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or where probabilities seem evenly balanced; very rarely indeed have I offered an independent suggestion, the chief instance being the reading of "fury-kindled" for “fierykindled" in II. i. 358. In one or two instances mentioned and noted passim, I have altered the punctuation.

Finally, I gratefully acknowledge valuable help from Professor Littledale and from the general editor of this series.

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF KING JOHN

DRAMATIS PERSONE*

KING JOHN.

PRINCE HENRY, son to the king.

ARTHUR, Duke of Bretagne, nephew to the king.

THE EARL OF PEMBROKE.

THE EARL OF ESSEX.

THE EARL OF SALISBURY.

THE LORD BIGOT.

HUBERT DE Burgh.

ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE, son to Sir Robert Faulconbridge.
PHILIP the Bastard, his half-brother.

JAMES GURNEY, servant to Lady Faulconbridge.

PETER of Pomfret, a prophet.

PHILIP, king of France.

LEWIS, the Dauphin.

LYMOGES, Duke of Austria.

CARDINAL PANDULPH, the Pope's legate.

MELUN, a French lord.

CHATILLON, ambassador from France to King John.

QUEEN ELINOR, mother to King John.

CONSTANCE, mother to Arthur.

BLANCH of Spain, niece to King John.

LADY FAULCONBRIDGE.

Lords, Citizens of Angiers, Sheriff, Heralds, Officers,
Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.

SCENE: Partly in England, and partly in France.

* The list of dramatis personæ does not appear in the Folios. It was first given by Rowe.

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THE LIFE AND DEATH OF

KING JOHN

ACT I

SCENE I.—King John's Palace.

Enter KING JOHN, QUEEN ELINOR, PEMBROKE, ESSEX,
SALISBURY, and others, with CHATILLON.

K. John. Now, say, Chatillon, what would France with us?
Chat. Thus, after greeting, speaks the King of France
In my behaviour to the majesty,

The borrowed majesty, of England here.
Eli. A strange beginning: "borrowed majesty!"
K. John. Silence, good mother; hear the embassy.
Chat. Philip of France, in right and true behalf

Of thy deceased brother Geffrey's son,
Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim
with Chatillon] The Folios read
"with the Chattylion of France."
Perhaps "Lord" had dropped out
before 66
Chatty lion," or perhaps
Chatyllion was taken to mean
"Chatelain or some similar title.

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3. In my behaviour] through my conduct as ambassador. Compare v. i. 50, 51: "inferior eyes, That borrow

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their behaviours from the great," and Faulconbridge's embassy to the French, v. ii. 128, 129: "Now hear our English king; For thus his royalty doth speak in me.

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9. Arthur... claim] Pope needlessly omits most. Scan "Arthur Plantag'net, lays most lawful claim." Compare 3 Henry VI. 1. i. 40: "Un

To this fair island and the territories,

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To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine,
Desiring thee to lay aside the sword

Which sways usurpingly these several titles,

And put the same into young Arthur's hand,
Thy nephew and right royal sovereign.

K. John. What follows if we disallow of this?
Chat. The proud control of fierce and bloody war,

To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld.

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K. John. Here have we war for war and blood for blood,
Controlment for controlment: so answer France.
Chat. Then take my king's defiance from my mouth,
The farthest limit of my embassy.

K. John. Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace:
Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France;
For ere thou canst report I will be there,

18. enforce] inforce F 1.
less Plantag'net, Duke of York, be
king"; and ibid. line 48: “I'll plant
Plantag'net, root him up who dares."
In many other cases, however, Shake-
speare gives four syllables to Plan-
tagenet.

10. island] One is here tempted to keep the older and more correct form "iland" as printed in F 1. Compare Milton's Comus, line 50: “On Circe's iland fell."

10. the territories] There is no other case of the use of "the territories" in this way by Shakespeare. One is tempted to suggest either "and the territories Of Ireland," or "her territories." In Troublesome Raigne, II. iii. (ed. 1591), we have "to England, Cornwall and Wales, and to their territories."

12. Desiring] commanding. Compare modern English (to a child): "I desire you to come here."

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In

17. The proud . . . war] the proud constraint of fierce and bloody war. There is no similar use of the word "control" in Shakespeare. Troublesome Raigne, 1. ii. II, however, we find: "Till I had with an unresisted shock Controld the mannage of proud Angiers walls"; and in Kyd's Spanish Tragedy, 1. ii. 138, 139:

"The trespass that my father made in peace

Is now controll'd by fortune of the wars."

20. controlment: so] Shakespeare often uses, as here, an extra syllable before the cæsura. There is no need to alter the second "controlment " to "control."

21. Then take . . . mouth] Compare Henry V. III. v. 37: "Let him greet England with our sharp defiance."

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