King John

1596–1597

William Shakespeare

This is the Bookwise complete ebook of King John by William Shakespeare, available to read online as an alternative to epub, mobi, kindle, pdf or text only versions. For information about the status of this work, see Copyright Notice.

Copyright Notice

Bookwise exists to encourage reading—by making reading online an accessible, distraction-free and beautiful experience. Some of the books you’ll find here are classic texts which are considered to be held in the Public Domain, their copyright having expired. Copyright law is complex and varies from country to country, and the application of country-specific laws to a global Internet website is especially complex. Our intention is to provide access to great books without breaking any laws. To that end, here is a guide to the copyright status of this book.

Title: King John (published 1597)
Author: William Shakespeare (died 1616)

From this we can conclude:

The work was published at least 95 years ago.
There was no living author for this work at least 70 years ago.

On this basis, the work is believed to be out of copyright and held in the Public Domain in the following countries:

U.S.A. - Canada - Australia - New Zealand - United Kingdom - France - Germany - Spain - India - Hong Kong - Singapore - and many others

This information should be considered as a guide, not an authoritative statement of law. It is your responsibility to check whether you should not access this work in your location.

This edition is published by dotBook Ltd, and elements of this publication may still be copyright and should not be copied or reproduced without permission.

For further information, please see our Terms & Conditions.

Summary

The Life and Death of King John, a history play by William Shakespeare, dramatises the reign of John, King of England (ruled 1199–1216), the son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine and the father of Henry III of England. It is believed to have been written in the mid-1590s but not to have been published until 1623, when it appeared in the First Folio.

Source: Wikipedia

Dramatis Personæ

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

Earl of Salisbury

Earl of Pembroke

Earl of Essex

Lord Bigot

English nobles

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
line 0001Now say, Chatillion, what would France with us?
CHATILLION
line 0002Thus, after greeting, speaks the King of France
line 0003In my behavior to the majesty,
line 0004The borrowed majesty, of England here.
QUEEN ELEANOR
5line 0005A strange beginning: “borrowed majesty”!
KING JOHN
line 0006Silence, good mother. Hear the embassy.
CHATILLION
line 0007Philip of France, in right and true behalf
line 0008Of thy deceasèd brother Geoffrey’s son,
line 0009Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim
10line 0010To this fair island and the territories,
line 0011To Ireland, Poitiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine,
line 0012Desiring thee to lay aside the sword
line 0013Which sways usurpingly these several titles,
line 0014And put the same into young Arthur’s hand,
15line 0015Thy nephew and right royal sovereign.
KING JOHN
line 0016What follows if we disallow of this?
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 9 CHATILLION
line 0017The proud control of fierce and bloody war,
line 0018To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld.
KING JOHN
line 0019Here have we war for war and blood for blood,
20line 0020Controlment for controlment: so answer France.
CHATILLION
line 0021Then take my king’s defiance from my mouth,
line 0022The farthest limit of my embassy.
KING JOHN
line 0023Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace.
line 0024Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France,
25line 0025For ere thou canst report, I will be there;
line 0026The thunder of my cannon shall be heard.
line 0027So, hence. Be thou the trumpet of our wrath
line 0028And sullen presage of your own decay.—
line 0029An honorable conduct let him have.
30line 0030Pembroke, look to ’t.—Farewell, Chatillion.

Chatillion and Pembroke exit.

QUEEN ELEANORaside to King John
line 0031What now, my son! Have I not ever said
line 0032How that ambitious Constance would not cease
line 0033Till she had kindled France and all the world
line 0034Upon the right and party of her son?
35line 0035This might have been prevented and made whole
line 0036With very easy arguments of love,
line 0037Which now the manage of two kingdoms must
line 0038With fearful bloody issue arbitrate.
KING JOHNaside to Queen Eleanor
line 0039Our strong possession and our right for us.
QUEEN ELEANORaside to King John
40line 0040Your strong possession much more than your right,
line 0041Or else it must go wrong with you and me—
line 0042So much my conscience whispers in your ear,
line 0043Which none but God and you and I shall hear.
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 11

Enter a Sheriff, who speaks aside to Essex.

ESSEX
line 0044My liege, here is the strangest controversy
45line 0045Come from the country to be judged by you
line 0046That e’er I heard. Shall I produce the men?
line 0047KING JOHNLet them approach.Sheriff exits.
line 0048Our abbeys and our priories shall pay
line 0049This expedition’s charge.

Enter Robert Faulconbridge and Philip Faulconbridge.

50line 0050What men are you?
PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE
line 0051Your faithful subject I, a gentleman,
line 0052Born in Northamptonshire, and eldest son,
line 0053As I suppose, to Robert Faulconbridge,
line 0054A soldier, by the honor-giving hand
55line 0055Of Coeur de Lion knighted in the field.
line 0056KING JOHNto Robert Faulconbridge What art thou?
ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE
line 0057The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge.
KING JOHN
line 0058Is that the elder, and art thou the heir?
line 0059You came not of one mother then, it seems.
PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE
60line 0060Most certain of one mother, mighty king—
line 0061That is well known—and, as I think, one father.
line 0062But for the certain knowledge of that truth
line 0063I put you o’er to heaven and to my mother.
line 0064Of that I doubt, as all men’s children may.
QUEEN ELEANOR
65line 0065Out on thee, rude man! Thou dost shame thy
line 0066mother
line 0067And wound her honor with this diffidence.
PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE
line 0068I, madam? No, I have no reason for it.
line 0069That is my brother’s plea, and none of mine,
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 13 70line 0070The which if he can prove, he pops me out
line 0071At least from fair five hundred pound a year.
line 0072Heaven guard my mother’s honor and my land!
KING JOHN
line 0073A good blunt fellow.—Why, being younger born,
line 0074Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance?
PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE
75line 0075I know not why, except to get the land.
line 0076But once he slandered me with bastardy.
line 0077But whe’er I be as true begot or no,
line 0078That still I lay upon my mother’s head.
line 0079But that I am as well begot, my liege—
80line 0080Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!—
line 0081Compare our faces and be judge yourself.
line 0082If old Sir Robert did beget us both
line 0083And were our father, and this son like him,
line 0084O, old Sir Robert, father, on my knee
85line 0085I give heaven thanks I was not like to thee!
KING JOHN
line 0086Why, what a madcap hath heaven lent us here!
QUEEN ELEANORaside to King John
line 0087He hath a trick of Coeur de Lion’s face;
line 0088The accent of his tongue affecteth him.
line 0089Do you not read some tokens of my son
90line 0090In the large composition of this man?
KING JOHNaside to Queen Eleanor
line 0091Mine eye hath well examinèd his parts
line 0092And finds them perfect Richard.
line 0093To Robert Faulconbridge Sirrah, speak.
line 0094What doth move you to claim your brother’s land?
PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE
95line 0095Because he hath a half-face, like my father.
line 0096With half that face would he have all my land—
line 0097A half-faced groat five hundred pound a year!
ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE
line 0098My gracious liege, when that my father lived,
line 0099Your brother did employ my father much—
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 15 PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE
100line 0100Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land.
line 0101Your tale must be how he employed my mother.
ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE
line 0102And once dispatched him in an embassy
line 0103To Germany, there with the Emperor
line 0104To treat of high affairs touching that time.
105line 0105Th’ advantage of his absence took the King
line 0106And in the meantime sojourned at my father’s;
line 0107Where how he did prevail I shame to speak.
line 0108But truth is truth: large lengths of seas and shores
line 0109Between my father and my mother lay,
110line 0110As I have heard my father speak himself,
line 0111When this same lusty gentleman was got.
line 0112Upon his deathbed he by will bequeathed
line 0113His lands to me, and took it on his death
line 0114That this my mother’s son was none of his;
115line 0115An if he were, he came into the world
line 0116Full fourteen weeks before the course of time.
line 0117Then, good my liege, let me have what is mine,
line 0118My father’s land, as was my father’s will.
KING JOHN
line 0119Sirrah, your brother is legitimate.
120line 0120Your father’s wife did after wedlock bear him,
line 0121An if she did play false, the fault was hers,
line 0122Which fault lies on the hazards of all husbands
line 0123That marry wives. Tell me, how if my brother,
line 0124Who as you say took pains to get this son,
125line 0125Had of your father claimed this son for his?
line 0126In sooth, good friend, your father might have kept
line 0127This calf, bred from his cow, from all the world;
line 0128In sooth he might. Then if he were my brother’s,
line 0129My brother might not claim him, nor your father,
130line 0130Being none of his, refuse him. This concludes:
line 0131My mother’s son did get your father’s heir;
line 0132Your father’s heir must have your father’s land.
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 17 ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE
line 0133Shall then my father’s will be of no force
line 0134To dispossess that child which is not his?
PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE
135line 0135Of no more force to dispossess me, sir,
line 0136Than was his will to get me, as I think.
QUEEN ELEANOR
line 0137Whether hadst thou rather: be a Faulconbridge
line 0138And, like thy brother, to enjoy thy land,
line 0139Or the reputed son of Coeur de Lion,
140line 0140Lord of thy presence, and no land besides?
BASTARD
line 0141Madam, an if my brother had my shape
line 0142And I had his, Sir Robert’s his like him,
line 0143And if my legs were two such riding-rods,
line 0144My arms such eel-skins stuffed, my face so thin
145line 0145That in mine ear I durst not stick a rose,
line 0146Lest men should say “Look where three-farthings
line 0147goes,”
line 0148And, to his shape, were heir to all this land,
line 0149Would I might never stir from off this place,
150line 0150I would give it every foot to have this face.
line 0151I would not be Sir Nob in any case.
QUEEN ELEANOR
line 0152I like thee well. Wilt thou forsake thy fortune,
line 0153Bequeath thy land to him, and follow me?
line 0154I am a soldier and now bound to France.
BASTARD
155line 0155Brother, take you my land. I’ll take my chance.
line 0156Your face hath got five hundred pound a year,
line 0157Yet sell your face for five pence and ’tis dear.—
line 0158Madam, I’ll follow you unto the death.
QUEEN ELEANOR
line 0159Nay, I would have you go before me thither.
BASTARD
160line 0160Our country manners give our betters way.
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 19 line 0161KING JOHNWhat is thy name?
BASTARD
line 0162Philip, my liege, so is my name begun,
line 0163Philip, good old Sir Robert’s wife’s eldest son.
KING JOHN
line 0164From henceforth bear his name whose form thou
165line 0165bearest.
line 0166Kneel thou down Philip, but rise more great.

Philip kneels. King John dubs him a knight, tapping him on the shoulder with his sword.

line 0167Arise Sir Richard and Plantagenet.
BASTARDrising, to Robert Faulconbridge
line 0168Brother by th’ mother’s side, give me your hand.
line 0169My father gave me honor, yours gave land.
170line 0170Now blessèd be the hour, by night or day,
line 0171When I was got, Sir Robert was away!
QUEEN ELEANOR
line 0172The very spirit of Plantagenet!
line 0173I am thy grandam, Richard. Call me so.
BASTARD
line 0174Madam, by chance but not by truth. What though?
175line 0175Something about, a little from the right,
line 0176In at the window, or else o’er the hatch.
line 0177Who dares not stir by day must walk by night,
line 0178And have is have, however men do catch.
line 0179Near or far off, well won is still well shot,
180line 0180And I am I, howe’er I was begot.
KING JOHNto Robert Faulconbridge
line 0181Go, Faulconbridge, now hast thou thy desire.
line 0182A landless knight makes thee a landed squire.—
line 0183Come, madam,—and come, Richard. We must
line 0184speed
185line 0185For France, for France, for it is more than need.
BASTARD
line 0186Brother, adieu, good fortune come to thee,
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 21 line 0187For thou wast got i’ th’ way of honesty.

All but Bastard exit.

line 0188A foot of honor better than I was,
line 0189But many a many foot of land the worse.
190line 0190Well, now can I make any Joan a lady.
line 0191“Good den, Sir Richard!” “God-a-mercy, fellow!”
line 0192An if his name be George, I’ll call him “Peter,”
line 0193For new-made honor doth forget men’s names;
line 0194’Tis too respective and too sociable
195line 0195For your conversion. Now your traveler,
line 0196He and his toothpick at my Worship’s mess,
line 0197And when my knightly stomach is sufficed,
line 0198Why then I suck my teeth and catechize
line 0199My pickèd man of countries: “My dear sir,”
200line 0200Thus leaning on mine elbow I begin,
line 0201“I shall beseech you”—that is Question now,
line 0202And then comes Answer like an absey-book:
line 0203“O, sir,” says Answer, “at your best command,
line 0204At your employment, at your service, sir.”
205line 0205“No, sir,” says Question, “I, sweet sir, at yours.”
line 0206And so, ere Answer knows what Question would,
line 0207Saving in dialogue of compliment
line 0208And talking of the Alps and Apennines,
line 0209The Pyrenean and the river Po,
210line 0210It draws toward supper in conclusion so.
line 0211But this is worshipful society
line 0212And fits the mounting spirit like myself;
line 0213For he is but a bastard to the time
line 0214That doth not smack of observation,
215line 0215And so am I whether I smack or no;
line 0216And not alone in habit and device,
line 0217Exterior form, outward accouterment,
line 0218But from the inward motion to deliver
line 0219Sweet, sweet, sweet poison for the age’s tooth,
220line 0220Which though I will not practice to deceive,
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 23 line 0221Yet to avoid deceit I mean to learn,
line 0222For it shall strew the footsteps of my rising.

Enter Lady Faulconbridge and James Gurney.

line 0223But who comes in such haste in riding robes?
line 0224What woman post is this? Hath she no husband
225line 0225That will take pains to blow a horn before her?
line 0226O me, ’tis my mother.—How now, good lady?
line 0227What brings you here to court so hastily?
LADY FAULCONBRIDGE
line 0228Where is that slave thy brother? Where is he
line 0229That holds in chase mine honor up and down?
BASTARD
230line 0230My brother Robert, old Sir Robert’s son?
line 0231Colbrand the Giant, that same mighty man?
line 0232Is it Sir Robert’s son that you seek so?
LADY FAULCONBRIDGE
line 0233“Sir Robert’s son”? Ay, thou unreverent boy,
line 0234Sir Robert’s son. Why scorn’st thou at Sir Robert?
235line 0235He is Sir Robert’s son, and so art thou.
BASTARD
line 0236James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave awhile?
GURNEY
line 0237Good leave, good Philip.
line 0238BASTARD“Philip Sparrow,” James.
line 0239There’s toys abroad. Anon I’ll tell thee more.

James Gurney exits.

240line 0240Madam, I was not old Sir Robert’s son.
line 0241Sir Robert might have eat his part in me
line 0242Upon Good Friday and ne’er broke his fast.
line 0243Sir Robert could do well—marry, to confess—
line 0244Could he get me. Sir Robert could not do it;
245line 0245We know his handiwork. Therefore, good mother,
line 0246To whom am I beholding for these limbs?
line 0247Sir Robert never holp to make this leg.
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 25 LADY FAULCONBRIDGE
line 0248Hast thou conspirèd with thy brother too,
line 0249That for thine own gain shouldst defend mine
250line 0250honor?
line 0251What means this scorn, thou most untoward knave?
BASTARD
line 0252Knight, knight, good mother, Basilisco-like.
line 0253What, I am dubbed! I have it on my shoulder.
line 0254But, mother, I am not Sir Robert’s son.
255line 0255I have disclaimed Sir Robert and my land.
line 0256Legitimation, name, and all is gone.
line 0257Then, good my mother, let me know my father—
line 0258Some proper man, I hope. Who was it, mother?
LADY FAULCONBRIDGE
line 0259Hast thou denied thyself a Faulconbridge?
BASTARD
260line 0260As faithfully as I deny the devil.
LADY FAULCONBRIDGE
line 0261King Richard Coeur de Lion was thy father.
line 0262By long and vehement suit I was seduced
line 0263To make room for him in my husband’s bed.
line 0264Heaven lay not my transgression to my charge!
265line 0265Thou art the issue of my dear offense,
line 0266Which was so strongly urged past my defense.
BASTARD
line 0267Now, by this light, were I to get again,
line 0268Madam, I would not wish a better father.
line 0269Some sins do bear their privilege on Earth,
270line 0270And so doth yours. Your fault was not your folly.
line 0271Needs must you lay your heart at his dispose,
line 0272Subjected tribute to commanding love,
line 0273Against whose fury and unmatchèd force
line 0274The aweless lion could not wage the fight,
275line 0275Nor keep his princely heart from Richard’s hand.
line 0276He that perforce robs lions of their hearts
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 27 line 0277May easily win a woman’s. Ay, my mother,
line 0278With all my heart I thank thee for my father.
line 0279Who lives and dares but say thou didst not well
280line 0280When I was got, I’ll send his soul to hell.
line 0281Come, lady, I will show thee to my kin,
line 0282And they shall say when Richard me begot,
line 0283If thou hadst said him nay, it had been sin.
line 0284Who 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
line 0285Before Angiers well met, brave Austria.—
line 0286Arthur, that great forerunner of thy blood,
line 0287Richard, that robbed the lion of his heart
line 0288And fought the holy wars in Palestine,
5line 0289By this brave duke came early to his grave.
line 0290And, for amends to his posterity,
line 0291At our importance hither is he come
line 0292To spread his colors, boy, in thy behalf,
line 0293And to rebuke the usurpation
10line 0294Of thy unnatural uncle, English John.
line 0295Embrace him, love him, give him welcome hither.
ARTHUR
line 0296God shall forgive you Coeur de Lion’s death
line 0297The rather that you give his offspring life,
line 0298Shadowing their right under your wings of war.
15line 0299I give you welcome with a powerless hand
line 0300But with a heart full of unstainèd love.
line 0301Welcome before the gates of Angiers, duke.
DAUPHIN
line 0302A noble boy. Who would not do thee right?
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 33 AUSTRIAto Arthur
line 0303Upon thy cheek lay I this zealous kiss
20line 0304As seal to this indenture of my love:
line 0305That to my home I will no more return
line 0306Till Angiers and the right thou hast in France,
line 0307Together with that pale, that white-faced shore,
line 0308Whose foot spurns back the ocean’s roaring tides
25line 0309And coops from other lands her islanders,
line 0310Even till that England, hedged in with the main,
line 0311That water-wallèd bulwark, still secure
line 0312And confident from foreign purposes,
line 0313Even till that utmost corner of the West
30line 0314Salute thee for her king. Till then, fair boy,
line 0315Will I not think of home, but follow arms.
CONSTANCE
line 0316O, take his mother’s thanks, a widow’s thanks,
line 0317Till your strong hand shall help to give him strength
line 0318To make a more requital to your love.
AUSTRIA
35line 0319The peace of heaven is theirs that lift their swords
line 0320In such a just and charitable war.
KING PHILIP
line 0321Well, then, to work. Our cannon shall be bent
line 0322Against the brows of this resisting town.
line 0323Call for our chiefest men of discipline
40line 0324To cull the plots of best advantages.
line 0325We’ll lay before this town our royal bones,
line 0326Wade to the marketplace in Frenchmen’s blood,
line 0327But we will make it subject to this boy.
CONSTANCE
line 0328Stay for an answer to your embassy,
45line 0329Lest unadvised you stain your swords with blood.
line 0330My lord Chatillion may from England bring
line 0331That right in peace which here we urge in war,
line 0332And then we shall repent each drop of blood
line 0333That hot rash haste so indirectly shed.
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 35

Enter Chatillion.

KING PHILIP
50line 0334A wonder, lady! Lo, upon thy wish
line 0335Our messenger Chatillion is arrived.—
line 0336What England says say briefly, gentle lord.
line 0337We coldly pause for thee. Chatillion, speak.
CHATILLION
line 0338Then turn your forces from this paltry siege
55line 0339And stir them up against a mightier task.
line 0340England, impatient of your just demands,
line 0341Hath put himself in arms. The adverse winds,
line 0342Whose leisure I have stayed, have given him time
line 0343To land his legions all as soon as I.
60line 0344His marches are expedient to this town,
line 0345His forces strong, his soldiers confident.
line 0346With him along is come the Mother Queen,
line 0347An Ate stirring him to blood and strife;
line 0348With her her niece, the Lady Blanche of Spain;
65line 0349With them a bastard of the King’s deceased.
line 0350And all th’ unsettled humors of the land—
line 0351Rash, inconsiderate, fiery voluntaries,
line 0352With ladies’ faces and fierce dragons’ spleens—
line 0353Have sold their fortunes at their native homes,
70line 0354Bearing their birthrights proudly on their backs,
line 0355To make a hazard of new fortunes here.
line 0356In brief, a braver choice of dauntless spirits
line 0357Than now the English bottoms have waft o’er
line 0358Did never float upon the swelling tide
75line 0359To do offense and scathe in Christendom.

Drum beats.

line 0360The interruption of their churlish drums
line 0361Cuts off more circumstance. They are at hand,
line 0362To parley or to fight, therefore prepare.
KING PHILIP
line 0363How much unlooked-for is this expedition.
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 37 AUSTRIA
80line 0364By how much unexpected, by so much
line 0365We must awake endeavor for defense,
line 0366For courage mounteth with occasion.
line 0367Let them be welcome, then. We are prepared.

Enter King John of England, Bastard, Queen Eleanor, Blanche, Salisbury, Pembroke, and others.

KING JOHN
line 0368Peace be to France, if France in peace permit
85line 0369Our just and lineal entrance to our own.
line 0370If not, bleed France, and peace ascend to heaven,
line 0371Whiles we, God’s wrathful agent, do correct
line 0372Their proud contempt that beats his peace to heaven.
KING PHILIP
line 0373Peace be to England, if that war return
90line 0374From France to England, there to live in peace.
line 0375England we love, and for that England’s sake
line 0376With burden of our armor here we sweat.
line 0377This toil of ours should be a work of thine;
line 0378But thou from loving England art so far
95line 0379That thou hast underwrought his lawful king,
line 0380Cut off the sequence of posterity,
line 0381Outfacèd infant state, and done a rape
line 0382Upon the maiden virtue of the crown.
line 0383Look here upon thy brother Geoffrey’s face.

He points to Arthur.

100line 0384These eyes, these brows, were molded out of his;
line 0385This little abstract doth contain that large
line 0386Which died in Geoffrey, and the hand of time
line 0387Shall draw this brief into as huge a volume.
line 0388That Geoffrey was thy elder brother born,
105line 0389And this his son. England was Geoffrey’s right,
line 0390And this is Geoffrey’s. In the name of God,
line 0391How comes it then that thou art called a king,
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 39 line 0392When living blood doth in these temples beat
line 0393Which owe the crown that thou o’ermasterest?
KING JOHN
110line 0394From whom hast thou this great commission,
line 0395France,
line 0396To draw my answer from thy articles?
KING PHILIP
line 0397From that supernal judge that stirs good thoughts
line 0398In any breast of strong authority
115line 0399To look into the blots and stains of right.
line 0400That judge hath made me guardian to this boy,
line 0401Under whose warrant I impeach thy wrong,
line 0402And by whose help I mean to chastise it.
KING JOHN
line 0403Alack, thou dost usurp authority.
KING PHILIP
120line 0404Excuse it is to beat usurping down.
QUEEN ELEANOR
line 0405Who is it thou dost call usurper, France?
CONSTANCE
line 0406Let me make answer: thy usurping son.
QUEEN ELEANOR
line 0407Out, insolent! Thy bastard shall be king
line 0408That thou mayst be a queen and check the world.
CONSTANCE
125line 0409My bed was ever to thy son as true
line 0410As thine was to thy husband, and this boy
line 0411Liker in feature to his father Geoffrey
line 0412Than thou and John, in manners being as like
line 0413As rain to water or devil to his dam.
130line 0414My boy a bastard? By my soul, I think
line 0415His father never was so true begot.
line 0416It cannot be, an if thou wert his mother.
QUEEN ELEANORto Arthur
line 0417There’s a good mother, boy, that blots thy father.
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 41 CONSTANCE
line 0418There’s a good grandam, boy, that would blot thee.
AUSTRIA
135line 0419Peace!
line 0420BASTARDHear the crier!
line 0421AUSTRIAWhat the devil art thou?
BASTARD
line 0422One that will play the devil, sir, with you,
line 0423An he may catch your hide and you alone.
140line 0424You are the hare of whom the proverb goes,
line 0425Whose valor plucks dead lions by the beard.
line 0426I’ll smoke your skin-coat an I catch you right.
line 0427Sirrah, look to ’t. I’ faith, I will, i’ faith!
BLANCHE
line 0428O, well did he become that lion’s robe
145line 0429That did disrobe the lion of that robe.
BASTARD
line 0430It lies as sightly on the back of him
line 0431As great Alcides’ shoes upon an ass.—
line 0432But, ass, I’ll take that burden from your back
line 0433Or lay on that shall make your shoulders crack.
AUSTRIA
150line 0434What cracker is this same that deafs our ears
line 0435With this abundance of superfluous breath?
KING PHILIP
line 0436Louis, determine what we shall do straight.
DAUPHIN
line 0437Women and fools, break off your conference.—
line 0438King John, this is the very sum of all:
155line 0439England and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine, Maine,
line 0440In right of Arthur do I claim of thee.
line 0441Wilt thou resign them and lay down thy arms?
KING JOHN
line 0442My life as soon! I do defy thee, France.—
line 0443Arthur of Brittany, yield thee to my hand,
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 43 160line 0444And out of my dear love I’ll give thee more
line 0445Than e’er the coward hand of France can win.
line 0446Submit thee, boy.
line 0447QUEEN ELEANORCome to thy grandam, child.
CONSTANCE
line 0448Do, child, go to it grandam, child.
165line 0449Give grandam kingdom, and it grandam will
line 0450Give it a plum, a cherry, and a fig.
line 0451There’s a good grandam.
line 0452ARTHURweeping Good my mother, peace.
line 0453I would that I were low laid in my grave.
170line 0454I am not worth this coil that’s made for me.
QUEEN ELEANOR
line 0455His mother shames him so, poor boy, he weeps.
CONSTANCE
line 0456Now shame upon you whe’er she does or no!
line 0457His grandam’s wrongs, and not his mother’s
line 0458shames,
175line 0459Draws those heaven-moving pearls from his poor
line 0460eyes,
line 0461Which heaven shall take in nature of a fee.
line 0462Ay, with these crystal beads heaven shall be bribed
line 0463To do him justice and revenge on you.
QUEEN ELEANOR
180line 0464Thou monstrous slanderer of heaven and Earth!
CONSTANCE
line 0465Thou monstrous injurer of heaven and Earth,
line 0466Call not me slanderer. Thou and thine usurp
line 0467The dominations, royalties, and rights
line 0468Of this oppressèd boy. This is thy eldest son’s son,
185line 0469Infortunate in nothing but in thee.
line 0470Thy sins are visited in this poor child.
line 0471The canon of the law is laid on him,
line 0472Being but the second generation
line 0473Removèd from thy sin-conceiving womb.
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 45 KING JOHN
190line 0474Bedlam, have done.
line 0475CONSTANCEI have but this to say,
line 0476That he is not only plaguèd for her sin,
line 0477But God hath made her sin and her the plague
line 0478On this removèd issue, plagued for her,
195line 0479And with her plague; her sin his injury,
line 0480Her injury the beadle to her sin,
line 0481All punished in the person of this child
line 0482And all for her. A plague upon her!
QUEEN ELEANOR
line 0483Thou unadvisèd scold, I can produce
200line 0484A will that bars the title of thy son.
CONSTANCE
line 0485Ay, who doubts that? A will—a wicked will,
line 0486A woman’s will, a cankered grandam’s will.
KING PHILIP
line 0487Peace, lady. Pause, or be more temperate.
line 0488It ill beseems this presence to cry aim
205line 0489To these ill-tunèd repetitions.—
line 0490Some trumpet summon hither to the walls
line 0491These men of Angiers. Let us hear them speak
line 0492Whose title they admit, Arthur’s or John’s.

Trumpet sounds.

Enter Citizens upon the walls.

CITIZEN
line 0493Who is it that hath warned us to the walls?
KING PHILIP
210line 0494’Tis France, for England.
line 0495KING JOHNEngland, for itself.
line 0496You men of Angiers, and my loving subjects—
KING PHILIP
line 0497You loving men of Angiers, Arthur’s subjects,
line 0498Our trumpet called you to this gentle parle—
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 47 KING JOHN
215line 0499For our advantage. Therefore hear us first.
line 0500These flags of France that are advancèd here
line 0501Before the eye and prospect of your town,
line 0502Have hither marched to your endamagement.
line 0503The cannons have their bowels full of wrath,
220line 0504And ready mounted are they to spit forth
line 0505Their iron indignation ’gainst your walls.
line 0506All preparation for a bloody siege
line 0507And merciless proceeding by these French
line 0508Confronts your city’s eyes, your winking gates,
225line 0509And, but for our approach, those sleeping stones,
line 0510That as a waist doth girdle you about,
line 0511By the compulsion of their ordinance
line 0512By this time from their fixèd beds of lime
line 0513Had been dishabited, and wide havoc made
230line 0514For bloody power to rush upon your peace.
line 0515But on the sight of us your lawful king,
line 0516Who painfully with much expedient march
line 0517Have brought a countercheck before your gates
line 0518To save unscratched your city’s threatened cheeks,
235line 0519Behold, the French, amazed, vouchsafe a parle.
line 0520And now, instead of bullets wrapped in fire
line 0521To make a shaking fever in your walls,
line 0522They shoot but calm words folded up in smoke
line 0523To make a faithless error in your ears,
240line 0524Which trust accordingly, kind citizens,
line 0525And let us in. Your king, whose labored spirits
line 0526Forwearied in this action of swift speed,
line 0527Craves harborage within your city walls.
KING PHILIP
line 0528When I have said, make answer to us both.

He takes Arthur by the hand.

245line 0529Lo, in this right hand, whose protection
line 0530Is most divinely vowed upon the right
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 49 line 0531Of him it holds, stands young Plantagenet,
line 0532Son to the elder brother of this man,
line 0533And king o’er him and all that he enjoys.
250line 0534For this downtrodden equity we tread
line 0535In warlike march these greens before your town,
line 0536Being no further enemy to you
line 0537Than the constraint of hospitable zeal
line 0538In the relief of this oppressèd child
255line 0539Religiously provokes. Be pleasèd then
line 0540To pay that duty which you truly owe
line 0541To him that owes it, namely, this young prince,
line 0542And then our arms, like to a muzzled bear
line 0543Save in aspect, hath all offense sealed up.
260line 0544Our cannons’ malice vainly shall be spent
line 0545Against th’ invulnerable clouds of heaven,
line 0546And with a blessèd and unvexed retire,
line 0547With unbacked swords and helmets all unbruised,
line 0548We will bear home that lusty blood again
265line 0549Which here we came to spout against your town,
line 0550And leave your children, wives, and you in peace.
line 0551But if you fondly pass our proffered offer,
line 0552’Tis not the roundure of your old-faced walls
line 0553Can hide you from our messengers of war,
270line 0554Though all these English and their discipline
line 0555Were harbored in their rude circumference.
line 0556Then tell us, shall your city call us lord
line 0557In that behalf which we have challenged it?
line 0558Or shall we give the signal to our rage
275line 0559And stalk in blood to our possession?
CITIZEN
line 0560In brief, we are the King of England’s subjects.
line 0561For him, and in his right, we hold this town.
KING JOHN
line 0562Acknowledge then the King and let me in.
CITIZEN
line 0563That can we not. But he that proves the King,
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 51 280line 0564To him will we prove loyal. Till that time
line 0565Have we rammed up our gates against the world.
KING JOHN
line 0566Doth not the crown of England prove the King?
line 0567And if not that, I bring you witnesses,
line 0568Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England’s breed—
285line 0569BASTARDBastards and else.
KING JOHN
line 0570To verify our title with their lives.
KING PHILIP
line 0571As many and as wellborn bloods as those—
line 0572BASTARDSome bastards too.
KING PHILIP
line 0573Stand in his face to contradict his claim.
CITIZEN
290line 0574Till you compound whose right is worthiest,
line 0575We for the worthiest hold the right from both.
KING JOHN
line 0576Then God forgive the sin of all those souls
line 0577That to their everlasting residence,
line 0578Before the dew of evening fall, shall fleet
295line 0579In dreadful trial of our kingdom’s king.
KING PHILIP
line 0580Amen, amen.—Mount, chevaliers! To arms!
BASTARD
line 0581Saint George, that swinged the dragon and e’er
line 0582since
line 0583Sits on ’s horseback at mine hostess’ door,
300line 0584Teach us some fence! To Austria. Sirrah, were I at
line 0585home
line 0586At your den, sirrah, with your lioness,
line 0587I would set an ox head to your lion’s hide
line 0588And make a monster of you.
305line 0589AUSTRIAPeace! No more.
BASTARD
line 0590O, tremble, for you hear the lion roar.
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 53 KING JOHNto his officers
line 0591Up higher to the plain, where we’ll set forth
line 0592In best appointment all our regiments.
BASTARD
line 0593Speed, then, to take advantage of the field.
KING PHILIPto his officers
310line 0594It shall be so, and at the other hill
line 0595Command 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
line 0596You men of Angiers, open wide your gates,
line 0597And let young Arthur, Duke of Brittany, in,
line 0598Who by the hand of France this day hath made
315line 0599Much work for tears in many an English mother,
line 0600Whose sons lie scattered on the bleeding ground.
line 0601Many a widow’s husband groveling lies
line 0602Coldly embracing the discolored earth,
line 0603And victory with little loss doth play
320line 0604Upon the dancing banners of the French,
line 0605Who are at hand, triumphantly displayed,
line 0606To enter conquerors and to proclaim
line 0607Arthur of Brittany England’s king and yours.

Enter English Herald, with Trumpet.

ENGLISH HERALD
line 0608Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells!
325line 0609King John, your king and England’s, doth approach,
line 0610Commander of this hot malicious day.
line 0611Their armors, that marched hence so silver bright,
line 0612Hither return all gilt with Frenchmen’s blood.
line 0613There stuck no plume in any English crest
330line 0614That is removèd by a staff of France.
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 55 line 0615Our colors do return in those same hands
line 0616That did display them when we first marched forth,
line 0617And like a jolly troop of huntsmen come
line 0618Our lusty English, all with purpled hands,
335line 0619Dyed in the dying slaughter of their foes.
line 0620Open your gates, and give the victors way.
CITIZEN
line 0621Heralds, from off our towers we might behold
line 0622From first to last the onset and retire
line 0623Of both your armies, whose equality
340line 0624By our best eyes cannot be censurèd.
line 0625Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answered
line 0626blows,
line 0627Strength matched with strength, and power
line 0628confronted power.
345line 0629Both are alike, and both alike we like.
line 0630One must prove greatest. While they weigh so even,
line 0631We 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
line 0632France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away?
line 0633Say, shall the current of our right roam on,
350line 0634Whose passage, vexed with thy impediment,
line 0635Shall leave his native channel and o’erswell
line 0636With course disturbed even thy confining shores,
line 0637Unless thou let his silver water keep
line 0638A peaceful progress to the ocean?
KING PHILIP
355line 0639England, thou hast not saved one drop of blood
line 0640In this hot trial more than we of France,
line 0641Rather lost more. And by this hand I swear
line 0642That sways the earth this climate overlooks,
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 57 line 0643Before we will lay down our just-borne arms,
360line 0644We’ll put thee down, ’gainst whom these arms we
line 0645bear,
line 0646Or add a royal number to the dead,
line 0647Gracing the scroll that tells of this war’s loss
line 0648With slaughter coupled to the name of kings.
BASTARDaside
365line 0649Ha, majesty! How high thy glory towers
line 0650When the rich blood of kings is set on fire!
line 0651O, now doth Death line his dead chaps with steel,
line 0652The swords of soldiers are his teeth, his fangs,
line 0653And now he feasts, mousing the flesh of men
370line 0654In undetermined differences of kings.
line 0655Why stand these royal fronts amazèd thus?
line 0656Cry havoc, kings! Back to the stainèd field,
line 0657You equal potents, fiery-kindled spirits.
line 0658Then let confusion of one part confirm
375line 0659The other’s peace. Till then, blows, blood, and
line 0660death!
KING JOHN
line 0661Whose party do the townsmen yet admit?
KING PHILIP
line 0662Speak, citizens, for England. Who’s your king?
CITIZEN
line 0663The King of England, when we know the King.
KING PHILIP
380line 0664Know him in us, that here hold up his right.
KING JOHN
line 0665In us, that are our own great deputy
line 0666And bear possession of our person here,
line 0667Lord of our presence, Angiers, and of you.
CITIZEN
line 0668A greater power than we denies all this,
385line 0669And till it be undoubted, we do lock
line 0670Our former scruple in our strong-barred gates,
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 59 line 0671Kings of our fear, until our fears resolved
line 0672Be by some certain king purged and deposed.
BASTARD
line 0673By heaven, these scroyles of Angiers flout you, kings,
390line 0674And stand securely on their battlements
line 0675As in a theater, whence they gape and point
line 0676At your industrious scenes and acts of death.
line 0677Your royal presences, be ruled by me:
line 0678Do like the mutines of Jerusalem,
395line 0679Be friends awhile, and both conjointly bend
line 0680Your sharpest deeds of malice on this town.
line 0681By east and west let France and England mount
line 0682Their battering cannon chargèd to the mouths,
line 0683Till their soul-fearing clamors have brawled down
400line 0684The flinty ribs of this contemptuous city.
line 0685I’d play incessantly upon these jades,
line 0686Even till unfencèd desolation
line 0687Leave them as naked as the vulgar air.
line 0688That done, dissever your united strengths
405line 0689And part your mingled colors once again;
line 0690Turn face to face and bloody point to point.
line 0691Then in a moment Fortune shall cull forth
line 0692Out of one side her happy minion,
line 0693To whom in favor she shall give the day
410line 0694And kiss him with a glorious victory.
line 0695How like you this wild counsel, mighty states?
line 0696Smacks it not something of the policy?
KING JOHN
line 0697Now by the sky that hangs above our heads,
line 0698I like it well. France, shall we knit our powers
415line 0699And lay this Angiers even with the ground,
line 0700Then after fight who shall be king of it?
BASTARDto King Philip
line 0701An if thou hast the mettle of a king,
line 0702Being wronged as we are by this peevish town,
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 61 line 0703Turn thou the mouth of thy artillery,
420line 0704As we will ours, against these saucy walls,
line 0705And when that we have dashed them to the ground,
line 0706Why, then, defy each other and pell-mell
line 0707Make work upon ourselves, for heaven or hell.
KING PHILIP
line 0708Let it be so. Say, where will you assault?
KING JOHN
425line 0709We from the west will send destruction
line 0710Into this city’s bosom.
line 0711AUSTRIAI from the north.
line 0712KING PHILIPOur thunder from the south
line 0713Shall rain their drift of bullets on this town.
BASTARDaside
430line 0714O, prudent discipline! From north to south,
line 0715Austria and France shoot in each other’s mouth.
line 0716I’ll stir them to it. — Come, away, away!
CITIZEN
line 0717Hear us, great kings. Vouchsafe awhile to stay,
line 0718And I shall show you peace and fair-faced league,
435line 0719Win you this city without stroke or wound,
line 0720Rescue those breathing lives to die in beds
line 0721That here come sacrifices for the field.
line 0722Persever not, but hear me, mighty kings.
KING JOHN
line 0723Speak on with favor. We are bent to hear.
CITIZEN
440line 0724That daughter there of Spain, the Lady Blanche,
line 0725Is near to England. Look upon the years
line 0726Of Louis the Dauphin and that lovely maid.
line 0727If lusty love should go in quest of beauty,
line 0728Where should he find it fairer than in Blanche?
445line 0729If zealous love should go in search of virtue,
line 0730Where should he find it purer than in Blanche?
line 0731If love ambitious sought a match of birth,
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 63 line 0732Whose veins bound richer blood than Lady
line 0733Blanche?
450line 0734Such as she is, in beauty, virtue, birth,
line 0735Is the young Dauphin every way complete.
line 0736If not complete of, say he is not she,
line 0737And she again wants nothing, to name want,
line 0738If want it be not that she is not he.
455line 0739He is the half part of a blessèd man,
line 0740Left to be finishèd by such as she,
line 0741And she a fair divided excellence,
line 0742Whose fullness of perfection lies in him.
line 0743O, two such silver currents when they join
460line 0744Do glorify the banks that bound them in,
line 0745And two such shores to two such streams made one,
line 0746Two such controlling bounds shall you be, kings,
line 0747To these two princes, if you marry them.
line 0748This union shall do more than battery can
465line 0749To our fast-closèd gates, for at this match,
line 0750With swifter spleen than powder can enforce,
line 0751The mouth of passage shall we fling wide ope
line 0752And give you entrance. But without this match,
line 0753The sea enragèd is not half so deaf,
470line 0754Lions more confident, mountains and rocks
line 0755More free from motion, no, not Death himself
line 0756In mortal fury half so peremptory
line 0757As we to keep this city.

King Philip and Louis the Dauphin walk aside and talk.

line 0758BASTARDaside Here’s a stay
475line 0759That shakes the rotten carcass of old Death
line 0760Out of his rags! Here’s a large mouth indeed
line 0761That spits forth death and mountains, rocks and
line 0762seas;
line 0763Talks as familiarly of roaring lions
480line 0764As maids of thirteen do of puppy dogs.
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 65 line 0765What cannoneer begot this lusty blood?
line 0766He speaks plain cannon fire, and smoke, and
line 0767bounce.
line 0768He gives the bastinado with his tongue.
485line 0769Our ears are cudgeled. Not a word of his
line 0770But buffets better than a fist of France.
line 0771Zounds, I was never so bethumped with words
line 0772Since I first called my brother’s father Dad.
QUEEN ELEANORaside to King John
line 0773Son, list to this conjunction; make this match.
490line 0774Give with our niece a dowry large enough,
line 0775For by this knot thou shalt so surely tie
line 0776Thy now unsured assurance to the crown
line 0777That yon green boy shall have no sun to ripe
line 0778The bloom that promiseth a mighty fruit.
495line 0779I see a yielding in the looks of France.
line 0780Mark how they whisper. Urge them while their
line 0781souls
line 0782Are capable of this ambition,
line 0783Lest zeal, now melted by the windy breath
500line 0784Of soft petitions, pity, and remorse,
line 0785Cool and congeal again to what it was.
CITIZEN
line 0786Why answer not the double majesties
line 0787This friendly treaty of our threatened town?
KING PHILIP
line 0788Speak England first, that hath been forward first
505line 0789To speak unto this city. What say you?
KING JOHN
line 0790If that the Dauphin there, thy princely son,
line 0791Can in this book of beauty read “I love,”
line 0792Her dowry shall weigh equal with a queen.
line 0793For Anjou and fair Touraine, Maine, Poitiers,
510line 0794And all that we upon this side the sea—
line 0795Except this city now by us besieged—
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 67 line 0796Find liable to our crown and dignity,
line 0797Shall gild her bridal bed and make her rich
line 0798In titles, honors, and promotions,
515line 0799As she in beauty, education, blood,
line 0800Holds hand with any princess of the world.
KING PHILIP
line 0801What sayst thou, boy? Look in the lady’s face.
DAUPHIN
line 0802I do, my lord, and in her eye I find
line 0803A wonder or a wondrous miracle,
520line 0804The shadow of myself formed in her eye,
line 0805Which, being but the shadow of your son,
line 0806Becomes a sun and makes your son a shadow.
line 0807I do protest I never loved myself
line 0808Till now infixèd I beheld myself
525line 0809Drawn in the flattering table of her eye.

He whispers with Blanche.

BASTARDaside
line 0810“Drawn in the flattering table of her eye”?
line 0811Hanged in the frowning wrinkle of her brow
line 0812And quartered in her heart! He doth espy
line 0813Himself love’s traitor. This is pity now,
530line 0814That hanged and drawn and quartered there should
line 0815be
line 0816In such a love so vile a lout as he.
BLANCHEaside to Dauphin
line 0817My uncle’s will in this respect is mine.
line 0818If he see aught in you that makes him like,
535line 0819That anything he sees which moves his liking
line 0820I can with ease translate it to my will.
line 0821Or if you will, to speak more properly,
line 0822I will enforce it eas’ly to my love.
line 0823Further I will not flatter you, my lord,
540line 0824That all I see in you is worthy love,
line 0825Than this: that nothing do I see in you,
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 69 line 0826Though churlish thoughts themselves should be
line 0827your judge,
line 0828That I can find should merit any hate.
KING JOHN
545line 0829What say these young ones? What say you, my
line 0830niece?
BLANCHE
line 0831That she is bound in honor still to do
line 0832What you in wisdom still vouchsafe to say.
KING JOHN
line 0833Speak then, Prince Dauphin. Can you love this lady?
DAUPHIN
550line 0834Nay, ask me if I can refrain from love,
line 0835For I do love her most unfeignedly.
KING JOHN
line 0836Then do I give Volquessen, Touraine, Maine,
line 0837Poitiers and Anjou, these five provinces
line 0838With her to thee, and this addition more:
555line 0839Full thirty thousand marks of English coin.—
line 0840Philip of France, if thou be pleased withal,
line 0841Command thy son and daughter to join hands.
KING PHILIP
line 0842It likes us well.—Young princes, close your hands.
AUSTRIA
line 0843And your lips too, for I am well assured
560line 0844That I did so when I was first assured.

Dauphin and Blanche join hands and kiss.

KING PHILIP
line 0845Now, citizens of Angiers, ope your gates.
line 0846Let in that amity which you have made,
line 0847For at Saint Mary’s Chapel presently
line 0848The rites of marriage shall be solemnized.—
565line 0849Is not the Lady Constance in this troop?
line 0850I know she is not, for this match made up
line 0851Her presence would have interrupted much.
line 0852Where is she and her son? Tell me, who knows.
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 71 DAUPHIN
line 0853She is sad and passionate at your Highness’ tent.
KING PHILIP
570line 0854And by my faith, this league that we have made
line 0855Will give her sadness very little cure.—
line 0856Brother of England, how may we content
line 0857This widow lady? In her right we came,
line 0858Which we, God knows, have turned another way
575line 0859To our own vantage.
line 0860KING JOHNWe will heal up all,
line 0861For we’ll create young Arthur Duke of Brittany
line 0862And Earl of Richmond, and this rich, fair town
line 0863We make him lord of.—Call the Lady Constance.
580line 0864Some speedy messenger bid her repair
line 0865To our solemnity. Salisbury exits. I trust we
line 0866shall,
line 0867If not fill up the measure of her will,
line 0868Yet in some measure satisfy her so
585line 0869That we shall stop her exclamation.
line 0870Go we as well as haste will suffer us
line 0871To this unlooked-for, unpreparèd pomp.

All but the Bastard exit.

BASTARD
line 0872Mad world, mad kings, mad composition!
line 0873John, to stop Arthur’s title in the whole,
590line 0874Hath willingly departed with a part;
line 0875And France, whose armor conscience buckled on,
line 0876Whom zeal and charity brought to the field
line 0877As God’s own soldier, rounded in the ear
line 0878With that same purpose-changer, that sly devil,
595line 0879That broker that still breaks the pate of faith,
line 0880That daily break-vow, he that wins of all,
line 0881Of kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids—
line 0882Who having no external thing to lose
line 0883But the word “maid,” cheats the poor maid of
600line 0884that—
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 73 line 0885That smooth-faced gentleman, tickling Commodity,
line 0886Commodity, the bias of the world—
line 0887The world, who of itself is peisèd well,
line 0888Made to run even upon even ground,
605line 0889Till this advantage, this vile-drawing bias,
line 0890This sway of motion, this Commodity,
line 0891Makes it take head from all indifferency,
line 0892From all direction, purpose, course, intent.
line 0893And this same bias, this Commodity,
610line 0894This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word,
line 0895Clapped on the outward eye of fickle France,
line 0896Hath drawn him from his own determined aid,
line 0897From a resolved and honorable war
line 0898To a most base and vile-concluded peace.
615line 0899And why rail I on this Commodity?
line 0900But for because he hath not wooed me yet.
line 0901Not that I have the power to clutch my hand
line 0902When his fair angels would salute my palm,
line 0903But for my hand, as unattempted yet,
620line 0904Like a poor beggar raileth on the rich.
line 0905Well, whiles I am a beggar, I will rail
line 0906And say there is no sin but to be rich;
line 0907And being rich, my virtue then shall be
line 0908To say there is no vice but beggary.
625line 0909Since kings break faith upon Commodity,
line 0910Gain, be my lord, for I will worship thee!

He exits.

ACT 3

Scene 1

Enter Constance, Arthur, and Salisbury.

CONSTANCEto Salisbury
line 0911Gone to be married? Gone to swear a peace?
line 0912False blood to false blood joined? Gone to be friends?
line 0913Shall Louis have Blanche and Blanche those
line 0914provinces?
5line 0915It is not so. Thou hast misspoke, misheard.
line 0916Be well advised; tell o’er thy tale again.
line 0917It cannot be; thou dost but say ’tis so.
line 0918I trust I may not trust thee, for thy word
line 0919Is but the vain breath of a common man.
10line 0920Believe me, I do not believe thee, man.
line 0921I have a king’s oath to the contrary.
line 0922Thou shalt be punished for thus flighting me,
line 0923For I am sick and capable of fears,
line 0924Oppressed with wrongs and therefore full of fears,
15line 0925A widow, husbandless, subject to fears,
line 0926A woman naturally born to fears.
line 0927And though thou now confess thou didst but jest,
line 0928With my vexed spirits I cannot take a truce,
line 0929But they will quake and tremble all this day.
20line 0930What dost thou mean by shaking of thy head?
line 0931Why dost thou look so sadly on my son?
line 0932What means that hand upon that breast of thine?
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 79 line 0933Why holds thine eye that lamentable rheum,
line 0934Like a proud river peering o’er his bounds?
25line 0935Be these sad signs confirmers of thy words?
line 0936Then speak again—not all thy former tale,
line 0937But this one word, whether thy tale be true.
SALISBURY
line 0938As true as I believe you think them false
line 0939That give you cause to prove my saying true.
CONSTANCE
30line 0940O, if thou teach me to believe this sorrow,
line 0941Teach thou this sorrow how to make me die,
line 0942And let belief and life encounter so
line 0943As doth the fury of two desperate men
line 0944Which in the very meeting fall and die.
35line 0945Louis marry Blanche?—O, boy, then where art
line 0946thou?—
line 0947France friend with England? What becomes of me?
line 0948Fellow, be gone. I cannot brook thy sight.
line 0949This news hath made thee a most ugly man.
SALISBURY
40line 0950What other harm have I, good lady, done
line 0951But spoke the harm that is by others done?
CONSTANCE
line 0952Which harm within itself so heinous is
line 0953As it makes harmful all that speak of it.
ARTHUR
line 0954I do beseech you, madam, be content.
CONSTANCE
45line 0955If thou that bidd’st me be content wert grim,
line 0956Ugly, and sland’rous to thy mother’s womb,
line 0957Full of unpleasing blots and sightless stains,
line 0958Lame, foolish, crooked, swart, prodigious,
line 0959Patched with foul moles and eye-offending marks,
50line 0960I would not care; I then would be content,
line 0961For then I should not love thee; no, nor thou
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 81 line 0962Become thy great birth, nor deserve a crown.
line 0963But thou art fair, and at thy birth, dear boy,
line 0964Nature and Fortune joined to make thee great.
55line 0965Of Nature’s gifts thou mayst with lilies boast,
line 0966And with the half-blown rose. But Fortune, O,
line 0967She is corrupted, changed, and won from thee;
line 0968Sh’ adulterates hourly with thine Uncle John,
line 0969And with her golden hand hath plucked on France
60line 0970To tread down fair respect of sovereignty,
line 0971And made his majesty the bawd to theirs.
line 0972France is a bawd to Fortune and King John,
line 0973That strumpet Fortune, that usurping John.—
line 0974Tell me, thou fellow, is not France forsworn?
65line 0975Envenom him with words, or get thee gone
line 0976And leave those woes alone which I alone
line 0977Am bound to underbear.
line 0978SALISBURYPardon me, madam,
line 0979I may not go without you to the Kings.
CONSTANCE
70line 0980Thou mayst, thou shalt, I will not go with thee.
line 0981I will instruct my sorrows to be proud,
line 0982For grief is proud and makes his owner stoop.

She sits down.

line 0983To me and to the state of my great grief
line 0984Let kings assemble, for my grief ’s so great
75line 0985That no supporter but the huge firm Earth
line 0986Can hold it up. Here I and sorrows sit.
line 0987Here 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 PHILIPto Blanche
line 0988’Tis true, fair daughter, and this blessèd day
line 0989Ever in France shall be kept festival.
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 83 80line 0990To solemnize this day the glorious sun
line 0991Stays in his course and plays the alchemist,
line 0992Turning with splendor of his precious eye
line 0993The meager cloddy earth to glittering gold.
line 0994The yearly course that brings this day about
85line 0995Shall never see it but a holy day.
CONSTANCErising
line 0996A wicked day, and not a holy day!
line 0997What hath this day deserved? What hath it done
line 0998That it in golden letters should be set
line 0999Among the high tides in the calendar?
90line 1000Nay, rather turn this day out of the week,
line 1001This day of shame, oppression, perjury.
line 1002Or if it must stand still, let wives with child
line 1003Pray that their burdens may not fall this day,
line 1004Lest that their hopes prodigiously be crossed.
95line 1005But on this day let seamen fear no wrack;
line 1006No bargains break that are not this day made;
line 1007This day, all things begun come to ill end,
line 1008Yea, faith itself to hollow falsehood change!
KING PHILIP
line 1009By heaven, lady, you shall have no cause
100line 1010To curse the fair proceedings of this day.
line 1011Have I not pawned to you my majesty?
CONSTANCE
line 1012You have beguiled me with a counterfeit
line 1013Resembling majesty, which, being touched and tried,
line 1014Proves valueless. You are forsworn, forsworn.
105line 1015You came in arms to spill mine enemies’ blood,
line 1016But now in arms you strengthen it with yours.
line 1017The grappling vigor and rough frown of war
line 1018Is cold in amity and painted peace,
line 1019And our oppression hath made up this league.
110line 1020Arm, arm, you heavens, against these perjured
line 1021kings!
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 85 line 1022A widow cries; be husband to me, God!
line 1023Let not the hours of this ungodly day
line 1024Wear out the days in peace, but ere sunset
115line 1025Set armèd discord ’twixt these perjured kings.
line 1026Hear me, O, hear me!
line 1027AUSTRIALady Constance, peace.
CONSTANCE
line 1028War, war, no peace! Peace is to me a war.
line 1029O Limoges, O Austria, thou dost shame
120line 1030That bloody spoil. Thou slave, thou wretch, thou
line 1031coward,
line 1032Thou little valiant, great in villainy,
line 1033Thou ever strong upon the stronger side,
line 1034Thou Fortune’s champion, that dost never fight
125line 1035But when her humorous Ladyship is by
line 1036To teach thee safety. Thou art perjured too,
line 1037And sooth’st up greatness. What a fool art thou,
line 1038A ramping fool, to brag and stamp and swear
line 1039Upon my party. Thou cold-blooded slave,
130line 1040Hast thou not spoke like thunder on my side?
line 1041Been sworn my soldier, bidding me depend
line 1042Upon thy stars, thy fortune, and thy strength?
line 1043And dost thou now fall over to my foes?
line 1044Thou wear a lion’s hide! Doff it for shame,
135line 1045And hang a calfskin on those recreant limbs.
AUSTRIA
line 1046O, that a man should speak those words to me!
BASTARD
line 1047“And hang a calfskin on those recreant limbs.”
AUSTRIA
line 1048Thou dar’st not say so, villain, for thy life!
BASTARD
line 1049“And hang a calfskin on those recreant limbs.”
KING JOHN
140line 1050We like not this. Thou dost forget thyself.
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 87

Enter Pandulph.

KING PHILIP
line 1051Here comes the holy legate of the Pope.
PANDULPH
line 1052Hail, you anointed deputies of heaven!
line 1053To thee, King John, my holy errand is.
line 1054I, Pandulph, of fair Milan cardinal
145line 1055And from Pope Innocent the legate here,
line 1056Do in his name religiously demand
line 1057Why thou against the Church, our holy mother,
line 1058So willfully dost spurn, and force perforce
line 1059Keep Stephen Langton, chosen Archbishop
150line 1060Of Canterbury, from that Holy See.
line 1061This, in our foresaid Holy Father’s name,
line 1062Pope Innocent, I do demand of thee.
KING JOHN
line 1063What earthy name to interrogatories
line 1064Can task the free breath of a sacred king?
155line 1065Thou canst not, cardinal, devise a name
line 1066So slight, unworthy, and ridiculous
line 1067To charge me to an answer, as the Pope.
line 1068Tell him this tale, and from the mouth of England
line 1069Add thus much more, that no Italian priest
160line 1070Shall tithe or toll in our dominions;
line 1071But as we under God are supreme head,
line 1072So, under Him, that great supremacy
line 1073Where we do reign we will alone uphold
line 1074Without th’ assistance of a mortal hand.
165line 1075So tell the Pope, all reverence set apart
line 1076To him and his usurped authority.
KING PHILIP
line 1077Brother of England, you blaspheme in this.
KING JOHN
line 1078Though you and all the kings of Christendom
line 1079Are led so grossly by this meddling priest,
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 89 170line 1080Dreading the curse that money may buy out,
line 1081And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust,
line 1082Purchase corrupted pardon of a man
line 1083Who in that sale sells pardon from himself,
line 1084Though you and all the rest, so grossly led,
175line 1085This juggling witchcraft with revenue cherish,
line 1086Yet I alone, alone do me oppose
line 1087Against the Pope, and count his friends my foes.
PANDULPH
line 1088Then, by the lawful power that I have,
line 1089Thou shalt stand cursed and excommunicate;
180line 1090And blessèd shall he be that doth revolt
line 1091From his allegiance to an heretic;
line 1092And meritorious shall that hand be called,
line 1093Canonizèd and worshiped as a saint,
line 1094That takes away by any secret course
185line 1095Thy hateful life.
line 1096CONSTANCEO, lawful let it be
line 1097That I have room with Rome to curse awhile!
line 1098Good father cardinal, cry thou “Amen”
line 1099To my keen curses, for without my wrong
190line 1100There is no tongue hath power to curse him right.
PANDULPH
line 1101There’s law and warrant, lady, for my curse.
CONSTANCE
line 1102And for mine, too. When law can do no right,
line 1103Let it be lawful that law bar no wrong.
line 1104Law cannot give my child his kingdom here,
195line 1105For he that holds his kingdom holds the law.
line 1106Therefore, since law itself is perfect wrong,
line 1107How can the law forbid my tongue to curse?
PANDULPH
line 1108Philip of France, on peril of a curse,
line 1109Let go the hand of that arch-heretic,
200line 1110And raise the power of France upon his head
line 1111Unless he do submit himself to Rome.
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 91 QUEEN ELEANOR
line 1112Look’st thou pale, France? Do not let go thy hand.
CONSTANCE
line 1113Look to that, devil, lest that France repent
line 1114And by disjoining hands, hell lose a soul.
AUSTRIA
205line 1115King Philip, listen to the Cardinal.
BASTARD
line 1116And hang a calfskin on his recreant limbs.
AUSTRIA
line 1117Well, ruffian, I must pocket up these wrongs,
line 1118Because—
line 1119BASTARDYour breeches best may carry them.
KING JOHN
210line 1120Philip, what sayst thou to the Cardinal?
CONSTANCE
line 1121What should he say, but as the Cardinal?
DAUPHIN
line 1122Bethink you, father, for the difference
line 1123Is purchase of a heavy curse from Rome,
line 1124Or the light loss of England for a friend.
215line 1125Forgo the easier.
line 1126BLANCHEThat’s the curse of Rome.
CONSTANCE
line 1127O Louis, stand fast! The devil tempts thee here
line 1128In likeness of a new untrimmèd bride.
BLANCHE
line 1129The Lady Constance speaks not from her faith,
220line 1130But from her need.
CONSTANCEto King Philip
line 1131O, if thou grant my need,
line 1132Which only lives but by the death of faith,
line 1133That need must needs infer this principle:
line 1134That faith would live again by death of need.
225line 1135O, then tread down my need, and faith mounts up;
line 1136Keep my need up, and faith is trodden down.
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 93 KING JOHN
line 1137The King is moved, and answers not to this.
CONSTANCEto King Philip
line 1138O, be removed from him, and answer well!
AUSTRIA
line 1139Do so, King Philip. Hang no more in doubt.
BASTARD
230line 1140Hang nothing but a calfskin, most sweet lout.
KING PHILIP
line 1141I am perplexed and know not what to say.
PANDULPH
line 1142What canst thou say but will perplex thee more,
line 1143If thou stand excommunicate and cursed?
KING PHILIP
line 1144Good reverend father, make my person yours,
235line 1145And tell me how you would bestow yourself.
line 1146This royal hand and mine are newly knit,
line 1147And the conjunction of our inward souls
line 1148Married, in league, coupled, and linked together
line 1149With all religious strength of sacred vows.
240line 1150The latest breath that gave the sound of words
line 1151Was deep-sworn faith, peace, amity, true love
line 1152Between our kingdoms and our royal selves;
line 1153And even before this truce, but new before,
line 1154No longer than we well could wash our hands
245line 1155To clap this royal bargain up of peace,
line 1156God knows they were besmeared and overstained
line 1157With slaughter’s pencil, where revenge did paint
line 1158The fearful difference of incensèd kings.
line 1159And shall these hands, so lately purged of blood,
250line 1160So newly joined in love, so strong in both,
line 1161Unyoke this seizure and this kind regreet?
line 1162Play fast and loose with faith? So jest with heaven?
line 1163Make such unconstant children of ourselves
line 1164As now again to snatch our palm from palm,
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 95 255line 1165Unswear faith sworn, and on the marriage bed
line 1166Of smiling peace to march a bloody host
line 1167And make a riot on the gentle brow
line 1168Of true sincerity? O holy sir,
line 1169My reverend father, let it not be so!
260line 1170Out of your grace, devise, ordain, impose
line 1171Some gentle order, and then we shall be blest
line 1172To do your pleasure and continue friends.
PANDULPH
line 1173All form is formless, order orderless,
line 1174Save what is opposite to England’s love.
265line 1175Therefore to arms! Be champion of our Church,
line 1176Or let the Church, our mother, breathe her curse,
line 1177A mother’s curse, on her revolting son.
line 1178France, thou mayst hold a serpent by the tongue,
line 1179A chafèd lion by the mortal paw,
270line 1180A fasting tiger safer by the tooth,
line 1181Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold.
KING PHILIP
line 1182I may disjoin my hand, but not my faith.
PANDULPH
line 1183So mak’st thou faith an enemy to faith,
line 1184And like a civil war sett’st oath to oath,
275line 1185Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow
line 1186First made to God, first be to God performed,
line 1187That is, to be the champion of our Church!
line 1188What since thou swor’st is sworn against thyself
line 1189And may not be performèd by thyself,
280line 1190For that which thou hast sworn to do amiss
line 1191Is not amiss when it is truly done;
line 1192And being not done where doing tends to ill,
line 1193The truth is then most done not doing it.
line 1194The better act of purposes mistook
285line 1195Is to mistake again; though indirect,
line 1196Yet indirection thereby grows direct,
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 97 line 1197And falsehood falsehood cures, as fire cools fire
line 1198Within the scorchèd veins of one new-burned.
line 1199It is religion that doth make vows kept,
290line 1200But thou hast sworn against religion
line 1201By what thou swear’st against the thing thou
line 1202swear’st,
line 1203And mak’st an oath the surety for thy truth
line 1204Against an oath. The truth thou art unsure
295line 1205To swear swears only not to be forsworn,
line 1206Else what a mockery should it be to swear?
line 1207But thou dost swear only to be forsworn,
line 1208And most forsworn to keep what thou dost swear.
line 1209Therefore thy later vows against thy first
300line 1210Is in thyself rebellion to thyself.
line 1211And better conquest never canst thou make
line 1212Than arm thy constant and thy nobler parts
line 1213Against these giddy loose suggestions,
line 1214Upon which better part our prayers come in,
305line 1215If thou vouchsafe them. But if not, then know
line 1216The peril of our curses light on thee
line 1217So heavy as thou shalt not shake them off,
line 1218But in despair die under their black weight.
AUSTRIA
line 1219Rebellion, flat rebellion!
310line 1220BASTARDWill ’t not be?
line 1221Will not a calfskin stop that mouth of thine?
DAUPHIN
line 1222Father, to arms!
line 1223BLANCHEUpon thy wedding day?
line 1224Against the blood that thou hast marrièd?
315line 1225What, shall our feast be kept with slaughtered men?
line 1226Shall braying trumpets and loud churlish drums,
line 1227Clamors of hell, be measures to our pomp?

She kneels.

line 1228O husband, hear me! Ay, alack, how new
line 1229Is “husband” in my mouth! Even for that name,
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 99 320line 1230Which till this time my tongue did ne’er pronounce,
line 1231Upon my knee I beg, go not to arms
line 1232Against mine uncle.
CONSTANCEkneeling
line 1233O, upon my knee
line 1234Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee,
325line 1235Thou virtuous Dauphin, alter not the doom
line 1236Forethought by heaven!
BLANCHEto Dauphin
line 1237Now shall I see thy love. What motive may
line 1238Be stronger with thee than the name of wife?
CONSTANCE
line 1239That which upholdeth him that thee upholds,
330line 1240His honor.—O, thine honor, Louis, thine honor!
DAUPHINto King Philip
line 1241I muse your Majesty doth seem so cold,
line 1242When such profound respects do pull you on.
PANDULPH
line 1243I will denounce a curse upon his head.
KING PHILIPdropping King John’s hand
line 1244Thou shalt not need.—England, I will fall from
335line 1245thee.
CONSTANCErising
line 1246O, fair return of banished majesty!
QUEEN ELEANOR
line 1247O, foul revolt of French inconstancy!
KING JOHN
line 1248France, thou shalt rue this hour within this hour.
BASTARD
line 1249Old Time the clock-setter, that bald sexton Time,
340line 1250Is it as he will? Well, then, France shall rue.
BLANCHErising
line 1251The sun’s o’ercast with blood. Fair day, adieu.
line 1252Which is the side that I must go withal?
line 1253I am with both, each army hath a hand,
Act 3 Scene 2 - Pg 101 line 1254And in their rage, I having hold of both,
345line 1255They whirl asunder and dismember me.
line 1256Husband, I cannot pray that thou mayst win.—
line 1257Uncle, I needs must pray that thou mayst lose.—
line 1258Father, I may not wish the fortune thine.—
line 1259Grandam, I will not wish thy wishes thrive.
350line 1260Whoever wins, on that side shall I lose.
line 1261Assurèd loss before the match be played.
DAUPHIN
line 1262Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lies.
BLANCHE
line 1263There where my fortune lives, there my life dies.
KING JOHNto Bastard
line 1264Cousin, go draw our puissance together.

Bastard exits.

355line 1265France, I am burned up with inflaming wrath,
line 1266A rage whose heat hath this condition,
line 1267That nothing can allay, nothing but blood—
line 1268The blood, and dearest-valued blood, of France.
KING PHILIP
line 1269Thy rage shall burn thee up, and thou shalt turn
360line 1270To ashes ere our blood shall quench that fire.
line 1271Look to thyself. Thou art in jeopardy.
KING JOHN
line 1272No more than he that threats.—To arms let’s hie!

They exit.

Scene 2

Alarums, excursions. Enter Bastard with Austria’s head.

BASTARD
line 1273Now, by my life, this day grows wondrous hot.
line 1274Some airy devil hovers in the sky
line 1275And pours down mischief. Austria’s head lie there,
line 1276While Philip breathes.
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 103

Enter King John, Arthur, Hubert.

KING JOHN
5line 1277Hubert, keep this boy.—Philip, make up.
line 1278My mother is assailèd in our tent
line 1279And ta’en, I fear.
line 1280BASTARDMy lord, I rescued her.
line 1281Her Highness is in safety, fear you not.
10line 1282But on, my liege, for very little pains
line 1283Will bring this labor to an happy end.

They exit.

Scene 3

Alarums, excursions, retreat. Enter King John, Queen Eleanor, Arthur, Bastard, Hubert, Lords.

KING JOHNto Queen Eleanor
line 1284So shall it be. Your Grace shall stay behind
line 1285So strongly guarded. To Arthur. Cousin, look not sad.
line 1286Thy grandam loves thee, and thy uncle will
line 1287As dear be to thee as thy father was.
ARTHUR
5line 1288O, this will make my mother die with grief!
KING JOHNto Bastard
line 1289Cousin, away for England! Haste before,
line 1290And ere our coining see thou shake the bags
line 1291Of hoarding abbots; imprisoned angels
line 1292Set at liberty. The fat ribs of peace
10line 1293Must by the hungry now be fed upon.
line 1294Use our commission in his utmost force.
BASTARD
line 1295Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back
line 1296When gold and silver becks me to come on.
line 1297I leave your Highness.—Grandam, I will pray,
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 105 15line 1298If ever I remember to be holy,
line 1299For your fair safety. So I kiss your hand.
QUEEN ELEANOR
line 1300Farewell, gentle cousin.
line 1301KING JOHNCoz, farewell.Bastard exits.
QUEEN ELEANORto Arthur
line 1302Come hither, little kinsman. Hark, a word.

They walk aside.

KING JOHN
20line 1303Come hither, Hubert.He takes Hubert aside.
line 1304O, my gentle Hubert,
line 1305We owe thee much. Within this wall of flesh
line 1306There is a soul counts thee her creditor,
line 1307And with advantage means to pay thy love.
25line 1308And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath
line 1309Lives in this bosom dearly cherishèd.
line 1310Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say,
line 1311But I will fit it with some better tune.
line 1312By heaven, Hubert, I am almost ashamed
30line 1313To say what good respect I have of thee.
HUBERT
line 1314I am much bounden to your Majesty.
KING JOHN
line 1315Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet,
line 1316But thou shalt have. And, creep time ne’er so slow,
line 1317Yet it shall come for me to do thee good.
35line 1318I had a thing to say—but let it go.
line 1319The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day,
line 1320Attended with the pleasures of the world,
line 1321Is all too wanton and too full of gauds
line 1322To give me audience. If the midnight bell
40line 1323Did with his iron tongue and brazen mouth
line 1324Sound on into the drowsy race of night;
line 1325If this same were a churchyard where we stand,
line 1326And thou possessèd with a thousand wrongs;
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 107 line 1327Or if that surly spirit, melancholy,
45line 1328Had baked thy blood and made it heavy, thick,
line 1329Which else runs tickling up and down the veins,
line 1330Making that idiot, laughter, keep men’s eyes
line 1331And strain their cheeks to idle merriment,
line 1332A passion hateful to my purposes;
50line 1333Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes,
line 1334Hear me without thine ears, and make reply
line 1335Without a tongue, using conceit alone,
line 1336Without eyes, ears, and harmful sound of words;
line 1337Then, in despite of brooded watchful day,
55line 1338I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts.
line 1339But, ah, I will not. Yet I love thee well,
line 1340And by my troth I think thou lov’st me well.
HUBERT
line 1341So well that what you bid me undertake,
line 1342Though that my death were adjunct to my act,
60line 1343By heaven, I would do it.
line 1344KING JOHNDo not I know thou wouldst?
line 1345Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye
line 1346On yon young boy. I’ll tell thee what, my friend,
line 1347He is a very serpent in my way,
65line 1348And wheresoe’er this foot of mine doth tread,
line 1349He lies before me. Dost thou understand me?
line 1350Thou art his keeper.
line 1351HUBERTAnd I’ll keep him so
line 1352That he shall not offend your Majesty.
KING JOHN
70line 1353Death.
line 1354HUBERTMy lord?
line 1355KING JOHNA grave.
line 1356HUBERTHe shall not live.
line 1357KING JOHNEnough.
75line 1358I could be merry now. Hubert, I love thee.
line 1359Well, I’ll not say what I intend for thee.
Act 3 Scene 4 - Pg 109 line 1360Remember. He turns to Queen Eleanor. Madam, fare
line 1361you well.
line 1362I’ll send those powers o’er to your Majesty.
80line 1363QUEEN ELEANORMy blessing go with thee.
line 1364KING JOHNto Arthur For England, cousin, go.
line 1365Hubert shall be your man, attend on you
line 1366With all true duty.—On toward Calais, ho!

They exit.

Scene 4

Enter King Philip of France,Louis the Dauphin, Pandulph, Attendants.

KING PHILIP
line 1367So, by a roaring tempest on the flood,
line 1368A whole armada of convicted sail
line 1369Is scattered and disjoined from fellowship.
PANDULPH
line 1370Courage and comfort. All shall yet go well.
KING PHILIP
5line 1371What can go well when we have run so ill?
line 1372Are we not beaten? Is not Angiers lost?
line 1373Arthur ta’en prisoner? Divers dear friends slain?
line 1374And bloody England into England gone,
line 1375O’erbearing interruption, spite of France?
DAUPHIN
10line 1376What he hath won, that hath he fortified.
line 1377So hot a speed, with such advice disposed,
line 1378Such temperate order in so fierce a cause,
line 1379Doth want example. Who hath read or heard
line 1380Of any kindred action like to this?
KING PHILIP
15line 1381Well could I bear that England had this praise,
line 1382So we could find some pattern of our shame.

Enter Constance, with her hair unbound.

Act 3 Scene 4 - Pg 111 line 1383Look who comes here! A grave unto a soul,
line 1384Holding th’ eternal spirit against her will
line 1385In the vile prison of afflicted breath.—
20line 1386I prithee, lady, go away with me.
CONSTANCE
line 1387Lo, now, now see the issue of your peace!
KING PHILIP
line 1388Patience, good lady. Comfort, gentle Constance.
CONSTANCE
line 1389No, I defy all counsel, all redress,
line 1390But that which ends all counsel, true redress.
25line 1391Death, death, O amiable, lovely death,
line 1392Thou odoriferous stench, sound rottenness,
line 1393Arise forth from the couch of lasting night,
line 1394Thou hate and terror to prosperity,
line 1395And I will kiss thy detestable bones
30line 1396And put my eyeballs in thy vaulty brows,
line 1397And ring these fingers with thy household worms,
line 1398And stop this gap of breath with fulsome dust,
line 1399And be a carrion monster like thyself.
line 1400Come, grin on me, and I will think thou smil’st,
35line 1401And buss thee as thy wife. Misery’s love,
line 1402O, come to me!
line 1403KING PHILIPO fair affliction, peace!
CONSTANCE
line 1404No, no, I will not, having breath to cry.
line 1405O, that my tongue were in the thunder’s mouth!
40line 1406Then with a passion would I shake the world
line 1407And rouse from sleep that fell anatomy
line 1408Which cannot hear a lady’s feeble voice,
line 1409Which scorns a modern invocation.
PANDULPH
line 1410Lady, you utter madness and not sorrow.
CONSTANCE
45line 1411Thou art not holy to belie me so.
line 1412I am not mad. This hair I tear is mine;
Act 3 Scene 4 - Pg 113 line 1413My name is Constance; I was Geoffrey’s wife;
line 1414Young Arthur is my son, and he is lost.
line 1415I am not mad; I would to heaven I were,
50line 1416For then ’tis like I should forget myself.
line 1417O, if I could, what grief should I forget!
line 1418Preach some philosophy to make me mad,
line 1419And thou shalt be canonized, cardinal.
line 1420For, being not mad but sensible of grief,
55line 1421My reasonable part produces reason
line 1422How I may be delivered of these woes,
line 1423And teaches me to kill or hang myself.
line 1424If I were mad, I should forget my son,
line 1425Or madly think a babe of clouts were he.
60line 1426I am not mad. Too well, too well I feel
line 1427The different plague of each calamity.
KING PHILIP
line 1428Bind up those tresses.—O, what love I note
line 1429In the fair multitude of those her hairs;
line 1430Where but by chance a silver drop hath fall’n,
65line 1431Even to that drop ten thousand wiry friends
line 1432Do glue themselves in sociable grief,
line 1433Like true, inseparable, faithful loves,
line 1434Sticking together in calamity.
CONSTANCE
line 1435To England, if you will.
70line 1436KING PHILIPBind up your hairs.
CONSTANCE
line 1437Yes, that I will. And wherefore will I do it?
line 1438I tore them from their bonds and cried aloud
line 1439“O, that these hands could so redeem my son,
line 1440As they have given these hairs their liberty!”
75line 1441But now I envy at their liberty,
line 1442And will again commit them to their bonds,
line 1443Because my poor child is a prisoner.

She binds up her hair.

Act 3 Scene 4 - Pg 115 line 1444And father cardinal, I have heard you say
line 1445That we shall see and know our friends in heaven.
80line 1446If that be true, I shall see my boy again;
line 1447For since the birth of Cain, the first male child,
line 1448To him that did but yesterday suspire,
line 1449There was not such a gracious creature born.
line 1450But now will canker sorrow eat my bud
85line 1451And chase the native beauty from his cheek,
line 1452And he will look as hollow as a ghost,
line 1453As dim and meager as an ague’s fit,
line 1454And so he’ll die; and, rising so again,
line 1455When I shall meet him in the court of heaven
90line 1456I shall not know him. Therefore never, never
line 1457Must I behold my pretty Arthur more.
PANDULPH
line 1458You hold too heinous a respect of grief.
CONSTANCE
line 1459He talks to me that never had a son.
KING PHILIP
line 1460You are as fond of grief as of your child.
CONSTANCE
95line 1461Grief fills the room up of my absent child,
line 1462Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me,
line 1463Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words,
line 1464Remembers me of all his gracious parts,
line 1465Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form;
100line 1466Then, have I reason to be fond of grief?
line 1467Fare you well. Had you such a loss as I,
line 1468I could give better comfort than you do.

She unbinds her hair.

line 1469I will not keep this form upon my head
line 1470When there is such disorder in my wit.
105line 1471O Lord! My boy, my Arthur, my fair son,
line 1472My life, my joy, my food, my all the world,
line 1473My widow-comfort and my sorrows’ cure!She exits.
Act 3 Scene 4 - Pg 117 KING PHILIP
line 1474I fear some outrage, and I’ll follow her.

He exits, with Attendants.

DAUPHIN
line 1475There’s nothing in this world can make me joy.
110line 1476Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale,
line 1477Vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man;
line 1478And bitter shame hath spoiled the sweet world’s
line 1479taste,
line 1480That it yields naught but shame and bitterness.
PANDULPH
115line 1481Before the curing of a strong disease,
line 1482Even in the instant of repair and health,
line 1483The fit is strongest. Evils that take leave
line 1484On their departure most of all show evil.
line 1485What have you lost by losing of this day?
DAUPHIN
120line 1486All days of glory, joy, and happiness.
PANDULPH
line 1487If you had won it, certainly you had.
line 1488No, no. When Fortune means to men most good,
line 1489She looks upon them with a threat’ning eye.
line 1490’Tis strange to think how much King John hath lost
125line 1491In this which he accounts so clearly won.
line 1492Are not you grieved that Arthur is his prisoner?
DAUPHIN
line 1493As heartily as he is glad he hath him.
PANDULPH
line 1494Your mind is all as youthful as your blood.
line 1495Now hear me speak with a prophetic spirit.
130line 1496For even the breath of what I mean to speak
line 1497Shall blow each dust, each straw, each little rub,
line 1498Out of the path which shall directly lead
line 1499Thy foot to England’s throne. And therefore mark:
line 1500John hath seized Arthur, and it cannot be
135line 1501That, whiles warm life plays in that infant’s veins,
Act 3 Scene 4 - Pg 119 line 1502The misplaced John should entertain an hour,
line 1503One minute, nay, one quiet breath of rest.
line 1504A scepter snatched with an unruly hand
line 1505Must be as boisterously maintained as gained.
140line 1506And he that stands upon a slipp’ry place
line 1507Makes nice of no vile hold to stay him up.
line 1508That John may stand, then Arthur needs must fall.
line 1509So be it, for it cannot be but so.
DAUPHIN
line 1510But what shall I gain by young Arthur’s fall?
PANDULPH
145line 1511You, in the right of Lady Blanche your wife,
line 1512May then make all the claim that Arthur did.
DAUPHIN
line 1513And lose it, life and all, as Arthur did.
PANDULPH
line 1514How green you are and fresh in this old world!
line 1515John lays you plots. The times conspire with you,
150line 1516For he that steeps his safety in true blood
line 1517Shall find but bloody safety, and untrue.
line 1518This act so evilly borne shall cool the hearts
line 1519Of all his people and freeze up their zeal,
line 1520That none so small advantage shall step forth
155line 1521To check his reign but they will cherish it.
line 1522No natural exhalation in the sky,
line 1523No scope of nature, no distempered day,
line 1524No common wind, no customèd event,
line 1525But they will pluck away his natural cause
160line 1526And call them meteors, prodigies, and signs,
line 1527Abortives, presages, and tongues of heaven,
line 1528Plainly denouncing vengeance upon John.
DAUPHIN
line 1529Maybe he will not touch young Arthur’s life,
line 1530But hold himself safe in his prisonment.
PANDULPH
165line 1531O, sir, when he shall hear of your approach,
Act 3 Scene 4 - Pg 121 line 1532If that young Arthur be not gone already,
line 1533Even at that news he dies; and then the hearts
line 1534Of all his people shall revolt from him
line 1535And kiss the lips of unacquainted change,
170line 1536And pick strong matter of revolt and wrath
line 1537Out of the bloody fingers’ ends of John.
line 1538Methinks I see this hurly all on foot;
line 1539And, O, what better matter breeds for you
line 1540Than I have named! The bastard Faulconbridge
175line 1541Is now in England ransacking the Church,
line 1542Offending charity. If but a dozen French
line 1543Were there in arms, they would be as a call
line 1544To train ten thousand English to their side,
line 1545Or as a little snow, tumbled about,
180line 1546Anon becomes a mountain. O noble dauphin,
line 1547Go with me to the King. ’Tis wonderful
line 1548What may be wrought out of their discontent,
line 1549Now that their souls are topful of offense.
line 1550For England, go. I will whet on the King.
DAUPHIN
185line 1551Strong reasons makes strange actions. Let us go.
line 1552If you say ay, the King will not say no.

They exit.

ACT 4

Scene 1

Enter Hubert and Executioners, with irons and rope.

HUBERT
line 1553Heat me these irons hot, and look thou stand
line 1554Within the arras. When I strike my foot
line 1555Upon the bosom of the ground, rush forth
line 1556And bind the boy which you shall find with me
5line 1557Fast to the chair. Be heedful. Hence, and watch.
EXECUTIONER
line 1558I hope your warrant will bear out the deed.
HUBERT
line 1559Uncleanly scruples fear not you. Look to ’t.

Executioners exit.

line 1560Young lad, come forth. I have to say with you.

Enter Arthur.

ARTHUR
line 1561Good morrow, Hubert.
10line 1562HUBERTGood morrow, little prince.
ARTHUR
line 1563As little prince, having so great a title
line 1564To be more prince, as may be. You are sad.
HUBERT
line 1565Indeed, I have been merrier.
line 1566ARTHURMercy on me!
Act 4 Scene 1 - Pg 127 15line 1567Methinks nobody should be sad but I.
line 1568Yet I remember, when I was in France,
line 1569Young gentlemen would be as sad as night
line 1570Only for wantonness. By my christendom,
line 1571So I were out of prison and kept sheep,
20line 1572I should be as merry as the day is long.
line 1573And so I would be here but that I doubt
line 1574My uncle practices more harm to me.
line 1575He is afraid of me, and I of him.
line 1576Is it my fault that I was Geoffrey’s son?
25line 1577No, indeed, is ’t not. And I would to heaven
line 1578I were your son, so you would love me, Hubert.
HUBERTaside
line 1579If I talk to him, with his innocent prate
line 1580He will awake my mercy, which lies dead.
line 1581Therefore I will be sudden and dispatch.
ARTHUR
30line 1582Are you sick, Hubert? You look pale today.
line 1583In sooth, I would you were a little sick
line 1584That I might sit all night and watch with you.
line 1585I warrant I love you more than you do me.
HUBERTaside
line 1586His words do take possession of my bosom.

He shows Arthur a paper.

35line 1587Read here, young Arthur. Aside. How now,
line 1588foolish rheum?
line 1589Turning dispiteous torture out of door?
line 1590I must be brief lest resolution drop
line 1591Out at mine eyes in tender womanish tears.—
40line 1592Can you not read it? Is it not fair writ?
ARTHUR
line 1593Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect.
line 1594Must you with hot irons burn out both mine eyes?
HUBERT
line 1595Young boy, I must.
Act 4 Scene 1 - Pg 129 line 1596ARTHURAnd will you?
45line 1597HUBERTAnd I will.
ARTHUR
line 1598Have you the heart? When your head did but ache,
line 1599I knit my handkercher about your brows—
line 1600The best I had, a princess wrought it me—
line 1601And I did never ask it you again;
50line 1602And with my hand at midnight held your head,
line 1603And like the watchful minutes to the hour
line 1604Still and anon cheered up the heavy time,
line 1605Saying “What lack you?” and “Where lies your
line 1606grief?”
55line 1607Or “What good love may I perform for you?”
line 1608Many a poor man’s son would have lien still
line 1609And ne’er have spoke a loving word to you;
line 1610But you at your sick service had a prince.
line 1611Nay, you may think my love was crafty love,
60line 1612And call it cunning. Do, an if you will.
line 1613If heaven be pleased that you must use me ill,
line 1614Why then you must. Will you put out mine eyes—
line 1615These eyes that never did nor never shall
line 1616So much as frown on you?
65line 1617HUBERTI have sworn to do it.
line 1618And with hot irons must I burn them out.
ARTHUR
line 1619Ah, none but in this Iron Age would do it.
line 1620The iron of itself, though heat red-hot,
line 1621Approaching near these eyes, would drink my tears
70line 1622And quench this fiery indignation
line 1623Even in the matter of mine innocence;
line 1624Nay, after that, consume away in rust
line 1625But for containing fire to harm mine eye.
line 1626Are you more stubborn-hard than hammered iron?
75line 1627An if an angel should have come to me
line 1628And told me Hubert should put out mine eyes,
Act 4 Scene 1 - Pg 131 line 1629I would not have believed him. No tongue but
line 1630Hubert’s.
line 1631HUBERTstamps his foot and calls Come forth.

Enter Executioners with ropes, a heated iron, and a brazier of burning coals.

80line 1632Do as I bid you do.
ARTHUR
line 1633O, save me, Hubert, save me! My eyes are out
line 1634Even with the fierce looks of these bloody men.
HUBERT
line 1635Give me the iron, I say, and bind him here.

He takes the iron.

ARTHUR
line 1636Alas, what need you be so boist’rous-rough?
85line 1637I will not struggle; I will stand stone-still.
line 1638For God’s sake, Hubert, let me not be bound!
line 1639Nay, hear me, Hubert! Drive these men away,
line 1640And I will sit as quiet as a lamb.
line 1641I will not stir nor wince nor speak a word
90line 1642Nor look upon the iron angerly.
line 1643Thrust but these men away, and I’ll forgive you,
line 1644Whatever torment you do put me to.
HUBERTto Executioners
line 1645Go stand within. Let me alone with him.
EXECUTIONER
line 1646I am best pleased to be from such a deed.

Executioners exit.

ARTHUR
95line 1647Alas, I then have chid away my friend!
line 1648He hath a stern look but a gentle heart.
line 1649Let him come back, that his compassion may
line 1650Give life to yours.
line 1651HUBERTCome, boy, prepare yourself.
ARTHUR
100line 1652Is there no remedy?
Act 4 Scene 1 - Pg 133 line 1653HUBERTNone but to lose your eyes.
ARTHUR
line 1654O God, that there were but a mote in yours,
line 1655A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wandering hair,
line 1656Any annoyance in that precious sense.
105line 1657Then, feeling what small things are boisterous
line 1658there,
line 1659Your vile intent must needs seem horrible.
HUBERT
line 1660Is this your promise? Go to, hold your tongue.
ARTHUR
line 1661Hubert, the utterance of a brace of tongues
110line 1662Must needs want pleading for a pair of eyes.
line 1663Let me not hold my tongue. Let me not, Hubert,
line 1664Or, Hubert, if you will, cut out my tongue,
line 1665So I may keep mine eyes. O, spare mine eyes,
line 1666Though to no use but still to look on you.

He seizes the iron.

115line 1667Lo, by my troth, the instrument is cold,
line 1668And would not harm me.
HUBERTtaking back the iron
line 1669I can heat it, boy.
ARTHUR
line 1670No, in good sooth. The fire is dead with grief,
line 1671Being create for comfort, to be used
120line 1672In undeserved extremes. See else yourself.
line 1673There is no malice in this burning coal.
line 1674The breath of heaven hath blown his spirit out
line 1675And strewed repentant ashes on his head.
HUBERT
line 1676But with my breath I can revive it, boy.
ARTHUR
125line 1677An if you do, you will but make it blush
line 1678And glow with shame of your proceedings, Hubert.
line 1679Nay, it perchance will sparkle in your eyes,
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 135 line 1680And, like a dog that is compelled to fight,
line 1681Snatch at his master that doth tar him on.
130line 1682All things that you should use to do me wrong
line 1683Deny their office. Only you do lack
line 1684That mercy which fierce fire and iron extends,
line 1685Creatures of note for mercy-lacking uses.
HUBERT
line 1686Well, see to live. I will not touch thine eye
135line 1687For all the treasure that thine uncle owes.
line 1688Yet am I sworn, and I did purpose, boy,
line 1689With this same very iron to burn them out.
ARTHUR
line 1690O, now you look like Hubert. All this while
line 1691You were disguisèd.
140line 1692HUBERTPeace. No more. Adieu.
line 1693Your uncle must not know but you are dead.
line 1694I’ll fill these doggèd spies with false reports.
line 1695And, pretty child, sleep doubtless and secure
line 1696That Hubert, for the wealth of all the world,
145line 1697Will not offend thee.
line 1698ARTHURO heaven! I thank you, Hubert.
HUBERT
line 1699Silence. No more. Go closely in with me.
line 1700Much 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
line 1701Here once again we sit, once again crowned
line 1702And looked upon, I hope, with cheerful eyes.
PEMBROKE
line 1703This “once again,” but that your Highness pleased,
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 137 line 1704Was once superfluous. You were crowned before,
5line 1705And that high royalty was ne’er plucked off,
line 1706The faiths of men ne’er stainèd with revolt;
line 1707Fresh expectation troubled not the land
line 1708With any longed-for change or better state.
SALISBURY
line 1709Therefore, to be possessed with double pomp,
10line 1710To guard a title that was rich before,
line 1711To gild refinèd gold, to paint the lily,
line 1712To throw a perfume on the violet,
line 1713To smooth the ice or add another hue
line 1714Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light
15line 1715To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,
line 1716Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.
PEMBROKE
line 1717But that your royal pleasure must be done,
line 1718This act is as an ancient tale new told,
line 1719And, in the last repeating, troublesome,
20line 1720Being urgèd at a time unseasonable.
SALISBURY
line 1721In this the antique and well-noted face
line 1722Of plain old form is much disfigurèd,
line 1723And like a shifted wind unto a sail,
line 1724It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about,
25line 1725Startles and frights consideration,
line 1726Makes sound opinion sick and truth suspected
line 1727For putting on so new a fashioned robe.
PEMBROKE
line 1728When workmen strive to do better than well,
line 1729They do confound their skill in covetousness,
30line 1730And oftentimes excusing of a fault
line 1731Doth make the fault the worse by th’ excuse,
line 1732As patches set upon a little breach
line 1733Discredit more in hiding of the fault
line 1734Than did the fault before it was so patched.
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 139 SALISBURY
35line 1735To this effect, before you were new-crowned,
line 1736We breathed our counsel; but it pleased your
line 1737Highness
line 1738To overbear it, and we are all well pleased,
line 1739Since all and every part of what we would
40line 1740Doth make a stand at what your Highness will.
KING JOHN
line 1741Some reasons of this double coronation
line 1742I have possessed you with, and think them strong;
line 1743And more, more strong, when lesser is my fear,
line 1744I shall endue you with. Meantime, but ask
45line 1745What you would have reformed that is not well,
line 1746And well shall you perceive how willingly
line 1747I will both hear and grant you your requests.
PEMBROKE
line 1748Then I, as one that am the tongue of these
line 1749To sound the purposes of all their hearts,
50line 1750Both for myself and them, but chief of all
line 1751Your safety, for the which myself and them
line 1752Bend their best studies, heartily request
line 1753Th’ enfranchisement of Arthur, whose restraint
line 1754Doth move the murmuring lips of discontent
55line 1755To break into this dangerous argument:
line 1756If what in rest you have in right you hold,
line 1757Why then your fears, which, as they say, attend
line 1758The steps of wrong, should move you to mew up
line 1759Your tender kinsman and to choke his days
60line 1760With barbarous ignorance and deny his youth
line 1761The rich advantage of good exercise.
line 1762That the time’s enemies may not have this
line 1763To grace occasions, let it be our suit
line 1764That you have bid us ask, his liberty,
65line 1765Which for our goods we do no further ask
line 1766Than whereupon our weal, on you depending,
line 1767Counts it your weal he have his liberty.
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 141 KING JOHN
line 1768Let it be so. I do commit his youth
line 1769To your direction.

Enter Hubert.

70line 1770Hubert, what news with you?

King John and Hubert talk aside.

PEMBROKE
line 1771This is the man should do the bloody deed.
line 1772He showed his warrant to a friend of mine.
line 1773The image of a wicked heinous fault
line 1774Lives in his eye. That close aspect of his
75line 1775Doth show the mood of a much troubled breast,
line 1776And I do fearfully believe ’tis done
line 1777What we so feared he had a charge to do.
SALISBURY
line 1778The color of the King doth come and go
line 1779Between his purpose and his conscience,
80line 1780Like heralds ’twixt two dreadful battles set.
line 1781His passion is so ripe it needs must break.
PEMBROKE
line 1782And when it breaks, I fear will issue thence
line 1783The foul corruption of a sweet child’s death.
KING JOHNcoming forward with Hubert
line 1784We cannot hold mortality’s strong hand.—
85line 1785Good lords, although my will to give is living,
line 1786The suit which you demand is gone and dead.
line 1787He tells us Arthur is deceased tonight.
SALISBURY
line 1788Indeed, we feared his sickness was past cure.
PEMBROKE
line 1789Indeed, we heard how near his death he was
90line 1790Before the child himself felt he was sick.
line 1791This must be answered either here or hence.
KING JOHN
line 1792Why do you bend such solemn brows on me?
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 143 line 1793Think you I bear the shears of destiny?
line 1794Have I commandment on the pulse of life?
SALISBURY
95line 1795It is apparent foul play, and ’tis shame
line 1796That greatness should so grossly offer it.
line 1797So thrive it in your game, and so farewell.
PEMBROKE
line 1798Stay yet, Lord Salisbury. I’ll go with thee
line 1799And find th’ inheritance of this poor child,
100line 1800His little kingdom of a forcèd grave.
line 1801That blood which owed the breadth of all this isle,
line 1802Three foot of it doth hold. Bad world the while!
line 1803This must not be thus borne; this will break out
line 1804To all our sorrows, and ere long, I doubt.

Pembroke, Salisbury, and other Lords exit.

KING JOHN
105line 1805They burn in indignation. I repent.
line 1806There is no sure foundation set on blood,
line 1807No certain life achieved by others’ death.

Enter Messenger.

line 1808A fearful eye thou hast. Where is that blood
line 1809That I have seen inhabit in those cheeks?
110line 1810So foul a sky clears not without a storm.
line 1811Pour down thy weather: how goes all in France?
MESSENGER
line 1812From France to England. Never such a power
line 1813For any foreign preparation
line 1814Was levied in the body of a land.
115line 1815The copy of your speed is learned by them,
line 1816For when you should be told they do prepare,
line 1817The tidings comes that they are all arrived.
KING JOHN
line 1818O, where hath our intelligence been drunk?
line 1819Where hath it slept? Where is my mother’s care,
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 145 120line 1820That such an army could be drawn in France
line 1821And she not hear of it?
line 1822MESSENGERMy liege, her ear
line 1823Is stopped with dust. The first of April died
line 1824Your noble mother. And as I hear, my lord,
125line 1825The Lady Constance in a frenzy died
line 1826Three days before. But this from rumor’s tongue
line 1827I idly heard. If true or false, I know not.
KING JOHNaside
line 1828Withhold thy speed, dreadful occasion!
line 1829O, make a league with me till I have pleased
130line 1830My discontented peers. What? Mother dead?
line 1831How wildly then walks my estate in France!—
line 1832Under whose conduct came those powers of France
line 1833That thou for truth giv’st out are landed here?
MESSENGER
line 1834Under the Dauphin.
135line 1835KING JOHNThou hast made me giddy
line 1836With these ill tidings.

Enter Bastard and Peter of Pomfret.

line 1837To Bastard. Now, what says the world
line 1838To your proceedings? Do not seek to stuff
line 1839My head with more ill news, for it is full.
BASTARD
140line 1840But if you be afeard to hear the worst,
line 1841Then let the worst, unheard, fall on your head.
KING JOHN
line 1842Bear with me, cousin, for I was amazed
line 1843Under the tide, but now I breathe again
line 1844Aloft the flood and can give audience
145line 1845To any tongue, speak it of what it will.
BASTARD
line 1846How I have sped among the clergymen
line 1847The sums I have collected shall express.
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 147 line 1848But as I traveled hither through the land,
line 1849I find the people strangely fantasied,
150line 1850Possessed with rumors, full of idle dreams,
line 1851Not knowing what they fear, but full of fear.
line 1852And here’s a prophet that I brought with me
line 1853From forth the streets of Pomfret, whom I found
line 1854With many hundreds treading on his heels,
155line 1855To whom he sung in rude harsh-sounding rhymes
line 1856That ere the next Ascension Day at noon,
line 1857Your Highness should deliver up your crown.
KING JOHNto Peter
line 1858Thou idle dreamer, wherefore didst thou so?
PETER
line 1859Foreknowing that the truth will fall out so.
KING JOHN
160line 1860Hubert, away with him! Imprison him.
line 1861And on that day at noon, whereon he says
line 1862I shall yield up my crown, let him be hanged.
line 1863Deliver him to safety and return,
line 1864For I must use thee.Hubert and Peter exit.
165line 1865O my gentle cousin,
line 1866Hear’st thou the news abroad, who are arrived?
BASTARD
line 1867The French, my lord. Men’s mouths are full of it.
line 1868Besides, I met Lord Bigot and Lord Salisbury
line 1869With eyes as red as new-enkindled fire,
170line 1870And others more, going to seek the grave
line 1871Of Arthur, whom they say is killed tonight
line 1872On your suggestion.
line 1873KING JOHNGentle kinsman, go
line 1874And thrust thyself into their companies.
175line 1875I have a way to win their loves again.
line 1876Bring them before me.
line 1877BASTARDI will seek them out.
KING JOHN
line 1878Nay, but make haste, the better foot before!
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 149 line 1879O, let me have no subject enemies
180line 1880When adverse foreigners affright my towns
line 1881With dreadful pomp of stout invasion.
line 1882Be Mercury, set feathers to thy heels,
line 1883And fly like thought from them to me again.
BASTARD
line 1884The spirit of the time shall teach me speed.

He exits.

KING JOHN
185line 1885Spoke like a sprightful noble gentleman.
line 1886To Messenger. Go after him, for he perhaps shall
line 1887need
line 1888Some messenger betwixt me and the peers,
line 1889And be thou he.
190line 1890MESSENGERWith all my heart, my liege.

Messenger exits.

line 1891KING JOHNMy mother dead!

Enter Hubert.

HUBERT
line 1892My lord, they say five moons were seen tonight—
line 1893Four fixèd, and the fifth did whirl about
line 1894The other four in wondrous motion.
KING JOHN
195line 1895Five moons!
line 1896HUBERTOld men and beldams in the streets
line 1897Do prophesy upon it dangerously.
line 1898Young Arthur’s death is common in their mouths,
line 1899And when they talk of him, they shake their heads
200line 1900And whisper one another in the ear,
line 1901And he that speaks doth grip the hearer’s wrist,
line 1902Whilst he that hears makes fearful action
line 1903With wrinkled brows, with nods, with rolling eyes.
line 1904I saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus,
205line 1905The whilst his iron did on the anvil cool,
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 151 line 1906With open mouth swallowing a tailor’s news,
line 1907Who with his shears and measure in his hand,
line 1908Standing on slippers which his nimble haste
line 1909Had falsely thrust upon contrary feet,
210line 1910Told of a many thousand warlike French
line 1911That were embattlèd and ranked in Kent.
line 1912Another lean, unwashed artificer
line 1913Cuts off his tale and talks of Arthur’s death.
KING JOHN
line 1914Why seek’st thou to possess me with these fears?
215line 1915Why urgest thou so oft young Arthur’s death?
line 1916Thy hand hath murdered him. I had a mighty cause
line 1917To wish him dead, but thou hadst none to kill him.
HUBERT
line 1918No had, my lord! Why, did you not provoke me?
KING JOHN
line 1919It is the curse of kings to be attended
220line 1920By slaves that take their humors for a warrant
line 1921To break within the bloody house of life,
line 1922And on the winking of authority
line 1923To understand a law, to know the meaning
line 1924Of dangerous majesty, when perchance it frowns
225line 1925More upon humor than advised respect.
HUBERTshowing a paper
line 1926Here is your hand and seal for what I did.
KING JOHN
line 1927O, when the last accompt twixt heaven and Earth
line 1928Is to be made, then shall this hand and seal
line 1929Witness against us to damnation!
230line 1930How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds
line 1931Make deeds ill done! Hadst not thou been by,
line 1932A fellow by the hand of nature marked,
line 1933Quoted, and signed to do a deed of shame,
line 1934This murder had not come into my mind.
235line 1935But taking note of thy abhorred aspect,
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 153 line 1936Finding thee fit for bloody villainy,
line 1937Apt, liable to be employed in danger,
line 1938I faintly broke with thee of Arthur’s death;
line 1939And thou, to be endearèd to a king,
240line 1940Made it no conscience to destroy a prince.
line 1941HUBERTMy lord—
KING JOHN
line 1942Hadst thou but shook thy head or made a pause
line 1943When I spake darkly what I purposèd,
line 1944Or turned an eye of doubt upon my face,
245line 1945As bid me tell my tale in express words,
line 1946Deep shame had struck me dumb, made me break
line 1947off,
line 1948And those thy fears might have wrought fears in me.
line 1949But thou didst understand me by my signs
250line 1950And didst in signs again parley with sin,
line 1951Yea, without stop didst let thy heart consent
line 1952And consequently thy rude hand to act
line 1953The deed which both our tongues held vile to name.
line 1954Out of my sight, and never see me more.
255line 1955My nobles leave me, and my state is braved,
line 1956Even at my gates, with ranks of foreign powers.
line 1957Nay, in the body of this fleshly land,
line 1958This kingdom, this confine of blood and breath,
line 1959Hostility and civil tumult reigns
260line 1960Between my conscience and my cousin’s death.
HUBERT
line 1961Arm you against your other enemies.
line 1962I’ll make a peace between your soul and you.
line 1963Young Arthur is alive. This hand of mine
line 1964Is yet a maiden and an innocent hand,
265line 1965Not painted with the crimson spots of blood.
line 1966Within this bosom never entered yet
line 1967The dreadful motion of a murderous thought,
line 1968And you have slandered nature in my form,
Act 4 Scene 3 - Pg 155 line 1969Which, howsoever rude exteriorly,
270line 1970Is yet the cover of a fairer mind
line 1971Than to be butcher of an innocent child.
KING JOHN
line 1972Doth Arthur live? O, haste thee to the peers,
line 1973Throw this report on their incensèd rage,
line 1974And make them tame to their obedience.
275line 1975Forgive the comment that my passion made
line 1976Upon thy feature, for my rage was blind,
line 1977And foul imaginary eyes of blood
line 1978Presented thee more hideous than thou art.
line 1979O, answer not, but to my closet bring
280line 1980The angry lords with all expedient haste.
line 1981I conjure thee but slowly; run more fast.

They exit.

Scene 3

Enter Arthur on the walls, dressed as a shipboy.

ARTHUR
line 1982The wall is high, and yet will I leap down.
line 1983Good ground, be pitiful and hurt me not.
line 1984There’s few or none do know me. If they did,
line 1985This shipboy’s semblance hath disguised me quite.
5line 1986I am afraid, and yet I’ll venture it.
line 1987If I get down and do not break my limbs,
line 1988I’ll find a thousand shifts to get away.
line 1989As good to die and go as die and stay.

He jumps.

line 1990O me, my uncle’s spirit is in these stones.
10line 1991Heaven take my soul, and England keep my bones.

He dies.

Enter Pembroke, Salisbury with a letter, and Bigot.

SALISBURY
line 1992Lords, I will meet him at Saint Edmundsbury;
Act 4 Scene 3 - Pg 157 line 1993It is our safety, and we must embrace
line 1994This gentle offer of the perilous time.
PEMBROKE
line 1995Who brought that letter from the Cardinal?
SALISBURY
15line 1996The Count Melun, a noble lord of France,
line 1997Whose private with me of the Dauphin’s love
line 1998Is much more general than these lines import.
BIGOT
line 1999Tomorrow morning let us meet him, then.
SALISBURY
line 2000Or rather then set forward, for ’twill be
20line 2001Two long days’ journey, lords, or ere we meet.

Enter Bastard.

BASTARD
line 2002Once more today well met, distempered lords.
line 2003The King by me requests your presence straight.
SALISBURY
line 2004The King hath dispossessed himself of us.
line 2005We will not line his thin bestainèd cloak
25line 2006With our pure honors, nor attend the foot
line 2007That leaves the print of blood where’er it walks.
line 2008Return, and tell him so. We know the worst.
BASTARD
line 2009Whate’er you think, good words I think were best.
SALISBURY
line 2010Our griefs and not our manners reason now.
BASTARD
30line 2011But there is little reason in your grief.
line 2012Therefore ’twere reason you had manners now.
PEMBROKE
line 2013Sir, sir, impatience hath his privilege.
BASTARD
line 2014’Tis true, to hurt his master, no man’s else.
Act 4 Scene 3 - Pg 159 SALISBURY
line 2015This is the prison.

He sees Arthur’s body.

35line 2016What is he lies here?
PEMBROKE
line 2017O Death, made proud with pure and princely beauty!
line 2018The Earth had not a hole to hide this deed.
SALISBURY
line 2019Murder, as hating what himself hath done,
line 2020Doth lay it open to urge on revenge.
BIGOT
40line 2021Or when he doomed this beauty to a grave,
line 2022Found it too precious-princely for a grave.
SALISBURYto Bastard
line 2023Sir Richard, what think you? You have beheld.
line 2024Or have you read or heard, or could you think,
line 2025Or do you almost think, although you see,
45line 2026That you do see? Could thought, without this object,
line 2027Form such another? This is the very top,
line 2028The height, the crest, or crest unto the crest,
line 2029Of murder’s arms. This is the bloodiest shame,
line 2030The wildest savagery, the vilest stroke
50line 2031That ever wall-eyed wrath or staring rage
line 2032Presented to the tears of soft remorse.
PEMBROKE
line 2033All murders past do stand excused in this.
line 2034And this, so sole and so unmatchable,
line 2035Shall give a holiness, a purity,
55line 2036To the yet unbegotten sin of times
line 2037And prove a deadly bloodshed but a jest,
line 2038Exampled by this heinous spectacle.
BASTARD
line 2039It is a damnèd and a bloody work,
line 2040The graceless action of a heavy hand,
60line 2041If that it be the work of any hand.
Act 4 Scene 3 - Pg 161 SALISBURY
line 2042If that it be the work of any hand?
line 2043We had a kind of light what would ensue.
line 2044It is the shameful work of Hubert’s hand,
line 2045The practice and the purpose of the King,
65line 2046From whose obedience I forbid my soul,
line 2047Kneeling before this ruin of sweet lifeHe kneels.
line 2048And breathing to his breathless excellence
line 2049The incense of a vow, a holy vow:
line 2050Never to taste the pleasures of the world,
70line 2051Never to be infected with delight,
line 2052Nor conversant with ease and idleness,
line 2053Till I have set a glory to this hand
line 2054By giving it the worship of revenge.
PEMBROKE, BIGOTkneeling
line 2055Our souls religiously confirm thy words.

They rise.

Enter Hubert.

HUBERT
75line 2056Lords, I am hot with haste in seeking you.
line 2057Arthur doth live; the King hath sent for you.
SALISBURY
line 2058O, he is bold and blushes not at death!—
line 2059Avaunt, thou hateful villain, get thee gone!
HUBERT
line 2060I am no villain.
80line 2061SALISBURYdrawing his sword Must I rob the law?
BASTARD
line 2062Your sword is bright, sir. Put it up again.
SALISBURY
line 2063Not till I sheathe it in a murderer’s skin.
HUBERT
line 2064Stand back, Lord Salisbury, stand back, I say.
line 2065By heaven, I think my sword’s as sharp as yours.

He puts his hand on his sword.

Act 4 Scene 3 - Pg 163 85line 2066I would not have you, lord, forget yourself,
line 2067Nor tempt the danger of my true defense,
line 2068Lest I, by marking of your rage, forget
line 2069Your worth, your greatness, and nobility.
BIGOT
line 2070Out, dunghill! Dar’st thou brave a nobleman?
HUBERT
90line 2071Not for my life. But yet I dare defend
line 2072My innocent life against an emperor.
SALISBURY
line 2073Thou art a murderer.
line 2074HUBERTDo not prove me so.
line 2075Yet I am none. Whose tongue soe’er speaks false,
95line 2076Not truly speaks. Who speaks not truly, lies.
PEMBROKEdrawing his sword
line 2077Cut him to pieces.
line 2078BASTARDdrawing his sword Keep the peace, I say.
SALISBURY
line 2079Stand by, or I shall gall you, Faulconbridge.
BASTARD
line 2080Thou wert better gall the devil, Salisbury.
100line 2081If thou but frown on me, or stir thy foot,
line 2082Or teach thy hasty spleen to do me shame,
line 2083I’ll strike thee dead. Put up thy sword betime,
line 2084Or I’ll so maul you and your toasting-iron
line 2085That you shall think the devil is come from hell.
BIGOT
105line 2086What wilt thou do, renownèd Faulconbridge?
line 2087Second a villain and a murderer?
HUBERT
line 2088Lord Bigot, I am none.
line 2089BIGOTWho killed this prince?
HUBERT
line 2090’Tis not an hour since I left him well.
110line 2091I honored him, I loved him, and will weep
line 2092My date of life out for his sweet life’s loss.

He weeps.

Act 4 Scene 3 - Pg 165 SALISBURY
line 2093Trust not those cunning waters of his eyes,
line 2094For villainy is not without such rheum,
line 2095And he, long traded in it, makes it seem
115line 2096like rivers of remorse and innocency.
line 2097Away with me, all you whose souls abhor
line 2098Th’ uncleanly savors of a slaughterhouse,
line 2099For I am stifled with this smell of sin.
BIGOT
line 2100Away, toward Bury, to the Dauphin there.
PEMBROKE
120line 2101There, tell the King, he may inquire us out.

Lords exit.

BASTARD
line 2102Here’s a good world! Knew you of this fair work?
line 2103Beyond the infinite and boundless reach
line 2104Of mercy, if thou didst this deed of death,
line 2105Art thou damned, Hubert.
125line 2106HUBERTDo but hear me, sir.
line 2107BASTARDHa! I’ll tell thee what.
line 2108Thou ’rt damned as black—nay, nothing is so black—
line 2109Thou art more deep damned than Prince Lucifer.
line 2110There is not yet so ugly a fiend of hell
130line 2111As thou shalt be, if thou didst kill this child.
HUBERT
line 2112Upon my soul—
line 2113BASTARDIf thou didst but consent
line 2114To this most cruel act, do but despair,
line 2115And if thou want’st a cord, the smallest thread
135line 2116That ever spider twisted from her womb
line 2117Will serve to strangle thee; a rush will be a beam
line 2118To hang thee on. Or wouldst thou drown thyself,
line 2119Put but a little water in a spoon
line 2120And it shall be as all the ocean,
140line 2121Enough to stifle such a villain up.
line 2122I do suspect thee very grievously.
Act 4 Scene 3 - Pg 167 HUBERT
line 2123If I in act, consent, or sin of thought
line 2124Be guilty of the stealing that sweet breath
line 2125Which was embounded in this beauteous clay,
145line 2126Let hell want pains enough to torture me.
line 2127I left him well.
line 2128BASTARDGo, bear him in thine arms.
line 2129I am amazed, methinks, and lose my way
line 2130Among the thorns and dangers of this world.

Hubert takes up Arthur’s body.

150line 2131How easy dost thou take all England up!
line 2132From forth this morsel of dead royalty,
line 2133The life, the right, and truth of all this realm
line 2134Is fled to heaven, and England now is left
line 2135To tug and scamble and to part by th’ teeth
155line 2136The unowed interest of proud-swelling state.
line 2137Now for the bare-picked bone of majesty
line 2138Doth doggèd war bristle his angry crest
line 2139And snarleth in the gentle eyes of peace.
line 2140Now powers from home and discontents at home
160line 2141Meet in one line, and vast confusion waits,
line 2142As doth a raven on a sick-fall’n beast,
line 2143The imminent decay of wrested pomp.
line 2144Now happy he whose cloak and cincture can
line 2145Hold out this tempest. Bear away that child,
165line 2146And follow me with speed. I’ll to the King.
line 2147A thousand businesses are brief in hand,
line 2148And 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
line 2149Thus have I yielded up into your hand
line 2150The circle of my glory.
line 2151PANDULPHhanding John the crown Take again
line 2152From this my hand, as holding of the Pope,
5line 2153Your sovereign greatness and authority.
KING JOHN
line 2154Now keep your holy word. Go meet the French,
line 2155And from his Holiness use all your power
line 2156To stop their marches ’fore we are inflamed.
line 2157Our discontented counties do revolt,
10line 2158Our people quarrel with obedience,
line 2159Swearing allegiance and the love of soul
line 2160To stranger blood, to foreign royalty.
line 2161This inundation of mistempered humor
line 2162Rests by you only to be qualified.
15line 2163Then pause not, for the present time’s so sick
line 2164That present med’cine must be ministered,
line 2165Or overthrow incurable ensues.
PANDULPH
line 2166It was my breath that blew this tempest up,
line 2167Upon your stubborn usage of the Pope;
Act 5 Scene 1 - Pg 173 20line 2168But since you are a gentle convertite,
line 2169My tongue shall hush again this storm of war
line 2170And make fair weather in your blust’ring land.
line 2171On this Ascension Day, remember well:
line 2172Upon your oath of service to the Pope,
25line 2173Go I to make the French lay down their arms.

He exits, with Attendants.

KING JOHN
line 2174Is this Ascension Day? Did not the prophet
line 2175Say that before Ascension Day at noon
line 2176My crown I should give off? Even so I have.
line 2177I did suppose it should be on constraint,
30line 2178But, God be thanked, it is but voluntary.

Enter Bastard.

BASTARD
line 2179All Kent hath yielded. Nothing there holds out
line 2180But Dover Castle. London hath received
line 2181Like a kind host the Dauphin and his powers.
line 2182Your nobles will not hear you, but are gone
35line 2183To offer service to your enemy;
line 2184And wild amazement hurries up and down
line 2185The little number of your doubtful friends.
KING JOHN
line 2186Would not my lords return to me again
line 2187After they heard young Arthur was alive?
BASTARD
40line 2188They found him dead and cast into the streets,
line 2189An empty casket where the jewel of life
line 2190By some damned hand was robbed and ta’en away.
KING JOHN
line 2191That villain Hubert told me he did live!
BASTARD
line 2192So, on my soul, he did, for aught he knew.
45line 2193But wherefore do you droop? Why look you sad?
line 2194Be great in act, as you have been in thought.
Act 5 Scene 1 - Pg 175 line 2195Let not the world see fear and sad distrust
line 2196Govern the motion of a kingly eye.
line 2197Be stirring as the time; be fire with fire;
50line 2198Threaten the threat’ner, and outface the brow
line 2199Of bragging horror. So shall inferior eyes,
line 2200That borrow their behaviors from the great,
line 2201Grow great by your example and put on
line 2202The dauntless spirit of resolution.
55line 2203Away, and glister like the god of war
line 2204When he intendeth to become the field.
line 2205Show boldness and aspiring confidence.
line 2206What, shall they seek the lion in his den
line 2207And fright him there? And make him tremble there?
60line 2208O, let it not be said! Forage, and run
line 2209To meet displeasure farther from the doors,
line 2210And grapple with him ere he come so nigh.
KING JOHN
line 2211The legate of the Pope hath been with me,
line 2212And I have made a happy peace with him,
65line 2213And he hath promised to dismiss the powers
line 2214Led by the Dauphin.
line 2215BASTARDO inglorious league!
line 2216Shall we upon the footing of our land
line 2217Send fair-play orders and make compromise,
70line 2218Insinuation, parley, and base truce
line 2219To arms invasive? Shall a beardless boy,
line 2220A cockered silken wanton, brave our fields
line 2221And flesh his spirit in a warlike soil,
line 2222Mocking the air with colors idly spread,
75line 2223And find no check? Let us, my liege, to arms!
line 2224Perchance the Cardinal cannot make your peace;
line 2225Or if he do, let it at least be said
line 2226They saw we had a purpose of defense.
KING JOHN
line 2227Have thou the ordering of this present time.
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 177 BASTARD
80line 2228Away, then, with good courage! Aside. Yet I
line 2229know
line 2230Our 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.

DAUPHINhanding a paper to Melun
line 2231My Lord Melun, let this be copied out,
line 2232And keep it safe for our remembrance.
line 2233Return the precedent to these lords again,
line 2234That having our fair order written down,
5line 2235Both they and we, perusing o’er these notes,
line 2236May know wherefore we took the Sacrament,
line 2237And keep our faiths firm and inviolable.
SALISBURY
line 2238Upon our sides it never shall be broken.
line 2239And, noble dauphin, albeit we swear
10line 2240A voluntary zeal and unurged faith
line 2241To your proceedings, yet believe me, prince,
line 2242I am not glad that such a sore of time
line 2243Should seek a plaster by contemned revolt
line 2244And heal the inveterate canker of one wound
15line 2245By making many. O, it grieves my soul
line 2246That I must draw this metal from my side
line 2247To be a widow-maker! O, and there
line 2248Where honorable rescue and defense
line 2249Cries out upon the name of Salisbury!
20line 2250But such is the infection of the time
line 2251That for the health and physic of our right,
line 2252We cannot deal but with the very hand
line 2253Of stern injustice and confusèd wrong.
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 179 line 2254And is ’t not pity, O my grievèd friends,
25line 2255That we, the sons and children of this isle,
line 2256Was born to see so sad an hour as this,
line 2257Wherein we step after a stranger, march
line 2258Upon her gentle bosom, and fill up
line 2259Her enemies’ ranks? I must withdraw and weep
30line 2260Upon the spot of this enforcèd cause,
line 2261To grace the gentry of a land remote,
line 2262And follow unacquainted colors here.
line 2263What, here? O nation, that thou couldst remove,
line 2264That Neptune’s arms, who clippeth thee about,
35line 2265Would bear thee from the knowledge of thyself
line 2266And grapple thee unto a pagan shore,
line 2267Where these two Christian armies might combine
line 2268The blood of malice in a vein of league,
line 2269And not to spend it so unneighborly.He weeps.
DAUPHIN
40line 2270A noble temper dost thou show in this,
line 2271And great affections wrestling in thy bosom
line 2272Doth make an earthquake of nobility.
line 2273O, what a noble combat hast thou fought
line 2274Between compulsion and a brave respect!
45line 2275Let me wipe off this honorable dew
line 2276That silverly doth progress on thy cheeks.
line 2277My heart hath melted at a lady’s tears,
line 2278Being an ordinary inundation,
line 2279But this effusion of such manly drops,
50line 2280This shower, blown up by tempest of the soul,
line 2281Startles mine eyes and makes me more amazed
line 2282Than had I seen the vaulty top of heaven
line 2283Figured quite o’er with burning meteors.
line 2284Lift up thy brow, renownèd Salisbury,
55line 2285And with a great heart heave away this storm.
line 2286Commend these waters to those baby eyes
line 2287That never saw the giant world enraged,
line 2288Nor met with fortune other than at feasts
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 181 line 2289Full warm of blood, of mirth, of gossiping.
60line 2290Come, come; for thou shalt thrust thy hand as deep
line 2291Into the purse of rich prosperity
line 2292As Louis himself.—So, nobles, shall you all,
line 2293That knit your sinews to the strength of mine.
line 2294And even there, methinks, an angel spake.

Enter Pandulph.

65line 2295Look where the holy legate comes apace
line 2296To give us warrant from the hand of God,
line 2297And on our actions set the name of right
line 2298With holy breath.
line 2299PANDULPHHail, noble prince of France.
70line 2300The next is this: King John hath reconciled
line 2301Himself to Rome; his spirit is come in
line 2302That so stood out against the holy Church,
line 2303The great metropolis and See of Rome.
line 2304Therefore thy threat’ning colors now wind up,
75line 2305And tame the savage spirit of wild war
line 2306That, like a lion fostered up at hand,
line 2307It may lie gently at the foot of peace
line 2308And be no further harmful than in show.
DAUPHIN
line 2309Your Grace shall pardon me; I will not back.
80line 2310I am too high-born to be propertied,
line 2311To be a secondary at control,
line 2312Or useful servingman and instrument
line 2313To any sovereign state throughout the world.
line 2314Your breath first kindled the dead coal of wars
85line 2315Between this chastised kingdom and myself
line 2316And brought in matter that should feed this fire;
line 2317And now ’tis far too huge to be blown out
line 2318With that same weak wind which enkindled it.
line 2319You taught me how to know the face of right,
90line 2320Acquainted me with interest to this land,
line 2321Yea, thrust this enterprise into my heart.
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 183 line 2322And come you now to tell me John hath made
line 2323His peace with Rome? What is that peace to me?
line 2324I, by the honor of my marriage bed,
95line 2325After young Arthur claim this land for mine.
line 2326And now it is half conquered, must I back
line 2327Because that John hath made his peace with Rome?
line 2328Am I Rome’s slave? What penny hath Rome borne?
line 2329What men provided? What munition sent
100line 2330To underprop this action? Is ’t not I
line 2331That undergo this charge? Who else but I,
line 2332And such as to my claim are liable,
line 2333Sweat in this business and maintain this war?
line 2334Have I not heard these islanders shout out
105line 2335“Vive le Roi” as I have banked their towns?
line 2336Have I not here the best cards for the game
line 2337To win this easy match played for a crown?
line 2338And shall I now give o’er the yielded set?
line 2339No, no, on my soul, it never shall be said.
PANDULPH
110line 2340You look but on the outside of this work.
DAUPHIN
line 2341Outside or inside, I will not return
line 2342Till my attempt so much be glorified
line 2343As to my ample hope was promisèd
line 2344Before I drew this gallant head of war
115line 2345And culled these fiery spirits from the world
line 2346To outlook conquest and to win renown
line 2347Even in the jaws of danger and of death.

A trumpet sounds.

line 2348What lusty trumpet thus doth summon us?

Enter Bastard.

BASTARD
line 2349According to the fair play of the world,
120line 2350Let me have audience. I am sent to speak,
line 2351My holy lord of Milan, from the King.
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 185 line 2352I come to learn how you have dealt for him,
line 2353And, as you answer, I do know the scope
line 2354And warrant limited unto my tongue.
PANDULPH
125line 2355The Dauphin is too willful-opposite
line 2356And will not temporize with my entreaties.
line 2357He flatly says he’ll not lay down his arms.
BASTARD
line 2358By all the blood that ever fury breathed,
line 2359The youth says well! Now hear our English king,
130line 2360For thus his royalty doth speak in me:
line 2361He is prepared—and reason too he should.
line 2362This apish and unmannerly approach,
line 2363This harnessed masque and unadvisèd revel,
line 2364This unheard sauciness and boyish troops,
135line 2365The King doth smile at, and is well prepared
line 2366To whip this dwarfish war, these pigmy arms,
line 2367From out the circle of his territories.
line 2368That hand which had the strength, even at your door,
line 2369To cudgel you and make you take the hatch,
140line 2370To dive like buckets in concealèd wells,
line 2371To crouch in litter of your stable planks,
line 2372To lie like pawns locked up in chests and trunks,
line 2373To hug with swine, to seek sweet safety out
line 2374In vaults and prisons, and to thrill and shake
145line 2375Even at the crying of your nation’s crow,
line 2376Thinking this voice an armèd Englishman—
line 2377Shall that victorious hand be feebled here
line 2378That in your chambers gave you chastisement?
line 2379No! Know the gallant monarch is in arms,
150line 2380And like an eagle o’er his aerie towers
line 2381To souse annoyance that comes near his nest.—
line 2382And you degenerate, you ingrate revolts,
line 2383You bloody Neroes, ripping up the womb
line 2384Of your dear mother England, blush for shame!
155line 2385For your own ladies and pale-visaged maids
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 187 line 2386Like Amazons come tripping after drums,
line 2387Their thimbles into armèd gauntlets change,
line 2388Their needles to lances, and their gentle hearts
line 2389To fierce and bloody inclination.
DAUPHIN
160line 2390There end thy brave and turn thy face in peace.
line 2391We grant thou canst outscold us. Fare thee well.
line 2392We hold our time too precious to be spent
line 2393With such a brabbler.
line 2394PANDULPHGive me leave to speak.
BASTARD
165line 2395No, I will speak.
line 2396DAUPHINWe will attend to neither.
line 2397Strike up the drums, and let the tongue of war
line 2398Plead for our interest and our being here.
BASTARD
line 2399Indeed, your drums being beaten will cry out,
170line 2400And so shall you, being beaten. Do but start
line 2401An echo with the clamor of thy drum,
line 2402And even at hand a drum is ready braced
line 2403That shall reverberate all as loud as thine.
line 2404Sound but another, and another shall,
175line 2405As loud as thine, rattle the welkin’s ear
line 2406And mock the deep-mouthed thunder. For at hand,
line 2407Not trusting to this halting legate here,
line 2408Whom he hath used rather for sport than need,
line 2409Is warlike John, and in his forehead sits
180line 2410A bare-ribbed Death, whose office is this day
line 2411To feast upon whole thousands of the French.
DAUPHIN
line 2412Strike up our drums to find this danger out.
BASTARD
line 2413And thou shalt find it, dauphin, do not doubt.

They exit.

Act 5 Scene 4 - Pg 189

Scene 3

Alarums. Enter King John and Hubert.

KING JOHN
line 2414How goes the day with us? O, tell me, Hubert.
HUBERT
line 2415Badly, I fear. How fares your Majesty?
KING JOHN
line 2416This fever that hath troubled me so long
line 2417Lies heavy on me. O, my heart is sick.

Enter a Messenger.

MESSENGER
5line 2418My lord, your valiant kinsman, Faulconbridge,
line 2419Desires your Majesty to leave the field
line 2420And send him word by me which way you go.
KING JOHN
line 2421Tell him toward Swinstead, to the abbey there.
MESSENGER
line 2422Be of good comfort, for the great supply
10line 2423That was expected by the Dauphin here
line 2424Are wracked three nights ago on Goodwin Sands.
line 2425This news was brought to Richard but even now.
line 2426The French fight coldly and retire themselves.
KING JOHN
line 2427Ay me, this tyrant fever burns me up
15line 2428And will not let me welcome this good news.
line 2429Set on toward Swinstead. To my litter straight.
line 2430Weakness possesseth me, and I am faint.

They exit.

Scene 4

Enter Salisbury, Pembroke, and Bigot.

SALISBURY
line 2431I did not think the King so stored with friends.
Act 5 Scene 4 - Pg 191 PEMBROKE
line 2432Up once again. Put spirit in the French.
line 2433If they miscarry, we miscarry too.
SALISBURY
line 2434That misbegotten devil, Faulconbridge,
5line 2435In spite of spite, alone upholds the day.
PEMBROKE
line 2436They say King John, sore sick, hath left the field.

Enter Melun, wounded, led by a Soldier.

MELUN
line 2437Lead me to the revolts of England here.
SALISBURY
line 2438When we were happy, we had other names.
PEMBROKE
line 2439It is the Count Melun.
10line 2440SALISBURYWounded to death.
MELUN
line 2441Fly, noble English; you are bought and sold.
line 2442Unthread the rude eye of rebellion
line 2443And welcome home again discarded faith.
line 2444Seek out King John and fall before his feet,
15line 2445For if the French be lords of this loud day,
line 2446He means to recompense the pains you take
line 2447By cutting off your heads. Thus hath he sworn,
line 2448And I with him, and many more with me,
line 2449Upon the altar at Saint Edmundsbury,
20line 2450Even on that altar where we swore to you
line 2451Dear amity and everlasting love.
SALISBURY
line 2452May this be possible? May this be true?
MELUN
line 2453Have I not hideous death within my view,
line 2454Retaining but a quantity of life,
25line 2455Which bleeds away even as a form of wax
line 2456Resolveth from his figure ’gainst the fire?
Act 5 Scene 4 - Pg 193 line 2457What in the world should make me now deceive,
line 2458Since I must lose the use of all deceit?
line 2459Why should I then be false, since it is true
30line 2460That I must die here and live hence by truth?
line 2461I say again, if Louis do win the day,
line 2462He is forsworn if e’er those eyes of yours
line 2463Behold another daybreak in the East.
line 2464But even this night, whose black contagious breath
35line 2465Already smokes about the burning crest
line 2466Of the old, feeble, and day-wearied sun,
line 2467Even this ill night your breathing shall expire,
line 2468Paying the fine of rated treachery
line 2469Even with a treacherous fine of all your lives,
40line 2470If Louis by your assistance win the day.
line 2471Commend me to one Hubert with your king;
line 2472The love of him, and this respect besides,
line 2473For that my grandsire was an Englishman,
line 2474Awakes my conscience to confess all this.
45line 2475In lieu whereof, I pray you bear me hence
line 2476From forth the noise and rumor of the field,
line 2477Where I may think the remnant of my thoughts
line 2478In peace, and part this body and my soul
line 2479With contemplation and devout desires.
SALISBURY
50line 2480We do believe thee, and beshrew my soul
line 2481But I do love the favor and the form
line 2482Of this most fair occasion, by the which
line 2483We will untread the steps of damnèd flight,
line 2484And like a bated and retirèd flood,
55line 2485Leaving our rankness and irregular course,
line 2486Stoop low within those bounds we have o’erlooked
line 2487And calmly run on in obedience
line 2488Even to our ocean, to our great King John.
line 2489My arm shall give thee help to bear thee hence,
60line 2490For I do see the cruel pangs of death
Act 5 Scene 5 - Pg 195 line 2491Right in thine eye.—Away, my friends! New flight,
line 2492And happy newness, that intends old right.

They exit, assisting Melun.

Scene 5

Enter Louis, the Dauphin and his train.

DAUPHIN
line 2493The sun of heaven, methought, was loath to set,
line 2494But stayed and made the western welkin blush,
line 2495When English measured backward their own
line 2496ground
5line 2497In faint retire. O, bravely came we off,
line 2498When with a volley of our needless shot,
line 2499After such bloody toil, we bid good night
line 2500And wound our tott’ring colors clearly up,
line 2501Last in the field and almost lords of it.

Enter a Messenger.

MESSENGER
10line 2502Where is my prince, the Dauphin?
line 2503DAUPHINHere. What news?
MESSENGER
line 2504The Count Melun is slain. The English lords,
line 2505By his persuasion, are again fall’n off,
line 2506And your supply, which you have wished so long,
15line 2507Are cast away and sunk on Goodwin Sands.
DAUPHIN
line 2508Ah, foul, shrewd news. Beshrew thy very heart!
line 2509I did not think to be so sad tonight
line 2510As this hath made me. Who was he that said
line 2511King John did fly an hour or two before
20line 2512The stumbling night did part our weary powers?
MESSENGER
line 2513Whoever spoke it, it is true, my lord.
Act 5 Scene 6 - Pg 197 DAUPHIN
line 2514Well, keep good quarter and good care tonight.
line 2515The day shall not be up so soon as I
line 2516To try the fair adventure of tomorrow.

They exit.

Scene 6

Enter Bastard and Hubert, severally.

HUBERT
line 2517Who’s there? Speak ho! Speak quickly, or I shoot.
BASTARD
line 2518A friend. What art thou?
line 2519HUBERTOf the part of England.
BASTARD
line 2520Whither dost thou go?
5line 2521HUBERTWhat’s that to thee?
BASTARD
line 2522Why may not I demand of thine affairs
line 2523As well as thou of mine? Hubert, I think?
line 2524HUBERTThou hast a perfect thought.
line 2525I will upon all hazards well believe
10line 2526Thou art my friend, that know’st my tongue so well.
line 2527Who art thou?
line 2528BASTARDWho thou wilt. An if thou please,
line 2529Thou mayst befriend me so much as to think
line 2530I come one way of the Plantagenets.
HUBERT
15line 2531Unkind remembrance! Thou and endless night
line 2532Have done me shame. Brave soldier, pardon me
line 2533That any accent breaking from thy tongue
line 2534Should ’scape the true acquaintance of mine ear.
BASTARD
line 2535Come, come. Sans compliment, what news abroad?
Act 5 Scene 6 - Pg 199 HUBERT
20line 2536Why, here walk I in the black brow of night
line 2537To find you out.
line 2538BASTARDBrief, then; and what’s the news?
HUBERT
line 2539O my sweet sir, news fitting to the night,
line 2540Black, fearful, comfortless, and horrible.
BASTARD
25line 2541Show me the very wound of this ill news.
line 2542I am no woman; I’ll not swoon at it.
HUBERT
line 2543The King, I fear, is poisoned by a monk.
line 2544I left him almost speechless, and broke out
line 2545To acquaint you with this evil, that you might
30line 2546The better arm you to the sudden time
line 2547Than if you had at leisure known of this.
BASTARD
line 2548How did he take it? Who did taste to him?
HUBERT
line 2549A monk, I tell you, a resolvèd villain,
line 2550Whose bowels suddenly burst out. The King
35line 2551Yet speaks and peradventure may recover.
BASTARD
line 2552Who didst thou leave to tend his Majesty?
HUBERT
line 2553Why, know you not? The lords are all come back,
line 2554And brought Prince Henry in their company,
line 2555At whose request the King hath pardoned them,
40line 2556And they are all about his Majesty.
BASTARD
line 2557Withhold thine indignation, mighty God,
line 2558And tempt us not to bear above our power.
line 2559I’ll tell thee, Hubert, half my power this night,
line 2560Passing these flats, are taken by the tide.
45line 2561These Lincoln Washes have devourèd them.
line 2562Myself, well mounted, hardly have escaped.
Act 5 Scene 7 - Pg 201 line 2563Away before. Conduct me to the King.
line 2564I doubt he will be dead or ere I come.

They exit.

Scene 7

Enter Prince Henry, Salisbury, and Bigot.

PRINCE HENRY
line 2565It is too late. The life of all his blood
line 2566Is touched corruptibly, and his pure brain,
line 2567Which some suppose the soul’s frail dwelling-house,
line 2568Doth, by the idle comments that it makes,
5line 2569Foretell the ending of mortality.

Enter Pembroke.

PEMBROKE
line 2570His Highness yet doth speak, and holds belief
line 2571That being brought into the open air
line 2572It would allay the burning quality
line 2573Of that fell poison which assaileth him.
PRINCE HENRY
10line 2574Let him be brought into the orchard here.

Bigot exits.

line 2575Doth he still rage?
line 2576PEMBROKEHe is more patient
line 2577Than when you left him. Even now he sung.
PRINCE HENRY
line 2578O vanity of sickness! Fierce extremes
15line 2579In their continuance will not feel themselves.
line 2580Death, having preyed upon the outward parts,
line 2581Leaves them invisible, and his siege is now
line 2582Against the mind, the which he pricks and wounds
line 2583With many legions of strange fantasies,
20line 2584Which in their throng and press to that last hold
Act 5 Scene 7 - Pg 203 line 2585Confound themselves. ’Tis strange that Death should
line 2586sing.
line 2587I am the cygnet to this pale faint swan,
line 2588Who chants a doleful hymn to his own death,
25line 2589And from the organ-pipe of frailty sings
line 2590His soul and body to their lasting rest.
SALISBURY
line 2591Be of good comfort, prince, for you are born
line 2592To set a form upon that indigest
line 2593Which he hath left so shapeless and so rude.

King John brought in, attended by Bigot.

KING JOHN
30line 2594Ay, marry, now my soul hath elbow-room.
line 2595It would not out at windows nor at doors.
line 2596There is so hot a summer in my bosom
line 2597That all my bowels crumble up to dust.
line 2598I am a scribbled form drawn with a pen
35line 2599Upon a parchment, and against this fire
line 2600Do I shrink up.
line 2601PRINCE HENRYHow fares your Majesty?
KING JOHN
line 2602Poisoned—ill fare—dead, forsook, cast off,
line 2603And none of you will bid the winter come
40line 2604To thrust his icy fingers in my maw,
line 2605Nor let my kingdom’s rivers take their course
line 2606Through my burned bosom, nor entreat the North
line 2607To make his bleak winds kiss my parchèd lips
line 2608And comfort me with cold. I do not ask you much.
45line 2609I beg cold comfort, and you are so strait
line 2610And so ingrateful, you deny me that.
PRINCE HENRY
line 2611O, that there were some virtue in my tears
line 2612That might relieve you!
line 2613KING JOHNThe salt in them is hot.
50line 2614Within me is a hell, and there the poison
Act 5 Scene 7 - Pg 205 line 2615Is, as a fiend, confined to tyrannize
line 2616On unreprievable, condemnèd blood.

Enter Bastard.

BASTARD
line 2617O, I am scalded with my violent motion
line 2618And spleen of speed to see your Majesty.
KING JOHN
55line 2619O cousin, thou art come to set mine eye.
line 2620The tackle of my heart is cracked and burnt,
line 2621And all the shrouds wherewith my life should sail
line 2622Are turnèd to one thread, one little hair.
line 2623My heart hath one poor string to stay it by,
60line 2624Which holds but till thy news be utterèd,
line 2625And then all this thou seest is but a clod
line 2626And module of confounded royalty.
BASTARD
line 2627The Dauphin is preparing hitherward,
line 2628Where God He knows how we shall answer him.
65line 2629For in a night the best part of my power,
line 2630As I upon advantage did remove,
line 2631Were in the Washes all unwarily
line 2632Devourèd by the unexpected flood.

King John dies.

SALISBURY
line 2633You breathe these dead news in as dead an ear.—
70line 2634My liege! My lord!—But now a king, now thus.
PRINCE HENRY
line 2635Even so must I run on, and even so stop.
line 2636What surety of the world, what hope, what stay,
line 2637When this was now a king and now is clay?
BASTARD
line 2638Art thou gone so? I do but stay behind
75line 2639To do the office for thee of revenge,
line 2640And then my soul shall wait on thee to heaven,
line 2641As it on Earth hath been thy servant still.—
Act 5 Scene 7 - Pg 207 line 2642Now, now, you stars, that move in your right spheres,
line 2643Where be your powers? Show now your mended
80line 2644faiths
line 2645And instantly return with me again
line 2646To push destruction and perpetual shame
line 2647Out of the weak door of our fainting land.
line 2648Straight let us seek, or straight we shall be sought;
85line 2649The Dauphin rages at our very heels.
SALISBURY
line 2650It seems you know not, then, so much as we.
line 2651The Cardinal Pandulph is within at rest,
line 2652Who half an hour since came from the Dauphin,
line 2653And brings from him such offers of our peace
90line 2654As we with honor and respect may take,
line 2655With purpose presently to leave this war.
BASTARD
line 2656He will the rather do it when he sees
line 2657Ourselves well-sinewèd to our defense.
SALISBURY
line 2658Nay, ’tis in a manner done already,
95line 2659For many carriages he hath dispatched
line 2660To the sea-side, and put his cause and quarrel
line 2661To the disposing of the Cardinal,
line 2662With whom yourself, myself, and other lords,
line 2663If you think meet, this afternoon will post
100line 2664To consummate this business happily.
BASTARD
line 2665Let it be so.—And you, my noble prince,
line 2666With other princes that may best be spared,
line 2667Shall wait upon your father’s funeral.
PRINCE HENRY
line 2668At Worcester must his body be interred,
105line 2669For so he willed it.
line 2670BASTARDThither shall it, then,
line 2671And happily may your sweet self put on
line 2672The lineal state and glory of the land,
Act 5 Scene 7 - Pg 209 line 2673To whom with all submission on my knee
110line 2674I do bequeath my faithful services
line 2675And true subjection everlastingly.He kneels.
SALISBURY
line 2676And the like tender of our love we make
line 2677To rest without a spot forevermore.

Salisbury, Pembroke, and Bigot kneel.

PRINCE HENRY
line 2678I have a kind soul that would give you thanks
115line 2679And knows not how to do it but with tears.

They rise.

BASTARD
line 2680O, let us pay the time but needful woe,
line 2681Since it hath been beforehand with our griefs.
line 2682This England never did nor never shall
line 2683Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror
120line 2684But when it first did help to wound itself.
line 2685Now these her princes are come home again,
line 2686Come the three corners of the world in arms
line 2687And we shall shock them. Naught shall make us rue,
line 2688If England to itself do rest but true.

They exit, bearing the body of King John.

King John

Copyright Notice

Contents

Summary

Dramatis Personæ

Dramatis Personæ

ACT 1

Scene 1

ACT 2

Scene 1

ACT 3

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

ACT 4

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

ACT 5

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5

Scene 6

Scene 7

Title

Notes & Highlights

Reading History

Settings

Typography

Colour scheme

Tap zones