King John/Henry VIII (Signet Classics) Page 7

  BASTARD And hang a calf's-skin on his recreant limbs.

  AUSTRIA Well, ruffian, I must pocket up128 these wrongs,

  Because--

  BASTARD Your breeches best may carry them.

  KING JOHN Philip, what say'st thou to the cardinal?

  CONSTANCE What should he say, but as the cardinal132?

  LEWIS Bethink you, father, for the difference133

  Is purchase134 of a heavy curse from Rome,

  Or the light135 loss of England for a friend:

  Forgo the easier.

  BLANCHE That's the curse of Rome.

  CONSTANCE O Lewis, stand fast: the devil tempts thee here

  In likeness of a new untrimmed139 bride.

  BLANCHE The lady Constance speaks not from her faith,

  But from her need.

  CONSTANCE O, if thou grant my need142,

  Which only lives but by the death of faith143,

  That need must needs144 infer this principle,

  That faith would live again by death of need:

  O then tread down my need, and faith mounts up:

  Keep my need up, and faith is trodden down.

  KING JOHN The king is moved148, and answers not to this.

  To King Philip

  CONSTANCE O, be removed149 from him, and answer well!

  AUSTRIA Do so, King Philip, hang no more in doubt.

  BASTARD Hang151 nothing but a calf's-skin, most sweet lout.

  KING PHILIP I am perplexed, and know not what to say.

  CARDINAL PANDULPH What canst thou say but will perplex thee more,

  If thou stand excommunicate and cursed?

  KING PHILIP Good reverend father, make my person yours155,

  And tell me how you would bestow yourself156.

  This royal hand and mine are newly knit,

  And the conjunction of our inward souls

  Married in league, coupled and linked together

  With all religious strength of sacred vows:

  The latest161 breath that gave the sound of words

  Was deep-sworn faith, peace, amity, true love

  Between our kingdoms and our royal selves,

  And even before this truce, but new164 before,

  No longer than we well could wash our hands

  To clap this royal bargain166 up of peace,

  Heaven knows, they were besmeared and overstained167

  With slaughter's pencil168, where revenge did paint

  The fearful difference169 of incensed kings:

  And shall these hands, so lately purged of blood,

  So newly joined in love, so strong in both,

  Unyoke this seizure and this kind regreet172?

  Play fast and loose with faith, so173 jest with heaven,

  Make such unconstant174 children of ourselves,

  As now again to snatch our palm from palm?

  Unswear faith sworn, and on the marriage-bed

  Of smiling peace to march a bloody host177,

  And make a riot on the gentle brow178

  Of true sincerity? O holy sir,

  My reverend father, let it not be so:

  Out of your grace, devise, ordain181, impose

  Some gentle order, and then we shall be blest

  To do your pleasure and continue friends.

  CARDINAL PANDULPH All form is formless, order orderless,

  Save what is opposite to England's love.

  Therefore to arms, be champion of our Church,

  Or let the Church, our mother, breathe her curse,

  A mother's curse, on her revolting188 son:

  France, thou mayst hold a serpent by the tongue189,

  A cased lion by the mortal190 paw,

  A fasting tiger safer by the tooth,

  Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold.

  KING PHILIP I may disjoin my hand, but not my faith193.

  CARDINAL PANDULPH So mak'st thou faith194 an enemy to faith,

  And like a civil war set'st oath to195 oath,

  Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow

  First made to heaven, first be to heaven performed,

  That is, to be the champion of our Church:

  What since thou swor'st199 is sworn against thyself,

  And may not be performed by thyself,

  For that which thou hast sworn to do amiss

  Is not amiss when it is truly done202:

  And being not done, where doing tends to203 ill,

  The truth is then most done not doing it:

  The better act of purposes mistook205

  Is to mistake again: though indirect206,

  Yet indirection thereby grows direct,

  And falsehood falsehood cures, as fire cools fire208

  Within the scorched veins of one new burned:

  It is religion210 that doth make vows kept,

  But thou hast sworn against religion:

  By what thou swear'st against the thing thou swear'st212,

  And mak'st an oath the surety for thy truth213

  Against an oath the truth: thou art unsure214

  To swear, swears only not to be forsworn215,

  Else what a mockery should it be to swear?

  But thou dost swear only to be forsworn,

  And most forsworn, to keep what thou dost swear:

  Therefore thy later vows against thy first

  Is in thyself rebellion to thyself:

  And better conquest never canst thou make

  Than arm thy constant and thy nobler parts

  Against these giddy loose suggestions:

  Upon which better part224 our prayers come in,

  If thou vouchsafe them. But if not, then know

  The peril of our curses light226 on thee

  So heavy as227 thou shalt not shake them off,

  But in despair die under their black228 weight.

  AUSTRIA Rebellion, flat229 rebellion!

  BASTARD Will't not be230?

  Will not a calf's-skin stop231 that mouth of thine?

  LEWIS Father, to arms!

  BLANCHE Upon thy wedding day?

  Against the blood that thou hast married234?

  What, shall our feast be kept235 with slaughtered men?

  Shall braying trumpets and loud churlish drums,

  Clamours of hell, be measures237 to our pomp?

  O husband, hear me: ay, alack, how new

  Is 'husband' in my mouth! Even for that name,

  Which till this time my tongue did ne'er pronounce,

  Upon my knee I beg, go not to arms

  Against mine uncle.

  She may kneel here

  CONSTANCE O, upon my knee made hard with kneeling,

  She may kneel

  I do pray to thee, thou virtuous dauphin,

  Alter not the doom forethought245 by heaven.

  BLANCHE Now shall I see thy love: what motive may

  Be stronger with thee than the name of wife?

  CONSTANCE That which upholdeth him that thee upholds248:

  To Lewis

  His honour:-- O, thine honour, Lewis, thine honour!

  To King Philip

  LEWIS I muse250 your majesty doth seem so cold,

  When such profound respects251 do pull you on.

  CARDINAL PANDULPH I will denounce252 a curse upon his head.

  KING PHILIP Thou shalt not need. England, I will fall from253 thee.

  She may rise

  CONSTANCE O, fair return of banished majesty!

  QUEEN ELINOR O, foul revolt of French inconstancy!

  KING JOHN France, thou shalt rue256 this hour within this hour.

  BASTARD Old Time the clock-setter, that bald257 sexton Time,

  Is it as he will? Well then, France shall rue.

  BLANCHE The sun's o'ercast with blood: fair day, adieu259!

  Which is the side that I must go withal?

  I am with both, each army hath a hand,

  And in their rage, I having hold of both,

&
nbsp; They whirl asunder and dismember263 me.

  Husband, I cannot pray that thou mayst win:--

  Uncle, I needs must pray that thou mayst lose:--

  Father266, I may not wish the fortune thine:--

  Grandam, I will not wish thy wishes thrive:

  Whoever wins, on that side shall I lose:

  Assured loss before the match be played.

  He may help her rise

  LEWIS Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lies.

  BLANCHE There where my fortune lives, there my life dies.

  KING JOHN Cousin, go draw our puissance272 together.

  [Exit the Bastard]

  France, I am burned up with inflaming wrath,

  A rage whose heat hath this condition274:

  That nothing can allay, nothing but blood,

  The blood, and dearest-valued276 blood, of France.

  KING PHILIP Thy rage shall burn thee up, and thou shalt turn

  To ashes, ere our blood shall quench that fire:

  Look to thyself, thou art in jeopardy.

  KING JOHN No more than he that threats. To arms let's hie280!

  Exeunt

  Act 3 Scene 2

  running scene 4

  Alarums, excursions. Enter [the] Bastard, with Austria's head

  BASTARD Now, by my life, this day grows wondrous hot:

  Some airy devil2 hovers in the sky

  And pours down mischief. Austria's head lie there,

  He puts down Austria's head

  While Philip breathes4.

  Enter [King] John, Arthur [and] Hubert

  KING JOHN Hubert, keep this boy.-- Philip, make up5:

  My mother is assailed6 in our tent,

  And ta'en7, I fear.

  BASTARD My lord, I rescued her:

  Her highness is in safety, fear you not:

  But on, my liege, for very little pains10

  Will bring this labour to an happy end11.

  Exeunt

  Alarums, excursions, retreat. Enter King John, Queen Elinor, Arthur, [the] Bastard, Hubert, [and] Lords

  To Queen Elinor

  KING JOHN So shall it be: your grace shall stay behind12

  To Arthur

  So strongly guarded:-- Cousin, look not sad:

  Thy grandam loves thee; and thy uncle will

  As dear be to thee as thy father was.

  ARTHUR O, this will make my mother die with grief.

  To Bastard

  KING JOHN Cousin, away for England! Haste before17,

  And ere our coming see thou shake the bags

  Of hoarding abbots: imprisoned angels19

  Set at liberty: the fat ribs of peace

  Must by the hungry now be fed upon:

  Use our commission in his22 utmost force.

  BASTARD Bell, book and candle23 shall not drive me back,

  When gold and silver becks24 me to come on.

  I leave your highness:-- grandam, I will pray,

  If ever I remember to be holy,

  For your fair safety: so I kiss your hand.

  ELINOR Farewell, gentle28 cousin.

  KING JOHN Coz29, farewell.

  [Exit the Bastard]

  To Arthur

  QUEEN ELINOR Come hither, little kinsman: hark, a word.

  He takes Hubert aside

  KING JOHN Come hither, Hubert.

  O my gentle Hubert,

  We owe thee much: within this wall of flesh

  There is a soul counts thee her creditor

  And with advantage means to pay34 thy love:

  And, my good friend, thy voluntary35 oath

  Lives in this bosom36, dearly cherished.

  Give me thy hand: I had a thing to say,

  But I will fit it with some better tune38.

  By heaven, Hubert, I am almost ashamed

  To say what good respect40 I have of thee.

  HUBERT I am much bounden41 to your majesty.

  KING JOHN Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet,

  But thou shalt have: and creep time ne'er so slow,

  Yet it shall come for me to do thee good.

  I had a thing to say, but let it go:

  The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day,

  Attended with the pleasures of the world,

  Is all too wanton and too full of gauds48

  To give me audience: if the midnight bell49

  Did with his iron tongue and brazen50 mouth

  Sound on into the drowsy race51 of night:

  If this same were a churchyard where we stand,

  And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs:

  Or if that surly spirit, melancholy,

  Had baked thy blood and made it heavy, thick,

  Which else56 runs tickling up and down the veins,

  Making that idiot, laughter, keep57 men's eyes

  And strain their cheeks to idle merriment,

  A passion59 hateful to my purposes:

  Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes,

  Hear me without thine ears, and make reply

  Without a tongue, using conceit62 alone,

  Without eyes, ears and harmful sound of words:

  Then, in despite of broad-eyed watchful64 day,

  I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts.

  But, ah, I will not: yet I love thee well,

  And by my troth67, I think thou lov'st me well.

  HUBERT So well, that what68 you bid me undertake,

  Though that my death were adjunct to69 my act,

  By heaven, I would do it.

  KING JOHN Do not I know thou wouldst?

  Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye

  On yon73 young boy: I'll tell thee what, my friend,

  He is a very serpent in my way,

  And whereso'er this foot of mine doth tread,

  He lies before me: dost thou understand me?

  Thou art his keeper.

  HUBERT And I'll keep him so78,

  That he shall not offend your majesty.

  KING JOHN Death.

  HUBERT My lord?

  KING JOHN A grave.

  HUBERT He shall not live.

  KING JOHN Enough.

  I could be merry now: Hubert, I love thee.

  Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee:

  Remember.-- Madam, fare you well:

  I'll send those powers88 o'er to your majesty.

  ELINOR My blessing go with thee.

  KING JOHN For England, cousin90, go.

  Hubert shall be your man91, attend on you

  With all true duty.-- On toward Calais, ho!

  Exeunt [Queen Elinor at one door, the rest at another]

  Act 3 Scene 3

  running scene 5

  Enter King Philip, Lewis, Cardinal Pandulph [and] Attendants

  KING PHILIP So by a roaring tempest on the flood1,

  A whole armado of convicted2 sail

  Is scattered and disjoined from fellowship3.

  CARDINAL PANDULPH Courage and comfort: all shall yet go well.

  KING PHILIP What can go well when we have run5 so ill?

  Are we not beaten? Is not Angiers lost?

  Arthur ta'en prisoner? Divers7 dear friends slain?

  And bloody England8 into England gone,

  O'erbearing interruption, spite9 of France?

  LEWIS What he hath won, that hath he fortified:

  So hot a speed with such advice disposed11,

  Such temperate12 order in so fierce a cause,

  Doth want example13: who hath read or heard

  Of any kindred action like14 to this?

  KING PHILIP Well could I bear that England had this praise,

  So we could find some pattern16 of our shame.

  Enter Constance

  Distracted, with her hair down

  Look, who comes here! A grave17 unto a soul:

  Holding th'eternal spirit against her will,

  In the vile prison of afflicted breath:

  I prithee,
lady, go away with me.

  CONSTANCE Lo, now: now see the issue of your peace21.

  KING PHILIP Patience, good lady: comfort, gentle Constance.

  CONSTANCE No, I defy all counsel, all redress23,

  But24 that which ends all counsel, true redress:

  Death, death, O amiable25, lovely death:

  Thou odoriferous stench: sound26 rottenness:

  Arise forth from the couch of lasting27 night,

  Thou hate and terror to prosperity,

  And I will kiss thy detestable bones,

  And put my eyeballs in thy vaulty30 brows,

  And ring these fingers with thy household worms,

  And stop this gap of breath with fulsome32 dust,

  And be a carrion33 monster like thyself:

  Come, grin on me, and I will think thou smil'st

  And buss35 thee as thy wife: misery's love,

  O, come to me!

  KING PHILIP O fair affliction37, peace!

  CONSTANCE No, no, I will not, having breath to cry:

  O, that my tongue were in the thunder's mouth!

  Then with a passion would I shake the world,

  And rouse from sleep that fell anatomy41

  Which cannot hear a lady's feeble voice,

  Which scorns a modern invocation43.

  CARDINAL PANDULPH Lady, you utter madness, and not sorrow.

  CONSTANCE Thou art not holy to belie45 me so:

  I am not mad: this hair I tear is mine:

  My name is Constance: I was Geoffrey's wife:

  Young Arthur is my son, and he is lost:

  I am not mad: I would to heaven I were,

  For then, 'tis like50 I should forget myself:

  O, if I could, what grief should I forget!

  Preach some philosophy to make me mad,

  And thou shalt be canonized, cardinal:

  For, being not mad, but sensible of54 grief,

  My reasonable part55 produces reason

  How I may be delivered of56 these woes,

  And teaches me to kill or hang myself:

  If I were mad, I should forget my son,

  Or madly think a babe of clouts59 were he:

  I am not mad: too well, too well I feel

  The different plague61 of each calamity.

  KING PHILIP Bind up those tresses62: O, what love I note

  In the fair multitude of those her hairs!