Though churlish thoughts themselves should be your

judge, 520

That I can find should merit any hate.

KING JOHN

What say these young ones? What say you, my niece?

BLANCHE

That she is bound in honour still to do

What you in wisdom shall vouchsafe to say.

KING JOHN

Speak then, Prince Dauphin, can you love this lady?

LOUIS THE DAUPHIN

Nay, ask me if I can refrain from love, 526

For I do love her most unfeignedly.

KING JOHN

Then do I give Volquessen, Touraine, Maine,

Poitou, and Anjou, these five provinces,

With her to thee, and this addition more: 530

Full thirty thousand marks of English coin.

Philip of France, if thou be pleased withal,

Command thy son and daughter to join hands.

KING PHILIP

It likes us well.—Young princes, close your hands.

AUSTRIA

And your lips too, for I am well assured 535

That I did so when I was first assured.

⌈Louis the Dauphin and Lady Blanche join hands and kiss⌉

KING PHILIP

Now citizens of Angers, ope your gates.

Let in that amity which you have made,

For at Saint Mary’s chapel presently

The rites of marriage shall be solemnized.—540

Is not the Lady Constance in this troop?

(Aside) I know she is not, for this match made up

Her presence would have interrupted much.

(Aloud) Where is she and her son ? Tell me who knows.

LOUIS THE DAUPHIN

She is sad and passionate at your highness’ tent. 545

KING PHILIP

And by my faith this league that we have made

Will give her sadness very little cure.—

Brother of England, how may we content

This widow lady? In her right we came,

Which we, God knows, have turned another way 550

To our own vantage.

KING JOHN We will heal up all,

For we’ll create young Arthur Duke of Brittaine

And Earl of Richmond, and this rich fair town

We make him lord of. Call the Lady Constance.

Some speedy messenger bid her repair

To our solemnity. I trust we shall,

If not fill up the measure of her will,

Yet in some measure satisfy her so

That we shall stop her exclamation.

Go we as well as haste will suffer us 560

To this unlooked-for, unprepared pomp.

⌈Flourish.⌉ Exeunt all but the Bastard

BASTARD

Mad world, mad kings, mad composition!

John, to stop Arthur’s title in the whole,

Hath willingly departed with a part;

And France, whose armour conscience buckled on,

Whom zeal and charity brought to the field 566

As God’s own soldier, rounded in the ear

With that same purpose-changer, that sly devil,

That broker that still breaks the pate of faith,

That daily break-vow, he that wins of all, 570

Of kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids,—

Who having no external thing to lose

But the word ‘maid’, cheats the poor maid of that—

That smooth-faced gentleman, tickling commodity;

Commodity, the bias of the world, 575

The world who of itself is peisèd well,

Made to run even upon even ground,

Till this advantage, this vile-drawing bias,

This sway of motion, this commodity,

Makes it take head from all indifferency, 580

From all direction, purpose, course, intent;

And this same bias, this commodity,

This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word,

Clapped on the outward eye of fickle France,

Hath drawn him from his own determined aid, 585

From a resolved and honourable war,

To a most base and vile-concluded peace.

And why rail I on this commodity?

But for because he hath not wooed me yet—

Not that I have the power to clutch my hand 590

When his fair angels would salute my palm,

But for my hand, as unattempted yet,

Like a poor beggar raileth on the rich.

Well, whiles I am a beggar I will rail,

And say there is no sin but to be rich, 595

And being rich, my virtue then shall be

To say there is no vice but beggary.

Since kings break faith upon commodity,

Gain, be my lord, for I will worship thee. Exit

2.2 Enter Lady Constance, Arthur Duke of Brittaine, and the Earl of Salisbury

CONSTANCE (to Salisbury)

Gone to be married? Gone to swear a peace?

False blood to false blood joined! Gone to be friends?

Shall Louis have Blanche, and Blanche those

provinces?

It is not so, thou hast misspoke, misheard.

Be well advised, tell o‘er thy tale again.

It cannot be, thou dost but say ’tis so.

I trust I may not trust thee, for thy word

Is but the vain breath of a common man.

Believe me, I do not believe thee, man;

I have a king’s oath to the contrary. 10

Thou shalt be punished for thus frighting me;

For I am sick and capable of fears;

Oppressed with wrongs, and therefore full of fears;

A widow husbandless, subject to fears;

A woman naturally born to fears;