CHARLES. Thy ransom, man? why needest thou talk of that? Art thou not free? and are not all occasions, That happen for advantage of our foes, To be accepted of, and stood upon? VILLIERS. No, good my Lord, except the same be just; For profit must with honor be comixt, Or else our actions are but scandalous. But, letting pass their intricate objections, Wilt please your highness to subscribe, or no? CHARLES. Villiers, I will not, nor I cannot do it; Salisbury shall not have his will so much, To claim a passport how it pleaseth himself. VILLIERS. Why, then I know the extremity, my Lord; I must return to prison whence I came. CHARLES. Return? I hope thou wilt not; What bird that hath escaped the fowler’s gin, Will not beware how she’s ensnared again? Or, what is he, so senseless and secure, That, having hardly past a dangerous gul, Will put him self in peril there again? VILLIERS. Ah, but it is mine oath, my gracious Lord, Which I in conscience may not violate, Or else a kingdom should not draw me hence. CHARLES. Thine oath? why, tat doth bind thee to abide: Hast thou not sworn obedience to thy Prince? VILLIERS. In all things that uprightly he commands: But either to persuade or threaten me, Not to perform the covenant of my word, Is lawless, and I need not to obey. CHARLES. Why, is it lawful for a man to kill, And not, to break a promise with his foe? VILLIERS. To kill, my Lord, when war is once proclaimed, So that our quarrel be for wrongs received, No doubt, is lawfully permitted us; But in an oath we must be well advised, How we do swear, and, when we once have sworn, Not to infringe it, though we die therefore: Therefore, my Lord, as willing I return, As if I were to fly to paradise. CHARLES. Stay, my Villiers; thine honorable min Deserves to be eternally admired. Thy suit shall be no longer thus deferred: Give me the paper, I’ll subscribe to it; And, wheretofore I loved thee as Villiers, Hereafter I’ll embrace thee as my self. Stay, and be still in favour with thy Lord. VILLIERS. I humbly thank you grace; I must dispatch, And send this passport first unto the Earl, And then I will attend your highness pleasure. CHARLES. Do so, Villiers;—and Charles, when he hath need, Be such his soldiers, howsoever he speed! [Exit Villiers.] [Enter King John.] KING JOHN. Come, Charles, and arm thee; Edward is entrapped, The Prince of Wales is fallen into our hands, And we have compassed him; he cannot escape. CHARLES. But will your highness fight to day? KING JOHN. What else, my son? he’s scarce eight thousand strong, And we are threescore thousand at the least.