Prescanned Shakespeare.com
presented by Acoustic Learning


King John

Act I, Scene 1

KING JOHN'S palace.
 
[Enter KING JOHN, QUEEN ELINOR, PEMBROKE, ESSEX, SALISBURY, and others, with CHATILLON]
 
KING JOHN
            ,        ,         ,             ,           ,
      Now* say | Chatil|lon, what | would France | with us?
 
CHATILLON
             ,       ,           ,           ,          ,
      Thus^(aft|er greet|ing) speaks | the King | of France,
          ,      ,       ,        ,     ,
      In my | behav|ior to | the maj|esty,
           ,         ,    ,        ,         ,
      The bor|rowed maj|esty | of Eng|land here.
 
QUEEN ELINOR
           ,         ,         ,         ,    ,
      A strange | begin|ning: bor|rowed maj|esty?
 
KING JOHN
       ,               ,         ,         ,     ,
      Silence |(good* moth|er) hear | the em|bassy.
 
CHATILLON
       ,             ,          ,           ,        ,
      Philip | of France,| in right | and true | behalf
          ,       ,        ,         ,          ,
      Of thy | deceas|ed broth|er, Geof|frey's son,
       ,            ,   2      ,          ,        ,
      Arthur | Plantag|enet, lays | most^law|ful claim
                  ,   ,        ,         ,       x
      To this / fair is|land, and | the ter|ritories:
          ,          ,          ,       ,           ,
      To Ire|land, Poic|tiers, An|jou, Tour|aine, Maine,
         ,        ,        ,       ,          ,
      Desi|ring thee | to lay | aside | the sword
              ,        ,      ,           ,         x
      Which sways | usurp|ingly | these^seve|ral titles,
           ,            ,             ,     ,          ,
      And put | these same | into / young Arth|ur's hand,
           ,               ,    ,      ,     ,
      Thy neph|ew, and / right roy|al sov|ereign.
 
KING JOHN
            ,        ,       ,     ,         ,
      What fol|lows if | we dis|allow | of this?
 
CHATILLON
            ,          ,          ,           ,      ,
      The proud | control | of fierce | and bloo|dy war,
        2     ,             ,         ,     ,          ,
      To enforce | these^rights,| so for|cibly | withheld.
 
KING JOHN
        ,             ,         ,          ,           ,
      Here have | we war | for war,| and blood | for blood,
           ,        ,         ,          x           ,
      Control|ment for | control|ment: so ans|wer France.  ??
 
CHATILLON
             ,          ,        ,        ,         ,
      Then take | my king's | defi|ance from | my mouth,
            ,        ,      ,       ,     ,
      The farth|est lim|it of | my em|bassy.
 
KING JOHN
        T    T   .  T         ,       ,         ,
      Bear mine to him,| and so | depart | in peace,
       ,             ,         ,         ,          ,
      Be thou | as light|ning in | the eyes | of France;
           ,           ,         ,        ,         ,
      For ere | thou canst | report,| I will | be there:
            ,       ,       ,        ,          ,
      The thund|er of | my can|non shall | be heard.
           ,          ,          ,       ,         ,
      So hence:| Be thou | the trump|et of | our wrath,
           ,       ,    ,             ,       ,
      And sul|len pre|sage of | your own | decay:
          ,             ,   ,   ,          ,
      An hon|orable // conduct let | him have,
       T   T     T      2      ,    ,       ,
      Pembroke look | to it: Fare|well Chat|illon.
 
[Exeunt CHATILLON and PEMBROKE]
 
QUEEN ELINOR
            ,        ,         ,       ,       ,
      What now | my son,| have I | not ev|er said
       ,            ,         ,                 ,    ,
      How that | ambit|ious Const|ance would / not cease
        ,             ,          ,          ,          ,
      Till she | had kind|led France | and all | the world,
        ,          ,          ,      ,        ,
      Upon | the right | and part|y of | her son.
             ,            ,        ,               ,    ,
      This might | have been | prevent|ed, and / made whole
            ,     ,     ,     ,          ,
      With ve|ry ea|sy arg|uments | of love,
             ,         ,            ,    ,         ,
      Which now | the man|age of / two king|doms must
             ,        ,      ,      ,     ,
      With fear|ful bloo|dy is|sue ar|bitrate.
 
KING JOHN
             ,         ,         ,          ,          ,
      Our strong | posses|sion, and | our right | for us.
 
QUEEN ELINOR
              ,         ,         ,      ,                ,
      Your strong | posses|sion much | more than | your right,
           ,         ,         ,           ,         ,
      Or else | it must | go wrong | with you | and me,
           ,        ,            ,        ,         ,
      So much | my con|science whisp|ers in | your ear,
              ,           x          ,        ,           ,
      Which none | but heaven,| and you,| and I,| shall hear.
 
[Enter a Sheriff]
 
ESSEX
           ,       ,    2        ,          ,      ,
      My liege,| here is the | strangest | controv|ersy
        ,           ,        ,         ,        ___
      Come from | country | to be | judged by | you,
            ,        ,           ,        ,         ,
      That ere | I heard:| shall^I | produce | the men?
 
KING JOHN
       ,            ,
      Let them approach:  \\
           ,       ,         ,     ,           ,
      Our ab|beys and | our pri|ories | shall pay
            ,    ,           ,           ,         ,
      This^ex|pedi|tion's charge:| What men | are you?
 
[Enter ROBERT and the BASTARD]
 
BASTARD
             ,        ,        ,      ,      ,
      Your faith|ful sub|ject, I | a gent|leman,
        ,             ,       ,          ,       ,
      Born in | Northamp|tonshire,| and eld|est son
         ,        ,        ,        ,        ,
      As I | suppose,| to Rob|ert Faul|conbridge,
         ,        ,        ,      ,        ,
      A sol|dier by | the hon|or-giv|ing hand
           ,        ,       ,        ,         ,
      Of Coeur-|de-li|on, knight|ed in | the field.
 
KING JOHN
        ,         __
      What art | thou?   \\
 
ROBERT
           ,          ,                ,    ,        ,
      The son | and heir | to that / same Faul|conbridge.
 
KING JOHN
           ,         ,             ,    ,          ,
      Is that | the eld|er, and / art thou | the heir?
            ,     T   .  T    T       ,         ,
      You came | not of one moth|er then | it seems.
 
BASTARD
            ,             ,   ,         ,       ,
      Most cert|ain of / one moth|er, migh|ty king,
        T   .   T    T      ,    2      ,         ,
      That is well known,| and as I | think one^|father:
       ,             ,         ,         ,          ,
      But for | the cert|ain know|ledge of | that truth,
         ,         ,          x      ,    2      ,
      I put | you ore | to heaven,| and to my | mother;
           ,        ,         ,            ,        ,
      Of that | I doubt,| as all | men's^child|ren may.
 
QUEEN ELINOR
       ,    2         ,   ,                  ,          ,
      Out on thee | rude man,/ thou dost | shame thy | mother,
            ,          ,       ,          ,      ,
      And wound | her hon|or with | this dif|fidence.
 
BASTARD
      T   Tx    T    2      ,    ,        ,
      I madam? No,| I have no | reason | for it,
        ,           ,           ,          ,         ,
      That is | my broth|er's plea,| and none | of mine,
            ,         ,         ,          ,        ,
      The which | if he | can prove,| he pops | me out,
           ,            ,          ,         ,         ,
      At least | from fair | five^hund|red pound | a year:
       ,         ,         ,          ,         2     ,
      Heaven | guard my | mother's | honor,| and my land.
 
KING JOHN
      .   T    T    T        ,      2     ,        ,
      A good blunt fel|low: why | being young|er born
            ,         ,          ,        ,      ,
      Doth^he | lay claim | to thine | inher|itance?
 
BASTARD
          ,         ,        ,        ,          ,
      I know | not why,| except | to get | the land:
            ,         ,         ,         ,      ,
      But once | he sland|ered me | with bast|ardy:
            ,        ,        ,       ,        ,
      But where | I be | as true | begot | or no,
             ,        ,      ,        ,          ,
      That still | I lay | upon | my moth|er's head,
            ,       ,        ,       ,         ,
      But that | I am | as well | begot | my liege
         T    T   .    T            ,          ,          ,
      (Fair fall the bones | that took | the pains | for me)
           ,         ,       ,         ,           ,
      Compare | our fac|es, and | be judge | yourself.
          ,         ,       ,       ,         ,
      If old | sir Rob|ert did | beget | us both,
            ,         ,        ,          ,          ,
      And were | our fath|er, and | this son | like^him:
          ,         ,       ,        ,        ,
      Oh^old | sir Rob|ert fath|er, on | my knee
          ,       x      ,              T    T   .   T
      I give | heaven thanks / I was | not like to thee.
 
KING JOHN
       ,            ,   ,           Tx      Tx     T
      Why what | a mad|cap hath | heaven lent us here?
 
QUEEN ELINOR
           ,        ,          ,        ,        ,
      He hath | a trick | of Coeur-|de-li|on's face,
           ,       ,          ,        ,        ,
      The ac|cent of | his tongue | affect|eth him:
          ,          ,          ,       ,       ,
      Do you | not^read | some tok|ens of | my son
                 ,    ,     ,       ,         ,
      In the / large com|posi|tion of | this man?
 
KING JOHN
            ,           ,      ,     ,         ,
      Mine eye | hath well | exam|ined | his parts,
            ,           ,        ,         ,        ,
      And finds | them per|fect Rich|ard: Sir|rah speak,
        ,           ,             ,           ,           ,
      What doth | move you | to claim | your broth|er's land.
 
BASTARD
          ,            2      ,    ,      ,        ,
      Because | he hath a / half-face | like my | father:
             ,           ,           ,         ,         ,
      With half | that face | would he | have all | my land,
      .   T    T     T           ,         ,         .
      A half-faced groat,| five^hund|red pound | a year?
 
ROBERT
          ,          ,            ,        ,        ,
      My gra|cious liege,| when^that | my fath|er lived,
            ,        ,        ,        ,        ,
      Your broth|er did | employ | my fath|er much.
 
BASTARD
        ,             ,         ,       ,         ,
      Well sir,| by this | you can|not get | my land,
             ,          ,    ,    2      ,         ,
      Your tale | must be | how he em|ployed my | mother.
 
ROBERT
            ,          ,           ,       ,     ,
      And once | dispatched | him in | an em|bassy
          ,     ,     ,               ,    ,
      To Ger|many,| there with | the emp|eror
           ,          ,        ,       ,               ,
      To treat | of high | affairs | touching | that^time:
         2   ,        ,        ,         ,          ,
      The advant|age of | his ab|sence took | the king,
           ,         ,    ,   ,            2      ,
      And in | the mean|time so/journed* at my | father's;
             ,        ,         ,        ,          ,
      Where how | he did | prevail,| I shame | to speak:
            ,          ,       T      T     .   T           ,
      But truth | is truth,| large lengths of seas | and shores
          ,         ,        ,        ,       ,
      Between | my fath|er, and | my moth|er lay,
         ,          ,         ,        ,          ,
      As I | have heard | my fath|er speak | himself
                    ,   ,      ,      ,         ,
      When this / same lus|ty gent|leman | was got:
        ,          ,    ,            ,          ,
      Upon | his death|bed he*| by will | bequeathed
            ,         ,         ,        ,         ,
      His lands | to me,| and took | it on | his death
             ,        ,         ,          ,        ,
      That this | my moth|er's son | was none | of his;
           ,        ,         ,       ,         ,
      And if | he were,| he came | into | the world
        T     Tx      T         ,           ,          ,
      Full fourteen weeks | before | the course | of time:  ??
             ,         ,      ,         ,              ,
      Then good | my liege | let me | have what | is mine,
          ,          ,        ,        ,          ,
      My fath|er's land,| as was | my fath|er's will.
 
KING JOHN
       ,             ,        ,      ,     ,
      Sirrah,| your broth|er is | legit|imate,
            ,          ,         ,      ,    T    T   T
      Your fath|er's wife | did aft|er wed|lock bear him:
       T   T  T     T    T    T           ,           ,
      And if she | did play false,| the fault | was hers,  (hex with prev)
              ,       ,    2       ,            ,     ,
      Which fault | lies on the | hazards | of all | husbands
            ,       ,       ,        ,    2      ,
      That mar|ry wives:| tell me,| how if my | brother
           ,        ,      T    T    .  T          ,
      Who^as | you say,| took pains to get | this son,
           ,         ,         ,            ,         ,
      Had of | your fath|er claimed | this son | for his,
           ,              ,           ,        ,            ,
      In sooth,| good* friend,| your fath|er might | have kept
             ,      ,              ,          ,          ,
      This calf,| bred from | his cow | from all | the world:
           ,          ,       ,    2       ,        ,
      In sooth | he might:| then if he | were my | brother's,
          ,         ,           ,           ,          ,      ->
      My broth|er might | not claim | him, nor | your fath||er,
        x       ,        ,        ,            2      ,
      Being | none of | his, re|fuse him:| this concludes,  ??
          ,         ,         ,          ,          ,
      My moth|er's son | did get | your fath|er's heir,
            ,          ,           ,          ,          ,
      Your fath|er's heir | must^have | your fath|er's land.
 
ROBERT
              ,        ,          ,             ,   ,
      Shall then | my fath|er's will | be of / no force,
          ,       ,           ,                 ,   ,
      To dis|possess | that child | which is / not his?
 
BASTARD
          ,          ,         ,       ,        ,
      Of no | more force | to dis|possess | me sir,
            ,          ,        ,         ,       ,
      Than was | his will | to get | me, as | I think.
 
QUEEN ELINOR
       ,          ,           ,         2    ,        ,
      Whether | hadst thou | rather | be a Faul|conbridge,
            ,         ,        ,      ,          ,
      And like | thy broth|er to | enjoy | thy land:
       ,    2    ,       ,         ,        ,
      Or the re|puted | son of | Coeur-de-|lion,
        ,            ,          ,         ,        ,
      Lord of | thy pres|ence, and | no land | beside.
 
BASTARD
       ,           ,       ,        ,         ,
      Madam,| and if | my broth|er had | my shape
          ,        ,         ,         ,          ,
      And I | had his,| sir Rob|ert's his | like^him,
           ,        ,          ,          ,        ,
      And if | my legs | were two | such^rid|ing-rods,
           ,          ,            ,           ,         ,
      My arms | such^eel-|skins^stuffed,| my face | so thin,
            ,         ,        ,           ,         ,
      That in | mine^ear | I durst | not stick | a rose,
            ,            ,      ,                   ,          ,
      Lest men | should say,| look where | three* farth|ings goes.  ??
           ,         ,            ,        ,           ,
      And to | his shape | were heir | to all | this land,
            ,          ,       ,          ,           ,
      Would I | might nev|er stir | from off | this place,
       2        ,       ,        ,         ,           ,
      I would give | it ev|ery foot | to have | this face:
           ,          ,        ,       ,      ,
      It would | not be | sir Nob | in an|y case.
 
QUEEN ELINOR
          ,           ,      ,      2      ,         ,
      I like | thee well:| wilt thou for|sake thy | fortune,
           ,           ,        ,         ,       ,
      Bequeath | thy land | to him,| and fol|low me?
      ,         ,               ,    ,           ,
      I am | a sol|dier, and / now bound | to France.
 
BASTARD
       ,          ,             ,           ,          ,
      Brother,| take you | my land,| I'll take | my chance;
             ,          ,          ,         ,         ,
      Your face | hath got | five^hund|red pound | a year,
            ,           ,          ,            ,          ,
      Yet sell | your face | for five | pence* and |'tis dear:
       ,            ,       ,       ,         ,
      Madam,| I'll fol|low you | unto | the death.
 
QUEEN ELINOR
       ,    2          ,         ,      ,        ,
      Nay, I would | have you | go be|fore me | thither.
 
BASTARD
            ,       ,         ,         ,        ,
      Our count|ry man|ners give | our bet|ters way.
 
KING JOHN
        ,           ,
      What is thy name?  \\
 
BASTARD
       ,            ,         ,        ,       ,
      Philip | my liege,| so is | my name | begun,
       ,         ,     2       ,            T     Tx    T
      Philip,| good old sir | Robert's | wife's eldest son.  ??
 
KING JOHN
             ,            ,          ,
      From hence|forth* bear | his name
                                                ,            , 
                                        Whose form | thou bearst:
        ,            ,   ,               T    T    T
      Kneel thou | down Phil/ip, but | rise more great,
         ,         ,         ,         ,    ,
      Arise | sir Rich|ard, and | Plantag|enet.
 
BASTARD
       ,          2     ,          ,          ,          ,
      Brother | by the moth|er's side,| give^me | your hand,
          ,        ,        ,        ,            ,
      My fath|er gave | me hon|or, yours | gave^land:
            ,       ,         ,         ,         ,
      Now bles|sed by | the hour | by night | or day
           ,        ,         ,       ,      ,
      When I | was got,| sir Rob|ert was | away.
 
QUEEN ELINOR
           ,     ,       ,        ,    ,
      The ve|ry spir|it of | Plantag|enet:
         ,         ,       ,          ,        ,
      I am | thy grand|am Rich|ard, call | me so.
 
BASTARD
       ,            ,          ,         ,       ,
      Madam | by chance,| but not | by truth,| what though;
        ,            ,       ,        ,          ,
      Something | about | a lit|tle from | the right,
       ,           ,              ,   ,          ,
      In at | the wind|ow, or / else ore | the hatch:
            ,           ,        ,           ,         ,
      Who dares | not^stir | by day,| must walk | by night,
            ,         ,       ,      ,         ,
      And have | is have,| howev|er men | do catch:
        ,            ,      T   T   .   T            ,
      Near or | far^off,| well-won is still |*well-shot,
          ,      ,       ,       ,       ,
      And I | am I,| howere | I was | begot.
 
KING JOHN
       T    T  .    T           ,          ,        ,
      Go, Faulconbridge:| now hast | thou thy | desire;
          ,          ,             ,       ,         ,
      A land|less knight,| makes thee | a land|ed squire:
            ,              ,    ,        ,          ,
      Come^mad|am, and / come Rich|ard, we | must speed
             ,            ,          ,        ,           ,
      For France,| for France,| for it | is more | than need.
 
BASTARD
       ,           ,          ,         ,         ,
      Brother | adieu,| good for|tune come | to thee,
            ,          ,      2     ,        ,     ,
      For thou | wast got | in the way | of hon|esty.
 
[Exeunt all but BASTARD]
          ,        ,      ,        ,       ,
      A foot | of hon|or bet|ter than | I was,
           ,   2   ,      ,         ,          ,
      But ma|ny a ma|ny foot | of land | the worse.
        ,    ,              ,   2      ,       ,
      Well, now / can I | make any | Joan a | lady,
        ,     2       ,         ,      ,       ,
      Good^den sir | Richard,| God-a-|mercy | fellow,
       ,    2        ,          ,             ,         ,
      And if his | name be | George, I'll | call him | Peter;
           ,         ,       ,        ,            ,
      For new-|made^hon|or doth | forget | men's^names:
            ,        ,               ,   ,     ,
      'Tis too | respect|ive, and / too soc|iable
            ,         ,        ,           ,     ,
      For your | convers|ion, now | your trav|eller,
       ,             ,     ,           ,           ,
      He and | his tooth|pick at | my worsh|ip's mess,
            ,          ,       ,        ,        ,
      And when | my knight|ly stom|ach is | sufficed,
            ,        ,         ,          ,     ,
      Why then | I suck | my teeth,| and cat|echise
            ,      ,         ,          T   T   T
      My picked | man of | countries:| My dear sir,
            ,        ,         ,     ,      ,
      Thus lean|ing on | mine el|bow I | begin,
          ,         ,            ,         ,        ,
      I shall | beseech | you; that | is ques|tion now,
            ,           ,        ,        ,       ,
      And then | comes ans|wer like | an Ab|sey book:
         ,          ,        ,          ,         ,
      O sir,| says^ans|wer, at | your best | command,
           ,        ,         ,          ,       ,
      At your | employ|ment, at | your serv|ice sir:
       ,              ,        ,           ,         ,
      No sir,| says^ques|tion, I | sweet* sir | at yours,
           ,        ,        ,            ,         ,
      And so | ere ans|wer knows | what ques|tion would,
       ,           ,    ,         ,       ,
      Saving | in di|alogue | of comp|liment,
            ,       ,         ,         ,     ,
      And talk|ing of | the Alps | and Ap|ennines,
           ,    ,     ,         ,      ,
      The Pyr|ene|an and | the riv|er Po,
           ,             ,       ,       ,        ,
      It draws | toward sup|per in | conclu|sion so.
            ,        ,       ,       ,   ,
      But this | is worsh|ipful | soci|ety,
            ,          ,        ,        ,        ,
      And fits | the mount|ing spir|it like | myself;
           ,       ,       ,        ,         ,
      For he | is but | a bast|ard to | the time
             ,          ,         ,     ,    ,
      That doth | not smack | of ob|serva|tion;
           ,      ,    ,            ,         ,
      And so | am I | whether | I smack | or no:
           ,       ,        ,      ,        ,
      And not | alone | in hab|it and | device,
         ,   2    ,     ,           ,       ,
      Exter|ior form,| outward | accout|rement;
       ,      2       ,        ,        ,     ,
      But from the | inward | motion | to de|liver
        T      T      T      ,          2    ,        ,
      Sweet, sweet, sweet | poison | for the a|ge's tooth,
               ,         ,          ,        ,       ,
      Which though | I will | not prac|tice to | deceive,
       ,          ,        ,        ,         ,
      Yet to | avoid | deceit | I mean | to learn;
           ,           ,           ,    ,     2      ,
      For it | shall strew | the foot|steps of my | rising:
           ,      ,               ,         ,        ,
      But who | comes in | such haste | in rid|ing robes.
            ,       ,         ,      ,     2      ,
      What wom|an-post | is this?| Hath she no | husband
          2       ,      ,          ,        ,       ,
      That will take | pains to | blow a | horn be|fore her?
 
[Enter LADY FAULCONBRIDGE and GURNEY]
          ,     ,        ,            ,           ,    ->
      O* me,| 'tis my | mother:| How now | good* la||dy,
        ,       ,             2     ,         ,     ,
      What | brings you | here to court | so has|tily?  ??
 
LADY FAULCONBRIDGE
        ,               ,          ,          ,      ,
      Where is | that slave | thy broth|er? Where | is he?
             ,          ,           ,      ,         ,
      That holds | in chase | mine hon|or up | and down.
 
BASTARD
          ,        ,        ,         ,         ,
      My broth|er Rob|ert, old | sir Rob|ert's son:
            ,          ,               ,    ,      ,
      *Colbrand | the gi|ant, that / same migh|ty man,
       ,           ,         ,                 ,   ,
      Is it | sir Rob|ert's son | that you / seek so?
 
LADY FAULCONBRIDGE
           ,         ,     ,             ,        ,
      Sir Rob|ert's son,| aye thou | unreve|rend boy,
           ,         ,           ,        ,    2       ,
      Sir Rob|ert's son?| Why scornst | thou at sir | Robert?
          ,        ,         ,         ,         ,
      He is | sir Rob|ert's son,| and so | art thou.
 
BASTARD
        ,     ,                    ,         ,         ,
      James Gurn/ey, wilt | thou give | us leave | awhile?
 
GURNEY
             ,           ,
      Good leave | good Phi|lip.
 
BASTARD
                                 ,        ,          ,
                                Phi|lip, spar|row, James,
                ,       ,       ,           ,           ,
      There's^toys | abroad,| anon | I'll tell | thee more.
 
[Exit GURNEY]
       ,               ,   ,         ,         ,
      Madam,| I was / not old | sir Rob|ert's son,
           ,        ,           ,          ,        ,
      Sir Rob|ert might | have eat | his part | in me
        ,           ,               ,    ,           ,
      Upon | Good* Fri|day, and / nere broke | his fast:
           ,        ,          ,     ,        2     ,
      Sir Rob|ert could | do well,| marry | to confess
        ,         ,            ,               ,    x
      Could he | get me | Sir Rob|ert could / not do it:
           ,         ,      ,      ,      2        ,
      We know | his hand|iwork,| therefore good*| mother
           ,       ,      ,        ,            ,
      To whom | am I | behold|ing for | these^limbs?
           ,       ,       ,         ,          ,
      Sir Rob|ert nev|er holp | to make | this leg.
 
LADY FAULCONBRIDGE
             ,        ,        ,         ,        ,
      Hast thou | conspir|ed with | thy broth|er too,
        ,     2        ,    ,                  ,         ,
      That for thine^|own gain / shouldst de|fend mine^|honor?
             ,            ,            ,           ,    ,
      What means | this scorn,| thou most | unto/ward knave?
 
BASTARD
        __        ,           ,        ,    ,      __
      Knight,| knight good*| mother,| Basi|lisco-|like:
       __    ,        ,          ,        ,        ,
      What,| I am | dubbed, I | have it | on my | shoulder:  (hex with prev?)
           ,       ,       ,         ,         ,
      But moth|er, I | am not | sir Rob|ert's son,
      ,              ,           ,       ,         ,
      I have | disclaimed | sir Rob|ert and | my land,
         ,    ,         ,         ,         ,
      Legit|ima|tion, name,| and all | is gone;
             ,        ,        ,         ,        ,       o
      Then good | my moth|er, let | me know | my fath|er,
            ,       ,        ,         ,        ,       o
      Some prop|er man | I hope,| who was | it moth|er?   (hex with prev)
 
LADY FAULCONBRIDGE
             ,        ,         ,        ,        ,
      Hast thou | denied | thyself | a Faul|conbridge?
 
BASTARD
           ,       ,      ,      ,         x
      As faith|fully | as I | deny | the devil.
 
LADY FAULCONBRIDGE
            ,         ,         x     ,         ,
      King^Rich|ard Coeur-|de-lion | was thy | father,
           ,         ,   2      ,       ,        ,
      By long | and ve|hement suit | I was | seduced
           ,      ,         ,           ,          ,
      To make | room for | him in | my hus|band's bed:
        Tx    T   T     ,         ,          2      ,
      Heaven lay not | my trans|gression | to my charge,
            ,         ,      ,        ,        ,
      That art | the is|sue of | my dear | offense
             ,          ,        ,           ,       ,
      Which was | so strong|ly urged | past^my | defense.  ??
 
BASTARD
            ,          ,          ,       ,       ,
      Now* by | this light,| were I | to get | again,
        x              ,      ,       ,        ,
      Madam I | would^not | wish a | better | father.
              ,         ,           ,      ,         ,
      Some* sins | do bear | their priv|ilege | on earth,
           ,          ,            ,          ,          ,      ->
      And so | doth^yours:| your fault,| was not | your fol||ly,
        ,         2     ,           ,         ,         ,
      Needs | must you lay | your heart | at his | dispose,
          ,       ,    ,           ,         ,
      Subjec|ted tri|bute to | command|ing love,
          ,            ,     ,        ,        ,
      Against | whose^fu|ry and | unmatch|ed force,
           ,        ,      ,           ,          ,
      The awe|less li|on could | not^wage | the fight,
            ,           ,        ,           ,           ,
      Nor keep | his prince|ly heart | from Rich|ard's hand:
       ,     2      T     T   T      ,            ,
      He that per|force robs li|ons of | their hearts,
           ,   2   ,       ,         ,        ,      o
      May ea|sily win | a wom|an's: aye | my moth|er,
            ,         ,         ,           ,        ,      o
      With all | my heart | I thank | thee for | my fath|er:  (hex with prev)
            ,           ,          ,           ,           ,
      Who lives | and dares | but say,| thou didst | not well
           ,        ,           ,          ,         ,
      When I | was got,| I'll send | his soul | to hell.
            ,    ,          ,          ,       ,
      Come^la|dy I | will show | thee to | my kin,
            ,           ,          ,        ,      ,
      And they | shall say,| when Rich|ard me | begot,
           ,            ,         ,        ,          ,
      If thou | hadst said | him nay,| it had | been sin,
            ,        ,         ,       ,          ,
      Who says | it was,| he lies,| I say |'twas not.
 
[Exeunt]

← Main Page | Next Scene →


Home