Was born to see so sad an hour as this,

Wherein we step after a stranger, march

Upon her gentle bosom, and fill up

Her enemies’ ranks? I must withdraw and weep

Upon the spot of this enforced cause—

To grace the gentry of a land remote,

And follow unacquainted colours here.

What, here? O nation, that thou couldst remove;

That Neptune’s arms who clippeth thee about

Would bear thee from the knowledge of thyself

And gripple thee unto a pagan shore,

Where these two Christian armies might combine

The blood of malice in a vein of league,

And not to spend it so unneighbourly.

LOUIS THE DAUPHIN

A noble temper dost thou show in this,

And great affections, wrestling in thy bosom,

Doth make an earthquake of nobility.

O, what a noble combat hast thou fought

Between compulsion and a brave respect!

Let me wipe off this honourable dew

That silverly doth progress on thy cheeks.

My heart hath melted at a lady’s tears,

Being an ordinary inundation;

But this effusion of such manly drops,

This shower blown up by tempest of the soul,

Startles mine eyes, and makes me more amazed

Than had I seen the vaulty top of heaven

Figured quite o’er with burning meteors.

Lift up thy brow, renowned Salisbury,

And with a great heart heave away this storm; 55

Commend these waters to those baby eyes

That never saw the giant world enraged,

Nor met with Fortune other than at feasts,

Full warm of blood, of mirth, of gossiping.

Come, come, for thou shalt thrust thy hand as deep

Into the purse of rich prosperity

As Louis himself. So, nobles, shall you all

That knit your sinews to the strength of mine.

⌈A trumpet sounds⌉

And even there methinks an angel spake!

Enter Cardinal Pandolf

Look where the holy legate comes apace,

To give us warrant from the hand of heaven,

And on our actions set the name of right

With holy breath.

PANDOLF Hail, noble prince of France!

The next is this. King John hath reconciled

Himself to Rome; his spirit is come in

That so stood out against the Holy Church,

The great metropolis and See of Rome;

Therefore thy threat’ning colours now wind up,

And tame the savage spirit of wild war,

That like a lion fostered up at hand

It may lie gently at the foot of peace,

And be no further harmful than in show.

LOUIS THE DAUPHIN

Your grace shall pardon me: I will not back.

I am too high-born to be propertied,

To be a secondary at control,

Or useful serving-man and instrument

To any sovereign state throughout the world.

Your breath first kindled the dead coal of wars

Between this chastised kingdom and myself,

And brought in matter that should feed this fire;

And now ‘tis far too huge to be blown out

With that same weak wind which enkindled it.

You taught me how to know the face of right,

Acquainted me with interest to this land,

Yea, thrust this enterprise into my heart;

And come ye now to tell me John hath made

His peace with Rome? What is that peace to me?

I, by the honour of my marriage bed,

After young Arthur, claim this land for mine;

And now it is half conquered, must I back

Because that John hath made his peace with Rome?

Am I Rome’s slave? What penny hath Rome borne,

What men provided, what munition sent

To underprop this action? Is’t not I

That undergo this charge? Who else but I,

And such as to my claim are liable,

Sweat in this business and maintain this war?

Have I not heard these islanders shout out

‘Vive le Roi!’as I have banked their towns?

Have I not here the best cards for the game, 105

To win this easy match played for a crown?

And shall I now give o’er the yielded set?

No, no, on my soul, it never shall be said.

PANDOLF

You look but on the outside of this work.

LOUIS THE DAUPHIN

Outside or inside, I will not return

Till my attempt so much be glorified

As to my ample hope was promised

Before I drew this gallant head of war,

And culled these fiery spirits from the world

To outlook conquest and to win renown

Even in the jaws of danger and of death.

A trumpet sounds

What lusty trumpet thus doth summon us?

Enter the Bastard

BASTARD

According to the fair play of the world,

Let me have audience; I am sent to speak.

My holy lord of Milan, from the King

I come to learn how you have dealt for him,

And as you answer I do know the scope

And warrant limited unto my tongue.

PANDOLF

The Dauphin is too wilful-opposite,

And will not temporize with my entreaties.