It may lie gently at the foot of peace, And be no further harmful than in show. Lew. Your grace shall pardon me, I will not back; I am too high-born to be propertied,* To be a secondary at control, Or useful serving-man, and instrument, To any sovereign state throughout the world. After young Arthur, claim this land for mine; Because that John hath made his peace with Rome? To underprop this action? is't not I, Sweat in this business, and maintain this war? Pand. You look but on the outside of this work. Till my attempt so much be glorified Enter the BASTARD, attended. Bast. According to the fair play of the world, * Appropriated. [Trumpet sounds. Pand. The Dauphin is too wilful-opposite, And will not temporize with my entreaties; He flatly says, he'll not lay down his arms. Bast. By all the blood that ever fury breathed, He is prepared; and reason too, he should: That hand, which had the strength, even at your door, To crouch in litter of your stable planks; To lie, like pawns, lock'd up in chests and trunks; To souse annoyance that comes near his nest.— Lew. There end thy brave, and turn thy face in peace; We grant, thou canst outscold us: fare thee well; We hold our time too precious to be spent With such a brabbler. Pand. Give me leave to speak. Bast. No, I will speak. Lew. We will attend to neither: Strike up the drums; and let the tongue of war Plead for our interest, and our being here. Bast. Indeed, your drums, being beaten, will cry out; And so shall you, being beaten: Do but start An echo with the clamour of thy drum, And even at hand a drum is ready braced, That shall reverberate all as loud as thine; Sound but another, and another shall *Leap over the hedge Needles. ↑ Bravado. As loud as thine, rattle the welkin's* ear, And mock the deep-mouth'd thunder: for at hand Whom he hath used rather for sport than need), SCENE III.-The same. A Field of Battle. Alarums.-Enter KING JOHN and HUBERT. [Exeunt. K. John. How goes the day with us? O, tell me, Hubert. K. John. This fever, that hath troubled me so long, Enter a MESSENGER. Mess. My lord, your valiant kinsman, Faulconbridge, Desires your majesty to leave the field; And send him word by me, which way you go. K. John. Tell him, toward Swinshead, to the abbey there. That was expected by the Dauphin here, K. John. Ah me! this tyrant fever burns me up, [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-The same. Another part of the same. Enter SALISBURY, PEMBROKE, BIGOT, and others. Sal. I did not think the king so stored 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, hath left the field. Enter MELUN wounded, and led by Soldiers. Mel. Lead me to the revolts of England here. * Sky. Sal. Wounded to death. Mel. Fly, noble English, you are bought and sold; Unthread the rude eye of rebellion, And welcome home again discarded faith. Sal. May this be possible? may this be true? Which bleeds away, even as a form of wax Why should I then be false; since it is true He is forsworn, if e'er those eyes of yours Behold another day break in the east: But even this night,-whose black contagious breath Already smokes about the burning crest Of the old, feeble, and day-wearied sun, Even this ill night, your breathing shall expire; your lives, Sal. We do believe thee, And beshrew my soul But I do love the favour and the form Of this most fair occasion, by the which We will untread the steps of damned flight; Leaving our rankness and irregular course, Stoop low within those bounds we have o'erlook'd, Even to our ocean, to our great king John.- For I do see the cruel pangs of death Right in thine eye.-Away my friends! New flight; [Exeunt, leading off MELUN. SCENE V-The same. The French Camp. Enter LEWIS and his Train. Lew. The sun of heaven, methought, was loath to set; 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: And your supply, which you have wish'd so long, Are cast away, and sunk, on Goodwin sands. Lew. Ah, foul shrewd news!-Beshrew thy very heart! I did not think to be so sad to-night, As this hath made me.-Who was he, that said, King John did fly, an hour or two before The stumbling night did part our weary powers? Mess. Whoever spoke it, it is true, my lord. Lew. Well; keep good quarter,* and good 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 Swinshead 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. Of the part of England. Bast. Whither dost thou go? Hub. What's that to thee? Why may not I demand Of thine affairs, as well as thou of mine? Bast. Hubert, I think. Hub. Thou hast a perfect thought: I will upon all hazards, well believe Thou art my friend, that know'st my tongue so well: *In your posts. |