SCENE II. The same. A Room of State in the Palace. Enter KING JOHN, crowned; PEMBROKE, SALISBURY, and other Lords. The King takes his State. K. John. Here once again we sit, once again crown'd, And look'd upon, I hope, with cheerful eyes. Pem. This once again, but that your highness pleas'd, Was once superfluous: you were crown'd before, To guard a title that was rich before, To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, Pem. But that your royal pleasure must be This act is as an ancient tale new told; Sal. In this, the antique and well noted face It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about: Startles and frights consideration; Makes sound opinion sick, and truth suspected, For putting on so new a fashion'd robe. Pem. When workmen strive to do better than well, They do confound their skill in covetousness: Doth make the fault the worse by the excuse; Sal. To this effect, before you were new crown'd, We breath'd our counsel: but it pleas'd your highness To overbear it; and we are all well pleas'd; Since all and every part of what we would, Doth make a stand at what your highness will. K. John. Some reasons of this double coronation I have possess'd you with, and think them strong; And more, more strong (when lesser is my fear), To sound the purposes of all their hearts), 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: Lives in his eye; that close aspect of his What we so fear'd he had a charge to do. Sal. The colour of the king doth come and go, Between his purpose and his conscience, Like heralds 'twixt two dreadful battles set: His passion is so ripe, it needs must break. Pem. And when it breaks, I fear, will issue thence The foul corruption of a sweet child's death. K. John. We cannot hold mortality's strong hand: Good lords, although my will to give is living, The suit which you demand is gone and dead: He tells us, Arthur is deceas'd to-night. 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 : Think you, I bear the shears of destiny? And find the inheritance of this poor child, That blood, which ow'd the breadth of all this isle, Three foot of it doth hold; Bad world the while! Enter a Messenger. A fearful eye thon hast; Where is that blood, So foul a sky clears not without a storm: Mess. From France to England.-Never such a power 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 come, that they are all arriv'd. K. John. O, where hath our intelligence been drunk? Where hath it slept? Where is my mother's care? 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, died 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! O, make a league with me, till I have pleas'd My discontented peers!-What! mother dead? How wildly then walks my estate in France!Under whose conduct came those powers of France, That thou for truth giv'st out, are landed here? Mess. Under the Dauphin. Enter the Bastard and PETER of Pomfret. 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, Then let the worst, unheard, fall on your head. K. John. Bear with me, cousin; for I was amaz'd Under the tide: but now I breathe again Bast. How I have sped among the clergymen, I find the people strangely fantasied; That ere the next Ascension-day at noon, Peter. Foreknowing that the truth will fall K. John. Hubert, away with him; imprison And on that day at noon, whereon, he says, For I must use thee.-O my gentle cousin, [Exit HUBERT with PETER. Hear'st thou the news abroad, who are arriv'd? Bast. The French, my lord; men's mouths are full of it: Besides, I met Lord Bigot, and Lord Salisbury K. John. Gentle kinsman, go, And thrust thyself into their companies: Bast. I will seek them out. K. John. Nay, but make haste; the better foot before. O, let me have no subject enemies, When adverse foreigners affright my towns And fly, like thought, from them to me again. man. Go after him; for he, perhaps, shall need |