Enter a Meffenger.

K. John. They burn in indignation; I repent. There is no fure foundation fet on blood; No certain life atchiev'd by others' deathA fearful eye thou haft; where is that bl That I have feen inhabit in those chee' So foul a sky clears not without a ftor Pour down thy weather: how goes a Mef. From France to England new For any foreign preparation, Was levy'd in the body of a land. The con of your fpeed is learn'd b you fhould be told, they come, that they are al where hath our inte flept? where is my my fhould be drawn of it? e, her ear

K. John. Bear with me, Coufin; for I was amaz'd
Under the tide; but now I breathe again
Aloft the flood, and can give audience
To any tongue, speak it of what it will.
Faule. How I have fped among the clergymen,
The fums I have collected fhall exprefs.
But as I travell'd hither thro' the land,
I find the people ftrangely fantafied;
Poffeft with rumours, full of idle dreams;
Not knowing what they fear, but full of fear,
And here's a Prophet that I brought with me
rom forth the ftreets of Pomfret, whom I found
ith many hundreds treading on his heels:
whom he fung in rude harsh-founding rhimes,
ere the next Afcenfion-day at noon,
Highness fhould deliver up your crown.

ohn. Thou idle dreamer, wherefore did'st thou fo?
Fore-knowing, that the truth will fall out fo.
n. Hubert, away with him, imprison him,
at day at noon, whereon he fays

up my crown, let him be hang'd.
o fafety, and return,

thee.

O my gentle coufin,

[Exit Hubert, with Peter.

news abroad, who are arriv'd?

nch, my ford; men's mouths are full

This inundation of miftemper'd humour

Refts by you only to be qualify'd.

Then pause not; for the present time's so sick,
That prefent medicine must be miniftred,

Or Overthrow incurable infues.

Pand. It was my breath that blew this tempest up Upon your ftubborn ufage of the Pope :

But fince you are a gentle convertite,

My tongue fhall hush again this ftorm of war;
And make fair weather in your bluft'ring Land.
On this Afcenfion-day, remember well,

Upon your oath of fervice to the Pope,

Go I to make the French lay down their arms. [Exit K. John. Is this Afcenfion day? did not the Prophet

Say, that before Afcenfion day at noon

My Crown I fhould give off? even so I have:
I did fuppofe, it should be on constraint;

But, heav'n be thank'd, it is but voluntary.
Enter Faulconbridge.

Faulc. All Kent hath yielded; nothing there holds ou But Dover-Cafle: London hath receiv'd,

Like a kind hoft, the Dauphin and his Powers.
Your Nobles will not hear you, but are gone
To offer fervice to your enemy;

And wild amazement hurries up and down
The little number of your doubtful friends.

K. John. Would not my lords return to me again,
After they heard, young Arthur was alive?

Faule. They found him dead, and caft into the streets, An empty casket, where the jewel, life, By fome damn'd hand was robb'd and ta'en away. K. John. That villain Hubert told me, he did live. Faule. So on my foul he did, for aught he knew: But wherefore do you droop? why look you fad Be great in act, as you have been in thought: Let not the world fee fear and fad distrust Govern the motion of a kingly eye: Be ftirring as the time; be fire with fire; Threaten the threatner, and out-face the brow

Of

Of bragging horror: fo fhall inferior eyes,
That borrow their behaviours from the Great,
Grow great by your example; and put on
The dauntlefs spirit of refolution.
Away, and glitter like the God of war,
When he intendeth to become the field;
Shew boldness and afpiring confidence.
What, fhall they feek the Lion in his den,
And fright him there? and make him tremble there?
- Oh, let it not be faid! Forage, and run
To meet difpleafure farther from the doors;
And grapple with him, ere he come so nigh.

K. John. The Legate of the Pope hath been with

me,

And I have made a happy peace with him ;
And he hath promis'd to difmifs the Powers
Led by the Dauphin.

Faulc. Oh inglorious league!

Shall we, upon the footing of our Land,
Send fair-play orders, and make compromife,
Infinuation, parley, and bafe truce,

To arms invafive? fhall a beardlefs boy,
A cocker'd, filken, Wanton brave our fields,
And flesh his spirit in a warlike foil,

Mocking the air with Colours idely spread,
And find no check? let us, my Liege, to arms:
Perchance, the Cardinal can't make your peace;
Or if he do, let it at leaft be faid,

They faw, we had a purpose of defence.

K. John. Have thou the ord'ring of this prefent time...

Faulc. Away then, with good courage; yet, I know, Our Party may well meet a prouder foe.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE changes to the Dauphin's Camp at St. Edmondsbury. (18)

Enter, in arms, Lewis, Salisbury, Melun, Pembroke, Bigot, and Soldiers.

Lewis. MY lord Melun, let this be copied out,

And keep it fafe for our

Return the prefident to these lords again,
That having our fair order written down,
Both they and we, perufing o'er these notes,
May know wherefore we took the Sacrament;
And keep our faiths firm and inviolable.

Sal. Upon our fides it never shall be broken.
And, noble Dauphin, albeit we fwear
A voluntary zeal and un-urg'd faith

To your proceedings; yet believe me, Prince,
I am not glad that fuch a Sore of time
Should feek a plaifter by contemn'd revolt;
And heal th' inveterate canker of one wound,
By making many. Oh, it grieves my foul,
That I muft draw this metal from my fide
To be a widow-maker: oh, and there,
Where honourable rescue, and defence,
Cries out upon the name of Salisbury.
But fuch is the infection of the time,

(18) at St. Edmondsbury.] I have ventur'd to fix the Place of the Scene here, which is fpecified by none of the Editors, on the following Authorities. In the preceding Act, where Salisbury has fix'd to go over to the Dauphin, he says,

Lords, I will meet him at St. Edmondsbury.

And Count Melun, in this laft Act, fays;

and many more with me,

Upon the Altar at St. Edmondsbury;

Even on that Altar, where We fwore to You
Dear Amity, and everlasting Love.

And it appears likewife from the Troublefom Reign of King John, in two Parts, (the firft rough Model of this Play) that the Interchange of Vows betwixt the Dauphin and the English Barons was at St. Edmondsbury.

That,