Arise sir Richard, and Plantagenet.3 Bast. Brother, by the mother's side, give me your hand; My father gave me honour, your's gave land :Now blessed be the hour, by night or day, When I was got, sir Robert was away! Eli. The very spirit of Plantagenet I am thy grandame, Richard; call me so. Bast. Madam, by chance, but not by truth: What though? Something about, a little from the right, In at the window, or else o'er the hatch: Who dares not stir by day, must walk by night; Near or far off, well won is still well shot ; And I am I, howe'er I was begot.4 K. John. Go, Faulconbridge; now hast thou thy desire, A landless knight makes thee a landed 'squire. -Come, madam, and come, Richard ; we must speed For France, for France; for it is more than need. : Rast. Brother, adieu! Good fortune come to thee; For thou wast got i'the way of honesty. [Exeunt all but the Bastard. A foot of honours better than I was; [3] It is a common opinion, that Plantagenet was the surname of the royal house of England, from the time of King Henry 11. but it is, as Camden observes, in his Remaines, 1614, a popular mistake. Plantagenet was not a family name, but a nick-name, by which a grandson of Geffrey, the first Earl of Anjou, was distinguished, from his wearing a broom-stalk in his bonnet. But this name was never borne either by the first Earl of Anjou, or by King Henry II. the son of that Earl by the Empress Maude; he being always call ed Henry Fitz-Empress; his son, Richard Caur-de-lion; and the prince who is exhibited in the play before us, John sans-terre, or lack-land. MALONE. [4] This speech, composed of allusive and proverbial sentences, is obscure. I am, says the sprightly knight, your grandson, a little irregularly, but every man cannot get what he wishes the legal way. He that dares not go about his designs by day, must make his motions in the night; he, to whom the door is shut, must climb the window, or leap the hatch. This, however, shall not depress me; for the world never enquires how any man got what he is known to possess, but allows that to have is to have, however it was caught, and that he who wins, shot well, whatever was his skill, whether the arrow fell near the mark, or far off it. JOHNS. 751 A step, un pas. JOHNSON. [6] i, e. A good evening. STEEV. 8 For your conversion. Now your traveller,7- And talking of the Alps, and Apennines, It draws towards supper in conclusion so. And fits the mounting spirit, like myself: For it shall strew the footsteps of my rising.- [7] It is said, in All's well that ends well, that "a traveller is a good thing after dinner." In that age of newly excited curiosity, one of the entertainments at great tables seems to have been the discourse of a traveller. JOHN. [8] It has been already remarked, that to pick the tooth, and wear a piqued beard, were, in that time, marks of a man's affecting foreign fashions. JOH. Among Gascoigne's poems I find one entitled, Councell given to Maister Bartholomew Withipoll a little before his latter Journey to Geane, 1572. The following lines may, perhaps be acceptable to the reader who is curious enough to enquire about the fashionable follies imported in that age: "Now, sir, if I shall see your mastership "Come home disguis'd, and clad in quaint array ;- "A night-gowne cloake down trayling to your toes; STEEV. HOLT WHITE. [] Milton, in his tragedy, introduces Dalilah with such an interrogatory exclamation. JOHNS. What woman-post is this? hath she no husband, Enter Lady FAULCONBRIDGE and JAMES GURNEY. O me! it is my mother :-How now, good lady? What brings you here to court so hastily? Lady F. Where is that slave, thy brother? where is he? That holds in chase mine honour up and down? Bast. My brother Robert ? old sir Robert's son ? Colbrand the giant, that same mighty man?2 Is it sir Robert's son, that you seek so? Lady F. Sir Robert's son ! Ay, thou unreverend boy, Sir Robert's son: Why scorn'st thou at sir Robert? He is sir Robert's son; and so art thou. Bast. James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave a while? Gur. Good leave, good Philip. Bast. Philip-sparrow !-James, 3 There's toys abroad; anon I'll tell thee more. [Exit GURNEY. -Madam, I was not old sir Robert's son ; We know his handy-work :-Therefore, good mother, Sir Robert never holp to make this leg. Lady F. Hast thou conspired with thy brother too, I have disclaim'd sir Robert, and my land; Then, good my mother, let me know my father; Lady F. King Richard Cœur-de-lion was thy father; [2] Colbrand was a Danish giant, whom Guy of Warwick discomfited in the presence of King Athelstan. The combat is very pompously described by Drayton, in his Polyolbion JOHNS, [3] The Bastard means: Philip! Do you take me for a sparrow? HAWKINS ་ By long and vehement suit I was seduc'd Which was so strongly urg'd, past my defence. And they shall say, when Richard me begot, Who says it was, he lies; I say, 'twas not. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I.-France. Before the walls of Angiers. Enter, on Lewis. BEFORE Angiers well met, brave Austria.- [4] There are sins that whatever be determined of them above, are not much censured on earth. JOHNS. [5] So, Rastal, in his Chronicle: "It is sayd that a lyon was put to kynge Richard, beynge in prison, to have devoured him, and when the lyon was gapynge he put his arme in his mouth, and pulled the lyon by the harte so hard that he slewe the lyon, and therefore some say he is called Rycharde Cure de Lyon; but some say he is called Cure de Lyon, because of his boldness and hardy stomake." GREY. By this brave duke came early to his grave: At our importance hither is he come, Of thy unnatural uncle, English John : Embrace him, love him, give him welcome hither. Lewis. A noble boy! Who would not do thee right? That to my home I will no more return, Till Angiers, and the right thou hast in France, Even till that utmost corner of the west Salute thee for her king till then, fair boy, Will I not think of home, but follow arms. Const. O, take his mother's thanks, a widow's thanks, Till your strong hand shall help to give him strength, To make a more requital to your love." Aus. The peace of heaven is theirs, that lift their swords In such a just and charitable war. K. Phil. Well then, to work; our cannon shall be bent To cull the plots of best advantages:8. Wade to the market-place in Frenchmen's blood, Const. Stay for an answer to your embassy, [6] England is supposed to be called Albion from the white rocks facing France. JOHNS. [7] More signified, in our author's time, greater. STEEV. [8] i. e. to mark such stations as might most over-awe the town. HENLEY. |