The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 250

That the time's enemies may not have this To grace occasions, let it be our suit That you have bid us ask his liberty; Which for our goods we do no further ask Than whereupon our weal, on you depending, Counts it your weal he have his liberty.

KING JOHN. Let it be so. I do commit his youth To your direction.

Enter HUBERT

[Aside] Hubert, what news with you?

PEMBROKE. This is the man should do the b.l.o.o.d.y deed: He show'd his warrant to a friend of mine; The image of a wicked heinous fault Lives in his eye; that close aspect of his Doth show the mood of a much troubled breast, And I do fearfully believe 'tis done What we so fear'd he had a charge to do.

SALISBURY. The colour of the King doth come and go Between his purpose and his conscience, Like heralds 'twixt two dreadful battles set.

His pa.s.sion is so ripe it needs must break.

PEMBROKE. And when it breaks, I fear will issue thence The foul corruption of a sweet child's death.

KING JOHN. We cannot hold mortality's strong hand.

Good lords, although my will to give is living, The suit which you demand is gone and dead: He tells us Arthur is deceas'd to-night.

SALISBURY. Indeed, we fear'd his sickness was past cure.

PEMBROKE. Indeed, we heard how near his death he was, Before the child himself felt he was sick.

This must be answer'd either here or hence.

KING JOHN. Why do you bend such solemn brows on me?

Think you I bear the shears of destiny?

Have I commandment on the pulse of life?

SALISBURY. It is apparent foul-play; and 'tis shame That greatness should so grossly offer it.

So thrive it in your game! and so, farewell.

PEMBROKE. Stay yet, Lord Salisbury, I'll go with thee And find th' inheritance of this poor child, His little kingdom of a forced grave.

That blood which ow'd the breadth of all this isle Three foot of it doth hold-bad world the while!

This must not be thus borne: this will break out To all our sorrows, and ere long I doubt. Exeunt LORDS KING JOHN. They burn in indignation. I repent.

There is no sure foundation set on blood, No certain life achiev'd by others' death.

Enter a MESSENGER

A fearful eye thou hast; where is that blood That I have seen inhabit in those cheeks?

So foul a sky clears not without a storm.

Pour down thy weather-how goes all in France?

MESSENGER. From France to England. Never such a pow'r For any foreign preparation Was levied in the body of a land.

The copy of your speed is learn'd by them, For when you should be told they do prepare, The tidings comes that they are all arriv'd.

KING JOHN. O, where hath our intelligence been drunk?

Where hath it slept? Where is my mother's care, That such an army could be drawn in France, And she not hear of it?

MESSENGER. My liege, her ear Is stopp'd with dust: the first of April died Your n.o.ble mother; and as I hear, my lord, The Lady Constance in a frenzy died Three days before; but this from rumour's tongue I idly heard-if true or false I know not.

KING JOHN. Withhold thy speed, dreadful occasion!

O, make a league with me, till I have pleas'd My discontented peers! What! mother dead!

How wildly then walks my estate in France!

Under whose conduct came those pow'rs of France That thou for truth giv'st out are landed here?

MESSENGER. Under the Dauphin.

KING JOHN. Thou hast made me giddy With these in tidings.

Enter the b.a.s.t.a.r.d and PETER OF POMFRET

Now! What says the world To your proceedings? Do not seek to stuff My head with more ill news, for it is fun.

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. But if you be afear'd to hear the worst, Then let the worst, unheard, fall on your head.

KING JOHN. Bear with me, cousin, for I was amaz'd Under the tide; but now I breathe again Aloft the flood, and can give audience To any tongue, speak it of what it will.

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. How I have sped among the clergymen The sums I have collected shall express.

But as I travell'd hither through the land, I find the people strangely fantasied; Possess'd with rumours, full of idle dreams.

Not knowing what they fear, but full of fear; And here's a prophet that I brought with me From forth the streets of Pomfret, whom I found With many hundreds treading on his heels; To whom he sung, in rude harsh-sounding rhymes, That, ere the next Ascension-day at noon, Your Highness should deliver up your crown.

KING JOHN. Thou idle dreamer, wherefore didst thou so?

PETER. Foreknowing that the truth will fall out so.

KING JOHN. Hubert, away with him; imprison him; And on that day at noon whereon he says I shall yield up my crown let him be hang'd.

Deliver him to safety; and return, For I must use thee.

Exit HUBERT with PETER O my gentle cousin, Hear'st thou the news abroad, who are arriv'd?

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. The French, my lord; men's mouths are full of it; Besides, I met Lord Bigot and Lord Salisbury, With eyes as red as new-enkindled fire, And others more, going to seek the grave Of Arthur, whom they say is kill'd to-night On your suggestion.

KING JOHN. Gentle kinsman, go And thrust thyself into their companies.

I have a way to will their loves again; Bring them before me.

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I Will seek them out.

KING JOHN. Nay, but make haste; the better foot before.

O, let me have no subject enemies When adverse foreigners affright my towns With dreadful pomp of stout invasion!

Be Mercury, set feathers to thy heels, And fly like thought from them to me again.

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. The spirit of the time shall teach me speed.

KING JOHN. Spoke like a sprightful n.o.ble gentleman.

Exit b.a.s.t.a.r.d Go after him; for he perhaps shall need Some messenger betwixt me and the peers; And be thou he.

MESSENGER. With all my heart, my liege. Exit KING JOHN. My mother dead!

Re-enter HUBERT

HUBERT. My lord, they say five moons were seen to-night; Four fixed, and the fifth did whirl about The other four in wondrous motion.

KING JOHN. Five moons!

HUBERT. Old men and beldams in the streets Do prophesy upon it dangerously; Young Arthur's death is common in their mouths; And when they talk of him, they shake their heads, And whisper one another in the ear; And he that speaks doth gripe the hearer's wrist, Whilst he that hears makes fearful action With wrinkled brows, with nods, with rolling eyes.

I saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus, The whilst his iron did on the anvil cool, With open mouth swallowing a tailor's news; Who, with his shears and measure in his hand, Standing on slippers, which his nimble haste Had falsely thrust upon contrary feet, Told of a many thousand warlike French That were embattailed and rank'd in Kent.

Another lean unwash'd artificer Cuts off his tale, and talks of Arthur's death.

KING JOHN. Why seek'st thou to possess me with these fears?

Why urgest thou so oft young Arthur's death?

Thy hand hath murd'red him. I had a mighty cause To wish him dead, but thou hadst none to kill him.

HUBERT. No had, my lord! Why, did you not provoke me?

KING JOHN. It is the curse of kings to be attended By slaves that take their humours for a warrant To break within the b.l.o.o.d.y house of life, And on the winking of authority To understand a law; to know the meaning Of dangerous majesty, when perchance it frowns More upon humour than advis'd respect.

HUBERT. Here is your hand and seal for what I did.

KING JOHN. O, when the last account 'twixt heaven and earth Is to be made, then shall this hand and seal Witness against us to d.a.m.nation!

How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds Make deeds ill done! Hadst not thou been by, A fellow by the hand of nature mark'd, Quoted and sign'd to do a deed of shame, This murder had not come into my mind; But, taking note of thy abhorr'd aspect, Finding thee fit for b.l.o.o.d.y villainy, Apt, liable to be employ'd in danger, I faintly broke with thee of Arthur's death; And thou, to be endeared to a king, Made it no conscience to destroy a prince.

HUBERT. My lord- KING JOHN. Hadst thou but shook thy head or made pause, When I spake darkly what I purposed, Or turn'd an eye of doubt upon my face, As bid me tell my tale in express words, Deep shame had struck me dumb, made me break off, And those thy fears might have wrought fears in me.

But thou didst understand me by my signs, And didst in signs again parley with sin; Yea, without stop, didst let thy heart consent, And consequently thy rude hand to act The deed which both our tongues held vile to name.

Out of my sight, and never see me more!

My n.o.bles leave me; and my state is braved, Even at my gates, with ranks of foreign pow'rs; Nay, in the body of the fleshly land, This kingdom, this confine of blood and breath, Hostility and civil tumult reigns Between my conscience and my cousin's death.

HUBERT. Arm you against your other enemies, I'll make a peace between your soul and you.

Young Arthur is alive. This hand of mine Is yet a maiden and an innocent hand, Not painted with the crimson spots of blood.

Within this bosom never ent'red yet The dreadful motion of a murderous thought And you have slander'd nature in my form, Which, howsoever rude exteriorly, Is yet the cover of a fairer mind Than to be butcher of an innocent child.

KING JOHN. Doth Arthur live? O, haste thee to the peers, Throw this report on their incensed rage And make them tame to their obedience!

Forgive the comment that my pa.s.sion made Upon thy feature; for my rage was blind, And foul imaginary eyes of blood Presented thee more hideous than thou art.

O, answer not; but to my closet bring The angry lords with all expedient haste.

I conjure thee but slowly; run more fast. Exeunt

SCENE 3.

England. Before the castle