Sal. May this be possible? may this be true? Mel. Have I not hideous death within my view, Retaining but a quantity of life,

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32

Which bleeds away, even as a form of wax 24
Resolveth from his figure 'gainst the fire?
What in the world should make me now deceive,
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
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,
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; 40
The love of him, and this respect besides,
For that my grandsire was an Englishman,
Awakes my conscience to confess all this.
In lieu whereof, I pray you, bear me hence 44
From forth the noise and rumour of the field,
Where I may think the remnant of my thoughts
In peace, and part this body and my soul
With contemplation and devout desires.

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48

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 We will untread the steps of damned flight, 52 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,

56

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. 61
[Exeunt, leading off MELUN.

SCENE V.-The Same. The French Camp.

Enter LEWIS and his Train.

Lew. The sun of heaven methought was loath to set,

But stay'd and made the western welkin blush,

Mess. Where is my prince, the Dauphin?
Lew.
Here: what news?
Mess. The Count Melun is slain; the English
lords,

By his persuasion, are again fall'n off;
And your supply, which you have wish'd so long,
Are cast away and sunk, on Goodwin sands. 13
Lew. Ah, foul shrewd news! Beshrew thy
very heart!

I did not think to be so sad to-night

As this hath made me. Who was he that said 16
King John did fly an hour or two before
The stumbling night did part our weary powers?
Mess. Whoever spoke it, it is true, my lord.
Lew. Well; keep good quarter and good care
to-night:

20

The day shall not be up so soon as I,
To try the fair adventure of to-morrow. [Exeunt.

My liege! my lord! But now a king, now thus. P. Hen. Even so must I run on, and even so stop.

What surety of the world, what hope, what stay,
When this was now a king, and now is clay? 69
Bast. Art thou gone so? I do but stay behind
To do the office for thee of revenge,
And then my soul shall wait on thee to heaven,
As it on earth hath been thy servant still.
Now, now, you stars, that move in your right
spheres,

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112

Bast. O! let us pay the time but needful woe Since it hath been beforehand with our griefs. This England never did, nor never shall, Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror, But when it first did help to wound itself. Now these her princes are come home again, Come the three corners of the world in arms, 116 And we shall shock them. Nought shall make

us rue,

If England to itself do rest but true. [Exeunt.]

SCENE I.-London. A Room in the Palace. Enter KING RICHARD, attended; JOHN OF GAUNT, and other Nobles.

K. Rich. Old John of Gaunt, time-honour'd Lancaster,

Hast thou, according to thy oath and band, Brought hither Henry Hereford thy bold son, Here to make good the boisterous late appeal, 4 Which then our leisure would not let us hear, Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray? Gaunt. I have, my liege.

K. Rich. Tell me, moreover, hast thou sounded him,

8

If he appeal the duke on ancient malice,
Or worthily, as a good subject should,
On some known ground of treachery in him?
Gaunt. As near as I could sift him on that
argument,

12

On some apparent danger seen in him
Aim'd at your highness, no inveterate malice.
K. Rich. Then call them to our presence:
face to face,

And frowning brow to brow, ourselves will hear

17

The accuser and the accused freely speak:
[Exeunt some Attendants.
High-stomach'd are they both, and full of ire,
In rage deaf as the sea, hasty as fire.
Re-enter Attendants, with BOLINGBROKE and
MOWBRAY.

Boling. Many years of happy days befall 20 My gracious sovereign, my most loving liege!

Mow. Each day still better other's happiness; Until the heavens, envying earth's good hap, Add an immortal title to your crown!

24

K. Rich. We thank you both: yet one but flatters us,

nobles

88

In name of lendings for your highness' soldiers, The which he hath detain'd for lewd employments,

92

Like a false traitor and injurious villain.
Besides I say and will in battle prove,
Or here or elsewhere to the furthest verge
That ever was survey'd by English eye,
That all the treasons for these eighteen years
Complotted and contrived in this land,
96
Fetch from false Mowbray their first head and
spring.

Further I say and further will maintain
Upon his bad life to make all this good,
That he did plot the Duke of Gloucester's death,
Suggest his soon-believing adversaries,
And consequently, like a traitor coward,
Sluic'd out his innocent soul through streams
of blood:

ΙΟΙ

Call him a slanderous coward and a villain:
Which to maintain I would allow him odds,
And meet him, were I tied to run afoot
Even to the frozen ridges of the Alps,
Or any other ground inhabitable,
Wherever Englishman durst set his foot.
Meantime let this defend my loyalty:
By all my hopes, most falsely doth he lie.
Boling. Pale trembling coward, there I throw
my gage,

68

Disclaiming here the kindred of the king; And lay aside my high blood's royalty, Which fear, not reverence, makes thee to except: 72

If guilty dread have left thee so much strength As to take up mine honour's pawn, then stoop: By that, and all the rites of knighthood else, Will I make good against thee, arm to arm, 76 What I have spoke, or thou canst worse devise. Mow. I take it up; and by that sword I swear,

Which gently laid my knighthood on my shoulder,

I'll answer thee in any fair degree,
Or chivalrous design of knightly trial

And when I mount, alive may I not light,

If I be traitor or unjustly fight!

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bray's charge?