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King John

Act III, Scene 4

KING PHILIP'S tent.
 
[Enter KING PHILIP, LEWIS, CARDINAL PANDULPH, and Attendants]
 
KING PHILIP
       ,          ,        ,       ,         ,
      So by | a roar|ing temp|est on | the flood,
          ,        ,     ,       ,        ,
      A whole | arma|do of | convict|ed sail
           ,         ,         ,            ,       ,
      Is scat|tered and | disjoined | from fel|lowship.
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
       ,             ,         ,           ,         ,
      Courage | and com|fort, all | shall yet | go well.
 
KING PHILIP
            ,         ,          ,         ,        ,
      What can | go well,| when we | have run | so ill?
           ,        ,        ,            ,     ,
      Are we | not beat|en? Is | not An/giers lost?
       ,    2        ,   2      ,         T     T      T
      Arthur tane*| prisoner?| Divers | dear friends slain?
            ,      ,        ,     ,         ,
      And bloo|dy Eng|land in|to Eng|land gone,
          ,        ,     ,         ,           ,
      Orebear|ing int|errup|tion spite | of France?
 
LEWIS
            ,         ,           ,         ,     ,
      What he | hath won,| that hath | he fort|ified:
          ,        ,            ,        ,         ,
      So hot | a speed,| with such | advice | disposed,
             ,   2     ,           ,    ,         ,
      Such temp|erate ord|er in / so fierce | a cause,
             ,       ,       ,           ,         ,
      Doth^want | examp|le: who | hath read,| or heard
         ,     ,        ,        ,         ,
      Of an|y kind|red ac|tion like | to this?
 
KING PHILIP
        ,              ,          ,        ,            ,
      Well could | I bear | that Eng|land had | this praise,
          ,           ,          ,        ,         ,
      So we | could find | some pat|tern of | our shame:
        ,          ,              ,        ,       ,
      Look who | comes here?| A grave | unto | a soul,
       ,           2  ,         x         ,           ,
      Holding | the etern|al spirit | against | her will,
                 ,   ,       ,        ,        ,
      In the / vile pris|on of | afflict|ed breath:
         ,        ,     ,     ,          ,
      I prith|ee la|dy go | away | with me.
 
CONSTANCE
       T   T    T     ,         ,        2       ,
      Lo; now: now | see the | issue | of your peace.
 
KING PHILIP
       ,                ,      ,          x      ,
      Patience | good* la|dy, com|fort gentle | Constance.
 
CONSTANCE
       ,         ,         ,        ,        ,
      No, I | defy | all^couns|el, all | redress,
            ,            ,          ,         ,        ,
      But that | which ends | all couns|el, true | redress:
        T      T    T    , 2        ,       ,
      Death, death, O | amia|ble, love|ly death,
            ,   ,   2       ,       ,    ,
      Thou od|orif|erous stench:| sound rot/tenness.
         ,      ,                ,         ,         ,
      Arise | forth from | the couch | of last|ing night,
             ,         ,       ,       ,     ,
      Thou hate | and ter|ror to | prosper|ity,
          ,          ,     ,      ,          ,
      And I | will kiss | thy de|testab|le bones,
           ,        ,    ,              ,       ,
      And put | my eye|balls in | thy vaul|ty brows,
            ,      ,    ,           2        T    T    T
      And ring | these fing/ers with thy | household worms,
            ,          ,          ,           ,         ,
      And stop | this gap | of breath | with ful|some dust,
           ,      ,    2    ,        ,         ,
      And be | a car|rion monst|er like | thyself;
        T     T   T    ,     2           ,             ,
      Come, grin on | me, and I | will think | thou smilst,
            ,          ,         ,     ,          ,
      And buss | thee as | thy wife:| Mise|ry's love,
          ,        ,
      O come | to me.
 
KING PHILIP
                          ,        ,          ,
                      O fair | afflic|tion, peace.
 
CONSTANCE
       ,   ,             ,              ,         ,
      No, no,/ I will | not, hav|ing breath | to cry:
      ,         ,    ,                     ,          ,
      O that | my tongue / were in | the thund|er's mouth,
        ,            ,         ,         ,           ,
      Then with | a pas|sion would | I shake | the world,
            ,            ,            ,      ,    ,
      And rouse | from sleep | that fell | anat|omy
             ,        ,       ,       ,        ,
      Which can|not hear | a la|dy's feeb|le voice,
               ,        ,       ,    ,    ,
      Which scorns | a mod|ern in|voca|tion.
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
       ,           x      ,             ,     ,
      Lady,| you utter | madness,| and not | sorrow.
 
CONSTANCE
        ,         ,   ,            ,        ,
      Thou art | not ho/ly to | belie | me so,
              ,   ,           ,        ,         ,
      I am / not mad:| this hair | I tear | is mine,
           ,         ,         ,         ,           ,
      My name | is Const|ance, I | was Geof|frey's wife,
             ,       ,       ,         ,        ,
      Young^Arth|ur is | my son,| and he | is lost:
              ,   ,        ,           x         ,
      I am / not mad,| I would | to heaven | I were,
            ,          ,         ,         ,        ,
      For then |'tis like | I should | forget | myself:
      ,           ,            ,            ,       ,
      O, if | I could,| what grief | should I | forget?
         ,              ,    ,         ,        ,
      Preach some | philos|ophy | to make | me mad,
            ,      ,         ,     ,     ,
      And thou | shalt be | cano|nized (card/inal).
       ,     2          ,         ,     ,         ,
      For, being | not^mad,| but sens|ible | of grief,
          ,     ,       ,        ,        x
      My reas|ona|ble part | produ|ces reason
       ,       ,          ,        ,           ,
      How I | may be | deliv|ered of | these woes,
            ,       ,        ,         ,        ,
      And teach|es me | to kill | or hang | myself:
         ,         ,         ,         ,        ,
      If I | were mad,| I should | forget | my son,
          ,       ,         ,          ,           ,
      Or mad|ly think | a babe | of clouts | were he:
              ,   ,          ,          ,        ,
      I am / not mad:| too well,| too well | I feel
           ,            ,          ,       ,    ,
      The dif|ferent plague | of each | calam|ity.
 
KING PHILIP
            ,           ,       ,          ,        ,
      Bind^up | those^tres|ses: O | what love | I note
                 ,    ,     ,         ,           ,
      In the / fair mult|itude | of those | her hairs:
              ,          ,         ,       ,            x
      Where* but | by chance | a silv|er drop | hath fallen,
      ,        2       ,           ,        ,      ,
      Even | to that drop | ten* thous|and wi|ry fiends
           ,           ,         ,   ,       ,
      Do glue | themselves | in so|cia|ble grief,
        T    T    . T    ,        ,         ,
      Like true, insep|ara|ble, faith|ful loves,
        ,           ,       ,      ,    ,
      Sticking | togeth|er in | calam|ity.
 
CONSTANCE
          ,         ,         ,
      To Eng|land, if | you will.
 
KING PHILIP
                                       ,          ,
                                 Bind^up | your hairs.
 
CONSTANCE
            ,        ,          ,          ,        x
      Yes that | I will:| and where|fore will | I do it?
          ,           ,            ,           ,        ,
      I tore | them from | their bonds,| and cried | aloud,
      ,                 ,            ,       ,        ,
      O, that | these hands | could so | redeem | my son,
           ,           x             ,            ,     ,
      As they | have given | these hairs | their lib|erty:
           ,       ,     ,          ,     ,
      But now | I en|vy at | their lib|erty,
            ,       ,        ,          ,           ,
      And will | again | commit | them to | their bonds,
          ,          ,      ,           ,     ,
      Because | my poor | child is | a pris|oner.
           ,       ,    2    ,          ,          ,
      And fath|er card|inal, I | have heard | you say
            ,          ,          ,           ,            x
      That we | shall see | and know | our friends | in heaven:
           ,         ,     2       ,        ,       ,
      If that | be true,| I shall see | my boy | again;
            ,           ,          ,     .    T     T    T
      For since | the birth | of Cain,| the first male child
          ,          ,         ,      ,        ,
      To him | that did | but yest|erday | suspire,
        ,          ,           ,          ,         ,
      There was | not such^|a gra|cious creat|ure born:
           ,          ,       ,       ,        ,
      But now | will cank|er-sor|row eat | my bud,
            ,          ,        ,       ,          ,
      And chase | the nat|ive beaut|y from | his cheek,
           ,          ,        ,       ,       ,
      And he | will look | as hol|low as | a ghost,
          ,         ,       ,       ,       ,
      As dim | and meag|er as | an ag|ue's fit,
           ,          ,         ,       ,      ,
      And so | he'll die:| and ris|ing so | again,
           ,           ,         ,         ,           x
      When I | shall meet | him in | the court | of heaven
          ,           ,           ,          x      ,
      I shall | not know | him: there|fore never,| never  ??
        ,          ,         ,      ,        ,
      Must I | behold | my pret|ty Arth|ur more.
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
            ,     ,   ,               ,          ,
      You hold | too hein/ous a | respect | of grief.
 
CONSTANCE
           ,         ,         ,      ,       ,
      He talks | to me | that nev|er had | a son.
 
KING PHILIP
           ,         ,         ,         ,          ,
      You are | as fond | of grief,| as of | your child.
 
CONSTANCE
        T     T    .    T     ,          ,        ,
      Grief fills the room | up of | my ab|sent child:
        ,            ,           ,         ,          ,
      Lies in | his bed,| walks^up | and down | with me,
            ,         ,       ,         ,           ,
      Puts^on | his pret|ty looks,| repeats | his words,
         ,        ,       ,         ,          ,
      Remem|bers me | of all | his gra|cious parts,
         T    T   .   T       ,          ,          ,
      Stuffs out his vac|ant gar|ments with | his form;
        ,              ,      ,        ,         ,
      Then, have | I reas|on to | be fond | of grief?
        ,          ,          T    T  .   T       ,
      Fare you | well: had | you such a loss | as I,
      ,               ,       ,               ,   ,
      I could | give^bet|ter com|fort than / you do.
          ,          ,           ,      ,         ,
      I will | not keep | this form | upon | my head,
             ,          ,        ,      ,       ,
      When there | is such | disord|er in | my wit:
          ,        ,        ,              ,   ,
      O Lord,| my boy,| my Arth|ur, my / fair son,
           ,        ,         ,        ,          ,
      My life,| my joy,| my food,| my all | the world:
          ,      ,         ,        ,          ,
      My wid|ow-com|fort, and | my sor|rows' cure.
 
[Exit]
 
KING PHILIP
          ,          ,    ,               ,       ,
      I fear | some out|rage, and | I'll fol|low her.
 
[Exit]
 
LEWIS
               ,        ,          ,           ,        ,
      There's noth|ing in | this world | can make | me joy,
        ,    2      ,    ,    2      T     T    T
      Life is as | tedi|ous as a | twice-told tale,
       ,             ,     ,           ,      ,
      Vexing | the dull | ear of | a drow|sy man;
             x       ,             ,            T      T      T
      And bitter | shame hath | spoiled the | sweet world's taste,
                   ,      ,           ,          ,       ,
      That it / yields nought | but shame | and bit|terness.
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
          ,         ,       ,        ,         ,
      Before | the cur|ing of | a strong | disease,
       x              ,       ,        ,           ,
      Even in | the inst|ant of | repair | and health,
           ,          ,        ,               ,    ,
      The fit | is strong|est: ev|ils that / take leave
       ,      2    ,          ,        T    T   Tx
      On their de|parture,| most of | all show evil:
        ,               ,        ,       ,         ,
      What have | you lost | by los|ing of | this day?
 
LEWIS
            ,        ,       ,         ,      ,
      All days | of glo|ry, joy | and hap|piness.
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
          ,           x      ,     2        ,
      If you | had won it,| certainly^|you had.
      <- __     ,          ,          ,         T    T    T
         No,|| no: when | Fortune | means to | men most good,
            ,       ,      ,             ,      2    ,
      She looks | upon | them with | a threat|ening eye.
              ,           ,           ,           ,           ,
      'Tis strange | to think | how much | King^John | hath lost
           ,           ,        ,          ,       ,
      In this | which he | accounts | so clear|ly won:
           ,           ,             ,      ,        ,     ,
      Are not | you grieved | that Arth|ur is | his pris|oner?
 
LEWIS
           ,     ,       ,        ,         ,         o
      As heart|ily | as he | is glad | he hath | him.    (hex with prev)
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
             ,        ,         ,        ,          ,
      Your mind | is all | as youth|ful as | your blood.
            ,         ,       ,          ,         x
      Now hear | me speak | with a | prophet|ic spirit:
            x           ,          ,        ,         ,
      For even | the breath | of what | I mean | to speak,
              ,           ,           ,           ,       ,
      Shall blow | each dust,| each straw,| each lit|tle rub
       ,             ,            ,         ,       ,
      Out of | the path | which^shall | direct|ly lead
            ,        ,            ,           ,          ,
      Thy foot | to Eng|land's throne.| And there|fore mark:
        ,            ,    ,                 ,       ,
      John hath | seized Arth/ur, and | it can|not be,
              ,       T    T    T       2      ,          ,
      That whiles | warm life plays | in that in|fant's veins,
       .   T    T     T            ,      ,         ,
      The misplaced John | should ent|ertain | an hour,
       T    Tx     T     T    Tx     T          ,
      One minute, nay | one quiet breath | of rest.
          ,          ,                 , ,      ,
      A scep|ter snatched | with an / unru|ly hand,
            ,        ,    2    ,          ,           ,
      Must be | as boist|erously | maintained | as gained.
           ,           ,       ,        ,         ,
      And he | that stands | upon | a slip|pery place,
              ,     .  T   T    T         ,         ,
      Makes^nice | of no vile hold | to stay | him up:
             ,          ,           ,        ,            ,
      That John | may stand,| then Arth|ur needs | must fall,
          ,        ,        ,       ,        ,
      So be | it, for | it can|not be | but so.
 
LEWIS
            ,          ,     ,              ,          ,
      But what | shall I | gain by | young^Arth|ur's fall?
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
       ,              ,         ,       ,            ,
      You, in | the right | of La|dy Blanch | your wife,
            ,          ,          ,           ,       ,
      May then | make^all | the claim | that Arth|ur did.
 
LEWIS
            ,          ,         ,         ,      ,
      And lose | it, life | and all,| as Arth|ur did.
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
            ,          ,          ,                ,    ,
      How green | you are,| and fresh | in this / old world?
        T    T   T      ,            ,         ,       2
      John lays you | plots: the | times con|spire with you,
           ,           ,           ,            ,    ,
      For he | that steeps | his safe|ty in / true blood,
              ,          ,       ,             ,  ,
      Shall find | but bloo|dy safe|ty, and / untrue.
            ,       ,   2     ,            ,           ,
      This act | so ev|illy born | shall cool | the hearts
          ,         ,                ,    ,           ,
      Of all | his peop|le, and / freeze up | their zeal,
             ,         ,        ,                 ,    ,
      That none | so small | advant|age shall / step forth
           ,           ,           ,          ,        ,
      To check | his reign,| but they | will cher|ish it.
          ,   2    ,    ,       ,        ,
      No na|tural ex|hala|tion in | the sky,
           ,         ,        ,       ,         ,
      No scope | of na|ture, no | distemp|ered day,
          ,        ,        ,      ,      ,
      No com|mon wind,| no cust|omed | event,
            ,           ,       ,         ,   2     ,
      But they | will pluck | away | his na|tural cause,
            ,          ,   2     ,      ,          ,
      And call | them met|eors, prod|igies,| and signs,
        ,          ,   ,             ,            x
      Abort|ives, pre|sages,| and tongues | of heaven,
        ,           ,        ,            ,    ,
      Plainly | denoun|cing venge|ance u/pon John.
 
LEWIS
       ,                 ,    ,             ,         ,
      Maybe | he will / not touch | young^Arth|ur's life,
            ,         ,      ,             ,      ,
      But hold | himself | safe in | his pris|onment.
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
         ,          ,           ,         ,         ,
      O sir,| when he | shall hear | of your | approach,
       ,               ,     2    ,      ,      ,
      If that | young^Arth|ur be not | gone al|ready,
        2   ,          ,         ,          ,           ,
      Even at | that news | he dies:| and then | the hearts
          ,         ,        ,         ,          ,
      Of all | his peo|ple shall | revolt | from him,
            ,          ,        ,     ,          ,
      And kiss | the lips | of un|acquaint|ed change,
            ,       ,    ,               ,          ,
      And pick | strong mat/ter of | revolt,| and wrath
       ,             ,       ,         ,         ,
      Out of | the bloo|dy fing|ers' ends | of John.
           ,        ,          ,      ,         ,
      Methinks | I see | this hur|ly all | on foot;
          ,         ,       ,         ,          ,
      And O,| what bet|ter mat|ter breeds | for you,
           ,          ,          ,         ,        ,
      Than I | have named.| The bast|ard Faul|conbridge
          ,        ,        ,    ,              ,
      Is now | in Eng|land ran|sacking | the church,
          ,        ,    2    ,      2   ,        ,
      Offend|ing char|ity*: if | but a doz|en French
             ,          ,           ,         ,       ,
      Were there | in arms,| they would | be as | a call
           ,            ,        ,        ,           ,
      To train | ten* thous|and Eng|lish to | their side,
       ,            x       ,    ,           ,
      Or, as | a little | snow, tum/bled a|bout,
      <-    ,       ,         ,            x       ,
        A||non be|comes a | mountain.| O noble | Dauphin,
       ,         ,     2      ,          ,      ,
      Go | with me | to the king,| 'tis wond|erful,
            ,          ,       ,              ,       ,
      What may | be wrought | out of | their dis|content,
       ,                 ,          ,   ,           ,
      Now that | their souls | are top|ful of | offense.
           ,        ,   ,          ,             ,
      For Eng|land go;| I will | whet on | the king.
 
LEWIS
         T     Tx      T            ,         ,        ,
      Strong reasons make | strong^ac|tions: let | us go,
          ,         ,          ,          ,         ,
      If you | say aye,| the king | will not | say no.
 
[Exeunt]

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