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The Same. Another Part of the Same. | |
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Enter SALISBURY, PEMBROKE, BIGOT, and Others. | |
| Sal. I did not think the king so stor’d with friends. | |
| Pem. Up once again; put spirit in the French: | |
| If they miscarry we miscarry too. | 5 |
| Sal. That misbegotten devil, Faulconbridge, | |
| In spite of spite, alone upholds the day. | |
| Pem. They say King John, sore sick, hath left the field. | |
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Enter MELUN wounded, and led by Soldiers. | |
| Mel. Lead me to the revolts of England here. | 10 |
| Sal. When we were happy we had other names. | |
| Pem. It is the Count Melun. | |
| Sal. Wounded to death. | |
| Mel. Fly, noble English; you are bought and sold; | |
| Unthread the rude eye of rebellion, | 15 |
| And welcome home again discarded faith. | |
| Seek out King John and fall before his feet; | |
| For if the French be lords of this loud day, | |
| He means to recompense the pains you take | |
| By cutting off your heads. Thus hath he sworn, | 20 |
| And I with him, and many moe with me, | |
| Upon the altar at Saint Edmundsbury; | |
| Even on that altar where we swore to you | |
| Dear amity and everlasting love. | |
| Sal. May this be possible? may this be true? | 25 |
| Mel. Have I not hideous death within my view, | |
| 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, | 30 |
| 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 Lewis do win the day, | |
| He is forsworn, if e’er those eyes of yours | 35 |
| Behold another day break in the east: | |
| But even this night, whose black contagious breath | |
| Already smokes about the burning crest | |
| Of the old, feeble, and day-wearied sun, | |
| Even this ill night, your breathing shall expire, | 40 |
| Paying the fine of rated treachery | |
| Even with a treacherous fine of all your lives, | |
| If Lewis by your assistance win the day. | |
| Commend me to one Hubert with your king; | |
| The love of him, and this respect besides, | 45 |
| 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 | 50 |
| In peace, and part this body and my soul | |
| With contemplation and devout desires. | |
| Sal. 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 | 55 |
| 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’erlook’d, | |
| And calmly run on in obedience, | 60 |
| 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, leading off MELUN. | 65 |
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