I'd play incessantly upon these jades, Leave them as naked as the vulgar air. To whom in favour she shall give the day, How like you this wild counsel, mighty states? K. John. Now, by the sky that hangs above our heads, I like it well;-France, shall we knit our powers, And lay this Angiers even with the ground; Then, after, fight who shall be king of it? Bast. An if thou hast the mettle of a king,Being wrong'd, as we are, by this peevish town, Turn thou the mouth of thy artillery, As we will ours, against these saucy walls: assault? Say, where will you K. John. We from the west will send destruction Into this city's bosom. Aust. I from the north. K. Phil. Our thunder from the south, Shall rain their drift of bullets on this town. Bast. O prudent discipline! From north to south; Austria and France shoot in each other's mouth: I'll stir them to it:-Come, away, away! [Aside. 1 Cit. Hear us, great kings: vouchsafe a-while to stay, And I shall show you peace, and fair-faced league; K. John. Speak on, with favour; we are bent to hear, 1 Cit. That daughter there of Spain, the lady Blanch, Is near to England; Look upon the years Is the young Dauphin every way complete: If want it be not, that she is not he: Whose fulness of perfection lies in him. O, two such silver currents, when they join, And two such shores to two such streams made one, Lions more confident, mountains and rocks More free from motion; no, not death himself As we to keep this city. Bast. Here's a stay, That shakes the rotten carcase of old death Out of his rags! Here's a large mouth, indeed, That spits forth death, and mountains, rocks, and seas; Talks as familiarly of roaring lions, As maids of thirteen do of puppy-dogs! What cannoneer begot this lusty blood? He speaks plain cannon, fire, and smoke, and bounce; He gives the bastinado with his tongue;. Our ears are cudgel'd; not a word of his, But buffets better than a fist of France: Elin. Son, list to this conjunction, make this match; Give with our niece a dowry large enough: I see a yielding in the looks of France; Mark, how they whisper: urge them, while their souls Are capable of this ambition; Lest zeal, now melted, by the windy breath Cool and congeal again to what it was. 1 Cit. Why answer not the double majesties This friendly treaty of our threaten'd town? K. Phil. Speak England first, that hath been forward first To speak unto this city: What say you? K. John. If that the Dauphin there, thy princely son, Can in this book of beauty read, I love, Her dowry shall weigh equal with a queen: For Anjou, and fair Touraine, Maine, Poictiers, Find liable to our crown and dignity, 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 Himself 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: If he see aught in you, that makes him like, 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. |