Enter Hubert de Burgh with three men.

A dismall tale fit for a furies tongue.
I fainte to tell, deepe sorrow is the sound.
Arth. What, must I die?

Hub. No newes of death, but tidings of
more hate,

Arth. Alas, thou wrongst my youth with words of feare,

Hub. My masters, I have shewed you what warrant I haue for this attempt; I perceiue by your heauy countenances, you had rather be otherwise imployed, and for my owne part, A wrathfull doome, and most unluckie fate: I would the King had made choice of some Deaths dish were daintie at so fell a feast, other executioner: only this is my comfort, that Be deafe, hear not, its hell to tell the rest. a King commaunds, whose precepts neglected or omitted, threatneth torture for the default. Therefore in briefe, leaue me, and be ready to attend the aduenture: stay within that entry, and when you heare me crie, God saue the King, issue sodainely forth, lay hands on Arthur, set him in this chaire, wherein (unce fast bound) leaue him with me to finish the rest. Attendants. We goe, though loath.

[Exeunt.

Tis hell, tis horror, not for one to heare:
What is it man if it must needes be done,
Act it, and end it, that the paine were gone.
Hub. I will not chaunt such dolour with
my tongue,

Yet must I act the outrage with my hand.
My heart, my head, and all my powers beside,
To aide the office haue at once denide.

Hub. My Lord, will it please your honor Peruse this letter, lines of trebble woe, to take the benefit of the faire euening?

Enter Arthur to Hubert de Burgh.
Arth.

Gramercie Hubert for thy care of me,
In or to whom restraint is newly knowne,
The ioy of walking is small benefit,

Yet will I take thy offer with small thanks,
I would not loose the pleasure of the eie.
But tell me courteous Keeper if thou can,
How long the King will haue me tarrie heere.
Hub. I know not Prince, but as I gesse,

not long.

Reade ore my charge, and pardon when you know. ,,Hubert, these are to commaund thee, as thou tendrest our quiet in minde, and the estate of our person, that presently upon the receipt of our commaund, thou put out the eies of Arthur Plantaginet."

Arth. Ah monstrous damned man! his very breath infects the elements. Contagious venome dwelleth in his heart, Effecting meanes to poyson all the world. Vnreuerent may I be to blame the heauens

God send you freedome, and God saue the Of great iniustice, that the miscreant

King.

They issue forth.

Liues to oppresse the innocents with wrong.
Ah Hubert! makes he thee his instrument,
To sound the trump that causeth hell triumph?

Arth. Why how now sirs, what may this Heauen weepes, the saints do shed celestiall teares,

outrage meane?

O helpe me Hubert, gentle keeper help:

God send this sodaine mutinous approach

Tend not to reaue a wretched guiltles life.

They feare thy fall, and cite thee with remorse,
They knocke thy conscience, mouing pitie there,
Willing to fence thee from the rage of hell:
Hell Hubert, trust me all the plagues of hell

Hub. So sirs, depart, and leaue the rest Hang on performance of this damned deede.

for me.

neth in thy face,

Arth. Then Arthur yeeld, death

This seale, the warrant of the bodies blisse, frow-Ensureth Satan chieftaine of thy soule: Subscribe not Hubert, giue not Gods part away.

What meaneth this? good Hubert pleade the I speake not only for eies priuilege,

case.

The chief exterior that I would enjoy:

Hub. Patience yong Lord, and listen words But for thy perill, farre beyond my paine, Thy sweet soules losse, more than my eies vaine

of woe,

Harmefull and harsh, hells horror to be heard:

lacke:

A cause internall, and eternall too.

Aduise thee Hubert, for the case is hard,

To loose saluation for a Kings reward.

Arth. Then do thy charge, and charged be thy soul,

With wrongfull persecution done this day..

Hub. My Lord, a subiect dwelling in the You rowling eyes, whose superficies yet

land

Is tied to execute the Kings commaund.

Arth. Yet God commaunds whose power

reacheth further,

I doe behold with eies that nature lent:
Send forth the terror of your Mouers frowne,
To wreake my wrong vpon the murtherers
That rob me of your faire reflecting view:

That no commaund should stand in force to Let hell to them (as earth they wish to me)
Be darke and direfull guerdon for their guilt,

murther.

a law,

Hub. But that same Essence hat ordaind And let the blacke tormenters of deep Tartary
Vpbraide them with this damned enterprise,
A death for guilt, to keepe the world in awe. Inflicting change of tortures on their soules.
Arth. I pleade, not guilty, treasonlesse Delay not Hubert, my orisons are ended,
Begin I pray thee, reaue me of my sight:

Hub

and free.

But that appeale my Lord concer-But to performe a tragedie indeede,

nes not me.

Conclude the period with a mortall stab.

Arth. Why thou art he that maist omit Constance farewell, tormenter come away,

the perill.

Hub. I, if my soueraigne would omit his

quarrell.

Make my dispatch the Tyrants feasting day. Hub. I faint, I feare, my conscience bids desist:

Arth. His quarrell is vnhallowed false and Faint did I say? feare was it that I named: My King commaunds, that warrant sets me free:

Hub.

Arth.

wrong.

Then be the blame to whom it doth But God forbids, and he commaundeth Kings, belong. That great Commaunder countercheckes my charge, Why thats to thee if thou as they He stayes my hand, he maketh soft my heart. proceede, Goe cursed tooles, your office is exempt, Conclude their judgment with so vile a deede. Cheere thee yong Lord, thou shalt not loose an eie, Hub. Why then no execution can be lawfull, Thogh I should purchase it with losse of life. If Judges doomes must be reputed doubtfull. Ile to the King, and say his will is done Arth. Yes where in form of law in place And of the langor tell him thou art dead, and time, Goe in with me, for Hubert was not borne To blinde those lampes that nature polisht so.

The offender is conuicted of the crime.

Hub. My Lord, my Lord, this long expostulation,

Heapes up

Arth. Hubert, if euer Arthur be in state,
Looke for amends of this receiued gift,

more griefe, than promise of I tooke my eiesight by thy curtesie,
redresse;

For this I know, and so resolude I end,
That subiects liues on Kings commands depend.
I must not reason why he is your foe,
But do his charge since he commaunds it so.

Thou lentst them me, I will not be ingrate.
But now procrastination may offend
The issue that thy kindnesse undertakes :
Depart we Hubert to prevent the worst.

[Exeunt.

Ganz besonders zu einer Vergleichung des Shakspere'schen Styls mit dem seines Vorgängers geeignet erscheint die Scene, welche Arthur's Todessprung enthält (bei Sh. A. 4, Sc. 3).

Enter yong Arthur on the walls.
Now help good hap to further mine entent,
Crosse not my youth with any more extremes:

I venter life to gaine my libertie,
And if I die, worlds troubles have an end.
Feare gins disswade the strength of my resolue,
My holde will faile, and then alas I fall,

And if I fall, no question death is next:
Better desist, and liue in prison still.
Prison said I? nay, rather death than 80:
Comfort and courage come againe to me,
Ile venter sure: tis but a leape for life.

He leapes, and brusing his bones, after he
was) from his traunce, speakes thus:

Hoe, who is nigh? some bodie take me vp.
Where is my mother? let me speake with her.
Who hurts me thus? speake hoe, where are
you gone?

Ay me poore Arthur, I am heere alone.

Why calld I mother, how did I forget?
My fall, my fall, hath killd my mothers sonne
How will she weepe at tidings of my death?
My death indeed, O God, my bones are burst.
Sweete Iesu saue my soule, forgiue my rash
attempt,

Comfort my mother, shield her from despaire,
When she shall heare my tragycke ouerthrowe.
My heart controuls the office of my tongue,
My vital powers forsake my brused trunke,
I die, I die, heauen take my fleeting soule,
And lady mother all good hap to thee.

[He dies.

Von Holinshed's Chroniken, welche Shakspere für seine übrigen historischen Dramen sowie für seinen Macbeth in so ausgedehntem Maasse benutzt hat, scheint er bei dem King John nur einen sehr spärlichen Gebrauch gemacht zu haben; wenigstens hat er in allen Fällen eines Zwiespalts zwischen den historischen Ueberlieferungen Holinshed's einerseits und den ungeschichtlichen Versionen seines dramatischen Vorgängers andrerseits, obwohl ihm die ersteren ohne Zweifel aus der Chronik sehr wohl bekannt sein mussten, doch die letzteren unbedenklich sich in seiner eigenen Auffassung angeeignet, und die Abweichungen, die er sich von dem älteren King John verstattet, sind überall nur im Interesse der dramatischen Kunst, nirgends im Interesse der geschichtlichen Wahrheit vorgenommen.

*) was ist wohl wakes zu lesen.

KING JOHN.

DRAMATIS PERSONA.

KING JOHN.

PRINCE HENRY, his Son.

ARTHUR, Duke of Bretagne.

WILLIAM MARESHALL, Earl of Pembroke.

GEFFREY FITZ-PETER, Earl of Essex.
WILLIAM LONGSWORD, Earl of Salisbury.

ROBERT BIGOT, Earl of Norfolk.

HUBERT DE BURGH, Chamberlain to the King.
ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE.

PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE.

JAMES GURNEY, Servant to Lady Faulconbridge.
PETER of Pomfret.

PHILIP, King of France.

LEWIS, the Dauphin.

Duke of Austria.

CARDINAL PANDULPH, the Pope's Legate.

MELUN, a French Lord.

CHATILLON, Ambassador from France.

ELINOR, Widow of King Henry II.

CONSTANCE, Mother to Arthur.

BLANCH, Daughter to Alphonso, King of Castile.

LADY FAULCONBRIDGE.

Lords, Ladies, Citizens of Angiers, Sheriff, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and Attendants.

SCENE, sometimes in England, and sometimes in France. 1

1) Das Personenverzeichniss fügte zuerst Rowe in seiner Ausgabe (1709) hinzu.