第 16 节
作者:
左思右想 更新:2021-02-24 23:51 字数:9304
SALISBURY。 May this be possible? May this be true? MELUN。 Have I
not hideous death within my view; Retaining but a quantity of life; Which
bleeds away even as a form of wax 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 will 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; 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 From forth the noise and rumour of the field;
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Where I may think the remnant of my thoughts In peace; and part this
body and my soul With contemplation and devout desires。 SALISBURY。
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; 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 Even to our ocean; to 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。 Exeunt; leading off MELUN
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SCENE 5。
England。 The French camp
Enter LEWIS and his train
LEWIS。 The sun of heaven; methought; was loath to set; But stay'd
and made the western welkin blush; When English measure backward
their own ground In faint retire。 O; bravely came we off; When with a
volley of our needless shot; After such bloody toil; we bid good night; And
wound our tott'ring colours clearly up; Last in the field and almost lords of
it!
Enter a MESSENGER
MESSENGER。 Where is my prince; the Dauphin? LEWIS。 Here;
what news? MESSENGER。 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。 LEWIS。 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 King John did fly an
hour or two before The stumbling night did part our weary pow'rs?
MESSENGER。 Whoever spoke it; it is true; my lord。 LEWIS。 keep good
quarter and good care to…night; The day shall not be up so soon as I To try
the fair adventure of to…morrow。 Exeunt
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SCENE 6。
An open place wear Swinstead Abbey
Enter the BASTARD and HUBERT; severally
HUBERT。 Who's there? Speak; ho! speak quickly; or I shoot。
BASTARD。 A friend。 What art thou? HUBERT。 Of the part of England。
BASTARD。 Whither dost thou go? HUBERT。 What's that to thee? Why
may I not demand Of thine affairs as well as thou of mine? BASTARD。
Hubert; I think。 HUBERT。 Thou hast a perfect thought。 I will upon all
hazards well believe Thou art my friend that know'st my tongue so well。
Who art thou? BASTARD。 Who thou wilt。 And if thou please; Thou mayst
befriend me so much as to think I come one way of the Plantagenets。
HUBERT。 Unkind remembrance! thou and eyeless night Have done me
shame。 Brave soldier; pardon me That any accent breaking from thy
tongue Should scape the true acquaintance of mine ear。 BASTARD。 Come;
come; sans compliment; what news abroad? HUBERT。 Why; here walk I
in the black brow of night To find you out。 BASTARD。 Brief; then; and
what's the news? HUBERT。 O; my sweet sir; news fitting to the night;
Black; fearful; comfortless; and horrible。 BASTARD。 Show me the very
wound of this ill news; I am no woman; I'll not swoon at it。 HUBERT。 The
King; I fear; is poison'd by a monk; I left him almost speechless and broke
out To acquaint you with this evil; that you might The better arm you to
the sudden time Than if you had at leisure known of this。 BASTARD。
How did he take it; who did taste to him? HUBERT。 A monk; I tell you; a
resolved villain; Whose bowels suddenly burst out。 The King Yet speaks;
and peradventure may recover。 BASTARD。 Who didst thou leave to tend
his Majesty? HUBERT。 Why; know you not? The lords are all come back;
And brought Prince Henry in their company; At whose request the King
hath pardon'd them; And they are all about his Majesty。 BASTARD。
Withhold thine indignation; mighty heaven; And tempt us not to bear
above our power! I'll tell thee; Hubert; half my power this night; Passing
these flats; are taken by the tide… These Lincoln Washes have devoured
them; Myself; well…mounted; hardly have escap'd。 Away; before! conduct
me to the King; I doubt he will be dead or ere I come。 Exeunt
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SCENE 7。
The orchard at Swinstead Abbey
Enter PRINCE HENRY; SALISBURY; and BIGOT
PRINCE HENRY。 It is too late; the life of all his blood Is touch'd
corruptibly; and his pure brain。 Which some suppose the soul's frail
dwelling…house; Doth by the idle comments that it makes Foretell the
ending of mortality。
Enter PEMBROKE
PEMBROKE。 His Highness yet doth speak; and holds belief That;
being brought into the open air; It would allay the burning quality Of that
fell poison which assaileth him。 PRINCE HENRY。 Let him be brought
into the orchard here。 Doth he still rage? Exit BIGOT PEMBROKE。 He is
more patient Than when you left him; even now he sung。 PRINCE
HENRY。 O vanity of sickness! Fierce extremes In their continuance will
not feel themselves。 Death; having prey'd upon the outward parts; Leaves
them invisible; and his siege is now Against the mind; the which he pricks
and wounds With many legions of strange fantasies; Which; in their throng
and press to that last hold; Confound themselves。 'Tis strange that death
should sing。 I am the cygnet to this pale faint swan Who chants a doleful
hymn to his own death; And from the organ…pipe of frailty sings His soul
and body to their lasting rest。 SALISBURY。 Be of good comfort; Prince;
for you are born To set a form upon that indigest Which he hath left so
shapeless and so rude。
Re…enter BIGOT and attendants; who bring in KING JOHN in a chair
KING JOHN。 Ay; marry; now my soul hath elbow…room; It would not
out at windows nor at doors。 There is so hot a summer in my bosom That
all my bowels crumble up to dust。 I am a scribbled form drawn with a pen
Upon a parchment; and against this fire Do I shrink up。 PRINCE HENRY。
How fares your Majesty? KING JOHN。 Poison'd…ill…fare! Dead; forsook;
cast off; And none of you will bid the winter come To thrust his icy fingers
in my maw; Nor let my kingdom's rivers take their course Through my
burn'd bosom; nor entreat the north To make his bleak winds kiss my
parched lips And comfort me with cold。 I do not ask you much; I beg cold