FRIAR.  The last appearance shadow’d the fair queen
And her two children, at whose sight King John
Shewed neither sign nor show of passion: 
But when the sun came masked in a cloud,
And veiled beauty, join’d with chastity,
Appeared in Matilda’s lovely shape,
He starts, he clasps, he wakes, he calls, he seeks
The shadow of that substance he affects. 
To her he sues, but she his suit rejects;
To him she sues, but he her suit neglects: 
He sues to be her love; she doth despise: 
She sues to live a maid, which he denies. 
What follows of this wilfull will and shall,
This no and nay, this quenchless, bootless fire,
This cold affection and this hot desire,
The act itself shall tell; and the poor friar
Your partial favours humbly doth require.
          
                                [Exit.

ACT II., SCENE I.

Sound trumpets.  Enter KING, BONVILLE, SALISBURY, LORDS.[296]

KING.  Now I perceive this only was a dream. 
Divine Matilda’s angel did appear,
Deck’d like a vestal ready for heaven’s quire,
And to this earthly trunk will not come near. 
Well, let her go:  I must, i’ faith, I must,
And so I will.  Kings’ thoughts should be divine;
So are Matilda’s, so henceforth shall mine.

OLD AUB.  So doing, peace shall wait upon your crown,
And blessing upon blessing shall befall.

KING.  It’s true, my lord:  I know full well there shall.

SAL.  Your people will wax proud of such a king,
That of himself is king, lord of his thoughts;
Which by assertion of philosophers
Is held to be the greatest empery.

KING.  And they said wisely, noble Aubery.

SAL.  Then will Fitzwater, with his gallant troop[297],
Again keep triumph[298] in the English court;
Then will Matilda—­

KING.  Matilda! what of her?

SAL.  Like a bright star adorn the lovely train
Of beauteous ladies which attend the queen,
Whose only beauty equalleth them all.

KING.  Like an old fool, whose dim eyes, wanting sight,
Compar’st the sun to common candle light?

SAL.  Pardon, my liege, I do confess her fair[299]
Exceeds all these as far as day doth night.

KING.  Grossly alluded:  night by moon, by stars
By wandering fires, exhaled meteors,
By artificial lights, by eyes of beasts,
And little glow-worms glimpsing in the dark,
Hath somewhere brightness, lightness; and sometime
Under each horizon in all parts clear: 
But they at no time nowhere can be said
To be less dark than dungeon darkness is: 
Pitch-colour’d, ebon-fac’d, blacker than black,
While her fair eyes give beauty to bright day.

SAL.  To hear the queen thus prais’d works my content.

KING.  The queen! 
O, had I such a thought, I would repent. [To himself.