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- Edition: Troublesome Reign of King John
The Troublesome Reign of King John ((Quarto, 1581))
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of King Iohn.
1848Iohn And are you gone? The diuell be your guide:
1849Proud Rebels as you are to braue me so:
1850Saucie, vnciuill, checkers of my will.
1851Your tongues giue edge vnto the fatall knife:
1855Arthur is dead, I there the corzie growes:
1856But while he liude, the danger was the more;
1857His death hath freed me from a thousand feares,
1860To whome the diuell owes an open shame:
1861His life a foe that leueld at my crowne,
1862His death a frame to pull my building downe.
1863My thoughts harpt still on quiet by his end,
1864Who liuing aymed shrowdly at my roome:
1865But to preuent that plea twice was I crownd,
1867And in my conscience loude me as their liege,
1868In whose defence they would haue pawnd their liues.
1870A tragick Tyrant sterne and pitiles,
1871And not a title followes after Iohn.
1872But Butcher, bloudsucker and murtherer,
1873What Planet gouernde my natiuitie,
1876Wherein fell furie hath no interest.
1877Curst be the Crowne chiefe author of my care,
1878Nay curst my will that made the Crowne my care:
1880That yeelded me aliue into the world.
1881Art thou there villaine, Furies haunt thee still,
1882For killing him whom all the world laments.
Hubert