KING JOHN

    PRINCE HENRY,
           his son

    ARTHUR,
           DUKE OF BRITAINE,
         son of Geffrey,
           late Duke of Britaine,
         the elder brother
               of King John

   EARL OF PEMBROKE

   EARL OF ESSEX

   EARL OF SALISBURY

   LORD BIGOT

   HUBERT DE BURGH

    ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE,
           son to Sir Robert Faulconbridge

    PHILIP THE BASTARD,
           his half-brother

    JAMES GURNEY,
           servant to Lady Faulconbridge

    PETER OF POMFRET,
           a prophet

   KING PHILIP OF FRANCE

    LEWIS,
           the Dauphin

    LYMOGES,
           Duke of Austria

    CARDINAL PANDULPH,
           the Pope's legate

    MELUN,
           a French lord

    CHATILLON,
           ambassador from France
               to King John

    QUEEN ELINOR,
           widow of King Henry II
               and mother
             to King John

    CONSTANCE,
           Mother to Arthur

    BLANCH OF SPAIN,
           daughter to the King
               of Castile
             and niece
               to King John

    LADY FAULCONBRIDGE,
           widow of Sir Robert Faulconbridge

    Lords,
           Citizens of Angiers,
         Sheriff,
           Heralds,
         Officers,
           Soldiers,
         Executioners,
           Messengers,
         Attendants

   SCENE:

    England and France
 
  ACT I. SCENE 1

    KING JOHN's palace
          Enter KING JOHN,
           QUEEN ELINOR,
         PEMBROKE,
           ESSEX,
         SALISBURY,
           and others,
         with CHATILLON

    KING JOHN.

    Now,
           say,
         Chatillon,
           what would France with us?

    CHATILLON.

    Thus,
           after greeting,
         speaks the King of France
               In my behaviour
                   to the majesty,
           The borrowed majesty,
         of England here.

    ELINOR.

    A strange beginning-
         'borrowed majesty'!

    KING JOHN.

    Silence,
           good mother;
        hear the embassy.

    CHATILLON.

    Philip of France,
           in right
               and true behalf Of thy
              deceased brother Geffrey's son,
         Arthur Plantagenet,
           lays most lawful claim
               To this fair island
                   and the territories,
         To Ireland,
           Poictiers,
         Anjou,
           Touraine,
         Maine,
           Desiring thee
              to lay aside the sword
            Which sways usurpingly these
                  several titles,
         And put the same
               into young Arthur's hand,
           Thy nephew
               and right royal sovereign.

    KING JOHN.

    What follows
         if we disallow of this?

    CHATILLON.

    The proud control of fierce
           and bloody war,
         To enforce
               these rights so forcibly withheld.

    KING JOHN.

    Here have
         we war for war,
           and blood for blood,
         Controlment for controlment-
               so answer France.

    CHATILLON.

    Then take my king's defiance
           from my mouth-
               The farthest limit
             of my embassy.

    KING JOHN.

    Bear mine to him,
           and so depart in peace;
        Be thou
               as lightning
                   in the eyes of France;
        For ere
             thou canst report I
                will be there,
           The thunder of my cannon
            shall be heard.

    So hence!

    Be thou the trumpet
           of our wrath