Is ‘husband’ in my mouth! Even for that name

Which till this time my tongue did ne’er pronounce,

Upon my knee I beg, go not to arms

Against mine uncle.

CONSTANCE (kneeling) O, upon my knee 235

Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee,

Thou virtuous Dauphin, alter not the doom

Forethought by heaven.

BLANCHE (to Louis the Dauphin)

Now shall I see thy love: what motive may

Be stronger with thee than the name of wife? 240

CONSTANCE

That which upholdeth him that thee upholds:

His honour.—O thine honour, Louis, thine honour!

LOUIS THE DAUPHIN (to King Philip)

I muse your majesty doth seem so cold

When such profound respects do pull you on.

PANDOLF

I will denounce a curse upon his head. 245

KING PHILIP

Thou shalt not need.—England, I will fall from thee.

⌈He takes his hand from King John’s hand. Blanche and Constance rise⌉

CONSTANCE

O, fair return of banished majesty!

QUEEN ELEANOR

O, foul revolt of French inconstancy I

KING JOHN

France, thou shalt rue this hour within this hour.

BASTARD

Old Time the clock-setter, that bald sexton Time, 250

Is it as he will?—Well then, France shall rue.

BLANCHE

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, 255

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 played.

LOUIS THE DAUPHIN

Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lies.

BLANCHE

There where my fortune lives, there my life dies.

KING JOHN (to the Bastard)

Cousin, go draw our puissance together.—

⌈Exit the Bastard⌉

France, I am burned up with inflaming wrath,

A rage whose heat hath this condition:

That nothing can allay, nothing but blood,

The blood, and dearest-valued blood, of France.

KING PHILIP

Thy rage shall burn thee up, and thou shalt turn 270

To ashes ere our blood shall quench that fire.

Look to thyself, thou art in jeopardy.

KING JOHN

No more than he that threats.—To arms let’s hie!

Exeunt ⌈severally⌉

3.2 Alarum; excursions. Enter the Bastard, with the Duke of 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.

Enter King John, Arthur Duke of Brittaine, and Hubert

KING JOHN

Hubert, keep this boy.—Philip, make up! 5

My mother is assailed in our tent,

And ta’en 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. 10

Exeunt ⌈King John and the Bastard at one door, Hubert and Arthur at another door⌉

3.3 Alarum; excursions; retreat. Enter King John, Queen Eleanor, Arthur Duke of Brittaine, the Bastard, Hubert, lords, ⌈with soldiers⌉

KING JOHN (to Queen Eleanor)

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.

ARTHUR

O, this will make my mother die with grief. 5

KING JOHN (to the Bastard)

Cousin, away for England! Haste before,

And ere our coming, see thou shake the bags

Of hoarding abbots. The fat ribs of peace

Must by the hungry now be fed upon.

Imprisoned angels set at liberty. 10

Use our commission in his utmost force.

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.

QUEEN ELEANOR

Farewell, gentle cousin.

KING JOHN Coz, farewell. Exit the Bastard

QUEEN ELEANOR

Come hither, little kinsman. Hark, a word.

She takes Arthur aside

KING JOHN

Come hither, Hubert.

He takes Hubert aside

O my gentle Hubert,

We owe thee much. Within this wall of flesh 20

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.

He takes Hubert’s hand

I had a thing to say, 25

But I will fit it with some better tune.

By heaven, Hubert, I am almost ashamed

To say what good respect I have of thee.

HUBERT

I am much bounden to your majesty.

KING JOHN

Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet, 30

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, 35

Is all too wanton and too full of gauds

To give me audience. If the midnight bell

Did with his iron tongue and brazen mouth

Sound on into the drowsy race of night;