K. John. This fever, that hath troubled me so long, Lies heavy on me; O, my heart is sick! Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord, your valiant kinsman, Faulconbridge, Desires your majesty to leave the field; And send him word by me, which way you go. K. John. Tell him, toward Swinstead, to the abbey there. Mess. Be of good comfort; for the great supply That was expected by the Dauphin here, Are wreck'd three nights ago on Goodwin sands. This news was brought to Richard but even now : The French fight coldly, and retire themselves. K. John. Ah me! this tyrant fever burns me up, And will not let me welcome this good news. Set on toward Swinstead: to my litter straight; Weakness possesseth me, and I am faint. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. Another Part of the same. Enter SALISBURY, PEMBROKE, BIGOT, and others. Sal. I did not think the king so stor'd with friends. Pem. Up once again; put spirit in the French; If they miscarry, we miscarry too. Sal. That misbegotten devil, Faulconbridge, In spite of spite, alone upholds the day. Pem. They say, king John, sore sick, hath left the field. Enter MELUN wounded, and led by Soldiers. Mel. Lead me to the revolts of England here.' Sal. When we were happy, we had other names. Pem. It is the count Melun. Sal. Wounded to death. Mel. Fly, noble English, you are bought and sold"; Unthread the rude eye of rebellion, And welcome home again discarded faith. Sal. May this be possible? may this be true? Mel. Have I not hideous death within my view, Retaining but a quantity of life; Which bleeds away, even as a form of wax He is forsworn, if e'er those eyes of But even this night,—whose black contagious breath Even this ill night, your breathing shall expire; 6 A proverb intimating treachery. 7 Lewis. In allusion to the images made by witches. Even with a treacherous fine of all your lives, Sal. We do believe thee,-And beshrew my soul Even to our ocean, to our great king John. Right in thine eye.-Away, my friends! New flight: [Exeunt, leading off MELUN. SCENE V. The French Camp. Enter LEWIS and his Train. Lew. The sun of heaven, methought, was loath to set; But stay'd, and made the western welkin blush, When the English measur'd backward their own ground, 9 Innovation. In faint retire: O, bravely came we off, Enter a Messenger. Mess. Where is my prince, the Dauphin? Lew. Here:- What news? Mess. The count Melun is slain; the English lords, By his persuasion, are again fallen off: And your supply, which you have wish'd so long, Are cast away, and sunk, on Goodwin sands. Lew. Ah, foul shrewd news!-Beshrew thy very heart! I did not think to be so sad to-night, As this hath made me.- Who was he, that said, The day shall not be up so soon as I, [Exeunt. SCENE VI. An open Place in the neighbourhood of SwinsteadAbbey. Enter the Bastard and HUBERT, meeting. Hub. Who's there? speak, ho! speak quickly, or I shoot. Bast. A friend :-What art thou? Hub. Of the part of England. Bast. Whither dost thou go? Hub. What's that to thee? Why may not I de ́mand Of thine affairs, as well as thou of mine?» Bast. Hubert, I think. Hub. Thou hast a perfect thought: I will upon all hazards, well believe Thou art my friend, that know'st my tongue so well: Who art thou? 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 eyeless night, Have done me shame:. Brave soldier pardon me, That any accent breaking from thy tongue, 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, comfortless, and horrible. Bast. Show 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 : Bast. How did he take it? who did 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. I Without. |