Weakness possesseth me, and I am faint. Even at the crying of your nation's crow," Lew. There end thy brave, and turn thy face in peace; [well; We grant, thou canst outscold us: fare thee We hold our time too precious to be spent With such a brabbler. Pand. Give me leave to speak. Lew. We will attend to neither:- And so shall you, being beaten: Do but start hand Mess. My lord, your valiant kinsman, Faulconbridge, Desires your majesty to leave the field; Mess. Be of good comfort; for the great supply, That was expected by the Dauphin here, Are wreck'd three nights ago on Goodwin sands. [now: This news was brought to Richard but even The French fight coldly, and retire themselves. K. John. Ah me! this tyrant fever burns me up, And will not let me welcome this good news.Set on toward Swinstead: to my litter straight; [Exeunt. Enter SALISBURY, PEMBROKE, BIGOT, und others. Sal. I did not think the king so stor❜d with friends. Pem. Up once again; put spirit in the French; If they miscarry, we miscarry too. Sal. That misbegotten devil, Faulconbridge In spite of spite, alone upholds the day. Pem. They say, king John, sore sick, nath left the field. Enter MELUN wounded, and led by Soldiers. Mel. Lead me to the revolts of England here. Sal. When we were happy, we had other names. Pem. It is the count Melun. Sal. Wounded to death. Mel. Fly, noble English, you are bought and Unthread the rude eye of rebellion, [sold; And welcome home again discarded faith. Seek out king John, and fall before his feet; For, if the French be lords of this loud day, Het means to recompense the pains you take, By cutting off your heads: Thus hath he sworn, And I with him, and many more with me, Upon the altar at Saint Edmund's-Bury; Even on that altar, where we swore to you Dear amity and everlasting love. Sal. May this be possible? may this be true? Mel. Have I not hideous death within my Which bleeds away, even as a form of wax Retaining but a quantity of life; [view, Resolved from his figure 'gainst the fire? What in the world should make me now deceive, Since I must lose the use of all deceit? Already smokes about the burning crest Sul. We do believe thee,-And beshrew my * A proverb intimating treachery. ↑ In allusion to the images made by witches. 1 For I do see the cruel pangs of death [flight; SCENE V.-The same.-The French Camp. Lew. The sun of heaven, methought, was loath to set; [blush, But stay'd, and made the western welking When the English measur'd backward their own ground, In faint retire: O, bravely came we off, Enter a MESSENGER. Mess. Where is my prince the Dauphin? Mess. The count Melun is slain; the English lords, By his persuasion, are again fallen off: [long, I did not think to be so sad to-night, Mess. Whoever spoke it, it is true, my lord. care to-night; The day shall not be up so soon as I, To try the fair adventure of to-morrow. [Exeunt. SCENE VI.-An open Place in the Neighbourhood of Swinstead-Abbey. Enter the BASTARD and HUBERT, meeting. Hub, Who's there? speak, ho! speak quickly, or I shoot. Bast. A friend :-What art thou? Hub. What's that to thee? Why may not I demand Of thine affairs, as well as thou of mine? [well: Hub. Thou hast a perfect thought: I will upon all hazards, well believe Thou art my friend, that know'st my tongue so Who art thou? Bast. Who thou wilt: an if thou please, Thou may'st befriend me so much, as to think I come one way of the Plantagenets. Hub. Unkind remembrance! thou, and eyeless night, [me, Have done me shame:-Brave soldier, pardon That any accent, breaking from thy tongue, Should 'scape the true acquaintance of mine Hub. O, my sweet Sir, news fitting to the night, Black, fearful, comfortless, and horrible. Hub. A monk, I tell you; a resolved villain, Whose bowels suddenly burst out: the king Yet speaks, and, peradventure, may recover. Bast. Who didst thou leave to tend his majesty? Hub. Why, know you not? the lords are all come back, And brought prince Henry in their company; At whose request the king hath pardon'd them, And they are all about his majesty. Bast. Withhold thine indignation, mighty heaven, And tempt us not to bear above our power!I'll tell thee, Hubert, half my power* this night, Passing these flats, are taken by the tide, These Lincoln washes have devoured them; Myself, well-mounted, hardly have escap'd. I doubt, he will be dead, or ere I come. Away, before! conduct me to the king; [Exeunt. should sing. I am the cygnet to this pale faint swan, Sul. Be of good comfort, prince; for you are born To set a form upon that indigest * Forces. Re-enter BIGOT and Attendants, who bring in King JOHN in a Chair. K. John. Ay, marry, now my soul hath elbow-room; It would not out at windows, nor at doors. P. Hen. How fares your majesty? cast off: And none of you will bid the winter come, To make his bleak winds kiss my parched lips, And comfort me with cold :-I do not ask you much, I beg cold comfort; and you are so strait,* P. Hen. O, that there were some virtue in my tears, That might relieve you! K. John. The salt in them is hot.- When this was now a king, and now is clay! Bast. Art thou gone so? I do but stay beTo do the office for thee of revenge; [hind, And then my soul shall wait on thee to heaven, As it on earth hath been thy servant still.Now, now, you stars, that move in your right spheres, Where be your powers? Show now your mended faiths; And instantly return with me again, To push destruction, and perpetual shame, Out of the weak-door of our fainting land: Straight let us seek, or straight we shall be sought; The Dauphin rages at our very heels. Sal. It seems, you know not then so much as we: The cardinal Pandulph is within at rest, Who half an hour since came from the Dauphin ; And brings from him such offers of our peace As we with honour and respect may take, With purpose presently to leave this war. Bust. He will the rather do it, when he sees Ourselves well sinewed to our defence. Sal. Nay, it is in a manner done already; For many carriages he hath despatch'd To the seaside, and put his cause and quarrel To the disposing of the cardinal: With whom yourself, myself, and other lords, If you think meet, this afternoon will post To cónsummate this business happily. Bast. Let it be so;-And you, my noble With other princes that may best be spar'd, prince, Shall wait upon your father's funeral. P. Hen. At Worcester must his body be inFor so he will'd it. [terr'd; Bast. Thither shall it then, To rest without a spot for evermore. you thanks, And knows not how to do it, but with tears. Bast. O, let us pay the time but needful SCENE 1-London.-A Room in the Palace. GAUNT, and other Nobles, with him. K. Rich. Old John of Gaunt, time-honour'd Hast thou, according to thy oath and band,* Gaunt. I have, my liege. K. Rich. Tell me moreover, hast thou sound- If he appeal the Duke on ancient malice; Re-enter Attendants, with BOLINGBROKE and Boling. May many years of happy days befall Nor. Each day still better other's happiness; Until the heavens, envying earth's good hap, Add an immortal title to your crown! K. Rich. We thank you both: yet one but flatters us, As well appeareth by the cause you come; son. Cousin of Hereford, what dost thou object Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mow. bray? Boling. First, (heaven be the record of my In the devotion of a subject's love, [speech!) Tendering the precious safety of my prince, And free from other misbegotten hate, Come I appellant to this princely presence.Now, Thomas Mowbray, do I turn to thee, And mark my greeting well; for what I speak, My body shall make good upon this earth, Or my divine soul answer it in heaven. Thou art a traitor, and a miscreant; Too good to be so, and too bad to live; Since, the more fair and crystal is the sky, The uglier seem the clouds that in it fly. High-stomach'd are they both, and full of ire,Once more, the more to aggravate the note, In rage deaf as the sea, hasty as fire. With a foul traitor's name stuff I thy throat; * Bond. On some apparent danger seen in him, * Charge. From giving reins and spurs to my free speech; my gage, Disclaiming here the kindred of a king; If guilty dread hath left thee so much strength, vise. swear, K. Rich. How high a pitch his resolution soars! Thomas of Norfolk, what say'st thou to this? Were he my brother, nay, my kingdom's heir, heart, [liest! I slew him not; but to my own disgrace, Nor. I take it up; and, by that sword I K. Rich. What doth our cousin lay to It must be great, that can inheritt us Like a false traitor, and injurious villain. Further I say, and further will maintain of blood: K. Rich. Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be rul'd by me; Let's purge this choler without letting blood: Nor. Myself, I throw, dread sovereign, at My life thou shalt command, but not my shame; spear; The which no balm can cure, but his heart- * Reproach to his ancestry. + Charge. (No advantage in delay. |