Const. O, if thou grant my need, Which only lives but by the death of faith, 214 K. John. The king is moved, and answers not to this. K. Phi. Good reverend father, make my person yours, 225 The latest breath that gave the sound of words 230 Between our kingdoms and our royal selves, 233. but new before,] but new-before- Seymour conj. 235 Heaven knows, they were besmear'd and overstain'd And shall these hands, so lately purged of blood, So newly join'd in love, so strong in both, 240 Play fast and loose with faith? so jest with heaven, As now again to snatch our palm from palm, And make a riot on the gentle brow Of true sincerity? O, holy sir, My reverend father, let it not be so! 245 Out of your grace, devise, ordain, impose 250 Some gentle order; and then we shall be blest To do your pleasure and continue friends. Pand. All form is formless, order orderless, Save what is opposite to England's love. Therefore to arms! be champion of our church, 255 A mother's curse, on her revolting son. Arber, p. 59): "and the match (is) made, ere you strike hands "; and Middleton, A Trick, iii. 1 (Mermaid ed. p. 39): "Come, clap hands, a match." 240. so strong in both] i.e. hands strong in fight and strong in friendship. 241. regreet] greeting once again, therefore re-agreement, not merely greeting or salutation as most editors give. Compare Richard II. 1. iii. 142: "Shall not regreet our fair dominions." 242. Play fast and loose] originally to play at a cheating game in which the gull had no chance (see Appendix); then to deal dishonourably. 253, 254. All form. . . England's love] Everything is null and void except what is directly opposed to love towards England. A chafed lion by the mortal paw, A fasting tiger safer by the tooth, 260 Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold. K. Phi. I may disjoin my hand, but not my faith. And like a civil war set'st oath to oath, Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow 265 For that which thou hast sworn to do amiss Is to mistake again; though indirect, 270 275 the paw. If we retain "chafed" we must of course assume it to mean "enraged." 268. What since thou sworest, etc.] "What you have sworn since then is sworn against yourself and cannot be performed by you, for what wrong you have sworn to do is not wrong if truly performed, and if you do it not, because the doing of it would be wrong, then you are most truly performing it by not doing it." An excellent bit of sophistry, quite in the early Shakespearian vein. 275-278. though indirect . . newburn'd] though in not keeping your vow you are turning from the straight, yet since you are already on the wrong path this very turning will bring you back to the right path. Yet indirection thereby grows direct, And falsehood falsehood cures, as fire cools fire It is religion that doth make vows kept; 280 By what thou swear'st against the thing thou And makest an oath the surety for thy truth Is in thyself rebellion to thyself; 285 And better conquest never canst thou make 290 288. 278. scorched] Ff 1, 2; scorching Ff 3, 4. 282, 283. truth, Against an oath the truth,] Ff 1, 2; truth: Against an oath the truth, Ff 3, 4. later] Ff 1, 2; latter Ff 3, 4. Compare The Merchant of Venice, IV. i. 216: "To do a great right, do a little wrong." 281. But what thou swear'st, etc.] Mr. Wright says that the language is made intentionally obscure. Although this passage is undoubtedly obscure, I cannot admit that Shakespeare ever deliberately made a serious character speak obscurely. Besides, the general argument here is plain enough-Of two oaths the greater, that taken to God and the Church, absolves Philip from the consequences of breaking à lesser, that plighted to John, if the lesser oath is contrary to the first. Most editors and critics have attempted to better the passage, but the alterations seem so violent that, as Mr. Wright says about Staunton and Hudson's readings, they may give a meaning which Shakespeare never intended. Lines 280, 281 are awkward, but can be taken to mean "The "You have sworn against religion by calling in religion to witness an oath which will do her harm." truth... forsworn" is the phrase that offers most difficulty. It yields sense by supposing it to be a slight digression from the main argument, meaning-" and when you are asked to take an oath of which you are not sure of the consequences (such as, Pandulph would imply, the oath you took with John), you only swear not to be forsworn, i.e. on condition that it is not contrary to some greater oath." 289. Is] Explained as agreeing in number with rebellion and not with vows, Than arm thy constant and thy nobler parts If thou vouchsafe them. But if not, then know So heavy as thou shalt not shake them off, Bast. Will't not be? Will not a calf's-skin stop that mouth of thine? Lew. Father, to arms! Blanch. Upon thy wedding-day? Against the blood that thou hast married? 295 300 What, shall our feast be kept with slaughtered men? Clamours of hell, be measures to our pomp? O husband, hear me! ay, alack, how new 305 Is husband in my mouth! even for that name, Against mine uncle. Const. O, upon my knee, Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee, 305. ay,] Ff; ah! Theobald. 295. peril . . . light] Note confusion of number; peril grammatical subj. to light, but them showing that curses was treated as subj. in meaning. 303. churlish] This expressive epi 310 309-312. Against . . heaven!] Pope's Dauphin heaven. thet was applied to the drum once before (see iï. i. 76 supra). 304. measures] The accompanying music to our wedding festivities. 312. Forethought] foreseen, and therefore, since "foreseen by heaven," |