PERSONS REPRESENTED. King JOHN: Prince HENRY, his son; afterwards King HENRY III. ARTHUR, Duke of Bretagne, son of GEFFREY, late Duke of Bretagne, the elder brother of King JoнN. WILLIAM MARESHALL, Earl of Pembroke. GEFFREY FITZ-PETER, Earl of Essex, Chief Justiciary of England. WILLIAM LONGSWORD, Earl of Salisbury. ROBERT BIGOT, Earl of Norfolk. HUBERT DE BURGH, Chamberlain to the King. ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE, Son of Sir ROBERT FAULCON BRIDGE: PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE, his half-brother; bastard son to JAMES GURNEY, servant to Lady FAULCONBRIDGE. PHILIP, King of France, LEWIS, the Dauphin. Arch-duke of AUSTRIA. Cardinal PANDULPHO, the Pope's Legate. MELUN, a French Lord. CHATILLON, Ambassador from France to King JOHN. ELINOR, the widow of King HENRY II. and mother of King Jonn. CONSTANCE, mother to ARTHUR. BLANCH, daughter to ALPHONSO King of Castile, and niece to King JOHN. Lady FAULCONBRIDGE, mother to the Bastard, and ROBERT FAULCONERIDGE. Lords, Ladies, Citizens of Angiers, Sheriff, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. SCENE, sometimes in England, and sometimes in France. KING JOHN. ACT I. SCENE I. Northampton. A Room of State in the Palace. Enter King JOHN, Queen ELINOR, PEMBROKE, ESSEX, SALISBURY, and Others, with CHATILLON. King John. Now, fay, Chatillon, what would France with us ? Chat. Thus, after greeting, fpeaks the king of France, In my behaviour, to the majesty, The borrow'd majefty of England here. Eli. A ftrange beginning;-borrow'd majefty! To Ireland, Poitiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine: Which fways ufurpingly thefe feveral titles; K. John. What follows, if we difallow of this? Controlment for controlment; fo answer France. Chat. Then take my king's defiance from my mouth, The furtheft limit of my embaffy. K. John. Bear mine to him, and fo depart in peace: Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France; [Exeunt CHATILLON and PEMBROKE. Eli. What now, my fon? have I not ever said, How that ambitious Conftance would not cease, Till she had kindled France, and all the world, Upon the right and party of her fon? This might have been prevented, and made whole, With very eafy arguments of love; Which now the manage of two kingdoms must With fearful bloody iffue arbitrate, K. John. Our ftrong poffeffion, and our right, for us. Eli. Your ftrong poffeffion, much more than your right; Or else it must go wrong with you, and me: So much my confcience whispers in your ear; Which none but heaven, and you, and I, fhall hear. Enter the Sheriff of Northamptonshire, who Effex. My liege, here is the ftrangest contro verfy, Come from the country to be judg'd by you, |