King John (Modern)

 1995[4.3]
3.0.11996Enter Arthur on the walls [disguised as a ship-boy].
3.11997Arthur
 The wall is high, and yet will I leap down.
3.21998Good ground be pitiful and hurt me not!
3.31999There's few or none do know me. If they did,
3.42000This ship-boy's semblance hath disguised me quite.
3.52001I am afraid, and yet I'll venture it.
3.62002If I get down and do not break my limbs,
3.72003I'll find a thousand shifts to get away.
3.82004As good to die and go as die and stay.
3.8.1[He jumps.]
3.92005O me, my uncle's spirit is in these stones.
3.102006Heaven take my soul, and England keep my bones.
3.10.1Dies.
3.10.22007Enter Pembroke, Salisbury [with a letter], and Bigot. 
3.112008Salisbury
 Lords, I will meet him at Saint Edmondsbury.
3.122009It is our safety, and we must embrace
3.132010This gentle offer of the perilous time.
3.142011Pembroke
 Who brought that letter from the Cardinal?
3.152012Salisbury
 The Count Melun, a noble lord of France,
3.162013Whose private with me of the Dauphin's love
3.172014Is much more general than these lines import.
3.182015Bigot
 Tomorrow morning let us meet him then.
3.192016Salisbury
 Or rather then set forward, for 'twill be
3.202017Two long days' journey, lords, or ere we meet.
3.20.12018Enter [the] Bastard.
3.212019Bastard
 Once more today well met, distempered lords,
3.222020The King by me requests your presence straight.
3.232021Salisbury
 The King hath dispossessed himself of us,
3.242022We will not line his thin bestainèd cloak
3.252023With our pure honors, nor attend the foot
3.262024That leaves the print of blood where e'er it walks.
3.272025Return and tell him so. We know the worst.
3.282026Bastard
 What e'er you think, good words I think 2027were best.
3.292028Salisbury
 Our griefs and not our manners reason now.
3.302029Bastard
 But there is little reason in your grief.
3.312030Therefore 'twere reason you had manners now.
3.322031Pembroke
 Sir, sir, impatience hath his privilege.
3.332032Bastard
 'Tis true, to hurt his master, no man else.
3.342033Salisbury
 This is the prison.
 [He sees Arthur's body.]
 This is the prison.  What is he lies here?
3.352034Pembroke
 O, death, made proud with pure and princely beauty!
3.362035The earth had not a hole to hide this deed.
3.372036Salisbury
 Murder, as hating what himself hath done,
3.382037Doth lay it open to urge on revenge.
3.392038Bigot
 Or, when he doomed this beauty to a grave,
3.402039Found it too precious-princely for a grave.
3.412040Salisbury
 Sir Richard, what think you? You have beheld.
3.422041Or have you read, or heard, or could you think?
3.432042Or do you almost think, although you see,
3.442043That you do see? Could thought, without this object
3.452044Form such another? This is the very top,
3.462045The height, the crest, or crest unto the crest
3.472046Of murder's arms. This is the bloodiest shame,
3.482047The wildest savagery, the vilest stroke
3.492048That ever wall-eyed wrath, or staring rage
3.502049Presented to the tears of soft remorse.
3.512050Pembroke
 All murders past do stand excused in this.
3.522051And this, so sole and so unmatchable,
3.532052Shall give a holiness, a purity,
3.542053To the yet unbegotten sin of times
3.552054And prove a deadly bloodshed but a jest,
3.562055Exampled by this heinous spectacle.
3.572056Bastard
 It is a damnèd, and a bloody work,
3.582057The graceless action of a heavy hand --
3.592058If that it be the work of any hand.
3.602059Salisbury
 If that it be the work of any hand?
3.612060We had a kind of light what would ensue.
3.622061It is the shameful work of Hubert's hand,
3.632062The practice and the purpose of the king,
3.642063From whose obedience I forbid my soul, [He kneels.]
3.652064Kneeling before this ruin of sweet life,
3.662065And breathing to his breathless excellence
3.672066The incense of a vow, a holy vow:
3.682067Never to taste the pleasures of the world,
3.692068Never to be infected with delight,
3.702069Nor conversant with ease and idleness,
3.712070Till I have set a glory to this hand
3.722071By giving it the worship of revenge.
3.732072Pembroke and Bigot
 [They kneel.] Our souls religiously confirm thy words.
3.73.12073Enter Hubert. [The lords rise.]
3.742074Hubert
 Lords, I am hot with haste in seeking you,
3.752075Arthur doth live; the king hath sent for you.
3.762076Salisbury
 O, he is bold and blushes not at death. --
3.772077Avaunt thou hateful villain, get thee gone!
3.782078Hubert
 I am no villain.
 Salisbury
 I am no villain.  Must I rob the law?
3.78.1[He draws his sword.] 
3.792079Bastard
 Your sword is bright sir; put it up again.
3.802080Salisbury
 Not till I sheathe it in a murderer's skin.
3.812081Hubert
 [Putting his hand on his sword]  Stand back Lord Salisbury. Stand back, I say.
3.822082By heaven, I think my sword's as sharp as yours.
3.832083I would not have you, lord, forget yourself,
3.842084Nor tempt the danger of my true defense,
3.852085Lest I, by marking of your rage, forget
3.862086your worth, your greatness, and nobility.
3.872087Bigot
 Out dunghill! Dar'st thou brave a nobleman?
3.882088Hubert
 Not for my life. But yet I dare defend
3.892089My innocent life against an emperor.
3.902090Salisbury
 Thou art a murderer.
3.912091Hubert
 Do not prove me so;
3.922092Yet I am none. Whose tongue so e'er speaks false,
3.932093Not truly speaks; who speaks not truly, lies.
3.942094Pembroke
 [Drawing his sword]  Cut him to pieces.
 2095Bastard
 [Drawing his sword]  Cut him to pieces.  [Drawing his sword]  Keep the peace, I say.
3.952096Salisbury
 Stand by, or I shall gall you Faulconbridge.
3.962097Bastard
 Thou wer't better gall the devil Salisbury.
3.972098If thou but frown on me, or stir thy foot,
3.982099Or teach thy hasty spleen to do me shame,
3.992100I'll strike thee dead. Put up thy sword betimes,
3.1002101Or I'll so maul you and your toasting-iron
3.1012102That you shall think the devil is come from hell.
3.1022103Bigot
 What wilt thou do, renownèd Faulconbridge?
3.1032104Second a villain, and a murderer?
3.1042105Hubert
 Lord Bigot, I am none.
 2106Bigot
 Lord Bigot, I am none.  [Indicating Arthur's body] Who killed this Prince?
3.1052107Hubert
 'Tis not an hour since I left him well:
3.1062108I honored him, I loved him, and will weep
3.1072109My date of life out for his sweet life's loss.
3.1082110Salisbury
 Trust not those cunning waters of his eyes,
3.1092111For villainy is not without such rheum,
3.1102112And he, long traded in it, makes it seem
3.1112113Like rivers of remorse and innocency.
3.1122114Away with me, all you whose souls abhor
3.1132115Th'uncleanly savors of a slaughter-house,
3.1142116For I am stifled with this smell of sin.
3.1152117Bigot
 Away, toward Bury, to the Dauphin there!
3.1162118Pembroke
 There tell the king, he may inquire us out.
3.116.1Exeunt lords.
3.1172119Bastard
 Here's a good world! Knew you of this fair work?
3.1182120Beyond the infinite and boundless reach
3.119Of mercy, 2121if thou didst this deed of death,
3.120Art thou damned, Hubert.
3.1212122Hubert
 Art thou damned, Hubert.  Do but hear me sir.
3.1222123Bastard
 Ha? I'll tell thee what.
3.1232124Thou'rt damned as black -- nay nothing is so black --
3.1242125Thou art more deep damned than Prince Lucifer.
3.1252126There is not yet so ugly a fiend of hell
3.1262127As thou shalt be if thou didst kill this child.
3.1272128Hubert
 Upon my soul -- 
 2129Bastard
 Upon my soul --   If thou didst but consent
3.1282130To this most cruel act, do but despair,
3.1292131And if thou want'st a cord, the smallest thread
3.1302132That ever spider twisted from her womb
3.1312133Will serve to strangle thee. A rush will be a beam
3.1322134To hang thee on. Or wouldst thou drown thyself,
3.1332135Put but a little water in a spoon
3.1342136And it shall be as all the ocean,
3.1352137Enough to stifle such a villain up.
3.1362138I do suspect thee very grievously.
3.1372139Hubert
 If I in act, consent, or sin of thought,
3.1382140Be guilty of the stealing that sweet breath
3.1392141Which was embounded in this beauteous clay,
3.1402142Let hell want pains enough to torture me.
3.1412143I left him well.
 2144Bastard
 I left him well.  Go, bear him in thine arms.
3.1422145I am amazed methinks, and lose my way
3.1432146Among the thorns and dangers of this world.
3.143.1[Hubert takes up Arthur's body.]
3.1442147How easy dost thou take all England up!
3.1452148From forth this morsel of dead royalty
3.1462149The life, the right, and truth of all this realm
3.1472150Is fled to heaven, and England now is left
3.1482151To tug and scamble, and to part by th'teeth
3.1492152The unowed interest of proud-swelling state.
3.1502153Now for the bare-picked bone of majesty
3.1512154Doth dogged war bristle his angry crest
3.1522155And snarleth in the gentle eyes of peace.
3.1532156Now powers from home and discontents at home
3.1542157Meet in one line, and vast confusion waits
3.1552158As doth a raven on a sick-fall'n beast,
3.1562159The imminent decay of wrested pomp.
3.1572160Now happy he whose cloak and cincture can
3.1582161Hold out this tempest. Bear away that child
3.1592162And follow me with speed. I'll to the King.
3.1602163A thousand businesses are brief in hand,
3.1612164And heaven itself doth frown upon the land.
3.161.1Exeunt [with Hubert carrying Arthur's body].
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King John (Modern)
