For I do fee the cruel pangs of death Pight in thine eye. Away, my friends; new flight; And happy newness that intends old right. [Exeunt, leading off Melun. SCENE VII. Changes to a different part of the French camp. Lewis. The fun of heav'n, methought, was loth to fet, Enter a Messenger. Me. Where is my Prince, the Dauphin? Me. The Count Melun is flain; the English Lords By his perfuafion are again fall'n off; And your fupply, which you have wifh'd fo long, Lewis. Ah foul, fhrewd news! Befhrew thy very heart; I did not think to be fo fad to-night, As this hath made me. Who was he that faid King John did fly, an hour or two before The ftumbling night did part our weary powers ? Lewis. Well; keep good quarter, and good care to night; The day fhall not be up fo foon as I, To try the fair adventure of to-morrow. S CENE VIII. [Exeunt. An open place in the neighbourhood of Swinftead abbey. Enter Faulconbridge and Hubert feverally. Hub. Who's there? fpeak, ho! fpeak quickly, or I fhoot. Faulc. A friend. What art thou? Hub. Of the part of England. Faulc. And whither doft thou go? Why may not I demand of thine affairs, Faulc. Hubert, I think. Hub. Thou haft a perfect thought: I will upon all hazards well believe Thou art my friend, that know'ft my tongue fo well. Who art thou? Faulc. Who thou wilt; and, if thou please, Thou may'ft befriend me fo much, as to think, I come one way of the Plantagenets. Hub. Unkind remembrance! thou and eyelefs night, Have done me fhame; brave foldier, pardon me, That any accent breaking from thy tongue, Should 'fcape the true acquaintance of mine ear. Faulc. Come, come; fans compliment, what news abroad? Hub. Why here walk I, in the black brow of night, To find you out. Faulc. Brief then and what's the news? Hub. O my fweet Sir, news fitting to the night; Black, fearful, comfortlefs, and horrible. Faulc. Shew me the very wound of this ill news; I am no woman, I'll not fwoon at it. Hub. The King, I fear, is poifon'd by a monk : I left him almoft fpeechlefs, and broke out T'acquaint you with this evil; that you might The better arm you to the fudden time, Than if you had at leifure known of this. Taule, How did he take it? who did tafte to him? Hub. A monk, I tell you; a refolved villain, Whofe bowels fuddenly burft out, the King Yet fpeaks; and, peradvanture, may recover. Faule. Who didit thou leave to tend his Majefty? Hub. Why, know you not? the Lords are all còme And brought Prince Henry in their company; [back, At whofe requeft the King hath pardon'd them, And they are all about his Majefty. Faulc. With-hold thine indignation, mighty heav'n! And tempt us not to bear above our power. [Exeunt. Changes to the orchard in Swinftead abbey. Enter Prince Henry, Salisbury, and Bigot. Henry. It is too late; the life of all his blood Is touch'd corruptibly; and his pure brain (Which, fome fuppofe, the foul's frail dwelling-house) Doth, by the idle comments that it makes, Foretel the ending of mortality. Enter Pembroke. Pemb. His Highness yet doth speak, and holds beThat, being brought into the open air, It would allay the burning quality Of that fell poifon which affaileth him. [lief, Henry. Let him be brought into the orchard here. Doth he ftill rage? Pemb. He is more patient Than when you left him; even now he fung. Henry. O vanity of fickness! fierce extremes Against the mind; the which he pricks and wounds Which, in their throng, and prefs to that laft hold, Confound themfelves. 'Tis ftrange that death should fing: I am the cygnet to this pale, faint swan, Who chaunts a doleful hymn to his own death ; And, from the organ-pipe of frailty, fings His foul and body to their lafting reft. Sal. Be of good comfort, Prince; for you are born VOL. III. H h To fet a form upon that indigeft, Which he hath left fo fhapelefs and fo rude. King John brought in. K. John. Ay, marry, now my foul hath elbow-room; It would not out at windows, nor at doors. There is fo hot a fummer in my bofom, That all my bowels crumble up to dust : I am a fcribbled form drawn with a pen Upon a parchment, and against this fire Do I nrick up. Henry. How fares your Majefty? K. John. Poifon'd, ill fare! dead, forfook, caft off; "And none of you will bid the winter come "To thruft his icy fingers in my maw; "Nor let my kingdom's rivers take their course Henry. Oh, that there were fome virtue in my tears, That might relieve you! K. John. The falt of them is hot. Within me is hell; and there the poifon Is, as a fiend, confin'd to tyrannize On unreprievable, condemned blood. SCENE X. Enter Faulconbridge. Faulc. Oh! I am fcalded with my violent motion, And fpleen of fpeed to fee your Majefty. K. John. Oh! coufin, thou art come to fet mine eye: The tackle of my heart is crackt and burnt ; And all the fhrowds wherewith my life should fail, Are turned to one thread, one little hair : Faule. The Dauphin is preparing hitherward, As I upon advantage did remove, Devoured by the unexpected flood. [The King dies. Sal. You breathe thefe dead news in as dead an ear: My Liege my Lord!--but now a King-now thus. ! Henry. Ev'n fo muft I run on, and ev'n fo ftop*. Faulc. Art thou gone fo? I do but stay behind, To do the office for thee of revenge : And then my foul fhall wait on thee to heav'n, Now, now, you stars, that move in your bright spheres, To push destruction and perpetual shame Out of the weak door of our fainting land: Sal. It feems you know not then fo much as we : The Cardinal Pandulph is within at reft, Who half an hour fince came from the Dauphin; Faulc. He will the rather do it, when he fees Sal. Nay, it is in a manner done already; To the fea-fide, and put his caufe and quarrel With whom yourself, myself, and other Lords, To confummate this bufinefs happily. Faulc. Let it be fo; and you, my Noble Prince, With other Princes that may best be spar'd, Shall wait upon your father's funeral. Henry. At Worcester muft his body be interr'd, For fo he will'd it. Faulc. Thither fhall it then. and ev'n fo ftop. What furety of the world, what hope, what ftay, |