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Or, if it must stand still, let wives with child
Pray, that their burdens may not fall this day,
Lest that their hopes prodigiously be crost':
But on this day, let seamen fear no wreck;
No bargains break, that are on this day made:
This day, all things begun come to ill end:
Yea, faith itself to hollow falsehood change!

K. Phil. By heaven, lady, you shall have no
To curse the fair proceedings of this day: [cause
Have I not pawn'd to you my majesty ?

Const. You have beguil'd me with a counterfeit, Resembling majesty; which, being touch'd, and try'd,

Proves valueless: You are forsworn, forsworn ;
You came in arms to spill mine enemies' blood,
But now in arms you strengthen it with yours:
The grappling vigour and rough frown of war,
Is cold in amity and painted peace,

5

10

Keep Stephen Langton, chosen archbishop
Of Canterbury, from that holy see?
This in our 'foresaid holy father's name,
Pope Innocent, I do demand of thee.

K. John. What earthly name to interrogatories
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 toil in our dominions;
But as we under heaven are supreme head,
So, under him, that great supremacy,
15 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. [this.
K. Phil. Brother of England, you blaspheme in
K. John. Though you, and all the kings of
Christendom,

And our oppression hath made up this league:-
Arm,arm, you heavens,against these perjur'd kings! 20
A widow cries; be husband to me, heavens!
Let not the hours of this ungodly day
Wear out the day in peace; but, ere sun-set,
Set armed discord 'twixt these perjur'd kings!
Hear me, oh, hear me!

Aust. Lady Constance, peace.

Const. War! war! no peace! peace is to me a O Lymoges! O Austria ! thou dost shame [war. That bloody spoil: Thou slave, thouwretch, thou coward;

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, 25 Purchase corrupted pardon of a man,

30

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.
Pand. Then, by the lawful power that I have,
Thou shalt stand curst, and excommunicate;
And blessed shall he be, that doth revolt
From his allegiance to an heretic;

35 And meritorious shall that hand be call'd,
Canonized, and worship'd as a saint,
That takes away by any secret course
[Thy hateful life.

Thou little valiant, great in villainy!
Thou ever strong upon the stronger side!
Thou fortune's champion, that dost never fight
But when her humorous ladyship is by
To teach thee safety! thou art perjur'd too,
And sooth'st up greatness. What a fool art thou,
A ramping fool; to brag, and stamp, and swear,
Upon my party! Thou cold-blooded slave,
Hast thou not spoke like thunder on my side?
Been sworn my soldier? bidding me depend
Upon thy stars, thy fortune, and thy strength?
And dost thou now fall over to my toes?
Thou wear a lion's hide! doff it for shame,
And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs.
Aust.,that aman wouldspeak those words tome! 45
Faulc. And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant
limbs.

Aust. Thou dar'st not say so, villain, for thy life.
Faule. And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant
limbs.

K. John. We like not this; thou dost forget thyself.

Enter Pandulph.

Const. O, lawful let it be,

40 That I have room with Rome to curse a while!
Good father cardinal, cry thou Amen,

To my keen curses: for, without my wrong,
There is no tongue hath power to curse him right.
Pand. There's law and warrant, lady, for my curse.
Const. And for mine too; when law can dono 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, since law itself is perfect wrong,
50 How can the law forbid my tongue to curse?

K. Phil. Here comes the holy legate of the pope.
Pand. Hail, you anointed deputies of heaven!-55
To thee, king John, my holy errand is.
I Pandulph, of fair Milan cardinal,
And from pope Innocent the legate here,
Do, in his name, religiously demand,
Why thou against the church, our holy mother,
So wilfully dost spurn; and force, perforce,

Pand. 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.

Eli. Look'st thou pale, France? do not let go
thy hand.
[repent,
Const. Look to that, devil! lest that France
And, by disjoining hands, hell lose a soul.
Aust. King Philip, listen to the cardinal.
Faule. And hang a calt's-skin on his recreant
limbs.

1i. e. be disappointed by the production of a prodigy, or monster. But here signißes except. 'i. e. put it off. When fools were kept for amusement in great families, they were distinguished by a calf-skin coat, which had the buttons down the back. This circumstance will explain the sarcasin of Constance and Faulconbridge, who mean to call Austria a fool. i. e. cowardly.

Aust.

Aust. Well, ruffian, I must pocket up these
Because
[wrongs,
Faulc. Your breeches best may carry them.
K.John. Philip, what say'st thou to the cardinal?
Const. What should he say, but as the cardinal:
Lewis. Bethink you, father; for the difference
Is, purchase of a heavy curse from Rome,
Or the light loss of England for a friend :
Forego the easier.

Blanch. That's the curse of Rome.

[here Const. O Lewis, stand fast: the devil tempts thee In likeness of a new untrimmed' bride. [faith, Blanch. The lady Constance speaks not from her But from her need..

5

Const. O, if thou grant my need,
Which only lives but by the death of faith,
That need must needs infer this principle,-
That faith will live again by death of need:
O, then, tread down myneed, and faith mounts up;
Keep my need up, and faith is trodden down. [this. 20
K. John. The king is mov'd, and answers not to
Const. O, beremov'd from him, and answer well.
Aust. Do so, King Philip; hang no more in doubt.
Faulc. Ilang nothing but a calf's-skin, mostsweet
lout.

France, thou may'st hold a serpent by the tongue,
A cased 'lion by the mortal paw,

A fasting tyger 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.
Pand. So mak'st thou faith an enemy to faith;
And, like a civil war, set'st oath to oath,

Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow
First made to heaven, first be to heaven perform'd;
10 That is, to be the champion of our church!
What since thou swor'st, is sworn against thyself,
And may not be performed by thyself:
For that, which thou hast sworn to do amiss,
Is't not amiss, when it is truly done ?
15 And being not done, where doing tends to ill,
The truth is then most done not doing it:
The better act of purposes mistook
Is, to mistake again; though indirect,
Yet indirection thereby grows direct,
And falshood falshood cures; as fire cools fire,
Within the scorched veins of one new burn'd.
It is religion, that doth make vows kept;
But thou hast sworn against religion: [swear'st;
By which thou swear'st against the thing thou
And mak'st an oath the surety for thy truth
Against an oath: The truth thou art unsure
To swear, swear only not to be forsworn;
Else what a mockery should it be to swear!
But thou dost swear only to be forsworn;
And most forsworn to keep what thou dost swear,
Therefore thy latter vows, against thy first,
Is in thyself rebellion to thyself;

[say. 25

K. Phil. I am perplex'd, and know not what to
Pand. What canst thou say, but will perplex

thee more,

35

And better conquest never canst thou make,
Than arm thy constant and thy nobler parts
Against these giddy loose suggestions:
Upon which better part our prayers come in,
If thou vouchsafe them: but, if not, then know,
The peril of our curses light on thee;
So heavy as thou shalt not shake them off,
40 But, in despair, die under their black weight.
Aust. Rebellion, flat rebellion!

If thou stand excommunicate, and curst? [yours,
K. Phil. Good reverend father,make my person 30
And tell me, how you would bestow yourself.
This royal hand and mine are newly knit ;
And the conjunction of our inward souls
Marry'd in league, coupled and link'd together
With all religious strength of sacred vows;
The latest breath, that gave the sound of words,
Was deep-sworn faith, peace, amity, true love,
Between our kingdoms, and our royal selves;
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,- [stain'd
Heaven knows, they were besmear'd and over-
With slaughter's pencil; where revenge did paint
The fearful difference of incensed kings:
And shall these hands so lately purg'd of blood,
So newly join'd in love, so strong in both,
Unyoke this seizure, and this kind regreet??
Play fast and loose with faith? so jest with heaven,
Make such unconstant children of ourselves,
As now again to snatch our palm from palm;
Unswear faith sworn; and on the marriage bed
Of smiling peace to march a bloody host,
And make a riot on the gentle brow
Of true sincerity? O holy sir,

My reverend father, let it not be so:

Out of your grace, devise, ordain, impose

Some gentle order; and then we shall be blest
To do your pleasure, and continue friends.

45|

Faulc. Will't not be?

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

Blanch. Upon thy wedding day?
Against the blood that thou hast married?
What, shall our feast be kept with slaughter'd men?
Shall braying trumpets, and loud churlish drums,*-
Ciamours of hell,-be measures to our pomp?
500 husband, hear me !—aye, alack, how new

1551

Is husband in my mouth!-even for that name,
Which 'till this time my tongue did ne'er pro-
Upon my knee I beg, go not to arms [nounce,
Against mine uncle.

Const. O, upon my knee,

Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee,
Thou virtuous Dauphin, alter not the doom
Fore-thought by heaven.

[may

Pand. 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.

60

Blanch. Now shall I see thy love; what motive Be stronger with thee than the name of wife? Const. That which upholdeth him that thee op

holds,

[nour!

His honour: Óh, thine honour, Lewis, thine ho

1i.e. undressed. * ? A regreet is an exchange of sa'utation. Some editions read chased."

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

[grief.

As dear be to thee as thy father was.
Arth. O, this will make my mother die with
K. John, Cousin, away for England: haste be-
[To Faulconbridge.

fore:

5 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 led upon;

Const. O fair return of banish'd majesty!
Eli. O foul revolt of French inconstancy!
K. John, France, thou shalt rue this hour within
this hour.
[ton time,
Faulc. Old time the clock-setter, that bald sex-10
Is it as he will? well then, France shall rue.
Blanch. The sun'so'ercast with blood: Fair day
Which is the side that I must go withal?

1

[adieu

[lies.

I am with both: each army hath a hand:
And, in their rage, I having hold of both,
They whirl asunder, and dismember me.
Husband, I cannot pray that thou may'st win;
Uncle, Ineeds must pray that thou may'st lose
Father, I may not wish the fortune thine;
Grandam, I will not wish thy wishes thrive:
Whoever wins, on that side shall I lose;
Assured loss, before the match be play'd.
Lewis. Lady, with me; with me thy fortune
Blanch. There where my fortune lives, there my
life dies.
[ther.
K. John. Cousin, go draw our puissance toge-
[Exit Faulconbridge.
France, I am burned 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. Thy rage shall burn thee up, and thou
shalt turn

To ashes, ere our blood shall quench that fire:
Look to thyself, thou art in jeopardy.

K. John. No more than he that threats.-To arms, let's hie!

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A field of battle.

Austria's head.

[Exeunt.

15

Use our commission in his utmost force. [back, Faulc. Bell book and candle shall not drive me When gold and silver becks me to come on. leave your highness:-Grandam, I will pray (If ever I remember to be holy)

I

For your fair safety; so I kiss your hand,
Eli. Farewell, gentle cousin,

K. John. Coz, farewell.
[Exit Faule.
Eli. Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word,
[Taking him to one side of the stage.
K. John. Come hither, Hubert. O mygentle Hu-
20 We owe thee much; within this wall of flesh [bert,
There is a soul counts thee her creditor,
And with advantage means to pay thy love:
And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath
Lives in this bosom, dearly cherished.
25Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say,
But I will fit it with some better time.
By heaven, Hubert, I am almost asham'd
To say what good respect I have of thee.
Hub.I am much bounden to your majesty. [so yet a
K. John. Good friend, thou hast no cause to say
But thou shalt have; and creep time ne'er so slow,
Yet it shall come to me to do thee good.

130

I had a thing to say,-But let it go: The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day. 35 Attended with the pleasures of the world, Is all too wanton, and too full of gawds, To give me audience:-if the midnight bell Did with his iron tongue and brazen mouth, Sound on' unto the drowsy race of night;

Alarums, excursions: enter Faulconbridge, with 40 If this same were a church-yard where we stand,

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45

And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs;
Or if that surly spirit, melancholy,

Had bak'd thy blood, and made it heavy, thick;
(Which, else, runs tickling up and down the veins,
Making that ideot, laughter, keep men's eyes,
And strain their cheeks to idle merriment,
A passion hateful to my purposes)

Or if that thou could'st see me without eyes,
Hear me without thine ears, and make reply
50 Without a tongue, using conceit alone,
Without eyes, ears, and harmful sound of words;
Then, in despight of broad-ey'd watchful day,
I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts:
But, ah, I will not:-Yet I love thee well;
And, by my troth, I think thou lov'st me well.
Hub. So well that what you bid me undertake,.-
Though that my death were adjunct to my act,
By heaven, I would do it.

Alarums, excursions, retreat. Re-enter King John, 55
Elinor, Arthur, Faulconbridge, Hubert and lords.
K. John. So shall it be; your grace shall stay
behind,
[To Elinor.
So strongly guarded.—Cousin, look not sad:
[To Arthur. 60

Thy grandam loves thee; and thy uncle will

K. John. Do not I know thou would'st? Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye On yon young boy: I'll tell thee what, my friend,

'Here the king, who kad knighted him by the name of Sir Richard, calls him by his former name, Gawds are any showy ornaments. 3 Warburton thinks we should read, "sound one" and Mr. Malone observes, that on and one are perpetually confounded in the old copies of Shakspeare.

He is a very serpent in my way;

And, wheresoe'er this foot of mine doth tread,
He lies before me: dost thou understand me?

Thou art his keeper.

5

Hub. And I'll keep him so,

That he shall not offend your majesty.

K. John. Death.

Hub. My lord?

K. John. A grave.

Hub. He shall not live.

K. John. Enough,

I could be merry now: Hubert, I love thee;
Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee:
Remember.-Madam, fare you well:
I'll send those powers o'er to your majesty.
Eli. My blessing go with thee!
K. John. For England, cousin, go :
Hubert shall be your man, attend on you
With all true duty.—On toward Calais, ho!

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Come, grin on me; and I will think thou smilst,
And buss thee as thy wife! Misery's love,
Oh, come to me!

K. Phil. Oh fair affliction, peace.

Const. No, no, I will not, having breath to cry:
Oh, 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,
HOWhich scorns a modern' invocation.

Pand. Lady, you utter madness, and not sor-
Const. Thou art unholy to belie me so; [row.
I am not mad: this hair I tear is mine ;
My name is Constance; I was Geffrey's wife;
15 Young Arthur is my son, and he is lost :
I am not mad;-I would to heaven, I were!
For then, 'tis like I should forget myself:
Oh, if I could, what grief should I forget!--
Preach some philosophy to make me mad,
[Exeunt. 20 And thou shalt be canoniz'd, cardinal;
For, being not mad, but sensible of grief,
My reasonable part produces reason
How I may be deliver'd of these woes,
And teaches me to kill or hang myself:
25 If I were mad, I should forget my son;
Or madly think, a babe of clouts were he:
I am not mad; too well, too well I feel
The different plague of each calamity. [note
K. Phil. Bind up those tresses: Oh, what love!
30In the fair multitude of those her hairs!
Where but by chance a silver drop hath fallen,
Even to that drop ten thousand wiry friends*
Do glew themselves in sociable grief;
Like true, inseparable, faithful loves,

Enter King Philip, Lewis, Pandulph, and Attendants:
K. Phil. So, by a roaring tempest on the flood,
A whole armado of collected sail

Is scatter'd and disjoin'd from fellowship. [well.
Pand. Courage and comfort! all shall yet go
K. Phil. What can go well, when we have run
so ill?

Are we not beaten? Is not Angiers lost?
Arthur ta'en prisoner! divers dear friends slain?
And bloody England into England gone,
O'er-bearing interruption, spite of France?

Lewis. What he hath won, that hath he fortify'd :35 Sticking together in calamity.

So hot a speed with such advice dispos'd,
Such temperate order in so fierce a cause,
Doth want example: Who hath read, or heard
Of any kindred action like to this?

K. Phil. Well could I bear that England had 40
this praise,

So we could find some patterns of our shame.
Enter Constance.

Look, who comes here! a grave unto a soul;
Holding the eternal spirit, against her will,
In the vile prison of afflicted breath :-
I pr'ythee, lady, go away with me.

Const. Lo, now! now see the issue of your peace!
K. Phil. Patience, good lady! confort, gentle
Constance!

Const. No, I defy all counsel, all redress,
But that which ends a'l counsel, true redress,
Death, death:---Oh amiable, lovely death!
Thou odoriferous stench! sound rottenness!
Arise forth from the couch of lasting night,
Thou hate and terror to prosperity,
And I will kiss thy detestable bones;
And put my eye-balls in thy vaulty brows;
And ring these fingers with thy houshold worms;
And stop this gap of breath with fulsome dust,
And be a carrion monster like thyself:

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Const. To England, if you will.
K. Phil. Bind up your hairs.

-[do it?
Const. Yes, that I will: And wherefore will I
I tore them from their bonds; and cry'd aloud,
"Oh that these hands could so redeem my son,
"As they have giv'n these hairs their liberty!"
But now I envy at their liberty,

6

And will again commit them to their bonds,
Because my poor child is a prisoner.-
45 And, father cardinal, I have heard you say,
That we shall see and know our friends in heaven:
If that be true, I shall see my boy again;
For, since the birth of Cain, the first male-child,
To him that did but yesterday suspire',
50 There was not such a gracious creature born.
But now will canker sorrow eat my bud,
And chase the native beauty from his cheek.
And he will look as hollow as a ghost;
As dim and meagre as an ague's fit:
55 And so he'll die; and, rising so again,
When I shall meet him in the court of heaven
I shall not know him: therefore never, never
Must I behold my pretty Arthur more.

60

Pand. You hold too heinous a respect of grief.
Const. He talks to me, that never had a son.
K. Phil. You are as fond of grief, as of your child,

i. e. I refuse. Modern here implies, as has been before
The old copy reads wiry fiends. i. e. breathe. i. e.

Const.

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 of her head-dress.
When there is such disorder in my wit.
Olord! my boy, my Arthur, my fair son!
My life, my joy, my food, my all the world!
My widow-comfort, and my sorrows' cure! [Exit.
K. Phil. I fear some outrage, and I'll follow her.

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Pand. You in the right of lady Blanch your wife, 5 May then make all the claim that Arthur did. Lewis. And lose it, lite and all, as Arthur did.

Pand, How green you are, and fresh in this old
world!

John lays you plots; the times conspire with you:
10 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,

15

[Exit.
Lewis. There's nothing in this world can make
Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale, [me joy:
Vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man; [taste,
And bitter shame hath spoil'd the sweet world's 20
That it yields nought, but shame, and bitterness.
Pand. Before the curing of a strong disease,
Even in the instant of repair and health,
The fit is strongest; evils, that take leave,
On their departure most of all shew evil :
What have you lost by losing of this day?

Lewis. All days of glory, joy, and happiness.
Pand. If you had won it, certainly, you had.
No, no: when fortune means to nien most good,
She looks upon them with a threatening eye.
Tis strange, to think how much king John hath lost
In this which he accounts so clearly won:
Are not you griev'd, that Arthur is his prisoner:
Lewis. As heartily, as he is glad he hath him.
Pand. Your mind is all as youthful as your blood.
Now hear me speak, with a prophetic spirit;
For even the breath of what I mean to speak
Shall blow each dust, each straw, each little rub,
Out of the path which shall directly lead
Thy foot to England's throne; and, therefore, mark.
John hath seiz'd Arthur; and it cannot be,
That while warm life plays in that infant's veins,
The misplaced John should entertain an hour,
One minute, nay, one quiet breath of rest:
A sceptre, snatch'd with an unruly hand,
Must be as boisterously maintain'd as gain'd:
And he, that stands upon a slippery place,
Makes nice of no vile hold to stay him up:
That John may stand, then Arthur needs must fall.

No scape of nature', no distemper'a day,
No common wind, no customed event,
But they will pluck away his natural cause,
And call them meteors, prodigies, and signis,
Abortives, presages, and tongues of heaven,
Plainly denouncing vengeance upon John.

Lewis. May be, he will not touch yourg
Ar
thur's life,

25 But hold himself safe in his prisonment.
Pand. O,sir, when he shall hear of your approach,
If that young Arthur be not gone already,
Even at that news he dies: and then the hearts
Of all his people shall revolt from him,
30 And kiss the lips of unacquainted change;
And pick strong matter of revolt, and wrath,
Out of the bloody fingers' ends of John.
Methinks, I see this hurly all on foot;
And, O, what better matter breeds for
Than I have nam'd!--The bastard Faulconbridge
Is now in England, ransacking the church,
Offending charity: If but a dozen French
Were there in arms, they would be as a call
To train ten thousand English to their side';
Or, as a little snow, tumbled about,

35

40

you,

Anon becomes a mountain. O noble Dauphin,
Go with me to the king; 'Tis wonderful
What may be wrought out of their discontent:
Now that their souls are top-full of offence,
45 For England go; I will whet on the king.
Lewis. Strong reasons make strong actions:-
Let us go;

If you say, ay, the king will not say, no.

[Exeunt.

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160

Upon the bosom of the ground, rush forth;
And bind the boy, which you shall find with me,
Fast to the chair: be heedful: hence, and watch.
Exec. I hope, your warrant will bear out the
deed.

to't.

Hub. Uncleanly scruples! Fear not you look [Exeunt Execu ioners. Young lad, come forth; I have to say with you.

Meaning, the blood of him that has the just claim. 2 The author very finely calls a monstrous birth, an escape of nature; as if it were produced while she was busy elsewhere, or intent on some other thing. Dd

Enter

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