To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, Pem. But that your royal pleasure must be done, This act is as an ancient tale new told; And, in the last repeating, troublesome, Being urged at a time unseasonable. Sal. In this, the antique and well-noted face It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about; Makes sound opinion sick, and truth suspected, Pem. When workmen strive to do better than well, They do confound their skill in covetousness:1 And, oftentimes, excusing of a fault Doth make the fault the worse by the excuse; Discredit more in hiding of the fault Than did the fault before it was so patch'd. Sal. To this effect, before you were new-crown'd, We breath'd our counsel: but it pleas'd your highness To overbear it; and we are all well pleas'd, Since all and every part of what we would, Doth make a stand at what your highness will. K. John. Some reasons of this double coronation I have possess'd you with, and think them strong; And more, more strong (when lesser is my fear), I shall indue you with: Meantime, but ask What you would have reform'd that is not well, And well shall you perceive how willingly I will both hear and grant you your requests. Pem. Then I, (as one that am the tongue of these, To sound the purposes of all their hearts,) Both for myself and them, (but, chief of all, Your safety, for the which myself and them Bend their best studies,) heartily request Th' enfranchisement of Arthur; whose restraint Doth move the murmuring lips of discontent To break into this dangerous argument,― 2. Covetousness here means an over-desire of excelling. If what in rest you have in right you hold,1 K. John. Let it be so; I do commit his youth To your direction.-Hubert, what news with you? The image of a wicked heinous fault Lives in his eye; that close aspect of his What we so fear'd he had a charge to do. Sal. The colour of the king doth come and go Pem. And, when it breaks, I fear will issue thence K. John. We cannot hold mortality's strong hand: Sal. Indeed we fear'd his sickness was past curè. Before the child himself felt he was sick : This must be answer'd, either here, or hence. K. John. Why do you bend such solemn brows on me? Think you I bear the shears of destiny? Have I commandment on the pulse of life? Sal. It is apparent foul-play; and 'tis shame That greatness should so grossly offer it: (1) If what in rest you have in right you hold, i. e. if the power you now possess in quiet (rest) you hold by right. (2) Between his purpose and his conscience,-between his consciousness of guilt and his design to hide it by fair professions. Pem. Stay yet, lord Salisbury; I'll go with thee, His little kingdom of a forced grave. K. John. They burn in indignation. I repent. Enter a Messenger. A fearful eye thou hast. Where is that blood, So foul a sky clears not without a storm: [Ex. Lords. Pour down thy weather :-How goes all in France? Was levied in the body of a land! The copy of your speed is learn'd by them;2 For, when you should be told they do prepare, The tidings come, that they are all arriv'd. K. John. O, where hath our intelligence been drunk? Where hath it slept? Where is my mother's care, That such an army could be drawn in France, And she not hear of it? Mess. My liege, her ear Three days before: but this from rumour's tongue K John. Withhold thy speed, dreadful occasion! K. John. Enter the Bastard and PETER of Pomfret. (1) From France to England. The king asks how all goes in France: the messenger answers that all is going from France to England; meaning that there will be an invasion. (2) The copy of your speed is learned by them, i. e. you may learn to copy your speed from theirs. M With these ill tidings. Now, what says the world Bast. But, if you be afeard to hear the worst, Bast. How I have sped among the clergymen, Your highness should deliver up your crown. K. John. Thou idle dreamer, wherefore didst thou so? I shall yield up my crown, let him be hanged: For I must use thee.-O my gentle cousin, [Exit HUBERT, with PETER. Hear'st thou the news abroad, who are arriv'd? Bast. The French, my lord; men's mouths are full of it: Besides, I met lord Bigot, and lord Salisbury, (With eyes as red as new-enkindled fire,) K. John. Gentle kinsman, go, And thrust thyself into their companies : I have a way to win their loves again; Bring them before me. Bast. I will seek them out. K. John. Nay, but make haste: the better foot before. O, let me have no subject enemies,2 When adverse foreigners affright my towns (1) Safety is here used for safe custody. (1) Subject-enemies, i. e. enemies amongst my subjects. With dreadful pomp of stout invasion! Be Mercury, set feathers to thy heels; And fly like thought, from them to me again. Bast. The spirit of the time shall teach me speed. And be thou he. Mess. K. John. My mother dead! [Exit. With all my heart, my liege. [Exit. Re-enter HUBERT. Hub. My lord, they say five moons were seen to-night :1 Four fixed; and the fifth did whirl about The other four, in wondrous motion. K. John. Five moons? Hub. Old men, and beldams, in the streets Do prophesy upon it dangerously: Young Arthur's death is common in their mouths: And he that speaks doth gripe the hearer's wrist; Cuts off his tale, and talks of Arthur's death. K. John. Why seek'st thou to possess me with these fears? Why urgest thou so oft young Arthur's death? Thy hand hath murther'd him: I had a mighty cause To wish him dead, but thou hadst none to kill him. Hub. None had, my lord! why, did you not provoke me? K. John. It is the curse of kings to be attended By slaves that take their humours for a warrant And, on the winking of authority, (1) Five moons were seen to-night. Some ancient English historians assert this to have been really the case. Of course, such a portent was looked upon as foreboding some great evil. |