1 The Troublesome Reign of King John · chunk 3 of 29
Anonymous · published 1611 · first performed or written 1591 (Annals) history · Queen Elizabeth's Men unassigned nearest T43 York and Lancaster: dynastic claims and · 498 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T43: henry, king, richard, warwick, york, edward, father, duke, crown, son.
I grant (my Lord) he is my mother's son, Base borne, and base begot, no Fauconbridge. Indeed the world reputes him lawful heir, My father in his life did count him so, And here my mother stands to prove him so: But I (my Lord) can prove, and do aver Both to my mother's shame, and his reproach, He is no heir, nor yet legitimate. Then (gracious Lord) let Fauconbridge enjoy The living that belongs to Fauconbridge. And let not him possess another's right. Prove this, the land is thine by England's law. Ungracious youth, to rip thy mother's shame, The womb from whence thou didst thy being take, All honest ears abhor thy wickedness, But gold I see doth beat down Nature's law. My gracious Lord, and you thrice reverend Dame, That see the tears distilling from mine eyes, And scalding sighs blown from a rent heart: For honour and regard of womanhood, Let me entreat to be commanded hence. Let not these ears here receive the hissing sound Of such a viper, who with poisoned words Doth macerate the bowels of my soul. Lady, stand up, be patient for a while: And fellow, say, whose bastard is thy brother? Not for myself, nor for my mother now; But for the honour of so brave a man, Whom he accuseth with adultery: here I beseech your Grace upon my knees, To count him mad, and so dismiss us hence. Nor mad, nor mazde, but well advised, I Charge thee before this royal presence here To be a bastard to king Richard's self, Son to your Grace, and brother to your Majesty. Thus bluntly, and Young man, thou needst not be ashamed of thy kin, Nor of thy Sire. But forward with thy proof. The proof so plain, the argument so strong, As that your Highness and these noble Lords, And all (save those that have no eyes to see) Shall swear him to be bastard to the king. First, when my Father was Ambassador In Germany unto the Emperor, The King lay often at my father's house; And all the realm suspected what befell: And at my father's back-return again My mother was delivered, as 'tis said, Six weeks before the account my father made. But more than this: look but on Philip's face, His features, actions, and his lineaments, And all this princely presence shall confess, He is no other but King Richard's son. Then gracious Lord, rest he King Richard's son, And let me rest safe in my Father's right, That am his rightful son and only heir. Is this thy proof, and all thou hast to say? I have no more, nor need I greater proof. First, where thou saidst in absence of thy Sire My brother often lodged in his house: And what of that? base groom to slander him, That honoured his Ambassador so much, In absence of the man to cheer the wife? This will not hold, proceed unto the next.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I grant (my Lord) he is my mothers ſonne, Baſe borne, and baſe begot, no Fauconbridge. Indeede the world reputes him lawfull heire, My father in his life did count him ſo, And here my mother ſtands to prooue him ſo: But I (my Lord) can prooue, and doe auerre Both to my mothers ſhame, and his reproach, He is no heire, nor yet legitimate. Then (gratious Lord) let Fauconbridge enioy The liuing that belongs to Fauconbridge. And let not him poſſeſſe anothers right. Prooue this, the land is thine by Englands lawe. Vngratious youth, to rip thy mothers ſhame, The wombe from whence thou didſt thy being take, All honeſt eares abhorre thy wickedneſſe, But gold I ſee doth beate downe Natures law. My gratious Lord, and you thrice reuerend Dame, That ſee the teares diſtilling from mine eies, And ſcalding ſighes blowne from a rented heart: For honour and regard of womanhood, Let me intreate to be commaunded hence. Let not theſe eares heere receiue the hiſſing ſound Of ſuch a viper, who with poyſoned words Doth maſſerate the bowells of my ſoule. Lady, ſtand vp, be patient for a while: And fellow, ſay, whoſe baſtard is thy brother? Not for my ſelfe, nor for my mother now; But for the honour of ſo braue a man, Whom hee accuſeth with adulterie: Heere I beſeech your Grace vpon my knees, To count him mad, and ſo diſmiſſe vs hence. Nor mad, nor mazde, but well aduiſed, I Charge thee before this royall preſence here To be a baſtard to king Richards ſelfe, Sonne to your Grace, and brother to your Maieſtie. Thus bluntly, and Yong man, thou needſt not be aſhamed of thy kin, Nor of thy Sire. But forward with thy proofe. The proofe ſo plaine, the argument ſo ſtrong, As that your Highneſſe and theſe noble Lords, And all (ſaue thoſe that haue no eies to ſee) Shall ſweare him to be baſtard to the king. Firſt, when my Father was Embaſſadour In Germanie vnto the Emperour, The King lay often at my fathers houſe; And all the realme ſuſpected what befell: And at my fathers backe-returne agen My mother was deliuered, as tis ſed, Sixe weeks before the account my father made. But more than this: looke but on Philips face, His features, actions, and his lineaments, And all this princely preſence ſhall confeſſe, He is no other but King Richards ſonne. Then gratious Lord, reſt he King Richards ſonne, And let me reſt ſafe in my Fathers right, That am his rightfull ſonne and only heire. Is this thy proofe, and all thou haſt to ſay? I haue no more, nor neede I greater proofe. Firſt, where thou ſaidſt in abſence of thy Sire My brother often lodged in his houſe: And what of that? baſe groome to ſlaunder him, That honoured his Embaſſador ſo much, In abſence of the man to cheere the wife? This will not hold, proceed vnto the next.