Rafe Cog. [Divers barons made because he would not release Arthur.] [John pur out Arthur's eyes.] Hubert the archbishop there, on the fourteenth day of Aprill,1 and then went backe againe into Normandie, where, immediatlie vpon his arriuall, a rumour was spred through all France, of the death of his nephue Arthur. True it is that great suit was made to haue Arthur set at libertie, as well by the French king, as by William de Riches a valiant baron of Poictou, and diuerse other war on John, Noble men of the Britains, who when they could not preuaile in their suit, they banded themselues togither, and, ioining in confederacie with Robert earle of Alanson, the vicount Beaumont, William de Fulgiers, and other, they began to leuie sharpe wars against king Iohn in diuerse places, insomuch (as it was thought) that, so long as Arthur liued, there would be no quiet in those parts wherevpon it was reported that king Iohn, through persuasion of his councellors, appointed certeine persons to go vnto posed to put Falais, where Arthur was kept in prison, vnder the charge of Hubert de Burgh, and there to put out the yoong gentlemans eies. But through such resistance as he made against one of the tormentors that came to execute the kings commandement (for the other 2 rather forsooke their prince and countrie, than they would consent to obeie the kings authoritie heerein) and such lamentable words as he vttered, Hubert de Burgh did preserue him from that iniurie; not doubting but rather to haue thanks than displeasure at the kings hands, for deliuering him of such infamie as would haue redounded vnto his highnesse, if the yoong gentleman had beene so cruellie dealt withall. For he considered, that king Iohn had resolued vpon this point onelie in his heat and furie (which moueth men to vndertake manie an inconuenient enterprise, vnbeseeming the person of a common man, much more reprochfull to a prince, all men in that mood being meere foolish and furious, and prone to accomplish the peruerse conceits of their ill possessed heart; . . .) and that afterwards, vpon better aduise [But Arthur resisted, and Hubert de Burgh delivered him.] 1 This must be the ceremony which John calls his "double Corronation" (IV. ii. 40). But we learn from his Itinerary that, on April 14, 1202, he was at Orival near Rouen. John's second coronation took place on October 8, 1200.-Hoveden, iv. 139. On March 25, 1201, he was crowned for the third and last time.-Hoveden, iv. 160. 2 John bade three of his sergeants ("præcepit tribus suis servientibus") go to Falaise, and carry out this order. But two of the men fled his Court rather than obey him.-Coggeshale, 139. Hubert thought that those who obeyed John's have small afterwards.] ment, he would both repent himselfe so to haue commanded, and giue them small thanke that should see it put in execution. Howbeit, to satisfie his mind for the time, and to staie the rage order would of the Britains, he caused it to be bruted abroad through the thanks countrie, that the kings commandement was fulfilled; and that Arthur also through sorrow and greefe was departed out of this Arthur's life. For the space of fifteene daies this rumour incessantlie ran announced, through both the realmes of England and France, and there was rumour ringing for him through townes and villages, as it had beene for through his funerals. Historic time vanishes when, after John's barons have departed, he is informed by a messenger that the French "are all arriu'd" (IV. ii. 115) news which transports us from 1202 to 1216. But when, after brief question, John is apprized of his mother's death on "the first of Aprill" (l. 119-121), we are borne back to 1204,1 in which year death was and the spread England and death.] [Hol. iii. 167/2/73.] queene Elianor the mother of king Iohn (Q. Eleanor's departed this life, consumed [p. 168] rather through sorow and anguish of mind, than of any other naturall infirmitie. The entry of Faulconbridge with Peter of Pomfret makes 1212 the historic date of 11. 132-157. [Hol. iii. 180/1/28.] There was in this season an heremit, whose name was Peter, dwelling about Yorke; a man in great reputation with the common people, bicause that, either inspired with some spirit of prophesie, as the people beleeued, or else hauing some notable skill in art magike, he was accustomed to 1 Eleanor died on April 1, 1204.-Ann. Waverl., 256. Perhaps Shakspere chose April 1 for the day because a celestial appearance-of such sort as was believed to forebode the departure of great persons-is mentioned under the same year, and on the same page, which contains the record of her decease. Hol. says (iii. 167/1/40): "This yeare [1204] the aire toward the north and east parts seemed to be on a bright fire [? the aurora borealis, sometimes seen in our latitudes] for the space of six houres togither. It began about the first watch of the night, on the first of Aprill." The date of Constance's deathrumoured to have happened "three dayes before" (1. 123) Eleanor's-is not given by Hol. According to Hoveden (iv. 174) she died in 1201. Hol.'s authority for the following passage (iii. 166/1/12), from which we learn that she survived Arthur, was probably Polyd. Verg., 267/6. An hermit named Peter as some See M. Fox, pag. 331. "But king Philip, after he was aduertised of Arthur's death, tooke the matter verie greeuouslie, and, vpon occasion thereof, cited king Iohn to appeare before him at a certeine day, to answer such obiections as Constance the Constance, duches of Britaine, mother to the said Arthur, should lay to his charge, touch- the mother ing the murther of hir sonne. And bicause king Iohn appeared not, he was of Duke Arthur, condemned in the action, and adiudged to forfeit all that he held within the accuseth precinct of France, as well Normandie as all his other lands and dominions." king John. [John (so Peter told be dethroned at next Ascension Day.] tell what should follow after. And for so much as oftentimes his saiengs prooued true, great credit was giuen to him as to a verie prophet: . . . This Peter, about the first of Ianuarie1 last past, had him) was to told the king that, at the feast of the Ascension, it should come to passe, that he should be cast out of his kingdome. And (whether, to the intent that his words should be the better beleeued, or whether vpon too much trust of his owne cunning) he offered himsuffer death selfe to suffer death for it, if his prophesie prooued not true. Herevpon being committed to prison within the castell of Corf, when the day by him prefixed came, without any other notable damage vnto king Iohn, he was, by the kings commandement, The heremit drawne from the said castell vnto the towne of Warham, & there hanged, togither with his sonne. [Peter offered to if the prophecy failed.] [No great harm befel John on that day.] and his sonne hanged. Having heard Faulconbridge's account of Peter's doings, John bids Hubert "away with" the prophet to prison. During Hubert's absence on this business, 1216 becomes again the historic date, but when, at his return, he speaks of the five moons, time runs back to the year 1200, for under the latter date Holinshed records that [Hol. iii. 163/1/44] About the moneth of December, there Fiue moones. were seene in the prouince of Yorke fiue moones, one in the east, the second in the west, the third in the north, the fourth in the south, and the fift as it were set in the middest of the other; hauing manie stars about it, and went fiue or six times incompassing the other, as it were the space of one houre, and shortlie after vanished awaie. If speeches referring to the Dauphin be excluded, the rest of Act IV. may bear the historical date of April, 1203, about which time Arthur disappeared. Omitting a sentence which does not illustrate the play, I resume my quotations at the point where, in the last excerpt relating to Arthur, the bell-ringing "for his funerals" is mentioned (p. 61 above). [Hol. iii. 165/2/43.] But when the Britains were nothing pacified, but rather kindled more vehementlie to worke all the 1 "Sub his . . . diebus," in the year 1212, was the time when, according to M. Paris, Peter flourished as a prophet; "et publice asserebat, quod non foret [Johannes] rex in die Dominica Ascensionis proximo sequentis nec deinceps; sed die illa coronam Angliæ ad alium transferri prædixit."-M. Paris (Wendover), ii. 535. Peter's prediction must have been made after Ascension Day (May 3), 1212, and was fulfilled on the Vigil of Ascension Day (May 22), 1213, on which day John surrendered his crown to Pandulph. mischeefe they could deuise, in reuenge of their souereignes death, there was no remedie but to signifie abroad againe, that Arthur was as yet liuing and in health. Now when the king heard the truth of all this matter, he was nothing displeased for that his commandement was not executed, sith there were diuerse of his capteins which vttered in plaine words, that he should not find knights to keepe his castels, if he dealt so cruellie with his nephue. For if it chanced any of them to be taken by the king of France or other their aduersaries, they should be sure to tast of the like cup. But now touching the maner in verie deed of the end of this Arthur, writers make sundrie reports. Neuerthelesse certeine it is, that, in the yeare next insuing, he was remooued from Falais vnto the castell or tower of Rouen, out of the which there was not any that would confesse that euer he saw him go aliue. Some haue written, that, as he assaied to haue escaped out of prison, proouing to clime ouer the wals of the castell, he fell into the riuer of Saine, and so was drowned. Other write, that through verie greefe and languor he pined awaie, and died of naturall sicknesse. But some affirme, that king Iohn secretlie caused him to be murthered and made awaie, so as it is not throughlie agreed vpon, in what sort he finished his daies; but verelie king Iohn was had in great suspicion, whether worthilie or not, the lord knoweth,1 and Act V. sc. i.-Act V. opens on the Vigil of Ascension Day 2 (May 22, 1213). In the preceding year John had been deposed by Innocent, and Pandulph was commissioned to request Philip's armed help in effecting the dethronement (see p. 57 above). Philip [Hol. iii. 176/2/20.] was easilie persuaded thereto of an inward hatred that he bare vnto our king, and therevpon with all diligence made his prouision of men, ships, munition and vittell, in purpose to passe ouer into England: John assembled a large fleet and army, and, in the spring of 1213, he was awaiting the French at Barham Down, Kent.3 1 According to Ann. Marg. (27) John slew Arthur at Rouen, on April 3, 1203. 2 This date must be accepted with a reservation of dramatic time, for the words of Pandulph and John (V. i. 22, 25-27; cp. IV. ii. 151-157) show that Act V. opens on Ascension Day. 3 M. Paris (Wendover), ii. 539. John's preparations must have begun soon Polydore. of the temple [ask John to receive [Hol. iii. 176/2/65.] But as he lay thus readie, neere to the coast, to withstand and beat backe his enimies, there arriued Two knights at Douer two Templers, who, comming before the king, declared vnto him that they were sent from Pandulph the popes legat, who for his profit coueted to talke with him; for he had (as they affirmed) meanes to propone, whereby he might be reconciled both to God and his church, although he were adiudged, in the court of Rome, to haue forfeited all the right which he had to his kingdome. Pandulph, who had terms to propose.] The legat Pandulph cometh ouer. [The English lords offered fealty to Philip.] [p. 177] The king, vnderstanding the meaning of the messengers, sent them backe againe to bring ouer the legat, who incontinentlie came ouer to Douer; of whose arriuall when the king was aduertised, he went thither, and receiued him with all due honour and reuerence. Now after they had talked togither a little, and courteouslie saluted each other (as the course of humanitie required) the legat (as it is reported) vttered these words following. I omit "The sawcie speech of proud Pandulph, the popes lewd legat, to king Iohn, in the presumptuous popes behalfe," since it was not used by either dramatist. Matthew Paris, Holinshed's authority here, enumerates four reasons 1 which moved John to submit. One, which probably had much weight, was Pandulph's assertion—in the course of his "sawcie speech"-that Philip [Hol. iii. 177/1/43.] hath (as he sticketh not to protest openlie to the world) a charter made by all the cheefest lords of England touching their fealtie and obedience assured to him. The result of Pandulph's threats I give in my next excerpt, which should be compared with V. i. 1-4. [Hol. iii. 177/1/60.] These words being thus spoken by the legat, king Iohn, as then vtterlie despairing in his matters, when he saw himselfe constreined to obeie, was in a great perplexitie of mind, and as one full of thought, looked about him with a frowning countenance; waieng with himselfe what counsell after March 3, 1213, when he issued writs for the assembly of a fleet at Portsmouth in Mid-Lent (Mid-Lent Sunday fell on March 24).-M. Paris (Wendover), ii. 538. "Quartam vero causam aliis omnibus plus timebat; instabat enim dies Dominicæ Ascensionis, in qua juxta prophetiam Petri heremitæ, cum ipsa vita regnum tam temporale quam æternum amittere verebatur."-M. Paris (Wendover), ii, 541. |