Approaching near these eyes, would drink my

tears,

And quench its fiery indignation

Even in the water of mine innocence;
Nay, after that, consume away in rust,
But for containing fire to harm mine eyes.
Are you more stubborn-hard than hammer'd
iron?

An if an angel should have come to me,

And told me Hubert should put out mine eyes,
I would not have believed him,-no tongue but
Hubert's.

Hub. Come forth!

[Stamps.

Re-enter ATTENDANTS, with cord, irons, etc.

Arth. O, save me, Hubert, save me! my eyes

are out

Even with the fierce looks of these bloody men.

Hub. Give me the iron, I say, and bind him. here.

Arth. Alas, what need you be so boisterousrough?

I will not struggle, I will stand stone-still.
For Heaven-sake, Hubert, let me not be bound!
Nay, hear me, Hubert! drive these men away,
And I will sit as quiet as a lamb;

I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word,
Nor look upon the iron angerly:

Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you,
Whatever torment you do put me to.

Hub. Go, stand within; let me alone with him.

Arth. Have you the heart? When your head did but ache,

I knit my handkercher about your brows,-
The best I had, a princess wrought it me,—
And I did never ask it you again;

And with my hand at midnight held your head;
And, like the watchful minutes to the hour,'
Still and anon cheer'd up the heavy time,
Saying, What lack you? and, Where lies your grief?
Or, What good love may I perform for you?
Many a poor man's son would have lain still,
And ne'er have spoke a loving word to you;
But you at your sick service' had a prince.
Nay, you may think my love was crafty love,
And call it cunning; do, an if' you will:

If Heaven be pleased that you must use me ill,
Why, then you must. Will you put out mine

eyes?

These eyes that never did nor never shall
So much as frown on you

Hub.

?

I've sworn to do it;

And with hot irons must I burn them out.

Arth. Ah, none but in this iron age would do it! The iron of itself, though heat* red-hot,

1 That is, as the minutes watch over, or mark, the progress or passage of the hour. A pretty way of expressing a minute and sedulous attention.-" Still and anon,” in the next line, is the same as our 66 ever and anon.

2 Sick service is of course merely an instance of what is called transferred epithet: service done to the sick.

3 An if is an old reduplication much used in the Poet's time. So we have an, or if, or an if, used indifferently. 4 Heat for heated.

V

Approaching near these eyes, would drink my

tears,

And quench its fiery indignation

Even in the water of mine innocence;
Nay, after that, consume away in rust,
But for containing fire to harm mine eyes.
Are you more stubborn-hard than hammer'd
iron?

An if an angel should have come to me,

And told me Hubert should put out mine eyes,
I would not have believed him,-no tongue but
Hubert's.

Hub. Come forth!

[Stamps.

Re-enter ATTENDANTS, with cord, irons, etc.

Arth. O, save me, Hubert, save me! my eyes are out

Even with the fierce looks of these bloody men.

Hub. Give me the iron, I say, and bind him

here.

Arth. Alas, what need you be so boisterousrough?

I will not struggle, I will stand stone-still.

For Heaven-sake, Hubert, let me not be bound!
Nay, hear me, Hubert! drive these men away,
And I will sit as quiet as a lamb;

I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word,
Nor look upon the iron angerly:

Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you,
Whatever torment you do put me to.

Hub. Go, stand within; let me alone with him.

1 Attend. I am best pleased to be from such a deed. [Exeunt Attendants. Arth. Alas, I then have chid away my friend! He hath a stern look, but a gentle heart: Let him come back, that his compassion may

Give life to yours.

Hub.

Come, boy, prepare yourself.

Arth. Is there no remedy?

Hub.

None, but to lose your eyes.

Arth. O Heaven, that there were but a mote in

yours,

A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wandering hair,
Any annoyance in that precious sense!

Then, feeling what small things are boisterous

there,

Your vile intent must needs seem horrible.

1

Hub. Is this your promise? go to, hold your tongue.

Arth. Hubert, the utterance of a brace of tongues

Must needs want pleading for a pair of eyes:
Let me not hold my tongue, let me not, Hubert;
Or, Hubert, if you will, cut out my tongue,
So I may keep mine eyes: O, spare mine eyes,
Though to no use but still to look on you!
Lo, by my troth, the instrument is cold,

And would not harm me.

Hub.

I can heat it, boy. Arth. No, in good sooth; the fire is dead with

grief,

1 Boisterous was used much more variously thanat present; as a common antithesis to gentle, and so for rough, rude, violent, etc.

Being create for comfort, to be used

In undeserved extremes: see else yourself;
There is no malice burning in this coal;

The breath of heaven hath blown his spirit out, And strew'd repentant ashes on his head.

Hub. But with my breath I can revive it, boy. Arth. An if you do, you will but make it blush, And glow with shame of your proceedings, Hubert:

Nay, it perchance will sparkle in your eyes;
And, like a dog that is compell'd to fight,
Snatch at his master that doth tarre' him on.
All things that you should use to do me wrong
Deny their office: only you do lack

That mercy which fierce fire and iron extend,
Creatures of note for mercy-lacking uses.

Hub. Well, see to live; I will not touch thine

eyes

For all the treasure that thine uncle owes :
Yet am I sworn, and I did purpose, boy,
With this same very iron to burn them out.
Arth. O, now you look like Hubert! all this

while

You were disguised.

Hub.
Peace; no more. Adieu.
Your uncle must not know but you are dead;
I'll fill these doggèd spies with false reports:

1 Extremities, or extreme severities, that are unmerited. Johnson paraphrases the passage as follows: "The fire, being created not to hurt, but to comfort, is dead with grief for finding itself used in acts of cruelty, which, being innocent, I have not deserved."

? To tarre is to incite, to instigate, as in setting on dogs.