K. John. A good blunt fellow.-Why, being young

er born,

Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance?

Faul. I know not why, except to get the land.
But once he slander'd me with bastardy:
But whether I be as true begot or no,
That still I lay upon my mother's head;
But that I am as well begot, my liege,
(Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!)
Compare our faces, and be judge yourself.
If old Sir Robert did beget us both,

And were our father, and this son like him ;-
O, old Sir Robert, father, on my knee

I give Heaven thanks, I was not like to thee.

K. John. Why, what a mad-cap hath Heaven lent us here!

Eli. He hath a trick of Cœur-de-lion's face;
The accent of his tongue affecteth him:—
Do you not read some tokens of my son
In the large composition of this man?

K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his parts, And finds them perfect Richard.—Sirrah, speak, What doth move you to claim your brother's land? Rob. My gracious liege, when that my father lived,

Your brother did employ my father much ;

Faul Weil, sir, by this you cannot get my land; Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother. Bob. And once dispatch'd him in an embassy To Germany, there, with the emperor, To treat of high affairs touching that time: The advantage of his absence took the king, And in the mean time sojourn'd at my father's; Where how he did prevail I shame to speak: But truth is truth large lengths of seas and shores Between my father and my mother lay, (As I have heard my father speak himself,)

When this same lusty gentleman was got.
Upon his death-bed he by will bequeath'd
His lands to me; and took it on his death,
That this, my mother's son, was none of his;
And, if he were, he came into the world
Full fourteen weeks before the course of time
Then, good my liege, let me have what is mine,
My father's land, as was my father's will.

K. John Sirrah, your brother is legitimate;
Your father's wife did after wedlock bear him:
And, if she did play false, the fault was hers;
Which fault lies on the hazards of all husbands

That marry wives.-→

Your father's heir must have your father's land.
Rob. Shall then my father's will be of no force
To dispossess that child, which is not his?

Faul. Of no more force to dispossess me, sir,
Than was his will to get me, as I think.

Eli. Whether hadst thou rather be a Faulconbridge,

And, like thy brother, to enjoy thy land,
Or the reputed son of Coeur-de-lion,
Lord of thy presence, and no land beside?

Faul. Madam, and it my brother had my shape,
And I had his, Sir Robert his, like him,
And if my legs were two such riding-rods;
My arms such eel-skins stuff'd; my face so thin;
And, to his shape, were heir to all this land,
'Would I might never stir from off this place,
I'd give it every foot to have this face;

I would not be Sir Nob in any case.

Eli. I like thee well :-Wilt thou forsake thy fortune,

Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me?

I am a soldier, and now bound to France.

Faul. Brother, take you my land, I'll take my

chance:

Your face hath got five hundred pound a-year;
Yet sell your face for five-pence, and 'tis dear.-
Madam, I'll follow you unto the death.

Eli. Nay, I would have you go before me thither.
Faul. Our country manners give our betters way.
K. John. What is thy name?

Faul. Philip, my liege; so is my name begun;
Philip, good old Sir Robert's wife's eldest son.
K. John. From henceforth bear his name, whose
form thou bear'st;

Kneel thou down, Philip, but arise more great;
Arise Sir Richard, and Plantagenet.

Faul. Brother, by my mother's side, give me your hand;

My father gave me honour, yours gave land :-
Now blessed be the hour, by night or day,
When I was got, Sir Robert was away!—
Brother, adieu :-good fortune come to thee,
For thou wast got i' the way of honesty.

K. John. Go, Faulconbridge! now hast thou thy desire,

A landless knight makes thee a landed 'squire.[Exit ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE. Come, madam, and come, Richard: we must speed For France, for France; for it is more than need. [Flourish of Drums and Trumpets.-Exeunt all but FAULCONbridge.

Faul. A foot of honour better than I was;
But many a many foot of land the worse.
Well, now can I make any Joan a lady :~

"Good den, Sir Richard". "God-a-mercy, fellow!"
And if his name be George, I'll call him Peter;
For new made honour doth forget men's names.
But who comes in such haste?

What woman post is this? hath she no husband
That will take pains to blow a horn before her ?
O me, it is my mother.

Enter LADY FAULCONBRIDGE and GURNEY.

How now, good lady?

What brings you here to court so hastily?

L. Faul. Where is that slave, thy brother? Where is he,

That holds in chase mine honour up and down?
Faul. My brother Robert? old Sir Robert's son?
Coibrand the giant, that same mighty man?
Is it Sir Robert's son, that you seek so?

L. Faul. Sir Robert's son! Ay, thou unreverend boy,

Sir Robert's son: Why scorn'st thou at Sir Robert ? He is Sir Robert's son, and so art thou.

Faul. James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave a while?

Gur. Good leave, good Philip.

Faul. Philip?-sparrow !-James,

There's toys abroad; anon I'll tell thee more.

[Exit GURNEY.

Madam, I was not old Sir Robert's son:
Sir Robert might have eat his part in me
Upon Good Friday, and ne'er broke his fast:
Sir Robert could do well; marry, (to confess,)
Could he get me? Sir Robert could not do it;
We know his handy-work:-Therefore, good mother,
To whom am I beholden for these limbs ?

Sir Robert never holp to make this leg.

L. Faul. Hast thou conspired with thy brother too, That for thine own gain should'st defend mine honour?

What means this scorn, thou most untoward knave? Faul. Knight, knight, good mother: -Basiliskolike!

What! I am dubb'd! I have it on my shoulder.
But, mother, I am not Sir Robert's son ;

I have disclaim'd Sir Robert, and my land;

B

Legitimation, name, and all is gone:

Then, good my mother, let me know my father: Some proper man, I hope :- -Who was it, mother? L. Faul. Hast thou denied thyself a Faulconbridge?

Faul. As faithfully as I deny the devil.

L. Faul. King Richard Coeur-de-lion was thy father:

By long and vehement suit I was seduced
To make room for him in my husband's bed;
Thou art the issue of my dear offence:
Heaven lay not my transgression to my charge!
Faul. Now, by this light, were I to get again,
Madam, I would not wish a better father.
Some sins do bear their privilege on earth,
And so doth yours; your fault was not your folly!
Needs must you lay your heart at his dispose,
Against whose fury and unmatched force
The awless lion could not wage the fight,
Nor keep his princely heart from Richard's hand.
He, that perforce robs lions of their hearts,
May easily win a woman's. Ah, my mother,
With all my heart I thank thee for my father!
Who lives and dares but say, thou didst not well
When I was got, I'll send his soul to hell.—
Come, lady, I will show thee to my kin;

And they shall say, when Richard me begot,
If thou had'st said him nay, it had been sin:
Who says, it was, he lies; I say, 'twas not.

[Exeunt.