Bast. Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back,
When gold and silver becks me to come on.[338]
I leave your highness. Grandam, I will pray,
If ever I remember to be holy,15
For your fair safety; so, I kiss your hand.
Eli. Farewell, gentle cousin.
K. John. Coz, farewell. [Exit Bastard.[339]
Eli. Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word.[340]
K. John. Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert,[341]
We owe thee much! within this wall of flesh20
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,25
But I will fit it with some better time.[342]
By heaven, Hubert, I am almost ashamed[343]
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,[344]30
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,35
Is all too wanton and too full of gawds[345]
To give me audience: if the midnight bell
Did, with his iron tongue and brazen mouth,[346]
Sound on into the drowsy race of night;[346][347]
If this same were a churchyard where we stand,40
And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs,
Or if that surly spirit, melancholy,
Had baked thy blood and made it heavy-thick,[348]
Which else runs tickling up and down the veins,[349]
Making that idiot, laughter, keep men's eyes[350]45
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,50
Without eyes, ears and harmful sound of words;
Then, in despite of brooded watchful day,[351]
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.55
Hub. So well, that what you bid me undertake,
Though that my death were adjunct to my act,
By heaven, I would do it.[352]
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,60
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.[353]