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  • Title: The Troublesome Reign of King John ((Quarto, 1581))
  • Editor: Karen Oberer

    • Copyright Queen's Men Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: Anonymous
    Editor: Karen Oberer
    Not Peer Reviewed

    The Troublesome Reign of King John ((Quarto, 1581))

    The troublesome Raigne

    Adde no redresse to salue our awkward haps.
    If heauens haue concluded these euents,
    To small auaile is bitter pensiuenes:
    Seasons will change, and so our present griefe
    885May change with them, and all to our reliefe.
    Constance Ah boy, thy yeares I see are farre too greene
    To looke into the bottome of these cares.
    But I, who see the poyse that weigheth downe
    Thy weale, my wish, and all the willing meanes
    890Wherewith thy fortune and thy fame should mount.
    What ioy, what ease, what rest can lodge in me,
    With whom all hope and hap doth disagree?
    Arthur Yet Ladies teares, and cares, and solemne shows,
    Rather than helpes, heape vp more worke for woes.
    895Constance If any Power will heare a widdowes plaint,
    That from a wounded soule implores reuenge;
    Send fell contagion to infect this Clyme,
    This cursed Countrey, where the traytors breath,
    Whose periurie as prowd Briareus,
    900Beleaguers all the Skie with misbeliefe.
    He promist Arthur, and he sware it too,
    To fence thy right, and check thy foemans pride:
    But now black-spotted Periure as he is,
    He takes a truce with Elnors damned brat,
    905And marries Lewes to her louely Neece,
    Sharing thy fortune, and thy birth-dayes gift
    Betweene these louers: ill betide the match.
    And as they shoulder thee from out thy owne,
    And triumph in a widowes tearefull cares:
    910So heauens crosse them with a thriftles course.
    Is all the bloud yspilt on either part,
    Closing the cranies of the thirstie earth,
    Growne to a louegame and a Bridall feast?
    And must thy birthright bid the wedding banes?
    915Poore helples boy, hopeles and helples too,
    To whom misfortune seemes no yoke at all.
    Thy
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