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KING JOHN'S palace.
[Enter KING JOHN, PEMBROKE, SALISBURY, and other Lords]
KING JOHN
,
, ,
, ,
Here once^|again | we sit,| once^a/gain crowned
,
, , ,
,
And looked | upon,| I hope,| with cheer|ful eyes.
PEMBROKE
, ,
, ,
,
This once | again |(but that | your high|ness
pleased)
,
, , 2
, ,
Was once | super|fluous:| you were crowned |
before,
, , ,
,
,
And that / high roy|alty | was nere |
plucked^off:
, ,
, ,
,
The faiths | of men,| nere stain/ed with |
revolt:
, ,
, ,
,
Fresh^ex|pecta|tion troub|led not | the land
x
T T T
, ,
With any | longed-for change,| or bet|ter state.
SALISBURY
, ,
, ,
,
Therefore,| to be | possessed | with doub|le
pomp,
,
, , ,
,
To guard | a tit|le, that | was rich | before;
,
, ,
, ,
To gild | refined | gold, to | paint the | lily,
,
, ,
, ,
To throw | a per|fume^on | the vi|olet,
, ,
, , ,
To smooth | the ice,| or add | anoth|er hue
, ,
, ,
,
Unto | the rain|bow; or | with tap|er-light
, ,
2 , x , ->
To seek | the beaut|eous eye | of heaven | to
garn||ish,
, ,
2 , ,
,
Is | wasteful,| and ridic|ulous | excess.
PEMBROKE
,
, ,
, ,
But that | your roy|al pleas|ure must | be done,
, ,
, ,
,
This^act,| is as | an anc|ient tale | new* told,
, , ,
, ,
And, in | the last | repeat|ing, troub|lesome,
,
, , , 2 ,
Being | urged at | a time | unseas|onable.
SALISBURY
, , ,
T Tx T
In this / the an|tique, and | well-noted face
. T T T
, , ,
Of plain old form,| is much | disfig|ured,
, ,
, , ,
And like | a shif|ted wind | unto | a sail,
, ,
, ,
,
It makes | the course | of thoughts | to fetch |
about,
,
, , ,
Startles,| and frights | consid|era|tion:
<- ,
, ,
, ,
,
Makes || sound op|inion | sick, and
| truth
sus|pected,
, ,
, , ,
For put|ting on | so new | a fash|ioned robe.
PEMBROKE
, ,
, , ,
When work|men* strive | to do | better | than
well,
, , ,
, 2 ,
They do | confound | their skill | in
cov|etousness,
, ,
, , ,
And of|tentimes | excus|ing of | a fault,
, ,
, ,
,
Doth^make | the fault | the worse | by the |
excuse:
, ,
, , ,
As patch|es set | upon | a lit|tle breach,
, ,
, ,
,
Discred|it more | in hid|ing of | the fault,
, ,
, , ,
Than did | the fault | before | it was / so
patched.
SALISBURY
,
, ,
, ,
To this | effect,| before | you were / new
crowned
, ,
, , ,
2->
We breathed | our couns|el: but | it pleased |
your high||ness
, x
, 2 T T
T
To ov|erbear it,| and we are | all well pleased,
,
, ,
, ,
Since^all,| and ev|ery part | of what | we would
,
, , ,
,
Doth^make | a stand,| at what | your high|ness
will.
KING JOHN
, , , , ,
->
Some reas|ons of | this doub|le cor|ona||tion
, 2
, , ,
,
I | have possessed | you with,| and think | them
strong,
,
, , ,
,
And more,| more* strong,| then les|ser is | my
fear
, ,
, ,
,
I shall | indue | you with:| meantime,| but ask
,
, ,
, ,
What you | would have | reformed,| that is / not
well,
, ,
, , ,
And well | shall you | perceive,| how wil|lingly
, ,
, ,
,
I will | both^hear,| and grant | you your |
requests.
PEMBROKE
, ,
, ,
,
Then I,| as one | that am | the tongue | of these
, ,
, T T T
To sound | the pur|pose of | all their hearts,
??
,
, , ,
,
Both for | myself,| and them:| but chief | of all
, ,
, ,
,
Your safe|ty: for | the which,| myself | and them
T T
T , ,
2 ,
Bend their best | studies,| heartily | request
2 ,
, , , ,
The enfran|chisement | of Arth|ur, whose |
restraint
,
, 2 , ,
,
Doth move | the mur|muring lips | of dis|content
, , , 2 , ,
To break | into | this dang|erous arg|ument.
,
, ,
, ,
If what | in rest | you have | in right | you
hold,
, ,
, ,
,
Why then | your fears,| which (as | they say)|
attend
, ,
, ,
,
The steps | of wrong,| should move | you to |
mew^up
, ,
, ,
,
Your tend|er kins|man, and | to choke | his days
, 2
, , 2 ,
,
With bar|barous ig|norance,| and deny | his youth
,
, , ,
,
The rich | advant|age of / good ex|ercise,
, ,
, , ,
That the / time's en|emies | may not | have this
,
, ,
, ,
To grace | occa|sions: let | it be / our suit,
, ,
, ,
,
That you | have bid | us ask | his lib|erty,
, ,
, ,
,
Which for | our* goods,| we do | no furth|er ask,
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Than, whereu|pon our | weal on | you de|pending,
T .
T T , ,
,
Counts it your weal:| he have | his lib|erty.
[Enter HUBERT]
KING JOHN
, ,
, ,
,
Let it | be so:| I do | commit | his youth
,
, ,
, , 2
To your | direc|tion: Hub|ert, what | news with
you?
PEMBROKE
,
, ,
, ,
This is | the man | should do | the bloo|dy deed:
, , ,
, ,
He showed | his war|rant to | a friend | of mine,
, , , , ,
The im|age of | a wick|ed hein|ous fault
,
, ,
T T . T
Lives in | his eye:| that close | aspect of
his,
, ,
, , ,
Do show | the mood | of a / much troub|led
breast,
, ,
, , ,
And I | do fear|fully | believe |'tis done,
,
, ,
, ,
What we | so feared | he had | a charge | to do.
SALISBURY
, ,
, , ,
The col|or of | the king | doth come,| and go
, ,
, ,
,
Between | his pur|pose and | his con|science,
,
,
,
, ,
Like^her|alds 'twixt | two* dread|ful bat|tles
set:
, ,
, ,
,
His pas|sion is / so ripe,| it needs | must
break.
PEMBROKE
, ,
, , ,
And when | it breaks,| I fear | will is|sue
thence
,
, ,
, ,
The foul | corrup|tion of a // sweet child's
death.
KING JOHN
, ,
, ,
,
We can|not hold | mortal|ity's / strong hand.
, ,
2 , ,
,
Good* lords,| although my | will to | give, is |
living, ??
, ,
, , ,
The suit | which you | demand | is gone,| and
dead.
,
, ,
, ,
He tells | us Arth|ur is | deceased | tonight.
SALISBURY
, , ,
, ,
Indeed | we feared | his sick|ness was / past
cure.
PEMBROKE
, ,
, ,
,
Indeed | we heard | how near | his death | he
was,
, , ,
, ,
Before | the child | himself | felt he | was
sick:
,
, ,
, ,
This must | be ans|wered eith|er here,| or hence.
KING JOHN
,
, ,
, ,
Why do | you bend | such^sol|emn brows | on me?
,
, ,
, ,
Think^you | I bear | the shears | of dest|iny?
,
, ,
, ,
Have I | command|ment on | the pulse | of life?
SALISBURY
,
, ,
, ,
It is | appar|ent foul | play, and |'tis shame
, ,
, , ,
That great|ness should | so gross|ly of|fer it;
, ,
, ,
,
So thrive | it in | your game,| and so |
farewell.
PEMBROKE
,
, x
, ,
Stay^yet |(Lord^Sal|isbury)| I'll go | with thee,
,
2 , , . T T
T
And find | the inher|itance | of this poor
child,
, , ,
, ,
His lit|tle king|dom of | a for|ced grave.
,
, , ,
,
That blood | which owed | the breadth | of all |
this isle,
, ,
, T T
. T
Three foot / of it | doth^hold;| bad world the
while:
,
, ,
, ,
This must | not be | thus^borne,| this will |
break^out
, ,
, , ,
To all | our sor|rows, and / ere long | I doubt.
[Exeunt Lords]
KING JOHN
, ,
, ,
,
They burn | in in|digna|tion: I | repent:
, ,
, ,
,
There is | no sure | founda|tion set | on blood:
, ,
, ,
,
No cert|ain life | achieved | by oth|ers' death:
, ,
, , ,
A fear|ful eye | thou hast.| Where is | that
blood,
, ,
, ,
,
That I | have seen | inhab|it in | those^cheeks?
, , ,
, ,
So foul | a sky,| clears not / without*| a storm,
,
, ,
, ,
Pour* down | thy weath|er: how | goes all | in
France?
MESSENGER
,
, , ,
x
From France | to Eng|land, nev|er such | a power
, , , , ,
For an|y for|eign prep|ara|tion,
, ,
, , ,
Was lev|ied in | the bo|dy of | a land.
, ,
, , ,
The co|py of / your speed | is learned | by them:
, ,
, , ,
For when | you should | be told | they do |
prepare,
, ,
, ,
,
The tid|ings comes,| that they | are all |
arrived.
KING JOHN
, ,
, , ,
Oh where | hath our | intel|ligence | been drunk?
,
, ,
, ,
Where hath | it slept?| Where is | my moth|er's
care?
, ,
, , ,
That such | an ar|my could | be drawn | in
France,
, ,
,
And she | not hear | of it?
MESSENGER
,
,
My liege,| her ear
,
, ,
, ,
Is stopped | with dust:| the first | of Ap|ril
died
, ,
, 2 ,
,
Your nob|le moth|er; and | as I hear,| my lord,
, ,
, ,
,
The La|dy Const|ance^in | a fren|zy died
T T
. T , ,
,
Three days before:| but this | from rum|or's
tongue
,
, ,
, 2 ,
I id|ly heard:| if true,| or false | I know* not.
KING JOHN
, T T T 2 ,
,
Withhold | thy speed, dread|ful occas|ion:
,
, ,
, ,
O make | a league | with me,| till I | have
pleased
, ,
, T Tx
T
My dis|content|ed peers.| What? Mother dead?
, , ,
, ,
How wild|ly then | walks my | estate | in France?
,
, ,
x ,
Under | whose^con|duct^came | those powers | of
France,
, ,
, ,
,
That thou | for truth | givst^out | are lan|ded
here?
MESSENGER
, 2
,
Under the | Dauphin.
KING JOHN
, ,
,
Thou hast | made me | giddy
, ,
, ,
,
With these^/ill tid|ings: Now?| what says | the
world ??
, ,
, ,
,
To your | proceed|ings? Do | not seek | to stuff
, , ,
, ,
My head | with more | ill news:/ for it | is
full.
[Enter the BASTARD and PETER of Pomfret]
BASTARD
, , ,
, ,
But if | you be | afeard | to hear | the worst,
, ,
T T T 2
,
Then let | the worst | unheard, fall | on your
head.
KING JOHN
, ,
, ,
,
Bear* with | me cous|in, for | I was | amazed
, ,
, ,
,
Under | the tide;| but now | I breathe | again
, ,
, , ,
Aloft | the flood,| and can / give aud|ience
,
, ,
, ,
To an|y tongue,| speak it | of what | it will.
BASTARD
, ,
, , ,
How I | have sped | among | the cler|gymen,
,
, ,
, ,
The sums | I have | collect|ed shall | express:
, ,
, ,
,
But as | I trav|elled hith|er through | the land,
,
, , , ,
I find | the peo|ple strange|ly fant|asied,
, ,
, ,
,
Possessed | with rum|ors, full | of id|le dreams,
,
, , ,
,
Not^know|ing what | they fear,| but full | of
fear.
, ,
, ,
,
And here | a proph|et that | I brought | with me
, ,
, , ,
From forth | the streets | of Pom|fret, whom | I
found
, , ,
, ,
With ma|ny hund|reds tread|ing on | his heels:
, ,
. T T T
,
To whom | he sung | in rude harsh-sound|ing
rhymes,
, ,
, , ,
That ere | the next | Ascen|sion day | at noon,
, ,
, ,
,
Your high|ness should | deliv|er up | your crown.
KING JOHN
, ,
, , ,
Thou id|le dream|er, where|fore didst | thou so?
PETER
, ,
, ,
,
Foreknow|ing that | the truth | will fall |
out^so.
KING JOHN
,
, , ,
,
Hubert,| away | with him:| impris|on him,
, ,
, , ,
And on | that day | at noon,| whereon | he says
,
, ,
, ,
I shall | yield^up | my crown,| let him | be
hanged.
,
, , ,
,
Deliv|er him | to safe|ty, and | return,
, 2
, , ,
,
For I must | use thee.| O my | gentle | cousin,
,
, , ,
,
Hearst thou | the news | abroad,| who are |
arrived?
[Exeunt HUBERT with PETER]
BASTARD
, ,
, ,
,
The French |(my lord)| men's^mouths | are full |
of it:
, ,
x , ,
2
Besides | I met | Lord^Bigot,| and Lord | Salisbury
, ,
, ,
,
With eyes | as red | as new-|enkind|led fire,
,
, , ,
,
And oth|ers more,| going | to seek | the grave
,
, , ,
,
Of Arth|ur, whom | they say | is killed |
tonight,
, ,
On your | sugges|tion.
KING JOHN
, ,
,
Gent|le kins|man, go
, ,
, , ,
And thrust | thyself | into | their comp|anies,
,
, , ,
,
I have | a way | to win | their loves | again:
,
,
Bring them | before | me.
BASTARD
,
, ,
I | will seek | them out.
KING JOHN
,
, , , ,
Nay, but | make^haste:| the bet|ter foot |
before.
,
, ,
, ,
O, let | me have | no sub|ject^en|emies,
,
, , , ,
When ad|verse for|eigners | affright | my towns
,
, , ,
,
With dread|ful pomp | of stout | inva|sion.
,
, , ,
,
Be Merc|ury, / set feath|ers to | thy heels,
. T T T
, ,
,
And fly (like thought)| from them | to me |
again.
BASTARD
, ,
, ,
,
The spir|it of | the time | shall teach | me
speed.
[Exit]
KING JOHN
,
, , ,
,
Spoke like | a spright|ful nob|le gent|leman.
, ,
, , ,
Go aft|er him:| for he | perhaps | shall need
, ,
, ,
,
Some mes|senger | betwixt | me, and | the peers,
,
,
And be | thou he.
MESSENGER
, ,
,
With all | my heart,| my liege.
[Exit]
KING JOHN
,
,
My moth|er dead? \\
[Enter HUBERT]
HUBERT
, . T T
T , ,
My lord,| they* say five moons | were seen |
tonight:
T T
T , ,
,
Four fixed, and | the fifth | did whirl | about
,
, ,
,
The oth|er four,| in wond|rous mo|tion.
KING JOHN
<- , T
Five || moons?
HUBERT
T T , ,
,
Old men,| and bel|dams, in | the streets
, , ,
, 2 ,
Do proph|esy | upon | it dang|erously:
, ,
, , ,
Young^Arth|ur's death | is com|mon in | their
mouths,
, ,
, , ,
And when | they talk | of him,| they shake |
their heads,
, ,
, ,
,
And whisp|er one | anoth|er in | the ear.
, , ,
, ,
And he | that speaks,| doth grip | the hear|er's
wrist,
, ,
, , ,
Whilst he | that hears,| makes^fear|ful ac|tion
,
, , ,
,
With wrink|led brows,| with nods,| with rol|ling
eyes.
,
, ,
, ,
I saw | a smith | stand with | his ham|mer (thus)
, ,
, ,
,
The whilst | his iron | did^on | the an|vil cool,
,
, , 2
, ,
With op|en mouth | swallowing | a tail|or's news,
,
, ,
, ,
Who^with | his shears,| and meas|ure in | his
hand,
,
, , ,
,
Standing | on slip|pers, which | his nim|ble
haste
,
, ,
, ,
Had false|ly thrust | upon | contra|ry feet,
, 2
, , T
T T
Told of a | many | thousand | warlike French,
, ,
, , ,
That were | embat|tled,| and ranked | in Kent.
,
, , , ,
Anoth|er lean,| unwashed | artif|icer,
, ,
, , ,
Cuts^off | his tale,| and talks | of Arth|ur's
death.
KING JOHN
, ,
,
, ,
Why seekst | thou to | possess | me with / these fears?
,
, ,
, ,
Why urg|est thou | so oft | young^Arth|ur's
death?
, ,
2 , 2 ,
,
Thy *hand | hath murd|ered him: I | had a migh|ty
cause
, ,
, ,
x
To wish | him dead,| but thou | hadst none | to
kill him.
HUBERT
,
, , 2
, ,
No had |(my lord)?| Why, did you | not pro|voke
me?
KING JOHN
, 2 ,
, ,
,
It is the | curse of | kings, to | be at|tended
, ,
, , 2 ,
By slaves,| that take | their hum/ors for a |
warrant,
, ,
, ,
,
To break | within | the bloo|dy house | of life,
, , ,
, ,
And on | the wink|ing of | author|ity
, ,
, ,
, 2->
To und|erstand | a law;| to know | the mean||ing
, 2 , 2
, ,
,
Of dang|erous maj|esty*, when | perchance | it
frowns
, ,
, ,
,
More u|pon hum/or, than | advised | respect.
HUBERT
,
, , ,
,
Here is | your hand | and seal | for what | I
did.
KING JOHN
,
, , T
Tx . T
Oh, when | the last | account |'twixt heaven and
earth
, ,
, ,
,
Is to | be made,| then shall | this hand | and
seal
,
, T T T ,
Witness | against | us to dam|nation.
, , ,
. T T T
How oft | the sight | of means | to do ill deeds,
T T T
T T T 2 ,
Make deeds ill | done? Hadst not | thou been
by, ??
, ,
, , ,
A fel|low by | the hand | of na|ture marked,
,
, ,
, ,
Quoted,| and signed | to do | a deed | of shame,
, , ,
, ,
This murd|er had | not come | into | my mind.
, ,
, . T T T
But tak|ing note | of thy | abhorred aspect,
,
, ,
, ,
Finding | thee fit | for bloo|dy vil|lany:
, ,
, 2 ,
,
Apt, li/able | to be em|ployed in | danger,
,
, ,
, ,
I faint|ly broke | with thee | of Arth|ur's
death:
, ,
, ,
,
And thou,| to be | endear|ed to | a king,
,
, , ,
,
Made it | no* con|science to | destroy | a prince.
HUBERT
,
My lord. \\
KING JOHN
, ,
, ,
,
Hadst thou | but shook | thy head,| or made | a
pause
, T T T
, ,
When I | spake darkly,| what I | purposed,
,
, , ,
,
Or turned | an eye | of doubt | upon | my face;
,
, ,
, ,
As bid | me tell | my tale | in ex/press words:
T T
. T ,
, ,
Deep shame had struck | me dumb,| made me |
break^off,
, ,
, , ,
And those | thy fears,| might have / wrought
fears | in me.
,
, ,
, ,
But, thou | didst und|erstand | me by | my signs,
, ,
, , ,
And didst | in signs | again | parley | with sin,
,
, , ,
,
Yea, with|out^stop,| didst^let | thy heart |
consent,
, ,
, , ,
And con|sequent|ly, thy / rude hand | to act
, ,
, ,
,
The deed,| which both | our tongues | held vile |
to name.
,
, , ,
,
Out of | my sight,| and nev|er see | me more:
, ,
, ,
,
My nob|les leave | me, and | my state | is
braved,
, 2
, ,
, x
Even | at my gates,| with ranks | of for|eign
powers;
,
, , ,
,
Nay, in | the bo|dy of | this flesh|ly land,
,
, , ,
,
This king|dom, this^/confine | of blood,| and
breath
, ,
, ,
,
Hostil|ity,| and civ|il tum|ult reigns
,
, ,
, ,
Between | my con|science, and | my cous|in's
death.
HUBERT
,
, , ,
,
Arm you | against | your oth|er en|emies:
, ,
, ,
,
I'll make | a peace | between | your soul,| and
you.
, ,
, , ,
Young^Arth|ur is | alive:| this hand | of mine
,
, ,
, 2 ,
Is yet | a maid|en, and | an in|nocent hand,
, ,
, ,
,
Not^paint|ed with | the crim|son spots | of
blood.
, ,
, ,
,
Within | this bos|om, nev|er ent|ered yet
,
, , ,
2 ,
The dread|ful mo|tion of | a murd|erous thought,
, ,
, ,
,
And you | have sland|ered na|ture in | my form,
, ,
, , 2 ,
Which^how|soev|er rude | exter|iorly,
,
, , ,
,
Is yet | the cov|er of | a fair|er mind,
,
, ,
, 2 ,
Than to | be butch|er of | an in|nocent child.
KING JOHN
, ,
, ,
,
Doth^Arth|ur live?| O haste | thee to | the
peers,
,
, , , ,
Throw this | report | on their | incens|ed rage,
, ,
, , ,
And make | them tame | to their | obed|ience.
, ,
, ,
,
Forgive | the com|ment that | my pas|sion made
,
, ,
, ,
Upon | thy fea|ture, for | my rage | was blind,
, ,
, ,
,
And foul | imag|ina|ry eyes | of blood
,
, , 2 ,
,
Present|ed thee | more hid|eous than | thou art.
,
, , ,
,
Oh, ans|wer not;| but to | my clos|et bring
,
, , ,
,
The ang|ry lords,| with all | exped|ient haste,
,
, ,
, ,
I con|jure thee | but slow|ly: run | more* fast.
[Exeunt]