William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (201 page)
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Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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QUEEN ELEANOR
I like thee well. Wilt thou forsake thy fortune,
Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me?
I am a soldier and now bound to France. 150
Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me?
I am a soldier and now bound to France. 150
BASTARD
Brother, take you my land; I’ll take my chance.
Your face hath got five hundred pound a year,
Yet sell your face for fivepence and ’tis dear.—
Madam, I’ll follow you unto the death.
Your face hath got five hundred pound a year,
Yet sell your face for fivepence and ’tis dear.—
Madam, I’ll follow you unto the death.
QUEEN ELEANOR
Nay, I would have you go before me thither. 155
BASTARD
Our country manners give our betters way.
KING JOHN What is thy name?
BASTARD
Philip, my liege, so is my name begun:
Philip, good old Sir Robert’s wife’s eldest son,
Philip, good old Sir Robert’s wife’s eldest son,
KING JOHN
From henceforth bear his name whose form thou
bear’st. 160
Kneel thou down Philip, but arise more great:
Arise Sir Richard and Plantagenet.
bear’st. 160
Kneel thou down Philip, but arise more great:
He knights the Bastard
BASTARD
Brother by th’ mother’s side, give me your hand.
My father gave me honour, yours gave land.
Now blessèd be the hour, by night or day, 165
When I was got, Sir Robert was away.
My father gave me honour, yours gave land.
Now blessèd be the hour, by night or day, 165
When I was got, Sir Robert was away.
QUEEN ELEANOR
The very spirit of Plantagenet I
I am thy grandam, Richard; call me so.
I am thy grandam, Richard; call me so.
BASTARD
Madam, by chance, but not by truth; what though?
Something about, a little from the right,
In at the window, or else o‘er the hatch;
Who dares not stir by day must walk by night,
And have is have, however men do catch.
Near or far off, well won is still well shot,
And I am I, howe’er I was begot.
Something about, a little from the right,
In at the window, or else o‘er the hatch;
Who dares not stir by day must walk by night,
And have is have, however men do catch.
Near or far off, well won is still well shot,
And I am I, howe’er I was begot.
KING JOHN
Go, Falconbridge, now hast thou thy desire:
A landless knight makes thee a landed squire.—
Come, madam, and come, Richard; we must speed
For France; for France, for it is more than need.
A landless knight makes thee a landed squire.—
Come, madam, and come, Richard; we must speed
For France; for France, for it is more than need.
BASTARD
Brother, adieu. Good fortune come to thee, 180
For thou wast got i’th’ way of honesty.
A foot of honour better than I was,
But many a many foot of land the worse.
Well, now can I make any Joan a lady.
‘Good e’en, Sir Richard‘—’God-a-mercy fellow’;
And if his name be George I’ll call him Peter,
For new-made honour doth forget men’s names;
’Tis too respective and too sociable
For your conversion. Now your traveller,
He and his toothpick at my worship’s mess; 190
And when my knightly stomach is sufficed,
Why then I suck my teeth and catechize
My picked man of countries. ‘My dear sir,’
Thus leaning on mine elbow I begin,
‘I shall beseech you—’. That is Question now; 195
And then comes Answer like an Absey book.
‘O sir,’ says Answer, ‘at your best command,
At your employment, at your service, sir.’
‘No sir,’ says Question, ‘I, sweet sir, at yours.’
And so, ere Answer knows what Question would,
Saving in dialogue of compliment,
And talking of the Alps and Apennines,
The Pyrenean and the River Po,
It draws toward supper
in conclusion so
.
But this is worshipful society, 205
And fits the mounting spirit like myself;
For he is but a bastard to the time
That doth not smack of observation;
And so am I—whether I smack or no,
And not alone in habit and device, 210
Exterior form, outward accoutrement,
But from the inward motion—to deliver
Sweet, sweet, sweet poison for the age’s tooth;
Which, though I will not practise to deceive,
Yet to avoid deceit I mean to learn; 215
For it shall strew the footsteps of my rising.
For thou wast got i’th’ way of honesty.
Exeunt all but the Bastard
But many a many foot of land the worse.
Well, now can I make any Joan a lady.
‘Good e’en, Sir Richard‘—’God-a-mercy fellow’;
And if his name be George I’ll call him Peter,
For new-made honour doth forget men’s names;
’Tis too respective and too sociable
For your conversion. Now your traveller,
He and his toothpick at my worship’s mess; 190
And when my knightly stomach is sufficed,
Why then I suck my teeth and catechize
My picked man of countries. ‘My dear sir,’
Thus leaning on mine elbow I begin,
‘I shall beseech you—’. That is Question now; 195
And then comes Answer like an Absey book.
‘O sir,’ says Answer, ‘at your best command,
At your employment, at your service, sir.’
‘No sir,’ says Question, ‘I, sweet sir, at yours.’
And so, ere Answer knows what Question would,
Saving in dialogue of compliment,
And talking of the Alps and Apennines,
The Pyrenean and the River Po,
It draws toward supper
in conclusion so
.
But this is worshipful society, 205
And fits the mounting spirit like myself;
For he is but a bastard to the time
That doth not smack of observation;
And so am I—whether I smack or no,
And not alone in habit and device, 210
Exterior form, outward accoutrement,
But from the inward motion—to deliver
Sweet, sweet, sweet poison for the age’s tooth;
Which, though I will not practise to deceive,
Yet to avoid deceit I mean to learn; 215
For it shall strew the footsteps of my rising.
Enter Lady Falconbridge and James Gurney
But who comes in such haste in riding-robes?
What woman-post is this? Hath she no husband
That will take pains to blow a horn before her?
O me, ’tis my mother! How now, good lady? 220
What brings you here to court so hastily?
What woman-post is this? Hath she no husband
That will take pains to blow a horn before her?
O me, ’tis my mother! How now, good lady? 220
What brings you here to court so hastily?
LADY FALCONBRIDGE
Where is that slave thy brother? Where is he
That holds in chase mine honour up and down?
That holds in chase mine honour up and down?
BASTARD
My brother Robert, old Sir Robert’s son?
Colbrand the Giant, that same mighty man? 225
Is it Sir Robert’s son that you seek so?
Colbrand the Giant, that same mighty man? 225
Is it Sir Robert’s son that you seek so?
LADY FALCONBRIDGE
Sir Robert’s son, ay, thou unreverent boy,
Sir Robert’s son. Why scorn’st thou at Sir Robert?
He is Sir Robert’s son, and so art thou.
Sir Robert’s son. Why scorn’st thou at Sir Robert?
He is Sir Robert’s son, and so art thou.
BASTARD
James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave awhile? 230
GURNEY
Good leave, good Philip.
BASTARD Philip Sparrow, James!
There’s toys abroad; anon I’ll tell thee more.
Exit James Gurney
Madam, I was not old Sir Robert’s son.
Sir Robert might have eat his part in me
Upon Good Friday, and ne’er broke his fast. 235
Sir Robert could do well, marry to confess,
Could a get me! Sir Robert could not do it:
We know his handiwork. Therefore, good mother,
To whom am I beholden for these limbs?
Sir Robert never holp to make this leg. 240
Exit James Gurney
Madam, I was not old Sir Robert’s son.
Sir Robert might have eat his part in me
Upon Good Friday, and ne’er broke his fast. 235
Sir Robert could do well, marry to confess,
Could a get me! Sir Robert could not do it:
We know his handiwork. Therefore, good mother,
To whom am I beholden for these limbs?
Sir Robert never holp to make this leg. 240
LADY FALCONBRIDGE
Hast thou conspired with thy brother too,
That for thine own gain shouldst defend mine honour?
What means this scorn, thou most untoward knave?
That for thine own gain shouldst defend mine honour?
What means this scorn, thou most untoward knave?
BASTARD
Knight, knight, good mother, Basilisco-like!
What! I am dubbed; I have it on my shoulder. 245
But, mother, I am not Sir Robert’s son.
I have disclaimed Sir Robert; and my land,
Legitimation, name, and all is gone.
Then, good my mother, let me know my father;
Some proper man, I hope; who was it, mother? 250
LADY FALCONBRIDGE
Hast thou denied thyself a Falconbridge ?
What! I am dubbed; I have it on my shoulder. 245
But, mother, I am not Sir Robert’s son.
I have disclaimed Sir Robert; and my land,
Legitimation, name, and all is gone.
Then, good my mother, let me know my father;
Some proper man, I hope; who was it, mother? 250
LADY FALCONBRIDGE
Hast thou denied thyself a Falconbridge ?
BASTARD
As faithfully as I deny the devil.
LADY FALCONBRIDGE
King Richard Cœur-de-lion was thy father.
By long and vehement suit I was seduced
To make room for him in my husband’s bed. 255
Heaven lay not my transgression to my charge!
Thou art the issue of my dear offence,
Which was so strongly urged past my defence.
By long and vehement suit I was seduced
To make room for him in my husband’s bed. 255
Heaven lay not my transgression to my charge!
Thou art the issue of my dear offence,
Which was so strongly urged past my defence.
BASTARD
Now by this light, were I to get again,
Madam, I would not wish a better father. 260
Some sins do bear their privilege on earth,
And so doth yours; your fault was not your folly.
Needs must you lay your heart at his dispose,
Subjected tribute to commanding love,
Against whose fury and unmatched force 265
The aweless lion could not wage the fight,
Nor keep his princely heart from Richard’s hand.
He that perforce robs lions of their hearts
May easily win a woman’s. Ay, my mother,
With all my heart I thank thee for my father. 270
Who lives and dares but say thou didst not well
When I was got, I’ll send his soul to hell.
Come, lady, I will show thee to my kin,
And they shall say, when Richard me begot,
If thou hadst said him nay, it had been sin. 275
Who says it was, he lies: I say ’twas not.
Exeunt
2.1Madam, I would not wish a better father. 260
Some sins do bear their privilege on earth,
And so doth yours; your fault was not your folly.
Needs must you lay your heart at his dispose,
Subjected tribute to commanding love,
Against whose fury and unmatched force 265
The aweless lion could not wage the fight,
Nor keep his princely heart from Richard’s hand.
He that perforce robs lions of their hearts
May easily win a woman’s. Ay, my mother,
With all my heart I thank thee for my father. 270
Who lives and dares but say thou didst not well
When I was got, I’ll send his soul to hell.
Come, lady, I will show thee to my kin,
And they shall say, when Richard me begot,
If thou hadst said him nay, it had been sin. 275
Who says it was, he lies: I say ’twas not.
Exeunt
⌈
Flourish
.⌉
Enter before Angers
⌈
at one door
⌉
Philip King of France, Louis the Dauphin, Lady Constance, and Arthur Duke of Brittaine, with soldiers;
⌈
at another door
⌉
the Duke of Austria, wearing a lion’s hide, with soldiers
⌈
KING PHILIP
⌉
KING PHILIP
⌉
Before Angers well met, brave Austria.—
Arthur, that great forerunner of thy blood,
Richard that robbed the lion of his heart
And fought the holy wars in Palestine,
By this brave duke came early to his grave; 5
And, for amends to his posterity,
At our importance hither is he come
To spread his colours, boy, in thy behalf,
And to rebuke the usurpation
Of thy unnatural uncle, English John. 10
Embrace him, love him, give him welcome hither.
Arthur, that great forerunner of thy blood,
Richard that robbed the lion of his heart
And fought the holy wars in Palestine,
By this brave duke came early to his grave; 5
And, for amends to his posterity,
At our importance hither is he come
To spread his colours, boy, in thy behalf,
And to rebuke the usurpation
Of thy unnatural uncle, English John. 10
Embrace him, love him, give him welcome hither.
ARTHUR (
to Austria
)
to Austria
)
God shall forgive you Cœur-de-lion’s death,
The rather that you give his offspring life,
Shadowing their right under your wings of war.
I give you welcome with a powerless hand, 15
But with a heart full of unstained love.
Welcome before the gates of Angers, Duke.
The rather that you give his offspring life,
Shadowing their right under your wings of war.
I give you welcome with a powerless hand, 15
But with a heart full of unstained love.
Welcome before the gates of Angers, Duke.
⌈KING PHILIP⌉
A noble boy. Who would not do thee right?
AUSTRIA (
kissing Arthur
)
kissing Arthur
)
Upon thy cheek lay I this zealous kiss
As seal to this indenture of my love: 20
That to my home I will no more return
Till Angers and the right thou hast in France,
Together with that pale, that white-faced shore,
Whose foot spurns back the ocean’s roaring tides
And coops from other lands her islanders, 25
Even till that England, hedged in with the main,
That water-wallèd bulwark, still secure
And confident from foreign purposes,
Even till that utmost corner of the west
Salute thee for her king. Till then, fair boy,
Will I not think of home, but follow arms.
As seal to this indenture of my love: 20
That to my home I will no more return
Till Angers and the right thou hast in France,
Together with that pale, that white-faced shore,
Whose foot spurns back the ocean’s roaring tides
And coops from other lands her islanders, 25
Even till that England, hedged in with the main,
That water-wallèd bulwark, still secure
And confident from foreign purposes,
Even till that utmost corner of the west
Salute thee for her king. Till then, fair boy,
Will I not think of home, but follow arms.
C0NSTANCE
O, take his mother’s thanks, a widow’s thanks,
Till your strong hand shall help to give him strength
To make a more requital to your love.
Till your strong hand shall help to give him strength
To make a more requital to your love.
AUSTRIA
The peace of heaven is theirs that lift their swords
In such a just and charitable war.
In such a just and charitable war.
KING PHILIP
Well then, to work! Our cannon shall be bent
Against the brows of this resisting town.
Call for our chiefest men of discipline
To cull the plots of best advantages.
We’ll lay before this town our royal bones,
Wade to the market-place in Frenchmen’s blood,
But we will make it subject to this boy.
Against the brows of this resisting town.
Call for our chiefest men of discipline
To cull the plots of best advantages.
We’ll lay before this town our royal bones,
Wade to the market-place in Frenchmen’s blood,
But we will make it subject to this boy.
CONSTANCE
Stay for an answer to your embassy,
Lest unadvised you stain your swords with blood.
My lord Châtillon may from England bring
That right in peace which here we urge in war,
And then we shall repent each drop of blood
That hot rash haste so indirectly shed.
Lest unadvised you stain your swords with blood.
My lord Châtillon may from England bring
That right in peace which here we urge in war,
And then we shall repent each drop of blood
That hot rash haste so indirectly shed.
Enter Châtillon
KING PHILIP
A wonder, lady:lo upon thy wish
Our messenger Châtillon is arrived.—
What England says, say briefly, gentle lord;
We coldly pause for thee. Châtillon, speak.
Our messenger Châtillon is arrived.—
What England says, say briefly, gentle lord;
We coldly pause for thee. Châtillon, speak.
CHÂTILLON
Then turn your forces from this paltry siege,
And stir them up against a mightier task. 55
England, impatient of your just demands,
Hath put himself in arms. The adverse winds,
Whose leisure I have stayed, have given him time
To land his legions all as soon as I.
His marches are expedient to this town, 60
His forces strong, his soldiers confident.
With him along is come the Mother-Queen,
An Ate stirring him to blood and strife;
With her her niece, the Lady Blanche of Spain;
With them a bastard of the King’s deceased; 65
And all th‘unsettled humours of the land—
Rash, inconsiderate, fiery voluntaries,
With ladies’ faces and fierce dragons’ spleens—
Have sold their fortunes at their native homes,
Bearing their birthrights proudly on their backs, 70
To make a hazard of new fortunes here.
In brief, a braver choice of dauntless spirits
Than now the English bottoms have waft o’er
Did never float upon the swelling tide
To do offence and scathe in Christendom. 75
And stir them up against a mightier task. 55
England, impatient of your just demands,
Hath put himself in arms. The adverse winds,
Whose leisure I have stayed, have given him time
To land his legions all as soon as I.
His marches are expedient to this town, 60
His forces strong, his soldiers confident.
With him along is come the Mother-Queen,
An Ate stirring him to blood and strife;
With her her niece, the Lady Blanche of Spain;
With them a bastard of the King’s deceased; 65
And all th‘unsettled humours of the land—
Rash, inconsiderate, fiery voluntaries,
With ladies’ faces and fierce dragons’ spleens—
Have sold their fortunes at their native homes,
Bearing their birthrights proudly on their backs, 70
To make a hazard of new fortunes here.
In brief, a braver choice of dauntless spirits
Than now the English bottoms have waft o’er
Did never float upon the swelling tide
To do offence and scathe in Christendom. 75
Drum beats
The interruption of their churlish drums
Cuts off more circumstance. They are at hand;
To parley or to fight therefore prepare.
Cuts off more circumstance. They are at hand;
To parley or to fight therefore prepare.
KING PHILIP
How much unlooked-for is this expedition I
AUSTRIA
By how much unexpected, by so much 80
We must awake endeavour for defence,
We must awake endeavour for defence,
For courage mounteth with occasion.
Let them be welcome then: we are prepared.
Enter,
⌈
marching,
⌉
King John of England, the Bastard, Queen Eleanor, Lady Blanche, the Earl of Pembroke, and soldiers
KING JOHN
Peace be to France, if France in peace permit
Our just and lineal entrance to our own. 85
If not, bleed France, and peace ascend to heaven,
Whiles we, God’s wrathful agent, do correct
Their proud contempt that beats his peace to heaven.
Our just and lineal entrance to our own. 85
If not, bleed France, and peace ascend to heaven,
Whiles we, God’s wrathful agent, do correct
Their proud contempt that beats his peace to heaven.
KING PHILIP
Peace be to England, if that war return
From France to England, there to live in peace.
England we love, and for that England’s sake
With burden of our armour here we sweat.
This toil of ours should be a work of thine;
But thou from loving England art so far
That thou hast underwrought his lawful king, 95
Cut off the sequence of posterity,
Outfaced infant state, and done a rape
Upon the maiden virtue of the crown.
(
Pointing to Arthur
)
Look here upon thy brother Geoffrey’s face.
These eyes, these brows, were moulded out of his; 100
This little abstract doth contain that large
Which died in Geoffrey; and the hand of time
Shall draw this brief into as huge a volume.
That Geoffrey was thy elder brother born,
And this his son; England was Geoffrey’s right, 105
And this is Geoffrey’s. In the name of God,
How comes it then that thou art called a king,
When living blood doth in these temples beat,
Which owe the crown that thou o’ermasterest?
From France to England, there to live in peace.
England we love, and for that England’s sake
With burden of our armour here we sweat.
This toil of ours should be a work of thine;
But thou from loving England art so far
That thou hast underwrought his lawful king, 95
Cut off the sequence of posterity,
Outfaced infant state, and done a rape
Upon the maiden virtue of the crown.
(
Pointing to Arthur
)
Look here upon thy brother Geoffrey’s face.
These eyes, these brows, were moulded out of his; 100
This little abstract doth contain that large
Which died in Geoffrey; and the hand of time
Shall draw this brief into as huge a volume.
That Geoffrey was thy elder brother born,
And this his son; England was Geoffrey’s right, 105
And this is Geoffrey’s. In the name of God,
How comes it then that thou art called a king,
When living blood doth in these temples beat,
Which owe the crown that thou o’ermasterest?
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