King John by William Shakespeare
page 8 of 137 (05%)
page 8 of 137 (05%)
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Because he hath a half-face, like my father;
With half that face would he have all my land: A half-fac'd groat five hundred pound a-year! ROBERT. My gracious liege, when that my father liv'd, Your brother did employ my father much,-- BASTARD. Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land: Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother. ROBERT. 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 meantime 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. |
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