QueenʼsMen Editions

Toolbox




Jump to line
Through Line Number
Help on texts
About this text
Print this page

About this text

  • 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    Not Peer Reviewed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))

    Enter Philip the French King, and Lewes, Limoges, Con-
    stance, and her sonne Arthur.
    King Now gin we broach the title of thy claime
    430Yong Arthur in the Albion Territories,
    Scaring proud Angiers with a puissant siedge:
    Braue Austria, cause of Cordelions death,
    Is also come to aide thee in thy warres;
    And all our Forces ioyne for Arthurs right.
    435And, but for causes of great consequence,
    Pleading delay till newes from England come,
    Twice should not Titan hide him in the West,
    To coole the fet-locks of his wearie teame,
    Till I had with an vnresisted shock
    440Controld the mannage of proud Angiers walls,
    Or made a forfet of my fame to Chaunce.
    Constance May be that Iohn in conscience or in feare
    To offer wrong where you impugne the ill,
    Will send such calme conditions backe to Fraunce,
    445As shall rebate the edge of fearefull warres:
    If so, forbearance is a deede well done.
    Arthur Ah Mother, possession of a Crowne is much,
    And Iohn as I haue heard reported of,
    For present vantage would aduenture farre.
    450The world can witnes in his Brothers time,
    He tooke vpon him rule and almost raigne:
    Then must it follow as a doubtfull poynt,
    That hee'le resigne the rule vnto his Nephew.
    I rather thinke the menace of the world
    455Sounds in his eares as threats of no estéeme,
    C And
    The troublesome Raigne
    And sooner would he scorne Europaes power,
    Than loose the smallest title he enioyes;
    For questionles he is an Englishman.
    Lewes Why are the English péereles in compare?
    460Braue Caualiers as ere that Iland bred,
    Haue liude and dyde, and darde and done inough,
    Yet neuer gracde their Countrey for the cause:
    England is England, yéelding good and bad,
    And John of England is as other Iohns.
    465Trust me yong Arthur, if thou like my réede,
    Praise thou the French that helpe thee in this neede.
    Lymoges The Englishman hath little cause I trow,
    To spend good speaches on so proud a foe.
    Why Arthur heres his spoyle that now is gon,
    470Who when he liude outroude his Brother Iohn:
    But hastie curres that lie so long to catch,
    Come halting home, and meete their ouermatch.
    But newes comes now, heres the Embassadour.
    Enter Chattilion.
    475K Philip And in good time, welcome my Lord Chattilion:
    What newes? will Iohn accord to our commaund.
    Chattilion Be I not briefe to tell your Highnes all,
    He will approach to interrupt my tale:
    For one selfe bottome brought vs both to Fraunce.
    480He on his part will try the chaunce of warre,
    And if his words inferre assured truth,
    Will loose himselfe and all his followers,
    Ere yéeld vnto the least of your demaunds.
    The Mother Quéene she taketh on amaine
    485Gainst Ladie Constance, counting her the cause
    That doth effect this claime to Albion,
    Coniuring Arthur with a Grandames care,
    To leaue his Mother; willing him submit
    His state to Iohn and her protection,
    490Who (as she saith) are studious for his good:
    More circumstance the season intercepts:
    This
    of King Iohn.
    This is the summe, which briefly I haue showne.
    K. Phil. This bitter winde must nip some bodies spring,
    Sodaine and briefe, why so, tis haruest weather.
    495But say Chattilion, what persons of accompt are with him?
    Chattilion Of England Earle Pembrooke and Salsbury,
    The onely noted men of any name.
    Next them a Bastard of the Kings deceast,
    A hardy wilde head, tough and venturous,
    500With many other men of high resolue.
    Then is there with them Elinor Mother Queene,
    And Blanch her Néece daughter to the King of Spaine:
    These are the prime Birds of this hot aduenture.
    Enter Iohn & his followers, Queene, Bastard, Earles, &c.
    505K. Philip Me seemeth Iohn an ouer-daring spirit
    Effects some frenzie in thy rash approach,
    Treading my Confines with thy armed Troupes.
    I rather lookt for some submisse reply
    Touching the claime thy Nephew Arthur makes
    510To that which thou vniustly dost vsurpe.
    K Iohn For that Chattilion can discharge you all,
    I list not plead my Title with my tongue.
    Nor came I hether with intent of wrong
    To Fraunce or thee, or any right of thine;
    515But in defence and purchase of my right,
    The Towne of Angiers: which thou doost begirt
    In the behalfe of Ladie Constance Sonne,
    Wheretoo nor he nor she can lay iust claime.
    Constance Yes (false intruder) if that iust be iust,
    520And headstrong vsurpation put apart,
    Arthur my Sonne, heire to thy elder Brother,
    Without ambiguous shadow of discent,
    Is Soueraigne to the substance thou withholdst.
    Q. Elinor Misgouernd Gossip, staine to this resort,
    525Occasion of these vndecided iarres,
    I say (that know) to check thy vaine suppose,
    Thy Sonne hath naught to doo with that he claymes.
    C 2 For
    The troublesome Raigne
    For proofe whereof, I can inferre a Will,
    That barres the way he vrgeth by discent.
    530Constance A Will indéede, a crabbed Womans will,
    Wherein the Diuell is an ouerséer,
    And proud dame Elnor sole Executresse:
    More wills than so, on perill of my soule,
    Were neuer made to hinder Arthurs right.
    535Arthur But say there was, as sure there can be none,
    The law intends such testaments as voyd,
    Where right discent can no way be impeacht.
    Q Elinor Peace Arthur peace, thy mother makes thee wings
    To soare with perill after Icarus,
    540And trust me yongling for the Fathers sake,
    I pitie much the hazard of thy youth.
    Constance Beshrew you els how pitifull you are,
    Readie to weepe to heare him aske his owne;
    Sorrow betide such Grandames and such griefe,
    545That minister a poyson for pure loue.
    But who so blinde, as cannot see this beame,
    That you forsooth would kéepe your cousin downe,
    For feare his Mother should be vsde too well?
    I theres the griefe, confusion catch the braine,
    550That hammers shifts to stop a Princes raigne.
    Q. Elianor Impatient, frantike, common slanderer,
    Immodest Dame, vnnurtred quarreller,
    I tell thee I, not enuie to thy Son,
    But iustice makes me speake as I haue don.
    555K. Philip But heres no proof that showes your son a King.
    K.Iohn. What wants, my sword shal more at large set down.
    Lewes But that may breake before the truth be knowne.
    Bastard Then this may hold till all his right be showne.
    Lymoges Good words sir sauce, your betters are in place.
    560Bastard Not you sir doughtie with your Lions case.
    Blanch Ah ioy betide his soule, to whom that spoile belõgd
    Ah Richard how thy glorie here is wrongd.
    Lymoges Me thinkes that Richards pride, & Richards fall,
    Should
    of King Iohn.
    Should be a president t'affright you all.
    565Bastard What words are these? how doo my sinews shake?
    My Fathers foe clad in my Fathers spoyle,
    A thousand furies kindle with reuendge,
    This hart that choller keepes a consistorie,
    Searing my inwards with a brand of hate:
    570How doth Alecto whisper in mine eares?
    Delay not Philip, kill the villaine straight,
    Disrobe him of the matchles moniment
    Thy Fathers triumph ore the Sauages,
    Base heardgroome, coward, peasant, worse than a threshing
    575 slaue,
    What makst thou with the Trophei of a King?
    Shamst thou not coystrell, loathsome dunghill swad,
    To grace thy carkasse with an ornament
    Too precious for a Monarchs couerture?
    580Scarce can I temper due obedience
    Unto the presence of my Soueraigne,
    From acting outrage on this trunke of hate:
    But arme thee traytor, wronger of renowme,
    For by his soule I sweare, my Fathers soule,
    585Twice will I not review the Mornings rise,
    Till I haue torne that Trophei from thy back,
    And split thy heart, for wearing it so long.
    Philip hath sworne, and if it be not done,
    Let not the world repute me Richards Sonne.
    590Lymoges Nay soft sir Bastard, harts are not split so soone,
    Let them reioyce that at the ende doo win:
    And take this lesson at thy foemans hand,
    Pawne not thy life, to get thy Fathers skin.
    Blanch Well may the world speake of his knightly valor,
    595That winnes this hide to weare a Ladies fauour.
    Bastard Ill may I thriue, and nothing brooke with mee,
    If shortly I present it not to thee.
    K. Philip Lordings forbeare, for time is comming fast,
    That deedes may trie what words cannot determine,
    C 3 And
    The troublesome Raigne
    600And to the purpose for the cause you come.
    Me seemes you set right in chaunce of warre,
    Yeelding no other reasons for your claime,
    But so and so, because it shall be so.
    So wrong shalbe subornd by trust of strength:
    605A Tyrants practize to inuest himselfe,
    Where weake resistance giueth wrong the way.
    To check the which, in holy lawfull Armes,
    I in the right of Arthur Geffreys Sonne,
    Am come before this Citie of Angiers,
    610To barre all other false supposed clayme,
    From whence or howsoere the error springs.
    And in his quarrell on my Princely word,
    Ile fight it out vnto the latest man.
    Iohn Know King of Fraunce, I will not be commaunded
    615By any power or Prince in Christendome,
    To yeeld an instance how I hold mine owne,
    More than to answere, that mine owne is mine.
    But wilt thou see me parley with the Towne,
    And heare them offer me alleageance,
    620Fealtie and homage, as true liege men ought.
    K. Philip Summon them, I will not beleeue it till I see
    it, and when I see it Ile soone change it.
    They summon the Towne, the Citizens appeare vpon the
    walls.
    625K. Iohn You men of Angiers, and as I take it my loyall
    Subiects, I haue summoned you to the walls: to dispute on
    my right, were to thinke you doubtfull therein, which I am
    perswaded you are not. In few words, our Brothers Sonne,
    backt with the King of Fraunce, haue beleagred your Towne
    630vpon a false pretended title to the same: in defence whereof
    I your liege Lord haue brought our power to fence you from
    the Usurper, to free your intended seruitude, and vtterly to
    supplant the foemen, to my right & your rest. Say then, who
    who keepe you the Towne for?
    635Citizen For our lawfull King.
    Iohn
    of King Iohn.
    John I was no lesse perswaded: then in Gods name open
    your gates, and let me enter.
    Citizen And it please your Highnes we comptroll not your
    title, neither will we rashly admit your entrance: if you bee
    640lawfull King, with all obedience we keepe it to your vse, if not
    King, our rashnes to be impeached for yeelding, without more
    considerate triall: we answere not as men lawles, but to the
    behoofe of him that prooues lawfull.
    Iohn I shall not come in then?
    645Citizen No my Lord, till we know more.
    K. Philip Then heare me speake in the behalfe of Arthur
    Sonne of Geffrey elder Brother to Iohn, his title manifest
    without contradiction to the Crowne and Kingdome of Engl-,
    Land, with Angiers and diuers Townes on this side the sea:
    650will you acknowledge him your liege Lord, who speaketh in
    my word to intertaine you with all fauours as beseemeth a
    King to his subiects, or a friend to his wel-willers: or stand
    to the perill of your contempt, when his title is prooued by
    the sword.
    655Citizen We answere as before till you haue prooued one
    right, we acknowledge none right, he that tries himselfe our
    Soueraigne, to him will we remaine firme subiects, and for
    him, and in his right we hold our Towne as desirous to know
    the truth as loath to subscribe before we knowe? More than
    660this we cannot say, and more than this we dare not doo.
    K. Philip Then Iohn I defie thee in the name and behalfe
    of Arthur Plantaginet thy King and cousin, whose right and
    patrimonie thou detainest, as I doubt not ere the day ende in
    a set battell make thee confesse; whereunto with a zeale to
    665right I challenge thee.
    K.Iohn I accept the challenge, and turne the defiance to
    thy throate.
    About
    Contact us
    © Queen's Men Editions
    Published by the ISE
    Copyright details
    Privacy policy
    This site is supported by:
    Friends of the ISE
    McMaster University
    Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
    University of Toronto
    Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies
    University of Victoria