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King John

Act V, Scene 2

LEWIS's camp at St. Edmundsbury.
 
[Enter, in arms, LEWIS, SALISBURY, MELUN, PEMBROKE, BIGOT, and Soldiers]
 
LEWIS
           ,     ,            ,        ,       ,
      My Lord | Melun,| let this | be cop|ied out,
            ,         ,         ,       ,      ,
      And keep | it safe | for our | remem|brance:
          ,          ,     ,      2        ,       ,
      Return | the prec|edent | to these^lords | again,
            ,              ,   ,       ,        ,
      That hav|ing our / fair ord|er writ|ten down,
             ,         ,      ,       ,            ,
      Both they | and we,| perus|ing ore | these^notes
            ,           ,         ,         ,      ,
      May know | wherefore | we took | the sac|rament,
            ,           ,       ,           ,  2  ,
      And keep | our faiths | firm and | invi|olable.
 
SALISBURY
        ,          ,         ,       ,           x
      Upon | our sides | it nev|er shall | be broken.
           ,       ,        ,  ,          ,
      And nob|le Dauph|in, al|beit | we swear
         ,    3 3    ,     ,        T  T     T
      A vo|luntary zeal,| and an | unurged faith
           ,        ,          ,        ,           ,
      To your | proceed|ings: yet | believe | me prince,
              ,    ,           ,        ,         ,
      I am / not glad | that such | a sore | of time
               ,        ,       ,         ,         ,
      Should seek | a plast|er by | contemned | revolt,
            ,       2   ,   2     ,            ,    ,
      And heal | the invet|erate cank|er of / one wound,
          ,       ,      ,         ,           ,
      By mak|ing ma|ny: Oh | it grieves | my soul,
           ,          ,          ,       ,         ,
      That I | must draw | this met|al from | my side
          ,      ,      ,       ,         ,
      To be | a wid|ow-mak|er: oh,| and there
             ,    ,      ,        ,        ,
      Where hon|ora|ble res|cue, and | defense
             ,      ,          ,        ,      x
      Cries^out | upon | the name | of Sal|isbury.
            ,     ,          ,        ,         ,
      But such | is the | infec|tion of | the time,
            ,           ,          ,       ,         ,
      That for | the health | and phy|sic of | our right,
          ,        ,          ,         ,      ,
      We can|not deal | but with | the ve|ry hand
           ,        ,         ,        ,       ,
      Of stern | injust|ice, and | confus|ed wrong:
       .   Tx    T   T     ,        ,         ,
      And^is it not pi|ty (O | my griev|ed friends)  ??
            ,         ,          ,        ,          ,
      That we,| the sons | and child|ren of | this isle,
             ,        ,        ,         ,         ,
      Were born | to see | so sad | an hour | as this,
            ,        ,     ,          ,          ,
      Wherein | we step | after | a strang|er, march
        ,         ,       ,              ,   ,
      Upon | her gent|le bos|om, and / fill up
          ,   2       ,         ,          ,          ,
      Her en|emies'^ranks?| I must | withdraw,| and weep
        ,          ,         ,       ,        ,
      Upon | the spot | of this | enforc|ed cause,
           ,           ,      ,       ,        ,
      To grace | the gent|ry of | a land | remote,
           ,       ,     ,        ,        ,
      And fol|low un|acquaint|ed col|ors here:
             ,       ,        ,            ,          ,
      What here?| O na|tion that | thou couldst | remove,
            ,           ,          ,         ,       ,
      That Nep|tune's arms | who clip|peth thee | about,
              ,           ,          ,         ,        ,
      Would bear | thee from | the know|ledge of | thyself,
            ,        ,       ,      ,       ,
      And crip|ple thee | unto | a pag|an shore,
              ,            ,         ,        ,          ,
      Where these | two* Chris|tian arm|ies might | combine
            ,         ,        ,       ,          ,
      The blood | of mal|ice, in | a vein | of league,
           ,         ,         ,       ,       ,
      And not | to spend | it so | unneigh|borly.
 
LEWIS
         ,       ,       ,           ,         ,
      A nob|le temp|er dost | thou show | in this,
            ,        ,          ,     ,           x
      And great | affec|tions wrest|ling in thy bosom  ??
             ,         ,     ,           ,    ,
      Doth^make | an earth|quake of | nobil|ity:
       ,            ,      ,         ,            ,
      Oh, what | a nob|le com|bat* hast | thou fought
          ,         ,         ,        ,         ,
      Between | compul|sion, and | a brave | respect:
       ,             ,          ,    ,      ,
      Let me | wipe^off | this hon|ora|ble dew,
            ,      ,          ,        ,          ,
      That silv|erly | doth prog|ress on | thy cheeks:
           ,           ,       ,      ,        ,
      My heart | hath melt|ed at | a la|dy's tears,
       ,   2      ,    ,      ,    ,
      Being an | ordi|nary | inun|dation:
            ,       ,             ,   ,       ,
      But this | effu|sion of / such man|ly drops,
            ,         ,      ,       ,          2      ,
      This show|er, blown | up by | tempest | of the soul,
        ,               ,          ,          ,       ,
      Startles | mine^eyes,| and makes | me more | amazed
            ,        ,          ,      ,          x
      Than had | I seen | the vaul|ty top | of heaven
       ,               ,          ,        ,    ,
      Figured | quite^ore | with burn|ing met|eors.
            ,         ,        ,      ,      x
      Lift^up | thy brow |(renown|ed Sal|isbury)
            ,        ,       T     T   . T          ,
      And with | a great | heart heave away | the storm:
           ,           ,             ,    ,      ,
      Commend | these wat|ers to / those ba|by eyes
            ,      ,         ,       ,         ,
      That nev|er saw | the gi|ant world | enraged,
           ,          ,         ,       ,          ,
      Nor met | with fort|une, oth|er than | at feasts,
        T    T   .   T          ,         ,      ,
      Full warm of blood,| of mirth,| of gos|siping:
        ,     ,                        ,           ,         ,
      Come, come;/ for thou | shalt thrust | thy hand | as deep
       ,           ,          ,        ,     ,
      Into | the purse | of rich | prosper|ity
           x          ,         ,         ,          ,
      As Lewis | himself:| so (nob|les) shall | you all,
             ,          ,   ,               ,           ,
      That knit | your sin|ews to | the strength | of mine.
          ,       ,          ,         ,       ,
      And ev|en there,| methinks | an ang|el spake,
        ,               ,     ,        ,        ,
      Look where | the ho|ly leg|ate comes | apace,
           ,        ,         ,          ,          x
      To give | us war|rant from | the hand | of heaven
           ,        ,        ,          ,         ,
      And on | our ac|tions set | the name | of right
            ,       ,
      With ho|ly breath.
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
                           T    Tx     T           ,
                         Hail noble prince | of France:
            ,         ,           ,          ,      ,
      The next | is this:| King^John | hath rec|onciled
           ,         ,         ,             ,   ,
      Himself | to Rome,| his spir|it is / come in,
            ,          ,        ,          ,       ,
      That so | stood^out | against | the ho|ly church,
            ,         ,    ,         ,         ,
      The great | metrop|olis | and see | of Rome:
             ,          ,     2     ,       ,          ,
      Therefore | thy threat|ening col|ors now | wind^up,
            ,         ,        ,            ,   ,
      And tame | the sav|age spir|it of / wild war,
             ,       ,     ,         ,        ,
      That like | a li|on fost|ered up | at hand,
          ,          ,       ,         ,         ,
      It may | lie* gent|ly at | the foot | of peace,
           ,       ,         ,        ,         ,
      And be | no furth|er harm|ful than | in show.
 
LEWIS
             ,            ,       ,       ,          ,
      Your grace | shall pard|on me,| I will | not back:
      ,       T    T    T      2    ,       ,
      I am | too high-born | to be prop|ertied,
          ,      ,     ,     ,        ,
      To be | a sec|onda|ry at | control,
          ,       ,        ,         ,       ,
      Or use|ful serv|ing-man,| and inst|rument
          ,     ,          ,             ,          ,
      To an|y sove|reign state | throughout | the world.
        T     T     T      ,     2        T    T   .   T
      Your breath first | kindled the | dead coal of wars,
          ,            ,    ,     ,                ,
      Between | this chas|tised king/dom and | myself,
             ,          ,        ,             ,           ,
      And brought | in mat|ter that | should feed | this fire;
           ,         ,          ,              ,    ,
      And now |'tis far | too huge | to be / blown out
                    ,    ,      ,               ,       ,
      With that / same weak | wind, which | enkind|led it:
             ,         ,         ,          ,         ,
      You taught | me how | to know | the face | of right,
           ,       ,         ,   2     ,          ,
      Acquaint|ed me | with int|erest to | this land,
               ,           ,      ,        ,        ,
      Yea*, thrust | this ent|erprise | into | my heart,
            ,        ,         ,         ,           ,
      And come | ye now | to tell | me John | hath made
            ,            ,          ,          ,         ,
      His peace | with Rome?| What^is | that peace | to me?
      ,            ,      ,       ,         ,
      I (by | the hon|or of | my mar|riage bed)
       ,             ,         ,            ,          ,
      After | young^Arth|ur, claim | this land | for mine,
           ,              ,   ,            ,        ,
      And now | it is / half-con|quered, must | I back,
          ,            ,           ,          ,            ,
      Because | that John | hath made | his peace | with Rome?
       . T    T     T           ,              ,    ,
      Am^I Rome's slave?| What pen|ny hath / Rome borne?
            ,        ,        ,       ,        ,
      What men | provid|ed? What | muni|tion sent
          ,      ,          ,         x         ,
      To und|erprop | this ac|tion? Is it | not I
            ,     ,           ,           ,        ,
      That und|ergo | this charge?| Who else | but I,
            ,        ,        ,          ,   ,
      And such | as to | my claim | are li|able,
        ,              ,          ,          ,          ,
      Sweat in | this bus|iness, and | maintain | this war:
           ,         ,            ,             ,    ,
      Have I | not heard | these^is|landers / shout out
        T   T  T       ,           ,             ,
      Vive le roi,| as I | have banked | their towns?
           ,         ,          ,      ,               ,
      Have I | not here | the best | cards for | the game
          ,          ,      ,        ,             ,
      To win | this ea|sy match,| played for | a crown?
            ,        ,          ,          ,       ,
      And shall | I now | give ore | the yield|ed set?
       ,   ,             ,         x                ,
      No, no,/ on my | soul it | never shall | be said.
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
            ,         ,        ,    ,              ,
      You look | but on | the out|side of | this work.
 
LEWIS
       ,           ,   ,             ,        ,
      Outside^|or in|side, I | will not | return
            ,       ,          ,         ,     ,
      Till my | attempt | so much | be glor|ified,
       ,          ,       ,         ,     ,
      As to | my amp|le hope | was prom|ised,
          ,        ,          ,         ,        ,
      Before | I drew | this gal|lant head | of war,
             ,            ,      ,         ,          ,
      And culled | these fie|ry spir|its from | the world
          ,    T   T   T        2    ,        ,
      To out|look conquest,| and to win | renown
      ,        2      ,         ,       ,         ,
      Even | in the jaws | of dang|er, and | of death:
            ,       ,        ,          ,       ,
      What lus|ty trump|et thus | doth sum|mon us?
 
[Enter the BASTARD, attended]
 
BASTARD
          ,       ,         ,      ,             ,
      Accord|ing to | the fair | play of | the world,
       ,             ,     ,     2     ,         ,
      Let me | have aud|ience:| I am sent | to speak:
          ,      ,        ,        ,          ,
      My ho|ly lord | of Mil|an, from | the king
          ,         ,          ,           ,          ,
      I come | to learn | how you | have dealt | for him:
       ,             ,       ,        ,          ,
      And, as | you ans|wer, I | do know | the scope
           ,        ,    ,       ,         ,
      And war|rant lim|ited | unto | my tongue.
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
           ,             ,   ,        ,     ,
      The Dauph|in is / too will|ful-op|posite
         2      ,     ,      ,          ,      ,
      And will not | tempo|rize with | my en|treaties:
           ,       ,           ,          ,          ,
      He flat|ly says,| he'll not | lay down | his arms.
 
BASTARD
          ,          ,          ,      ,        ,
      By all | the blood | that ev|er fu|ry breathed,
            ,            ,           ,         ,         ,
      The youth | says^well.| Now* hear | our Eng|lish king,
            ,         ,     ,          ,         ,
      For thus | his roy|alty | doth speak | in me:
          ,        ,           ,      ,          ,
      He is | prepared,| and reas|on too | he should,
            ,      ,       ,      ,        ,
      This ap|ish and | unman|nerly | approach,
             ,           ,          ,    ,       x
      This harn|essed masque,| and un|advis|ed revel,
            ,    ,    ,                ,         ,
      This un|haired sau/ciness | and boy|ish troops,
            ,           ,          ,         ,         ,
      The king | doth smile | at, and | is well | prepared
           ,           ,        ,           ,       ,
      To whip | this dwarf|ish war,| these pyg|my arms
            ,         ,       ,        ,      x
      From out | the cir|cle of | his ter|ritories.
             ,           ,            ,      ,   2            ,
      That hand | which had | the strength,| even at | your door,
          ,       ,          ,          ,          ,
      To cud|gel you,| and make | you take | the hatch,
           ,           ,       ,       ,        ,
      To dive | like buck|ets in | conceal|ed wells,
            ,         ,       ,         ,         ,
      To crouch | in lit|ter of | your stab|le planks,
       .  T    T    T             ,         ,            ,
      To lie like pawns,| locked^up | in chests | and trunks,
          ,           ,          ,             ,      ,
      To hug | with swine,| to seek | sweet* safe|ty^out
            ,          ,         ,          ,           ,
      In vaults | and pris|ons, and | to thrill | and shake,
      ,        2     ,       ,         ,          ,
      Even | at the cry|ing of | your na|tion's crow,
        ,              ,         ,      ,       ,
      Thinking | his voice | an arm|ed Eng|lishman,
              ,        ,   2     ,        ,         ,
      Shall that | victor|ious hand | be feeb|led here,
            ,          ,         ,          ,    ,
      That in | your chamb|ers gave | you chas|tisement?
       T    T   .   T        ,        ,        ,
      No: know the gal|lant mon|arch^is | in arms,
            ,        ,       ,         ,        x
      And like | an eag|le, ore | his ae|rie towers,
           ,        ,                ,     ,          ,
      To souse | annoy|ance that / comes near | his nest;
           ,       ,   2      ,        ,         ,
      And you | degen|erate, you | ingrate | revolts,
            ,      ,         ,        ,         ,
      You bloo|dy Ner|oes*, rip|ping up | the womb
                  ,   ,       ,          ,           ,
      Of your / dear moth|er Eng|land: blush | for shame:
                  ,   ,               ,   ,         ,
      For your / own lad|ies, and / pale-vis|aged maids,
            ,    ,           ,        ,       ,
      Like Am|azons,| come^trip|ping aft|er drums:
              ,        ,     ,       ,           ,
      Their thim|bles in|to arm|ed gaunt|lets change,
               x          ,        ,           ,         ,
      Their needles | to lan|ces, and | their gent|le hearts
            ,           ,      ,     ,    ,
      To fierce | and bloo|dy in|clina|tion.
 
LEWIS
             ,          ,           ,          ,         ,
      There end | thy brave,| and turn | thy face | in peace,
           ,            ,          ,           ,           ,
      We grant | thou canst | outscold | us: fare | thee well,
           ,          ,         ,         ,        ,
      We hold | our time | too pre|cious to | be spent
             ,        ,
      With such | a brab|bler.
 
CARDINAL PANDULPH
                                 ,         ,          ,
                               Give | me leave | to speak.
 
BASTARD
          ,          ,
      No,^I | will speak.
 
LEWIS
                           ,     2     ,        ,
                          We will at|tend to | neither:
              ,         ,          ,           ,         ,
      Strike^up | the drums,| and let | the tongue | of war
        ,              ,   2      ,         ,       ,
      Plead for | our in|terest, and | our be|ing here.
 
BASTARD
          ,           ,       2    ,               ,   ,
      Indeed | your drums | being beat|en, will / cry out;
           ,          ,      2    ,        ,         ,
      And so | shall you,| being beat|en: do | but start
          ,      ,          ,      ,         ,
      An ech|o with | the clam|or of | thy drum,
          ,    2     ,        ,        ,        ,
      And ev|en at hand,| a drum | is rea|dy braced,
             ,        ,     2    ,         ,         ,
      That shall | rever|berate^all,| as loud | as thine.
        T    T  .  T       ,       ,       ,
      Sound but anoth|er, and | anoth|er shall
            ,         ,      ,            ,         ,
      (As loud | as thine)| rattle | the welk|in's ear,
            ,     .    T     T       T       ,         ,
      And mock | the deep-mouthed thund|er: for | at hand  ??
        ,    ,                  ,        ,        ,
      (Not trust/ing to | this halt|ing leg|ate here,
            ,          ,     ,             ,            ,
      Whom he | hath used | rather | for sport,| than need)
       .  T   T    T                    ,   ,    ,
      Is^warlike John:| and in his // forehead sits
      .   T     T     T            ,       ,         ,
      A bare-ribbed death,| whose of|fice is | this^day
           ,       ,      ,     ,                    ,
      To feast | upon | whole thou/sands of | the French.
 
LEWIS
              ,         ,          ,          ,       ,
      Strike^up | our drums,| to find | this dang|er out.
 
BASTARD
            ,            ,         ,         ,         ,
      And thou | shalt find | it (Dauph|in) do | not doubt.
 
[Exeunt]

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