Blanch. That's the curse of Rome. Const. O Lewis, stand fast! the devil tempts thee here In likeness of a new untrimmed bride. Blanch. The Lady Constance speaks not from her faith, But from her need. Const. O then, tread down my need, and faith mounts up; Keep my need up, and faith is trodden down! K. John. The king is moved, and answers not to this. Const. O, be removed from him, and answer well! Aust. Do so, King Philip; hang no more in doubt. Bast. Hang nothing but a calf's-skin, most sweet lout. K. Phi. I am perplex'd, and know not what to say. Pand. What canst thou say but will perplex thee more, If thou stand excommunicate and cursed? K. Phi. Good reverend father, make my person yours, And tell me how you would bestow yourself. 209. untrimmed, disarrayed (i.e. either divested of her wedding-robe,' or 'with her hair hanging loose '). 213. infer, prove. 210 220 With all religious strength of sacred vows; The latest breath that gave the sound of words Heaven knows, they were besmear'd and overstain'd With slaughter's pencil, where revenge did paint And shall these hands, so lately purged of blood, heaven, so jest with Make such unconstant children of ourselves, Pand. All form is formless, order orderless, France, thou mayst hold a serpent by the tongue, 230 240 250 the 254. opposite, adverse. 258. the tongue, as supposed seat of the serpent's poison. A chafed lion by the mortal paw, A fasting tiger safer by the tooth, Pand. So makest thou faith an enemy to faith; Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow That is, to be the champion of our church! For that which thou hast sworn to do amiss And being not done, where doing tends to ill, And falsehood falsehood cures, as fire cools fire But thou hast sworn against religion, By what thou swear'st against the thing thou swear'st, 259. chafed; Theobald's emendation for Ff 'cased.' 267. champion of our church; in reference to the official title of the French kings: eldest son of the church.' 270. that. . . amiss, the unlawful act which you have sworn to do. 271. when it is truly done, when it is done in a lawful manner, i.e. when it is not done; truth,' as the legate proceeds to explain, being in such a case 'most done' 260 270 280 by' not doing' that which 'tends to ill.' 275. indirect, contrary to law, unjust. 281. By what thou swear'st against the thing thou swear'st, by the oath you swear against your oath (viz. to be the champion of our church, v. 267). This is preferable to supposing the omission of 'by' after 'swear'st,' since the next line is parallel. A probable emendation is 'swar'st' for 'swear'st.' And makest an oath the surety for thy truth And better conquest never canst thou make So heavy as thou shalt not shake them off, But in despair die under their black weight. Bast. Will't not be? Will not a calf's-skin stop that mouth of thine? Blanch. 290 Upon thy wedding-day? 300 Against the blood that thou hast married? What, shall our feast be kept with slaughter'd men? 283, 284. the truth thou art unsure, etc. Ff have these three lines: And mak'st an oath the suretie for thy truth Against an oath the truth, thou art unsure To sweare, sweares onely not to be forsworne. Johnson put a stop at 'oath' in v. 283. The construction is in any case difficult, but the meaning is clear. Pandulph argues that Philip's oath to John is perjury, as a violation of his primary vow to heaven; that perjured oath he takes as a surety of his good faith. But to take an oath of good faith (otherwise insecure) is a mere mockery, unless it implies that he who takes it is not thereby forsworn, whereas Philip is forsworn in the very act of swearing. 292. suggestions, temptations. 304. measures, musical accompaniment (to a dance; more commonly, the dance itself). O husband, hear me! ay, alack, how new Is husband in my mouth! even for that name, Which till this time my tongue did ne'er pro nounce, Upon my knee I beg, go not to arms Against mine uncle. Const. O, upon my knee, Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee, Blanch. Now shall I see thy love: what motive Be stronger with thee than the name of wife? Const. That which upholdeth him that thee His honour: O, thine honour, Lewis, thine honour ! fall from thee. England, I will Const. O fair return of banish'd majesty ! Eli. O foul revolt of French inconstancy! K. John. France, thou shalt rue this hour within this hour. Bast. Old Time the clock-setter, that bald sexton Time, Is it as he will? well then, France shall rue. Which is the side that I must go withal? 310 320 330 |