5NOw say Chatillon, what would France with vs?

6Chat. Thus (after greeting) speakes the King

7 of France,

8In my behauiour to the Maiesty,

9The borrowed Maiesty of England heere.

10Elea. A strange beginning: borrowed Maiesty?

11K. Iohn. Silence (good mother) heare the Embassie.

12Chat. Philip of France, in right and true behalfe

13Of thy deceased brother, Geffreyes sonne,

14Arthur Plantaginet, laies most lawfull claime

15To this faire Iland, and the Territories:

16To Ireland, Poyctiers, Aniowe, Torayne, Maine,

17Desiring thee to lay aside the sword

18Which swaies vsurpingly these seuerall titles,

19And put the same into yong Arthurs hand,

20Thy Nephew, and right royall Soueraigne.

21K. Iohn. What followes if we disallow of this?

22Chat. The proud controle of fierce and bloudy warre,

23To inforce these rights, so forcibly with-held,

24K. Io. Heere haue we war for war, & bloud for bloud,

25Controlement for controlement: so answer France.

26Chat. Then take my Kings defiance from my mouth,

27The farthest limit of my Embassie.

28K. Iohn. Beare mine to him, and so depart in peace,

29Be thou as lightning in the eies of France;

30For ere thou canst report, I will be there:

31The thunder of my Cannon shall be heard.

32So hence: be thou the trumpet of our wrath,

33And sullen presage of your owne decay:

34An honourable conduct let him haue,

35Pembroke looke too't: farewell Chattillion.

37Ele. What now my sonne, haue I not euer said

38How that ambitious Constance would not cease

39Till she had kindled France and all the world,

40Vpon the right and party of her sonne.

41This might haue beene preuented, and made whole

42With very easie arguments of loue,

43Which now the mannage of two kingdomes must

44With fearefull bloudy issue arbitrate.

45K. Iohn. Our strong possession, and our right for vs.

46Eli. Your strong possessiō much more then your right,

47Or else it must go wrong with you and me,

48So much my conscience whispers in your eare,

49Which none but heauen, and you, and I, shall heare.

51Essex. My Liege, here is the strangest controuersie

52Come from the Country to be iudg'd by you

53That ere I heard: shall I produce the men?

54K. Iohn. Let them approach:

55Our Abbies and our Priories shall pay

56This expeditious charge: what men are you?

58Philip. Your faithfull subiect, I a gentleman,

59Borne in Northamptonshire, and eldest sonne

60As I suppose, to Robert Faulconbridge,

61A Souldier by the Honor-giuing-hand

62Of Cordelion, Knighted in the field.

63K. Iohn. What art thou?

64Robert. The son and heire to that same Faulconbridge.

65K. Iohn. Is that the elder, and art thou the heyre?

66You came not of one mother then it seemes.

67Philip. Most certain of one mother, mighty King,

68That is well knowne, and as I thinke one father:

69But for the certaine knowledge of that truth,

70I put you o're to heauen, and to my mother;

71Of that I doubt, as all mens children may.

72Eli. Out on thee rude man, y^u dost shame thy mother,

73And wound her honor with this diffidence.

74Phil. I Madame? No, I haue no reason for it,

75That is my brothers plea, and none of mine,

76The which if he can proue, a pops me out,

77At least from faire fiue hundred pound a yeere:

78Heauen guard my mothers honor, and my Land.

79K. Iohn. A good blunt fellow: why being yonger born

80Doth he lay claime to thine inheritance?

81Phil. I know not why, except to get the land:

82But once he slanderd me with bastardy:

83But where I be as true begot or no,

84That still I lay vpon my mothers head,

85But that I am as well begot my Liege

86(Faire fall the bones that tooke the paines for me)

87Compare our faces, and be Iudge your selfe

88If old Sir Robert did beget vs both,

89And were our father, and this sonne like him:

90O old sir Robert Father, on my knee

91I giue heauen thankes I was not like to thee.

92K. Iohn. Why what a mad-cap hath heauen lent vs here?

93Elen. He hath a tricke of Cordelions face,

94The accent of his tongue affecteth him:

95Doe you not read some tokens of my sonne

96In the large composition of this man?

97K. Iohn. Mine eye hath well examined his parts,

98And findes them perfect Richard: sirra speake,

99What doth moue you to claime your brothers land.

100Philip. Because he hath a half-face like my father?

101With halfe that face would he haue all my land,

102A halfe-fac'd groat, fiue hundred pound a yeere?

103Rob. My gracious Liege, when that my father liu'd,

104Your brother did imploy my father much.

105Phil. Well sir, by this you cannot get my land,

106Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother.

107Rob. And once dispatch'd him in an Embassie

108To Germany, there with the Emperor

109To treat of high affaires touching that time:

110Th' aduantage of his absence tooke the King,

111And in the meane time soiourn'd at my fathers;

112Where how he did preuaile, I shame to speake:

113But truth is truth, large lengths of seas and shores

114Betweene my father, and my mother lay,

115As I haue heard my father speake himselfe

116When this same lusty gentleman was got:

117Vpon his death-bed he by will bequeath'd

118His lands to me, and tooke it on his death

119That this my mothers sonne was none of his;

120And if he were, he came into the world

121Full fourteene weekes before the course of time:

122Then good my Liedge let me haue what is mine,

123My fathers land, as was my fathers will.

124K. Iohn. Sirra, your brother is Legittimate,

125Your fathers wife did after wedlocke beare him:

126And if she did play false, the fault was hers,

127Which fault lyes on the hazards of all husbands

128That marry wiues: tell me, how if my brother

129Who as you say, tooke paines to get this sonne,

130Had of your father claim'd this sonne for his,

131In sooth, good friend, your father might haue kept

132This Calfe, bred from his Cow from all the world:

133In sooth he might: then if he were my brothers,

134My brother might not claime him, nor your father

135Being none of his, refuse him: this concludes,

136My mothers sonne did get your fathers heyre,

137Your fathers heyre must haue your fathers land.

138Rob. Shal then my fathers Will be of no force,

139To dispossesse that childe which is not his.

140Phil. Of no more force to dispossesse me sir,

141Then was his will to get me, as I think.

142Eli. Whether hadst thou rather be a Faulconbridge,

143And like thy brother to enioy thy land:

144Or the reputed sonne of Cordelion,

145Lord of thy presence, and no land beside.

146Bast. Madam, and if my brother had my shape

147And I had his, sir Roberts his like him,

148And if my legs were two such riding rods,

149My armes, such eele-skins stuft, my face so thin,

150That in mine eare I durst not sticke a rose,

151Lest men should say, looke where three farthings goes,

152And to his shape were heyre to all this land,

153Would I might neuer stirre from off this place,

154I would giue it euery foot to haue this face:

155It would not be sir nobbe in any case.

156Elinor. I like thee well: wilt thou forsake thy fortune,

157Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me?

158I am a Souldier, and now bound to France.

159Bast. Brother, take you my land, Ile take my chance;

160Your face hath got fiue hundred pound a yeere,

161Yet sell your face for fiue pence and 'tis deere:

162Madam, Ile follow you vnto the death.

163Elinor. Nay, I would haue you go before me thither.

164Bast. Our Country manners giue our betters way.

165K. Iohn. What is thy name?

166Bast. Philip my Liege, so is my name begun,

167Philip, good old Sir Roberts wiues eldest sonne.

168K. Iohn. From henceforth beare his name

169Whose forme thou bearest:

170Kneele thou downe Philip, but rise more great,

171Arise Sir Richard, and Plantagenet.

172Bast. Brother by th' mothers side, giue me your hand,

173My father gaue me honor, yours gaue land:

174Now blessed be the houre by night or day

175When I was got, Sir Robert was away.

176Ele. The very spirit of Plantaginet:

177I am thy grandame Richard, call me so.

178Bast. Madam by chance, but not by truth, what tho;

179Something about a little from the right,

180In at the window, or else ore the hatch:

181Who dares not stirre by day, must walke by night,

182And haue is haue, how euer men doe catch:

183Neere or farre off, well wonne is still well shot,

184And I am I, how ere I was begot.

185K. Iohn. Goe, Faulconbridge, now hast thou thy desire,

186A landlesse Knight, makes thee a landed Squire:

187Come Madam, and come Richard, we must speed

188For France, for France, for it is more then need.

189Bast. Brother adieu, good fortune come to thee,

190For thou wast got i'th way of honesty.

192Bast. A foot of Honor better then I was,

193But many a many foot of Land the worse.

194Well, now can I make any Ioane a Lady,

195Good den Sir Richard, Godamercy fellow,

196And if his name be George, Ile call him Peter;

197For new made honor doth forget mens names:

198'Tis two respectiue, and too sociable

199For your conuersion, now your traueller,

200Hee and his tooth-picke at my worships messe,

201And when my knightly stomacke is suffis'd,

202Why then I sucke my teeth, and catechize

203My picked man of Countries: my deare sir,

204Thus leaning on mine elbow I begin,

205I shaIl beseeeh you; that is question now,

206And then comes answer like an Absey booke:

207O sir, sayes answer, at your best command,

208At your employment, at your seruice sir:

209No sir, saies question, I sweet sir at yours,

210And so ere answer knowes what question would,

211Sauing in Dialogue of Complement,

212And talking of the Alpes and Appenines,

213The Perennean and the riuer Poe,

214It drawes toward fupper in conclusion so.

215But this is worshipfull society,

216And fits the mounting spirit like my selfe;

217For he is but a bastard to the time

218That doth not smoake of obseruation,

219And so am I whether I smacke or no:

220And not alone in habit and deuice,

221Exterior forme, outward accoutrement;

222But from the inward motion to deliuer

223Sweet, sweet, sweet poyson for the ages tooth,

224Which though I will not practice to deceiue,

225Yet to auoid deceit I meane to learne;

226For it shall strew the footsteps of my rising:

227But who comes in such haste in riding robes?

228What woman post is this? hath she no husband

229That will take paines to blow a horne before her?

230O me, 'tis my mother: how now good Lady,

231What brings you heere to Court so hastily?

233Lady. Where is that slaue thy brother? where is he?

234That holds in chase mine honour vp and downe.

235Bast. My brother Robert, old Sir Roberts sonne:

236Colbrand the Gyant, that same mighty man,

237Is it Sir Roberts sonne that you seeke so?

238Lady. Sir Roberts sonne, I thou vnreuerend boy,

239Sir Roberts sonne? why scorn'st thou at sir Robert?

240He is Sir Roberts sonne, and so art thou.

241Bast. Iames Gournie, wilt thou giue vs leaue a while?

242Gour. Good leaue good Philip.

243Bast. Philip, sparrow, Iames,

244There's toyes abroad, anon Ile tell thee more.

246Madam, I was not old Sir Roberts sonne,

247Sir Robert might haue eat his part in me

248Vpon good Friday, and nere broke his fast:

249Sir Robert could doe well, marrie to confesse

250Could get me sir Robert could not doe it;

251We know his handy-worke, therefore good mother

252To whom am I beholding for these limmes?

253Sir Robert neuer holpe to make this legge.

254Lady. Hast thou conspired with thy brother too,

255That for thine owne gaine shouldst defend mine honor?

256What meanes this scorne, thou most vntoward knaue?

257Bast. Knight, knight good mother, Basilisco-like:

258What, I am dub'd, I haue it on my shoulder:

259But mother, I am not Sir Roberts sonne,

260I haue disclaim'd Sir Robert and my land,

261Legitimation, name, and all is gone;

262Then good my mother, let me know my father,

263Some proper man I hope, who was it mother?

264Lady. Hast thou denied thy selfe a Faulconbridge?

265Bast. As faithfully as I denie the deuill.

266Lady. King Richard Cordelion was thy father,

267By long and vehement suit I was seduc'd

268To make roome for him in my husbands bed:

269Heauen lay not my transgression to my charge,

270That art the issue of my deere offence

271Which was so strongly vrg'd past my defence.

272Bast. Now by this light were I to get againe,

273Madam I would not wish a better father:

274Some sinnes doe beare their priuiledge on earth,

275And so doth yours: your fault, was not your follie,

276Needs must you lay your heart at his dispose,

277Subiected tribute to commanding loue,

278Against whose furie and vnmatched force,

279The awlesse Lion could not wage the fight,

280Nor keepe his Princely heart from Richards hand:

281He that perforce robs Lions of their hearts,

282May easily winne a womans: aye my mother,

283With all my heart I thanke thee for my father:

284Who liues and dares but say, thou didst not well

285When I was got, Ile send his soule to hell.

286Come Lady I will shew thee to my kinne,

287And they shall say, when Richard me begot,

288If thou hadst sayd him nay, it had beene sinne;

289Who sayes it was, he lyes, I say twas not.