Chapter 6

_Enter_ PRINCE JOHN, _and his Lords, with Soldiers_.

JOHN. Now is this comet shot into the sea, Or lies like slime upon the sullen earth. Come, he is dead, else should we hear of him.

SAL. I know not what to think herein, my lord.

FITZ. Ely is not the man I took him for: I am afraid we shall have worse than he.

JOHN. Why, good Fitzwater, whence doth spring your fear.

FITZ. Him for his pride we justly have suppress'd; But prouder climbers are about to rise.

SAL. Name them, Fitzwater: know you any such?

JOHN. Fitzwater means not anything, I know; For if he did, his tongue would tell his heart.

FITZ. An argument of my free heart, my lord. That lets the world be witness of my thought. When I was taught, true dealing kept the school; Deeds were sworn partners with protesting words; We said and did; these say and never mean. This upstart protestation of no proof-- This, "I beseech you, sir, accept my love; Command me, use me; O, you are to blame, That do neglect, my everlasting zeal, My dear, my kind affect;" when (God can tell) A sudden puff of wind, a lightning flash, A bubble on the stream doth longer 'dure, Than doth the purpose of their promise bide. A shame upon this peevish, apish age, These crouching, hypocrite, dissembling times! Well, well, God rid the patrons of these crimes Out of this land: I have an inward fear, This ill, well-seeming sin will be bought dear.

SAL. My Lord Fitzwater is inspired, I think.

JOHN. Ay, with some devil: let the old fool dote.

_Enter_ QUEEN MOTHER, CHESTER, SHERIFF _of Kent, Soldiers_.

QU. MO. From the pursuing of the hateful priest And bootless search of Ely are we come.

JOHN. And welcome is your sacred majesty; And, Chester, welcome too against your will.

CHES. Unwilling men come not without constraint; But uncompell'd comes Chester to this place, Telling thee, John, that thou art much to blame, To chase hence Ely, chancellor to the king; To set thy footsteps on the cloth of state, And seat thy body in thy brother's throne.

SAL. Who should succeed the brother but the brother?

CHES. If one were dead, one should succeed the other.

QU. MO. My son is king, my son then ought to reign.

FITZ. One son is king; the state allows not twain.

SAL. The subjects many years the king have miss'd.

CHES. But subjects must not choose what king they list.

QU. MO. Richard hath conquer'd kingdoms in the east.

FITZ. A sign he will not lose this in the west.

SAL. By Salisbury's honour, I will follow John.

CHES. So Chester will, to shun commotion.

QU. MO. Why, John shall be but Richard's deputy.

FITZ. To that Fitzwater gladly doth agree. And look to't, lady, mind King Richard's love; As you will answer't, do the king no wrong.

QU. MO. Well-said, old Conscience, you keep still one song.

JOHN. In your contentious humours, noble lords, Peers and upholders of the English state, John silent stood, as one that did await What sentence ye determin'd for my life: But since you are agreed that I shall bear The weighty burthen of this kingdom's state, Till the return of Richard our dread king, I do accept the charge, and thank ye all, That think me worthy of so great a place.

ALL. We all confirm you Richard's deputy.

SAL. Now shall I plague proud Chester.

QU. MO. Sit you sure, Fitzwater.

CHES. For peace I yield to wrong.

JOHN. Now, old man, for your daughter.

FITZ. To see wrong rule, my eyes run streams of water.

[_A noise within_.

_Enter_ COLLIERS, _crying, A monster_!

COL. A monster! a monster! bring her out, Robin: a monster! a monster!

SAL. Peace, gaping fellow! know'st thou where thou art?

1ST COL. Why, I am in Kent, within a mile of Dover. 'Sblood, where I am! peace, and a gaping fellow! For all your dagger, wert not for your ging,[193] I would knock my whipstock on your addle-head. Come, out with the monster, Robin.

WITHIN. I come, I come. Help me, she scratches!

1ST COL. I'll gee her the lash. Come out, ye bearded witch.

[_Bring forth_ ELY, _with a yard in his hand and linen cloth, dressed like a woman_.

ELY. Good fellows, let me go! there's gold to drink, I am a man, though in woman's weeds. Yonder's Prince John: I pray ye, let me go.

QU. MO. What rude companions have we yonder, Salisbury?

1ST COL. Shall we take his money?

2D COL. No, no; this is the thief that robbed Master Michaels, and came in like a woman in labour, I warrant ye.

SAL. Who have ye here, honest colliers?

2D COL. A monster, a monster! a woman with a beard, a man in a petticoat. A monster, a monster!

SAL. What, my good Lord of Ely, is it you?--Ely is taken, here's the chancellor!

1ST COL. Pray God we be not hanged for this trick.

QU. MO. What, my good lord!

ELY. Ay, ay, ambitious lady.

JOHN. Who? My lord chancellor?

ELY. Ay, you proud usurper.

SAL. What, is your surplice turned to a smock?

ELY. Peace, Salisbury, thou changing weather-cock.

CHES. Alas, my lord! I grieve to see this sight.

ELY. Chester, it will be day for this dark night.

FITZ. Ely, thou wert the foe to Huntington: Robin, thou knew'st, was my adopted son. O Ely, thou to him wert too-too cruel! With him fled hence Matilda, my fair jewel. For their wrong, Ely, and thy haughty pride, I help'd Earl John; but now I see thee low, At thy distress my heart is full of woe.

QU. MO. Needs must I see Fitzwater's overthrow. John, I affect him not, he loves not thee: Remove him, John, lest thou removed be.

JOHN. Mother, let me alone; by one and one I will not leave one that envies our good. My Lord of Salisbury, give these honest colliers For taking Ely each a hundred marks.

SAL. Come, fellows; go with me.

COL. Thank ye, [i'] faith. Farewell, monster.

[_Exeunt_ SALISBURY, _with_ COLLIERS.

JOHN. Sheriff of Kent, take Ely to your charge. From shrieve to shrieve send him to Nottingham, Where Warman, by our patent, is high shrieve. There, as a traitor, let him be close-kept. And to his trial we will follow straight.

ELY. A traitor, John?

JOHN. Do not expostulate: You at your trial shall have time to prate.

[_Exeunt cum_ ELY.

FITZ. God, for thy pity, what a time is here!

JOHN. Right gracious mother, would yourself and Chester Would but withdraw you for a little space, While I confer with my good Lord Fitzwater?

QUEEN. My Lord of Chester, will you walk aside?

CHES. Whither your highness please, thither I will.

[_Exeunt_ CHESTER _and_ QUEEN.

JOHN. Soldiers, attend the person of our mother. [_Exeunt_ SOLDIERS. Noble Fitzwater, now we are alone, What oft I have desir'd I will entreat, Touching Matilda, fled with Huntington.

FITZ. Of her what would you touch? Touching her flight, She is fled hence with Robert, her true knight.

JOHN. Robert is outlaw'd, and Matilda free; Why through his fault should she exiled be? She is your comfort, your old[194] age's bliss; Why should your age so great a comfort miss? She is all England's beauty, all her pride; In foreign lands why should that beauty bide? Call her again, Fitzwater, call again Guiltless Matilda, beauty's sovereign.

FITZ. I grant, Prince John, Matilda was my joy, And the fair sun that kept old Winter's frost From griping dead the marrow of my bones; And she is gone; yet where she is, God wot: Aged Fitzwater truly guesseth not. But where she is, there is kind Huntington; With my fair daughter is my noble son. If he may never be recall'd again, To call Matilda back it is in vain.

JOHN. Living with him, she lives in vicious state, For Huntington is excommunicate; And till his debts be paid, by Rome's decree It is agreed absolv'd he cannot be; And that can never be: so ne'er a[195] wife, But a loathed[196] adulterous beggar's life, Must fair Matilda live. This you may amend, And win Prince John your ever-during friend.

FITZ. As how? as how?

JOHN. Call her from him: bring her to England's court, Where, like fair Phoebe, she may sit as queen Over the sacred, honourable maids That do attend the royal queen, my mother. There shall she live a prince's Cynthia, And John will be her true Endymion.

FITZ. By this construction she should be the moon, And you would be the man within the moon!

JOHN. A pleasant exposition, good Fitzwater: But if it so fell out that I fell in, You of my full joys should be chief partaker.

FITZ. John, I defy thee! by my honour's hope, I will not bear this base indignity! Take to thy tools! think'st thou a nobleman Will be a pander to his proper[197] child? For what intend'st thou else, seeing I know Earl Chepstow's daughter is thy married wife. Come, if thou be a right Plantaganet, Draw and defend thee. O our Lady, help True English lords from such a tyrant lord! What, dost thou think I jest? Nay, by the rood, I'll lose my life, or purge thy lustful blood.

JOHN. What, my old ruffian, lie at your ward?[198] Have at your froward bosom, old Fitzwater.

[_Fight_: JOHN _falls_.

_Enter_ QUEEN, CHESTER, SALISBURY, _hastily_.

FITZ. O, that thou wert not royal Richard's brother, Thou shouldst here die in presence of thy mother. [JOHN _rises: all compass_ FITZWATER; FITZWATER _chafes_. What, is he up? Nay, lords, then give us leave.

CHES. What means this rage, Fitzwater?

QUEEN. Lay hands upon the Bedlam, trait'rous wretch!

JOHN. Nay, hale him hence! and hear you, old Fitzwater: See that you stay not five days in the realm. For if you do, you die remediless.

FITZ. Speak, lords: do you confirm what he hath said?

ALL. He is our prince, and he must be obey'd.

FITZ. Hearken, Earl John! but one word will I say.

JOHN. I will not hear thee; neither will I stay. Thou know'st thy time. [_Exit_ JOHN.

FITZ. Will not your highness hear?

QUEEN. No: thy Matilda robb'd me of my dear. [_Exit_ QUEEN.

FITZ. I aided thee in battle, Salisbury.

SAL. Prince John is mov'd; I dare not stay with thee. [_Exit_ SALISBURY.[199]

FITZ. 'Gainst thee and Ely, Chester, was I foe, And dost thou stay to aggravate my woe?

CHES. No, good Fitzwater; Chester doth lament Thy wrong, thy sudden banishment. Whence grew the quarrel 'twixt the prince and thee?

FITZ. Chester, the devil tempted old Fitzwater To be a pander to his only daughter; And my great heart, impatient, forc'd my hand, In my true honour's right to challenge him. Alas the while! wrong will not be reprov'd.

CHES. Farewell, Fitzwater: wheresoe'er thou be, By letters, I beseech thee, send to me. [_Exit_ CHESTER.

FITZ. Chester, I will, I will. Heavens turn to good this woe, this wrong, this ill.

[_Exit_.