SAL. But we can muzzle him, and bind his paws:
If King John say we shall, we will indeed.
JOHN. Do, if you can.
LEI. It's well thou hast some fear.
No, curs! ye have no teeth to bait this bear.[220]
I will not bid mine ensign-bearer wave
My tattered colours in this worthless air,
Which your vile breaths vilely contaminate.
Bearer,[221] thou'st been my ancient-bearer long,
And borne up Leicester's bear in foreign lands;
Yet now resign these colours to my hands,
For I am full of grief and full of rage.
John, look upon me: thus did Richard take
The coward Austria's colours in his hand,
And thus he cast them under Acon walls,
And thus he trod them underneath his feet.
Rich colours, how I wrong ye by this wrong!
But I will right ye. Bear[er], take them again,
And keep them ever, ever them maintain:
We shall have use for them, I hope, ere long.
JOHN. Dar'st thou attempt this proudly in our sight?
LEI. What is't a subject dares, that I dare not?
SAL. Dare subjects dare, their sovereign being by?
LEI. O God, that my true sovereign were nigh!
QUEEN. Leicester, he is.
LEI. Madam, by God, you lie.
CHES. Unmanner'd man.