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;