Page 175 - Shakespeare - Vol. 2

But thou art fair, and at thy birth, dear boy,
Nature and fortune join’d to make thee great:
Of nature’s gifts thou mayst with lilies boast
And with the half-blown rose. But fortune, O,

She is corrupted, chang’d and won from thee; [55]
Sh’ adulterates hourly with thine uncle John,
And with her golden hand hath pluck’d on France
To tread down fair respect of sovereignty,

And made his majesty the bawd to theirs.
France is a bawd to fortune and King John, [60]
That strumpet fortune, that usurping John!
Tell me, thou fellow, is not France forsworn?

Envenom him with words, or get thee gone,
And leave those woes alone which I alone
Am bound to underbear!

SALISBURY
Pardon me, madam, [65]

I may not go without you to the kings.

CONSTANCE

Thou mayst, thou shalt; I will not go with thee:
I will instruct my sorrows to be proud,
For grief is proud an’t makes his owner stoop.
To me and to the state of my great grief [70]

Let kings assemble; for my grief’s so great
That no supporter but the huge firm earth
Can hold it up: here I and sorrows sit;
Here is my throne, bid kings come bow to it.

[Throws herself on the ground. Exit Salisbury with Arthur.]

Constance remains seated. Enter King John, King Philip, Lewis, Blanche,
Eleanor, the Bastard, Austria, Salisbury, and Attendants.

KING PHILIP
’Tis true, fair daughter; and this blessed day [75]
Ever in France shall be kept festival:

To solemnize this day the glorious sun