THE (1) The LIFE and DEATH of KING JOHN. ACTI. SCENE, The Court of England. Enter King John, Queen Elinor, Pembroke, Effex, and Salisbury, with Chatilion. N King Joни. OW, say, Chatilion, what would France with us? Chat. Thus, after greeting, speaks the King of France, In my behaviour, to the Majesty, The borrow'd Majesty of England here. Eli. A strange beginning; borrow'd Majesty! K. John. Silence, good mother; hear the embassie. (1) The Life and Death - Tho' this Play have this Title, yet the Action of it begins at the thirty-fourth Year of his Life; and takes in only some Transactions of his Reign to the Time of his Demise, being an Interval of about seventeen Years. : Chat. Philip of France, in right and true behalf K. John. What follows, if we disallow of this? Chat. The proud controul of fierce and bloody war, T' inforce these rights so forcibly with-held. K. John. Here have we war for war, and blood for Controulment for controulment; so answer France. K. John. Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace. [Exeunt Chat. and Pem, Eli. What now, my son, have I not ever said, K. John. Our strong poffeffion, and our right for us.- right, Or else it must go wrong with you and me ; Which none but heav'n, and you, and I shall hear. Effex. My Liege, here is the strangest controverfie, Come from the country to be judg'd by you, K. John. Let them approach. Our abbies and our priories shall pay This expedition's charge What men are you? Enter Robert Faulconbridge, and Philip, his Brother. Born in Northamptonshire, and eldest fon, Robert. The fon and heir to that same Faulconbridge. K. John. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir? You came not of one mother then, it seems ? Phil. Most certain of one mother, mighty King, Eli. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame thy mother, And wound her honour with this diffidence. Phil. I, Madam? no, I have no reason for it; That is my brother's plea, and none of mine; K. John. A good blunt fellow; why, being younger born, Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance? Phil. I know not why, except to get the land; But, once, he slander'd me with bastardy : That still I lay upon my mother's head; Compare our faces, and be judge yourself. If old Sir Robert did beget us both, I give heav'n thanks, I was not like to thee. K. John. Why, what a mad-cap hath heav'n lent us here? Eli. He hath a trick of Cœur-de-lion's face, The accent of his tongue affecteth him: K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his parts, Phil. Because he hath a half-face, like my father, With that half-face would he have all my land? (2) A half-fac'd groat, five hundred pound a year! Rob. My gracious Liege, when that my father liv'd, Your brother did imploy my father much; (2) With half that Face] But why with half that Face There is no Question but the Poet wrote, as I have restor'd the Text, With that half-face Mr. Pope, perhaps, will be angry with me for discovering an Anachronism of our Poet's, in the next Line; where he alludes to a Coin not struck till the Year 1504, in the Reign of King Henry VII. viz. a Groat, which, as well as the half Groat, bare but half-faces impress'd. Vide Stow's Survey of London, p. 47. Holingshed, Camden's Remains, &c. The Poet sneers at the meagre sharp Visage of the elder Brother, by comparing him to a Silver Groat, that bore the King's Face in Profile, so shew'd but half the Face: The Groats of all our Kings of England, and, indeed, all their other Coins of Silver, one or two only excepted, had a full Face crown'd; till Henry VII. at the Time above-mention'd, coin'd Groats and half Groats, as also some Shillings, with half Faces, that is, Faces in Profile, as all our Coin has now. The first Groats of King Henry VIII, were like these of his Father; tho' afterwards he return'd to the broad Faces again. These Groats, with the Impression in Profile, are undoubtedly here alluded to: tho', as I said, the Poet is knowingly guilty of an Anachronism in it: for, in the Time of King John there were no Groats at all: they being first, as far as appears, coin'd in the Reign of King Edward III. . 1 Phil. Well, Sir, by this you cannot get my land. To Germany; there with the Emperor K. John. Sirrah, your brother is legitimate; Phil. Of no more force to difpoffefs me, Sir, Than was his will to get me, as I think. And, like thy brother, to enjoy thy land: R4 1 Lord |