For that which thou haft fworn to do amik,
Is moft amifs, when it is truly done:

And being not done, where doing tends to ill,
The truth is then moft done, not doing it.
The better act of purposes mistook
Is to mistake again; though indirect,
Yet indirection thereby grows direct,
And falfhood falfhood cures, as fire cools fire
Within the fcorched veins of one new-burn'd.
It is religion that doth make vows kept,
But thou haft fworn against religion:

By that thou swear'ft against the thing thou fwear'ft;
And mak'ft an oath the furety for thy truth
Against an oath, that truth thou art untrue
To fwear: fwear only not to be forfworn;
Elfe what a mockery fhould it be to fwear!
But thou doft fwear, only to be forfworn,
And moft forfworn, to keep what thou doft swear.
Therefore thy latter vows, againft thy first,
Is in thy felf rebellion to thy felf:

And better conqueft never canft thou make,
Than arm thy conftant and thy nobler parts
Against these giddy, loofe fuggeftions:
Upon which better part, our pray'rs come in,
If thou vouchfafe them. But if not, then know
The peril of our curfes light on thee

So heavy as thou shalt not shake them off,
But in defpair die under their black weight.
Auft. Rebellion, flat rebellion.

Baft. Will't not be?

Will not a calve's-fkin ftop that mouth of thine?
Lewis. Father, to arms!

Blanch. Upon thy wedding-day?

Against the blood that thou haft married ?

What, fhall our feaft be kept with flaughter'd men?.
Shall braying trumpets, and loud churlish drums,
Clamours of hell, be meafures to our pomp?
Ohufband, hear me : ay, alack, how new
Is husband in my mouth! ev'n for that name
Which 'till this time my tongue did ne'er pronounce,

Upon

Upon my knee I beg, go not to arms
Against mine uncle.

Conft. O, upon my knee,

Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee,
Thou virtuous Dauphin, alter not the doom
Forethought by heav'n.

Blanch. Now fhall I fee thy love; what motive may Be ftronger with thee than the name of wife?

Conft. That which upholdeth him, that thee upholds,
His honour. O, thine honour, Lewis, thine honour!
Lewis. I mufe your Majefty doth feem fo cold,
When fuch profound refpects do pull you on.
Pand. I will denounce a curfe upon his head.
K. Philip. Thou shalt not need. England, I'll fall
from thee.

Conf. O fair return of banifh'd Majefty!
Eli. O foul revolt of French inconftancy!

K. John. France, thou shalt rue this hour within this hour, Baft. Old Time the clock-fetter, the bald fexton Time, Is it, as he will? well then, France shall rue.

Blancb. The fun's o'er-caft with blood: fair day, adieu! Which is the fide 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 afunder, and difmember me.
Hufband, I cannot pray that thou may'st win:
Uncle, I needs must pray that thou may'ft lofe:
Father, I may not wish the fortune thine:
Grandam, I will not wish thy wishes thrive:
Whoever wins, on that fide fhall I lofe:
Affured lofs, before the match be play'd,

Lewis. Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lyes.
Blanch. There where my fortune lives, there my life dies
K. John. Coufin, go draw our puiffance together.
[Exit Baft,

France, I am burn'd up with inflaming wrath;
A rage, whofe heat hath this condition,
That nothing can allay, nothing but blood,
The blood, and deareft valu'd blood of France.

K. Philip

K. Philip. Thy rage fhalt burn thee up, and thou shalt To afhes, ere our blood fhall quench that fire: [turn Look to thy felf, thou art in jeopardy.

K. John. No more than he that threats. To arms let's

hie.

[Exeunt. Alarms, Excurfions: Enter Bastard with Austria's bead. Baft. Now, by my life, this day grows wond'rous hot, Some fiery devil hovers in the sky,

SCENE IV. A Field of Battle.

And pours down mischief. Auftria's head lye there.
Thus hath King Richard's fon perform'd his vow,
And offer'd Auftria's blood for facrifice

Unto his father's ever-living foul.

Enter King John, Arthur, and Hubert.

K. John. There, Hubert, keep this boy. My mother is affailed in our tent,

And ta'en, I fear.

Baft. My Lord, I refcu'd her:
Her Highness is in fafety, fear you not.
But on, my Liege, for very little pains
Will bring this labour to an happy end.

SCENE V.

- Coufin,

[make up ;

[Exeunt.

Alarms, Excurfions, Retreat. Re-enter King John, Elinor, Arthur, Bastard, Hubert, and Lords.

K. John. So fhall it be; your Grace shall stay behind

So ftrongly guarded: coufin, look not fad,

Thy grandam loves thee, and thy uncle will

As dear be to thee, as thy father was.

[To Elinor. [To Arthur.

Arth. O, this will make my mother die with grief.
K. Jobn. Coufin, away for England, hafte before,
[To the Baft.

And ere our coming fee thou shake the bags
Of hoarding Abbots; their imprifon'd angels
Set thou at liberty: the fat ribs of peace
Muft by the hungry maw be fed upon.
Use our commiffion in its utmost force.

Baft. Bell, book, and candle fhall not drive me back, When gold and filver becks me to come on.

I leave your Highness: grandam, I will pray,

(If

(If ever I remember to be holy)

For your fair fafety; fo I kiss your hand.

Eli. Farewel, my gentle coufin!

K. John. Coz, farewel!

[Exit Baft

Eli. Come hither, little kinfman,hark, a word.
[Taking him to one fide of the ftager

K. John. [To Hubert on the other fide.]
Come hither, Hubert, O my gentle Hubert,
We owe thee much; within this wall of fleth
There is a foul counts thee her creditor,
And with advantage means to pay thy love:
And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath
Lives in this bofom, dearly cherished.
Give me thy hand, I had a thing to fay
But I will fit it with fome better time.
By heaven, Hubert, I'm almoft afham'd
To fay what good refpect I have of thee.
Hub. I am much bounden to your Majesty.
K. John. Good friend, thou haft no caufe to fay fo yet
But thou shalt have - · and creep time ne'er fo flow,
Yet it fhall come for me to do thee good.
I had a thing to say but let it go:

The fun is in the heav'n, and the proud day,
Attended with the pleasures of the world,
Is all too wanton, and too full of gaudes
To give me audience. If the midnight bell
Did with his iron tongue and brazen mouth
Sound One unto the drowfie race of night;
If this fame were a church-yard where we stand,
And thou poffeffed with a thousand wrongs;
Or if that furly fpirit Melancholy

Had bak'd thy blood and made it heavy-thick,
Which elfe runs tickling up and down the veins,
Making that ideot Laughter keep mens eyes,
And ftrain their cheeks to idle merriment;
(A paffion hateful to my purposes)

Or if that thou could'ft fee me without eyes,
Hear me without thine ears, and make reply
Without a tongue, ufing conceit alone,

Without eyes, ears, and harmful found of words ;

Then, in defpight of broad-ey'd watchful day,
I would into thy bofom pour my thoughts:
Buth, I will not -yet I love thee well,
And by my troth I think thou lov'ft me well.
Hub. So well, that what you bid me undertake,
Though that my death were adjunct to my act,
By heav'n, I'd do't.

K. John. Do not I know thou would'ft?
Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye
On yon young boy: I'll tell thee what, my friend,
He is a very ferpent in my way,

And wherefoe'er this foot of mine doth tread,
He lyes before me. Doft thou understand me?
Thou art his keeper.

Hub. And I'll keep him fo,

That he fhall not offend your Majefty.
K. John, Death.

Hub. My Lord?

K. John, A Grave.

Hub. He fhall not live.

K. John. Enough.

I could be merry now. Hubert, I love thee;
Well, I'll not fay what I intend for thee:
Madam, fare you well.

Remember :

[Returning to the Queen

I'll fend those pow'rs o'er to your Majesty.
Eli. My bleffing go with thee!

K. John. For England, coufin, go. · l
Hubert fhall be your man, t' attend on you
With all true duty; on toward Calais, ho!

[Exeunt

SCENE VI. The French Court. Enter King Philip, Lewis, Pandulpho, and Attendants. K. Philip So by a roaring tempeft on the flood, A whole armado of collected fail

Is fcatter'd and disjoin'd from fellowship.

Pand. Courage and comfort, all fhall yet go well.

K. Philip. What can go well, when we have run fo ill? Are we not beaten? Is not Angiers loft?

Arthur ta'en pris'ner? divers dear friends slain ?

And