Act V · Scene I
KING JOHN'S palace.
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Enter KING JOHN, CARDINAL PANDULPH, and Attendants
KING JOHN
Thus have I yielded up into your handThe circle of my glory.
Giving the crown
CARDINAL PANDULPH
Take againFrom this my hand, as holding of the popeYour sovereign greatness and authority.
KING JOHN
Now keep your holy word: go meet the French,And from his holiness use all your powerTo stop their marches 'fore we are inflamed.Our discontented counties do revolt;Our people quarrel with obedience,Swearing allegiance and the love of soulTo stranger blood, to foreign royalty.This inundation of mistemper'd humourRests by you only to be qualified:Then pause not; for the present time's so sick,That present medicine must be minister'd,Or overthrow incurable ensues.
CARDINAL PANDULPH
It was my breath that blew this tempest up,Upon your stubborn usage of the pope;But since you are a gentle convertite,My tongue shall hush again this storm of warAnd make fair weather in your blustering land.On this Ascension-day, remember well,Upon your oath of service to the pope,Go I to make the French lay down their arms.
Exit
KING JOHN
Is this Ascension-day? Did not the prophetSay that before Ascension-day at noonMy crown I should give off? Even so I have:I did suppose it should be on constraint:But, heaven be thank'd, it is but voluntary.
Enter the BASTARD
BASTARD
All Kent hath yielded; nothing there holds outBut Dover castle: London hath received,Like a kind host, the Dauphin and his powers:Your nobles will not hear you, but are goneTo offer service to your enemy,And wild amazement hurries up and downThe little number of your doubtful friends.
KING JOHN
Would not my lords return to me again,After they heard young Arthur was alive?
BASTARD
They found him dead and cast into the streets,An empty casket, where the jewel of lifeBy some damn'd hand was robb'd and ta'en away.
KING JOHN
That villain Hubert told me he did live.
BASTARD
So, on my soul, he did, for aught he knew.But wherefore do you droop? why look you sad?Be great in act, as you have been in thought;Let not the world see fear and sad distrustGovern the motion of a kingly eye:Be stirring as the time; be fire with fire;Threaten the threatener and outface the browOf bragging horror: so shall inferior eyes,That borrow their behaviors from the great,Grow great by your example and put onThe dauntless spirit of resolution.Away, and glister like the god of war,When he intendeth to become the field:Show boldness and aspiring confidence.What, shall they seek the lion in his den,And fright him there? and make him tremble there?O, let it not be said: forage, and runTo meet displeasure farther from the doors,And grapple with him ere he comes so nigh.
KING JOHN
The legate of the pope hath been with me,And I have made a happy peace with him;And he hath promised to dismiss the powersLed by the Dauphin.
BASTARD
O inglorious league!Shall we, upon the footing of our land,Send fair-play orders and make compromise,Insinuation, parley and base truceTo arms invasive? shall a beardless boy,A cocker'd silken wanton, brave our fields,And flesh his spirit in a warlike soil,Mocking the air with colours idly spread,And find no cheque? Let us, my liege, to arms:Perchance the cardinal cannot make your peace;Or if he do, let it at least be saidThey saw we had a purpose of defence.
KING JOHN
Have thou the ordering of this present time.
BASTARD
Away, then, with good courage! yet, I know,Our party may well meet a prouder foe.
Exeunt