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King John: Act V, Scene 4

King John
Act V, Scene 4

Another part of the battlefield.

  1. Enter Salisbury, Pembroke, and Bigot.

Earl of Salisbury

1
  1. I did not think the King so stor’d with friends.

Earl of Pembroke

2 - 3
  1. Up once again! Put spirit in the French;
  2. If they miscarry, we miscarry too.

Earl of Salisbury

4 - 5
  1. That misbegotten devil Faulconbridge,
  2. In spite of spite, alone upholds the day.

Earl of Pembroke

6
  1. They say King John, sore sick, hath left the field.
  1. Enter Melune wounded.

Melune

7
  1. Lead me to the revolts of England here.

Earl of Salisbury

8
  1. When we were happy we had other names.

Earl of Pembroke

9
  1. It is the Count Melune.

Earl of Salisbury

10
  1.                         Wounded to death.

Melune

11 - 21
  1. Fly, noble English, you are bought and sold!
  2. Unthread the rude eye of rebellion,
  3. And welcome home again discarded faith.
  4. Seek out King John and fall before his feet;
  5. For if the French be lords of this loud day,
  6. He means to recompense the pains you take
  7. By cutting off your heads. Thus hath he sworn,
  8. And I with him, and many more with me,
  9. Upon the altar at Saint Edmundsbury,
  10. Even on that altar where we swore to you
  11. Dear amity and everlasting love.

Earl of Salisbury

22
  1. May this be possible? May this be true?

Melune

23 - 49
  1. Have I not hideous death within my view,
  2. Retaining but a quantity of life,
  3. Which bleeds away even as a form of wax
  4. Resolveth from his figure ’gainst the fire?
  5. What in the world should make me now deceive,
  6. Since I must lose the use of all deceit?
  7. Why should I then be false, since it is true
  8. That I must die here and live hence by truth?
  9. I say again, if Lewis do win the day,
  10. He is forsworn if e’er those eyes of yours
  11. Behold another day break in the east;
  12. But even this night, whose black contagious breath
  13. Already smokes about the burning crest
  14. Of the old, feeble, and day-wearied sun,
  15. Even this ill night your breathing shall expire,
  16. Paying the fine of rated treachery
  17. Even with a treacherous fine of all your lives,
  18. If Lewis by your assistance win the day.
  19. Commend me to one Hubert with your king;
  20. The love of him, and this respect besides,
  21. For that my grandsire was an Englishman,
  22. Awakes my conscience to confess all this.
  23. In lieu whereof, I pray you bear me hence
  24. From forth the noise and rumor of the field,
  25. Where I may think the remnant of my thoughts
  26. In peace, and part this body and my soul
  27. With contemplation and devout desires.

Earl of Salisbury

50 - 62
  1. We do believe thee, and beshrew my soul
  2. But I do love the favor and the form
  3. Of this most fair occasion, by the which
  4. We will untread the steps of damned flight,
  5. And like a bated and retired flood,
  6. Leaving our rankness and irregular course,
  7. Stoop low within those bounds we have o’erlook’d,
  8. And calmly run on in obedience
  9. Even to our ocean, to our great King John.
  10. My arm shall give thee help to bear thee hence,
  11. For I do see the cruel pangs of death
  12. Right in thine eye. Away, my friends! New flight,
  13. And happy newness, that intends old right.
  1. Exeunt leading off Melune.
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