1000Fran. 'Tis true (faire daughter) and this blessed day,

1001Euer in France shall be kept festiuall:

1002To solemnize this day the glorious sunne

1003Stayes in his course, and playes the Alchymist,

1004Turning with splendor of his precious eye

1005The meager cloddy earth to glittering gold:

1006The yearely course that brings this day about,

1007Shall neuer see it, but a holy day.

1008Const. A wicked day, and not a holy day.

1009What hath this day deseru'd? what hath it done,

1010That it in golden letters should be set

1011Among the high tides in the Kalender?

1012Nay, rather turne this day out of the weeke,

1013This day of shame, oppression, periury.

1014Or if it must stand still, let wiues with childe

1015Pray that their burthens may not fall this day,

1016Lest that their hopes prodigiously be crost:

1017But (on this day) let Sea-men feare no wracke,

1018No bargaines breake that are not this day made;

1019This day all things begun, come to ill end,

1020Yea, faith it selfe to hollow falshood change.

1021Fra. By heauen Lady, you shall haue no cause

1022To curse the faire proceedings of this day:

1023Haue I not pawn'd to you my Maiesty?

1024Const. You haue beguil'd me with a counterfeit

1025Resembling Maiesty, which being touch'd and tride,

1026Proues valuelesse: you are forsworne, forsworne,

1027You came in Armes to spill mine enemies bloud,

1028But now in Armes, you strengthen it with yours.

1029The grapling vigor, and rough frowne of Warre

1030Is cold in amitie, and painted peace,

1031And our oppression hath made vp this league:

1032Arme, arme, you heauens, against these periur'd Kings,

1033A widdow cries, be husband to me (heauens)

1034Let not the howres of this vngodly day

1035Weare out the daies in Peace; but ere Sun-set,

1036Set armed discord 'twixt these periur'd Kings,

1037Heare me, Oh, heare me.

1038Aust. Lady Constance, peace.

1039Const. War, war, no peace, peace is to me a warre:

1040O Lymoges, O Austria, thou dost shame

1041That bloudy spoyle: thou slaue thou wretch, y^u coward,

1042Thou little valiant, great in villanie,

1043Thou euer strong vpon the stronger side;

1044Thou Fortunes Champion, that do'st neuer fight

1045But when her humourous Ladiship is by

1046To teach thee safety: thou art periur'd too,

1047And sooth'st vp greatnesse. What a foole art thou,

1048A ramping foole, to brag, and stamp, and sweare,

1049Vpon my partie: thou cold blooded slaue,

1050Hast thou not spoke like thunder on my side?

1051Beene sworne my Souldier, bidding me depend

1052Vpon thy starres, thy fortune, and thy strength,

1053And dost thou now fall ouer to my foes?

1054Thou weare a Lyons hide, doff it for shame,

1055And hang a Calues skin on those recreant limbes.

1056Aus. O that a man should speake those words to me.

1057Phil. And hang a Calues-skin on those recreant limbs

1058Aus. Thou dar'st not say so villaine for thy life.

1059Phil. And hang a Calues-skin on those recreant limbs.

1060Iohn. We like not this, thou dost forget thy selfe.

1062Fra. Heere comes the holy Legat of the Pope.

1063Pan. Haile you annointed deputies of heauen;

1064To thee King Iohn my holy errand is:

1065I Pandulph, of faire Millane Cardinall,

1066And from Pope Innocent the Legate heere,

1067Doe in his name religiously demand

1068Why thou against the Church, our holy Mother,

1069So wilfully dost spurne; and force perforce

1070Keepe Stephen Langton chosen Arshbishop

1071Of Canterbury from that holy Sea:

1072This in our foresaid holy Fathers name

1073Pope Innocent, I doe demand of thee.

1074Iohn. What earthie name to Interrogatories

1075Can tast the free breath of a sacred King?

1076Thou canst not (Cardinall) deuise a name

1077So slight, vnworthy, and ridiculous

1078To charge me to an answere, as the Pope:

1079Tell him this tale, and from the mouth of England,

1080Adde thus much more, that no Italian Priest

1081Shall tythe or toll in our dominions:

1082But as we, vnder heauen, are supreame head,

1083So vnder him that great supremacy

1084Where we doe reigne, we will alone vphold

1085Without th'assistance of a mortall hand:

1086So tell the Pope, all reuerence set apart

1087To him and his vsurp'd authoritie.

1088Fra. Brother of England, you blaspheme in this.

1089Iohn. Though you, and all the Kings of Christendom

1090Are led so grossely by this medling Priest,

1091Dreading the curse that money may buy out,

1092And by the merit of vilde gold, drosse, dust,

1093Purchase corrupted pardon of a man,

1094Who in that sale sels pardon from himselfe:

1095Though you, and al the rest so grossely led,

1096This iugling witchcraft with reuennue cherish,

1097Yet I alone, alone doe me oppose

1098Against the Pope, and count his friends my foes.

1099Pand. Then by the lawfull power that I haue,

1100Thou shalt stand curst, and excommunicate,

1101And blessed shall he be that doth reuolt

1102From his Allegeance to an heretique,

1103And meritorious shall that hand be call'd,

1104Canonized and worship'd as a Saint,

1105That takes away by any secret course

1106Thy hatefull life.

1107Con. O lawfull let it be

1108That I haue roome with Rome to curse a while,

1109Good Father Cardinall, cry thou Amen

1110To my keene curses; for without my wrong

1111There is no tongue hath power to curse him right.

1112Pan. There's Law and Warrant (Lady) for my curse.

1113Cons. And for mine too, when Law can do no right.

1114Let it be lawfull, that Law barre no wrong:

1115Law cannot giue my childe his kingdome heere;

1116For he that holds his Kingdome, holds the Law:

1117Therefore since Law it selfe is perfect wrong,

1118How can the Law forbid my tongue to curse?

1119Pand. Philip of France, on perill of a curse,

1120Let goe the hand of that Arch-heretique,

1121And raise the power of France vpon his head,

1122Vnlesse he doe submit himselfe to Rome.

1123Elea. Look'st thou pale France? do not let go thy hand.

1124Con. Looke to that Deuill, lest that France repent,

1125And by disioyning hands hell lose a soule.

1126Aust. King Philip, listen to the Cardinall.

1127Bast. And hang a Calues-skin on his recreant limbs.

1128Aust. Well ruffian, I must pocket vp these wrongs,

1129Because,

1130Bast. Your breeches best may carry them.

1131Iohn. Philip, what saist thou to the Cardinall?

1132Con. What should he say, but as the Cardinall?

1133Dolph. Bethinke you father, for the difference

1134Is purchase of a heauy curse from Rome,

1135Or the light losse of England, for a friend:

1136Forgoe the easier.

1137Bla. Thats the curse of Rome.

1138Con. O Lewis, stand fast, the deuill tempts thee heere

1139In likenesse of a new vntrimmed Bride.

1140Bla. The Lady Constance speakes not from her faith,

1141But from her need.

1142Con. Oh, if thou grant my need,

1143Which onely liues but by the death of faith,

1144That need, must needs inferre this principle,

1145That faith would liue againe by death of need:

1146O then tread downe my need, and faith mounts vp,

1147Keepe my need vp, and faith is trodden downe.

1148Iohn. The king is moud, and answers not to this.

1149Con. O be remou'd from him, and answere well.

1150Aust. Doe so king Philip, hang no more in doubt.

1151Bast. Hang nothing but a Calues skin most sweet lout.

1152Fra. I am perplext, and know not what to say.

1153Pan. What canst thou say, but wil perplex thee more?

1154If thou stand excommunicate, and curst?

1155Fra. Good reuerend father, make my person yours,

1156And tell me how you would bestow your selfe?

1157This royall hand and mine are newly knit,

1158And the coniunction of our inward soules

1159Married in league, coupled, and link'd together

1160With all religous strength of sacred vowes,

1161The latest breath that gaue the sound of words

1162Was deepe-sworne faith, peace, amity, true loue

1163Betweene our kingdomes and our royall selues,

1164And euen before this truce, but new before,

1165No longer then we well could wash our hands,

1166To clap this royall bargaine vp of peace,

1167Heauen knowes they were besmear'd and ouer-staind

1168With slaughters pencill; where reuenge did paint

1169The fearefull difference of incensed kings:

1170And shall these hands so lately purg'd of bloud?

1171So newly ioyn'd in loue? so strong in both,

1172Vnyoke this seysure, and this kinde regreete?

1173Play fast and loose with faith? so iest with heauen,

1174Make such vnconstant children of onr selues

1175As now againe to snatch our palme from palme:

1176Vn-sweare faith sworne, and on the marriage bed

1177Of smiling peace to march a bloody hoast,

1178And make a ryot on the gentle brow

1179Of true sincerity? O holy Sir

1180My reuerend father, let it not be so;

1181Out of your grace, deuise, ordaine, impose

1182Some gentle order, and then we shall be blest

1183To doe your pleasure, and continue friends.

1184Pand. All forme is formelesse, Order orderlesse,

1185Saue what is opposite to Englands loue.

1186Therefore to Armes, be Champion of our Church,

1187Or let the Church our mother breathe her curse,

1188A mothers curse, on her reuolting sonne:

1189France, thou maist hold a serpent by the tongue,

1190A cased Lion by the mortall paw,

1191A fasting Tyger safer by the tooth,

1192Then keepe in peace that hand which thou dost hold.

1193Fra. I may dis-ioyne my hand, but not my faith.

1194Pand. So mak'st thou faith an enemy to faith,

1195And like a ciuill warre setst oath to oath,

1196Thy tongue against thy tongue. O let thy vow

1197First made to heauen, first be to heauen perform'd,

1198That is, to be the Champion of our Church,

1199What since thou sworst, is sworne against thy selfe,

1200And may not be performed by thy selfe,

1201For that which thou hast sworne to doe amisse,

1202Is not amisse when it is truely done:

1203And being not done, where doing tends to ill,

1204The truth is then most done not doing it:

1205The better Act of purposes mistooke,

1206Is to mistake again, though indirect,

1207Yet indirection thereby growes direct,

1208And falshood, falshood cures, as fire cooles fire

1209Within the scorched veines of one new burn'd:

1210It is religion that doth make vowes kept,

1211But thou hast sworne against religion:

1212By what thou swear'st against the thing thou swear'st,

1213And mak'st an oath the suretie for thy truth,

1214Against an oath the truth, thou art vnsure

1215To sweare, sweares onely not to be forsworne,

1216Else what a mockerie should it be to sweare?

1217But thou dost sweare, onely to be forsworne,

1218And most forsworne, to keepe what thou dost sweare,

1219Therefore thy later vowes, against thy first,

1220Is in thy selfe rebellion to thy selfe:

1221And better conquest neuer canst thou make,

1222Then arme thy constant and thy nobler parts

1223Against these giddy loose suggestions:

1224Vpon which better part, our prayrs come in,

1225If thou vouchsafe them. But if not, then know

1226The perill of our curses light on thee

1227So heauy, as thou shalt not shake them off

1228But in despaire, dye vnder their blacke weight.

1229Aust. Rebellion, flat rebellion.

1230Bast. Wil't not be?

1231Will not a Calues-skin stop that mouth of thine?

1232Daul. Father, to Armes.

1233Blanch. Vpon thy wedding day?

1234Against the blood that thou hast married?

1235What, shall our feast be kept with slaughtered men?

1236Shall braying trumpets, and loud churlish drums

1237Clamors of hell, be measures to our pomp?

1238O husband heare me: aye, alacke, how new

1239Is husband in my mouth? euen for that name

1240Which till this time my tongue did nere pronounce;

1241Vpon my knee I beg, goe not to Armes

1242Against mine Vncle.

1243Const. O, vpon my knee made hard with kneeling,

1244I doe pray to thee, thou vertuous Daulphin,

1245Alter not the doome fore-thought by heauen.

1246Blan. Now shall I see thy loue, what motiue may

1247Be stronger with thee, then the name of wife?

1248Con. That which vpholdeth him, that thee vpholds,

1249His Honor, Oh thine Honor, Lewis thine Honor.

1250Dolph. I muse your Maiesty doth seeme so cold,

1251When such profound respects doe pull you on?

1252Pand. I will denounce a curse vpon his head.

1253Fra. Thou shalt not need. England, I will fall frō thee.

1254Const. O faire returne of banish'd Maiestie.

1255Elea. O foule reuolt of French inconstancy.

1256Eng. France, y^u shalt rue this houre within this houre.

1257Bast. Old Time the clocke setter, y^t bald sexton Time:

1258Is it as he will? well then, France shall rue.

1259Bla. The Sun's orecast with bloud: faire day adieu,

1260Which is the side that I must goe withall?

1261I am with both, each Army hath a hand,

1262And in their rage, I hauing hold of both,

1263They whurle a-sunder, and dismember mee.

1264Husband, I cannot pray that thou maist winne:

1265Vncle, I needs must pray that thou maist lose:

1266Father, I may not wish the fortune thine:

1267Grandam, I will not wish thy wishes thriue:

1268Who-euer wins, on that side shall I lose:

1269Assured losse, before the match be plaid.

1270Dolph. Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lies.

1271Bla. There where my fortune liues, there my life dies.

1272Iohn. Cosen, goe draw our puisance together,

1273France, I am burn'd vp with inflaming wrath,

1274A rage, whose heat hath this condition;

1275That nothing can allay, nothing but blood,

1276The blood and deerest valued bloud of France.

1277Fra. Thy rage shall burne thee vp, & thou shalt turne

1278To ashes, ere our blood shall quench that fire:

1279Looke to thy selfe, thou art in ieopardie.

1280Iohn. No more then he that threats. To Arms le'ts hie.