FITZ.  As how? as how?

JOHN.  Call her from him:  bring her to England’s court,
Where, like fair Phoebe, she may sit as queen
Over the sacred, honourable maids
That do attend the royal queen, my mother. 
There shall she live a prince’s Cynthia,
And John will be her true Endymion.

FITZ.  By this construction she should be the moon,
And you would be the man within the moon!

JOHN.  A pleasant exposition, good Fitzwater: 
But if it so fell out that I fell in,
You of my full joys should be chief partaker.

FITZ.  John, I defy thee! by my honour’s hope,
I will not bear this base indignity! 
Take to thy tools! think’st thou a nobleman
Will be a pander to his proper[197] child? 
For what intend’st thou else, seeing I know
Earl Chepstow’s daughter is thy married wife. 
Come, if thou be a right Plantaganet,
Draw and defend thee.  O our Lady, help
True English lords from such a tyrant lord! 
What, dost thou think I jest?  Nay, by the rood,
I’ll lose my life, or purge thy lustful blood.

JOHN.  What, my old ruffian, lie at your ward?[198]
Have at your froward bosom, old Fitzwater.

[Fight:  JOHN falls.

Enter QUEEN, CHESTER, SALISBURY, hastily.

FITZ.  O, that thou wert not royal Richard’s brother,
Thou shouldst here die in presence of thy mother.
    [JOHN rises:  all compass FITZWATER; FITZWATER chafes. 
What, is he up?  Nay, lords, then give us leave.

CHES.  What means this rage, Fitzwater?

QUEEN.  Lay hands upon the Bedlam, trait’rous wretch!

JOHN.  Nay, hale him hence! and hear you, old Fitzwater: 
See that you stay not five days in the realm. 
For if you do, you die remediless.

FITZ.  Speak, lords:  do you confirm what he hath said?

ALL.  He is our prince, and he must be obey’d.

FITZ.  Hearken, Earl John! but one word will I say.

JOHN.  I will not hear thee; neither will I stay. 
Thou know’st thy time.
                     [Exit JOHN.

FITZ.  Will not your highness hear?

QUEEN.  No:  thy Matilda robb’d me of my dear.
                              [Exit QUEEN.

FITZ.  I aided thee in battle, Salisbury.

SAL.  Prince John is mov’d; I dare not stay with thee.
                              [Exit SALISBURY.[199]

FITZ.  ’Gainst thee and Ely, Chester, was I foe,
And dost thou stay to aggravate my woe?

CHES.  No, good Fitzwater; Chester doth lament
Thy wrong, thy sudden banishment. 
Whence grew the quarrel ’twixt the prince and thee?

FITZ.  Chester, the devil tempted old Fitzwater
To be a pander to his only daughter;
And my great heart, impatient, forc’d my hand,
In my true honour’s right to challenge him. 
Alas the while! wrong will not be reprov’d.