Than I have nam'd!-The bastard Faulconbridge 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.-Northampton. A Room in the Castle. Enter HUBERT and two Attendants. Hubert. 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 : 1 Attend. I hope, your warrant will bear out the deed. Hub. Uncleanly scruples! Fear not you look to't.[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. Arth. Mercy on me! Methinks, no body should be sad but I : [1] Bacon, in his History of Henry VII. speaking of Simnel's march, observes that their snow-ball did not gather as it went." JOHNSON. i I should be as merry as the day is long; Is it my fault that I was Geffrey's son ? [Aside. Arth. Are you sick, Hubert? you look pale to-day : In sooth, I would you were a little sick; I warrant, I love you more than you do me. Hub. His words do take possession of my bosom. Read here, young Arthur. [Showing a paper.] How now, foolish rheum ! Turning dispiteous torture out of door! I must be brief; lest resolution drop Arth. Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect: Must you with hot irons burn out both mine eyes? Hub. Young boy, I must. Arth. And will you? Hub. And I will. [Aside. Arth. Have you the heart? When your head did but ake, I knit my handkerchief 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 ; Saying, What lack you? and, Where lies your grief? 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! Approaching near these eyes, would drink my tears, Even in the matter of mine innocence : And told me, Hubert should put out mine eyes, [Stamps. Re-enter Attendants, with cord, irons, &c. 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. For heaven's sake, Hubert, let me not be bound! I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word, Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you, Hub. Go, stand within; let me alone with him. He hath a stern look, but a gentle heart : Let him come back, that his compassion may Hub. Come, boy, prepare yourself. 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 wand'ring hair, Any annoyance in that precious sense! Then, feeling what small things are boist'rous there, [3] The participle heat, though now obsolete, was in use in our author's time. So in the sacred writings; "He commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heat." Dan. iii. 19. MALONE. Your vile intent must needs seem horrible. 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, Being create for comfort, to be us'd In undeserv'd extremes: See else yourself; There is no malice in this burning 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. And if you do, you will but make it blush, That mercy, which fierce fire, and iron, extends, 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: [4] This is according to nature. We imagine no evil so great as that which is near us. JOHNSON. [5] The sense is: 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. JOHNSON. [6] i. e. stimulate, set him on. STEEVENS. Arth. O heaven!-1 thank you, Hubert. Hub. Silence; no more: Go closely in with me; Much danger do I undergo for thee. SCENE II. [Exeunt The same. A Room of State in the Palace. Enter King JOHN, crowned; PEMBROKE, SALISBURY, and other Lords. The King takes his State. K. John. Here once again we sit, once again crown'd, And look'd upon, I hope, with cheerful eyes. Pemb. This once again, but that your highness pleas'd, Sal. Therefore, to be possess'd with double pomp, To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, Pemb. But that your royal pleasure must be done, This act is as an ancient tale new told; And, in the last repeating, troublesome, Being urged at a time unseasonable. Sal. In this, the antique and well-noted face Of plain old form is much disfigur❜d: And, like a shifted wind unto a sail, It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about; Makes sound opinion sick, and truth suspected, For putting on so new a fashion'd robe. Pemb. When workmen strive to do better than well, They do confound their skill in covetousness :9 And, oftentimes excusing of a fault, Doth make the fault the worse by the excuse ; [7] This one time more was one time more than enough. JOHNSON. It should be remembered, that King John was at present crowned for the fourth time. STEEVENS. [8] To guard, is to fringe. JOHNSON. [9] i. e. not by their avarice, but in an eager emulation, an intense desire of excelling. THEOBALD. VOL. V. C & |