diff --git "a/res/king_john.txt" "b/res/king_john.txt" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/res/king_john.txt" @@ -0,0 +1,4016 @@ +King John +by William Shakespeare + + +Characters in the Play +====================== +JOHN, King of England, with dominion over assorted Continental territories +QUEEN ELEANOR, King John's mother, widow of King Henry II +BLANCHE of Spain, niece to King John +PRINCE HENRY, son to King John +CONSTANCE, widow of Geoffrey, King John's elder brother +ARTHUR, Duke of Brittany, her son +KING PHILIP II of France +LOUIS THE DAUPHIN, his son +DUKE OF AUSTRIA (also called LIMOGES) +CHATILLION, ambassador from France to King John +COUNT MELUN +A FRENCH HERALD +CARDINAL PANDULPH, Papal Legate +LADY FAULCONBRIDGE +The BASTARD, PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE, her son by King Richard I +ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE, her son by Sir Robert Faulconbridge +JAMES GURNEY, her servant +HUBERT, supporter of King John +English nobles: + EARL OF SALISBURY + EARL OF PEMBROKE + EARL OF ESSEX + LORD BIGOT +A CITIZEN of Angiers +PETER of Pomfret, a Prophet +An ENGLISH HERALD +EXECUTIONERS +English MESSENGER, French MESSENGER, Sheriff, Lords, Soldiers, Attendants + + +ACT 1 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter King John, Queen Eleanor, Pembroke, Essex, and +Salisbury, with the Chatillion of France.] + + +KING JOHN +Now say, Chatillion, what would France with us? + +CHATILLION +Thus, after greeting, speaks the King of France +In my behavior to the majesty, +The borrowed majesty, of England here. + +QUEEN ELEANOR +A strange beginning: "borrowed majesty"! + +KING JOHN +Silence, good mother. Hear the embassy. + +CHATILLION +Philip of France, in right and true behalf +Of thy deceased brother Geoffrey's son, +Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim +To this fair island and the territories, +To Ireland, Poitiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine, +Desiring thee to lay aside the sword +Which sways usurpingly these several titles, +And put the same into young Arthur's hand, +Thy nephew and right royal sovereign. + +KING JOHN +What follows if we disallow of this? + +CHATILLION +The proud control of fierce and bloody war, +To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld. + +KING JOHN +Here have we war for war and blood for blood, +Controlment for controlment: so answer France. + +CHATILLION +Then take my king's defiance from my mouth, +The farthest limit of my embassy. + +KING JOHN +Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace. +Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France, +For ere thou canst report, I will be there; +The thunder of my cannon shall be heard. +So, hence. Be thou the trumpet of our wrath +And sullen presage of your own decay.-- +An honorable conduct let him have. +Pembroke, look to 't.--Farewell, Chatillion. +[Chatillion and Pembroke exit.] + +QUEEN ELEANOR, [aside to King John] +What now, my son! Have I not ever said +How that ambitious Constance would not cease +Till she had kindled France and all the world +Upon the right and party of her son? +This might have been prevented and made whole +With very easy arguments of love, +Which now the manage of two kingdoms must +With fearful bloody issue arbitrate. + +KING JOHN, [aside to Queen Eleanor] +Our strong possession and our right for us. + +QUEEN ELEANOR, [aside to King John] +Your strong possession much more than your right, +Or else it must go wrong with you and me-- +So much my conscience whispers in your ear, +Which none but God and you and I shall hear. + +[Enter a Sheriff, who speaks aside to Essex.] + + +ESSEX +My liege, here is the strangest controversy +Come from the country to be judged by you +That e'er I heard. Shall I produce the men? + +KING JOHN Let them approach. [Sheriff exits.] +Our abbeys and our priories shall pay +This expedition's charge. + +[Enter Robert Faulconbridge and Philip Faulconbridge.] + +What men are you? + +PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE +Your faithful subject I, a gentleman, +Born in Northamptonshire, and eldest son, +As I suppose, to Robert Faulconbridge, +A soldier, by the honor-giving hand +Of Coeur de Lion knighted in the field. + +KING JOHN, [to Robert Faulconbridge] What art thou? + +ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE +The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge. + +KING JOHN +Is that the elder, and art thou the heir? +You came not of one mother then, it seems. + +PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE +Most certain of one mother, mighty king-- +That is well known--and, as I think, one father. +But for the certain knowledge of that truth +I put you o'er to heaven and to my mother. +Of that I doubt, as all men's children may. + +QUEEN ELEANOR +Out on thee, rude man! Thou dost shame thy +mother +And wound her honor with this diffidence. + +PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE +I, madam? No, I have no reason for it. +That is my brother's plea, and none of mine, +The which if he can prove, he pops me out +At least from fair five hundred pound a year. +Heaven guard my mother's honor and my land! + +KING JOHN +A good blunt fellow.--Why, being younger born, +Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance? + +PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE +I know not why, except to get the land. +But once he slandered me with bastardy. +But whe'er I be as true begot or no, +That still I lay upon my mother's head. +But that I am as well begot, my liege-- +Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!-- +Compare our faces and be judge yourself. +If old Sir Robert did beget us both +And were our father, and this son like him, +O, old Sir Robert, father, on my knee +I give heaven thanks I was not like to thee! + +KING JOHN +Why, what a madcap hath heaven lent us here! + +QUEEN ELEANOR, [aside to King John] +He hath a trick of Coeur de Lion's face; +The accent of his tongue affecteth him. +Do you not read some tokens of my son +In the large composition of this man? + +KING JOHN, [aside to Queen Eleanor] +Mine eye hath well examined his parts +And finds them perfect Richard. [To Robert +Faulconbridge] Sirrah, speak. +What doth move you to claim your brother's land? + +PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE +Because he hath a half-face, like my father. +With half that face would he have all my land-- +A half-faced groat five hundred pound a year! + +ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE +My gracious liege, when that my father lived, +Your brother did employ my father much-- + +PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE +Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land. +Your tale must be how he employed my mother. + +ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE +And once dispatched him in an embassy +To Germany, there with the Emperor +To treat of high affairs touching that time. +Th' advantage of his absence took the King +And in the meantime sojourned 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 deathbed he by will bequeathed +His lands to me, and took it on his death +That this my mother's son was none of his; +An 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. + +KING JOHN +Sirrah, your brother is legitimate. +Your father's wife did after wedlock bear him, +An if she did play false, the fault was hers, +Which fault lies on the hazards of all husbands +That marry wives. Tell me, how if my brother, +Who as you say took pains to get this son, +Had of your father claimed this son for his? +In sooth, good friend, your father might have kept +This calf, bred from his cow, from all the world; +In sooth he might. Then if he were my brother's, +My brother might not claim him, nor your father, +Being none of his, refuse him. This concludes: +My mother's son did get your father's heir; +Your father's heir must have your father's land. + +ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE +Shall then my father's will be of no force +To dispossess that child which is not his? + +PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE +Of no more force to dispossess me, sir, +Than was his will to get me, as I think. + +QUEEN ELEANOR +Whether hadst thou rather: be a Faulconbridge +And, like thy brother, to enjoy thy land, +Or the reputed son of Coeur de Lion, +Lord of thy presence, and no land besides? + +BASTARD +Madam, an if my brother had my shape +And I had his, Sir Robert's his like him, +And if my legs were two such riding-rods, +My arms such eel-skins stuffed, my face so thin +That in mine ear I durst not stick a rose, +Lest men should say "Look where three-farthings +goes," +And, to his shape, were heir to all this land, +Would I might never stir from off this place, +I would give it every foot to have this face. +I would not be Sir Nob in any case. + +QUEEN ELEANOR +I like thee well. Wilt thou forsake thy fortune, +Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me? +I am a soldier and now bound to France. + +BASTARD +Brother, take you my land. I'll take my chance. +Your face hath got five hundred pound a year, +Yet sell your face for five pence and 'tis dear.-- +Madam, I'll follow you unto the death. + +QUEEN ELEANOR +Nay, I would have you go before me thither. + +BASTARD +Our country manners give our betters way. + +KING JOHN What is thy name? + +BASTARD +Philip, my liege, so is my name begun, +Philip, good old Sir Robert's wife's eldest son. + +KING JOHN +From henceforth bear his name whose form thou +bearest. +Kneel thou down Philip, but rise more great. +[Philip kneels. King John dubs him a knight, +tapping him on the shoulder with his sword.] +Arise Sir Richard and Plantagenet. + +BASTARD, [rising, to Robert Faulconbridge] +Brother by th' mother's side, give me your hand. +My father gave me honor, yours gave land. +Now blessed be the hour, by night or day, +When I was got, Sir Robert was away! + +QUEEN ELEANOR +The very spirit of Plantagenet! +I am thy grandam, Richard. Call me so. + +BASTARD +Madam, by chance but not by truth. What though? +Something about, a little from the right, + In at the window, or else o'er the hatch. +Who dares not stir by day must walk by night, + And have is have, however men do catch. +Near or far off, well won is still well shot, +And I am I, howe'er I was begot. + +KING JOHN, [to Robert Faulconbridge] +Go, Faulconbridge, now hast thou thy desire. +A landless knight makes thee a landed squire.-- +Come, madam,--and come, Richard. We must +speed +For France, for France, for it is more than need. + +BASTARD +Brother, adieu, good fortune come to thee, +For thou wast got i' th' way of honesty. +[All but Bastard exit.] +A foot of honor better than I was, +But many a many foot of land the worse. +Well, now can I make any Joan a lady. +"Good den, Sir Richard!" "God-a-mercy, fellow!" +An if his name be George, I'll call him "Peter," +For new-made honor doth forget men's names; +'Tis too respective and too sociable +For your conversion. Now your traveler, +He and his toothpick at my Worship's mess, +And when my knightly stomach is sufficed, +Why then I suck my teeth and catechize +My picked man of countries: "My dear sir," +Thus leaning on mine elbow I begin, +"I shall beseech you"--that is Question now, +And then comes Answer like an absey-book: +"O, sir," says Answer, "at your best command, +At your employment, at your service, sir." +"No, sir," says Question, "I, sweet sir, at yours." +And so, ere Answer knows what Question would, +Saving in dialogue of compliment +And talking of the Alps and Apennines, +The Pyrenean and the river Po, +It draws toward supper in conclusion so. +But this is worshipful society +And fits the mounting spirit like myself; +For he is but a bastard to the time +That doth not smack of observation, +And so am I whether I smack or no; +And not alone in habit and device, +Exterior form, outward accouterment, +But from the inward motion to deliver +Sweet, sweet, sweet poison for the age's tooth, +Which though I will not practice to deceive, +Yet to avoid deceit I mean to learn, +For it shall strew the footsteps of my rising. + +[Enter Lady Faulconbridge and James Gurney.] + +But who comes in such haste in riding robes? +What woman post is this? Hath she no husband +That will take pains to blow a horn before her? +O me, 'tis my mother.--How now, good lady? +What brings you here to court so hastily? + +LADY FAULCONBRIDGE +Where is that slave thy brother? Where is he +That holds in chase mine honor up and down? + +BASTARD +My brother Robert, old Sir Robert's son? +Colbrand the Giant, that same mighty man? +Is it Sir Robert's son that you seek so? + +LADY FAULCONBRIDGE +"Sir Robert's son"? Ay, thou unreverent boy, +Sir Robert's son. Why scorn'st thou at Sir Robert? +He is Sir Robert's son, and so art thou. + +BASTARD +James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave awhile? + +GURNEY +Good leave, good Philip. + +BASTARD "Philip Sparrow," James. +There's toys abroad. Anon I'll tell thee more. +[James Gurney exits.] +Madam, I was not old Sir Robert's son. +Sir Robert might have eat his part in me +Upon Good Friday and ne'er broke his fast. +Sir Robert could do well--marry, to confess-- +Could he get me. Sir Robert could not do it; +We know his handiwork. Therefore, good mother, +To whom am I beholding for these limbs? +Sir Robert never holp to make this leg. + +LADY FAULCONBRIDGE +Hast thou conspired with thy brother too, +That for thine own gain shouldst defend mine +honor? +What means this scorn, thou most untoward knave? + +BASTARD +Knight, knight, good mother, Basilisco-like. +What, I am dubbed! I have it on my shoulder. +But, mother, I am not Sir Robert's son. +I have disclaimed Sir Robert and my land. +Legitimation, name, and all is gone. +Then, good my mother, let me know my father-- +Some proper man, I hope. Who was it, mother? + +LADY FAULCONBRIDGE +Hast thou denied thyself a Faulconbridge? + +BASTARD +As faithfully as I deny the devil. + +LADY FAULCONBRIDGE +King Richard Coeur de Lion was thy father. +By long and vehement suit I was seduced +To make room for him in my husband's bed. +Heaven lay not my transgression to my charge! +Thou art the issue of my dear offense, +Which was so strongly urged past my defense. + +BASTARD +Now, by this light, were I to get again, +Madam, I would not wish a better father. +Some sins do bear their privilege on Earth, +And so doth yours. Your fault was not your folly. +Needs must you lay your heart at his dispose, +Subjected tribute to commanding love, +Against whose fury and unmatched force +The aweless lion could not wage the fight, +Nor keep his princely heart from Richard's hand. +He that perforce robs lions of their hearts +May easily win a woman's. Ay, my mother, +With all my heart I thank thee for my father. +Who lives and dares but say thou didst not well +When I was got, I'll send his soul to hell. +Come, lady, I will show thee to my kin, + And they shall say when Richard me begot, +If thou hadst said him nay, it had been sin. + Who says it was, he lies. I say 'twas not. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 2 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter, before Angiers, at one side, with Forces, Philip +King of France, Louis the Dauphin, Constance, Arthur, +and Attendants; at the other side, with Forces, Austria, +wearing a lion's skin.] + + +DAUPHIN +Before Angiers well met, brave Austria.-- +Arthur, that great forerunner of thy blood, +Richard, that robbed the lion of his heart +And fought the holy wars in Palestine, +By this brave duke came early to his grave. +And, for amends to his posterity, +At our importance hither is he come +To spread his colors, boy, in thy behalf, +And to rebuke the usurpation +Of thy unnatural uncle, English John. +Embrace him, love him, give him welcome hither. + +ARTHUR +God shall forgive you Coeur de Lion's death +The rather that you give his offspring life, +Shadowing their right under your wings of war. +I give you welcome with a powerless hand +But with a heart full of unstained love. +Welcome before the gates of Angiers, duke. + +DAUPHIN +A noble boy. Who would not do thee right? + +AUSTRIA, [to Arthur] +Upon thy cheek lay I this zealous kiss +As seal to this indenture of my love: +That to my home I will no more return +Till Angiers and the right thou hast in France, +Together with that pale, that white-faced shore, +Whose foot spurns back the ocean's roaring tides +And coops from other lands her islanders, +Even till that England, hedged in with the main, +That water-walled bulwark, still secure +And confident from foreign purposes, +Even till that utmost corner of the West +Salute thee for her king. Till then, fair boy, +Will I not think of home, but follow arms. + +CONSTANCE +O, take his mother's thanks, a widow's thanks, +Till your strong hand shall help to give him strength +To make a more requital to your love. + +AUSTRIA +The peace of heaven is theirs that lift their swords +In such a just and charitable war. + +KING PHILIP +Well, then, to work. Our cannon shall be bent +Against the brows of this resisting town. +Call for our chiefest men of discipline +To cull the plots of best advantages. +We'll lay before this town our royal bones, +Wade to the marketplace in Frenchmen's blood, +But we will make it subject to this boy. + +CONSTANCE +Stay for an answer to your embassy, +Lest unadvised you stain your swords with blood. +My lord Chatillion may from England bring +That right in peace which here we urge in war, +And then we shall repent each drop of blood +That hot rash haste so indirectly shed. + +[Enter Chatillion.] + + +KING PHILIP +A wonder, lady! Lo, upon thy wish +Our messenger Chatillion is arrived.-- +What England says say briefly, gentle lord. +We coldly pause for thee. Chatillion, speak. + +CHATILLION +Then turn your forces from this paltry siege +And stir them up against a mightier task. +England, impatient of your just demands, +Hath put himself in arms. The adverse winds, +Whose leisure I have stayed, have given him time +To land his legions all as soon as I. +His marches are expedient to this town, +His forces strong, his soldiers confident. +With him along is come the Mother Queen, +An Ate stirring him to blood and strife; +With her her niece, the Lady Blanche of Spain; +With them a bastard of the King's deceased. +And all th' unsettled humors of the land-- +Rash, inconsiderate, fiery voluntaries, +With ladies' faces and fierce dragons' spleens-- +Have sold their fortunes at their native homes, +Bearing their birthrights proudly on their backs, +To make a hazard of new fortunes here. +In brief, a braver choice of dauntless spirits +Than now the English bottoms have waft o'er +Did never float upon the swelling tide +To do offense and scathe in Christendom. +[Drum beats.] +The interruption of their churlish drums +Cuts off more circumstance. They are at hand, +To parley or to fight, therefore prepare. + +KING PHILIP +How much unlooked-for is this expedition. + +AUSTRIA +By how much unexpected, by so much +We must awake endeavor for defense, +For courage mounteth with occasion. +Let them be welcome, then. We are prepared. + +[Enter King John of England, Bastard, Queen +Eleanor, Blanche, Salisbury, Pembroke, and others.] + + +KING JOHN +Peace be to France, if France in peace permit +Our just and lineal entrance to our own. +If not, bleed France, and peace ascend to heaven, +Whiles we, God's wrathful agent, do correct +Their proud contempt that beats his peace to heaven. + +KING PHILIP +Peace be to England, if that war return +From France to England, there to live in peace. +England we love, and for that England's sake +With burden of our armor here we sweat. +This toil of ours should be a work of thine; +But thou from loving England art so far +That thou hast underwrought his lawful king, +Cut off the sequence of posterity, +Outfaced infant state, and done a rape +Upon the maiden virtue of the crown. +Look here upon thy brother Geoffrey's face. +[He points to Arthur.] +These eyes, these brows, were molded out of his; +This little abstract doth contain that large +Which died in Geoffrey, and the hand of time +Shall draw this brief into as huge a volume. +That Geoffrey was thy elder brother born, +And this his son. England was Geoffrey's right, +And this is Geoffrey's. In the name of God, +How comes it then that thou art called a king, +When living blood doth in these temples beat +Which owe the crown that thou o'ermasterest? + +KING JOHN +From whom hast thou this great commission, +France, +To draw my answer from thy articles? + +KING PHILIP +From that supernal judge that stirs good thoughts +In any breast of strong authority +To look into the blots and stains of right. +That judge hath made me guardian to this boy, +Under whose warrant I impeach thy wrong, +And by whose help I mean to chastise it. + +KING JOHN +Alack, thou dost usurp authority. + +KING PHILIP +Excuse it is to beat usurping down. + +QUEEN ELEANOR +Who is it thou dost call usurper, France? + +CONSTANCE +Let me make answer: thy usurping son. + +QUEEN ELEANOR +Out, insolent! Thy bastard shall be king +That thou mayst be a queen and check the world. + +CONSTANCE +My bed was ever to thy son as true +As thine was to thy husband, and this boy +Liker in feature to his father Geoffrey +Than thou and John, in manners being as like +As rain to water or devil to his dam. +My boy a bastard? By my soul, I think +His father never was so true begot. +It cannot be, an if thou wert his mother. + +QUEEN ELEANOR, [to Arthur] +There's a good mother, boy, that blots thy father. + +CONSTANCE +There's a good grandam, boy, that would blot thee. + +AUSTRIA +Peace! + +BASTARD Hear the crier! + +AUSTRIA What the devil art thou? + +BASTARD +One that will play the devil, sir, with you, +An he may catch your hide and you alone. +You are the hare of whom the proverb goes, +Whose valor plucks dead lions by the beard. +I'll smoke your skin-coat an I catch you right. +Sirrah, look to 't. I' faith, I will, i' faith! + +BLANCHE +O, well did he become that lion's robe +That did disrobe the lion of that robe. + +BASTARD +It lies as sightly on the back of him +As great Alcides' shoes upon an ass.-- +But, ass, I'll take that burden from your back +Or lay on that shall make your shoulders crack. + +AUSTRIA +What cracker is this same that deafs our ears +With this abundance of superfluous breath? + +KING PHILIP +Louis, determine what we shall do straight. + +DAUPHIN +Women and fools, break off your conference.-- +King John, this is the very sum of all: +England and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine, Maine, +In right of Arthur do I claim of thee. +Wilt thou resign them and lay down thy arms? + +KING JOHN +My life as soon! I do defy thee, France.-- +Arthur of Brittany, yield thee to my hand, +And out of my dear love I'll give thee more +Than e'er the coward hand of France can win. +Submit thee, boy. + +QUEEN ELEANOR Come to thy grandam, child. + +CONSTANCE +Do, child, go to it grandam, child. +Give grandam kingdom, and it grandam will +Give it a plum, a cherry, and a fig. +There's a good grandam. + +ARTHUR, [weeping] Good my mother, peace. +I would that I were low laid in my grave. +I am not worth this coil that's made for me. + +QUEEN ELEANOR +His mother shames him so, poor boy, he weeps. + +CONSTANCE +Now shame upon you whe'er she does or no! +His grandam's wrongs, and not his mother's +shames, +Draws those heaven-moving pearls from his poor +eyes, +Which heaven shall take in nature of a fee. +Ay, with these crystal beads heaven shall be bribed +To do him justice and revenge on you. + +QUEEN ELEANOR +Thou monstrous slanderer of heaven and Earth! + +CONSTANCE +Thou monstrous injurer of heaven and Earth, +Call not me slanderer. Thou and thine usurp +The dominations, royalties, and rights +Of this oppressed boy. This is thy eldest son's son, +Infortunate in nothing but in thee. +Thy sins are visited in this poor child. +The canon of the law is laid on him, +Being but the second generation +Removed from thy sin-conceiving womb. + +KING JOHN +Bedlam, have done. + +CONSTANCE I have but this to say, +That he is not only plagued for her sin, +But God hath made her sin and her the plague +On this removed issue, plagued for her, +And with her plague; her sin his injury, +Her injury the beadle to her sin, +All punished in the person of this child +And all for her. A plague upon her! + +QUEEN ELEANOR +Thou unadvised scold, I can produce +A will that bars the title of thy son. + +CONSTANCE +Ay, who doubts that? A will--a wicked will, +A woman's will, a cankered grandam's will. + +KING PHILIP +Peace, lady. Pause, or be more temperate. +It ill beseems this presence to cry aim +To these ill-tuned repetitions.-- +Some trumpet summon hither to the walls +These men of Angiers. Let us hear them speak +Whose title they admit, Arthur's or John's. +[Trumpet sounds.] + +[Enter Citizens upon the walls.] + + +CITIZEN +Who is it that hath warned us to the walls? + +KING PHILIP +'Tis France, for England. + +KING JOHN England, for itself. +You men of Angiers, and my loving subjects-- + +KING PHILIP +You loving men of Angiers, Arthur's subjects, +Our trumpet called you to this gentle parle-- + +KING JOHN +For our advantage. Therefore hear us first. +These flags of France that are advanced here +Before the eye and prospect of your town, +Have hither marched to your endamagement. +The cannons have their bowels full of wrath, +And ready mounted are they to spit forth +Their iron indignation 'gainst your walls. +All preparation for a bloody siege +And merciless proceeding by these French +Confronts your city's eyes, your winking gates, +And, but for our approach, those sleeping stones, +That as a waist doth girdle you about, +By the compulsion of their ordinance +By this time from their fixed beds of lime +Had been dishabited, and wide havoc made +For bloody power to rush upon your peace. +But on the sight of us your lawful king, +Who painfully with much expedient march +Have brought a countercheck before your gates +To save unscratched your city's threatened cheeks, +Behold, the French, amazed, vouchsafe a parle. +And now, instead of bullets wrapped in fire +To make a shaking fever in your walls, +They shoot but calm words folded up in smoke +To make a faithless error in your ears, +Which trust accordingly, kind citizens, +And let us in. Your king, whose labored spirits +Forwearied in this action of swift speed, +Craves harborage within your city walls. + +KING PHILIP +When I have said, make answer to us both. +[He takes Arthur by the hand.] +Lo, in this right hand, whose protection +Is most divinely vowed upon the right +Of him it holds, stands young Plantagenet, +Son to the elder brother of this man, +And king o'er him and all that he enjoys. +For this downtrodden equity we tread +In warlike march these greens before your town, +Being no further enemy to you +Than the constraint of hospitable zeal +In the relief of this oppressed child +Religiously provokes. Be pleased then +To pay that duty which you truly owe +To him that owes it, namely, this young prince, +And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear +Save in aspect, hath all offense sealed up. +Our cannons' malice vainly shall be spent +Against th' invulnerable clouds of heaven, +And with a blessed and unvexed retire, +With unbacked swords and helmets all unbruised, +We will bear home that lusty blood again +Which here we came to spout against your town, +And leave your children, wives, and you in peace. +But if you fondly pass our proffered offer, +'Tis not the roundure of your old-faced walls +Can hide you from our messengers of war, +Though all these English and their discipline +Were harbored in their rude circumference. +Then tell us, shall your city call us lord +In that behalf which we have challenged it? +Or shall we give the signal to our rage +And stalk in blood to our possession? + +CITIZEN +In brief, we are the King of England's subjects. +For him, and in his right, we hold this town. + +KING JOHN +Acknowledge then the King and let me in. + +CITIZEN +That can we not. But he that proves the King, +To him will we prove loyal. Till that time +Have we rammed up our gates against the world. + +KING JOHN +Doth not the crown of England prove the King? +And if not that, I bring you witnesses, +Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed-- + +BASTARD Bastards and else. + +KING JOHN +To verify our title with their lives. + +KING PHILIP +As many and as wellborn bloods as those-- + +BASTARD Some bastards too. + +KING PHILIP +Stand in his face to contradict his claim. + +CITIZEN +Till you compound whose right is worthiest, +We for the worthiest hold the right from both. + +KING JOHN +Then God forgive the sin of all those souls +That to their everlasting residence, +Before the dew of evening fall, shall fleet +In dreadful trial of our kingdom's king. + +KING PHILIP +Amen, amen.--Mount, chevaliers! To arms! + +BASTARD +Saint George, that swinged the dragon and e'er +since +Sits on 's horseback at mine hostess' door, +Teach us some fence! [To Austria.] Sirrah, were I at +home +At your den, sirrah, with your lioness, +I would set an ox head to your lion's hide +And make a monster of you. + +AUSTRIA Peace! No more. + +BASTARD +O, tremble, for you hear the lion roar. + +KING JOHN, [to his officers] +Up higher to the plain, where we'll set forth +In best appointment all our regiments. + +BASTARD +Speed, then, to take advantage of the field. + +KING PHILIP, [to his officers] +It shall be so, and at the other hill +Command the rest to stand. God and our right! +[They exit. Citizens remain, above.] + +[Here, after excursions, enter the Herald of France, with +Trumpets, to the gates.] + + +FRENCH HERALD +You men of Angiers, open wide your gates, +And let young Arthur, Duke of Brittany, in, +Who by the hand of France this day hath made +Much work for tears in many an English mother, +Whose sons lie scattered on the bleeding ground. +Many a widow's husband groveling lies +Coldly embracing the discolored earth, +And victory with little loss doth play +Upon the dancing banners of the French, +Who are at hand, triumphantly displayed, +To enter conquerors and to proclaim +Arthur of Brittany England's king and yours. + +[Enter English Herald, with Trumpet.] + + +ENGLISH HERALD +Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells! +King John, your king and England's, doth approach, +Commander of this hot malicious day. +Their armors, that marched hence so silver bright, +Hither return all gilt with Frenchmen's blood. +There stuck no plume in any English crest +That is removed by a staff of France. +Our colors do return in those same hands +That did display them when we first marched forth, +And like a jolly troop of huntsmen come +Our lusty English, all with purpled hands, +Dyed in the dying slaughter of their foes. +Open your gates, and give the victors way. + +CITIZEN +Heralds, from off our towers we might behold +From first to last the onset and retire +Of both your armies, whose equality +By our best eyes cannot be censured. +Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answered +blows, +Strength matched with strength, and power +confronted power. +Both are alike, and both alike we like. +One must prove greatest. While they weigh so even, +We hold our town for neither, yet for both. + +[Enter the two Kings with their Powers (including the +Bastard, Queen Eleanor, Blanche, and Salisbury; +Austria, and Louis the Dauphin), at several doors.] + + +KING JOHN +France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away? +Say, shall the current of our right roam on, +Whose passage, vexed with thy impediment, +Shall leave his native channel and o'erswell +With course disturbed even thy confining shores, +Unless thou let his silver water keep +A peaceful progress to the ocean? + +KING PHILIP +England, thou hast not saved one drop of blood +In this hot trial more than we of France, +Rather lost more. And by this hand I swear +That sways the earth this climate overlooks, +Before we will lay down our just-borne arms, +We'll put thee down, 'gainst whom these arms we +bear, +Or add a royal number to the dead, +Gracing the scroll that tells of this war's loss +With slaughter coupled to the name of kings. + +BASTARD, [aside] +Ha, majesty! How high thy glory towers +When the rich blood of kings is set on fire! +O, now doth Death line his dead chaps with steel, +The swords of soldiers are his teeth, his fangs, +And now he feasts, mousing the flesh of men +In undetermined differences of kings. +Why stand these royal fronts amazed thus? +Cry havoc, kings! Back to the stained field, +You equal potents, fiery-kindled spirits. +Then let confusion of one part confirm +The other's peace. Till then, blows, blood, and +death! + +KING JOHN +Whose party do the townsmen yet admit? + +KING PHILIP +Speak, citizens, for England. Who's your king? + +CITIZEN +The King of England, when we know the King. + +KING PHILIP +Know him in us, that here hold up his right. + +KING JOHN +In us, that are our own great deputy +And bear possession of our person here, +Lord of our presence, Angiers, and of you. + +CITIZEN +A greater power than we denies all this, +And till it be undoubted, we do lock +Our former scruple in our strong-barred gates, +Kings of our fear, until our fears resolved +Be by some certain king purged and deposed. + +BASTARD +By heaven, these scroyles of Angiers flout you, kings, +And stand securely on their battlements +As in a theater, whence they gape and point +At your industrious scenes and acts of death. +Your royal presences, be ruled by me: +Do like the mutines of Jerusalem, +Be friends awhile, and both conjointly bend +Your sharpest deeds of malice on this town. +By east and west let France and England mount +Their battering cannon charged to the mouths, +Till their soul-fearing clamors have brawled down +The flinty ribs of this contemptuous city. +I'd play incessantly upon these jades, +Even till unfenced desolation +Leave them as naked as the vulgar air. +That done, dissever your united strengths +And part your mingled colors once again; +Turn face to face and bloody point to point. +Then in a moment Fortune shall cull forth +Out of one side her happy minion, +To whom in favor she shall give the day +And kiss him with a glorious victory. +How like you this wild counsel, mighty states? +Smacks it not something of the policy? + +KING JOHN +Now by the sky that hangs above our heads, +I like it well. France, shall we knit our powers +And lay this Angiers even with the ground, +Then after fight who shall be king of it? + +BASTARD, [to King Philip] +An if thou hast the mettle of a king, +Being wronged as we are by this peevish town, +Turn thou the mouth of thy artillery, +As we will ours, against these saucy walls, +And when that we have dashed them to the ground, +Why, then, defy each other and pell-mell +Make work upon ourselves, for heaven or hell. + +KING PHILIP +Let it be so. Say, where will you assault? + +KING JOHN +We from the west will send destruction +Into this city's bosom. + +AUSTRIA I from the north. + +KING PHILIP Our thunder from the south +Shall rain their drift of bullets on this town. + +BASTARD, [aside] +O, prudent discipline! From north to south, +Austria and France shoot in each other's mouth. +I'll stir them to it. -- Come, away, away! + +CITIZEN +Hear us, great kings. Vouchsafe awhile to stay, +And I shall show you peace and fair-faced league, +Win you this city without stroke or wound, +Rescue those breathing lives to die in beds +That here come sacrifices for the field. +Persever not, but hear me, mighty kings. + +KING JOHN +Speak on with favor. We are bent to hear. + +CITIZEN +That daughter there of Spain, the Lady Blanche, +Is near to England. Look upon the years +Of Louis the Dauphin and that lovely maid. +If lusty love should go in quest of beauty, +Where should he find it fairer than in Blanche? +If zealous love should go in search of virtue, +Where should he find it purer than in Blanche? +If love ambitious sought a match of birth, +Whose veins bound richer blood than Lady +Blanche? +Such as she is, in beauty, virtue, birth, +Is the young Dauphin every way complete. +If not complete of, say he is not she, +And she again wants nothing, to name want, +If want it be not that she is not he. +He is the half part of a blessed man, +Left to be finished by such as she, +And she a fair divided excellence, +Whose fullness of perfection lies in him. +O, two such silver currents when they join +Do glorify the banks that bound them in, +And two such shores to two such streams made one, +Two such controlling bounds shall you be, kings, +To these two princes, if you marry them. +This union shall do more than battery can +To our fast-closed gates, for at this match, +With swifter spleen than powder can enforce, +The mouth of passage shall we fling wide ope +And give you entrance. But without this match, +The sea enraged is not half so deaf, +Lions more confident, mountains and rocks +More free from motion, no, not Death himself +In mortal fury half so peremptory +As we to keep this city. +[King Philip and Louis the Dauphin +walk aside and talk.] + +BASTARD, [aside] Here's a stay +That shakes the rotten carcass of old Death +Out of his rags! Here's a large mouth indeed +That spits forth death and mountains, rocks and +seas; +Talks as familiarly of roaring lions +As maids of thirteen do of puppy dogs. +What cannoneer begot this lusty blood? +He speaks plain cannon fire, and smoke, and +bounce. +He gives the bastinado with his tongue. +Our ears are cudgeled. Not a word of his +But buffets better than a fist of France. +Zounds, I was never so bethumped with words +Since I first called my brother's father Dad. + +QUEEN ELEANOR, [aside to King John] +Son, list to this conjunction; make this match. +Give with our niece a dowry large enough, +For by this knot thou shalt so surely tie +Thy now unsured assurance to the crown +That yon green boy shall have no sun to ripe +The bloom that promiseth a mighty fruit. +I see a yielding in the looks of France. +Mark how they whisper. Urge them while their +souls +Are capable of this ambition, +Lest zeal, now melted by the windy breath +Of soft petitions, pity, and remorse, +Cool and congeal again to what it was. + +CITIZEN +Why answer not the double majesties +This friendly treaty of our threatened town? + +KING PHILIP +Speak England first, that hath been forward first +To speak unto this city. What say you? + +KING JOHN +If that the Dauphin there, thy princely son, +Can in this book of beauty read "I love," +Her dowry shall weigh equal with a queen. +For Anjou and fair Touraine, Maine, Poitiers, +And all that we upon this side the sea-- +Except this city now by us besieged-- +Find liable to our crown and dignity, +Shall gild her bridal bed and make her rich +In titles, honors, and promotions, +As she in beauty, education, blood, +Holds hand with any princess of the world. + +KING PHILIP +What sayst thou, boy? Look in the lady's face. + +DAUPHIN +I do, my lord, and in her eye I find +A wonder or a wondrous miracle, +The shadow of myself formed in her eye, +Which, being but the shadow of your son, +Becomes a sun and makes your son a shadow. +I do protest I never loved myself +Till now infixed I beheld myself +Drawn in the flattering table of her eye. +[He whispers with Blanche.] + +BASTARD, [aside] +"Drawn in the flattering table of her eye"? + Hanged in the frowning wrinkle of her brow +And quartered in her heart! He doth espy + Himself love's traitor. This is pity now, +That hanged and drawn and quartered there should +be +In such a love so vile a lout as he. + +BLANCHE, [aside to Dauphin] +My uncle's will in this respect is mine. +If he see aught in you that makes him like, +That anything he sees which moves his liking +I can with ease translate it to my will. +Or if you will, to speak more properly, +I will enforce it eas'ly to my love. +Further I will not flatter you, my lord, +That all I see in you is worthy love, +Than this: that nothing do I see in you, +Though churlish thoughts themselves should be +your judge, +That I can find should merit any hate. + +KING JOHN +What say these young ones? What say you, my +niece? + +BLANCHE +That she is bound in honor still to do +What you in wisdom still vouchsafe to say. + +KING JOHN +Speak then, Prince Dauphin. Can you love this lady? + +DAUPHIN +Nay, ask me if I can refrain from love, +For I do love her most unfeignedly. + +KING JOHN +Then do I give Volquessen, Touraine, Maine, +Poitiers and Anjou, these five provinces +With her to thee, and this addition more: +Full thirty thousand marks of English coin.-- +Philip of France, if thou be pleased withal, +Command thy son and daughter to join hands. + +KING PHILIP +It likes us well.--Young princes, close your hands. + +AUSTRIA +And your lips too, for I am well assured +That I did so when I was first assured. +[Dauphin and Blanche join hands and kiss.] + +KING PHILIP +Now, citizens of Angiers, ope your gates. +Let in that amity which you have made, +For at Saint Mary's Chapel presently +The rites of marriage shall be solemnized.-- +Is not the Lady Constance in this troop? +I know she is not, for this match made up +Her presence would have interrupted much. +Where is she and her son? Tell me, who knows. + +DAUPHIN +She is sad and passionate at your Highness' tent. + +KING PHILIP +And by my faith, this league that we have made +Will give her sadness very little cure.-- +Brother of England, how may we content +This widow lady? In her right we came, +Which we, God knows, have turned another way +To our own vantage. + +KING JOHN We will heal up all, +For we'll create young Arthur Duke of Brittany +And Earl of Richmond, and this rich, fair town +We make him lord of.--Call the Lady Constance. +Some speedy messenger bid her repair +To our solemnity. [Salisbury exits.] I trust we +shall, +If not fill up the measure of her will, +Yet in some measure satisfy her so +That we shall stop her exclamation. +Go we as well as haste will suffer us +To this unlooked-for, unprepared pomp. +[All but the Bastard exit.] + +BASTARD +Mad world, mad kings, mad composition! +John, to stop Arthur's title in the whole, +Hath willingly departed with a part; +And France, whose armor conscience buckled on, +Whom zeal and charity brought to the field +As God's own soldier, rounded in the ear +With that same purpose-changer, that sly devil, +That broker that still breaks the pate of faith, +That daily break-vow, he that wins of all, +Of kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids-- +Who having no external thing to lose +But the word "maid," cheats the poor maid of +that-- +That smooth-faced gentleman, tickling Commodity, +Commodity, the bias of the world-- +The world, who of itself is peised well, +Made to run even upon even ground, +Till this advantage, this vile-drawing bias, +This sway of motion, this Commodity, +Makes it take head from all indifferency, +From all direction, purpose, course, intent. +And this same bias, this Commodity, +This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word, +Clapped on the outward eye of fickle France, +Hath drawn him from his own determined aid, +From a resolved and honorable war +To a most base and vile-concluded peace. +And why rail I on this Commodity? +But for because he hath not wooed me yet. +Not that I have the power to clutch my hand +When his fair angels would salute my palm, +But for my hand, as unattempted yet, +Like a poor beggar raileth on the rich. +Well, whiles I am a beggar, I will rail +And say there is no sin but to be rich; +And being rich, my virtue then shall be +To say there is no vice but beggary. +Since kings break faith upon Commodity, +Gain, be my lord, for I will worship thee! +[He exits.] + + +ACT 3 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Constance, Arthur, and Salisbury.] + + +CONSTANCE, [to Salisbury] +Gone to be married? Gone to swear a peace? +False blood to false blood joined? Gone to be friends? +Shall Louis have Blanche and Blanche those +provinces? +It is not so. Thou hast misspoke, misheard. +Be well advised; tell o'er thy tale again. +It cannot be; thou dost but say 'tis so. +I trust I may not trust thee, for thy word +Is but the vain breath of a common man. +Believe me, I do not believe thee, man. +I have a king's oath to the contrary. +Thou shalt be punished for thus flighting me, +For I am sick and capable of fears, +Oppressed with wrongs and therefore full of fears, +A widow, husbandless, subject to fears, +A woman naturally born to fears. +And though thou now confess thou didst but jest, +With my vexed spirits I cannot take a truce, +But they will quake and tremble all this day. +What dost thou mean by shaking of thy head? +Why dost thou look so sadly on my son? +What means that hand upon that breast of thine? +Why holds thine eye that lamentable rheum, +Like a proud river peering o'er his bounds? +Be these sad signs confirmers of thy words? +Then speak again--not all thy former tale, +But this one word, whether thy tale be true. + +SALISBURY +As true as I believe you think them false +That give you cause to prove my saying true. + +CONSTANCE +O, if thou teach me to believe this sorrow, +Teach thou this sorrow how to make me die, +And let belief and life encounter so +As doth the fury of two desperate men +Which in the very meeting fall and die. +Louis marry Blanche?--O, boy, then where art +thou?-- +France friend with England? What becomes of me? +Fellow, be gone. I cannot brook thy sight. +This news hath made thee a most ugly man. + +SALISBURY +What other harm have I, good lady, done +But spoke the harm that is by others done? + +CONSTANCE +Which harm within itself so heinous is +As it makes harmful all that speak of it. + +ARTHUR +I do beseech you, madam, be content. + +CONSTANCE +If thou that bidd'st me be content wert grim, +Ugly, and sland'rous to thy mother's womb, +Full of unpleasing blots and sightless stains, +Lame, foolish, crooked, swart, prodigious, +Patched with foul moles and eye-offending marks, +I would not care; I then would be content, +For then I should not love thee; no, nor thou +Become thy great birth, nor deserve a crown. +But thou art fair, and at thy birth, dear boy, +Nature and Fortune joined 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, changed, and won from thee; +Sh' adulterates hourly with thine Uncle John, +And with her golden hand hath plucked 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, +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, +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 and makes his owner stoop. +[She sits down.] +To me and to the state of my great grief +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. + +[Enter King John, hand in hand with King Philip of +France, Louis the Dauphin, Blanche, Queen Eleanor, +Bastard, Austria, and Attendants.] + + +KING PHILIP, [to Blanche] +'Tis true, fair daughter, and this blessed day +Ever in France shall be kept festival. +To solemnize this day the glorious sun +Stays in his course and plays the alchemist, +Turning with splendor of his precious eye +The meager cloddy earth to glittering gold. +The yearly course that brings this day about +Shall never see it but a holy day. + +CONSTANCE, [rising] +A wicked day, and not a holy day! +What hath this day deserved? What hath it done +That it in golden letters should be set +Among the high tides in the calendar? +Nay, rather turn this day out of the week, +This day of shame, oppression, perjury. +Or if it must stand still, let wives with child +Pray that their burdens may not fall this day, +Lest that their hopes prodigiously be crossed. +But on this day let seamen fear no wrack; +No bargains break that are not this day made; +This day, all things begun come to ill end, +Yea, faith itself to hollow falsehood change! + +KING PHILIP +By heaven, lady, you shall have no cause +To curse the fair proceedings of this day. +Have I not pawned to you my majesty? + +CONSTANCE +You have beguiled me with a counterfeit +Resembling majesty, which, being touched and tried, +Proves valueless. You are forsworn, forsworn. +You came in arms to spill mine enemies' blood, +But now in arms you strengthen it with yours. +The grappling vigor and rough frown of war +Is cold in amity and painted peace, +And our oppression hath made up this league. +Arm, arm, you heavens, against these perjured +kings! +A widow cries; be husband to me, God! +Let not the hours of this ungodly day +Wear out the days in peace, but ere sunset +Set armed discord 'twixt these perjured kings. +Hear me, O, hear me! + +AUSTRIA Lady Constance, peace. + +CONSTANCE +War, war, no peace! Peace is to me a war. +O Limoges, O Austria, thou dost shame +That bloody spoil. Thou slave, thou wretch, thou +coward, +Thou little valiant, great in villainy, +Thou ever strong upon the stronger side, +Thou Fortune's champion, that dost never fight +But when her humorous Ladyship is by +To teach thee safety. Thou art perjured too, +And sooth'st up greatness. What a fool art thou, +A ramping fool, to brag and stamp and swear +Upon my party. Thou cold-blooded slave, +Hast thou not spoke like thunder on my side? +Been sworn my soldier, bidding me depend +Upon thy stars, thy fortune, and thy strength? +And dost thou now fall over to my foes? +Thou wear a lion's hide! Doff it for shame, +And hang a calfskin on those recreant limbs. + +AUSTRIA +O, that a man should speak those words to me! + +BASTARD +"And hang a calfskin on those recreant limbs." + +AUSTRIA +Thou dar'st not say so, villain, for thy life! + +BASTARD +"And hang a calfskin on those recreant limbs." + +KING JOHN +We like not this. Thou dost forget thyself. + +[Enter Pandulph.] + + +KING PHILIP +Here comes the holy legate of the Pope. + +PANDULPH +Hail, you anointed deputies of heaven! +To thee, King John, my holy errand is. +I, Pandulph, of fair Milan cardinal +And from Pope Innocent the legate here, +Do in his name religiously demand +Why thou against the Church, our holy mother, +So willfully dost spurn, and force perforce +Keep Stephen Langton, chosen Archbishop +Of Canterbury, from that Holy See. +This, in our foresaid Holy Father's name, +Pope Innocent, I do demand of thee. + +KING JOHN +What earthy name to interrogatories +Can task the free breath of a sacred king? +Thou canst not, cardinal, devise a name +So slight, unworthy, and ridiculous +To charge me to an answer, as the Pope. +Tell him this tale, and from the mouth of England +Add thus much more, that no Italian priest +Shall tithe or toll in our dominions; +But as we under God are supreme head, +So, under Him, that great supremacy +Where we do reign we will alone uphold +Without th' assistance of a mortal hand. +So tell the Pope, all reverence set apart +To him and his usurped authority. + +KING PHILIP +Brother of England, you blaspheme in this. + +KING JOHN +Though you and all the kings of Christendom +Are led so grossly by this meddling priest, +Dreading the curse that money may buy out, +And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust, +Purchase corrupted pardon of a man +Who in that sale sells pardon from himself, +Though you and all the rest, so grossly led, +This juggling witchcraft with revenue cherish, +Yet I alone, alone do me oppose +Against the Pope, and count his friends my foes. + +PANDULPH +Then, by the lawful power that I have, +Thou shalt stand cursed and excommunicate; +And blessed shall he be that doth revolt +From his allegiance to an heretic; +And meritorious shall that hand be called, +Canonized and worshiped as a saint, +That takes away by any secret course +Thy hateful life. + +CONSTANCE O, lawful let it be +That I have room with Rome to curse awhile! +Good father cardinal, cry thou "Amen" +To my keen curses, for without my wrong +There is no tongue hath power to curse him right. + +PANDULPH +There's law and warrant, lady, for my curse. + +CONSTANCE +And for mine, too. When law can do no right, +Let it be lawful that law bar no wrong. +Law cannot give my child his kingdom here, +For he that holds his kingdom holds the law. +Therefore, since law itself is perfect wrong, +How can the law forbid my tongue to curse? + +PANDULPH +Philip of France, on peril of a curse, +Let go the hand of that arch-heretic, +And raise the power of France upon his head +Unless he do submit himself to Rome. + +QUEEN ELEANOR +Look'st thou pale, France? Do not let go thy hand. + +CONSTANCE +Look to that, devil, lest that France repent +And by disjoining hands, hell lose a soul. + +AUSTRIA +King Philip, listen to the Cardinal. + +BASTARD +And hang a calfskin on his recreant limbs. + +AUSTRIA +Well, ruffian, I must pocket up these wrongs, +Because-- + +BASTARD Your breeches best may carry them. + +KING JOHN +Philip, what sayst thou to the Cardinal? + +CONSTANCE +What should he say, but as the Cardinal? + +DAUPHIN +Bethink you, father, for the difference +Is purchase of a heavy curse from Rome, +Or the light loss of England for a friend. +Forgo the easier. + +BLANCHE That's the curse of Rome. + +CONSTANCE +O Louis, stand fast! The devil tempts thee here +In likeness of a new untrimmed bride. + +BLANCHE +The Lady Constance speaks not from her faith, +But from her need. + +CONSTANCE, [to King Philip] +O, if thou grant my need, +Which only lives but by the death of faith, +That need must needs infer this principle: +That faith would live again by death of need. +O, then tread down my need, and faith mounts up; +Keep my need up, and faith is trodden down. + +KING JOHN +The King is moved, and answers not to this. + +CONSTANCE, [to King Philip] +O, be removed from him, and answer well! + +AUSTRIA +Do so, King Philip. Hang no more in doubt. + +BASTARD +Hang nothing but a calfskin, most sweet lout. + +KING PHILIP +I am perplexed and know not what to say. + +PANDULPH +What canst thou say but will perplex thee more, +If thou stand excommunicate and cursed? + +KING PHILIP +Good reverend father, make my person yours, +And tell me how you would bestow yourself. +This royal hand and mine are newly knit, +And the conjunction of our inward souls +Married, in league, coupled, and linked together +With all religious strength of sacred vows. +The latest breath that gave the sound of words +Was deep-sworn faith, peace, amity, true love +Between our kingdoms and our royal selves; +And even before this truce, but new before, +No longer than we well could wash our hands +To clap this royal bargain up of peace, +God knows they were besmeared and overstained +With slaughter's pencil, where revenge did paint +The fearful difference of incensed kings. +And shall these hands, so lately purged of blood, +So newly joined in love, so strong in both, +Unyoke this seizure and this kind regreet? +Play fast and loose with faith? So jest with heaven? +Make such unconstant children of ourselves +As now again to snatch our palm from palm, +Unswear faith sworn, and on the marriage bed +Of smiling peace to march a bloody host +And make a riot on the gentle brow +Of true sincerity? O holy sir, +My reverend father, let it not be so! +Out of your grace, devise, ordain, impose +Some gentle order, and then we shall be blest +To do your pleasure and continue friends. + +PANDULPH +All form is formless, order orderless, +Save what is opposite to England's love. +Therefore to arms! Be champion of our Church, +Or let the Church, our mother, breathe her curse, +A mother's curse, on her revolting son. +France, thou mayst hold a serpent by the tongue, +A chafed lion by the mortal paw, +A fasting tiger safer by the tooth, +Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold. + +KING PHILIP +I may disjoin my hand, but not my faith. + +PANDULPH +So mak'st thou faith an enemy to faith, +And like a civil war sett'st oath to oath, +Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow +First made to God, first be to God performed, +That is, to be the champion of our Church! +What since thou swor'st is sworn against thyself +And may not be performed by thyself, +For that which thou hast sworn to do amiss +Is not amiss when it is truly done; +And being not done where doing tends to ill, +The truth is then most done not doing it. +The better act of purposes mistook +Is to mistake again; though indirect, +Yet indirection thereby grows direct, +And falsehood falsehood cures, as fire cools fire +Within the scorched veins of one new-burned. +It is religion that doth make vows kept, +But thou hast sworn against religion +By what thou swear'st against the thing thou +swear'st, +And mak'st an oath the surety for thy truth +Against an oath. The truth thou art unsure +To swear swears only not to be forsworn, +Else what a mockery should it be to swear? +But thou dost swear only to be forsworn, +And most forsworn to keep what thou dost swear. +Therefore thy later vows against thy first +Is in thyself rebellion to thyself. +And better conquest never canst thou make +Than arm thy constant and thy nobler parts +Against these giddy loose suggestions, +Upon which better part our prayers come in, +If thou vouchsafe them. But if not, then know +The peril of our curses light on thee +So heavy as thou shalt not shake them off, +But in despair die under their black weight. + +AUSTRIA +Rebellion, flat rebellion! + +BASTARD Will 't not be? +Will not a calfskin stop that mouth of thine? + +DAUPHIN +Father, to arms! + +BLANCHE Upon thy wedding day? +Against the blood that thou hast married? +What, shall our feast be kept with slaughtered men? +Shall braying trumpets and loud churlish drums, +Clamors of hell, be measures to our pomp? +[She kneels.] +O husband, hear me! Ay, alack, how new +Is "husband" in my mouth! Even for that name, +Which till this time my tongue did ne'er pronounce, +Upon my knee I beg, go not to arms +Against mine uncle. + +CONSTANCE, [kneeling] +O, upon my knee +Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee, +Thou virtuous Dauphin, alter not the doom +Forethought by heaven! + +BLANCHE, [to Dauphin] +Now shall I see thy love. What motive may +Be stronger with thee than the name of wife? + +CONSTANCE +That which upholdeth him that thee upholds, +His honor.--O, thine honor, Louis, thine honor! + +DAUPHIN, [to King Philip] +I muse your Majesty doth seem so cold, +When such profound respects do pull you on. + +PANDULPH +I will denounce a curse upon his head. + +KING PHILIP, [dropping King John's hand] +Thou shalt not need.--England, I will fall from +thee. + +CONSTANCE, [rising] +O, fair return of banished majesty! + +QUEEN ELEANOR +O, foul revolt of French inconstancy! + +KING JOHN +France, thou shalt rue this hour within this hour. + +BASTARD +Old Time the clock-setter, that bald sexton Time, +Is it as he will? Well, then, France shall rue. + +BLANCHE, [rising] +The sun's o'ercast with blood. Fair day, adieu. +Which is the side that I must go withal? +I am with both, each army hath a hand, +And in their rage, I having hold of both, +They whirl asunder and dismember me. +Husband, I cannot pray that thou mayst win.-- +Uncle, I needs must pray that thou mayst lose.-- +Father, I may not wish the fortune thine.-- +Grandam, I will not wish thy wishes thrive. +Whoever wins, on that side shall I lose. +Assured loss before the match be played. + +DAUPHIN +Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lies. + +BLANCHE +There where my fortune lives, there my life dies. + +KING JOHN, [to Bastard] +Cousin, go draw our puissance together. +[Bastard exits.] +France, I am burned up with inflaming wrath, +A rage whose heat hath this condition, +That nothing can allay, nothing but blood-- +The blood, and dearest-valued blood, of France. + +KING PHILIP +Thy rage shall burn thee up, and thou shalt turn +To ashes ere our blood shall quench that fire. +Look to thyself. Thou art in jeopardy. + +KING JOHN +No more than he that threats.--To arms let's hie! +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Alarums, excursions. +Enter Bastard with Austria's head.] + + +BASTARD +Now, by my life, this day grows wondrous hot. +Some airy devil hovers in the sky +And pours down mischief. Austria's head lie there, +While Philip breathes. + +[Enter King John, Arthur, Hubert.] + + +KING JOHN +Hubert, keep this boy.--Philip, make up. +My mother is assailed in our tent +And ta'en, I fear. + +BASTARD My lord, I rescued her. +Her Highness is in safety, fear you not. +But on, my liege, for very little pains +Will bring this labor to an happy end. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Alarums, excursions, retreat. +Enter King John, Queen Eleanor, Arthur, Bastard, +Hubert, Lords.] + + +KING JOHN, [to Queen Eleanor] +So shall it be. Your Grace shall stay behind +So strongly guarded. [To Arthur.] Cousin, look not sad. +Thy grandam loves thee, and thy uncle will +As dear be to thee as thy father was. + +ARTHUR +O, this will make my mother die with grief! + +KING JOHN, [to Bastard] +Cousin, away for England! Haste before, +And ere our coining see thou shake the bags +Of hoarding abbots; imprisoned angels +Set at liberty. The fat ribs of peace +Must by the hungry now be fed upon. +Use our commission in his utmost force. + +BASTARD +Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back +When gold and silver becks me to come on. +I leave your Highness.--Grandam, I will pray, +If ever I remember to be holy, +For your fair safety. So I kiss your hand. + +QUEEN ELEANOR +Farewell, gentle cousin. + +KING JOHN Coz, farewell. [Bastard exits.] + +QUEEN ELEANOR, [to Arthur] +Come hither, little kinsman. Hark, a word. +[They walk aside.] + +KING JOHN +Come hither, Hubert. [He takes Hubert aside.] +O, my gentle Hubert, +We owe thee much. Within this wall of flesh +There is a soul counts thee her creditor, +And with advantage means to pay thy love. +And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath +Lives in this bosom dearly cherished. +Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say, +But I will fit it with some better tune. +By heaven, Hubert, I am almost ashamed +To say what good respect I have of thee. + +HUBERT +I am much bounden to your Majesty. + +KING JOHN +Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet, +But thou shalt have. And, creep time ne'er so slow, +Yet it shall come for me to do thee good. +I had a thing to say--but let it go. +The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day, +Attended with the pleasures of the world, +Is all too wanton and too full of gauds +To give me audience. If the midnight bell +Did with his iron tongue and brazen mouth +Sound on into the drowsy race of night; +If this same were a churchyard where we stand, +And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs; +Or if that surly spirit, melancholy, +Had baked thy blood and made it heavy, thick, +Which else runs tickling up and down the veins, +Making that idiot, laughter, keep men's eyes +And strain their cheeks to idle merriment, +A passion hateful to my purposes; +Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes, +Hear me without thine ears, and make reply +Without a tongue, using conceit alone, +Without eyes, ears, and harmful sound of words; +Then, in despite of brooded watchful day, +I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts. +But, ah, I will not. Yet I love thee well, +And by my troth I think thou lov'st me well. + +HUBERT +So well that what you bid me undertake, +Though that my death were adjunct to my act, +By heaven, I would do it. + +KING JOHN Do not I know thou wouldst? +Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye +On yon young boy. I'll tell thee what, my friend, +He is a very serpent in my way, +And wheresoe'er this foot of mine doth tread, +He lies before me. Dost thou understand me? +Thou art his keeper. + +HUBERT And I'll keep him so +That he shall not offend your Majesty. + +KING JOHN +Death. + +HUBERT My lord? + +KING JOHN A grave. + +HUBERT He shall not live. + +KING JOHN Enough. +I could be merry now. Hubert, I love thee. +Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee. +Remember. [He turns to Queen Eleanor.] Madam, fare +you well. +I'll send those powers o'er to your Majesty. + +QUEEN ELEANOR My blessing go with thee. + +KING JOHN, [to Arthur] For England, cousin, go. +Hubert shall be your man, attend on you +With all true duty.--On toward Calais, ho! +[They exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Enter King Philip of France,Louis the Dauphin, +Pandulph, Attendants.] + + +KING PHILIP +So, by a roaring tempest on the flood, +A whole armada of convicted sail +Is scattered and disjoined from fellowship. + +PANDULPH +Courage and comfort. All shall yet go well. + +KING PHILIP +What can go well when we have run so ill? +Are we not beaten? Is not Angiers lost? +Arthur ta'en prisoner? Divers dear friends slain? +And bloody England into England gone, +O'erbearing interruption, spite of France? + +DAUPHIN +What he hath won, that hath he fortified. +So hot a speed, with such advice disposed, +Such temperate order in so fierce a cause, +Doth want example. Who hath read or heard +Of any kindred action like to this? + +KING PHILIP +Well could I bear that England had this praise, +So we could find some pattern of our shame. + +[Enter Constance, with her hair unbound.] + +Look who comes here! A grave unto a soul, +Holding th' eternal spirit against her will +In the vile prison of afflicted breath.-- +I prithee, lady, go away with me. + +CONSTANCE +Lo, now, now see the issue of your peace! + +KING PHILIP +Patience, good lady. Comfort, gentle Constance. + +CONSTANCE +No, I defy all counsel, all redress, +But that which ends all counsel, true redress. +Death, death, O amiable, lovely death, +Thou odoriferous stench, sound rottenness, +Arise forth from the couch of lasting night, +Thou hate and terror to prosperity, +And I will kiss thy detestable bones +And put my eyeballs in thy vaulty brows, +And ring these fingers with thy household worms, +And stop this gap of breath with fulsome dust, +And be a carrion monster like thyself. +Come, grin on me, and I will think thou smil'st, +And buss thee as thy wife. Misery's love, +O, come to me! + +KING PHILIP O fair affliction, peace! + +CONSTANCE +No, no, I will not, having breath to cry. +O, that my tongue were in the thunder's mouth! +Then with a passion would I shake the world +And rouse from sleep that fell anatomy +Which cannot hear a lady's feeble voice, +Which scorns a modern invocation. + +PANDULPH +Lady, you utter madness and not sorrow. + +CONSTANCE +Thou art not holy to belie me so. +I am not mad. This hair I tear is mine; +My name is Constance; I was Geoffrey's wife; +Young Arthur is my son, and he is lost. +I am not mad; I would to heaven I were, +For then 'tis like I should forget myself. +O, if I could, what grief should I forget! +Preach some philosophy to make me mad, +And thou shalt be canonized, cardinal. +For, being not mad but sensible of grief, +My reasonable part produces reason +How I may be delivered of these woes, +And teaches me to kill or hang myself. +If I were mad, I should forget my son, +Or madly think a babe of clouts were he. +I am not mad. Too well, too well I feel +The different plague of each calamity. + +KING PHILIP +Bind up those tresses.--O, what love I note +In the fair multitude of those her hairs; +Where but by chance a silver drop hath fall'n, +Even to that drop ten thousand wiry friends +Do glue themselves in sociable grief, +Like true, inseparable, faithful loves, +Sticking together in calamity. + +CONSTANCE +To England, if you will. + +KING PHILIP Bind up your hairs. + +CONSTANCE +Yes, that I will. And wherefore will I do it? +I tore them from their bonds and cried aloud +"O, that these hands could so redeem my son, +As they have given these hairs their liberty!" +But now I envy at their liberty, +And will again commit them to their bonds, +Because my poor child is a prisoner. +[She binds up her hair.] +And father cardinal, I have heard you say +That we shall see and know our friends in heaven. +If that be true, I shall see my boy again; +For since the birth of Cain, the first male child, +To him that did but yesterday suspire, +There was not such a gracious creature born. +But now will canker sorrow eat my bud +And chase the native beauty from his cheek, +And he will look as hollow as a ghost, +As dim and meager as an ague's fit, +And so he'll die; and, rising so again, +When I shall meet him in the court of heaven +I shall not know him. Therefore never, never +Must I behold my pretty Arthur more. + +PANDULPH +You hold too heinous a respect of grief. + +CONSTANCE +He talks to me that never had a son. + +KING PHILIP +You are as fond of grief as of your child. + +CONSTANCE +Grief fills the room up of my absent child, +Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me, +Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words, +Remembers me of all his gracious parts, +Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form; +Then, have I reason to be fond of grief? +Fare you well. Had you such a loss as I, +I could give better comfort than you do. +[She unbinds her hair.] +I will not keep this form upon my head +When there is such disorder in my wit. +O Lord! My boy, my Arthur, my fair son, +My life, my joy, my food, my all the world, +My widow-comfort and my sorrows' cure! [She exits.] + +KING PHILIP +I fear some outrage, and I'll follow her. +[He exits, with Attendants.] + +DAUPHIN +There's nothing in this world can make me joy. +Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale, +Vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man; +And bitter shame hath spoiled the sweet world's +taste, +That it yields naught but shame and bitterness. + +PANDULPH +Before the curing of a strong disease, +Even in the instant of repair and health, +The fit is strongest. Evils that take leave +On their departure most of all show evil. +What have you lost by losing of this day? + +DAUPHIN +All days of glory, joy, and happiness. + +PANDULPH +If you had won it, certainly you had. +No, no. When Fortune means to men most good, +She looks upon them with a threat'ning eye. +'Tis strange to think how much King John hath lost +In this which he accounts so clearly won. +Are not you grieved that Arthur is his prisoner? + +DAUPHIN +As heartily as he is glad he hath him. + +PANDULPH +Your mind is all as youthful as your blood. +Now hear me speak with a prophetic spirit. +For even the breath of what I mean to speak +Shall blow each dust, each straw, each little rub, +Out of the path which shall directly lead +Thy foot to England's throne. And therefore mark: +John hath seized Arthur, and it cannot be +That, whiles warm life plays in that infant's veins, +The misplaced John should entertain an hour, +One minute, nay, one quiet breath of rest. +A scepter snatched with an unruly hand +Must be as boisterously maintained as gained. +And he that stands upon a slipp'ry place +Makes nice of no vile hold to stay him up. +That John may stand, then Arthur needs must fall. +So be it, for it cannot be but so. + +DAUPHIN +But what shall I gain by young Arthur's fall? + +PANDULPH +You, in the right of Lady Blanche your wife, +May then make all the claim that Arthur did. + +DAUPHIN +And lose it, life and all, as Arthur did. + +PANDULPH +How green you are and fresh in this old world! +John lays you plots. The times conspire with you, +For he that steeps his safety in true blood +Shall find but bloody safety, and untrue. +This act so evilly borne shall cool the hearts +Of all his people and freeze up their zeal, +That none so small advantage shall step forth +To check his reign but they will cherish it. +No natural exhalation in the sky, +No scope of nature, no distempered day, +No common wind, no customed event, +But they will pluck away his natural cause +And call them meteors, prodigies, and signs, +Abortives, presages, and tongues of heaven, +Plainly denouncing vengeance upon John. + +DAUPHIN +Maybe he will not touch young Arthur's life, +But hold himself safe in his prisonment. + +PANDULPH +O, sir, when he shall hear of your approach, +If that young Arthur be not gone already, +Even at that news he dies; and then the hearts +Of all his people shall revolt from him +And kiss the lips of unacquainted change, +And pick strong matter of revolt and wrath +Out of the bloody fingers' ends of John. +Methinks I see this hurly all on foot; +And, O, what better matter breeds for you +Than I have named! The bastard Faulconbridge +Is now in England ransacking the Church, +Offending charity. If but a dozen French +Were there in arms, they would be as a call +To train ten thousand English to their side, +Or as a little snow, tumbled about, +Anon becomes a mountain. O noble dauphin, +Go with me to the King. 'Tis wonderful +What may be wrought out of their discontent, +Now that their souls are topful of offense. +For England, go. I will whet on the King. + +DAUPHIN +Strong reasons makes strange actions. Let us go. +If you say ay, the King will not say no. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 4 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Hubert and Executioners, with irons and rope.] + + +HUBERT +Heat me these irons hot, and look thou stand +Within the arras. When I strike my foot +Upon the bosom of the ground, rush forth +And bind the boy which you shall find with me +Fast to the chair. Be heedful. Hence, and watch. + +EXECUTIONER +I hope your warrant will bear out the deed. + +HUBERT +Uncleanly scruples fear not you. Look to 't. +[Executioners exit.] +Young lad, come forth. I have to say with you. + +[Enter Arthur.] + + +ARTHUR +Good morrow, Hubert. + +HUBERT Good morrow, little prince. + +ARTHUR +As little prince, having so great a title +To be more prince, as may be. You are sad. + +HUBERT +Indeed, I have been merrier. + +ARTHUR Mercy on me! +Methinks nobody should be sad but I. +Yet I remember, when I was in France, +Young gentlemen would be as sad as night +Only for wantonness. By my christendom, +So I were out of prison and kept sheep, +I should be as merry as the day is long. +And so I would be here but that I doubt +My uncle practices more harm to me. +He is afraid of me, and I of him. +Is it my fault that I was Geoffrey's son? +No, indeed, is 't not. And I would to heaven +I were your son, so you would love me, Hubert. + +HUBERT, [aside] +If I talk to him, with his innocent prate +He will awake my mercy, which lies dead. +Therefore I will be sudden and dispatch. + +ARTHUR +Are you sick, Hubert? You look pale today. +In sooth, I would you were a little sick +That I might sit all night and watch with you. +I warrant I love you more than you do me. + +HUBERT, [aside] +His words do take possession of my bosom. +[He shows Arthur a paper.] +Read here, young Arthur. [(Aside.)] How now, +foolish rheum? +Turning dispiteous torture out of door? +I must be brief lest resolution drop +Out at mine eyes in tender womanish tears.-- +Can you not read it? Is it not fair writ? + +ARTHUR +Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect. +Must you with hot irons burn out both mine eyes? + +HUBERT +Young boy, I must. + +ARTHUR And will you? + +HUBERT And I will. + +ARTHUR +Have you the heart? When your head did but ache, +I knit my handkercher about your brows-- +The best I had, a princess wrought it me-- +And I did never ask it you again; +And with my hand at midnight held your head, +And like the watchful minutes to the hour +Still and anon cheered up the heavy time, +Saying "What lack you?" and "Where lies your +grief?" +Or "What good love may I perform for you?" +Many a poor man's son would have lien still +And ne'er have spoke a loving word to you; +But you at your sick service had a prince. +Nay, you may think my love was crafty love, +And call it cunning. Do, an if you will. +If heaven be pleased that you must use me ill, +Why then you must. Will you put out mine eyes-- +These eyes that never did nor never shall +So much as frown on you? + +HUBERT I have sworn to do it. +And with hot irons must I burn them out. + +ARTHUR +Ah, none but in this Iron Age would do it. +The iron of itself, though heat red-hot, +Approaching near these eyes, would drink my tears +And quench this fiery indignation +Even in the matter of mine innocence; +Nay, after that, consume away in rust +But for containing fire to harm mine eye. +Are you more stubborn-hard than hammered iron? +An if an angel should have come to me +And told me Hubert should put out mine eyes, +I would not have believed him. No tongue but +Hubert's. + +HUBERT [stamps his foot and calls] Come forth. + +[Enter Executioners with ropes, a heated iron, and a +brazier of burning coals.] + +Do as I bid you do. + +ARTHUR +O, save me, Hubert, save me! My eyes are out +Even with the fierce looks of these bloody men. + +HUBERT +Give me the iron, I say, and bind him here. +[He takes the iron.] + +ARTHUR +Alas, what need you be so boist'rous-rough? +I will not struggle; I will stand stone-still. +For God's sake, Hubert, let me not be bound! +Nay, hear me, Hubert! Drive these men away, +And I will sit as quiet as a lamb. +I will not stir nor wince nor speak a word +Nor look upon the iron angerly. +Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you, +Whatever torment you do put me to. + +HUBERT, [to Executioners] +Go stand within. Let me alone with him. + +EXECUTIONER +I am best pleased to be from such a deed. +[Executioners exit.] + +ARTHUR +Alas, I then have chid away my friend! +He hath a stern look but a gentle heart. +Let him come back, that his compassion may +Give life to yours. + +HUBERT Come, boy, prepare yourself. + +ARTHUR +Is there no remedy? + +HUBERT None but to lose your eyes. + +ARTHUR +O God, that there were but a mote in yours, +A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wandering hair, +Any annoyance in that precious sense. +Then, feeling what small things are boisterous +there, +Your vile intent must needs seem horrible. + +HUBERT +Is this your promise? Go to, hold your tongue. + +ARTHUR +Hubert, the utterance of a brace of tongues +Must needs want pleading for a pair of eyes. +Let me not hold my tongue. Let me not, Hubert, +Or, Hubert, if you will, cut out my tongue, +So I may keep mine eyes. O, spare mine eyes, +Though to no use but still to look on you. +[He seizes the iron.] +Lo, by my troth, the instrument is cold, +And would not harm me. + +HUBERT, [taking back the iron] +I can heat it, boy. + +ARTHUR +No, in good sooth. The fire is dead with grief, +Being create for comfort, to be used +In undeserved extremes. See else yourself. +There is no malice in this burning coal. +The breath of heaven hath blown his spirit out +And strewed repentant ashes on his head. + +HUBERT +But with my breath I can revive it, boy. + +ARTHUR +An if you do, you will but make it blush +And glow with shame of your proceedings, Hubert. +Nay, it perchance will sparkle in your eyes, +And, like a dog that is compelled to fight, +Snatch at his master that doth tar him on. +All things that you should use to do me wrong +Deny their office. Only you do lack +That mercy which fierce fire and iron extends, +Creatures of note for mercy-lacking uses. + +HUBERT +Well, see to live. I will not touch thine eye +For all the treasure that thine uncle owes. +Yet am I sworn, and I did purpose, boy, +With this same very iron to burn them out. + +ARTHUR +O, now you look like Hubert. All this while +You were disguised. + +HUBERT Peace. No more. Adieu. +Your uncle must not know but you are dead. +I'll fill these dogged spies with false reports. +And, pretty child, sleep doubtless and secure +That Hubert, for the wealth of all the world, +Will not offend thee. + +ARTHUR O heaven! I thank you, Hubert. + +HUBERT +Silence. No more. Go closely in with me. +Much danger do I undergo for thee. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter King John, Pembroke, Salisbury, and other +Lords. King John ascends the throne.] + + +KING JOHN +Here once again we sit, once again crowned +And looked upon, I hope, with cheerful eyes. + +PEMBROKE +This "once again," but that your Highness pleased, +Was once superfluous. You were crowned before, +And that high royalty was ne'er plucked off, +The faiths of men ne'er stained with revolt; +Fresh expectation troubled not the land +With any longed-for change or better state. + +SALISBURY +Therefore, to be possessed with double pomp, +To guard a title that was rich before, +To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, +To throw a perfume on the violet, +To smooth the ice or add another hue +Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light +To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, +Is wasteful and ridiculous excess. + +PEMBROKE +But that your royal pleasure must be done, +This act is as an ancient tale new told, +And, in the last repeating, troublesome, +Being urged at a time unseasonable. + +SALISBURY +In this the antique and well-noted face +Of plain old form is much disfigured, +And like a shifted wind unto a sail, +It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about, +Startles and frights consideration, +Makes sound opinion sick and truth suspected +For putting on so new a fashioned robe. + +PEMBROKE +When workmen strive to do better than well, +They do confound their skill in covetousness, +And oftentimes excusing of a fault +Doth make the fault the worse by th' excuse, +As patches set upon a little breach +Discredit more in hiding of the fault +Than did the fault before it was so patched. + +SALISBURY +To this effect, before you were new-crowned, +We breathed our counsel; but it pleased your +Highness +To overbear it, and we are all well pleased, +Since all and every part of what we would +Doth make a stand at what your Highness will. + +KING JOHN +Some reasons of this double coronation +I have possessed you with, and think them strong; +And more, more strong, when lesser is my fear, +I shall endue you with. Meantime, but ask +What you would have reformed that is not well, +And well shall you perceive how willingly +I will both hear and grant you your requests. + +PEMBROKE +Then I, as one that am the tongue of these +To sound the purposes of all their hearts, +Both for myself and them, but chief of all +Your safety, for the which myself and them +Bend their best studies, heartily request +Th' enfranchisement of Arthur, whose restraint +Doth move the murmuring lips of discontent +To break into this dangerous argument: +If what in rest you have in right you hold, +Why then your fears, which, as they say, attend +The steps of wrong, should move you to mew up +Your tender kinsman and to choke his days +With barbarous ignorance and deny his youth +The rich advantage of good exercise. +That the time's enemies may not have this +To grace occasions, let it be our suit +That you have bid us ask, his liberty, +Which for our goods we do no further ask +Than whereupon our weal, on you depending, +Counts it your weal he have his liberty. + +KING JOHN +Let it be so. I do commit his youth +To your direction. + +[Enter Hubert.] + +Hubert, what news with you? +[King John and Hubert talk aside.] + +PEMBROKE +This is the man should do the bloody deed. +He showed his warrant to a friend of mine. +The image of a wicked heinous fault +Lives in his eye. That close aspect of his +Doth show the mood of a much troubled breast, +And I do fearfully believe 'tis done +What we so feared he had a charge to do. + +SALISBURY +The color of the King doth come and go +Between his purpose and his conscience, +Like heralds 'twixt two dreadful battles set. +His passion is so ripe it needs must break. + +PEMBROKE +And when it breaks, I fear will issue thence +The foul corruption of a sweet child's death. + +KING JOHN, [coming forward with Hubert] +We cannot hold mortality's strong hand.-- +Good lords, although my will to give is living, +The suit which you demand is gone and dead. +He tells us Arthur is deceased tonight. + +SALISBURY +Indeed, we feared his sickness was past cure. + +PEMBROKE +Indeed, we heard how near his death he was +Before the child himself felt he was sick. +This must be answered either here or hence. + +KING JOHN +Why do you bend such solemn brows on me? +Think you I bear the shears of destiny? +Have I commandment on the pulse of life? + +SALISBURY +It is apparent foul play, and 'tis shame +That greatness should so grossly offer it. +So thrive it in your game, and so farewell. + +PEMBROKE +Stay yet, Lord Salisbury. I'll go with thee +And find th' inheritance of this poor child, +His little kingdom of a forced grave. +That blood which owed the breadth of all this isle, +Three foot of it doth hold. Bad world the while! +This must not be thus borne; this will break out +To all our sorrows, and ere long, I doubt. +[Pembroke, Salisbury, and other Lords exit.] + +KING JOHN +They burn in indignation. I repent. +There is no sure foundation set on blood, +No certain life achieved by others' death. + +[Enter Messenger.] + +A fearful eye thou hast. Where is that blood +That I have seen inhabit in those cheeks? +So foul a sky clears not without a storm. +Pour down thy weather: how goes all in France? + +MESSENGER +From France to England. Never such a power +For any foreign preparation +Was levied in the body of a land. +The copy of your speed is learned by them, +For when you should be told they do prepare, +The tidings comes that they are all arrived. + +KING JOHN +O, where hath our intelligence been drunk? +Where hath it slept? Where is my mother's care, +That such an army could be drawn in France +And she not hear of it? + +MESSENGER My liege, her ear +Is stopped with dust. The first of April died +Your noble mother. And as I hear, my lord, +The Lady Constance in a frenzy died +Three days before. But this from rumor's tongue +I idly heard. If true or false, I know not. + +KING JOHN, [aside] +Withhold thy speed, dreadful occasion! +O, make a league with me till I have pleased +My discontented peers. What? Mother dead? +How wildly then walks my estate in France!-- +Under whose conduct came those powers of France +That thou for truth giv'st out are landed here? + +MESSENGER +Under the Dauphin. + +KING JOHN Thou hast made me giddy +With these ill tidings. + +[Enter Bastard and Peter of Pomfret.] + +[To Bastard.] Now, what says the world +To your proceedings? Do not seek to stuff +My head with more ill news, for it is full. + +BASTARD +But if you be afeard to hear the worst, +Then let the worst, unheard, fall on your head. + +KING JOHN +Bear with me, cousin, for I was amazed +Under the tide, but now I breathe again +Aloft the flood and can give audience +To any tongue, speak it of what it will. + +BASTARD +How I have sped among the clergymen +The sums I have collected shall express. +But as I traveled hither through the land, +I find the people strangely fantasied, +Possessed with rumors, full of idle dreams, +Not knowing what they fear, but full of fear. +And here's a prophet that I brought with me +From forth the streets of Pomfret, whom I found +With many hundreds treading on his heels, +To whom he sung in rude harsh-sounding rhymes +That ere the next Ascension Day at noon, +Your Highness should deliver up your crown. + +KING JOHN, [to Peter] +Thou idle dreamer, wherefore didst thou so? + +PETER +Foreknowing that the truth will fall out so. + +KING JOHN +Hubert, away with him! Imprison him. +And on that day at noon, whereon he says +I shall yield up my crown, let him be hanged. +Deliver him to safety and return, +For I must use thee. [Hubert and Peter exit.] +O my gentle cousin, +Hear'st thou the news abroad, who are arrived? + +BASTARD +The French, my lord. Men's mouths are full of it. +Besides, I met Lord Bigot and Lord Salisbury +With eyes as red as new-enkindled fire, +And others more, going to seek the grave +Of Arthur, whom they say is killed tonight +On your suggestion. + +KING JOHN Gentle kinsman, go +And thrust thyself into their companies. +I have a way to win their loves again. +Bring them before me. + +BASTARD I will seek them out. + +KING JOHN +Nay, but make haste, the better foot before! +O, let me have no subject enemies +When adverse foreigners affright my towns +With dreadful pomp of stout invasion. +Be Mercury, set feathers to thy heels, +And fly like thought from them to me again. + +BASTARD +The spirit of the time shall teach me speed. +[He exits.] + +KING JOHN +Spoke like a sprightful noble gentleman. +[To Messenger.] Go after him, for he perhaps shall +need +Some messenger betwixt me and the peers, +And be thou he. + +MESSENGER With all my heart, my liege. +[Messenger exits.] + +KING JOHN My mother dead! + +[Enter Hubert.] + + +HUBERT +My lord, they say five moons were seen tonight-- +Four fixed, and the fifth did whirl about +The other four in wondrous motion. + +KING JOHN +Five moons! + +HUBERT Old men and beldams in the streets +Do prophesy upon it dangerously. +Young Arthur's death is common in their mouths, +And when they talk of him, they shake their heads +And whisper one another in the ear, +And he that speaks doth grip the hearer's wrist, +Whilst he that hears makes fearful action +With wrinkled brows, with nods, with rolling eyes. +I saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus, +The whilst his iron did on the anvil cool, +With open mouth swallowing a tailor's news, +Who with his shears and measure in his hand, +Standing on slippers which his nimble haste +Had falsely thrust upon contrary feet, +Told of a many thousand warlike French +That were embattled and ranked in Kent. +Another lean, unwashed artificer +Cuts off his tale and talks of Arthur's death. + +KING JOHN +Why seek'st thou to possess me with these fears? +Why urgest thou so oft young Arthur's death? +Thy hand hath murdered him. I had a mighty cause +To wish him dead, but thou hadst none to kill him. + +HUBERT +No had, my lord! Why, did you not provoke me? + +KING JOHN +It is the curse of kings to be attended +By slaves that take their humors for a warrant +To break within the bloody house of life, +And on the winking of authority +To understand a law, to know the meaning +Of dangerous majesty, when perchance it frowns +More upon humor than advised respect. + +HUBERT, [showing a paper] +Here is your hand and seal for what I did. + +KING JOHN +O, when the last accompt twixt heaven and Earth +Is to be made, then shall this hand and seal +Witness against us to damnation! +How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds +Make deeds ill done! Hadst not thou been by, +A fellow by the hand of nature marked, +Quoted, and signed to do a deed of shame, +This murder had not come into my mind. +But taking note of thy abhorred aspect, +Finding thee fit for bloody villainy, +Apt, liable to be employed in danger, +I faintly broke with thee of Arthur's death; +And thou, to be endeared to a king, +Made it no conscience to destroy a prince. + +HUBERT My lord-- + +KING JOHN +Hadst thou but shook thy head or made a pause +When I spake darkly what I purposed, +Or turned an eye of doubt upon my face, +As bid me tell my tale in express words, +Deep shame had struck me dumb, made me break +off, +And those thy fears might have wrought fears in me. +But thou didst understand me by my signs +And didst in signs again parley with sin, +Yea, without stop didst let thy heart consent +And consequently thy rude hand to act +The deed which both our tongues held vile to name. +Out of my sight, and never see me more. +My nobles leave me, and my state is braved, +Even at my gates, with ranks of foreign powers. +Nay, in the body of this fleshly land, +This kingdom, this confine of blood and breath, +Hostility and civil tumult reigns +Between my conscience and my cousin's death. + +HUBERT +Arm you against your other enemies. +I'll make a peace between your soul and you. +Young Arthur is alive. This hand of mine +Is yet a maiden and an innocent hand, +Not painted with the crimson spots of blood. +Within this bosom never entered yet +The dreadful motion of a murderous thought, +And you have slandered nature in my form, +Which, howsoever rude exteriorly, +Is yet the cover of a fairer mind +Than to be butcher of an innocent child. + +KING JOHN +Doth Arthur live? O, haste thee to the peers, +Throw this report on their incensed rage, +And make them tame to their obedience. +Forgive the comment that my passion made +Upon thy feature, for my rage was blind, +And foul imaginary eyes of blood +Presented thee more hideous than thou art. +O, answer not, but to my closet bring +The angry lords with all expedient haste. +I conjure thee but slowly; run more fast. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Arthur on the walls, dressed as a shipboy.] + + +ARTHUR +The wall is high, and yet will I leap down. +Good ground, be pitiful and hurt me not. +There's few or none do know me. If they did, +This shipboy's semblance hath disguised me quite. +I am afraid, and yet I'll venture it. +If I get down and do not break my limbs, +I'll find a thousand shifts to get away. +As good to die and go as die and stay. +[He jumps.] +O me, my uncle's spirit is in these stones. +Heaven take my soul, and England keep my bones. +[He dies.] + +[Enter Pembroke, Salisbury with a letter, and Bigot.] + + +SALISBURY +Lords, I will meet him at Saint Edmundsbury; +It is our safety, and we must embrace +This gentle offer of the perilous time. + +PEMBROKE +Who brought that letter from the Cardinal? + +SALISBURY +The Count Melun, a noble lord of France, +Whose private with me of the Dauphin's love +Is much more general than these lines import. + +BIGOT +Tomorrow morning let us meet him, then. + +SALISBURY +Or rather then set forward, for 'twill be +Two long days' journey, lords, or ere we meet. + +[Enter Bastard.] + + +BASTARD +Once more today well met, distempered lords. +The King by me requests your presence straight. + +SALISBURY +The King hath dispossessed himself of us. +We will not line his thin bestained cloak +With our pure honors, nor attend the foot +That leaves the print of blood where'er it walks. +Return, and tell him so. We know the worst. + +BASTARD +Whate'er you think, good words I think were best. + +SALISBURY +Our griefs and not our manners reason now. + +BASTARD +But there is little reason in your grief. +Therefore 'twere reason you had manners now. + +PEMBROKE +Sir, sir, impatience hath his privilege. + +BASTARD +'Tis true, to hurt his master, no man's else. + +SALISBURY +This is the prison. +[He sees Arthur's body.] +What is he lies here? + +PEMBROKE +O Death, made proud with pure and princely beauty! +The Earth had not a hole to hide this deed. + +SALISBURY +Murder, as hating what himself hath done, +Doth lay it open to urge on revenge. + +BIGOT +Or when he doomed this beauty to a grave, +Found it too precious-princely for a grave. + +SALISBURY, [to Bastard] +Sir Richard, what think you? You have beheld. +Or have you read or heard, or could you think, +Or do you almost think, although you see, +That you do see? Could thought, without this object, +Form such another? This is the very top, +The height, the crest, or crest unto the crest, +Of murder's arms. This is the bloodiest shame, +The wildest savagery, the vilest stroke +That ever wall-eyed wrath or staring rage +Presented to the tears of soft remorse. + +PEMBROKE +All murders past do stand excused in this. +And this, so sole and so unmatchable, +Shall give a holiness, a purity, +To the yet unbegotten sin of times +And prove a deadly bloodshed but a jest, +Exampled by this heinous spectacle. + +BASTARD +It is a damned and a bloody work, +The graceless action of a heavy hand, +If that it be the work of any hand. + +SALISBURY +If that it be the work of any hand? +We had a kind of light what would ensue. +It is the shameful work of Hubert's hand, +The practice and the purpose of the King, +From whose obedience I forbid my soul, +Kneeling before this ruin of sweet life [He kneels.] +And breathing to his breathless excellence +The incense of a vow, a holy vow: +Never to taste the pleasures of the world, +Never to be infected with delight, +Nor conversant with ease and idleness, +Till I have set a glory to this hand +By giving it the worship of revenge. + +PEMBROKE, BIGOT, [kneeling] +Our souls religiously confirm thy words. +[They rise.] + +[Enter Hubert.] + + +HUBERT +Lords, I am hot with haste in seeking you. +Arthur doth live; the King hath sent for you. + +SALISBURY +O, he is bold and blushes not at death!-- +Avaunt, thou hateful villain, get thee gone! + +HUBERT +I am no villain. + +SALISBURY, [drawing his sword] Must I rob the law? + +BASTARD +Your sword is bright, sir. Put it up again. + +SALISBURY +Not till I sheathe it in a murderer's skin. + +HUBERT +Stand back, Lord Salisbury, stand back, I say. +By heaven, I think my sword's as sharp as yours. +[He puts his hand on his sword.] +I would not have you, lord, forget yourself, +Nor tempt the danger of my true defense, +Lest I, by marking of your rage, forget +Your worth, your greatness, and nobility. + +BIGOT +Out, dunghill! Dar'st thou brave a nobleman? + +HUBERT +Not for my life. But yet I dare defend +My innocent life against an emperor. + +SALISBURY +Thou art a murderer. + +HUBERT Do not prove me so. +Yet I am none. Whose tongue soe'er speaks false, +Not truly speaks. Who speaks not truly, lies. + +PEMBROKE, [drawing his sword] +Cut him to pieces. + +BASTARD, [drawing his sword] Keep the peace, I say. + +SALISBURY +Stand by, or I shall gall you, Faulconbridge. + +BASTARD +Thou wert better gall the devil, Salisbury. +If thou but frown on me, or stir thy foot, +Or teach thy hasty spleen to do me shame, +I'll strike thee dead. Put up thy sword betime, +Or I'll so maul you and your toasting-iron +That you shall think the devil is come from hell. + +BIGOT +What wilt thou do, renowned Faulconbridge? +Second a villain and a murderer? + +HUBERT +Lord Bigot, I am none. + +BIGOT Who killed this prince? + +HUBERT +'Tis not an hour since I left him well. +I honored him, I loved him, and will weep +My date of life out for his sweet life's loss. +[He weeps.] + +SALISBURY +Trust not those cunning waters of his eyes, +For villainy is not without such rheum, +And he, long traded in it, makes it seem +like rivers of remorse and innocency. +Away with me, all you whose souls abhor +Th' uncleanly savors of a slaughterhouse, +For I am stifled with this smell of sin. + +BIGOT +Away, toward Bury, to the Dauphin there. + +PEMBROKE +There, tell the King, he may inquire us out. +[Lords exit.] + +BASTARD +Here's a good world! Knew you of this fair work? +Beyond the infinite and boundless reach +Of mercy, if thou didst this deed of death, +Art thou damned, Hubert. + +HUBERT Do but hear me, sir. + +BASTARD Ha! I'll tell thee what. +Thou 'rt damned as black--nay, nothing is so black-- +Thou art more deep damned than Prince Lucifer. +There is not yet so ugly a fiend of hell +As thou shalt be, if thou didst kill this child. + +HUBERT +Upon my soul-- + +BASTARD If thou didst but consent +To this most cruel act, do but despair, +And if thou want'st a cord, the smallest thread +That ever spider twisted from her womb +Will serve to strangle thee; a rush will be a beam +To hang thee on. Or wouldst thou drown thyself, +Put but a little water in a spoon +And it shall be as all the ocean, +Enough to stifle such a villain up. +I do suspect thee very grievously. + +HUBERT +If I in act, consent, or sin of thought +Be guilty of the stealing that sweet breath +Which was embounded in this beauteous clay, +Let hell want pains enough to torture me. +I left him well. + +BASTARD Go, bear him in thine arms. +I am amazed, methinks, and lose my way +Among the thorns and dangers of this world. +[Hubert takes up Arthur's body.] +How easy dost thou take all England up! +From forth this morsel of dead royalty, +The life, the right, and truth of all this realm +Is fled to heaven, and England now is left +To tug and scamble and to part by th' teeth +The unowed interest of proud-swelling state. +Now for the bare-picked bone of majesty +Doth dogged war bristle his angry crest +And snarleth in the gentle eyes of peace. +Now powers from home and discontents at home +Meet in one line, and vast confusion waits, +As doth a raven on a sick-fall'n beast, +The imminent decay of wrested pomp. +Now happy he whose cloak and cincture can +Hold out this tempest. Bear away that child, +And follow me with speed. I'll to the King. +A thousand businesses are brief in hand, +And heaven itself doth frown upon the land. +[They exit, with Hubert carrying Arthur's body.] + + +ACT 5 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter King John and Pandulph with the crown, and +their Attendants.] + + +KING JOHN +Thus have I yielded up into your hand +The circle of my glory. + +PANDULPH, [handing John the crown] Take again +From this my hand, as holding of the Pope, +Your sovereign greatness and authority. + +KING JOHN +Now keep your holy word. Go meet the French, +And from his Holiness use all your power +To stop their marches 'fore we are inflamed. +Our discontented counties do revolt, +Our people quarrel with obedience, +Swearing allegiance and the love of soul +To stranger blood, to foreign royalty. +This inundation of mistempered humor +Rests by you only to be qualified. +Then pause not, for the present time's so sick +That present med'cine must be ministered, +Or overthrow incurable ensues. + +PANDULPH +It was my breath that blew this tempest up, +Upon your stubborn usage of the Pope; +But since you are a gentle convertite, +My tongue shall hush again this storm of war +And make fair weather in your blust'ring land. +On this Ascension Day, remember well: +Upon your oath of service to the Pope, +Go I to make the French lay down their arms. +[He exits, with Attendants.] + +KING JOHN +Is this Ascension Day? Did not the prophet +Say that before Ascension Day at noon +My crown I should give off? Even so I have. +I did suppose it should be on constraint, +But, God be thanked, it is but voluntary. + +[Enter Bastard.] + + +BASTARD +All Kent hath yielded. Nothing there holds out +But Dover Castle. London hath received +Like a kind host the Dauphin and his powers. +Your nobles will not hear you, but are gone +To offer service to your enemy; +And wild amazement hurries up and down +The little number of your doubtful friends. + +KING JOHN +Would not my lords return to me again +After they heard young Arthur was alive? + +BASTARD +They found him dead and cast into the streets, +An empty casket where the jewel of life +By some damned hand was robbed and ta'en away. + +KING JOHN +That villain Hubert told me he did live! + +BASTARD +So, on my soul, he did, for aught he knew. +But wherefore do you droop? Why look you sad? +Be great in act, as you have been in thought. +Let not the world see fear and sad distrust +Govern the motion of a kingly eye. +Be stirring as the time; be fire with fire; +Threaten the threat'ner, and outface the brow +Of bragging horror. So shall inferior eyes, +That borrow their behaviors from the great, +Grow great by your example and put on +The dauntless spirit of resolution. +Away, and glister like the god of war +When he intendeth to become the field. +Show boldness and aspiring confidence. +What, shall they seek the lion in his den +And fright him there? And make him tremble there? +O, let it not be said! Forage, and run +To meet displeasure farther from the doors, +And grapple with him ere he come so nigh. + +KING JOHN +The legate of the Pope hath been with me, +And I have made a happy peace with him, +And he hath promised to dismiss the powers +Led by the Dauphin. + +BASTARD O inglorious league! +Shall we upon the footing of our land +Send fair-play orders and make compromise, +Insinuation, parley, and base truce +To arms invasive? Shall a beardless boy, +A cockered silken wanton, brave our fields +And flesh his spirit in a warlike soil, +Mocking the air with colors idly spread, +And find no check? Let us, my liege, to arms! +Perchance the Cardinal cannot make your peace; +Or if he do, let it at least be said +They saw we had a purpose of defense. + +KING JOHN +Have thou the ordering of this present time. + +BASTARD +Away, then, with good courage! [(Aside.)] Yet I +know +Our party may well meet a prouder foe. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter, in arms, Louis the Dauphin, Salisbury, Melun, +Pembroke, Bigot, and French and English Soldiers.] + + +DAUPHIN, [handing a paper to Melun] +My Lord Melun, let this be copied out, +And keep it safe for our remembrance. +Return the precedent to these lords again, +That having our fair order written down, +Both they and we, perusing o'er these notes, +May know wherefore we took the Sacrament, +And keep our faiths firm and inviolable. + +SALISBURY +Upon our sides it never shall be broken. +And, noble dauphin, albeit we swear +A voluntary zeal and unurged faith +To your proceedings, yet believe me, prince, +I am not glad that such a sore of time +Should seek a plaster by contemned revolt +And heal the inveterate canker of one wound +By making many. O, it grieves my soul +That I must draw this metal from my side +To be a widow-maker! O, and there +Where honorable rescue and defense +Cries out upon the name of Salisbury! +But such is the infection of the time +That for the health and physic of our right, +We cannot deal but with the very hand +Of stern injustice and confused wrong. +And is 't not pity, O my grieved friends, +That we, the sons and children of this isle, +Was born to see so sad an hour as this, +Wherein we step after a stranger, march +Upon her gentle bosom, and fill up +Her enemies' ranks? I must withdraw and weep +Upon the spot of this enforced cause, +To grace the gentry of a land remote, +And follow unacquainted colors here. +What, here? O nation, that thou couldst remove, +That Neptune's arms, who clippeth thee about, +Would bear thee from the knowledge of thyself +And grapple thee unto a pagan shore, +Where these two Christian armies might combine +The blood of malice in a vein of league, +And not to spend it so unneighborly. [He weeps.] + +DAUPHIN +A noble temper dost thou show in this, +And great affections wrestling in thy bosom +Doth make an earthquake of nobility. +O, what a noble combat hast thou fought +Between compulsion and a brave respect! +Let me wipe off this honorable dew +That silverly doth progress on thy cheeks. +My heart hath melted at a lady's tears, +Being an ordinary inundation, +But this effusion of such manly drops, +This shower, blown up by tempest of the soul, +Startles mine eyes and makes me more amazed +Than had I seen the vaulty top of heaven +Figured quite o'er with burning meteors. +Lift up thy brow, renowned Salisbury, +And with a great heart heave away this storm. +Commend these waters to those baby eyes +That never saw the giant world enraged, +Nor met with fortune other than at feasts +Full warm of blood, of mirth, of gossiping. +Come, come; for thou shalt thrust thy hand as deep +Into the purse of rich prosperity +As Louis himself.--So, nobles, shall you all, +That knit your sinews to the strength of mine. +And even there, methinks, an angel spake. + +[Enter Pandulph.] + +Look where the holy legate comes apace +To give us warrant from the hand of God, +And on our actions set the name of right +With holy breath. + +PANDULPH Hail, noble prince of France. +The next is this: King John hath reconciled +Himself to Rome; his spirit is come in +That so stood out against the holy Church, +The great metropolis and See of Rome. +Therefore thy threat'ning colors now wind up, +And tame the savage spirit of wild war +That, like a lion fostered up at hand, +It may lie gently at the foot of peace +And be no further harmful than in show. + +DAUPHIN +Your Grace shall pardon me; I will not back. +I am too high-born to be propertied, +To be a secondary at control, +Or useful servingman and instrument +To any sovereign state throughout the world. +Your breath first kindled the dead coal of wars +Between this chastised kingdom and myself +And brought in matter that should feed this fire; +And now 'tis far too huge to be blown out +With that same weak wind which enkindled it. +You taught me how to know the face of right, +Acquainted me with interest to this land, +Yea, thrust this enterprise into my heart. +And come you now to tell me John hath made +His peace with Rome? What is that peace to me? +I, by the honor of my marriage bed, +After young Arthur claim this land for mine. +And now it is half conquered, must I back +Because that John hath made his peace with Rome? +Am I Rome's slave? What penny hath Rome borne? +What men provided? What munition sent +To underprop this action? Is 't not I +That undergo this charge? Who else but I, +And such as to my claim are liable, +Sweat in this business and maintain this war? +Have I not heard these islanders shout out +"Vive le Roi" as I have banked their towns? +Have I not here the best cards for the game +To win this easy match played for a crown? +And shall I now give o'er the yielded set? +No, no, on my soul, it never shall be said. + +PANDULPH +You look but on the outside of this work. + +DAUPHIN +Outside or inside, I will not return +Till my attempt so much be glorified +As to my ample hope was promised +Before I drew this gallant head of war +And culled these fiery spirits from the world +To outlook conquest and to win renown +Even in the jaws of danger and of death. +[A trumpet sounds.] +What lusty trumpet thus doth summon us? + +[Enter Bastard.] + + +BASTARD +According to the fair play of the world, +Let me have audience. I am sent to speak, +My holy lord of Milan, from the King. +I come to learn how you have dealt for him, +And, as you answer, I do know the scope +And warrant limited unto my tongue. + +PANDULPH +The Dauphin is too willful-opposite +And will not temporize with my entreaties. +He flatly says he'll not lay down his arms. + +BASTARD +By all the blood that ever fury breathed, +The youth says well! Now hear our English king, +For thus his royalty doth speak in me: +He is prepared--and reason too he should. +This apish and unmannerly approach, +This harnessed masque and unadvised revel, +This unheard sauciness and boyish troops, +The King doth smile at, and is well prepared +To whip this dwarfish war, these pigmy arms, +From out the circle of his territories. +That hand which had the strength, even at your door, +To cudgel you and make you take the hatch, +To dive like buckets in concealed wells, +To crouch in litter of your stable planks, +To lie like pawns locked up in chests and trunks, +To hug with swine, to seek sweet safety out +In vaults and prisons, and to thrill and shake +Even at the crying of your nation's crow, +Thinking this voice an armed Englishman-- +Shall that victorious hand be feebled here +That in your chambers gave you chastisement? +No! Know the gallant monarch is in arms, +And like an eagle o'er his aerie towers +To souse annoyance that comes near his nest.-- +And you degenerate, you ingrate revolts, +You bloody Neroes, ripping up the womb +Of your dear mother England, blush for shame! +For your own ladies and pale-visaged maids +Like Amazons come tripping after drums, +Their thimbles into armed gauntlets change, +Their needles to lances, and their gentle hearts +To fierce and bloody inclination. + +DAUPHIN +There end thy brave and turn thy face in peace. +We grant thou canst outscold us. Fare thee well. +We hold our time too precious to be spent +With such a brabbler. + +PANDULPH Give me leave to speak. + +BASTARD +No, I will speak. + +DAUPHIN We will attend to neither. +Strike up the drums, and let the tongue of war +Plead for our interest and our being here. + +BASTARD +Indeed, your drums being beaten will cry out, +And so shall you, being beaten. Do but start +An echo with the clamor of thy drum, +And even at hand a drum is ready braced +That shall reverberate all as loud as thine. +Sound but another, and another shall, +As loud as thine, rattle the welkin's ear +And mock the deep-mouthed thunder. For at hand, +Not trusting to this halting legate here, +Whom he hath used rather for sport than need, +Is warlike John, and in his forehead sits +A bare-ribbed Death, whose office is this day +To feast upon whole thousands of the French. + +DAUPHIN +Strike up our drums to find this danger out. + +BASTARD +And thou shalt find it, dauphin, do not doubt. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Alarums. Enter King John and Hubert.] + + +KING JOHN +How goes the day with us? O, tell me, Hubert. + +HUBERT +Badly, I fear. How fares your Majesty? + +KING JOHN +This fever that hath troubled me so long +Lies heavy on me. O, my heart is sick. + +[Enter a Messenger.] + + +MESSENGER +My lord, your valiant kinsman, Faulconbridge, +Desires your Majesty to leave the field +And send him word by me which way you go. + +KING JOHN +Tell him toward Swinstead, to the abbey there. + +MESSENGER +Be of good comfort, for the great supply +That was expected by the Dauphin here +Are wracked three nights ago on Goodwin Sands. +This news was brought to Richard but even now. +The French fight coldly and retire themselves. + +KING JOHN +Ay me, this tyrant fever burns me up +And will not let me welcome this good news. +Set on toward Swinstead. To my litter straight. +Weakness possesseth me, and I am faint. +[They exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Enter Salisbury, Pembroke, and Bigot.] + + +SALISBURY +I did not think the King so stored with friends. + +PEMBROKE +Up once again. Put spirit in the French. +If they miscarry, we miscarry too. + +SALISBURY +That misbegotten devil, Faulconbridge, +In spite of spite, alone upholds the day. + +PEMBROKE +They say King John, sore sick, hath left the field. + +[Enter Melun, wounded, led by a Soldier.] + + +MELUN +Lead me to the revolts of England here. + +SALISBURY +When we were happy, we had other names. + +PEMBROKE +It is the Count Melun. + +SALISBURY Wounded to death. + +MELUN +Fly, noble English; you are bought and sold. +Unthread the rude eye of rebellion +And welcome home again discarded faith. +Seek out King John and fall before his feet, +For if the French be lords of this loud day, +He means to recompense the pains you take +By cutting off your heads. Thus hath he sworn, +And I with him, and many more with me, +Upon the altar at Saint Edmundsbury, +Even on that altar where we swore to you +Dear amity and everlasting love. + +SALISBURY +May this be possible? May this be true? + +MELUN +Have I not hideous death within my view, +Retaining but a quantity of life, +Which bleeds away even as a form of wax +Resolveth from his figure 'gainst the fire? +What in the world should make me now deceive, +Since I must lose the use of all deceit? +Why should I then be false, since it is true +That I must die here and live hence by truth? +I say again, if Louis do win the day, +He is forsworn if e'er those eyes of yours +Behold another daybreak in the East. +But even this night, whose black contagious breath +Already smokes about the burning crest +Of the old, feeble, and day-wearied sun, +Even this ill night your breathing shall expire, +Paying the fine of rated treachery +Even with a treacherous fine of all your lives, +If Louis by your assistance win the day. +Commend me to one Hubert with your king; +The love of him, and this respect besides, +For that my grandsire was an Englishman, +Awakes my conscience to confess all this. +In lieu whereof, I pray you bear me hence +From forth the noise and rumor of the field, +Where I may think the remnant of my thoughts +In peace, and part this body and my soul +With contemplation and devout desires. + +SALISBURY +We do believe thee, and beshrew my soul +But I do love the favor and the form +Of this most fair occasion, by the which +We will untread the steps of damned flight, +And like a bated and retired flood, +Leaving our rankness and irregular course, +Stoop low within those bounds we have o'erlooked +And calmly run on in obedience +Even to our ocean, to our great King John. +My arm shall give thee help to bear thee hence, +For I do see the cruel pangs of death +Right in thine eye.--Away, my friends! New flight, +And happy newness, that intends old right. +[They exit, assisting Melun.] + +Scene 5 +======= +[Enter Louis, the Dauphin and his train.] + + +DAUPHIN +The sun of heaven, methought, was loath to set, +But stayed and made the western welkin blush, +When English measured backward their own +ground +In faint retire. O, bravely came we off, +When with a volley of our needless shot, +After such bloody toil, we bid good night +And wound our tott'ring colors clearly up, +Last in the field and almost lords of it. + +[Enter a Messenger.] + + +MESSENGER +Where is my prince, the Dauphin? + +DAUPHIN Here. What news? + +MESSENGER +The Count Melun is slain. The English lords, +By his persuasion, are again fall'n off, +And your supply, which you have wished so long, +Are cast away and sunk on Goodwin Sands. + +DAUPHIN +Ah, foul, shrewd news. Beshrew thy very heart! +I did not think to be so sad tonight +As this hath made me. Who was he that said +King John did fly an hour or two before +The stumbling night did part our weary powers? + +MESSENGER +Whoever spoke it, it is true, my lord. + +DAUPHIN +Well, keep good quarter and good care tonight. +The day shall not be up so soon as I +To try the fair adventure of tomorrow. +[They exit.] + +Scene 6 +======= +[Enter Bastard and Hubert, severally.] + + +HUBERT +Who's there? Speak ho! Speak quickly, or I shoot. + +BASTARD +A friend. What art thou? + +HUBERT Of the part of England. + +BASTARD +Whither dost thou go? + +HUBERT What's that to thee? + +BASTARD +Why may not I demand of thine affairs +As well as thou of mine? Hubert, I think? + +HUBERT Thou hast a perfect thought. +I will upon all hazards well believe +Thou art my friend, that know'st my tongue so well. +Who art thou? + +BASTARD Who thou wilt. An if thou please, +Thou mayst befriend me so much as to think +I come one way of the Plantagenets. + +HUBERT +Unkind remembrance! Thou and endless night +Have done me shame. Brave soldier, pardon me +That any accent breaking from thy tongue +Should 'scape the true acquaintance of mine ear. + +BASTARD +Come, come. Sans compliment, what news abroad? + +HUBERT +Why, here walk I in the black brow of night +To find you out. + +BASTARD Brief, then; and what's the news? + +HUBERT +O my sweet sir, news fitting to the night, +Black, fearful, comfortless, and horrible. + +BASTARD +Show me the very wound of this ill news. +I am no woman; I'll not swoon at it. + +HUBERT +The King, I fear, is poisoned by a monk. +I left him almost speechless, and broke out +To acquaint you with this evil, that you might +The better arm you to the sudden time +Than if you had at leisure known of this. + +BASTARD +How did he take it? Who did taste to him? + +HUBERT +A monk, I tell you, a resolved villain, +Whose bowels suddenly burst out. The King +Yet speaks and peradventure may recover. + +BASTARD +Who didst thou leave to tend his Majesty? + +HUBERT +Why, know you not? The lords are all come back, +And brought Prince Henry in their company, +At whose request the King hath pardoned them, +And they are all about his Majesty. + +BASTARD +Withhold thine indignation, mighty God, +And tempt us not to bear above our power. +I'll tell thee, Hubert, half my power this night, +Passing these flats, are taken by the tide. +These Lincoln Washes have devoured them. +Myself, well mounted, hardly have escaped. +Away before. Conduct me to the King. +I doubt he will be dead or ere I come. +[They exit.] + +Scene 7 +======= +[Enter Prince Henry, Salisbury, and Bigot.] + + +PRINCE HENRY +It is too late. The life of all his blood +Is touched corruptibly, and his pure brain, +Which some suppose the soul's frail dwelling-house, +Doth, by the idle comments that it makes, +Foretell the ending of mortality. + +[Enter Pembroke.] + + +PEMBROKE +His Highness yet doth speak, and holds belief +That being brought into the open air +It would allay the burning quality +Of that fell poison which assaileth him. + +PRINCE HENRY +Let him be brought into the orchard here. +[Bigot exits.] +Doth he still rage? + +PEMBROKE He is more patient +Than when you left him. Even now he sung. + +PRINCE HENRY +O vanity of sickness! Fierce extremes +In their continuance will not feel themselves. +Death, having preyed upon the outward parts, +Leaves them invisible, and his siege is now +Against the mind, the which he pricks and wounds +With many legions of strange fantasies, +Which in their throng and press to that last hold +Confound themselves. 'Tis strange that Death should +sing. +I am the cygnet to this pale faint swan, +Who chants a doleful hymn to his own death, +And from the organ-pipe of frailty sings +His soul and body to their lasting rest. + +SALISBURY +Be of good comfort, prince, for you are born +To set a form upon that indigest +Which he hath left so shapeless and so rude. + +[King John brought in, attended by Bigot.] + + +KING JOHN +Ay, marry, now my soul hath elbow-room. +It would not out at windows nor at doors. +There is so hot a summer in my bosom +That all my bowels crumble up to dust. +I am a scribbled form drawn with a pen +Upon a parchment, and against this fire +Do I shrink up. + +PRINCE HENRY How fares your Majesty? + +KING JOHN +Poisoned--ill fare--dead, forsook, cast off, +And none of you will bid the winter come +To thrust his icy fingers in my maw, +Nor let my kingdom's rivers take their course +Through my burned bosom, nor entreat the North +To make his bleak winds kiss my parched lips +And comfort me with cold. I do not ask you much. +I beg cold comfort, and you are so strait +And so ingrateful, you deny me that. + +PRINCE HENRY +O, that there were some virtue in my tears +That might relieve you! + +KING JOHN The salt in them is hot. +Within me is a hell, and there the poison +Is, as a fiend, confined to tyrannize +On unreprievable, condemned blood. + +[Enter Bastard.] + + +BASTARD +O, I am scalded with my violent motion +And spleen of speed to see your Majesty. + +KING JOHN +O cousin, thou art come to set mine eye. +The tackle of my heart is cracked and burnt, +And all the shrouds wherewith my life should sail +Are turned to one thread, one little hair. +My heart hath one poor string to stay it by, +Which holds but till thy news be uttered, +And then all this thou seest is but a clod +And module of confounded royalty. + +BASTARD +The Dauphin is preparing hitherward, +Where God He knows how we shall answer him. +For in a night the best part of my power, +As I upon advantage did remove, +Were in the Washes all unwarily +Devoured by the unexpected flood. +[King John dies.] + +SALISBURY +You breathe these dead news in as dead an ear.-- +My liege! My lord!--But now a king, now thus. + +PRINCE HENRY +Even so must I run on, and even so stop. +What surety of the world, what hope, what stay, +When this was now a king and now is clay? + +BASTARD +Art thou gone so? I do but stay behind +To do the office for thee of revenge, +And then my soul shall wait on thee to heaven, +As it on Earth hath been thy servant still.-- +Now, now, you stars, that move in your right spheres, +Where be your powers? Show now your mended +faiths +And instantly return with me again +To push destruction and perpetual shame +Out of the weak door of our fainting land. +Straight let us seek, or straight we shall be sought; +The Dauphin rages at our very heels. + +SALISBURY +It seems you know not, then, so much as we. +The Cardinal Pandulph is within at rest, +Who half an hour since came from the Dauphin, +And brings from him such offers of our peace +As we with honor and respect may take, +With purpose presently to leave this war. + +BASTARD +He will the rather do it when he sees +Ourselves well-sinewed to our defense. + +SALISBURY +Nay, 'tis in a manner done already, +For many carriages he hath dispatched +To the sea-side, and put his cause and quarrel +To the disposing of the Cardinal, +With whom yourself, myself, and other lords, +If you think meet, this afternoon will post +To consummate this business happily. + +BASTARD +Let it be so.--And you, my noble prince, +With other princes that may best be spared, +Shall wait upon your father's funeral. + +PRINCE HENRY +At Worcester must his body be interred, +For so he willed it. + +BASTARD Thither shall it, then, +And happily may your sweet self put on +The lineal state and glory of the land, +To whom with all submission on my knee +I do bequeath my faithful services +And true subjection everlastingly. [He kneels.] + +SALISBURY +And the like tender of our love we make +To rest without a spot forevermore. +[Salisbury, Pembroke, and Bigot kneel.] + +PRINCE HENRY +I have a kind soul that would give you thanks +And knows not how to do it but with tears. +[They rise.] + +BASTARD +O, let us pay the time but needful woe, +Since it hath been beforehand with our griefs. +This England never did nor never shall +Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror +But when it first did help to wound itself. +Now these her princes are come home again, +Come the three corners of the world in arms +And we shall shock them. Naught shall make us rue, +If England to itself do rest but true. +[They exit, bearing the body of King John.] \ No newline at end of file