A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 07
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 07
English drama
GLO. Nay, then, you injure me. Stay, till he come; he's in a russet cloak,
And must attend me like a serving-man.
JOHN. Hold, there's my sword, and with my sword my heart.
Bring him, for God's sake, and for thy desert
My brother king and mother queen shall love thee.
GLO. Mark me, good prince; yonder away we come,
I go afore, and Gloster follows me;
Let not the sheriff nor Richard meddle with us.
Begin you first; seize Gloster, and arrest him.
I'll draw and lay about me here and here;
Be heedful that your watchmen hurt me not.
JOHN. I'll hang him that doth hurt thee; prythee, away,
I love thee; but thou kill'st me with delay.
GLO. Well, keep close watch; I'll bring him presently.
JOHN, Away then quickly.
GLO. Gloster, close, master sheriff, Prince Richard.
RICH. Gloster, adieu.
GLO. I trust you.
RICH. By my knighthood, I'll prove true.
[_Exit_ GLOSTER.
JOHN. Revenge, I'll build a temple to your name;
And the first offering shall be Gloster's head,
Thy altars shall be sprinkled with the blood,
Whose wanton current his mad humour fed;
He was a rhymer and a riddler,
A scoffer at my mother, prais'd my father:
I'll fit him now for all--escape and all.
RICH. Take heed spite burst not in his proper gall.
SCENE THE TWENTIETH.
_Enter_ FAUCONBRIDGE _and_ BLOCK.
JOHN. How now, what way took Fauconbridge, I wonder?
That is not Gloster, sure, that attends on him?
FAU. He came not at the sheriff's by the morrow-mass,
I sought the Goldsmiths' row, and found him not;
Sirrah, y'are sure he sent not home my chain?
BLO. Who should send [home] your chain, sir?
FAU. The prince, Prince John; I lent it him to-day.
JOHN. What's this they talk?
BLO. By my truth, sir, and ye lent it him, I think you may go look it:
for one of the drawers of the Salutation told me even now, that he had
took up a chamber there till evening, and then he will away to Kent.
FAU. Body of me, he means to spend my chain.
Come, Block; I'll to him.
JOHN. Hear you, Fauconbridge;
FAU. Why, what a knave art thou? yonder's Prince John.
BLO. Then the drawer's a knave; he told me Prince John was at the
Salutation.
JOHN. Where's Gloster, Fauconbridge?
FAU. Sweet prince, I know not.
JOHN. Come, jest not with me: tell me where he is?
FAU. I never saw him since the Parl'ament.
JOHN. Impudent liar, didst thou not even now
Say thou wouldst fetch him? Hadst thou not my sword?
FAU. Wert thou a king, I will not bear the lie.
Thy sword? no, boy; thou seest this sword is mine.
BLO. My master a liar? Zounds, wert thou a potentate!
FAU. I scorn to wear thy arms, untutor'd child,
I fetch thee, Gloster, shameless did I see thee,
Since as I went this morning to the Sheriffs,
Thou borrow'dst my gold chain!
JOHN. Thy chain?
FAU. I hope thou wilt not cheat me, princocks John!
JOHN. I'll cheat thee of thy life, if thou charge me
With any chain.
FAU. Come, let him come, I pray,
I'll whip ye, boy, I'll teach you to out-face.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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