Prescanned Shakespeare.com
presented by Acoustic Learning


King John

Act IV, Scene 3

Before the castle.
 
[Enter ARTHUR, on the walls]
 
ARTHUR
            ,         ,         ,               ,    ,
      The wall | is high,| and yet | will I / leap down.
               ,         ,    ,          ,        ,
      Good* ground | be pit|iful,| and hurt | me not:
               ,         ,         ,         ,         ,
      There's few | or none | do know | me, if | they did,
             ,     ,    ,                      ,          ,
      This ship-|boy's sem/blance hath | disguised | me quite.
         ,      ,          ,      ,   ,        
      I am | afraid,| and yet | I'll vent/ure it.
         ,         ,         ,          ,          ,
      If I | get^down,| and do | not* break | my limbs,
             ,        ,          ,         ,      ,
      I'll find | a thous|and shifts | to get | away:
           ,        ,         ,       ,          ,
      As good | to die,| and go;| as die,| and stay.
 
[Leaps down]
          ,       ,          x         ,            ,
      Oh me,| my unc|le's spirit | is in | these^stones,
         2     ,         ,         ,         ,         ,
      Heaven take | my soul,| and Eng|land keep | my bones.
 
[Dies. Enter PEMBROKE, SALISBURY, and BIGOT]
 
SALISBURY
        ,               ,               ,    ,        x
      Lords, I | will meet | him at / Saint Ed|mundsbury,
          ,         ,       ,         ,        ,
      It is | our safe|ty, and | we must | embrace
             ,      ,      ,        ,   2      ,
      This gent|le of|fer of | the per|ilous time.
 
PEMBROKE
             ,            ,        ,         ,     ,
      Who brought | that let|ter from | the card|inal?
 
SALISBURY
            ,      ,         ,       ,          ,
      The Count | Melun,| a nob|le lord | of France,
              ,        ,        ,        ,           ,
      Whose^priv|ate with | me of | the Dauph|in's love,
           ,      ,    ,                      ,         ,
      Is much | more gene/ral, than | these^lines | import.
 
BIGOT
         ,       ,        ,         ,          ,
      Tomor|row morn|ing let | us meet | him then.
 
SALISBURY
          ,        ,         ,         ,           ,
      Or rath|er then | set for|ward, for |'twill be
             ,            ,         ,         ,         ,
      Two* long | days'^journ|ey (lords)| or ere | we meet.  ??
 
[Enter the BASTARD]
 
BASTARD
             ,       ,           ,        ,          ,
      Once^more | today | well* met,| distemp|ered lords,
            ,        ,        ,           ,            ,
      The king | by me | requests | your pres|ence straight.
 
SALISBURY
            ,          ,        ,          ,        ,
      The king | hath dis|possessed | himself | of us,
           ,          ,          ,        ,        ,
      We will | not line | his thin | bestain|ed cloak
            ,          ,        ,        ,          ,
      With our | pure hon|ors: nor | attend | the foot
              ,           ,          ,          ,         ,
      That leaves | the print | of blood | wherere | it walks.
          ,          ,         ,        ,          ,
      Return | and tell | him so:| we know | the worst.
 
BASTARD
           ,          ,             ,         ,            ,
      Whatere | you think,| good* words | I think | were best.
 
SALISBURY
             ,          ,         ,        ,       ,
      Our griefs,| and not | our man|ners reas|on now.
 
BASTARD
            ,         ,       ,       ,          ,
      But there | is lit|tle reas|on in | your grief.
             ,           ,       ,         ,        ,
      Therefore |'twere^reas|on you | had man|ners now.
 
PEMBROKE
             ,       ,          ,          ,     ,
      Sir*, sir,| impa|tience hath | his priv|ilege.
 
BASTARD
             ,         ,         ,        ,         ,
      'Tis true,| to hurt | his mast|er, no | man^else.
 
SALISBURY
        ,            ,         ,     .  T   T    T
      This is | the pris|on: What | is he lies here?
 
PEMBROKE
          ,      ,    ,          ,         ,      ,
      O death, made proud with pure and princely beauty,  ????
            ,          ,        ,         ,           ,
      The earth | had not | a hole | to hide | this deed.
 
SALISBURY
       ,           ,        ,         ,           ,
      Murder,| as hat|ing what | himself | hath done,
            ,       ,            ,   ,       ,
      Doth^lay | it op|en to / urge on | revenge.
 
BIGOT
           ,          ,            ,      ,       ,
      Or when | he doomed | this beaut|y to | a grave,
        ,             ,           ,        ,        ,
      Found it | too pre|cious-prince|ly, for | a grave.
 
SALISBURY
            ,         ,           ,          ,        ,
      Sir Rich|ard, what | think^you?| Have you | beheld,
           ,          ,         ,          ,           ,
      Or have | you read,| or heard,| or could | you think?
          ,        ,        ,          ,          ,
      Or do | you al|most think,| although | you see,
          2     ,    ,              ,           ,          ,
      That you do | see? Could | thought, with|out this | object*
        ,           ,        ,      2     ,     ,
      Form such^|anoth|er? This | is the ve|ry top,
             ,           ,          ,        ,         ,
      The height,| the crest:| or crest | unto | the crest
           ,         ,      ,             ,    2     ,
      Of murd|er's arms:| this is | the blood|iest shame,
           ,        ,      ,        ,         ,
      The wild|est sav|agery,| the vil|est stroke
             x      T    T    T          ,        ,
      That ever | wall-eyed wrath,| or star|ing rage
          ,       ,         ,          ,        ,
      present|ed to | the tears | of soft | remorse.
 
PEMBROKE
           ,         ,         ,         ,          ,
      All murd|ers past,| do stand | excused | in this:
            ,         ,         ,       ,     ,
      And this | so sole,| and so | unmatch|able,
              ,       ,     ,       ,    ,
      Shall give | a hol|iness,| a pur|ity,
                ,   ,    ,       ,         ,
      To the / yet un|begot|ten sin | of times;
            ,         ,       ,     ,             ,
      And prove | a dead|ly blood|shed, but | a jest,
        ,        ,          ,        ,     ,
      Examp|led by | this hein|ous spec|tacle.
 
BASTARD
          ,              ,        ,       ,
      It is | a damn|ed and | a bloo|dy work,
            ,         ,       ,      ,       ,
      The grace|less ac|tion of | a hea|vy hand,
           ,        ,         ,       ,      ,
      If that | it be | the work | of an|y hand.
 
SALISBURY
       ,            ,         ,       ,      ,
      If that | it be | the work | of an|y hand?
          ,        ,         ,            ,        ,
      We had | a kind | of light,| what would | ensue:
          ,         ,         ,        ,          ,
      It is | the shame|ful work | of Hub|ert's hand,
            ,         ,         ,        ,         ,
      The prac|tice, and | the pur|pose of | the king:
             ,       ,   2    ,       ,         ,
      From whose | obed|ience I | forbid | my soul,
        ,            ,          ,           ,     ,
      Kneeling | before | this ru|in of / sweet life,
            ,         ,         ,          ,      ,
      And breath|ing to | his breath|less ex|cellence
           ,   ,           ,       ,     ,
      The in|cense of | a vow,| a ho|ly vow:
       ,           ,           ,         ,         ,
      Never | to taste | the pleas|ures of | the world,
       ,          ,      ,        ,        ,
      Never | to be | infect|ed with | delight,
       ,       ,               ,        ,      ,
      Nor con|versant | with ease,| and id|leness,
           ,         ,       ,      ,          ,
      Till I | have set | a glo|ry to | this hand,
          ,       ,        ,        ,       ,
      By giv|ing it | the worsh|ip of | revenge.
 
PEMBROKE BIGOT
            ,        ,       ,        ,          ,
      Our souls | relig|iously | confirm | thy words.
 
[Enter HUBERT]
 
HUBERT
        ,            ,           ,          ,       ,
      Lords, I | am hot | with haste,| in seek|ing you,
       ,              ,          ,           ,         ,
      Arthur | doth^live,| the king | hath sent | for you.
 
SALISBURY
          ,        ,          ,       ,         ,
      Oh he | is bold,| and blush|es not | at death,
         ,            ,       ,         ,           ,
      Avaunt | thou hate|ful vil|lain, get | thee gone.
 
HUBERT
      ,          ,
      I am | no vil|lain.
 
SALISBURY
                           ,       ,         ,
                         Must | I rob | the law?
 
BASTARD
             ,           ,           ,        ,      ,
      Your sword | is bright | sir, put | it up | again.
 
SALISBURY
            ,         ,       ,         ,    2       ,
      Not^till | I sheathe | it in | a murd|erer's skin.
 
HUBERT
              ,          ,      x            ,       ,
      Stand^back | Lord^Sal|isbury,| stand^back | I say:
            x         ,           ,           ,          ,
      By heaven,| I think | my sword's | as sharp | as yours.
          ,           ,           ,        ,          ,
      I would | not have | you (lord)| forget | yourself,
            ,          ,       ,        ,        ,
      Nor tempt | the dang|er of | my true | defense;
           ,        ,       ,          ,        ,
      Lest^I,| by mark|ing of | your rage,| forget
             ,            ,          ,       ,    ,
      Your worth,| your great|ness, and | nobil|ity.
 
BIGOT
       T    T   T      ,            ,        ,   2
      Out dunghill:| darst thou | brave a | nobleman?
 
HUBERT
       ,             ,         ,        ,        ,
      Not for | my life:| but yet | I dare | defend
          ,   2      ,        ,         ,    ,
      My in|nocent life | against | an emp|eror.
 
SALISBURY
            ,       ,    2
      Thou art | a murd|erer.
 
HUBERT
                              ,         ,         ,
                             Do | not prove | me so:
       ,   2       ,             ,       T     T     T
      Yet I am | none. whose^|tongue so|ere speaks false,
           ,        ,            ,          ,        ,
      Not tru|ly speaks:| who speaks | not tru|ly, lies.
 
PEMBROKE
       ,            ,
      Cut him | to pie|ces.
 
BASTARD
                             ,          ,        ,
                           Keep | the peace,| I say.
 
SALISBURY
             ,      ,           ,           ,        ,
      Stand^by,| or I | shall gall | you, Faul|conbridge.
 
BASTARD
          2      ,        ,         ,      ,      x
      Thou wert bet|ter gall | the dev|il Sal|isbury.
           ,          ,         ,        ,          ,
      If thou | but frown | on me,| or stir | thy foot,
           ,          ,        ,         ,        ,
      Or teach | thy has|ty spleen | to do | me shame,
              ,            ,         ,         ,         ,
      I'll strike | thee dead.| Put^up | thy sword | betime,
           ,         ,          ,           ,         x
      Or I'll | so maul | you, and | your toast|ing-iron,
            ,            ,           x          ,           ,
      That you | shall think | the devil | is come | from hell.
 
BIGOT
             ,          ,      ,        ,        ,
      What wilt | thou do,| renown|ed Faul|conbridge?
       ,          ,         ,       ,     ,
      Second | a vil|lain, and | a murd|erer?
 
HUBERT
            ,      ,        ,
      Lord^Big|ot, I | am none.
 
BIGOT
                                       ,             ,
                               Who* killed | this prince?
 
HUBERT
            ,        ,      ,         ,          ,
      'Tis not | an ho|ur since | I left | him well:
         ,        ,        ,           ,           ,
      I hon|ored him,| I loved | him, and | will weep
           ,         ,     ,     2        T     T      T
      My date | of life | out for his | sweet life's loss.
 
SALISBURY
             ,           ,        ,       ,         ,
      Trust^not | those^cun|ning wat|ers of | his eyes,
           ,     ,       ,         ,           ,
      For vil|lany | is not | without | such rheum,
       .   T    T   T       ,         ,          ,
      And he, long trad|ed in | it, makes | it seem
        ,   ,        2     ,          ,    ,
      Like riv/ers of re|morse and | inno|cency.
        ,          ,        ,            ,        ,
      Away | with me,| all^you | whose^souls | abhor
           ,   ,        ,         2     ,         ,
      The unc|leanly | savors | of a slaught|er-house,
          ,        ,        ,           ,         ,
      For I | am stif|led with | this smell | of sin.
 
BIGOT
        ,            ,      ,        ,         ,
      Away,| toward Bu|ry, to | the Dauph|in there.
 
PEMBROKE
               ,          ,        ,        ,         ,
      There* tell | the king,| he may | inquire | us out.
 
[Exeunt Lords]
 
BASTARD
        T    .   T    T       ,   ,                      ,
      Here's a good world:| knew you / of this | fair* work?
          ,         ,   2     ,      ,           ,         ,
      Beyond | the in|finite and | boundless | reach of | mercy,  ??
        ,          ,            ,         ,                  ,      ,
      (If thou | didst this | deed of | death) art | thou damned | Hubert. (hex with prev)
 
HUBERT
       ,         ,   
      Do but | hear me | sir.
 
BASTARD
                              ,          ,           ,
                             Ha?| I'll tell | thee what.
         T       T    .   T           ,       ,        ,
      Thou'rt damned as black,| nay noth|ing is | so black,
        ,          T    T     T             ,      ,  2
      Thou art | more deep damned | than Prince | Lucifer:
                  ,   ,        ,   2    ,          ,
      There is / not yet | so ug|ly a fiend | of hell
           ,           ,        ,            ,           ,
      As thou | shalt be,| if thou | didst^kill | this child.
 
HUBERT
        ,         ,
      Upon | my soul.
 
BASTARD
                           ,           ,         ,
                      If thou | didst^but | consent
                  ,    ,      T    T  T        ,
      To this / most cruel | act: do but | despair,
           ,           ,         ,          ,          ,
      And if | thou wantst | a cord,| the smal|lest thread
            ,     ,        ,        ,          ,
      That ev|er spid|er twist|ed from | her womb
             ,            x        ,         ,           2    ,
      Will serve | to strangle | thee: a | rush will | be a beam
           ,          ,         ,             ,          ,
      To hang | thee on.| Or wouldst | thou drown | thyself,
           ,       ,       ,      ,       ,
      Put^but | a lit|tle wat|er in | a spoon,
           ,          ,       ,        ,    ,
      And it | shall be | as all | the o|cean,
         ,          ,       ,       ,        ,
      Enough | to stif|le such | a vil|lain up.
         ,       ,           ,      ,       ,
      I do | suspect | thee ve|ry griev|ously.
 
HUBERT
         ,       ,         ,        ,          ,
      If I | in act,| consent,| or sin | of thought,
           ,      ,         ,                ,      ,
      Be guil|ty of | the steal|ing that / sweet breath
             ,        ,       ,          ,    2     ,
      Which was | embound|ed in | this beaut|eous clay,
            ,           ,        ,         ,        ,
      Let^hell | want pains | enough | to tor|ture me:
          ,          ,
      I left | him well.
 
BASTARD
                          ,    ,                     ,
                         Go, bear / him in | thine^arms:
         ,      ,          ,           ,        ,
      I am | amazed | methinks,| and lose | my way
         ,           ,          ,        ,          ,
      Among | the thorns,| and dang|ers of | this world.
          ,       ,           ,         ,        ,
      How e|asy dost | thou take | all^Eng|land up,
             ,           ,             ,   ,     ,
      From forth | this mors|el of / dead roy|alty?
            ,          ,           ,         ,           ,
      The life,| the right,| and truth | of all | this realm
           ,          x          ,        ,         ,
      Is fled | to heaven:| and Eng|land now | is left
           ,         ,        ,         ,      2      ,
      To tug | and scam|ble, and | to part | by the teeth
       .   T  T   T   2           ,     ,         ,
      The^unowed in|terest of / proud-swel|ling state:
       ,     2        T     T     T        ,    ,
      Now for the | bare-picked bone | of maj|esty,
            ,       ,      ,            ,       ,
      Doth^dog|ged war | bristle | his ang|ry crest,
            ,        ,        ,        ,         ,
      And snarl|eth in | the gent|le eyes | of peace:
             x             ,         ,       ,          ,
      Now* powers | from home,| and dis|contents | at home
        T   .  T    T          ,        ,        ,
      Meet in one line:| and vast | confu|sion waits
           ,       ,      ,   .   T    Tx     T
      As doth | a rav|en on | a sick-fallen beast,
           ,     ,       ,         ,        ,
      The im|minent | decay | of wrest|ed pomp.
            ,      ,           ,           ,        ,
      Now* hap|py he,| whose^cloak | and cinc|ture can
            ,          ,          ,      ,           ,
      Hold^out | this temp|est. Bear | away | that child,
           ,       ,          ,       ,             ,
      And fol|low me | with speed:| I'll to | the king:
          ,        ,       ,          ,          ,
      A thous|and bus|inesses | are brief | in hand,
             x         ,           ,       ,          ,
      And heaven | itself | doth frown | upon | the land.
 
[Exeunt]

← Previous Scene | Next Scene →


Home