CONSTANCE.
O fair return of banish'd majesty!
Here is the fair return of your forgotten majesty!
ELINOR.
O foul revolt of French inconstancy!
Disgusting rebellion of French inconstancy!
KING JOHN.
France, thou shalt rue this hour within this hour.
France, you shall regret what you have done here at once.
BASTARD.
Old Time the clock-setter, that bald sexton Time,
Is it as he will? Well then, France shall rue.
Old Father Time, that old gravedigger,
is this what he wants? Well then, France will regret this.
BLANCH.
The sun's o'ercast with blood. Fair day, adieu!
Which is the side that I must go withal?
I am with both: each army hath a hand;
And in their rage, I having hold of both,
They whirl asunder and dismember me.
Husband, I cannot pray that thou mayst win;
Uncle, I needs must pray that thou mayst lose;
Father, I may not wish the fortune thine;
Grandam, I will not wish thy wishes thrive.
Whoever wins, on that side shall I lose:
Assured loss before the match be play'd.
The sun has gone bloody red. Farewell, sweet day!
Which side am I supposed to choose?
I am with both of them: each army claims me;
and in their anger, as I have hold of both their hands,
they will tear me apart.
Husband, I cannot pray that you will win;
uncle, I must pray that you will lose;
father, I don't want you to succeed;
grandmother, I don't want you to get your wishes.
Whoever wins, I shall be the loser:
my loss is guaranteed before the match is even played.
LEWIS.
Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lies.
Lady, come with me, your fate is with me.
BLANCH.
There where my fortune lives, there my life dies.
Then where my fate goes, that's where my life dies.
KING JOHN.
Cousin, go draw our puissance together.
Cousin, let's go and muster our forces.
Exit
BASTARD
France, I am burn'd up with inflaming wrath,
A rage whose heat hath this condition
That nothing can allay, nothing but blood,
The blood, and dearest-valu'd blood, of France.
France, I am consumed with a burning anger,
an anger whose heat cannot be
cooled by anything except blood,
the blood, the blood of the greatest price, of France.
KING PHILIP.
Thy rage shall burn thee up, and thou shalt turn
To ashes, ere our blood shall quench that fire.
Look to thyself, thou art in jeopardy.
Your rage will burn you up, and you shall turn
to ashes, before my blood puts that fire out.
Watch out for yourself, you are in danger.
KING JOHN.
No more than he that threats. To arms let's hie!
In no more danger than the one who threatens it.
Let's arm ourselves!
Exeunt severally
France. Plains near Angiers
Alarums, excursions. Enter the BASTARD with AUSTRIA'S head
BASTARD.
Now, by my life, this day grows wondrous hot;
Some airy devil hovers in the sky
And pours down mischief. Austria's head lie there,
While Philip breathes.
Now, I swear, the day is growing terribly hot;
some flying devil is hovering in the sky
and pouring down mischief. Austria, lie your head there,
while Philip catches his breath.
Enter KING JOHN, ARTHUR, and HUBERT
KING JOHN.
Hubert, keep this boy. Philip, make up:
My mother is assailed in our tent,
And ta'en, I fear.
Hubert, look after this boy. Philip, get to the front:
my mother has been attacked in our tent,
and captured, I fear.
BASTARD.
My lord, I rescued her;
Her Highness is in safety, fear you not;
But on, my liege, for very little pains
Will bring this labour to an happy end.
My lord, I rescued her;
her Highness is safe, don't worry;
but let's go forward, my lord, for a little effort
will finish this work successfully.
Exeunt
France. Plains near Angiers
Alarums, excursions, retreat. Enter KING JOHN, ELINOR, ARTHUR,
the BASTARD, HUBERT, and LORDS
KING JOHN.
[To ELINOR]So shall it be; your Grace shall stay
behind,
So strongly guarded.[To ARTHUR]Cousin, look not sad;
Thy grandam loves thee, and thy uncle will
As dear be to thee as thy father was.
This is how it will be; your Grace will stay behind,
with this strong guard. Cousin, do not look sad;
your grandmother loves you, and your uncle will
be as dear to you as your father was.
ARTHUR.
O, this will make my mother die with grief!
Oh, this will make my mother die of grief!
KING JOHN.
[To the BASTARD]Cousin, away for England! haste before,
And, ere our coming, see thou shake the bags
Of hoarding abbots; imprisoned angels
Set at liberty; the fat ribs of peace
Must by the hungry now be fed upon.
Use our commission in his utmost force.
Cousin, let's go to England! You hurry ahead,
and, before we get there, make sure you impose taxes
on the hoarding abbots; set their coins
free; the animals which were fed in peace
must now make food for the hungry.
Use my full authority.
BASTARD.
Bell, book, and candle, shall not drive me back,
When gold and silver becks me to come on.
I leave your Highness. Grandam, I will pray,
If ever I remember to be holy,
For your fair safety. So, I kiss your hand.
The threat of excommunication will not repel me,
when gold and silver is urging me to go on.
I take my leave of your Highness. Grandmother, I will pray,
if I ever remember to be pious,
for your safety. So, I kiss your hand.
ELINOR.
Farewell, gentle cousin.
Farewell, sweet cousin.
KING JOHN.
Coz, farewell.
Cousin, farewell.
Exit BASTARD
ELINOR.
Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word.
Come here, little relative; listen to me.
KING JOHN.
Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert,
We owe thee much! Within this wall of flesh
There is a soul counts thee her creditor,
And with advantage means to pay thy love;
And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath
Lives in this bosom, dearly cherished.
Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say-
But I will fit it with some better time.
By heaven, Hubert, I am almost asham'd
To say what good respect I have of thee.
Come here, Hubert. Oh my sweet Hubert,
we owe you a lot! Inside this body
there is a soul which feels indebted to you,
and intends to return your love with interest;
and, my good friend, your voluntar
y promise
lives in my heart, greatly valued.
Give me your hand. I had something to say–
but I will find a better time to say it.
By heaven, Hubert, I am almost embarrassed
to say how well I think of you.
HUBERT.
I am much bounden to your Majesty.
I'm very indebted to your Majesty.
KING JOHN.
Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet,
But thou shalt have; and creep time ne'er so slow,
Yet it shall come for me to do thee good.
I had a thing to say-but let it go:
The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day,
Attended with the pleasures of the world,
Is all too wanton and too full of gawds
To give me audience. If the midnight bell
Did with his iron tongue and brazen mouth
Sound on into the drowsy race of night;
If this same were a churchyard where we stand,
And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs;
Or if that surly spirit, melancholy,
Had bak'd thy blood and made it heavy-thick,
Which else runs tickling up and down the veins,
Making that idiot, laughter, keep men's eyes
And strain their cheeks to idle merriment,
A passion hateful to my purposes;
Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes,
Hear me without thine cars, and make reply
Without a tongue, using conceit alone,
Without eyes, ears, and harmful sound of words-
Then, in despite of brooded watchful day,
I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts.
But, ah, I will not! Yet I love thee well;
And, by my troth, I think thou lov'st me well.
Good friend, you have no reason to say so yet,
but you will have; and however slowly time goes,
a time shall arrive when I can do you good.
I was going to say something–but let it go:
the sun is in the sky, and the proud day,
with all the pleasures of the world around it,
is too busy and full of showy ornaments
for me to be listened to: if the midnight bell
with his iron clapper and bronze casing
was ringing in the sleepy hours of the night;
if this was a churchyard where we are standing,
and you were possessed by a thousand evils;
or if that horrid spirit, depression,
had baked your blood and made it heavy, thick,
when otherwise it runs tickling up and down the veins,
making foolish laughter occupy men's eyes
and strain their cheeks in idle merriment,
an emotion which is unsuited to my purpose;
for if you could see me without eyes,
hear me without your ears, and reply
without the time, just using your thoughts,
without eyes, ears, and the harmful sound of words;
then, in spite of the brooding all seeing day,
I would pour my thoughts into your heart:
but, ah, I will not. But I love you well;
and, I swear, I think you love me well.
HUBERT.
So well that what you bid me undertake,
Though that my death were adjunct to my act,
By heaven, I would do it.
So well that whatever you told me to do,
even if it would cause my death,
I swear that I would do it.
KING JOHN.
Do not I know thou wouldst?
Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye
On yon young boy. I'll tell thee what, my friend,
He is a very serpent in my way;
And wheresoe'er this foot of mine doth tread,
He lies before me. Dost thou understand me?
Thou art his keeper.
Don't I know that you would?
Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, look over
at that young boy. I tell you what, my friend,
he is a snake on my path;
and wherever I walk
he lies in my way. Do you understand me?
You are his keeper.
HUBERT.
And I'll keep him so
That he shall not offend your Majesty.
And I'll keep him in a way
that will stop him offending your Majesty.
KING JOHN.
Death.
Death.
HUBERT.
My lord?
My lord?
KING JOHN.
A grave.
A grave.
HUBERT.
He shall not live.
He shall not live.
KING JOHN.
Enough!
I could be merry now. Hubert, I love thee.
Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee.
Remember. Madam, fare you well;
I'll send those powers o'er to your Majesty.
Good!
I could be merry now. Hubert, I love you.
Well, I won't say what I've got planned for you.
Remember. Madam, Farewell;
I'll send those forces over to your Majesty.
ELINOR.
My blessing go with thee!
Take my blessings with you!
KING JOHN.
[To ARTHUR]For England, cousin, go;
Hubert shall be your man, attend on you
With all true duty. On toward Calais, ho!
Head for England, cousin;
Hubert will be your servant, he'll
take good care of you. Off you go to Calais!
Exeunt
France. The FRENCH KING's camp
Enter KING PHILIP, LEWIS, PANDULPH, and attendants
KING PHILIP.
So by a roaring tempest on the flood
A whole armado of convicted sail
Is scattered and disjoin'd from fellowship.
So a whole armada of doomed ships
has been scattered and separated
by a roaring storm on the sea.
PANDULPH.
Courage and comfort! All shall yet go well.
Be brave and be calm! Everything will still turn out well.
KING PHILIP.
What can go well, when we have run so ill.
Are we not beaten? Is not Angiers lost?
Arthur ta'en prisoner? Divers dear friends slain?
And bloody England into England gone,
O'erbearing interruption, spite of France?
How can things go well, when we have done so badly?
Haven't we been beaten? Hasn't Angiers been lost?
Arthur taken prisoner? Many dear friends killed?
And the bloody king of England gone back to England,
brushing aside our interventions, to spite France?
LEWIS.
What he hath won, that hath he fortified;
So hot a speed with such advice dispos'd,
Such temperate order in so fierce a cause,
Doth want example; who hath read or heard
Of any kindred action like to this?
He has fortified the towns he has won;
doing such things with such urgent speed,
being so organised and at the same time so energetic,
is unheard of; has anybody ever read or heard
of such a thing?
KING PHILIP.
Well could I bear that England had this praise,
So we could find some pattern of our shame.
Enter CONSTANCE
Look who comes here! a grave unto a soul;
Holding th' eternal spirit, against her will,
In the vile prison of afflicted breath.
I prithee, lady, go away with me.
I wouldn't mind England being praised for this,
i
f we could find anyone who had ever been as shamed as us.
[Enter Constance]
Look who's coming! The grave of a soul;
the eternal spirit is being kept against her will
in the vile prison of the body.
I beg you, lady, come away with me.
CONSTANCE.
Lo now! now see the issue of your peace!
Look now! Now see how your peace has turned out!
KING PHILIP.
Patience, good lady! Comfort, gentle Constance!
Be patient, good lady! Be calm, sweet Constance!
CONSTANCE.
No, I defy all counsel, all redress,
But that which ends all counsel, true redress-
Death, death; O amiable lovely death!
Thou odoriferous stench! sound rottenness!
Arise forth from the couch of lasting night,
Thou hate and terror to prosperity,
And I will kiss thy detestable bones,
And put my eyeballs in thy vaulty brows,
And ring these fingers with thy household worms,
And stop this gap of breath with fulsome dust,
And be a carrion monster like thyself.
Come, grin on me, and I will think thou smil'st,
And buss thee as thy wife. Misery's love,
O, come to me!
No, I refuse all advice, all repayment,
except that which owns all advice, true repayment–
death, death; oh friendly, lovely death!
You reeking stench! Solid rottenness!
Rise up from the eternal night,
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 9