Lew. And lose it, life and all, as Arthur did.
Pand. How green you are and fresh in this old world! 145
John lays you plots; the times conspire with you;[393]
For he that steeps his safety in true blood
Shall find but bloody safety and untrue.
This act so evilly born shall cool the hearts[394]
Of all his people and freeze up their zeal,150
That none so small advantage shall step forth[395]
To check his reign, but they will cherish it;[396]
No natural exhalation in the sky,
No scope of nature, no distemper'd day,[397]
No common wind, no customed event,155
But they will pluck away his natural cause[398]
And call them meteors, prodigies and signs,
Abortives, presages and tongues of heaven,[399]
Plainly denouncing vengeance upon John.
Lew. May be he will not touch young Arthur's life,160
But hold himself safe in his prisonment.
Pand. O, sir, when he shall hear of your approach,
If that young Arthur be not gone already,
Even at that news he dies; and then the hearts[400]
Of all his people shall revolt from him165
And kiss the lips of unacquainted change
And pick strong matter of revolt and wrath
Out of the bloody fingers' ends of John.
Methinks I see this hurly all on foot:
And, O, what better matter breeds for you[401]170
Than I have named! The bastard Faulconbridge
Is now in England, ransacking the church,
Offending charity: if but a dozen French[402]
Were there in arms, they would be as a call
To train ten thousand English to their side,175
Or as a little snow, tumbled about,[403]
Anon becomes a mountain. O noble Dauphin,[404]
Go with me to the king: 'tis wonderful
What may be wrought out of their discontent,[405]
Now that their souls are topful of offence.[405]180
For England go: I will whet on the king.
Lew. Strong reasons make strong actions: let us go:[406]
If you say ay, the king will not say no. [Exeunt.
FOOTNOTES:
[248] Act III. Scene I.] Pope (ed. 2). Actus Secundus. Ff. Act II. Scene I. Rowe. Scene VII. Pope (ed. 1).
The French....] Theobald.
[249] I trust] I think Pope.
[250] Believe ... man] Omitted in Pope.