Act 4 — Scene II. King John's palace.

K. John. Here once again we sit, once again crown'd,[457] And looked upon, I hope, with cheerful eyes. Pem. This 'once again,' but that your highness pleased, Was once superfluous: you were crown'd before, And that high royalty was ne'er pluck'd off,5 The faiths of men ne'er stained with revolt; Fresh expectation troubled not the land With any long'd-for change or better state. Sal. Therefore, to be possess'd with double pomp, To guard a title that was rich before,10 To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, To smooth the ice, or add another hue Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,15 Is wasteful and ridiculous excess. Pem. But that your royal pleasure must be done, This act is as an ancient tale new told, And in the last repeating troublesome, Being urged at a time unseasonable.20 Sal. In this the antique and well noted face Of plain old form is much disfigured; And, like a shifted wind unto a sail, It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about, Startles and frights consideration,25 Makes sound opinion sick and truth suspected,[458] For putting on so new a fashion'd robe. Pem. When workmen strive to do better than well,[459] They do confound their skill in covetousness;[460] And oftentimes excusing of a fault30 Doth make the fault the worse by the excuse, As patches set upon a little breach Discredit more in hiding of the fault[461] Than did the fault before it was so patch'd.[461] Sal. To this effect, before you were new crown'd,35 We breathed our counsel: but it pleased your highness To overbear it, and we are all well pleased,[462] Since all and every part of what we would Doth make a stand at what your highness will.[463] K. John. Some reasons of this double coronation40 I have possess'd you with and think them strong; And more, more strong, then lesser is my fear,[464] I shall indue you with: meantime but ask What you would have reform'd that is not well, And well shall you perceive how willingly45 I will both hear and grant you your requests. Pem. Then I, as one that am the tongue of these To sound the purposes of all their hearts, Both for myself and them, but, chief of all, Your safety, for the which myself and them[465]50 Bend their best studies, heartily request The enfranchisement of Arthur; whose restraint Doth move the murmuring lips of discontent To break into this dangerous argument,—[466] If what in rest you have in right you hold,[467]55 Why then your fears, which, as they say, attend[468] The steps of wrong, should move you to mew up[468] Your tender kinsman and to choke his days With barbarous ignorance and deny his youth The rich advantage of good exercise?60 That the time's enemies may not have this To grace occasions, let it be our suit That you have bid us ask his liberty;[469] Which for our goods we do no further ask[470] Than whereupon our weal, on you depending,[471]65 Counts it your weal he have his liberty.[472]

K. John. Let it be so: I do commit his youth To your direction. Hubert, what news with you?

Pem. This is the man should do the bloody deed; He show'd his warrant to a friend of mine:70 The image of a wicked heinous fault Lives in his eye; that close aspect of his Does show the mood of a much troubled breast;[474] And I do fearfully believe 'tis done, What we so fear'd he had a charge to do.75 Sal. The colour of the king doth come and go Between his purpose and his conscience, Like heralds 'twixt two dreadful battles set:[475] His passion is so ripe, it needs must break. Pem. And when it breaks, I fear will issue thence80 The foul corruption of a sweet child's death. K. John. We cannot hold mortality's strong hand:[476] Good lords, although my will to give is living, The suit which you demand is gone and dead: He tells us Arthur is deceased to-night.85 Sal. Indeed we fear'd his sickness was past cure. Pem. Indeed we heard how near his death he was Before the child himself felt he was sick: This must be answer'd either here or hence. K. John. Why do you bend such solemn brows on me?90 Think you I bear the shears of destiny? Have I commandment on the pulse of life? Sal. It is apparent foul play; and 'tis shame[477] That greatness should so grossly offer it: So thrive it in your game! and so, farewell.95 Pem. Stay yet, Lord Salisbury; I'll go with thee, And find the inheritance of this poor child, His little kingdom of a forced grave. That blood which owed the breadth of all this isle,[478] Three foot of it doth hold: bad world the while!100 This must not be thus borne: this will break out To all our sorrows, and ere long I doubt. [Exeunt Lords.[479] K. John. They burn in indignation. I repent:[480][481] There is no sure foundation set on blood,[481] No certain life achieved by others' death.[481]105

A fearful eye thou hast: where is that blood That I have seen inhabit in those cheeks? So foul a sky clears not without a storm: Pour down thy weather: how goes all in France? Mess. From France to England. Never such a power[483]110 For any foreign preparation Was levied in the body of a land. The copy of your speed is learn'd by them; For when you should be told they do prepare, The tidings comes that they are all arrived.[484]115 K. John. O, where hath our intelligence been drunk? Where hath it slept? Where is my mother's care,[485] That such an army could be drawn in France, And she not hear of it? Mess. My liege, her ear Is stopp'd with dust; the first of April died120 Your noble mother: and, as I hear, my lord, The Lady Constance in a frenzy died Three days before: but this from rumour's tongue I idly heard; if true or false I know not. K. John. Withhold thy speed, dreadful occasion!125 O, make a league with me, till I have pleased My discontented peers! What! mother dead![486] How wildly then walks my estate in France! Under whose conduct came those powers of France[487] That thou for truth givest out are landed here?130 Mess. Under the Dauphin.[488] K. John. Thou hast made me giddy With these ill tidings.

Now, what says the world To your proceedings? do not seek to stuff My head with more ill news, for it is full. Bast. But if you be afeard to hear the worst,[490]135 Then let the worst unheard fall on your head. K. John. Bear with me, cousin; for I was amazed Under the tide: but now I breathe again Aloft the flood, and can give audience To any tongue, speak it of what it will.140 Bast. How I have sped among the clergy-men,[491] The sums I have collected shall express. But as I travell'd hither through the land, I find the people strangely fantasied; Possess'd with rumours, full of idle dreams,145 Not knowing what they fear, but full of fear: And here's a prophet, that I brought with me From forth the streets of Pomfret, whom I found With many hundreds treading on his heels; To whom he sung, in rude harsh-sounding rhymes,150 That, ere the next Ascension-day at noon, Your highness should deliver up your crown. K. John. Thou idle dreamer, wherefore didst thou so? Peter. Foreknowing that the truth will fall out so. K. John. Hubert, away with him; imprison him;155 And on that day at noon, whereon he says I shall yield up my crown, let him be hang'd. Deliver him to safety; and return, For I must use thee. [Exit Hubert with Peter.[492] O my gentle cousin, Hear'st thou the news abroad, who are arrived?160 Bast. The French, my lord; men's mouths are full of it: Besides, I met Lord Bigot and Lord Salisbury, With eyes as red as new-enkindled fire, And others more, going to seek the grave Of Arthur, whom they say is kill'd to-night[493][494]165 On your suggestion.[494] K. John. Gentle kinsman, go, And thrust thyself into their companies:[495] I have a way to win their loves again; Bring them before me. Bast. I will seek them out. K. John. Nay, but make haste; the better foot before.170 O, let me have no subject enemies,[496] When adverse foreigners affright my towns With dreadful pomp of stout invasion! Be Mercury, set feathers to thy heels, And fly like thought from them to me again.175 Bast. The spirit of the time shall teach me speed. [Exit. K. John. Spoke like a sprightful noble gentleman. Go after him; for he perhaps shall need Some messenger betwixt me and the peers; And be thou he. Mess. With all my heart, my liege. [Exit.[497]180 K. John. My mother dead!

Hub. My lord, they say five moons were seen to-night;[499] Four fixed, and the fifth did whirl about The other four in wondrous motion. K. John. Five moons! Hub. Old men and beldams in the streets185 Do prophesy upon it dangerously: Young Arthur's death is common in their mouths: And when they talk of him, they shake their heads And whisper one another in the ear; And he that speaks doth gripe the hearer's wrist,190 Whilst he that hears makes fearful action, With wrinkled brows, with nods, with rolling eyes. I saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus, The whilst his iron did on the anvil cool, With open mouth swallowing a tailor's news;195 Who, with his shears and measure in his hand, Standing on slippers, which his nimble haste Had falsely thrust upon contrary feet, Told of a many thousand warlike French[500] That were embattailed and rank'd in Kent:200 Another lean unwash'd artificer Cuts off his tale and talks of Arthur's death. K. John. Why seek'st thou to possess me with these fears? Why urgest thou so oft young Arthur's death? Thy hand hath murder'd him: I had a mighty cause[501]205 To wish him dead, but thou hadst none to kill him. Hub. No had, my lord! why, did you not provoke me?[502] K. John. It is the curse of kings to be attended By slaves that take their humours for a warrant To break within the bloody house of life,[503]210 And on the winking of authority To understand a law, to know the meaning Of dangerous majesty, when perchance it frowns More upon humour than advised respect. Hub. Here is your hand and seal for what I did.215 K. John. O, when the last account 'twixt heaven and earth Is to be made, then shall this hand and seal Witness against us to damnation! How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds Make deeds ill done! Hadst not thou been by,[504]220 A fellow by the hand of nature mark'd, Quoted and sign'd to do a deed of shame, This murder had not come into my mind: But taking note of thy abhorr'd aspect, Finding thee fit for bloody villany,225 Apt, liable to be employ'd in danger, I faintly broke with thee of Arthur's death; And thou, to be endeared to a king, Made it no conscience to destroy a prince.[505] Hub. My lord,—230 K. John. Hadst thou but shook thy head or made a pause When I spake darkly what I purposed, Or turn'd an eye of doubt upon my face, As bid me tell my tale in express words,[506] Deep shame had struck me dumb, made me break off,235 And those thy fears might have wrought fears in me: But thou didst understand me by my signs And didst in signs again parley with sin;[507] Yea, without stop, didst let thy heart consent, And consequently thy rude hand to act240 The deed, which both our tongues held vile to name. Out of my sight, and never see me more! My nobles leave me; and my state is braved, Even at my gates, with ranks of foreign powers: Nay, in the body of this fleshly land,[508]245 This kingdom, this confine of blood and breath, Hostility and civil tumult reigns[509] Between my conscience and my cousin's death. Hub. Arm you against your other enemies, I'll make a peace between your soul and you.250 Young Arthur is alive: this hand of mine Is yet a maiden and an innocent hand, Not painted with the crimson spots of blood. Within this bosom never enter'd yet The dreadful motion of a murderous thought;[510]255 And you have slander'd nature in my form, Which, howsoever rude exteriorly, Is yet the cover of a fairer mind Than to be butcher of an innocent child.[511] K. John. Doth Arthur live? O, haste thee to the peers,260 Throw this report on their incensed rage, And make them tame to their obedience! Forgive the comment that my passion made Upon thy feature; for my rage was blind, And foul imaginary eyes of blood[512]265 Presented thee more hideous than thou art. O, answer not, but to my closet bring The angry lords with all expedient haste. I conjure thee but slowly; run more fast. [Exeunt.