Retaining but a quantity of life,

Which bleeds away, even as a form of wax

Resolveth from his figure ‘gainst the fire?

What in the world should make me now deceive,

Since I must lose the use of all deceit?

Why should I then be false, since it is true

That I must die here, and live hence by truth?

I say again, if Louis do win the day,

He is forsworn if e’er those eyes of yours

Behold another daybreak in the east;

But even this night, whose black contagious breath

Already smokes about the burning cresset

Of the old, feeble, and day-wearied sun,

Even this ill night your breathing shall expire,

Paying the fine of rated treachery

Even with a treacherous fine of all your lives,

If Louis by your assistance win the day.

Commend me to one Hubert with your king.

The love of him, and this respect besides,

For that my grandsire was an Englishman,

Awakes my conscience to confess all this;

In lieu whereof, I pray you bear me hence

From forth the noise and rumour of the field,

Where I may think the remnant of my thoughts

In peace, and part this body and my soul

With contemplation and devout desires.

SALISBURY

We do believe thee; and beshrew my soul

But I do love the favour and the form

Of this most fair occasion; by the which

We will untread the steps of damned flight,

And like a bated and retired flood,

Leaving our rankness and irregular course,

Stoop low within those bounds we have o’erlooked,

And calmly run on in obedience

Even to our ocean, to our great King John.

My arm shall give thee help to bear thee hence,

For I do see the cruel pangs of death

Right in thine eye.—Away,my friends! New flight,

And happy newness that intends old right. Exeunt

5.5 ⌈Alarum,. retreat.⌉ Enter Louis the Dauphin, and his train

LOUIS THE DAUPHIN

The sun of heaven, methought, was loath to set,

But stayed and made the western welkin blush,

When English measured backward their own ground

In faint retire. O, bravely came we off,

When with a volley of our needless shot,

After such bloody toil, we bid good night,

And wound our tatt’ring colours clearly up,

Last in the field and almost lords of it.

Enter a Messenger

MESSENGER

Where is my prince the Dauphin?

LOUIS THE DAUPHIN Here. What news?

MESSENGER

The Count Melun is slain; the English lords

By his persuasion are again fall’n off;

And your supply which you have wished so long

Are cast away and sunk on Goodwin Sands.

LOUIS THE DAUPHIN

Ah, foul shrewd news! Beshrew thy very heart

I did not think to be so sad tonight

As this hath made me. Who was he that said

King John did fly an hour or two before

The stumbling night did part our weary powers?

MESSENGER

Whoever spoke it, it is true, my lord.

LOUIS THE DAUPHIN

Well, keep good quarter and good care tonight.

The day shall not be up so soon as I,

To try the fair adventure of tomorrow. Exeunt

5.6 Enter the Bastard ⌈With a light⌉and Hubert ⌈With a pistol⌉, severally

HUBERT

Who’s there? Speak, ho! Speak quickly, or I shoot.

BASTARD

A friend. What art thou?

HUBERT Of the part of England.

BASTARD

Whither dost thou go?

HUBERT What’s that to thee?

Why may not I demand of thine affairs

As well as thou of mine?

BASTARD Hubert, I think.

HUBERT 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?

BASTARD Who thou wilt. An if thou please,

Thou mayst befriend me so much as to think

I come one way of the Plantagenets.

HUBERT

Unkind remembrance! Thou and eyeless night

Have done me shame. Brave soldier, pardon me

That any accent breaking from thy tongue

Should ’scape the true acquaintance of mine ear.

BASTARD

Come, come, sans compliment. What news abroad?

HUBERT

Why, here walk I in the black brow of night

To find you out.

BASTARD Brief, then, and what’s the news?

HUBERT

O my sweet sir, news fitting to the night:

Black, fearful, comfortless, and horrible.

BASTARD

Show me the very wound of this ill news;

I am no woman, I’ll not swoon at it.

HUBERT

The King, I fear, is poisoned by a monk.

I left him almost speechless, 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.

BASTARD

How did he take it? Who did taste to him?

HUBERT

A monk, I tell you, a resolved villain,

Whose bowels suddenly burst out. The King

Yet speaks, and peradventure may recover.

BASTARD

Who didst thou leave to tend his majesty?

HUBERT

Why, know you not? The lords are all come back,

And brought Prince Henry in their company,

At whose request the King hath pardoned them,

And they are all about his majesty.

BASTARD

Withhold thine indignation, mighty heaven,