Upon the dancing banner, of the French, Enter English Herald with Trumpets. 9 E. Her. Rejoice, ye men of Angiers; ring your King John, your King and England's, doth approach, Their armours, that march'd hence fo filver-bright, 2 Cit. Heralds, from off our tow'rs we might behold, Blood hath bought blood, and blows have anfwer'd Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted power. Rejoice, ye men of Angiers, The English herald falls fomewhat below his antagonist. Silver armour gilt with blood, is a poor image. Yet our authour has it again in Macbeth. Here lay Duncan, His filver jkin lac'd with his golden blood. And, like a jolly troop of huntsmen,] It was, I think, one of the favage practices of the chafe, for all to ftain their hands in the blood of the deer, as a trophy. 2 Heralds, from off, &c.. -] These three fpeeches feem to have been laboured. The citi-, zen's is the beft; yet both alike we like, is a poor gingle. Both Both are alike, and both alike we like; One must prove greateft. While they weigh fo even, We hold our town for neither; yet for both. SCENE V. Enter the two Kings with their Powers, at feveral Doors. K. John. France, haft thou yet more blood to caft away? Say, fhall the current of our Right run on? A peaceful progrefs to the ocean. K. Philip. England, thou hast not fav'd one drop of blood In this hot tryal, more than we of France; Gracing the fcroul, that tells of this war's lofs, Faulc. Ha! Majefty,-how high thy glory towers, Why ftand thefe royal Fronts amazed thus ? 3 You equal Potents, fiery-kindled fpirits! The other's peace; till then, blows, blood, and death: Cit. The King of England, when we know the King? K. Philip. Know him in us, that here hold up his Right. K. John. In us, that are our own great deputy, And bear poffeffion of our perfon here; Lord of our prefence, Angiers, and of you. 4 Cit. A greater pow'r, than ye, denies all this; And till it be undoubted, we do lock Our former fcruple in our ftròng-barr'd gates. Be by fome certain King purg'd and depos'd. t And ftand fecurely on their battlements, As in a Theatre, whence they gape and point Be friends a while, and both conjointly bend Even till unfenced defolation Leave them as naked as the vulgar air. power was this? their fears. It 4 In former copies: A greater pow'r, than we, denies all this; Kings Of our fears,] We i. e. ] We fhould read, than ye. What That That done, diffever your united strengths, How like you this wild counfel, mighty States? K. John. Now by the fky, that hangs above our I like it well. France, fhall we knit our Pow'rs, As we will ours, against these fawcy walls; K. Philip. Let it be fo; fay, where will you affault? Auft. I from the north. K. Philip. Our thunder from the fouth Shall rain their drift of bullets on this town. Faulc. O prudent difcipline! from North to South; Cit. Hear us, great Kings; vouchsafe a while to K. John. K. John. Speak on, with favour; we are bent to hear. Cit. That daughter there of Spain, the lady Blanch, Is near to England; look upon the years Of Lewis the Dauphin, and that lovely maid. If lufty love fhould go in queft of beauty, Where fhould he find it fairer than in Blanch? If* zealous love fhould go in fearch of virtue, Where should he find it purer than in Blanch? If love, ambitious, fought a match of Birth, Whose veins bound richer blood than lady Blanch? Such as the is, in beauty, virtue, birth, Is the young Dauphin every way compleat: If not compleat, oh fay, he is not the; And she again wants nothing, (to name Want,) If want it be not, that fhe is not he. 6 He is the half part of a bleffed man ‘; And two fuch fhores, to two such streams made one, Zealous feems here, to fignify pious, or influenced by motives of religion. 5 If not complete of, fay, &c.] Sir T. Hanmer reads, O! Jay. He is the half Part of a bleffed Man, 6 Left to be finished by fuch as She;] Dr. Thirlby prefcrib'd that Reading, which I have here reftoed to the Text. THEOBALD, 7 at this match, With favifter Spleen, &c.] Our authour ufes pleen for any violent hurry, or tumultuous speed. So in Midfummer Night's Dream he applies Spleen to the lightening. I am loath to think that Shakespeare meant to play with the double of match for nuptial, and the match of a gun. And |