You came not of one mother then, it seems. Bast. Most certain of one mother, mighty king; I put you o'er to heaven and to my mother: Eli. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame And wound her honour with this diffidence. Bast. I, madam? no, I have no reason for it; That is my brother's plea and none of mine; The which if he can prove, a' pops me out At least from fair five hundred pound a year: Heaven guard my mother's honour and my land! K. John. A good blunt fellow. Why, being younger born, Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance? Bast. 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 !— And were our father and this son like him, I give heaven thanks I was not like to thee! Eli. He hath a trick of Cordelion's face; The accent of his tongue affecteth him. In the large composition of this man? 62. put you o'er, refer you. 68. a', he. 85. trick, trait. 86. affecteth, resembles. 60 70 80 K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his And finds them perfect Richard. Sirrah, speak, With half that face would he have all my land: Your brother did employ my father much, Bast. Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land: Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother. Rob. And once dispatch'd him in an embassy To treat of high affairs touching that time. As I have heard my father speak himself, 94. half-faced groat; the groat (first issued by Henry VII.) bore the profile or half- face' of the king on one side. ་ IIO. took it on his death, swore, as surely as he expected to die, that, etc. This phrase is not exactly parallel with 'took it on his salvation,' where it is the strength of desire, not of assurance, that gives the oath its 90 100 ΙΙΟ force. It was commonly used by men who made solemn asseverations on their death-beds or before execution. 112. An if, if. followed by Delius. So Hanmer, The Ff and is used indiscriminately both for 'and' and 'an'; but an 'and' sentence is here clearly out of place. Full fourteen weeks before the course of time. K. John. Sirrah, your brother is legitimate; In sooth, good friend, your father might have This calf bred from his cow from all the world; Rob. Shall then my father's will be of no force Bast. 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 Cordelion, Lord of thy presence and no land beside? Bast. Madam, an if my brother had my shape, And I had his, sir Robert's his, like him; 120 130 substantively with that rollicking effect which is so characteristic of Faulconbridge ... his emphasising substantively the previous pronominal use of the word.' The line might be paraphrased: And I had his shape, in other words a his of Sir Robert's.' And if my legs were two such riding-rods, Lest men should say 'Look, where three-farthings And, to his shape, were heir to all this land, 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. Bast. Brother, take you my land, I'll take my Your face hath got five hundred pound a year, Eli. Nay, I would have you go before me Bast. Our country manners give our betters way. Bast. Philip, my liege, so is my name begun ; whose form thou bear'st: Kneel thou down Philip, but rise more great, name Bast. Brother by the mother's side, give me your hand: 143. three-farthings; the thin silver piece of this value (coined from 1561 to 1582) had on one side a profile-head of Elizabeth, with a rose at the back. It was a court fashion to put a rose in the ear. 144. to, in addition to. 153. sell your face for five pence and 'tis dear; carrying on the jest of v. 94, where it was valued at a groat (i.e. 4d.). My father gave me honour, yours gave land. I am thy grandam, Richard; call me so. Bast. Madam, by chance but not by truth; what though? Something about, a little from the right, In at the window, or else o'er the hatch: K. John. Go, Faulconbridge: now hast thou A landless knight makes thee a landed squire. speed For France, for France, for it is more than need. thee! For thou wast got i' the way of honesty. [Exeunt all but Bastard. A foot of honour better than I was; But many a many foot of land the worse. 'Good den, sir Richard!'-' God-a-mercy, fel- And if his name be George, I'll call him Peter; 170. about, i.e. not perfectly straight, regular. 170. from, away from. 171. In at the window, or else o'er the hatch; both phrases were proverbially applied to children born out of wedlock. 170 180 180, 181. Bastards, according to the proverb, are born lucky; whereas the honestly born Robert's luck is precarious and to be prayed for. girl. 184. any Joan, any peasant |