Great Britain -- History -- John, 1199-1216 -- Drama; John, King of England, 1167-1216 -- Drama
The elongated S's have been changed to small s's and the
conjoined ae have been changed to ae. I have left the spelling,
punctuation, capitalization as close as possible to the printed
text. I have corrected some spelling mistakes (I have put
together a spelling dictionary devised from the spellings of
the Geneva Bible and Shakespeare's First Folio and have unified
spellings according to this template), typo's and expanded
abbreviations as I have come across them. Everything within
brackets [] is what I have added. So if you don't like that you
can delete everything within the brackets if you want a purer
Shakespeare.
Another thing that you should be aware of is that there are
textual differences between various copies of the first folio. So
there may be differences (other than what I have mentioned above)
between this and other first folio editions. This is due to the
printer's habit of setting the type and running off a number of
copies and then proofing the printed copy and correcting the type
and then continuing the printing run. The proof run wasn't thrown
away but incorporated into the printed copies. This is just the
way it is. The text I have used was a composite of more than 30
different First Folio editions' best pages.
David Reed
=====================================================================
The life and death of King John
Actus Primus, Scaena Prima.
Enter King Iohn, Queene Elinor, Pembroke, Essex, and Salisbury,
with the
Chattylion of France.
King Iohn. Now say Chatillion, what would France with vs?
Chat. Thus (after greeting) speakes the King
of France,
In my behauiour to the Maiesty,
The borrowed Maiesty of England heere
Elea. A strange beginning: borrowed Maiesty?
K.Iohn. Silence (good mother) heare the Embassie
Chat. Philip of France, in right and true behalfe
Of thy deceased brother, Geffreyes sonne,
Arthur Plantaginet, laies most lawfull claime
To this faire Iland, and the Territories:
To Ireland, Poyctiers, Aniowe, Torayne, Maine,
Desiring thee to lay aside the sword
Which swaies vsurpingly these seuerall titles,
And put the same into yong Arthurs hand,
Thy Nephew, and right royall Soueraigne
K.Iohn. What followes if we disallow of this?
Chat. The proud controle of fierce and bloudy warre,
To inforce these rights, so forcibly with-held,
K.Io. Heere haue we war for war, & bloud for bloud,
Controlement for controlement: so answer France
Chat. Then take my Kings defiance from my mouth,
The farthest limit of my Embassie
K.Iohn. Beare mine to him, and so depart in peace,
Be thou as lightning in the eies of France;
For ere thou canst report, I will be there:
The thunder of my Cannon shall be heard.
So hence: be thou the trumpet of our wrath,
And sullen presage of your owne decay:
An honourable conduct let him haue,
Pembroke looke too't: farewell Chattillion.
Exit Chat. and Pem.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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