Yet I remember when I was in France,
Young gentlemen would be as fad as night,
Only for wantonnefs. By my Christendom,
So I were out of prifon, and kept fheep,
I fhould be merry as the day is long.
And fo I would be here, but that I doubt
My uncle practifes more harm to me.
He is afraid of me, and I of him.
Is it my fault that I was Geffrey's fon?
Indeed it is not, and I would to heav'n
I were your fon, fo you would love me, Hubert.
Hub. If I talk to him, with his innocent prate
He will awake my mercy, which lyes dead;
Therefore I will be fudden, and dispatch.
Arth. Are you fick, Hubert? you look pale to-day;
In footh, I would you were a little fick,
That I might fit all night and watch with you.
Alas, I love you more than you do me.
Hub. His words do take poffeffion of my bofom.
Read here, young Arthur
How now, foolish rheum,
Turning dif-piteous nature out of door!
I must be brief, left refolution drop
Out at mine eyes in tender womanish tears.-
Can you not read it? is it not fair writ?
Arth. Too fairly, Hubert, for fo foul effect.
Muft you with irons burn out both mine eyes?
Hub. Young boy, I must.
Arth. And will you?
Hub. And I will.
Arth. Have you the heart? when your head did but ake,
I knit my handkerchief about your brows,
(The beft I had, a Princefs wrought it me)
And I did never afk it you again;
And with my hand at midnight held your head;
And, like the watchful minutes to the hour,
Still and anon chear'd up the heavy time,
Saying, what lack you? and where lyes your grief?
Or what good love may I perform for you?
Many a poor man's fon would have lain still,
And ne'er have spoke a loving word to you ;
But you at your fick service had a Prince.
Nay, you may think my love was crafty love,
And call it cunning. Do, an if you will:
If heav'n be pleas'd that you must use me ill,
Why then you must.
-Will you put out mine eyes?
These eyes that never did, and never fhall
So much as frown on you?
Hub. I've fworn to do it ;
And with hot irons muft I burn them out.
Arth. Oh! if an angel should have come to me,
And told me Hubert should put out mine eyes,
I would not have believ'd a tongue but Hubert's.
Hub, Come forth; do as I bid you do.
[Stamps, and the men enter.
Arth. O fave me, Hubert, fave me! my eyes are out
Ev'n with the fierce looks of thefe, bloody men.
Hub. Give me the iron I fay, and bind him here.
Artb. Alas, what need you be fo boist'rous rough?
I will not struggle, I will ftand ftone-ftill.
For heav'n fake, Hubert, let me not be bound.
Nay, hear me, Hubert, drive these men away,
And I will fit as quiet as a lamb.
I will not ftir, nor wince, nor fpeak a word,
Nor look upon the iron angrily :
Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you,
Whatever torment you do put me to.
Hub. Go, ftand within; let me alone with him.
Exe. I am best pleas'd to be from fuch a deed. [Exeunt.
Arth. Alas, I then have chid away my friend,
He hath aftern look, but a gentle heart;
Let him come back, that his compaffion may
Arth. Ah, none but in this iron age would do it.
The iron of it felf, though heat red-hot.
Approaching near there eyes, would drink my tears,
And quench its fery indignation,
Ev'n in the matter of mine innocence :
Nay, after that, confume away in ruft,
But for containing fire to harm mine eye.
Are you more stubborn hard, than haminer'd iron?
Oh! if an angel should, &,
Hub. Come, boy, prepare your felf.
Arth. Is there no remedy?
Hub. None, but to lofe your eyes.
Arth. O heav'n! that there were but a moth in yours, A grain, a duft, a gnat, a wand'ring hair,
Any annoyance in that precious fenfe :
Then feeling what fmall things are boift'rous there,
Your vile intent muft needs feem horrible.
Hub. Is this your promife? go to, hold your tongue,
Arth. 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 fpare mine eyes!
Though to no ufe, but ftill to look on you.
Lo, by my troth, the inftrument is cold,
And would not harm me.
Hub. I can heat it, boy.
Arth. No, in good footh, the fire is dead with grief, Being create for comfort, to be us'd
In undeferv'd extreams; fee else yourself,
There is no malice in this burning coal;
The breath of heav'n hath blown its fpirit out,
And ftrew'd repentant ashes on its head.
Hub. But with my breath I can revive it,boy.t.
Arth. All things that you should ufe 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, fee to live; I will not touch thine eye For all the treasure that thine uncle owns :
Yet am I fworn, and I did purpose, boy,
Arth. Hubert, the utterance of a brace of tongues
Muft needs want pleading for a pair of eyes:
Let me not hold, &c.
+ I can revive it, boy.
Arth. And if you do, you will but make it blufh,
And glow with fhame of your proceedings, Hubert:
Nay, it perchance will iparkle in your eyes &
And, like a dog that is compell'd to fight,
Snatch at his mafter that doth tarre him on.
All things that you, r.
With this fame 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 muft not know but you are dead.
I'll fill thefe dogged fpies with falfe reports:
And, pretty child, fleep doubtless and fecure,
That Hubert, for the wealth of all the world,
Will not offend thee.
Arth. O heav'n! I thank you, Hubert.
Hub. Silence, no more; go clofely in with me!
Much danger do I undergo for thee.
SCENE II. The Court of England. Enter King John, Pembroke, Salisbury, and other Lords. K. John. Here once again we fit, crown'd once again, And look'd upon, I hope, with chearful eyes.
Pemb. This once again, but that your Highness pleas'd,
Was once fuperfluous; you were crown'd before,
And that high royalty was ne'er pluck'd off:
The faiths of men ne'er ftained with revolt :
Fresh expectation troubled not the land
With any long'd-for change, or better ftate.
Sal. Therefore to be poffefs'd with double pomp,
To guard a title that was rich before,
To gild refined gold, to paint the lilly,
To throw a perfume on the violet,
To smooth the ice, or add another hue
Unto the rain-bow, or with taper-light
To feek the beauteous eye of heav'n to garnish,
Is wafteful and ridiculous excefs.
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 unfeasonable.
Sal. In this the antique and well-noted face
Of plain old form is much disfigured;
And like a shifted wind unto a fail,
It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about;
Startles and frights confideration;
Makes found opinion fick, and truth suspected,
For putting on fo new a fashion'd robe.
Pemb. When workmen ftrive to do better than well,
They do confound their skill in covetousness ; *
And oftentimes excufing of a fault
Doth make the fault the worse by the excufe ;
As patches fet upon a little breach
Difcredit more in hiding of the fault,
Than did the fault before it was fo patch'd.
Sal. To this effect, before you were new-crown'd, We breath'd our counfel; but it pleas'd your Highness To over-bear it; yet we're all well pleas'd;
Since all and every part of what we would,
Muft make a stand at what your Highness will.
K. John. Some reafons of this double coronation
I have poffeft you with, and think them strong;
And more, more ftrong (the leffer is my fear)
Ifhall endue you with: mean time, but ask
What you would have reform'd that is not well,
And well fhall you perceive how willingly
I will both hear and grant you your requests.
Pemb. Then I, as one that am the tongue of thefe
To found the purposes of all their hearts,
(Both for my felf and them; but chief of all
Your fafety; for the which, my felf and they
Bend their best ftudies ;) heartily requeft
Th'infranchisement of Arthur; whofe reftraint
Doth move the murm'ring lips of discontent
To break into this dang'rous argument.
If what in reft you have, in right you hold,
Why fhou'd your fears, (which, as they fay, attend
The fteps of wrong) then move you to mew up
Your tender kinfman, and to choke his days
With barb'rous ign'rance, and deny his youth
The rich advantage of good exercife?
That the time's enemies may not have this
To grace occafions, let it be our fuit
That you have bid us afk, his liberty;
Which for our good we do no further afk,
That is, coveting to reach a higher excellence,
To found forth, or to declare.
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