As she in beauty, education, blood, Holds hand with any princess of the world. K. Phil. What say'st thou, boy? look in the lady's face Lew. I do, my lord, and in her eye I find A wonder, or a wondrous miracle, The shadow of myself form'd in her eye; Till now infixed I beheld myself, Drawn in the flattering table of her eye. [Whispers with Blanch. Bast. Drawn in the flattering table of her eye!Hang'd in the frowning wrinkle of her brow! And quarter'd in her heart!-he doth espy İHimself love's traitor: This is pity now, That, hang'd, and drawn, and quarter'd, there should be, In such a love, so vile a lout as he. Blanch. My uncle's will, in this respect, is mine : That any thing he sees, which moves his liking, Or, if you will, (to speak more properly,) That all I see in you is worthy love, Than this, that nothing do I see in you, (Though churlish thoughts themselves should be your judge,) That I can find should merit any hate. K. John. What say these young ones? What say you, my niece? Blanch. That she is bound in honour still to do What you in wisdom shall vouchsafe to say. K. John. Speak then, prince Dauphin; can you love this lady? Lew. Nay, ask me if I can refrain from love; For I do love her most unfeignedly. K. John. Then do I give Volquessen, Touraine, Maine, Poictiers, and Anjou, these five provinces, With her to thee; and this addition more, Full thirty thousand marks of English coin.Philip of France, if thou be pleas'd withal, 3 VOL. V. B 2 Command thy son and daughter to join hands. K. Phil. It likes us well ;-Young princes, close your hands. Aust. And your lips too; for, I am well assur'd, K. Phil. Now, citizens of Angiers, ope your gates, Lew. She is sad and passionate at your highness' tent. K. Phil. And, by my faith, this league, that we have made, Will give her sadness very little cure. Brother of England, how may we content K. John. We will heal up all For we'll create young Arthur duke of Bretagne, The Citizens retire from the walls. Bast. Mad world! mad kings! mad composition! John, to stop Arthur's title in the whole, Hath willingly departed with a part:2 And France, (whose armour conscience buckled on ; [2] To part and to depart were formerly synonymous. STEEVENS. 3) i. c. whispered in the ear. This phrase is frequently used by Chancer, as well as later writers. STEEVENS. That broker, that still breaks the pate of faith; Of kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids ;--- But the word maid,-cheats the poor maid of that; The world, who of itself is peised well, This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word, ACT III. SCENE I.-The same. The French King's Tent. Enter CONSTANCE, ARTHUR, and SALISBURY. Constance. GONE to be married! gone to swear a peace! False blood to false blood join'd! Gone to be friends! Shall Lewis have Blanch? and Blanch those provinces ? It is not so; thou hast misspoke, misheard; Be well advis'd, tell o'er thy tale again : It cannot be; thou dost but say, 'tis so: Oppress'd with wrongs, and therefore full of fear And though thou now confess, thou didst but jest Const. O, if thou teach me to believe this sorrow, As doth the fury of two desperate men, As it makes harmful all that speak of it. Arth. I do beseech you, madam, be content. Const. If thou, that bid'st me be content, wert grim, Ugly, and sland'rous to thy mother's womb, Full of unpleasing blots, and sightless' stains, [1] This was not the fact. Constance was at this time married to a third husband, Guido, brother to the Viscount of Touars. MALONE. [2] The poet uses sightless for that which we now express by unsightly, disagree able to the eyes. JOHNSON. Lame, foolish, crooked, swart, prodigious, 3 may not go without you to the kings. ; Const. Thou may'st, thou shalt, I will not go with theeI will instruct my sorrows to be proud; For grief is proud, and makes his owner stout.* [She throws herself on the ground. Enter King JOHN, King PHILIP, LEWIS, BLANCH, ELINOR, Bastard, AUSTRIA, and Attendants. K. Phil. 'Tis true, fair daughter; and this blessed day, Ever in France shall be kept festival: [3] i. e. portentous, so deformed as to be taken for a foretoken of evil. JOHN. In Much Ado about Nothing, the father of Hero, depressed by her disgrace. declares himself so subdued by grief, that a thread may lead him. How is it that grief, in Leonato and Lady Constance, produces effects directly opposite, and yet Both agreeable to nature? Sorrow softens the mind while it is yet warmed by hope, but hardens it when it is congealed by despair. Distress, while there remains any prospect of relief, is weak and flexible, but when no succour remains, is fearless and stubborn; angry alike at those that injure, and at those that do not help; careless to please where nothing can be gained, and fearless to offend when there is nothing further to be dreaded. Such was this writer's knowledge of the passions. JOHNSON. |