Pand. Your mind is all as youthful as your blood. Now hear me speak, with a prophetic spirit; For even the breath of what I mean to speak Shall blow each dust, each straw, each little rub, Out of the path which shall directly lead Thy foot to England's throne; and, therefore, mark. John hath seiz'd Arthur; and it cannot be, That, whiles warm life plays in that infant's veins, The misplac'd John should entertain an hour, One minute, nay, one quiet breath of rest: A sceptre, snatch'd with an unruly hand, Must be as boisterously maintain'd as gain'd: And he, that stands upon a slippery 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 are you, and fresh in this old world! John lays you plots15; the times conspire with you: No scape16 of nature, no distemper'd day, 15 John lays you plots.' A similar phrase occurs in the First Part of King Henry VI. : 'He writes me here.' Again, in the second part of the same play : 'He would have carried you a forehand shaft,' &c. 16 The old copy reads scope. The emendation is Pope's. Shakspeare finely calls a monstrous birth an escape of nature, as if it were produced while she was busy elsewhere, or intent upon some other thing. No common wind, no customed event, But hold himself safe in his prisonment. Pand. O, sir, when he shall hear of your approach, Anon becomes a mountain. O noble Dauphin, If you say, ay, the king will not say, no. [Exeunt. 17 Hurly is tumult. 18 The image is taken from the manner in which birds are sometimes caught; one being placed for the purpose of drawing others to the net by his note or call. 19 Bacon, in his History of Henry VII. speaking of Simnel's march, observes that their snowball did not gather as it went. 20 The first folio reads strange; the second folio strong. ACT IV. SCENE I. Northampton1. A Room in the Castle. Enter HUBERT and two Attendants. Hub. Heat me these irons hot: and, look thou stand Within the arras2: 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. 1 Attend. I hope, your warrant will bear out the deed. to't. Hub. Uncleanly scruples! Fear not you: look [Exeunt Attendants. Young lad, come forth; I have to say with you. Enter ARTHUR. Arth. Good morrow, Hubert. Hub. 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. Mercy on me! Arth. 1 There is no circumstance, either in the original play or in this of Shakspeare, to point out the particular castle in which Arthur is supposed to be confined. The castle of Northampton has been mentioned merely because, in the first act, King John seems to have been in that town. It has already been stated that Arthur was in fact confined at Falaise, and afterwards at Rouen, where he was put to death. 2 Tapestry. This is a satirical glance at the fashionable affectation of his time by Shakspeare: which Lyly also ridicules in his Midas:'Now every base companion, being in his muble-fubles, says he is melancholy. Again: Melancholy is the crest of courtiers, and now every base companion says he is melancholy,' i. c. by my baptism The use of this word for christening or baptism is not peculiar to Shakspeare; it was common in his So I were out of prison, and kept sheep, Is it my fault that I was Geffrey's son? That I might sit all night, and watch with you: som. Read here, young Arthur. [Showing a paper.] Turning dispiteous torture out of door! Out at mine eyes, in tender womanish tears.- Arth. Hub. And will you? And I will. Arth. Have you the heart? When your head did but ake, I knit my handkerchief about your brows And with my hand at midnight held your head; time. Hearne has published a Prone from a MS. of Henry the Seventh's time, in the glossary to Robert of Gloucester in a note on the word midewinter, by which it appears that it was the ancient orthography. The childer ryzt schape & chrystyndome.' It is also used by Lyly, Fanshaw, Harington, and Fairfaxe. Still and anon cheer'd up the heavy time; If heaven be pleas'd that you must use me ill, Hub. Arth. Ah, none, but in this iron age, would do it! The iron of itself, though heat red-hot, Approaching near these eyes, would drink my tears, And quench his fiery indignation Even in the matter of mine innocence: And told me, Hubert should put out mine eyes, Hubert's. Hub. Come forth. [Stamps. Re-enter Attendants, with Cords, Irons, &c. Do as I bid you do. 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 boist'rous-rough? 5 The participle heat, though now obsolete, was in use in Shakspeare's time. He commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heat.'-Daniel, iii. 19. |