Even till that utmost corner of the west Const. 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! Aust. The peace of heaven is theirs that lift their swords In such a just and charitable war. K. Phi. Well then, to work: our cannon shall Against the brows of this resisting town. Const. Stay for an answer to your embassy, Enter CHATILLON. K. Phi. A wonder, lady! lo, upon thy wish, What England says, say briefly, gentle lord; Chat. Then turn your forces from this paltry siege 30 40 50 choose the best positions for attack. 45. unadvised, rashly. And stir them up against a mightier task. His marches are expedient to this town, With ladies' faces and fierce dragons' spleens, [Drum beats. The interruption of their churlish drums K. Phi. How much unlook'd for is this expedi- Aust. By how much unexpected, by so much We must awake endeavour for defence; For courage mounteth with occasion: Let them be welcome then; we are prepared. 60. expedient, expeditious. 63. Ate, the goddess of revenge. Ff Ace.' 64. Blanch was the daughter of John's sister Eleanor, married to Alphonso VIII. of Castile. бо 70 80 65. of the king's deceased, of the deceased king's. 67. voluntaries, volunteers. 77. circumstance, detail. Enter KING JOHN, ELINOR, BLANCH, the K. John. Peace be to France, if France in peace permit Our just and lineal entrance to our own; If not, bleed France, and peace ascend to heaven, K. Phi. Peace be to England, if that war return Upon the maiden virtue of the crown. Look here upon thy brother Geffrey's face; 90 These eyes, these brows, were moulded out of his : 100 95. under-wrought, undermined. 96. posterity. Cf. note to ii. I. 2 above. 97. Outfaced infant state, defied the royal authority personated in a child. IOI. large, full-grown form. 103. draw this brief, expand this abstract.' 106. this is Geffrey's; i.e. this boy is Geffrey's son (and as such inheritor of his 'right' to England). The phrase is ambiguous, but the other possible interpretations (e.g. this territory is Geffrey's) are less natural. When living blood doth in these temples beat, K. John. From whom hast thou this great com- To draw my answer from thy articles? K. Phi. From that supernal judge, that stirs good thoughts In any breast of strong authority, To look into the blots and stains of right: Const. My bed was ever to thy son as true Than thou and John in manners; being as like It cannot be, an if thou wert his mother. Eli. There's a good mother, boy, that blots thy father. Const. There's a good grandam, boy, that would blot thee. Aust. Peace! 109. owe, own. 116. impeach, accuse. 123. a queen, and check the world; an allusion to the queen at chess. 110 120 130 131. This charge against Eleanor has no support in Holinshed; but both Fabyan and Stow report traditions of her adultery (Hol. ed. Stone, p. 51). Bast. Aust. Hear the crier. What the devil art thou? Blanch. O, well did he become that lion's robe Bast. It lies as sightly on the back of him ears With this abundance of superfluous breath? King John, this is the very sum of all; Wilt thou resign them and lay down thy arms? 136. your hide; i.e. the legendary lion's hide worn by Richard, and seized as a trophy by Austria (his murderer, in the romance). 137. the hare of whom the proverb goes. The proverb was familiar from Erasmus' Adagia, in the form: Mortuo leoni et lepores insultant.' In English it occurs in nearly identical words in Kyd's Spanish Tragedy. It was a favourite device of the emblem-writers. 139. smoke, thrash. 144. Alcides', i.e. the skin 140 150 of the Nemean lion borne by Hercules. 147. cracker, braggart. 149. King Philip. Theobald's emendation. Ff have 'King, Lewis,' as a part of Austria's speech; and Lewis' as the next speaker. But John's reply makes it clear that the French king is the speaker in vv. 150-4, and therefore the person addressed in v. 149. 152. Anjou. Theobald's correction for Ff' Angiers.' |