K. John. [To Elinor ^note]
So shall it be; your grace shall stay behind
So strongly guarded. [To Arthur ^note] Cousin, look not sad:
Thy grandam loves thee; and thy uncle will

As dear be to thee as thy father was.

Arth.
O, this will make my mother die with grief!

K. John. [To the Bastard ^note]
Cousin, away for England! haste before:
And, ere our coming, see thou shake the bags
Of hoarding abbots; imprisoned angels
Set ^{note note} at liberty: the fat ribs of peace
Must by the hungry now ^note be fed upon ^note:
Use our commission in his ^note utmost force.

Bast.
Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back,
When gold and silver becks ^note me to come on.
I leave your highness. Grandam, I will pray,
If ever I remember to be holy,
For your fair safety; so, I kiss your hand.

Eli.
Farewell, gentle ^note cousin.

K. John.
Coz, farewell. [Exit ^note Bastard. ^note

Eli.
Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word. ^note

K. John.
Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert,
We owe thee much! within this wall of flesh
There is a soul counts thee her creditor,
And with advantage means to pay thy love:
And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath
Lives in this bosom, dearly cherished.
Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say,
But I will fit it with some better time ^note.
By heaven, Hubert, I am ^note almost ashamed
To say what good respect I have of thee.

Hub.
I am much bounden to your majesty.

K. John.
Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet, ^note
But thou shalt have; and creep time ne'er so slow,
Yet it shall come for me to do thee good.
I had a thing to say, but let it go:
The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day,
Attended with the pleasures of the world,
Is all too ^note wanton and too full of gawds ^note
To give me audience: if the midnight bell
Did, with his iron tongue and brazen mouth,
Sound on ^note into ^{note note} the drowsy race ^note of night;
If this same were a churchyard where we stand,
And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs,
Or if that surly spirit, melancholy,
Had baked thy blood and made it heavy-thick ^note,
Which else runs tickling ^note up and down the veins,
Making that idiot, laughter, keep ^note men's eyes
And strain their cheeks to idle merriment,
A passion hateful to my purposes,
Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes,
Hear me without thine ears, and make reply
Without a tongue, using conceit alone,
Without eyes, ears and harmful sound of words;
Then, in despite of brooded ^note watchful ^note day,
I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts:
But, ah, I will not! yet I love thee well;
And, by my troth, I think thou lovest me well.

Hub.
So well, that what you bid me undertake,
Though that my death were adjunct to my act,

By heaven, I would do it ^note.

K. John.
Do not I know thou wouldst?
Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye
On yon young boy: I'll tell thee what, my friend,
He is a very serpent in my way;
And wheresoe'er this foot of mine doth tread,
He lies before me: dost thou understand me?
Thou art his keeper.

Hub.
And I'll keep him so,
That he shall not offend your majesty.

K. John.
Death ^note.

Hub.
My lord? ^note

K. John.
A grave.

Hub.
He shall not live.

K. John.
Enough.
I could be merry now. Hubert, I love thee;
Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee: ^note
Remember. Madam, fare you well:
I'll send those powers o'er to your majesty.

Eli.
My blessing go ^note with thee!

K. John.
For England, cousin, go:
Hubert shall be your man, attend ^note on you
With all true duty. On toward Calais, ho! [Exeunt. ^note

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