King John by William Shakespeare
Act 5 - Scene 4
Another part of the field.
Salisbury : I did not think the king so stored with friends.
Pembroke : Up once again; put spirit in the French:
[p]If they miscarry, we
miscarry too.
Salisbury : That misbegotten devil, Faulconbridge,
[p]In spite of spite, alone
upholds the day.
Pembroke : They say King John sore sick hath left the field.
Melun : Lead me to the revolts of England here.
Salisbury : When we were happy we had other names.
Pembroke : It is the Count Melun.
Salisbury : Wounded to death.
Melun : Fly, noble English, you are bought and sold;
[p]Unthread the rude eye
of rebellion
[p]And welcome home again discarded faith.
[p]Seek out
King John and fall before his feet;
[p]For if the French be lords of
this loud day,
[p]He means to recompense the pains you take
[p]By
cutting off your heads: thus hath he sworn
[p]And I with him, and many
moe with me,
[p]Upon the altar at Saint Edmundsbury;
[p]Even on that
altar where we swore to you
[p]Dear amity and everlasting love.
Salisbury : May this be possible? may this be true?
Melun : Have I not hideous death within my view,
[p]Retaining but a quantity
of life,
[p]Which bleeds away, even as a form of wax
[p]Resolveth from
his figure 'gainst the fire?
[p]What in the world should make me now
deceive,
[p]Since I must lose the use of all deceit?
[p]Why should I
then be false, since it is true
[p]That I must die here and live hence
by truth?
[p]I say again, if Lewis do win the day,
[p]He is forsworn,
if e'er those eyes of yours
[p]Behold another day break in the
east:
[p]But even this night, whose black contagious breath
[p]Already
smokes about the burning crest
[p]Of the old, feeble and day-wearied
sun,
[p]Even this ill night, your breathing shall expire,
[p]Paying
the fine of rated treachery
[p]Even with a treacherous fine of all
your lives,
[p]If Lewis by your assistance win the day.
[p]Commend me
to one Hubert with your king:
[p]The love of him, and this respect
besides,
[p]For that my grandsire was an Englishman,
[p]Awakes my
conscience to confess all this.
[p]In lieu whereof, I pray you, bear
me hence
[p]From forth the noise and rumour of the field,
[p]Where I
may think the remnant of my thoughts
[p]In peace, and part this body
and my soul
[p]With contemplation and devout desires.
Salisbury : We do believe thee: and beshrew my soul
[p]But I do love the favour
and the form
[p]Of this most fair occasion, by the which
[p]We will
untread the steps of damned flight,
[p]And like a bated and retired
flood,
[p]Leaving our rankness and irregular course,
[p]Stoop low
within those bounds we have o'erlook'd
[p]And cabby run on in
obedience
[p]Even to our ocean, to our great King John.
[p]My arm
shall give thee help to bear thee hence;
[p]For I do see the cruel
pangs of death
[p]Right in thine eye. Away, my friends! New
flight;
[p]And happy newness, that intends old right.
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Next: Act 5 - Scene 5
