First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Alarums, excursions, Retreat. Enter Iohn | Alarums, excursions, retreat. Enter King John, | | KJ III.iii.1.1 | |
| Eleanor, Arthur / Bastard, Hubert, Lords. | Queen Eleanor, Arthur, the Bastard, Hubert, lords | | KJ III.iii.1.2 | |
| and soldiers | | KJ III.iii.1.3 | |
| Iohn. | KING JOHN | | | |
| (to Queen Eleanor) | | KJ III.iii.1 | |
| So shall it be: your Grace shall stay behinde | So shall it be – your grace shall stay behind, | | KJ III.iii.1 | |
| So strongly guarded: Cosen, looke not sad, | So strongly guarded. (to Arthur) Cousin, look not sad! | sad (adj.) downcast, distressed, mournful, gloomy | KJ III.iii.2 | |
| Thy Grandame loues thee, and thy Vnkle will | Thy grandam loves thee, and thy uncle will | grandam (n.)grandmother | KJ III.iii.3 | |
| As deere be to thee, as thy father was. | As dear be to thee as thy father was. | | KJ III.iii.4 | |
| Arth. | ARTHUR | | | |
| O this will make my mother die with griefe. | O, this will make my mother die with grief! | | KJ III.iii.5 | |
| Iohn. | KING JOHN | | | |
| (to the Bastard) | | KJ III.iii.6 | |
| Cosen away for England, haste before, | Cousin, away for England! Haste before, | | KJ III.iii.6 | |
| And ere our comming see thou shake the bags | And ere our coming see thou shake the bags | | KJ III.iii.7 | |
| Of hoording Abbots, imprisoned angells | Of hoarding abbots; imprisoned angels | | KJ III.iii.8 | |
| Set at libertie: the fat ribs of peace | Set at liberty. The fat ribs of peace | | KJ III.iii.9 | |
| Must by the hungry now be fed vpon: | Must by the hungry now be fed upon. | | KJ III.iii.10 | |
| Vse our Commission in his vtmost force. | Use our commission in his utmost force. | | KJ III.iii.11 | |
| Bast. | BASTARD | | | |
| Bell, Booke, & Candle, shall not driue me back, | Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back | | KJ III.iii.12 | |
| When gold and siluer becks me to come on. | When gold and silver becks me to come on. | beck (v.)beckon, nod, call | KJ III.iii.13 | |
| I leaue your highnesse: Grandame, I will pray | I leave your highness. Grandam, I will pray – | | KJ III.iii.14 | |
| (If euer I remember to be holy) | If ever I remember to be holy – | | KJ III.iii.15 | |
| For your faire safety: so I kisse your hand. | For your fair safety. So I kiss your hand. | | KJ III.iii.16 | |
| Ele. | QUEEN ELEANOR | | | |
| Farewell gentle Cosen. | Farewell, gentle cousin. | gentle (adj.)well-born, honourable, noble | KJ III.iii.17.1 | |
| Iohn. | KING JOHN | | | |
| Coz, farewell. | Coz, farewell. | | KJ III.iii.17.2 | |
| Exit the Bastard | | KJ III.iii.17 | |
| Ele. | QUEEN ELEANOR | | | |
| Come hether little kinsman, harke, a worde. | Come hither, little kinsman. Hark, a word. | | KJ III.iii.18 | |
| She takes Arthur aside | | KJ III.iii.19.1 | |
| Iohn. | KING JOHN | | | |
| Come hether Hubert. O my gentle Hubert, | Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert, | gentle (adj.)courteous, friendly, kind | KJ III.iii.19 | |
| We owe thee much: within this wall of flesh | We owe thee much! Within this wall of flesh | | KJ III.iii.20 | |
| There is a soule counts thee her Creditor, | There is a soul counts thee her creditor, | | KJ III.iii.21 | |
| And with aduantage meanes to pay thy loue: | And with advantage means to pay thy love; | pay (v.)repay, requite, recompense | KJ III.iii.22 | |
| | advantage (n.)interest, bonus, addition | | |
| And my good friend, thy voluntary oath | And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath | | KJ III.iii.23 | |
| Liues in this bosome, deerely cherished. | Lives in this bosom, dearly cherished. | | KJ III.iii.24 | |
| Giue me thy hand, I had a thing to say, | Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say, | | KJ III.iii.25 | |
| But I will fit it with some better tune. | But I will fit it with some better tune. | fit (v.)adapt, conform, accommodate | KJ III.iii.26 | |
| | tune (n.)state of mind, mood | | |
| By heauen Hubert, I am almost asham'd | By heaven, Hubert, I am almost ashamed | | KJ III.iii.27 | |
| To say what good respect I haue of thee. | To say what good respect I have of thee. | respect (n.)regard, admiration, favour, opinion | KJ III.iii.28 | |
| Hub. | HUBERT | | | |
| I am much bounden to your Maiesty. | I am much bounden to your majesty. | bounden (adj.)indebted, obliged, grateful | KJ III.iii.29 | |
| Iohn. | KING JOHN | | | |
| Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet, | Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet, | | KJ III.iii.30 | |
| But thou shalt haue: and creepe time nere so slow, | But thou shalt have; and creep time ne'er so slow, | | KJ III.iii.31 | |
| Yet it shall come, for me to doe thee good. | Yet it shall come for me to do thee good. | | KJ III.iii.32 | |
| I had a thing to say, but let it goe: | I had a thing to say – but let it go. | | KJ III.iii.33 | |
| The Sunne is in the heauen, and the proud day, | The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day, | | KJ III.iii.34 | |
| Attended with the pleasures of the world, | Attended with the pleasures of the world, | attend (v.)accompany, follow closely, go with | KJ III.iii.35 | |
| Is all too wanton, and too full of gawdes | Is all too wanton and too full of gauds | gaud (n.)gaudy toy, showy plaything, trinket | KJ III.iii.36 | |
| | wanton (adj.)gay, lively, cheerful | | |
| To giue me audience: If the mid-night bell | To give me audience. If the midnight bell | | KJ III.iii.37 | |
| Did with his yron tongue, and brazen mouth | Did with his iron tongue and brazen mouth | | KJ III.iii.38 | |
| Sound on into the drowzie race of night: | Sound on into the drowsy race of night; | race (n.)course, passage | KJ III.iii.39 | |
| If this same were a Church-yard where we stand, | If this same were a churchyard where we stand, | | KJ III.iii.40 | |
| And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs: | And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs; | possess (v.)fill, imbue | KJ III.iii.41 | |
| Or if that surly spirit melancholy | Or if that surly spirit, melancholy, | melancholy (n.)ill-temper, sullenness [thought to be the result of too much ‘black bile’ in the blood] | KJ III.iii.42 | |
| Had bak'd thy bloud, and made it heauy, thicke, | Had baked thy blood, and made it heavy, thick, | heavy (adj.)slow-moving, sluggish, laggard | KJ III.iii.43 | |
| | bake (v.)harden, make solid | | |
| Which else runnes tickling vp and downe the veines, | Which else runs tickling up and down the veins, | tickle (v.)tingle, run in a thrilling way | KJ III.iii.44 | |
| Making that idiot laughter keepe mens eyes, | Making that idiot, laughter, keep men's eyes | idiot (n.)jester, clown, fool | KJ III.iii.45 | |
| And straine their cheekes to idle merriment, | And strain their cheeks to idle merriment, | strain (v.)constrain, force, press | KJ III.iii.46 | |
| A passion hatefull to my purposes: | A passion hateful to my purposes; | passion (n.)powerful feeling, overpowering emotion [often opposed to ‘reason’] | KJ III.iii.47 | |
| | purpose (n.)intention, aim, plan | | |
| | hateful (adj.)repulsive, obnoxious, incompatible [with] | | |
| Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes, | Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes, | | KJ III.iii.48 | |
| Heare me without thine eares, and make reply | Hear me without thine ears, and make reply | | KJ III.iii.49 | |
| Without a tongue, vsing conceit alone, | Without a tongue, using conceit alone, | conceit (n.)notion, idea, thought | KJ III.iii.50 | |
| Without eyes, eares, and harmefull sound of words: | Without eyes, ears, and harmful sound of words; | | KJ III.iii.51 | |
| Then, in despight of brooded watchfull day, | Then, in despite of brooded watchful day, | brooded (adj.)[unclear meaning] full of brooding | KJ III.iii.52 | |
| I would into thy bosome poure my thoughts: | I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts. | bosom (n.)inward thoughts, personal counsel | KJ III.iii.53 | |
| But (ah) I will not, yet I loue thee well, | But, ah, I will not. Yet I love thee well, | | KJ III.iii.54 | |
| And by my troth I thinke thou lou'st me well. | And, by my troth, I think thou lovest me well. | troth, by myby my truth [exclamation emphasizing an assertion] | KJ III.iii.55 | |
| Hub. | HUBERT | | | |
| So well, that what you bid me vndertake, | So well that what you bid me undertake, | | KJ III.iii.56 | |
| Though that my death were adiunct to my Act, | Though that my death were adjunct to my act, | adjunct (adj.)attendant [upon], inevitable result [of] | KJ III.iii.57 | |
| By heauen I would doe it. | By heaven, I would do it. | | KJ III.iii.58.1 | |
| Iohn. | KING JOHN | | | |
| Doe not I know thou wouldst? | Do not I know thou wouldst? | | KJ III.iii.58.2 | |
| Good Hubert, Hubert, Hubert throw thine eye | Good Hubert! Hubert, Hubert, throw thine eye | | KJ III.iii.59 | |
| On yon young boy: Ile tell thee what my friend, | On yon young boy. I'll tell thee what, my friend, | | KJ III.iii.60 | |
| He is a very serpent in my way, | He is a very serpent in my way, | | KJ III.iii.61 | |
| And wheresoere this foot of mine doth tread, | And whereso'er this foot of mine doth tread | | KJ III.iii.62 | |
| He lies before me: dost thou vnderstand me? | He lies before me. Dost thou understand me? | | KJ III.iii.63 | |
| Thou art his keeper. | Thou art his keeper. | keeper (n.)gaoler, warden, custodian | KJ III.iii.64.1 | |
| Hub. | HUBERT | | | |
| And Ile keepe him so, | And I'll keep him so | | KJ III.iii.64.2 | |
| That he shall not offend your Maiesty. | That he shall not offend your majesty. | | KJ III.iii.65 | |
| Iohn. | KING JOHN | | | |
| Death. | Death. | | KJ III.iii.66.1 | |
| Hub. | HUBERT | | | |
| My Lord. | My lord. | | KJ III.iii.66.2 | |
| Iohn. | KING JOHN | | | |
| A Graue. | A grave. | | KJ III.iii.66.3 | |
| Hub. | HUBERT | | | |
| He shall not liue. | He shall not live. | | KJ III.iii.66.4 | |
| Iohn. | KING JOHN | | | |
| Enough. | Enough. | | KJ III.iii.66.5 | |
| I could be merry now, Hubert, I loue thee. | I could be merry now. Hubert, I love thee. | | KJ III.iii.67 | |
| Well, Ile not say what I intend for thee: | Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee. | | KJ III.iii.68 | |
| Remember: Madam, Fare you well, | Remember. Madam, fare you well. | fare ... well (int.)goodbye [to an individual] | KJ III.iii.69 | |
| Ile send those powers o're to your Maiesty. | I'll send those powers o'er to your majesty. | power (n.)armed force, troops, host, army | KJ III.iii.70 | |
| Ele. | QUEEN ELEANOR | | | |
| My blessing goe with thee. | My blessing go with thee. | | KJ III.iii.71.1 | |
| Iohn. | KING JOHN | | | |
| For England Cosen, goe. | For England, cousin, go. | | KJ III.iii.71.2 | |
| Hubert shall be your man, attend on you | Hubert shall be your man, attend on you | attend (v.)serve, follow, wait [on/upon] | KJ III.iii.72 | |
| With al true duetie: On toward Callice, hoa. | With all true duty. On toward Calais, ho! | true (adj.)loyal, firm, faithful in allegiance | KJ III.iii.73 | |
| Exeunt. | Exeunt | | KJ III.iii.73 | |