And he that stands upon a slipp'ry place
Makes nice of no vile hold to stay him up.

That John may stand, then Arthur needs must fall:
So be it; for it cannot be but so.

Lew. But what shall I gain by young Arthur's fall?
Pand. You, in the right of Lady Blanch your wife,
May then make all the claim that Arthur did.

Lew. And lose it, life and all, as Arthur did.
Pand. How green you are and fresh in this old world!
John lays you plots; the times conspire with you;
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
Of all his people and freeze up their zeal,
That none so small advantage shall step forth
To check his reign, but they will cherish it;
No natural exhalation in the sky,
No scape of nature, no distemper'd day,
No common wind, no customed event,
But they will pluck away his natural cause
And call them meteors, prodigies and signs,
Abortives, presages and tongues of heaven,
Plainly denouncing vengeance upon John.

But hold himself safe in his prisonment.

140

150

Lew. May be he will not touch young Arthur's life,

160

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
Of all his people shall revolt from him

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
Than I have nam'd! The bastard Faulconbridge
Is now in England, ransacking the church,
Offending charity: if but a dozen French
Were there in arms, they would be as a call
To train ten thousand English to their side,
Or as a little snow, tumbled about,
Anon becomes a mountain. O noble Dolphin,
Go with me to the King: 't is wonderful
What may be wrought out of their discontent,

170

Now that their souls are topful of offence.

For England go: I will whet on the King.

Lew. Strong reasons make strong actions: let us go:

If you say ay, the King will not say no.

[Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. A room in a castle.

Enter HUBERT and Executioners.

Hub. Heat me these irons hot; and look thou stand Within the arras: when I strike my foot

Upon the bosom of the ground, rush forth,

And bind the boy which you shall find with me
Fast to the chair. Be heedful: hence, and watch.

First Exec. I hope your warrant will bear out the deed.
Hub. Uncleanly scruples! fear not you look to 't.

Young lad, come forth; I have to say with you.

Enter ARTHUR.

Arth. Good morrow, Hubert.
Hub.

[Exeunt Executioners.

Good morrow, little prince.

Arth. As little prince, having so great a title To be more prince, as may be. You are sad. Hub. Indeed, I have been merrier.

Arth.

Mercy on me!

Methinks no body should be sad but I:
Yet, I remember, when I was in France,
Young gentlemen would be as sad as night,
Only for wantonness. By my christendom,
So I were out of prison and kept sheep,
I should be merry as the day is long;
And so I would be here, but that I doubt
My uncle practises more harm to me :
He is afraid of me and I of him :
Is it my fault that I was Geffrey's son?
No, indeed, is 't not; and I would to heaven

I were your son, so you would love me, Hubert.

Hub. [Aside.] If I talk to him, with his innocent prate

He will awake my mercy which lies dead :

Therefore I will be sudden and dispatch.

Arth. Are you sick, Hubert? you look pale to-day : In sooth, I would you were a little sick,

That I might sit all night and watch with you:

I warrant I love you more

than you do me.

Hub. [Aside. His words do take possession of my bosom.

Read here, young Arthur.

30

[Showing a paper.

[Asile.] How now, foolish rheum!

Walls: so called from the town Arras, where, chiefly, it was made.

s: that is, tapestry hung on tenter-hooks, a short distance from the rough

rheum water or any fluid from the eyes or nose.

See "An hour in clamour and

quarter in rheum." Much Ado About Nothing, Act V. Sc. 2, line 66, and this play,

Act IV. Sc. 3, line 108.

Turning dispiteous torture out of door!
I must be brief, lest resolution dron

Out at mine eyes in tender womanish tears.
Can you not read it? is it not fair writ?

Arth. Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect:
Must you with hot irons burn out both mine eyes?
Hub. Young boy, I must.

Arth.

Hub.

And will you?

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 ;

your head,

And with my hand at midnight held
And like the watchful minutes to the hour,
Still and anon cheer'd up the heavy time,

66

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 lien 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 pleas'd 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 have 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,

5c

60

Approaching near these eyes, would drink

And quench his fiery indignation

Even in the water of mine innocence;

Nay, after that, consume away in rust,

But for containing fire to harm mine eye.

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.

70

Hub. Come forth.

[Stamps.

Re-enter Executicners, with a cord, irons, etc.

43 wrought it me

ask it you: that is, for me, from you: a use of the pronouns

Do as I bid you do.

in a dative sense less common in the United States than in England.

61 heat red hot heated, etc. We sometimes hear the same strong form of the verb pronounced het.

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 boisterous-rough?
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.

First Exec. I am best pleas'd to be from such a deed.

80

[Exeunt Executioners.

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.

Hub. In 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, Being create for comfort, to be used

In undeserv'd extremes: see else yourself;

There is no malice burning in this coal;

The breath of heaven has blown his spirit out

And strew'd repentant ashes on his head.
Hub. But with my breath I can revive it, boy.

18 For heaven sake. The possessive form was often omitted before nouns beginning

with .

101 create created: a use common with S.

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 extends,
Creatures of note for mercy-lacking uses.

Hub. Well, see to live; I will not touch thine eye
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 disguis'd.

Hub.

Peace; no more.

Adieu.

Your uncle must not know but you are dead;
I'll fill these dogged spies with false reports:
And, pretty child, sleep doubtless and secure,
That Hubert, for the wealth of all the world,
Will not offend thee.

Arth.
O heaven! I thank you, Hubert.
Hub. Silence; no more: go closely in with me:
Much danger do I undergo for thee.

SCENE II. KING JOHN's palace.

120

130

[Exeunt.

Enter KING JOHN, PEMBROKE, SALISBURY, and other Lords.

K. John. Here once again we sit, once again crown'd,

And look'd upon, I hope, with cheerful eyes.

66

Pem. This once again," but that your highness pleas'd,
Was once superfluous: you were crown'd before,

And that high royalty was ne'er pluck'd off,
The faiths of men ne'er stained with revolt;
Fresh expectation troubled not the land
With any long'd-for change or better state.

Sal. Therefore, to be possess'd with double pomp,

To guard a title that was rich before,
To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,
To throw a perfume on the violet,
To smooth the ice, or add another hue
Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light

To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,

Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.

10 to guard to decorate, as with lace and embroidery.

10