Eli. Your strong possession, much more than your

right;

Or else it must go wrong with you,

and me.

Ess. My liege, here is the strangest controversy
Come from the country to be judg'd by you,
That e'er I heard: shall I produce the men?
K. John. Let them approach.-

[Exit ENGLISH HERALD.

Our abbeys and our priories shall pay

This expedition's charge.—

Enter ENGLISH HERALD, with PHILIP and ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE.

What men are you?

[Exit ENGLISH HERALD. Faul. Your faithful subject I, a gentleman, Born in Northamptonshire; and eldest son, As I suppose, to Robert Faulconbridge; A soldier, by the honour-giving hand Of Coeur-de-lion, knighted in the field. K. John. What art thou?

Rob. The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge.

K. John. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir? You came not of one mother then, it seems.

Faul. Most certain of one mother, mighty King, That is well known; and, as I think, one father: But, for the certain knowledge of that truth, I put you o'er to Heaven, and to my mother: Of that I doubt, as all men's children may.

Eli. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame thy mother,

And wound her honour with this diffidence.

Faul. I, madam? no, I have no reason for it;
That is my brother's plea, and none of mine:-
The which if he can prove, 'a pops me out
At least from fair five hundred pound a year:
Heav'n guard my mother's honour and
my land!

K. John. A good blunt fellow.-Why, being

younger born,

Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance ?

Faul. I know not why, except to get the land. But once he slander'd me with bastardy:

But whether I be as true begot or no,

That still I lay upon my mother's head;
But that I am as well begot, my liege,
(Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!)
Compare our faces, and be judge yourself.
If old Sir Robert did beget us both,

And were our father, and this son like him ;-
O, old Sir Robert, father, on my knee

I give Heaven thanks, I was not like to thee.

K. John. Why, what a mad-cap hath Heaven lent us here!

Eli. He hath a trick of Coeur-de-lion's face;

:

The accent of his tongue affecteth him :-
Do you not read some tokens of my son

In the large composition of this man?

K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his parts, And finds them perfect Richard.—Sirrah, speak, What doth move you to claim your brother's land? Rob. My gracious liege, when that my father liv'd,

Your brother did employ my father much ;

Faul. Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land; Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother. Rob. And once despatch'd him in an embassy To Germany, there, with the Emperor, To treat of high affairs touching that time: The advantage of his absence took the King, And in the mean time sojourn'd at my father's; Where how he did prevail I shame to speak: But truth is truth; large lengths of seas and shores Between my father and my mother lay, (As I have heard my father speak himself,)

When this same lusty gentleman was got.
Upon his death-bed he by will bequeath'd
His lands to me; and took it on his death,
That this, my mother's son, was none of his;
And, if he were, he came into the world

Full fourteen weeks before the course of time :-
Then, good my liege, let me have what is mine,
My father's land, as was my father's will.

K. John. Sirrah, your brother is legitimate;
Your father's wife did after wedlock bear him:
And, if she did play false, the fault was hers;
Which fault lies on the hazards of all husbands
That marry wives.—

Your father's heir must have your father's land.
Rob. Shall then my father's will be of no force
To dispossess that child, which is not his ?

Faul. Of no more force to dispossess me, sir,
Than was his will to get me, as I think.

Eli. Whether hadst thou rather, be a Faulconbridge,

And like thy brother, to enjoy thy land;

Or the reputed son of Coeur-de-lion,
Lord of thy presence, and no land beside?

Faul. Madam, and if my brother had my shape,
And I had his, Sir Robert his, like him ;
And if my legs were two such riding-rods;
My arms such eel-skins stuff'd; my face so thin;
And, to his shape, were heir to all this land,
'Would I might never stir from off this place,
I'd give it every foot to have this face;

I would not be Sir Nob in any case.

Eli. 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.

Faul. Brother, take you my land, I'll take my chance:

Your face hath got five hundred pound a year;
Yet sell your face for five pence, and 'tis dear.-
Madam, I'll follow you unto the death.

Eli. Nay, I would have you go before me thither.
Faul. Our country manners give our betters way.
K. John. What is thy name?

Faul. Philip, my liege; so is my name begun;
Philip, good old Sir Robert's wife's eldest son.

K. John. From henceforth bear his name, whose
form thou bear'st;

Kneel thou down, Philip, but arise more great;
Arise Sir Richard, and Plantagenet.

Faul. Brother, by my mother's side, give me your hand;

My father gave me honour, yours gave land :-
Now blessed be the hour, by night or day,
When I was got, Sir Robert was away !-
Brother, adieu :-good fortune come to thee,
For thou wast got i'the way of honesty.

K. John. Go, Faulconbridge! now hast thou thy desire,

A landless knight makes thee a landed 'squire.[Exit ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE. Come, madam, and come, Richard: we must speed For France, for France; for it is more than need. [Flourish of Drums and Trumpets.—Exeunt all but FAULCON BRIDGE.

Faul. 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 den, 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.-
But who comes in such haste?

What woman post is this? hath she no husband
That will take pains to blow a horn before her?-
O me, it is my mother.

Enter LADY FAULCONBRIDGE and GURNEY.

How now, good lady?

What brings you here to court so hastily?

L. Faul. Where is that slave, thy brother? Where is he?

That holds in chase mine honour up and down?
Faul. My brother Robert? old Sir Robert's son ?
Colbrand the giant, that same mighty man?
Is it Sir Robert's son, that you seek so?

L. Faul. Sir Robert's son! Ay, thou unreverend boy,

Sir Robert's son: Why scorn'st thou at Sir Robert ? He is Sir Robert's son, and so art thou.

Faul. James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave a while?

Gur, Good leave, good Philip.

Faul. Philip ?-sparrow !-James,

There's toys abroad; anon I'll tell thee more,

[Exit 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:
Sir Robert could do well;-marry, (to confess,)
Could he get me? Sir Robert could not do it;
We know his handy-work:-Therefore, good mother,
To whom am I beholden for these limbs ?

Sir Robert never holp to make this leg.

L. Faul. Hast thou conspired with thy brother too, That for thine own gain should'st defend mine honour?

What means this scorn, thou most untoward knave? Faul. Knight, knight, good mother:-Basilisco

like!

What! I am dubb'd! I have it on my shoulder. — But, mother, I am not Sir Robert's son;

I have disclaim'd Sir Robert, and my land:

C