K. John.
Thus have I yielded up into your hand
The circle of my glory.

Pand.
Take again [Giving John the Crown.
From this my hand, as holding of the pope,
Your sovereign greatness and authority.

K. John.
Now keep your holy word: go meet the French;
And from his holiness use all your power
To stop their marches, 'fore we are inflam'd^{4 note}



.

Our discontented counties^{5 note} do revolt;
Our people quarrel with obedience;
Swearing allegiance, and the love of soul,
To stranger blood, to foreign royalty.
This inundation of mistemper'd humour
Rests by you only to be qualified.
Then pause not; for the present time's so sick,
That present medicine must be minister'd,
Or overthrow incurable ensues.

Pand.
It was my breath that blew this tempest up,
Upon your stubborn usage of the pope:
But, since you are a gentle convertite^{6 note}

My tongue shall hush again this storm of war,
And make fair weather in your blustering land.
On this Ascension-day, remember well,
Upon your oath of service to the pope,
Go I to make the French lay down their arms. [Exit.

K. John.
Is this Ascension-day? Did not the prophet
Say, that, before Ascension-day at noon,
My crown I should give off? Even so I have:
I did suppose, it should be on constraint;
But, heaven be thank'd, it is but voluntary. Enter the Bastard.

Bast.
All Kent hath yielded; nothing there holds out,
But Dover castle: London hath receiv'd,
Like a kind host, the Dauphin and his powers:
Your nobles will not hear you, but are gone
To offer service to your enemy;
And wild amazement hurries up and down
The little number of your doubtful friends.

K. John.
Would not my lords return to me again,
After they heard young Arthur was alive?

Bast.
They found him dead, and cast into the streets;
An empty casket, where the jewel of life^{7 note}

K. John.
That villain Hubert told me, he did live.

Bast.
So, on my soul, he did, for aught he knew.
But wherefore do you droop? why look you sad?
Be great in act, as you have been in thought;
Let not the world see fear, and sad distrust,
Govern the motion of a kingly eye:
Be stirring as the time; be fire with fire;
Threaten the threat'ner, and outface the brow
Of bragging horror: so shall inferior eyes,
That borrow their behaviours from the great,
Grow great by your example, and put on
The dauntless spirit of resolution^{8 note}


.
Away, and glister like the god of war,
When he intendeth to become the field^{9 note}

:
Show boldness, and aspiring confidence.
What shall they seek the lion in his den,
And fright him there? and make him tremble there?
O, let it not be said!—Forage, and run^{1 note}

To meet displeasure further from the doors;
And grapple with him, ere he come so nigh.

K. John.
The legate of the pope hath been with me,
And I have made a happy peace with him;
And he hath promis'd to dismiss the powers
Led by the Dauphin.

Bast.
O inglorious league!
Shall we, upon the footing of our land,
Send fair-play orders, and make compromise,
Insinuation, parley, and base truce,
To arms invasive? shall a beardless boy,
A cocker'd silken wanton brave our fields,
And flesh his spirit in a warlike soil,
Mocking the air with colours idly spread^{2 note}

K. John.
Have thou the ordering of this present time.

Bast.
Away then, with good courage; yet, I know,
Our party may well meet a prouder foe^{3 note}

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