King John (Modern)

 2249[5.2]
2.0.12250Enter, in arms, Lewis, Salisbury, Melun, 2251Pembroke, Bigot [and] soldiers.
2.12252Lewis
 [Handing a paper to Melun]  My Lord Melun, let this be copied out
2.22253And keep it safe for our remembrance.
2.32254Return the precedent to these lords again,
2.42255That, having our fair order written down,
2.52256Both they and we, perusing o'er these notes,
2.62257May know wherefore we took the sacrament,
2.72258And keep our fates firm and inviolable.
2.82259Salisbury
 Upon our sides it never shall be broken.
2.92260And noble Dauphin, albeit we swear
2.102261A voluntary zeal and unurged faith
2.112262To your proceedings, yet believe me, Prince,
2.122263I am not glad that such a sore of time
2.132264Should seek a plaster by contemned revolt
2.142265And heal the inveterate canker of one wound
2.152266By making many. O, it grieves my soul
2.162267That I must draw this metal from my side
2.172268To be a widow-maker. O, and there
2.182269Where honorable rescue and defense
2.192270Cries out upon the name of Salisbury.
2.202271But such is the infection of the time
2.212272That, for the health and physic of our right,
2.222273We cannot deal but with the very hand
2.232274Of stern injustice, and confusèd wrong.
2.242275And is't not pity, oh my grievèd friends,
2.252276That we, the sons and children of this isle,
2.262277Were born to see so sad an hour as this,
2.272278Wherein we step after a stranger, march
2.282279Upon her gentle bosom, and fill up
2.292280Her enemy's ranks? I must withdraw and weep
2.302281Upon the spot of this enforcèd cause,
2.312282To grace the gentry of a land remote,
2.322283And follow unacquainted colors here.
2.332284What here? O nation, that thou couldst remove,
2.342285That Neptune's arms, who clippeth thee about,
2.352286Would bear thee from the knowledge of thyself,
2.362287And grapple thee unto a pagan shore,
2.372288Where these two Christian armies might combine
2.382289The blood of malice in a vein of league,
2.392290And not to spend it so unneighborly!
2.402291Lewis
 A noble temper dost thou show in this,
2.412292And great affections wrestling in thy bosom
2.422293Doth make an earthquake of nobility.
2.432294O, what a noble combat hast thou fought
2.442295Between compulsion and a brave respect!
2.452296Let me wipe off this honorable dew
2.462297That silverly doth progress on thy cheeks.
2.472298My heart hath melted at a lady's tears,
2.482299Being an ordinary inundation,
2.492300But this effusion of such manly drops,
2.502301This shower, blown up by tempest of the soul,
2.512302Startles mine eyes and makes me more amazed
2.522303Than had I seen the vaulty top of heaven
2.532304Figured quite o'er with burning meteors.
2.542305Lift up thy brow, renownèd Salisbury,
2.552306And with a great heart heave away this storm.
2.562307Commend these waters to those baby eyes
2.572308That never saw the giant world enraged,
2.582309Nor met with fortune other than at feasts
2.592310Full warm of blood, of mirth, of gossiping.
2.602311Come, come; for thou shalt thrust thy hand as deep
2.612312Into the purse of rich prosperity
2.622313As Lewis himself -- So, nobles, shall you all,
2.632314That knit your sinews to the strength of mine.
2.63.12315Enter Pandulph.
2.642316And even there, methinks an angel spake.
2.652317Look where the holy legate comes apace
2.662318To give us warrant from the hand of god,
2.672319And on our actions set the name of right
2.682320With holy breath.
2.692321Pandulph
 Hail noble prince of France!
2.702322The next is this: King John hath reconciled
2.712323Himself to Rome; his spirit is come in,
2.722324That so stood out against the holy Church,
2.732325The great metropolis and See of Rome.
2.742326Therefore thy threat'ning colors now wind up
2.752327And tame the savage spirit of wild war,
2.762328That, like a lion fostered up at hand,
2.772329It may lie gently at the foot of peace
2.782330And be no further harmful than in show.
2.792331Lewis
 Your Grace shall pardon me, I will not back.
2.802332I am too high born to be propertied
2.812333To be a secondary at control,
2.822334Or useful serving-man and instrument
2.832335To any sovereign state throughout the world.
2.842336Your breath first kindled the dead coal of wars
2.852337Between this chastised kingdom and myself,
2.862338And brought in matter that should feed this fire,
2.872339And now 'tis far too huge to be blown out
2.882340With that same weak wind which enkindled it.
2.892341You taught me how to know the face of right,
2.902342Acquainted me with interest to this land,
2.912343Yea, thrust this enterprise into my heart.
2.922344And come ye now to tell me John hath made
2.932345His peace with Rome? What is that peace to me?
2.942346I, by the honor of my marriage-bed,
2.952347After young Arthur claim this land for mine.
2.962348And now it is half-conquered, must I back,
2.972349Because that John hath made his peace with Rome?
2.982350Am I Rome's slave? What penny hath Rome borne?
2.992351What men provided? What munition sent
2.1002352To under-prop this action? Is't not I
2.1012353That undergo this charge? Who else but I,
2.1022354And such as to my claim are liable,
2.1032355Sweat in this business and maintain this war?
2.1042356Have I not heard these islanders shout out
2.1052357"Vive le Roi," as I have banked their towns?
2.1062358Have I not here the best cards for the game
2.1072359To win this easy match played for a crown?
2.1082360And shall I now give o'er the yielded set?
2.1092361No, no, on my soul it never shall be said.
2.1102362Pandulph
 You look but on the outside of this work.
2.1112363Lewis
 Outside or inside, I will not return
2.1122364Till my attempt so much be glorified
2.1132365As to my ample hope was promisèd
2.1142366Before I drew this gallant head of war
2.1152367And culled these fiery spirits from the world
2.1162368To outlook conquest and to win renown
2.1172369Even in the jaws of danger and of death.
2.117.1[A trumpet sounds.]
2.1182370What lusty trumpet thus doth summon us?
2.118.12371Enter [the] Bastard.
2.1192372Bastard
 According to the fair play of the world,
2.1202373Let me have audience. I am sent to speak,
2.1212374My holy lord of Milan, from the King.
2.1222375I come to learn how you have dealt for him,
2.1232376And, as you answer, I do know the scope
2.1242377And warrant limited unto my tongue.
2.1252378Pandulph
 The Dauphin is too wilful-opposite
2.1262379And will not temporize with my entreaties.
2.1272380He flatly says he'll not lay down his arms.
2.1282381Bastard
 By all the blood that ever fury breathed,
2.1292382The youth says well. Now hear our English king,
2.1302383For thus his royalty doth speak in me:
2.1312384He is prepared -- and reason too he should.
2.1322385This apish and unmannerly approach,
2.1332386This harnessed mask and unadvisèd revel,
2.1342387This unheard sauciness and boyish troops,
2.1352388The King doth smile at, and is well prepared
2.1362389To whip this dwarfish war, these pigmy arms
2.1372390From out the circle of his territories.
2.1382391That hand which had the strength, even at your door,
2.1392392To cudgel you and make you take the hatch,
2.1402393To dive like buckets in concealèd wells,
2.1412394To crouch in litter of your stable planks,
2.1422395To lie like pawns, locked up in chests and trunks,
2.1432396To hug with swine, to seek sweet safety out
2.1442397In vaults and prisons, and to thrill and shake,
2.1452398Even at the crying of your nation's crow,
2.1462399Thinking this voice an armèd Englishman --
2.1472400Shall that victorious hand be feebled here,
2.1482401That in your chambers gave you chastisement?
2.1492402No! Know the gallant monarch is in arms,
2.1502403And like an eagle o'er his aerie towers
2.1512404To souse annoyance that comes near his nest. --
2.1522405And you degenerate, you ingrate revolts,
2.1532406You bloody Neroes, ripping up the womb
2.1542407Of your dear mother England, blush for shame,
2.1552408For your own ladies and pale-visaged maids,
2.1562409Like Amazons, come tripping after drums,
2.1572410Their thimbles into armèd gauntlets change,
2.1582411Their needles to lances, and their gentle hearts
2.1592412To fierce and bloody inclination.
2.1602413Lewis
 There end thy brave, and turn thy face in peace.
2.1612414We grant thou canst outscold us. Fare thee well.
2.1622415We hold our time too precious to be spent
2.1632416with such a brabbler.
2.1642417Pandulph
 Give me leave to speak.
2.1652418Bastard
 No, I will speak.
2.1662419Lewis
 We will attend to neither.
2.1672420Strike up the drums, and let the tongue of war
2.1682421Plead for our interest, and our being here.
2.1692422Bastard
 Indeed, your drums, being beaten, will cry out,
2.1702423And so shall you, being beaten. Do but start
2.1712424An echo with the clamor of thy drum,
2.1722425And even at hand a drum is ready braced
2.1732426That shall reverberate all as loud as thine.
2.1742427Sound but another, and another shall,
2.1752428As loud as thine, rattle the welkin's ear
2.1762429And mock the deep-mouthed thunder. For at hand --
2.1772430Not trusting to this halting legate here,
2.1782431Whom he hath used rather for sport than need --
2.1792432Is warlike John, and in his forehead sits
2.1802433A bare-ribbed Death, whose office is this day
2.1812434To feast upon whole thousands of the French.
2.1822435Lewis
 Strike up our drums, to find this danger out.
2.1832436Bastard
 And thou shalt find it, Dauphin, do not doubt
2.183.1[Drums beat.] 2437Exeunt [separately].
Internet Shakespeare Editions

Reading Room

Toolbox

About this text

King John (Modern)
