ACT III
SCENE III The same.


 [Alarums, excursions, retreat. Enter KING JOHN,
 QUEEN ELINOR, ARTHUR, the BASTARD, HUBERT,
 and Lords]

KING JOHN [To QUEEN 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 [To the BASTARD]  Cousin, away for England!
 haste before:
 And, ere our coming, see thou shake the bags
 Of hoarding abbots; imprisoned 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 the BASTARD]

QUEEN ELINOR Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word.

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 ashamed
 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 from 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 baked 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 lovest 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 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,
 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]




 KING JOHN


ACT III