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King John - Act 3, scene 3
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King John - Act 3, scene 3Act 3, scene 3
⌜Scene 3⌝
Synopsis:
John prepares to leave for England with his forces. He tells Hubert that Arthur must die. Hubert promises to kill Arthur.
Alarums, excursions, retreat.Enter ⌜King⌝ John, ⌜Queen⌝ Eleanor, Arthur, Bastard,
Hubert, Lords.
KING JOHN, ⌜to Queen Eleanor⌝
1284 So shall it be. Your Grace shall stay behind
1285 So strongly guarded. ⌜To Arthur.⌝ Cousin, look not sad.
1286 Thy grandam loves thee, and thy uncle will
1287 As dear be to thee as thy father was.
ARTHUR
1288 5 O, this will make my mother die with grief!
KING JOHN, ⌜to Bastard⌝
1289 Cousin, away for England! Haste before,
1290 And ere our coining see thou shake the bags
1291 Of hoarding abbots; imprisoned angels
1292 Set at liberty. The fat ribs of peace
1293 10 Must by the hungry now be fed upon.
1294 Use our commission in his utmost force.
BASTARD
1295 Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back
1296 When gold and silver becks me to come on.
1297 I leave your Highness.—Grandam, I will pray,
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1298
15 If ever I remember to be holy,1299 For your fair safety. So I kiss your hand.
QUEEN ELEANOR
1300 Farewell, gentle cousin.
KING JOHN 1301 Coz, farewell.⌜Bastard exits.⌝
QUEEN ELEANOR, ⌜to Arthur⌝
1302 Come hither, little kinsman. Hark, a word.
⌜They walk aside.⌝
KING JOHN
1303 20 Come hither, Hubert.⌜He takes Hubert aside.⌝
1304 O, my gentle Hubert,
1305 We owe thee much. Within this wall of flesh
1306 There is a soul counts thee her creditor,
1307 And with advantage means to pay thy love.
1308 25 And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath
1309 Lives in this bosom dearly cherishèd.
1310 Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say,
1311 But I will fit it with some better tune.
1312 By heaven, Hubert, I am almost ashamed
1313 30 To say what good respect I have of thee.
HUBERT
1314 I am much bounden to your Majesty.
KING JOHN
1315 Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet,
1316 But thou shalt have. And, creep time ne’er so slow,
1317 Yet it shall come for me to do thee good.
1318 35 I had a thing to say—but let it go.
1319 The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day,
1320 Attended with the pleasures of the world,
1321 Is all too wanton and too full of gauds
1322 To give me audience. If the midnight bell
1323 40 Did with his iron tongue and brazen mouth
1324 Sound on into the drowsy race of night;
1325 If this same were a churchyard where we stand,
1326 And thou possessèd with a thousand wrongs;
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1327
Or if that surly spirit, melancholy,1328 45 Had baked thy blood and made it heavy, thick,
1329 Which else runs tickling up and down the veins,
1330 Making that idiot, laughter, keep men’s eyes
1331 And strain their cheeks to idle merriment,
1332 A passion hateful to my purposes;
1333 50 Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes,
1334 Hear me without thine ears, and make reply
1335 Without a tongue, using conceit alone,
1336 Without eyes, ears, and harmful sound of words;
1337 Then, in despite of brooded watchful day,
1338 55 I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts.
1339 But, ah, I will not. Yet I love thee well,
1340 And by my troth I think thou lov’st me well.
HUBERT
1341 So well that what you bid me undertake,
1342 Though that my death were adjunct to my act,
1343 60 By heaven, I would do it.
KING JOHN 1344 Do not I know thou wouldst?
1345 Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye
1346 On yon young boy. I’ll tell thee what, my friend,
1347 He is a very serpent in my way,
1348 65 And wheresoe’er this foot of mine doth tread,
1349 He lies before me. Dost thou understand me?
1350 Thou art his keeper.
HUBERT 1351 And I’ll keep him so
1352 That he shall not offend your Majesty.
KING JOHN
1353 70 Death.
HUBERT 1354 My lord?
KING JOHN 1355 A grave.
HUBERT 1356 He shall not live.
KING JOHN 1357 Enough.
1358 75 I could be merry now. Hubert, I love thee.
1359 Well, I’ll not say what I intend for thee.
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1360
Remember. ⌜He turns to Queen Eleanor.⌝ Madam, fare1361 you well.
1362 I’ll send those powers o’er to your Majesty.
QUEEN ELEANOR 1363 80My blessing go with thee.
KING JOHN, ⌜to Arthur⌝ 1364 For England, cousin, go.
1365 Hubert shall be your man, attend on you
1366 With all true duty.—On toward Calais, ho!
They exit.