him in an embassy To Germany, there, with the Emperor, To treat of high affairs touching that time: The advantage of his absence took the King, And in the mean time sojourn'd at my father's; Where how he did prevail I shame to speak: But truth is truth; large lengths of seas and shores Between my father and my mother lay, (As I have heard my father speak himself,)