Page 183 - Shakespeare - Vol. 2

PANDULPH

All form is formless, order orderless,
Save what is opposite to England’s love.
Therefore to arms! be champion of our church, [255]

Or let the church, our mother, breathe her curse,
A mother’s curse, on her revolting son.
France, thou mayst hold a serpent by the tongue,
A cased lion by the mortal paw,
A fasting tiger safer by the tooth, [260]

Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold.

KING PHILIP
I may disjoin my hand, but not my faith.

PANDULPH
So mak’st thou faith an enemy to faith,
And like a civil war set’st oath to oath,

Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow [265]
First made to heaven, first be to heaven perform’d,
That is, to be the champion of our church.
What since thou swor’st is sworn against thyself
And may not be performed by thyself,

For that which thou hast sworn to do amiss [270]
Is not amiss when it is truly done,
And being not done, where doing tends to ill,

The truth is then most done not doing it:
The better act of purposes mistook
Is to mistake again; though indirect, [275]
Yet indirection thereby grows direct,
And falsehood falsehood cures, as fire cools fire

Within the scorched veins of one new-burn’d.
It is religion that doth make vows kept,
But thou hast sworn against religion: [280]

By what thou swear’st against the thing thou swear’st,
And mak’st an oath the surety for thy truth!
Against an oath the truth thou art unsure
To swear-swears only not to be forsworn! −
Else what a mockery should it be to swear? [285]