ELEANOR

  195 Look’st thou pale, France? Do not let go thy hand.

  CONSTANCE

  Look to that, devil, lest that France repent,

  And by disjoining hands, hell lose a soul. [a5va]

  AUSTRIA

  King Philip, listen to the Cardinal.

  BASTARD

  And hang a calf’s skin on his recreant limbs.

  AUSTRIA

  200 Well ruffian, I must pocket up these wrongs,

  Because –

  BASTARD Your breeches best may carry them.

  KING JOHN

  Philip, what sayst thou to the Cardinal?

  CONSTANCE

  What should he say, but as the Cardinal?

  DAUPHIN

  Bethink you, father, for the difference

  205 Is purchase of a heavy curse from Rome

  Or the light loss of England for a friend:

  Forgo the easier.

  BLANCHE That’s the curse of Rome.

  CONSTANCE

  O Lewis, stand fast, the devil tempts thee here

  In likeness of a new untrimmed bride.

  BLANCHE

  210 The Lady Constance speaks not from her faith,

  But from her need.

  CONSTANCE O, if thou grant my need,

  Which only lives but by the death of faith,

  That need must needs infer this principle:

  That faith would live again by death of need.

  215 O then tread down my need, and faith mounts up;

  Keep my need up, and faith is trodden down.

  KING JOHN

  The King is moved, and answers not to this.

  CONSTANCE [to King Philip]

  O, be removed from him and answer well.

  AUSTRIA

  Do so, King Philip, hang no more in doubt.

  BASTARD

  220 Hang nothing but a calf’s skin, most sweet lout.

  KING PHILIP

  I am perplexed, and know not what to say.

  PANDULPH

  What canst thou say but will perplex thee more

  If thou stand excommunicate and curst?

  KING PHILIP

  Good reverend father, make my person yours

  225 And tell me how you would bestow yourself?

  This royal hand and mine are newly knit,

  And the conjunction of our inward souls

  Married in league, coupled and linked together

  With all religious strength of sacred vows.

  230 The latest breath that gave the sound of words

  Was deep-sworn faith, peace, amity, true love

  Between our kingdoms and our royal selves;

  And e’en before this truce, but new before,

  No longer than we well could wash our hands

  235 To clap this royal bargain up of peace –

  God knows they were besmeared and over-stained

  With slaughter’s pencil, where revenge did paint

  The fearful difference of incensed kings –

  And shall these hands so lately purged of blood,

  240 So newly joined in love, so strong in both,

  Unyoke this seizure and this kind regreet?

  Play fast and loose with faith? So jest with God?

  Make such unconstant children of ourselves,

  As now again to snatch our palm from palm,

  245 Unswear faith sworn, and on the marriage bed

  Of smiling peace to march a bloody host,

  And make a riot on the gentle brow

  Of true sincerity? O holy sir,

  My reverend father, let it not be so.

  250 Out of your grace, devise, ordain, impose

  Some gentle order, and then we shall be blest

  To do your pleasure, and continue friends.

  PANDULPH

  All form is formless, order orderless,

  Save what is opposite to England’s love.

  255 Therefore to arms! Be champion of our Church,

  Or let the Church our mother breathe her curse,

  A mother’s curse, on her revolting son.

  France, thou mayst hold a serpent by the tongue,

  A cased lion by the mortal paw,

  A fasting tiger safer by the tooth, [a5vb]

  261 Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold.

  KING PHILIP

  I may disjoin my hand, but not my faith.

  PANDULPH

  So mak’st thou faith an enemy to faith,

  And like a civil war set’st oath to oath,

  265 Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow

  First made to God, first be to God performed:

  That is to be the champion of our Church;

  What since thou swor’st is sworn against thyself,

  And may not be performed by thyself.

  270 For that which thou hast sworn to do amiss

  Is not amiss when it is truly done;

  And being not done, where doing tends to ill,

  The truth is then most done not doing it.

  The better act of purposes mistook

  275 Is to mistake again; though indirect,

  Yet indirection thereby grows direct,

  And falsehood falsehood cures, as fire cools fire

  Within the scorched veins of one new burned.

  It is religion that doth make vows kept,

  280 But thou hast sworn against religion,

  By what thou swear’st against the thing thou swear’st,

  And mak’st an oath the surety for thy truth

  Against an oath; the truth thou art unsure

  To swear, swears only not to be forsworn,

  285 Else what a mockery should it be to swear?

  But thou dost swear, only to be forsworn,

  And most forsworn, to keep what thou dost swear,

  Therefore thy later vows, against thy first,

  Is in thyself rebellion to thyself;

  290 And better conquest never canst thou make

  Than arm thy constant and thy nobler parts

  Against these giddy loose suggestions –

  Upon which better part, our prayers come in,

  If thou vouchsafe them. But if not, then know

  295 The peril of our curses light on thee

  So heavy as thou shalt not shake them off,

  But in despair die under their black weight.

  AUSTRIA

  Rebellion, flat rebellion.

  BASTARD Will’t not be?

  Will not a calf’s skin stop that mouth of thine?

  DAUPHIN

  Father, to arms.

  300 BLANCHE Upon thy wedding day?

  Against the blood that thou hast married?

  What, shall our feast be kept with slaughtered men?

  Shall braying trumpets and loud churlish drums,

  Clamours of hell, be measures to our pomp?

  305 O husband, hear me! Ay, alack, how new

  Is husband in my mouth? [Kneels.] E’en for that name,

  Which till this time my tongue did ne’er pronounce,

  Upon my knee I beg go not to arms

  Against mine uncle.

  CONSTANCE [Kneels.]

  310 O, upon my knee made hard with kneeling,

  I do pray to thee, thou virtuous Dauphin,

  Alter not the doom forethought by God.

  BLANCHE

  Now shall I see thy love. What motive may

  Be stronger with thee than the name of wife?

  CONSTANCE

  315 That which upholdeth him that thee upholds:

  His honour. O, thine honour, Lewis, thine honour!

  DAUPHIN

  I muse your majesty doth seem so cold,

  When such profound respects do pull you on?

  PANDULPH

  I will denounce a curse upon his head.

  KING PHILIP

  320 Thou shalt not need. England, I will fall from thee.

  [Drops John’s hand.]

  CONSTANCE

  O fair return of banished majesty.

  ELEANOR

  O foul revolt of French inconstancy.

  KING JOHN

  France, thou shalt rue this hour within this hour.

  BASTARD

  Old Time the clock-setter, that bald sexton Time: [a6ra]

  325 Is it as he will? Well then, France shall rue.

  BLANCHE

  The sun’s o’ercast with blood: fair day, adieu.

  Which is the side that I must go withal?

  I am with both. Each army hath a hand,

  And in their rage, I having hold of both,

  330 They whirl asunder, and dismember me.

  Husband, I cannot pray that thou mayst win;

  Uncle, I needs must pray that thou mayst lose;

  Father, I may not wish the fortune thine;

  Grandam, I will not wish thy wishes thrive.

  335 Whoever wins, on that side shall I lose:

  Assured loss, before the match be played.

  DAUPHIN

  Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lies.

  BLANCHE

  There where my fortune lives, there my life dies.

  KING JOHN

  Cousin, go draw our puissance together. [Exit Bastard.]

  340 France, I am burned up with inflaming wrath,

  A rage whose heat hath this condition

  That nothing can allay, nothing but blood,

  The blood and dearest valued blood of France.

  KING PHILIP

  Thy rage shall burn thee up, and thou shalt turn

  345 To ashes ere our blood shall quench that fire.

  Look to thyself, thou art in jeopardy.

  KING JOHN

  No more than he that threats. To arms let’s hie! Exeunt.

  3.2 Alarums, excursions. Enter BASTARD with Austria’s head.

  BASTARD

  Now by my life this day grows wondrous hot.

  Some airy devil hovers in the sky

  And pours down mischief. Austria’s head lie there,

  While Philip breathes. [Throws down head.]

  Enter KING JOHN, ARTHUR and HUBERT.

  KING JOHN

  5 Hubert, keep this boy. Philip, make up!

  My mother is assailed in our tent

  And ta’en, I fear.

  BASTARD My lord, I rescued her;

  Her highness is in safety, fear you not.

  But on, my liege! For very little pains

  10 Will bring this labour to an happy end.

  Ex[eunt King John and the Bastard (carrying Austria’s head) at one door, Hubert and Arthur at another].

  [3.3] Alarms, excursions, retreat. Enter KING JOHN, ELEANOR, ARTHUR, BASTARD, HUBERT, Lords

  KING JOHN [to Eleanor]

  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

  5 O, this will make my mother die with grief.

  KING JOHN [to Bastard]

  Cousin, away for England. Haste before,

  And ere our coming see thou shake the bags

  Of hoarding abbots; the fat ribs of peace

  Must by the hungry now be fed upon:

  10 Imprisoned angels set at liberty.

  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,

  15 If ever I remember to be holy,

  For your fair safety: so I kiss your hand.

  ELEANOR

  Farewell, gentle cousin.

  KING JOHN Coz, farewell. [Exit Bastard.] [a6rb]

  ELEANOR [Takes Arthur aside.]

  Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word.

  KING JOHN

  Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert,

  20 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.

  25 Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say,

  But I will fit it with some better tune.

  By God, Hubert, I am almost ashamed

  To say what good respect I have of thee.

  HUBERT

  I am much bounden to your majesty.

  KING JOHN

  30 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,

  35 Attended with the pleasures of the world,

  Is all too wanton and too full of gauds

  To give me audience. If the midnight bell

  Did with his iron tongue and brazen mouth

  Sound on into the drowsy race of night;

  40 If this same were a churchyard where we stand,

  And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs;

  Or if that surly spirit, melancholy,

  Had baked thy blood and made it heavy, thick,

  Which else runs tickling up and down the veins,

  45 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

  50 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,

  55 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 God I would do it.

  KING JOHN Do not I know thou wouldst,

  Good Hubert? Hubert – Hubert, throw thine eye

  60 On yon young boy. I’ll tell thee what, my friend,

  He is a very serpent in my way,

  And whereso’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

  65 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,

  70 I’ll send those powers o’er to your majesty.

  ELEANOR

  My blessing go with thee.

  KING JOHN [to Arthur] For England, cousin, go.

  Hubert shall be your man, attend on you

  With all true duty. On toward Calais, ho! Exeunt.

  3.[4] Enter [KING PHILIP] of France, [Lewis the] DAUPHIN, PANDULPH, Attendants.

  KING PHILIP

  So by a roaring tempest on the flood

  A whole armada of convected sail

  Is scattered and disjoined from fellowship?

  PANDULPH

  Courage and comfort, all shall yet go well.

  KING PHILIP

  5 What can go well, when we have run so ill?

  Are we not beaten? Is not Angiers lost?

  Arthur ta’en prisoner? Divers dear friends slain?

  And bloody England into England gone,

  O’er-bearing interruption spite of France?

  DAUPHIN

  10 What he hath won, that hath he fortified:

  So hot a speed, with such advice disposed,

  Such temperate order in so fierce a cause,

  Doth want example. Who hath read or heard

  Of any kindred action like to this?

  KING PHILIP

  15 Well could I bear that England had this praise,

  So we could find some pattern of our shame.

  Enter CONSTANCE[, her hair dishevelled].

  Look who comes here! A grave unto a soul,

  Holding th’eternal spirit ’gainst her will,

  In the vile prison of afflicted breath.

  20 I prithee, lady, go away with me.

  CONSTANCE

  Lo, now! Now see the issue of your peace.

  KING PHILIP

  Patience, good lady; comfort, gentle Constance.

  CONSTANCE

  No, I defy all counsel, all redress,

  But that which ends all counsel, true redress:

  25 Death! Death, O amiable, lovely death,

  Thou odoriferous stench, sound rottenness,

  Arise forth from the couch of lasting night,

  Thou hate and terror to prosperity,

  And I will kiss thy detestable bones,

  30 And put my eyeballs in thy vaulty brows,

  And ring these fingers with thy household worms,

  And stop this gap of breath with fulsome dust,

  And be a carrion monster like thyself.

  Come, grin on me, and I will think thou smil’st,

  35 And buss thee as thy wife: Misery’s love,

  O come to me!

  KING PHILIP O fair affliction, peace.

  CONSTANCE

  No, no, I will not, having breath to cry.

  O, that my tongue were in the thunder’s mouth!

  Then with a passion would I shake the world

  40 And rouse from sleep that fell anatomy

  Which cannot hear a lady’s feeble voice,

  Which scorns a modern invocation.

  PANDULPH

  Lady, you utter madness, and not sorrow.

  CONSTANCE

  Thou art not holy to belie me so!

  45 I am not mad: this hair I tear is mine,

  My name is Constance, I was Geoffrey’s wife,

  Young Arthur is my son, and he is lost.

  I am not mad; I would to God I were,

  For then ’tis like I should forget myself.

  50 O, if I could, what grief should I forget!

  Preach some philosophy to make me mad,

  And thou shalt be canonized, Cardinal:

  For, being not mad, but sensible of grief,

  My reasonable part produces reason

  55 How I may be delivered of these woes

  And teaches me to kill or hang myself.

  If I were mad, I should forget my son,

  Or madly think a babe of clouts were he. [a6vb]

  I am not mad; too well, too well I feel