I will, upon all hazards, well believe so well: Who art thou? tongue ** Bast. Who thou wilt: an if thou please, Thou may'st befriend me so much, as to think I come one way of the Plantagenets. Hub. Unkind remembrance! thou, and eyelefs night, Have done me shame: Brave soldier, pardon me, That any accent, breaking from thy tongue, Should scape the true acquaintance of mine ear. Bast. Come, come; sans compliment, what news abroad? Hub. Why, here walk I, in the black brow of night, To find you out. Bast. Brief, then; and what's the news? Hub. O, my sweet sir, news fitting to the night, Black, fearful, comfortlefs, and horrible... any Bast. Shew me the very wound of this ill news; I am no woman, I'll not swoon at it. Hub. The king, I fear, is poison'd by a monk: I left him almost speechlefs, and broke out To acquaint you with this evil; that you might The better arm you to the sudden time, Than if you had at leisure known of this. Bast. How did he take it? who did ta taste to him? Hub. A monk, I tell you; a resolved villain, Whose bowels suddenly burst out: the king Yet speaks, and, peradventure, may recover. Bast. Who didst thou leave to tend his majesty? Hub. Why, know you not? the lords are all come back, And brought prince Henry in their company; Bast. Withhold thine indignation, mighty heaven, And tempt us not to bear above our power! M [Exeunt.] The Orchard of Swinstead - Abbey. Enter Prince HENRY, SALISBURY, and BIGOT. P. Hen. It is too late; the life of all his blood Is touch'd corruptibly; and his pure brain (Which some suppose the soul's frail dwellinghouse) Doth, by the idle comments thats it makes, Enter PEMBROKE. Pemb. His highness yet doth speak; and holds belief, That, being brought into the open air, Of that fell poison which assaileth him. P. Hen. Let him be brought into the orchard .. here. Doth he still rage? Pemb. He is more patient [Exit Bigot.] Than when you left him; even now he sung. In their continuance, will not feel themselves. T With many legions of strange fantasies; I am the cygnet to this pale faint swan, To set a form upon that indigest Which he hath left so shapeless and so rude. Re-enter BIGOT, and Attendants, who bring in King JOHN in a chair. K. John. Ay, marry, now my soul hath elbow. 51 room; It would not out at windows, nor at doors. A P. Hen. How fares your majesty? dead, for And none of you will bid the winter come,' Nor let my kingdom's rivers take their course coas much, I beg cold comfort; and you are so strait, P. Hen. O, that there were some virtue in my tears, That might relieve you! K. John. The salt in them is hot. Enter the Bastard. Bast. O, I am scalded with my violent motion, And spleen of speed to see your majesty. K. John. O cousin, thou art come to set mine eye: The tackle of my heart is crack'd and burn'd; And all the shrouds, wherewith my life should sail, Are turned to one thread, one little hair: My heart hath one poor string to stay it by, Which holds but till thy news be uttered; And then all this thou see'st, is but a clod, And module of confounded royalty. Bast. The Dauphin is preparing hitherward; Where, heaven he knows, how we shall answer For, in a night, the best part of my power, [The king dies.] Sal. You breathe these dead news in as dead an ear. My liege! my lord! But now a king, -now thus. ༤། P. Hen. Even so must I run on, and even so stop. What surety of the world, what hope, what stay, When this was now a king, and now is clay! Where be your powers? Shew now your mended faiths; And instantly return with me again, To push destruction, and perpetual shame, The Dauphin rages at our very heels. Sal. It seems, you know not then so much as we; The cardinal Pandulph is within at rest, Who half an hour since came from the Dauphin; And brings from him such offers of our peace As we with honour and respect may take, With purpose presently to leave this war. Bast. He will the rather do it, when he sees Ourselves well sinewed to our defence. Sal.. Nay, it is in a manner done already; For many carriages he hath dispatch'd To the sea-side, and put his cause and quarrel To the disposing of the cardinal: With whom yourself, myself, and other lords, If you think meet, this afternoon will post To consummate this business happily. Bast. Let it be so: And you, my noble With other princes that may best be spar'd, P. Hen. At Worcester must his body be interr'd, For so he will'd it. Bast. Thither shall it then. |