Straight let us seek, or straight we shall be sought; The Dauphin rages at our very heels.

2

Sal. It seems, you know not then so much as we: The cardinal Pandulph is within at rest,

Who half an hour since came from the Dauphin;
And brings from him such offers of our peace
As we with honour and respect may take,
With purpose presently to leave this war.

Bast. He will the rather do it, when he sees
Ourselves well sinewed to our defence.

Sal. Nay, it is in a manner done already;
For many carriages he hath despatch'd
To the seaside, and put his cause and quarrel
To the disposing of the cardinal:

With whom yourself, myself, and other lords,
If
you think meet, this afternoon will post

To consummate this business happily.

Bast. Let it be so :- -And you, my noble prince, With other princes that may best be spared, Shall wait upon your father's funeral.

P. Hen. At Worcester must his body be interr❜d 9; For so he will'd it.

Bast.

Thither shall it then.

And happily may your sweet self put on
The lineal state and glory of the land!
To whom, with all submission, on my knee,
I do bequeath my faithful services

And true subjection everlastingly.

Sal. And the like tender of our love we make,

To rest without a spot for evermore.

P. Hen. I have a kind soul, that would give you thanks,

And knows not how to do it, but with tears.

9 In crastino S. Lucæ Johannes Rex Angliæ in castro de Newark obiit, et sepultus est in ecclesia Wigorniensi inter corpora S. Oswaldi et sancti [Wolstani] Chronic. sive Annal. Prioratus de Dunstable, edit. a T. Hearne, t. i. p. 173. A stone coffin, containing the body of King John, was discovered in the cathedral church of Worcester, July 17, 1797.

Bast. O, let us pay the time but needful woe,
Since it hath been beforehand with our griefs 1o
This England never did (nor never shall)
Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror,

But when it first did help to wound itself.
Now these her princes are come home again,
Come the three corners of the world in arms,
And we shall shock them: Nought shall make us rue,
If England to itself do rest but true 11. [Exeunt.

10 As previously we have found sufficient cause for lamentation, let us not waste the time in superfluous sorrow.'

This sentiment may have been borrowed from one of the following passages in the old play :

·

'Let England live but true within herself,

And all the world can never wrong her state.'

Again at the conclusion:

'If England's peers and people join in one

Nor Pope, nor France, nor Spain can do them wrong.' Shakspeare has used it again in King Henry VI. Part III :— of itself

England is safe, if true within itself.'

Such was also the opinion of the celebrated Duke de Rohan :— 'L'Angleterre est un grand animal qui ne peut jamais mourir, s'il ne se tue lui-même.' The sentiment has been traced still higher :

'O Britaine bloud, marke this at my desire

If that you sticke together as you ought

This lyttle yle may set the world at nought.'

A Discourse of Rebellion, by T. Churchyard, 1570, 120. Andrew Borde, in his Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge,' printed in the reign of Henry VIII. says of the English, ‘if they were true wythin themselves they nede not to feare although al nacions were set against them.'

THE tragedy of King John, though not written with the utmost power of Skakspeare, is varied with a very pleasing interchange of incidents and characters. The lady's grief is very affecting; and the character of the Bastard contains that mixture of greatness and levity which this author delighted to exhibit.

JOHNSON.

END OF VOL. IV.

C. and C. Whittingham, College House, Chiswick.

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