And bloody England into England gone,
O'er-bearing interruption, spight of France?

Lewis. What he hath won, that hath he fortify'd

So hot a speed, with such advice dispos'd,
Such temp'rate order in so fierce a course,
Doth want example; who hath read or heard
Of any kindred action like to this?

K. Philip. Well could I bear that England had this praise,

So we could find some pattern of our shame.

Enter Conftance.

Look, who comes here? a Grave unto a foul,
Holding th' eternal spirit 'gainst her will
In the vile prison of afflicted breath;

I pr'ythee, Lady, go away with me.

Conft. Lo now; now see the issue of your peace.

K. Philip. Patience, good Lady; comfort, gentle Con

ftance.

Conft. No, I defie all counsel, all redress, But that which ends all counsel, true redress, Death; death, oh amiable, lovely death! Arise forth from thy couch of lafting night,

Thou hate and terror to profperity,
And I will kiss thy bones detestable;

And put my eye-balls in thy vaulty brows,
And ring these fingers with thy houshold worms,

And stop this gap of breath with fulsom duft,

And be a carrion monster like thy felf;

Come, grin on me, and I will think thou smil'st,
And kiss thee as thy wife; thou Love of Mifery!
O come to me!

K. Philip. O fair affliction, peace!
Const. No, no, I will not, having breath to cry;

O that my tongue were in the thunder's mouth,
Then with a paffion I would shake the world,
And rouze from fleep that fell Anatomy,
Which cannot hear a Lady's feeble voice,
And scorns a modern invocation.

Pand. Lady, you utter madness, and not forrow.
Conf. Thou art not holy to belie me fo;

I am not mad; this hair I tear is mine;

My

My name is Conftance, I was Geffrey's wife':
Young Arthur is my fon, and he is lost!
I am not mad, I would to heav'n I were,
For then 'tis like I should forget my felf.
O, if I could, what grief should I forget! *
I am not mad; too well, too well I feel
The different plague of each calamity. †
Oh father Cardinal, I have heard you fay
That we shall fee and know our friends in heav'n;
If that be, I shall fee my boy again.
For fince the birth of Gain, the first male-child,
To him that did but yesterday suspire,
There was not such a gracious creature gracious
But now will canker forrow eat my bud,
And chase the native beauty from his che
And he will look as hollow as a ghost,
As dim and meagre as an ague's fit,
And fo he'll die; and rifing fo again

should I forget!

bom.

cheek,

Preach some philosophy to make me mad,
And, Cardinal, thou shalt be canoniz'd;
For, being not mad, but sensible of grief,
My reasonable part produces reafon
How I may be deliver'd of these woes,
And teaches me to kill or hang my felf.
If I were mad, I should forget my fon.
Or madly think a babe of clouts were he s
I am not mad;

+

.

of each calamity.

K. Philip. Bind up those treffes; O, what love I note

In the fair multitude of those her hairs;

Where but by chance a filver drop hath fall'n,
Ev'n to that drop ten thousand wiery friends

Do glew themselves in fociable grief,

Like true, infeparable, faithful loves,
Sticking together in calamity.

Const. To England, if you will.

K. Philip. Bind up your hairs.

Conft. Yes, that I will; and wherefore will I do it!

I tore them from their bonds, and cry'd aloud,
O that these hands could fo redeem my fon,
As they have giv'n these hairs their liberty !
But now 1 envy at their liberty,
And will again commit them to their bonds,
Because my poor child is a prisoner.
Oh father Cardinal, &..

When

When I shall meet him in the Court of heav'n
I shall not know him; therefore never, never
Must I behold my pretty Arthur more.

Pand. You hold too heinous a respect of grief. Conft. He talks to me, that never had a fon. K. Philip. You are as fond of grief, as of your child. Conft. Grief fills the room up of my absent child: Lyes in his bed, walks up and down with me ; Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words, Remembers me of all his gracious parts; Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form; Then have I reason to be fond of grief. Fare you well; had you such a loss as I, I could give better comfort than you do. I will not keep this form upon my head,

:

ring off

[Tearing

ber bead-cloaths.

When there is such disorder in my wit.
O Lord, my boy, my Arthur, my fair fon!

My life, my joy, my food, my all the world,

My widow-comfort, and my forrow's cure!

[Exit

K. Philip. I fear fome outrage, and I'll follow her.

[Exit.

SCENE VII.

Lequis. There's nothing in this world can make me joy;
Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale,
Vexing the dull ear of a drowfie man.

A bitter shame hath spoilt the sweet world's taste,
That it yields nought but shame and bitterness.

Pand. Before the curing of a strong disease,
Ev'n in the instant of repair and health,
The fit is strohgest: evils that take leave,
On their departure, most of all shew evil.
What have you loft by lofing of this day?

Lewis. All days of glory, joy, and happiness.
Pand. If you had won it, certainly you had.
No, no; when fortune means to men most good,
She looks upon them with a threat'ning eye.
'Tis strange to think how much King John hath loft
In this, which he accounts so clearly won.
Are not you griev'd that Arthur is his prifoner?
VOL. IV.

Lewis.

Lewis. As heartily as he is glad he hath him.
Pand. Your mind is all as youthful as your blood

Now hear me speak with a prophetick spirit;
For ev'n the breath of what I mean to speak
Shall blow each dust, each straw, each little rub
Out of the path which shall directly lead
Thy foot to England's throne: and therefore mark.
John hath seiz'd Arthur, and it cannot be
That whilst warm life plays in that infant's veins,
The misplac'd John should entertain an hour,
A minute, nay, one quiet breath, of rest.
A scepter fnatch'd with an unruly hand,
Must be as boist'rously maintain'd, as gain'd.
And he that stands upon a flipp'ry place,
Makes nice of no vile hold to stay him up.
That John may fstand then, Arthur needs must fall;
So be it, for it cannot but be so.

Lequis. But what shall I gain by young Arthur's fall? Pand. You, in the right of Lady Blanch your wife, May then make all the claim that Arthur did.

Lewis. And lose it, life and all, as Arthur did.
Pand. How green you are, and fresh in this old world!

John lays you plots; the times confpire with you;
For he that steeps his safety in true blood,
Shall find but bloody safety and untrue.
This act so evilly born, shall cool the hearts
Of all his people, and freeze up their zeal;
That no so small advantage shall step forth
To check his reign, but they will cherish it.
No nat'ral exhalation in the sky,
No shape of nature, no distemper'd day,
No common wind, no customed event,
But they will pluck away its nat'ral cause,
And call them meteors, prodigies, and figns,
Abortives, and presages, tongues of heav'n
Plainly denouncing vengeance upon John.
Lewis. May be, he will not touch young Arthur's life,

But hold himself safe in his prifonment.

Pand. O Sir, when he shall hear of your approach, If that young Arthur be not gone already,

Ev'n at this news he dies: and then the hearts
Of all his people shall revolt from him,
And kiss the lips of unacquainted change,
And pick strong matter of revolt and wrath,
Out of the bloody fingers' ends of John.
Methinks I see this hurly all on foot;
And O, what better matter breeds for you
Than I have nam'd? The bastard Faulconbridge
Is now in England, ransacking the church,
Offending charity. If but twelve French
Were there in arms, they would be as a call
To train ten thousand English to their fide;
Ev'n as a little snow tumbled about
Anon becomes a mountain. Noble Dauphin,
Go with me to the King: 'tis wonderful
What may be wrought out of their discontent.
Now that their fouls are top-full of offence,
For England go; I will whet on the King.
Lervis. Strong reason makes strong actions: let us go;
If you say ay, the King will not say no.
[Exeunt.

Hub.

H

ACT IV. SCENE I.
Changes to England. A Prifon.
Enter Hubert and Executioners.

EAT me these irons hot, and look you stand
Within the arras; when I strike my foot

Upon the bosom of the ground, rush forth,
And bind the boy which you shall find with me,
Fast to the chair: be heedful; hence, and watch!

Exe. I hope your warrant will bear out the deed.
Hub. Uncleanly scruples! fear not you; look to't. -

Young lad, come forth; I have to say with you.

Enter Arthur.

Arth. Good morrow, Hubert.
Hub. Morrow, little Prince.

Arth. As little Prince (having so great a tit'e
To be more Prince) as may be. You are fad.
Hub. Indeed I have been merrier.

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