To QUEEN ELINOR 1 So shall it be; your grace shall 2 stay behind 3 So strongly guarded. To ARTHUR 4 Cousin, look not sad: 5 Thy grandam loves thee; and thy uncle will 6 As dear be to thee as thy father was.
ARTHUR
7 O, this will make my mother die with grief!
KING JOHN
To the BASTARD 8 Cousin, away for England! 9 haste before: 10 And, ere our coming, see thou shake the bags 11 Of hoarding abbots; imprisoned angels 12 Set at liberty: the fat ribs of peace 13 Must by the hungry now be fed upon: 14 Use our commission in his utmost force.
BASTARD
15 Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back, 16 When gold and silver becks me to come on. 17 I leave your highness. Grandam, I will pray, 18 If ever I remember to be holy, 19 For your fair safety; so, I kiss your hand.
ELINOR
20 Farewell, gentle cousin.
KING JOHN
21 Coz, farewell.
Exit the BASTARD
QUEEN ELINOR
22 Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word.
KING JOHN
23 Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert, 24 We owe thee much! within this wall of flesh 25 There is a soul counts thee her creditor 26 And with advantage means to pay thy love: 27 And my good friend, thy voluntary oath 28 Lives in this bosom, dearly cherished. 29 Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say, 30 But I will fit it with some better time. 31 By heaven, Hubert, I am almost ashamed 32 To say what good respect I have of thee.
HUBERT
33 I am much bounden to your majesty.
KING JOHN
34 Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet, 35 But thou shalt have; and creep time ne'er so slow, 36 Yet it shall come from me to do thee good. 37 I had a thing to say, but let it go: 38 The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day, 39 Attended with the pleasures of the world, 40 Is all too wanton and too full of gawds 41 To give me audience: if the midnight bell 42 Did, with his iron tongue and brazen mouth, 43 Sound on into the drowsy race of night; 44 If this same were a churchyard where we stand, 45 And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs, 46 Or if that surly spirit, melancholy, 47 Had baked thy blood and made it heavy-thick, 48 Which else runs tickling up and down the veins, 49 Making that idiot, laughter, keep men's eyes 50 And strain their cheeks to idle merriment, 51 A passion hateful to my purposes, 52 Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes, 53 Hear me without thine ears, and make reply 54 Without a tongue, using conceit alone, 55 Without eyes, ears and harmful sound of words; 56 Then, in despite of brooded watchful day, 57 I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts: 58 But, ah, I will not! yet I love thee well; 59 And, by my troth, I think thou lovest me well.
HUBERT
60 So well, that what you bid me undertake, 61 Though that my death were adjunct to my act, 62 By heaven, I would do it.
KING JOHN
63 Do not I know thou wouldst? 64 Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye 65 On yon young boy: I'll tell thee what, my friend, 66 He is a very serpent in my way; 67 And whereso'er this foot of mine doth tread, 68 He lies before me: dost thou understand me? 69 Thou art his keeper.
HUBERT
70 And I'll keep him so, 71 That he shall not offend your majesty.
KING JOHN
72 Death.
HUBERT
73 My lord?
KING JOHN
74 A grave.
HUBERT
75 He shall not live.
KING JOHN
76 Enough. 77 I could be merry now. Hubert, I love thee; 78 Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee: 79 Remember. Madam, fare you well: 80 I'll send those powers o'er to your majesty.
ELINOR
81 My blessing go with thee!
KING JOHN
82 For England, cousin, go: 83 Hubert shall be your man, attend on you 84 With all true duty. On toward Calais, ho!