King John by William Shakespeare
Act 5 - Scene 6
An open place in the neighbourhood of Swinstead Abbey.
Hubert de Burgh : Who's there? speak, ho! speak quickly, or I shoot.
Philip the Bastard : A friend. What art thou?
Hubert de Burgh : Of the part of England.
Philip the Bastard : Whither dost thou go?
Hubert de Burgh : What's that to thee? why may not I demand
[p]Of thine affairs, as well
as thou of mine?
Philip the Bastard : Hubert, I think?
Hubert de Burgh : Thou hast a perfect thought:
[p]I will upon all hazards well
believe
[p]Thou art my friend, that know'st my tongue so well.
[p]Who
art thou?
Philip the Bastard : Who thou wilt: and if thou please,
[p]Thou mayst befriend me so much
as to think
[p]I come one way of the Plantagenets.
Hubert de Burgh : Unkind remembrance! thou and eyeless night
[p]Have done me shame:
brave soldier, pardon me,
[p]That any accent breaking from thy
tongue
[p]Should 'scape the true acquaintance of mine ear.
Philip the Bastard : Come, come; sans compliment, what news abroad?
Hubert de Burgh : Why, here walk I in the black brow of night,
[p]To find you out.
Philip the Bastard : Brief, then; and what's the news?
Hubert de Burgh : O, my sweet sir, news fitting to the night,
[p]Black, fearful,
comfortless and horrible.
Philip the Bastard : Show me the very wound of this ill news:
[p]I am no woman, I'll not
swoon at it.
Hubert de Burgh : The king, I fear, is poison'd by a monk:
[p]I left him almost
speechless; and broke out
[p]To acquaint you with this evil, that you
might
[p]The better arm you to the sudden time,
[p]Than if you had at
leisure known of this.
Philip the Bastard : How did he take it? who did taste to him?
Hubert de Burgh : A monk, I tell you; a resolved villain,
[p]Whose bowels suddenly burst
out: the king
[p]Yet speaks and peradventure may recover.
Philip the Bastard : Who didst thou leave to tend his majesty?
Hubert de Burgh : Why, know you not? the lords are all come back,
[p]And brought Prince
Henry in their company;
[p]At whose request the king hath pardon'd
them,
[p]And they are all about his majesty.
Philip the Bastard : Withhold thine indignation, mighty heaven,
[p]And tempt us not to bear
above our power!
[p]I'll tell tree, Hubert, half my power this
night,
[p]Passing these flats, are taken by the tide;
[p]These Lincoln
Washes have devoured them;
[p]Myself, well mounted, hardly have
escaped.
[p]Away before: conduct me to the king;
[p]I doubt he will be
dead or ere I come.
Previous: Act 5 - Scene 5
Next: Act 5 - Scene 7
