READ STUDY GUIDE: Act III, Scenes iii-iv |
|
Act III, Scene iii:
The same.
The same.
| [Alarums, Excursions, Retreat. Enter KING JOHN, ELINOR, ARTHUR,the BASTARD, HUBERT, and LORDS.] |
| KING JOHN: |
| [To ELINOR] So shall it be; your grace shall stay behind, |
| So strongly guarded.— |
| [To ARTHUR] Cousin, look not sad; |
| Thy grandam loves thee, and thy uncle will |
| As dear be to thee as thy father was. |
| ARTHUR: |
| O, this will make my mother die with grief! |
| KING JOHN: |
| Cousin[To the BASTARD], away for England; haste before: |
| And, ere our coming, see thou shake the bags |
| Of hoarding abbots; imprison'd angels |
| Set at liberty: the fat ribs of peace |
| Must by the hungry now be fed upon: |
| Use our commission in his utmost force. |
| BASTARD: |
| Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back, |
| When gold and silver becks me to come on. |
| I leave your highness.—Grandam, I will pray,— |
| If ever I remember to be holy,— |
| For your fair safety; so, I kiss your hand. |
| ELINOR: |
| Farewell, gentle cousin. |
| KING JOHN: |
| Coz, farewell. |
| [Exit BASTARD.] |
| ELINOR: |
| Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word. |
| [She takes Arthur aside.] |
| KING JOHN: |
| Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert, |
| We owe thee much! within this wall of flesh |
| There is a soul counts thee her creditor, |
| And with advantage means to pay thy love: |
| And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath |
| Lives in this bosom, dearly cherished. |
| Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say,— |
| But I will fit it with some better time. |
| By heaven, Hubert, I am almost asham'd |
| To say what good respect I have of thee. |
| HUBERT: |
| I am much bounden to your majesty. |
| KING JOHN: |
| Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet: |
| But thou shalt have; and creep time ne'er so slow, |
| Yet it shall come for me to do thee good. |
| I had a thing to say,—but let it go: |
| The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day, |
| Attended with the pleasures of the world, |
| Is all too wanton and too full of gawds |
| To give me audience:—if the midnight bell |
| Did, with his iron tongue and brazen mouth, |
| Sound on into the drowsy race of night; |
| If this same were a churchyard where we stand, |
| And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs; |
| Or if that surly spirit, melancholy, |
| Had bak'd thy blood and made it heavy-thick, |
| Which else runs tickling up and down the veins, |
| Making that idiot, laughter, keep men's eyes, |
| And strain their cheeks to idle merriment— |
| A passion hateful to my purposes;— |
| Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes, |
| Hear me without thine ears, and make reply |
| Without a tongue, using conceit alone, |
| Without eyes, ears, and harmful sound of words,— |
| Then, in despite of brooded watchful day, |
| I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts: |
| But, ah, I will not!—yet I love thee well; |
| And, by my troth, I think thou lov'st me well. |
| HUBERT: |
| So well that what you bid me undertake, |
| Though that my death were adjunct to my act, |
| By heaven, I would do it. |
| KING JOHN: |
| Do not I know thou wouldst? |
| Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye |
| On yon young boy: I'll tell thee what, my friend, |
| He is a very serpent in my way; |
| And wheresoe'er this foot of mine doth tread, |
| He lies before me: dost thou understand me? |
| Thou art his keeper. |
| HUBERT: |
| And I'll keep him so |
| That he shall not offend your majesty. |
| KING JOHN: |
| Death. |
| HUBERT: |
| My lord? |
| KING JOHN: |
| A grave. |
| HUBERT: |
| He shall not live. |
| KING JOHN: |
| Enough!— |
| I could be merry now. Hubert, I love thee; |
| Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee: |
| Remember.—Madam, fare you well: |
| I'll send those powers o'er to your majesty. |
| ELINOR: |
| My blessing go with thee! |
| KING JOHN: |
| For England, cousin, go: |
| Hubert shall be your man, attend on you |
| With all true duty.—On toward Calais, ho! |
| [Exeunt.] |
|
|
||||
|
