King John by William Shakespeare

Act 4 - Scene 2

KING JOHN’S palace.

King John : Here once again we sit, once again crown'd, [p]And looked upon, I
hope, with cheerful eyes.

Pembroke : This 'once again,' but that your highness pleased, [p]Was once
superfluous: you were crown'd before, [p]And that high royalty was
ne'er pluck'd off, [p]The faiths of men ne'er stained with
revolt; [p]Fresh expectation troubled not the land [p]With any
long'd-for change or better state.

Salisbury : Therefore, to be possess'd with double pomp, [p]To guard a title that
was rich before, [p]To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, [p]To
throw a perfume on the violet, [p]To smooth the ice, or add another
hue [p]Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light [p]To seek the beauteous
eye of heaven to garnish, [p]Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.

Pembroke : But that your royal pleasure must be done, [p]This act is as an
ancient tale new told, [p]And in the last repeating
troublesome, [p]Being urged at a time unseasonable.

Salisbury : In this the antique and well noted face [p]Of plain old form is much
disfigured; [p]And, like a shifted wind unto a sail, [p]It makes the
course of thoughts to fetch about, [p]Startles and frights
consideration, [p]Makes sound opinion sick and truth suspected, [p]For
putting on so new a fashion'd robe.

Pembroke : When workmen strive to do better than well, [p]They do confound their
skill in covetousness; [p]And oftentimes excusing of a fault [p]Doth
make the fault the worse by the excuse, [p]As patches set upon a
little breach [p]Discredit more in hiding of the fault [p]Than did the
fault before it was so patch'd.

Salisbury : To this effect, before you were new crown'd, [p]We breathed our
counsel: but it pleased your highness [p]To overbear it, and we are
all well pleased, [p]Since all and every part of what we would [p]Doth
make a stand at what your highness will.

King John : Some reasons of this double coronation [p]I have possess'd you with
and think them strong; [p]And more, more strong, then lesser is my
fear, [p]I shall indue you with: meantime but ask [p]What you would
have reform'd that is not well, [p]And well shall you perceive how
willingly [p]I will both hear and grant you your requests.

Pembroke : Then I, as one that am the tongue of these, [p]To sound the purpose of
all their hearts, [p]Both for myself and them, but, chief of
all, [p]Your safety, for the which myself and them [p]Bend their best
studies, heartily request [p]The enfranchisement of Arthur; whose
restraint [p]Doth move the murmuring lips of discontent [p]To break
into this dangerous argument,-- [p]If what in rest you have in right
you hold, [p]Why then your fears, which, as they say, attend [p]The
steps of wrong, should move you to mew up [p]Your tender kinsman and
to choke his days [p]With barbarous ignorance and deny his
youth [p]The rich advantage of good exercise? [p]That the time's
enemies may not have this [p]To grace occasions, let it be our
suit [p]That you have bid us ask his liberty; [p]Which for our goods
we do no further ask [p]Than whereupon our weal, on you
depending, [p]Counts it your weal he have his liberty.

King John : Let it be so: I do commit his youth [p]To your direction. Hubert, what
news with you?

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

Salisbury : The colour of the king doth come and go [p]Between his purpose and his
conscience, [p]Like heralds 'twixt two dreadful battles set: [p]His
passion is so ripe, it needs must break.

Pembroke : And when it breaks, I fear will issue thence [p]The foul corruption of
a sweet child's death.

King John : We cannot hold mortality's strong hand: [p]Good lords, although my
will to give is living, [p]The suit which you demand is gone and
dead: [p]He tells us Arthur is deceased to-night.

Salisbury : Indeed we fear'd his sickness was past cure.

Pembroke : Indeed we heard how near his death he was [p]Before the child himself
felt he was sick: [p]This must be answer'd either here or hence.

King John : Why do you bend such solemn brows on me? [p]Think you I bear the
shears of destiny? [p]Have I commandment on the pulse of life?

Salisbury : It is apparent foul play; and 'tis shame [p]That greatness should so
grossly offer it: [p]So thrive it in your game! and so, farewell.

Pembroke : Stay yet, Lord Salisbury; I'll go with thee, [p]And find the
inheritance of this poor child, [p]His little kingdom of a forced
grave. [p]That blood which owed the breadth of all this isle, [p]Three
foot of it doth hold: bad world the while! [p]This must not be thus
borne: this will break out [p]To all our sorrows, and ere long I
doubt.

King John : They burn in indignation. I repent: [p]There is no sure foundation set
on blood, [p]No certain life achieved by others' death. [p][Enter a
Messenger] [p]A fearful eye thou hast: where is that blood [p]That I
have seen inhabit in those cheeks? [p]So foul a sky clears not without
a storm: [p]Pour down thy weather: how goes all in France?

Messenger : From France to England. Never such a power [p]For any foreign
preparation [p]Was levied in the body of a land. [p]The copy of your
speed is learn'd by them; [p]For when you should be told they do
prepare, [p]The tidings come that they are all arrived.

King John : O, where hath our intelligence been drunk? [p]Where hath it slept?
Where is my mother's care, [p]That such an army could be drawn in
France, [p]And she not hear of it?

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

King John : Withhold thy speed, dreadful occasion! [p]O, make a league with me,
till I have pleased [p]My discontented peers! What! mother
dead! [p]How wildly then walks my estate in France! [p]Under whose
conduct came those powers of France [p]That thou for truth givest out
are landed here?

Messenger : Under the Dauphin.

King John : Thou hast made me giddy [p]With these ill tidings. [p][Enter the
BASTARD and PETER of Pomfret] [p]Now, what says the world [p]To your
proceedings? do not seek to stuff [p]My head with more ill news, for
it is full.

Philip the Bastard : But if you be afeard to hear the worst, [p]Then let the worst unheard
fall on your bead.

King John : Bear with me cousin, for I was amazed [p]Under the tide: but now I
breathe again [p]Aloft the flood, and can give audience [p]To any
tongue, speak it of what it will.

Philip the Bastard : How I have sped among the clergymen, [p]The sums I have collected
shall express. [p]But as I travell'd hither through the land, [p]I
find the people strangely fantasied; [p]Possess'd with rumours, full
of idle dreams, [p]Not knowing what they fear, but full of
fear: [p]And here a prophet, that I brought with me [p]From forth the
streets of Pomfret, whom I found [p]With many hundreds treading on his
heels; [p]To whom he sung, in rude harsh-sounding rhymes, [p]That, ere
the next Ascension-day at noon, [p]Your highness should deliver up
your crown.

King John : Thou idle dreamer, wherefore didst thou so?

Peter of Pomfret : Foreknowing that the truth will fall out so.

King John : Hubert, away with him; imprison him; [p]And on that day at noon
whereon he says [p]I shall yield up my crown, let him be
hang'd. [p]Deliver him to safety; and return, [p]For I must use
thee. [p][Exeunt HUBERT with PETER] [p]O my gentle cousin, [p]Hear'st
thou the news abroad, who are arrived?

Philip the Bastard : The French, my lord; men's mouths are full of it: [p]Besides, I met
Lord Bigot and Lord Salisbury, [p]With eyes as red as new-enkindled
fire, [p]And others more, going to seek the grave [p]Of Arthur, who
they say is kill'd to-night [p]On your suggestion.

King John : Gentle kinsman, go, [p]And thrust thyself into their companies: [p]I
have a way to win their loves again; [p]Bring them before me.

Philip the Bastard : I will seek them out.

King John : Nay, but make haste; the better foot before. [p]O, let me have no
subject enemies, [p]When adverse foreigners affright my towns [p]With
dreadful pomp of stout invasion! [p]Be Mercury, set feathers to thy
heels, [p]And fly like thought from them to me again.

Philip the Bastard : The spirit of the time shall teach me speed.

King John : Spoke like a sprightful noble gentleman. [p]Go after him; for he
perhaps shall need [p]Some messenger betwixt me and the peers; [p]And
be thou he.

Messenger : With all my heart, my liege.

King John : My mother dead!

Hubert de Burgh : My lord, they say five moons were seen to-night; [p]Four fixed, and
the fifth did whirl about [p]The other four in wondrous motion.

King John : Five moons!

Hubert de Burgh : Old men and beldams in the streets [p]Do prophesy upon it
dangerously: [p]Young Arthur's death is common in their mouths: [p]And
when they talk of him, they shake their heads [p]And whisper one
another in the ear; [p]And he that speaks doth gripe the hearer's
wrist, [p]Whilst he that hears makes fearful action, [p]With wrinkled
brows, with nods, with rolling eyes. [p]I saw a smith stand with his
hammer, thus, [p]The whilst his iron did on the anvil cool, [p]With
open mouth swallowing a tailor's news; [p]Who, with his shears and
measure in his hand, [p]Standing on slippers, which his nimble
haste [p]Had falsely thrust upon contrary feet, [p]Told of a many
thousand warlike French [p]That were embattailed and rank'd in
Kent: [p]Another lean unwash'd artificer [p]Cuts off his tale and
talks of Arthur's death.

King John : Why seek'st thou to possess me with these fears? [p]Why urgest thou so
oft young Arthur's death? [p]Thy hand hath murder'd him: I had a
mighty cause [p]To wish him dead, but thou hadst none to kill him.

Hubert de Burgh : No had, my lord! why, did you not provoke me?

King John : It is the curse of kings to be attended [p]By slaves that take their
humours for a warrant [p]To break within the bloody house of
life, [p]And on the winking of authority [p]To understand a law, to
know the meaning [p]Of dangerous majesty, when perchance it
frowns [p]More upon humour than advised respect.

Hubert de Burgh : Here is your hand and seal for what I did.

King John : O, when the last account 'twixt heaven and earth [p]Is to be made,
then shall this hand and seal [p]Witness against us to
damnation! [p]How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds [p]Make deeds
ill done! Hadst not thou been by, [p]A fellow by the hand of nature
mark'd, [p]Quoted and sign'd to do a deed of shame, [p]This murder had
not come into my mind: [p]But taking note of thy abhorr'd
aspect, [p]Finding thee fit for bloody villany, [p]Apt, liable to be
employ'd in danger, [p]I faintly broke with thee of Arthur's
death; [p]And thou, to be endeared to a king, [p]Made it no conscience
to destroy a prince.

Hubert de Burgh : My lord--

King John : Hadst thou but shook thy head or made a pause [p]When I spake darkly
what I purposed, [p]Or turn'd an eye of doubt upon my face, [p]As bid
me tell my tale in express words, [p]Deep shame had struck me dumb,
made me break off, [p]And those thy fears might have wrought fears in
me: [p]But thou didst understand me by my signs [p]And didst in signs
again parley with sin; [p]Yea, without stop, didst let thy heart
consent, [p]And consequently thy rude hand to act [p]The deed, which
both our tongues held vile to name. [p]Out of my sight, and never see
me more! [p]My nobles leave me; and my state is braved, [p]Even at my
gates, with ranks of foreign powers: [p]Nay, in the body of this
fleshly land, [p]This kingdom, this confine of blood and
breath, [p]Hostility and civil tumult reigns [p]Between my conscience
and my cousin's death.

Hubert de Burgh : Arm you against your other enemies, [p]I'll make a peace between your
soul and you. [p]Young Arthur is alive: this hand of mine [p]Is yet a
maiden and an innocent hand, [p]Not painted with the crimson spots of
blood. [p]Within this bosom never enter'd yet [p]The dreadful motion
of a murderous thought; [p]And you have slander'd nature in my
form, [p]Which, howsoever rude exteriorly, [p]Is yet the cover of a
fairer mind [p]Than to be butcher of an innocent child.

King John : Doth Arthur live? O, haste thee to the peers, [p]Throw this report on
their incensed rage, [p]And make them tame to their
obedience! [p]Forgive the comment that my passion made [p]Upon thy
feature; for my rage was blind, [p]And foul imaginary eyes of
blood [p]Presented thee more hideous than thou art. [p]O, answer not,
but to my closet bring [p]The angry lords with all expedient
haste. [p]I conjure thee but slowly; run more fast.

Previous: Act 4 - Scene 1

Next: Act 4 - Scene 3

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