294Lewis. Before Angiers well met braue Austria,

295Arthur that great fore-runner of thy bloud,

296Richard that rob'd the Lion of his heart,

297And fought the holy Warres in Palestine,

298By this braue Duke came early to his graue:

299And for amends to his posteritie,

300At our importance hether is he come,

301To spread his colours boy, in thy behalfe,

302And to rebuke the vsurpation

303Of thy vnnaturall Vncle, English Iohn,

304Embrace him, loue him, giue him welcome hether.

305Arth. God shall forgiue you Cordelions death

306The rather, that you giue his off-spring life,

307Shadowing their right vnder your wings of warre:

308I giue you welcome with a powerlesse hand,

309But with a heart full of vnstained loue,

310Welcome before the gates of Angiers Duke.

311Lewis. A noble boy, who would not doe thee right?

312Aust. Vpon thy cheeke lay I this zelous kisse,

313As seale to this indenture of my loue:

314That to my home I will no more returne

315Till Angiers, and the right thou hast in France,

316Together with that pale, that white-fac'd shore,

317Whose foot spurnes backe the Oceans roaring tides,

318And coopes from other lands her Ilanders,

319Euen till that England hedg'd in with the maine,

320That Water-walled Bulwarke, still secure

321And confident from forreine purposes,

322Euen till that vtmost corner of the West

323Salute thee for her King, till then faire boy

324Will I not thinke of home, but follow Armes.

325Const. O take his mothers thanks, a widdows thanks,

326Till your strong hand shall helpe to giue him strength,

327To make a more requitaIl to your loue.

328Aust. The peace of heauen is theirs y^t lift their swords

329In such a iust and charitable warre.

330King. Well, then to worke our Cannon shall be bent

331Against the browes of this resisting towne,

332Call for our cheefest men of discipline,

333To cull the plots of best aduantages:

334Wee'll lay before this towne our Royal bones,

335Wade to the market-place in French-mens bloud,

336But we will make it subiect to this boy.

337Con. Stay for an answer to your Embassie,

338Lest vnaduis'd you staine your swords with bloud,

339My Lord Chattilion may from England bring

340That right in peace which heere we vrge in warre,

341And then we shall repent each drop of bloud,

342That hot rash haste so indirectly shedde.

344King. A wonder Lady: lo vpon thy wish

345Our Messenger Chattilion is arriu'd,

346What England saies, say breefely gentle Lord,

347We coldly pause for thee, Chatilion speake,

348Chat. Then turne your forces from this paltry siege,

349And stirre them vp against a mightier taske:

350England impatient of your iust demands,

351Hath put himselfe in Armes, the aduerse windes

a 2 Whose

352Whose leisure I haue staid, haue giuen him time

353To land his Legions all as soone as I:

354His marches are expedient to this towne,

355His forces strong, his Souldiers confident:

356With him along is come the Mother Queene,

357An Ace stirring him to bloud and strife,

358With her her Neece, the Lady Blanch of Spaine,

359With them a Bastard of the Kings deceast,

360And all th'vnsetled humors of the Land,

361Rash, inconsiderate, fiery voluntaries,

362With Ladies faces, and fierce Dragons spleenes,

363Haue sold their fortunes at their natiue homes,

364Bearing their birth-rights proudly on their backs,

365To make a hazard of new fortunes heere:

366In briefe, a brauer choyse of dauntlesse spirits

367Then now the English bottomes haue waft o're,

368Did neuer flote vpon the swelling tide,

369To doe offence and scathe in Christendome:

370The interruption of their churlish drums

371Cuts off more circumstance, they are at hand,

373To parlie or to fight, therefore prepare.

374Kin. How much vnlook'd for, is this expedition.

375Aust. By how much vnexpected, by so much

376We must awake indeuor for defence,

377For courage mounteth with occasion,

378Let them be welcome then, we are prepar'd.

381K. Iohn. Peace be to France: If France in peace permit

382Our iust and lineall entrance to our owne;

383If not, bleede France, and peace ascend to heauen.

384Whiles we Gods wrathfull agent doe correct

385Their proud contempt that beats his peace to heauen.

386Fran. Peace be to England, if that warre returne

387From France to England, there to liue in peace:

388England we loue, and for that Englands sake,

389With burden of our armor heere we sweat:

390This toyle of ours should be a worke of thine;

391But thou from louing England art so farre,

392That thou hast vnder-wrought his lawfull King,

393Cut off the sequence of posterity,

394Out-faced Infant State, and done a rape

395Vpon the maiden vertue of the Crowne:

396Looke heere vpon thy brother Geffreyes face,

397These eyes, these browes, were moulded out of his;

398This little abstract doth containe that large,

399Which died in Geffrey: and the hand of time,

400Shall draw this breefe into as huge a volume:

401That Geffrey was thy elder brother borne,

402And this his sonne, England was Geffreys right,

403And this is Geffreyes in the name of God:

404How comes it then that thou art call'd a King,

405When liuing blood doth in these temples beat

406Which owe the crowne, that thou ore-masterest?

407K. Iohn. From whom hast thou this great commission (France,

408To draw my answer from thy Articles?

409Fra. Frō that supernal Iudge that stirs good thoughts

410In any beast of strong authoritie,

411To looke into the blots and staines of right,

412That Iudge hath made me guardian to this boy,

413Vnder whose warrant I impeach thy wrong,

414And by whose helpe I meane to chastise it.

415K. Iohn. Alack thou dost vsurpe authoritie.

416Fran. Excuse it is to beat vsurping downe.

417Queen. Who is it thou dost call vsurper France?

418Const. Let me make answer: thy vsurping sonne.

419Queen. Out insolent, thy bastard shall be King,

420That thou maist be a Queen, and checke the world.

421Con. My bed was euer to thy sonne as true

422As thine was to thy husband, and this boy

423Liker in feature to his father Geffrey

424Then thou and Iohn, in manners being as like,

425As raine to water, or deuill to his damme;

426My boy a bastard? by my soule I thinke

427His father neuer was so true begot,

428It cannot be, and if thou wert his mother.

429Queen. Theres a good mother boy, that blots thy fa-(ther

430Const. There's a good grandame boy

431That would blot thee.

432Aust. Peace.

433Bast. Heare the Cryer.

434Aust. What the deuill art thou?

435Bast. One that wil play the deuill sir with you,

436And a may catch your hide and yon alone:

437You are the Hare of whom the Prouerb goes

438Whose valour plucks dead Lyons by the beard;

439Ile smoake your skin-coat and I catch you right,

440Sirra looke too't, y faith I will, y faith.

441Blan. O well did he become that Lyons robe,

442That did disrobe the Lion of that robe.

443Bast. It lies as sightly on the backe of him

444As great Alcides shooes vpon an Asse:

445But Asse, Ile take that burthen from your backe,

446Or lay on that shall make your shoulders cracke.

447Aust. What cracker is this same that deafes our eares

448With this abundance of superfluous breath?

449King Lewis, determine what we shall doe strait.

450Lew. Women & fooles, breake off your conference.

451King Iohn, this is the very summe of all:

452England and Ireland, Angiers, Toraine, Maine,

453In right of Arthur doe I claime of thee:

454Wilt thou resigne them, and lay downe thy Armes?

455Iohn. My life as soone: I doe defie thee France,

456Arthur of Britaine, yeeld thee to my hand,

457And out of my deere loue Ile giue thee more,

458Then ere the coward hand of France can win;

459Submit thee boy.

460Queen. Come to thy grandame child.

461Cons. Doe childe, goe to yt grandame childe,

462Giue grandame kingdome, and it grandame will

463Giue yt a plum, a cherry, and a figge,

464There's a good grandame.

465Arthur. Good my mother peace,

466I would that I were low laid in my graue,

467I am not worth this coyle that's made for me.

468Qu. Mo. His mother shames him so, poore boy hee (weepes.

469Con. Now shame vpon you where she does or no,

470His grandames wrongs, and not his mothers shames

471Drawes those heauen-mouing pearles frō his poor eies,

472Which heauen shall take in nature of a fee:

473I, with these Christall beads heauen shall be brib'd

474To doe him Iustice, and reuenge on you.

475Qu. Thou monstrous slanderer of heauen and earth.

476Con. Thou monstrous Iniurer of heauen and earth,

477Call not me slanderer, thou and thine vsurpe

478The Dominations, Royalties, and rights

479Of this oppressed boy; this is thy eldest sonnes sonne,

480Infortunate in nothing but in thee:

481Thy sinnes are visited in this poore childe,

482The Canon of the Law is laide on him,

483Being but the second generation

484Remoued from thy sinne-conceiuing wombe.

485Iohn. Bedlam haue done.

486Con. I haue but this to say,

487That he is not onely plagued for her sin,

488But God hath made her sinne and her, the plague

489On this remoued issue, plagued for her,

490And with her plague her sinne: his iniury

491Her iniurie the Beadle to her sinne,

492All punish'd in the person of this childe,

493And all for her, a plague vpon her.

494Que. Thou vnaduised scold, I can produce

495A Will, that barres the title of thy sonne.

496Con. I who doubts that, a Will: a wicked will,

497A womans will, a cankred Grandams will.

498Fra. Peace Lady, pause, or be more temperate,

499It ill beseemes this presence to cry ayme

500To these ill-tuned repetitions:

501Some Trumpet summon hither to the walles

502These men of Angiers, let vs heare them speake,

503Whose title they admit, Arthurs or Iohns.

506Cit. Who is it that hath warn'd vs to the walles?

507Fra. 'Tis France, for England.

508Iohn. England for it selfe:

509You men of Angiers, and my louing subiects.

510Fra. You louing men of Angiers, Arthurs subiects,

511Our Trumpet call'd you to this gentle parle.

512Iohn. For our aduantage, therefore heare vs first:

513These flagges of France that are aduanced heere

514Before the eye and prospect of your Towne,

515Haue hither march'd to your endamagement.

516The Canons haue their bowels full of wrath,

517And ready mounted are they to spit forth

518Their Iron indignation 'gainst your walles:

519All preparation for a bloody siedge

520And merciles proceeding, by these French.

521Comfort yours Citties eies, your winking gates:

522And but for our approch, those sleeping stones,

523That as a waste doth girdle you about

524By the compulsion of their Ordinance,

525By this time from their fixed beds of lime

526Had bin dishabited, and wide hauocke made

527For bloody power to rush vppon your peace.

528But on the sight of vs your lawfull King,

529Who painefully with much expedient march

530Haue brought a counter-checke before your gates,

531To saue vnscratch'd your Citties threatned cheekes:

532Behold the French amaz'd vouchsafe a parle,

533And now insteed of bulletts wrapt in fire

534To make a shaking feuer in your walles,

535They shoote but calme words, folded vp in smoake,

536To make a faithlesse errour in your eares,

537Which trust accordingly kinde Cittizens,

538And let vs in. Your King, whose labour'd spirits

539Fore-wearied in this action of swift speede,

540Craues harbourage within your Citie walIes.

541France. When I haue saide, make answer to vs both.

542Loe in this right hand, whose protection

543Is most diuinely vow'd vpon the right

544Of him it holds, stands yong Plantagenet,

545Sonne to the elder brother of this man,

546And King ore him, and all that he enioyes:

547For this downe-troden equity, we tread

548In warlike march, these greenes before your Towne,

549Being no further enemy to you

550Then the constraint of hospitable zeale,

551In the releefe of this oppressed childe,

552Religiously prouokes. Be pleased then

553To pay that dutie which you truly owe,

554To him that owes it, namely, this yong Prince,

555And then our Armes, like to a muzled Beare,

556Saue in aspect, hath all offence seal'd vp:

557Our Cannons malice vainly shall be spent

558Against th' involuerable clouds of heauen,

559And with a blessed and vn-vext retyre,

560With vnhack'd swords, and Helmets all vnbruis'd,

561We will beare home that lustie blood againe,

562Which heere we came to spout against your Towne,

563And leaue your children, wiues, and you in peace.

564But if you fondly passe our proffer'd offer,

565'Tis not the rounder of your old-fac'd walles,

566Can hide you from our messengers of Warre,

567Though all these English, and their discipline

568Were harbour'd in their rude circumference:

569Then tell vs, Shall your Citie call vs Lord,

570In that behalfe which we haue challeng'd it?

571Or shall we giue the signall to our rage,

572And stalke in blood to our possession?

573Cit. In breefe, we are the King of Englands subiects

574For him, and in his right, we hold this Towne.

575Iohn. Acknowledge then the King, and let me in.

576Cit. That can we not: but he that proues the King

577To him will we proue loyall, till that time

578Haue we ramm'd vp our gates against the world.

579Iohn. Doth not the Crowne of England, prooue the

580 King?

581And if not that, I bring you Witnesses

582Twice fifteene thousand hearts of Englands breed.

583Bast. Bastards and else.

584Iohn. To verifie our title with their liues.

585Fran. As many and as well-borne bloods as those.

586Bast. Some Bastards too.

587Fran. Stand in his face to contradict his claime.

588Cit. Till you compound whose right is worthiest,

589We for the worthiest hold the right from both.

590Iohn. Then God forgiue the sinne of all those soules,

591That to their euerlasting residence,

592Before the dew of euening fall, shall fleete

593In dreadfull triall of our kingdomes King.

594Fran. Amen, Amen, mount Cheualiers to Armes.

595Bast. Saint George that swindg'd the Dragon,

596And ere since sit's on's horsebacke at mine Hostesse dore

597Teach vs some fence. Sirrah, were I at home

598At your den sirrah, with your Lionnesse,

599I would set an Oxe-head to your Lyons hide :

600And make a monster of you.

601Aust. Peace, no more.

602Bast. O tremble : for you heare the Lyon rore.

603Iohn. Vp higher to the plaine, where we'l set forth

604In best appointment all our Regiments.

605Bast . Speed then to take aduantage of the field.

606Fra. It shall be so, and at the other hill

607Command the rest to stand, God and our right. Exeunt

610F. Her. You men of Angiers open wide your gates,

611And let yong Arthur Duke of Britaine in,

A a 3 Who

612Who by the hand of France, this day hath made

613Much worke for teares in many an English mother,

614Whose sonnes lye scattered on the bleeding ground:

615Many a widdowes husband groueling lies,

616Coldly embracing the discoloured earrh,

617And victorie with little losse doth play

618Vpon the dancing banners of the French,

619Who are at hand triumphantly displayed

620To enter Conquerors, and to proclaime

621Arthur of Britaine, Englands King, and yours.

623E. Har. Reioyce you men of Angiers, ring your bels,

624King Iohn, your king and Englands, doth approach,

625Commander of this hot malicious day,

626Their Armours that march'd hence so siluer bright,

627Hither returne all gilt with Frenchmens blood:

628There stucke no plume in any English Crest,

629That is remoued by a staffe of France.

630Our colours do returne in those same hands

631That did display them when we first marcht forth:

632And like a iolly troope of Huntsmen come

633Our lustie English, all with purpled hands,

634Dide in the dying slaughter of their foes,

635Open your gates, and giue the Victors way.

636Hubert. Heralds, from off our towres we might behold

637From first to last, the on-set and retyre

638Of both yonr Armies, whose equality

639By our best eyes cannot be censured:

640Blood hath bought blood, and blowes haue answerd (blowes:

641Strength matcht with strength, and power confronted

642 power,

643Both are alike, and both alike we like:

644One must proue greatest. While they weigh so euen,

645We hold our Towne for neither: yet for both.

648Iohn. France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away?

649Say, shall the currant of our right rome on,

650Whose passage vext with thy impediment,

651Shall leaue his natiue channell, and ore-swell

652With course disturb'd euen thy confining shores,

653Vnlesse thou let his siluer Water, keepe

654A peacefull progresse to the Ocean.

655Fra. England thou hast not sau'd one drop of blood

656In this hot triall more then we of France,

657Rather lost more. And by this hand I sweare

658That swayes the earth this Climate ouer-lookes,

659Before we will lay downe our iust-borne Armes,

660Wee'l put thee downe, 'gainst whom these Armes wee (beare,

661Or adde a royall number to the dead:

662Gracing the scroule that tels of this warres losse,

663With slaughter coupled to the name of kings.

664Bast. Ha Maiesty: how high thy glory towres,

665When the rich blood of kings is set on fire:

666Oh now doth death line his dead chaps with steele,

667The swords of souldiers are his teeth, his phangs,

668And now he feasts, mousing the flesh of men

669In vndetermin'd differences of kings.

670Why stand these royall fronts amazed thus:

671Cry hauocke kings, backe to the stained field

672You equall Potents, fierie kindled spirits,

673Then let confusion of one part confirm

674The others peace: till then, blowes, blood, and death.

675Iohn. Whose party do the Townesmen yet admit?

676Fra. Speake Citizens for England, whose your king.

677Hub. The king of England, when we know the king.

678Fra. Know him in vs, that heere hold vp his right.

679Iohn. In Vs, that are our owne great Deputie,

680And beare possession of our Person heere,

681Lord of our presence Angiers, and of you.

682Fra. A greater powre then We denies all this,

683And till it be vndoubted, we do locke

684Our former scruple in our strong barr'd gates:

685Kings of our feare, vntill our feares resolu'd

686Be by some certaine king, purg'd and depos'd.

687Bast. By heauen, these scroyles of Angiers flout you (kings,

688And stand securely on their battelments,

689As in a Theater, whence they gape and point

690At your industrious Scenes and acts of death.

691Your Royall presences be rul'd by mee,

692Do like the Mutines of Ierusalem,

693Be friends a-while, and both conioyntly bend

694Your sharpest Deeds of malice on this Towne.

695By East and West let France and England mount

696Their battering Canon charged to the mouthes,

697Till their soule-fearing clamours haue braul'd downe

698The flintie ribbes of this contemptuous Citie,

699I'de play incessantly vpon these Iades,

700Euen till vnfenced desolation

701Leaue them as naked as the vulgar ayre:

702That done, disseuer your vnited strengths,

703And part your mingled colours once againe,

704Turne face to face, and bloody point to point:

705Then in a moment Fortune shall cull forth

706Out of one side her happy Minion,

707To whom in fauour she shall giue the day,

708And kisse him with a glorious victory:

709How like you this wilde counsell mighty States,

710Smackes it not something of the policie.

711Iohn. Now by the sky that hangs aboue our heads,

712I like it well. France, shall we knit our powres,

713And lay this Angiers euen with the ground,

714Then after fight who shall be king of it?

715Bast. And if thou hast the mettle of a king,

716Being wrong'd as we are by this peeuish Towne:

717Turne thou the mouth of thy Artillerie,

718As we will ours, against these sawcie walles,

719And when that we haue dash'd them to the ground,

720Why then defie each other, and pell-mell,

721Make worke vpon our selues, for heauen or hell.

722Fra. Let it be so: say, where will you assault?

723Iohn. We from the West will send destruction

724Into this Cities bosome.

725Aust. I from the North.

726Fran. Our Thunder from the South,

727Shall raine their drift of bullets on this Towne.

728Bast. O prudent discipline! From North to South:

729Austria and France shoot in each others mouth.

730Ile stirre them to it: Come, away, away.

731Hub. Heare vs great kings, vouchsafe awhile to stay

732And I shall shew you peace, and faire-fac'd league:

733Win you this Citie without stroke, or wound,

734Rescue those breathing liues to dye in beds,

735That heere come sacrifices for the field.

736Perseuer not, but heare me mighty kings.

737Iohn. Speake on with fauour, we are bent to heare.

738Hub. That daughter there of Spaine, the Lady Blanch

739Is neere to England, looke vpon the yeeres

740Of Lewes the Dolphin, and that louely maid.

741If lustie loue should go in quest of beautie,

742Where should he finde it fairer, then in Blanch:

743If zealous loue should go in search of vertue,

744Where should he finde it purer then in Blanch?

745If loue ambitious, sought a match of birth,

746Whose veines bound richer blood then Lady Blanch?

747Such as she is, in beautie, vertue, birth,

748Is the yong Dolphin euery way compleat,

749If not compleat of, say he is not shee,

750And she againe wants nothing, to name want,

751If want it be not, that she is not hee:

752He is the halfe part of a blessed man,

753Left to be finished by such as shee,

754And she a faire diuided excellence,

755Whose fulnesse of perfection lyes in him.

756O two such siluer currents when they ioyne

757Do glorifie the bankes that bound them in:

758And two such shores, to two such streames made one,

759Two such controlling bounds shall you be, kings,

760To these two Princes, if you marrie them:

761This Vnion shall do more then batterie can

762To our fast closed gates: for at this match,

763With swifter spleene then powder can enforce

764The mouth of passage shall we fling wide ope,

765And giue you entrance: but without this match,

766The sea enraged is not halfe so deafe,

767Lyons more confident, Mountaines and rockes

768More free from motion, no not death himselfe

769In mortall furie halfe so peremptorie,

770As we to keepe this Citie.

771Bast. Heeres a stay,

772That shakes the rotten carkasse of old death

773Out of his ragges. Here's a large mouth indeede,

774That spits forth death, and mountaines, rockes, and seas,

775Talkes as familiarly of roaring Lyons,

776As maids of thirteene do of puppi-dogges.

777What Cannoneere begot this lustie blood,

778He speakes plaine Cannon fire, and smoake, and bounce,

779He giues the bastinado with his tongue:

780Our eares are cudgel'd, not a word of his

781But buffets better then a fist of France:

782Zounds, I was neuer so bethumpt with words,

783Since I first cal'd my brothers father Dad.

784Old Qu. Son, list to this coniunction, make this match

785Giue with our Neece a dowrie large enough,

786For by this knot, thou shalt so surely tye

787Thy now vnsurd assurance to the Crowne,

788That yon greene boy shall haue no Sunne to ripe

789The bloome that promiseth a mightie fruite.

790I see a yeelding in the lookes of France:

791Marke how they whisper, vrge them while their soules

792Are capeable of this ambition,

793Least zeale now melted by the windie breath

794Of soft petitions, pittie and remorse,

795Coole and congeale againe to what it was.

796Hub. Why answer not the double Maiesties,

797This friendly treatie of our threatned Towne.

798Fra. Speake England sirst, that hath bin forward first

799To speake vnto this Cittie: what say you?

800Iohn. If that the Dolphin there thy Princely sonne,

801Can in this booke of beautie read, I loue:

802Her Dowrie shall weigh equall with a Queene:

803For Angiers, and faire Toraine Maine, Poyctiers,

804And all that we vpon this side the Sea,

805(Except this Cittie now by vs besiedg'd)

806Finde liable to our Crowne and Dignitie,

807Shall gild her bridall bed and make her rich

808In titles, honors, and promotions,

809As she in beautie, education, blood,

810Holdes hand with any Princesse of the world.

811Fra. What sai'st thou boy? looke in the Ladies face.

812Dol. I do my Lord, and in her eie I find

813A wonder, or a wondrous miracle,

814The shadow of my selfe form'd in her eye,

815Which being but the shadow of your sonne,

816Becomes a sonne and makes your sonne a shadow:

817I do protest I neuer lou'd my selfe

818Till now, infixed I beheld my selfe,

819Drawne in the flattering table of her eie.

821Bast. Drawne in the flattering table of her eie,

822Hang'd in the frowning wrinkle of her brow,

823And quarter'd in her heart, hee doth espie

824Himselfe loues traytor, this is pittie now;

825That hang'd, and drawne, and quarter'd there should be

826In such a loue, so vile a Lout as he.

827Blan. My vnckles will in this respect is mine,

828If he see ought in you that makes him like,

829That any thing he see's which moues his liking,

830I can with ease translate it to my will:

831Or if you will, to speake more properly,

832I will enforce it easlie to my loue.

833Further I will not flatter you, my Lord,

834That all I see in you is worthie loue,

835Then this, that nothing do I see in you,

836Though churlish thoughts themselues should bee your

837 Iudge,

838That I can finde, should merit any hate.

839Iohn. What saie these yong-ones? What say you my

840Neece?

841Blan. That she is bound in honor still to do

842What you in wisedome still vouchsafe to say.

843Iohn. Speake then Prince Dolphin, can you loue this

844Ladie?

845Dol. Nay aske me if I can refraine from loue,

846For I doe loue her most vnfainedly.

847Iohn. Then I doe giue Volquessen, Toraine, Maine,

848Poyctiers and Aniow, these fiue Prouinces

849With her to thee, and this addition more,

850Full thirty thousand Markes of English coyne:

851Phillip of France, if thou be pleas'd withall,

852Command thy sonne and daughtet to ioyne hands.

853Fra. It likes vs well young Princes: close your hands

854Aust. And your lippes too, for I am well assur'd,

855That I did so when I was first assur'd.

856Fra. Now Cittizens of Angires ope your gates,

857Let in that amitie which you haue made,

858For at Saint Maries Chappell presently,

859The rights of marriage shall be solemniz'd.

860Is not the Ladie Constance in this troope?

861I know she is not for this match made vp,

862Her presence would haue interrupted much.

863Where is she and her sonne, tell me, who knowes?

864Dol. She is sad and passionate at your highnes Tent.

865Fra. And by my faith, this league that we haue made

866Will giue her sadnesse very little cure :

867Brother of England, how may we content

868This widdow Lady? In her right we came,

869Which we God knowes, haue turnd another way,

870To our owne vantage.

871Iohn. We will heale vp all,

872For wee'l create yong Arthur Duke of Britaine

873And Earle of Richmond, and this rich faire Towne

874We make him Lord of. Call the Lady Constance,

875Some speedy Messenger bid her repaire

876To our solemnity: I trust we shall,

877(If not fill vp the measure of her will)

878Yet in some measure satisfie her so,

879That we shall stop her exclamation,

880Go we as well as hast will suffer vs,

881To this vnlook'd for vnprepared pompe. Exeunt.

882Bast. Mad world, mad kings, mad composition:

883Iohn to stop Arthurs Title in the whole,

884Hath willingly departed with a part,

885And France, whose armour Conscience buckled on,

886Whom zeale and charitie brought to the field,

887As Gods owne souldier, rounded in the eare,

888With that same purpose-changer, that slye diuel,

889That Broker, that still breakes the pate of faith,

890That dayly breake-vow, he that winnes of all,

891Of kings, of beggers, old men, yong men, maids,

892Who hauing no externall thing to loose,

893But the word Maid, cheats the poore Maide of that.

894That smooth-fac'd Gentleman, tickling commoditie,

895Commoditie, the byas of the world,

896The world, who of it selfe is peysed well,

897Made to run euen, vpon euen ground;

898Till this aduantage, this vile drawing byas,

899This sway of motion, this commoditie,

900Makes it take head from all indifferency,

901From all direction, purpose, course, intent.

902And this same byas, this Commoditie,

903This Bawd, this Broker, this all-changing-word,

904Clap'd on the outward eye of fickle France,

905Hath drawne him from his owne determin'd ayd,

906From a resolu'd and honourable warre,

907To a most base and vile-concluded peace.

908And why rayle I on this Commoditie?

909But for because he hath not wooed me yet:

910Not that I haue the power to clutch my hand,

911When his faire Angels would salute my palme,

912But for my hand, as vnattempted yet,

913Like a poore begger, raileth on the rich.

914Well, whiles I am a begger, I will raile,

915And say there is no sin but to be rich:

916And being rich, my vertue then shall be,

917To say there is no vice, but beggerie:

918Since Kings breake faith vpon commoditie,

919Gaine be my Lord, for I will worship thee. Exit.