But, for the certain knowledge of that truth, Elin. Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame thy mother, And wound her honour with this diffidence. Bast. Í, madam? no, I have no reason for it; That is my brother's plea, and none of mine; The which if he can prove, 'a pops me out At least from fair five hundred pound a year: Heaven guard my mother's honour, and my land! K. John. A good blunt fellow:- Why, being younger born, Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance? Bast. I know not why, except to get the land. But once he slander'd me with bastardy: But whe'r I be as true begot, or no, And were our father, and this son like him ;- I give heaven thanks, I was not like to thee. K. John. Why, what a madcap hath heaven lent us here! Elin. He hath a trick of Coeur-de-lion's face, The accent of his tongue affecteth him: Do you not read some tokens of my son K. John. Mine eye hath well examined his parts, And finds them perfect Richard.--Sirrah, speak, What doth move you to claim your brother's land? Bast. Because he hath a half-face, like my father; With that half-face would he have all my land: A half-faced groat five hundred pound a year! Rob. My gracious liege, when that my father liv'd, Your brother did employ my father much;— Bust. Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land; Your tale must be, how he employ'd my mother. Rob. And once despatch'd him in an embassy To Germany, there, with the emperor, To treat of high affairs touching that time: The advantage of his absence took the king, And in the mean time sojourn'd at my father's; Where how he did prevail, I shame to speak: But truth is truth; large lengths of seas and shores Between my father and my mother lay, (As I have heard my father speak himself,) When this same lusty gentleman was got. Upon his death-bed he by will bequeath'd His lands to me; and took it, on his death, That this, my mother's son, was none of his; And, if he were, he came into the world Full fourteen weeks before the course of time. Then, good my liege, let me have what is mine, My father's land, as was my father's will. K. John. Sirrah, your brother is legitimate; Your father's wife did after wedlock bear him: And, if she did play false, the fault was hers: Which fault lies on the hazards of all husbands That marry wives. Tell me, how if my brother, Who, as you say, took pains to get this son, Had of your father claim'd this son for his? In sooth, good friend, your father might have kept Bast. Of no more force to dispossess me, sir, Elin. Whether hadst thou rather,—be a Faulconbridge, And like thy brother, to enjoy thy land; Or the reputed son of Coeur-de-lion, Lord of thy presence, and no land beside? Bast. Madam, an if my brother had my shape, And I had his, sir Robert his, like him; And if my legs were two such riding-rods, My arms such eelskins stuff'd; my face so thin, That in mine ear I durst not stick a rose, Lest men should say, Look, where three-farthings goes! And, to his shape, were heir to all this land, I'd give it every foot to have this face; I would not be sir Nob in any case. Elin. I like thee well; Wilt thou forsake thy for tune, Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me? I am a soldier, and now bound to France. Bast. Brother, take you my land, I'll take my chance: Your face hath got five hundred pounds a year; Elin. Nay, I would have you go before me thither. Bast. Philip, my liege; so is my name begun; Kneel thou down Philip, but arise more great; Bast. Brother by the mother's side, give me your hand; My father gave me honour, yours gave land:— Something about, a little from the right, Near or far off, well won is still well shot; And I am I, howe'er I was begot. K. John. Go, Faulconbridge; now hast thou thy desire, A landless knight makes thee a landed 'squire. Come, madam, and come, Richard; we must speed For France, for France; for it is more than need. Bast. Brother, adieu; Good fortune come to thee! For thou wast got i'the way of honesty. [Exeunt all but the Bastard. A foot of honour better than I was; But many a many foot of land the worse. For your conversion. Now your traveller, (Thus, leaning on mine elbow, I begin,) And talking of the Alps, and Apennines, It draws toward supper in conclusion so. And fits the mounting spirit, like myself: |