K. John.
Thus I have yielded up into your Hand
The Circle of my Glory.

Pond.
Take again
From this my Hand, as holding of the Pope,
Your Soveraign Greatness and Authority.

K. John.
Now keep your holy Word, go meet the French,
And from his Holiness use all your Power
To stop their Marches 'fore we are enflam'd.
Our discontented Counties do revolt;
Our People quarrel with Obedience,
Swearing Allegiance, and the love of Soul
To stranger-Blood, to foreign Royalty;
This Inundation of distemper'd Humour,
Rests by you only to be qualify'd.
Then pause not; for the present Time's so sick,
That present Med'cine must be ministred,
Or Overthrow incurably insues.

Pand.
It was my Breath that blew this Tempest up,
Upon your stubborn Usage of the Pope:
But since you are a gentle Convertite,
My Tongue shall hush again this Storm of War,
And make fair Weather in your blustring Land.
On this Ascension-Day, remember well,
Upon your Oath of Service to the Pope,
Go I to make the French lay down their Arms. [Exit.

K. John.
Is this Ascension-Day? Did not the Prophet
Say, that before Ascension-Day at Noon,
My Crown I should give off? even so I have:
I did suppose it should be on Constraint,
But, Heav'n be thank'd, it is but voluntary. Enter Bastard.

Bost.
All Kent hath yielded, nothing there holds out
But Dover-Castle: London hath receiv'd,
Like a kind Host, the Dauphin and his Powers.

Your Nobles will not hear you, but are gone
To offer Service to your Enemy;
And wild Amazement hurries up and down
The little Number of your doubtful Friends.

K. John.
Would not my Lords return to me again,
After they heard young Arthur was alive?

Bast.
They found him dead, and cast into the Streets,
An empty Casket, where the Jewel of Life
By some damn'd Hand was robb'd and ta'en away.

K. John.
That Villain Hubert told me he did live.

Bast.
So on my Soul he did, for ought he knew:
But wherefore do you droop? Why look you sad?
Be great in Act, as you have been in Thought:
Let not the World see Fear and sad Distrust
Govern the Motion of a Kingly Eye;
Be stirring as the time, be Fire with Fire;
Threaten the Threatner, and out-face the Brow
Of bragging Horror: So shall inferior Eyes,
That borrow their Behaviours from the Great,
Grow great by your Example, and put on
The dauntless Spirit of Resolution.
Away, and glister like the God of War
When he intendeth to become the Field;
Shew Boldness and aspiring Confidence.
What, shall they seek the Lion in his Den,
And fright him there? and make him tremble there?
Oh let it not be said: Forage, and run
To meet Displeasure farther from the Doors,
And grapple with him e'er he come so nigh.

K. John.
The Legat of the Pope hath been with me,
And I have made a happy Peace with him;
And he hath promis'd to dismiss the Powers
Led by the Dauphin.

Bast.
Oh inglorious League:
Shall we upon the footing of our Land,
Send fair-play-Orders, and make comprimise.
Insinuation, Parly, and base Truce
To Arms invasive? Shall a beardless Boy,
A cockred-silken Wanton brave our Fields,
And flesh his Spirit in a War-like Soil,
Mocking the Air with Colours idely spread,

And find no check? Let us, my Liege, to Arms:
Perchance the Cardinal cannot make your Peace;
Or if he do, let it at least be said
They saw we had a purpose of defence.

K. John.
Have thou the ordering of this present time.

Bast.
Away then with good Courage; yet I know
Our Party may well meet a prouder Foe. [Exeunt.

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