SCENE VI. An open place in the neighbourhood of Swinstead Abbey. The Life and Death of King John  Shakespeare homepage  |  King John  | Act 5, Scene 6 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE VI. An open place in the neighbourhood of 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 not I 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 tree, 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 escaped. 

 Away before: conduct me to the king; 

 I doubt he will be dead or ere I come. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  King John  | Act 5, Scene 6 

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