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Act 3, Scene 2
King John Translation Act 3, Scene 3
Alarums, excursions, retreat. Enter KING JOHN, QUEEN ELINOR, ARTHUR, the BASTARD, HUBERT, and Lords
KING JOHN
[To QUEEN ELINOR] So shall it be; your grace shallstay behindSo strongly guarded.
KING JOHN
[To QUEEN ELINOR] That's how it will be. You will stay behind, well guarded.
To ARTHUR
KING JOHN
Cousin, look not sad:Thy grandam loves thee; and thy uncle willAs dear be to thee as thy father was.
KING JOHN
Cousin, don't look so sad. Your grandmother loves you, and your uncle will be as dear to you as your father was.
ARTHUR
O, this will make my mother die with grief!
ARTHUR
Oh, this will make my mother die of sadness!
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KING JOHN
[To the BASTARD] Cousin, away for England! haste before: And, ere our coming, see thou shake the bags Of hoarding abbots; imprisoned angels Set at liberty: the fat ribs of peace Must by the hungry now be fed upon: Use our commission in his utmost force.
KING JOHN
[To the BASTARD] Cousin, let's go to England! Hurry ahead: before we arrive, make sure you shake out the pockets of hoarding abbots. Set free imprisoned angels. The fat ribs of peace must be eaten by the hungry. You have the authority to act with my power.
BASTARD
Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back, When gold and silver becks me to come on. I leave your highness. Grandam, I will pray, If ever I remember to be holy, For your fair safety; so, I kiss your hand.
BASTARD
They won't be able to drive me away by performing an exorcism with a bell, book, and candle, when gold and silver are driving me on. I'll leave you. Grandmother, I will pray, if I ever remember to pray, for your safety. I kiss your hand.
ELINOR
Farewell, gentle cousin.
ELINOR
Goodbye, dear cousin.
KING JOHN
Coz, farewell.
KING JOHN
Goodbye, cousin.
Exit the BASTARD
QUEEN ELINOR
Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word.
QUEEN ELINOR
Come here, little relative. Let me talk to you.
KING JOHN
Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert, We owe thee much! within this wall of flesh There is a soul counts thee her creditor And with advantage means to pay thy love: And my good friend, thy voluntary oath Lives in this bosom, dearly cherished. Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say, But I will fit it with some better time. By heaven, Hubert, I am almost ashamed To say what good respect I have of thee.
KING JOHN
Come here, Hubert. Oh my dear Hubert, I owe you so much! In this wall of flesh there's a soul that considers itself in debt to you and means to repay your love with interest. My good friend, I appreciate the promise you made voluntarily. Give me your hand. I had something to say, but I will say it at some better time. By heaven, Hubert, I'm almost ashamed to say how good an opinion I have of you.
HUBERT
I am much bounden to your majesty.
HUBERT
I am indebted to you, your majesty.
KING JOHN
Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet, But thou shalt have; and creep time ne'er so slow, Yet it shall come from me to do thee good. I had a thing to say, but let it go: The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day, Attended with the pleasures of the world, Is all too wanton and too full of gawds To give me audience: if the midnight bell Did, with his iron tongue and brazen mouth, Sound on into the drowsy race of night; If this same were a churchyard where we stand, And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs, Or if that surly spirit, melancholy, Had baked thy blood and made it heavy-thick, Which else runs tickling up and down the veins, Making that idiot, laughter, keep men's eyes And strain their cheeks to idle merriment, A passion hateful to my purposes, Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes, Hear me without thine ears, and make reply Without a tongue, using conceit alone, Without eyes, ears and harmful sound of words; Then, in despite of brooded watchful day, I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts: But, ah, I will not! yet I love thee well; And, by my troth, I think thou lovest me well.
KING JOHN
Good friend, you have no reason to say that yet. But you will, and however slowly time creeps, I will at some point do a good deed for you. I had something to say, but it doesn't matter. The sun is in the sky, and the proud day, filled with all the pleasures in the world, is too inviting and full of distractions to make anyone listen to me. If a clock were striking midnight with its iron and bronze mouth in drowsy night, if this place where we stand were a churchyard and you had done a thousand bad deeds, or if that grumpy ghost, depression, had baked your blood and made it thick and heavy, which otherwise runs tickling up and down the veins, making that idiot, laughter, stay in men's eyes and makes them strain their cheeks in pointless happiness, an emotion that is not fitting for my purposes—or if you could see me without eyes, hear me without ears, and reply without a tongue, using thought alone, without eyes, ears, and the harmful sound of words—then, despite young watchful day, I would pour my thoughts into your heart. But I won't! But I like you a lot. And I really think you like me.
HUBERT
So well, that what you bid me undertake,Though that my death were adjunct to my act,By heaven, I would do it.
HUBERT
So much that I would do whatever you asked me to do, even if I had to die to do it.
KING JOHN
Do not I know thou wouldst? Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye On yon young boy: I 'll tell thee what, my friend, He is a very serpent in my way; And whereso'er this foot of mine doth tread, He lies before me: dost thou understand me? Thou art his keeper.
KING JOHN
Don't I know you would? Good Hubert, Hubert, look at that young boy. I tell you, my friend, he is a snake in my path. Wherever this foot of mine walks he's lying in front of me. Do you understand me? You are his guard.
HUBERT
And I'll keep him so,That he shall not offend your majesty.
HUBERT
I'll guard him so he won't offend you, your majesty.
KING JOHN
Death.
KING JOHN
Death.
HUBERT
My lord?
HUBERT
My lord?
KING JOHN
A grave.
KING JOHN
A grave.
HUBERT
He shall not live.
HUBERT
He won't survive.
KING JOHN
Enough. I could be merry now. Hubert, I love thee; Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee: Remember. Madam, fare you well: I'll send those powers o'er to your majesty.
KING JOHN
That's enough. I could be happy now. Hubert, I love you. Well, I won't say what I'll do for you: remember. Ma'am, goodbye: I'll send those troops over to you.
ELINOR
My blessing go with thee!
ELINOR
Bless you!
KING JOHN
For England, cousin, go:Hubert shall be your man, attend on youWith all true duty. On toward Calais, ho!
KING JOHN
Go to England, cousin, go. Hubert will be your servant and serve you dutifully. Go to Calais!
Exeunt
