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

This calf, bred from his cow, from all the

world;

In sooth, he might: then, if he were my bro

ther's,

My brother might not claim him; nor your father,

Being none of his, refuse him: This concludes,-
My mother's son did get your father's heir;
Your father's heir must have your father's land.
Rob. Shall then my father's will be of no
force,

To dispossess that child which is not his?
Bast. Of no more force to disposses me, Sir,
Than was his will to get me, as I think.
Eli. Whether hadst thou rather,

conbridge,

be a Faul

And like thy brother to enjoy thy laud:
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 - far-
things goes!

And, to his shape, were heir to all this land,

'Would I might never stir from off this place, I'd give it every foot to have this face; I would not be sir Nob in any case.

Eli. I like thee well; Wilt thou forsake thy fortune,

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;
Yet sell your face for fivepence, and 'tis dear.-
Madam, I'll follow you unto the death.

Eli. Nay, I would have you go before me.

thither.

Bast. Our country manners give our betters

way. K. John. What is thy name?

Bast. Philip, my Liege; so is my name begun : Philip, good old sir Robert's wife's eldest son. K. John. From henceforth bear his name whose form thou bear'st:

Kneel thou down Philip, but arise more great; Arise Sir Richard, and Plantagenet.

Bast. Brother by the mother's side, give me your hand;

My father gave me honour, yours gave land: -
Now blessed be the hour, by night or day,
When I was got, sir Robert was away.
Eli. The very spirit of Plantagenet!
I am thy grandame,Richard; call me so.
Bast. Madam, by chance, but not by truth :
What though?

Something about, a little from the right,
In at the window, or else o'er the hatch:
Who dares not stir by day, must walk by night;
And have is haye, however men do catch:

Near or far off, well won is still well shot;
And I am f, howe'er I was begot.

K. John. Go, Faulconbridge; now hast thou thy desire,

A lan less knight makes thee a landed 'squire.Come, Madam, and come, Richard; we must speed

For France, for France; for it is more than

Bast,

need.

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 that I was;
But many a many foot of land the worse.
Well, now can I make any Joan a lady:
Good den, Sir Richard,

Good-a-mercy,

fellow;

And if his name be George, I'll call him Peter: For new-made honour doth forget men's names; 'Tis too respective, and too sociable,

-

For your conversion. Now your traveller,
He and his tooth-pick at my worship's mess;
And when my knightly stomach is suffic'd,
Why then I suck my teeth, and catechise
My picked man.of countries: - My dear Sir,
(Thus, leaning on mine elbow, I begin,)
I shall beseech you -- That is question now;
And then comes answer like an ABC-book:
O Sir, says answer, at your best command;
At your employment; at your service, Sir:
No, Sir, says question; I, sweet Sir, at yours:
And so, cre answer knows what question would,
(Saving in dialogue of compliment;
And talking of the Alps, and Apennines,
The Pyrenean, and the river Po,)

It draws towards supper in conclusion so.
But this is worshipful society,

And fits te mounting spirit, like myself:
For he is but a bastard to the time,
That doth not smack of observation;
(And so am I, whether I smack, or no;)
And not alone in habit and device,
Exterior form, outward accoutrement;
But from the inward motion to deliver
Sweet, sweet, sweet poison for the age's tooth:
Which though I will not practise to deceive,
Yet, to avoid deceit, I mean to learn;
For it shall strew the footsteps of my rising.
But who comes in such haste, in riding robes?
What woman - post is this? hath she no husband,
That will take pains to blow a horn before her?

Enter Lady FAULCONBRIDGE and James

Gurney.

O me! it is my mother:How now, good Lady?
What brings you here to court so hastily?
Lady F. Where is that slave, thy brother?
where is he?

That holds in chase mine honour up and down? Bast. My brother Robert? old sir Robert's son?

Colbrand the giant, that same mighty man? Is it sir Robert's son, that you seek so?

Lady F. Sir Robert's son! Ay, thou unreverend boy,

Sir Robert's son: Why scorn'st thou at sir Robert?

He is Sir Robert's son; and so art thou. Bast. James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave a while?

Gur. Good leave, good Philip.

Bast. Philip?sparrow!-James,

There's toys abroad; anon I'll tell thee more.
[Exit Gurney.
Madam, I was not old sir Robert's son;
Sir Robert might have eat his part in me
Upon Good - friday, and ne'er broke his fast:
Sir Robert could do well; Marry, (to confess!)
Could he get me? Sir Robert could not do it;
We know his handiwork: Therefore, good

mother,

To whom am I beholden for these limbs?
Sir Robert never holp to make this leg.

Lady F. Hast thou conspired with thy bro

ther too,

That for thine own gain should'st defend mine honour?

What means this scorn, thou most untoward

kuave?

Bast. Knight, knight, good mother,

siliscolike:

Ba

What! I am dubb'd; I have it on my shoulder.
But, mother, I am not sir Robert's son;
I have disclaim'd sir Robert, and my land;
Legitimation, name, and all is gone:

Then, good my mother, let me know my

father;

Some proper man, I hope; Who was it, mother? Lady F. Hast thou denied thyself a Faulconbridge?

Bast. As faithfully as I deny the devil. Lady F. King Richard Coeur-de- lion was thy father;

By long and vehement suit I was seduc'd
To make room for him in my husband's bed : —
Heaven lay not my transgression to my charge!-