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If Heav'n be pleas'd that you must use me ill,
Why then, you must-Will you put out mine eyes?
Thefe eyes that never did, nor never shall

So much as frown on you.

Hub. I've fworn to do it;

And with hot irons must I burn them out. *

Arth. Oh! if an angel fhould have come to me, And told me, Hubert fhould put out mine eyes, I would not have believ'd a tongue 'bate † Hubert. Hub. Come forth; do as I bid you.

[Stamps, and the men enter, Arth. O fave me, Hubert, fave me! my eyes are out, Ev'n with the fierce looks of these bloody men.

Hub. Give me the iron, I fay, and bind him here. Arth. Alas! what need you be fo boist'rous-rough? I will not ftruggle, I will stand stone-still.

For Heav'n's 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 speak a word,
Nor look upon the iron angrily :

Thruft 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 beft pleas'd to be from fuch a deed.

[Exeunt.

Arth. Alas, I then have chid away my friend;
He hath a ftern look, but a gentle heart;
Let him come back, that his compaffion may
Give life to your's.

Hub. Come, boy, prepare yourself.

Arth. Is there no remedy?

Hub. None, but to lose your eyes.

burn them out.

Arth. Ah, none but in this iron age would do it. The iron of itself, though heat red-hot,

Approaching near thefe eyes, would drink my tears,

And quench its fiery indignation.

Even in the matter of mine innocence;

Nay, after that, confume away in rust.

But for containing fire to harm mine eye.

Are you more fubborn-hard than hammer'd iron?

Oh! if an angel, &c.

i. e. abate or difparage.

Arth.

Arth. O Heav'n! that there were but a moth in your's, 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 must needs feem horrible.

Hub. Is this your promife? go to, hold your * tongue.

[bert:

Arth. Let me not hold my tongue; let me not, Hu Or, Hubert, if you will, cut out my tongue, So I may keep mine eyes. O fpare mine eyes! Though to no use, but still 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 extremes: 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 aihes on its head.

Hub. But with my breath I can revive it, boy. + Arth. All things that you should use 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 ufes.

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,
With this fame very iron to burn them out.

Arth. O, now you look like Hubert. All this while You were difguifed.

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Ath. Hubert, the utterance of a brace of tongues
Muft needs wants pleading for a pair of eyes:
Let me not hold, &c.

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I can revive it, boy.

Arth. And if you do, you will but make it blush,
And glow with frame of your proceedings, Hubert:
Nay, ir, perchance, will sparkle in your eyes:
And, like a dog that is compell'd to fight,
Snatch at his mafter that doth tarre him on,
All things, &c.

VOL. III.

U u

Your

Your uncle must not know but you are dead.
I'll fill thefe dogged fpies with falfe reports:
And, pretty child, fleep doubtless, and secure,
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 closely in with me. Much danger do I undergo for thee.

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[Exeunt.

Enter King John, Pembroke, Salisbury, and other Lords. K. John. Here once again we fit, once again crown'd, 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 state.

Sal. Therefore to be poffefs'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 fmooth 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 excess.

Pemb. But that your Royal pleasure must be done, This act is as an ancient tale new told,

And in the laft 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 fhifted wind unto a fail,

"It makes the courfe of thoughts to fetch about;

t;

"Startles and frights confideration;

"Makes found opinion fick, and truth fufpected, "For putting on fo new a fashion'd robe.”

Pemb.

Pemb. When workmen strive 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 flaw,

Than did the flaw 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 overbear it; and we're all well pleas'd; Since all and every part of what we would, Must make a stand at what your Highness will.

K. John. Some reasons of this double coronation
I have poffefs'd you with, and think them strong;
And more, more strong (the leffer is my fear)
I fhall 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 myself and them; but chief of all,
Your fafety; for the which, myfelf and they
Bend their beft ftudies), heartily request
Th' infranchisement of Arthur; whose restraint
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 ignorance, and deny his youth
The rich advantage of good exercife?
That the time's enemies may not have this
Το
grace occafions, let it be our fuit,

That you have bid us afk his liberty;
Which for our good we do no further ask,
That whereupon our weal, on you depending,
Counts it your weal, that he have liberty.

i. e. coveting to reach a higher excellence.
ti. e. found forth, or declare.

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Enter Hubert.

K. John. Let it be fo; I do commit his youth To your direction. Hubert, what news with you? [The King goes afide with Hubert.

Pemb. This is the man fhould do the bloody deed: He fhew'd his warrant to a friend of mine.

The image of a wicked heinous fault
Lives in his eye; that close afpect of his

Does fhew the mood of a much-troubled breaft.
And I do fearfully believe 'tis done,

What we fo fear'd he had a charge to do.

Sal. The colour of the King doth come and go,
Between his purpofe and his confcience,

Like heralds 'twixt two dreadful battles fent:
His paffion is fo ripe it needs must break.

Pemb. And when it breaks, I fear, will isfue thence The foul corruption of a fweet child's death.

K. John. We cannot hold Mortality's ftrong hand. Good Lords, although my will to give is living, The fuit which you demand is gone, and dead. He tells us, Arthur is deceas'd to-night.

Sal. Indeed we fear'd his ficknefs was paft cure, Pemb. Indeed we heard how near his death he was, Before the child himself felt he was fick.

This must be anfwer'd either here or hence.

K. John. Why do you bend fuch folemn brows on me? Think you I bear the fhears of destiny?

Have I commandment on the pulse of life?
Sal. It is apparent foul play, and 'tis fhame
That greatnefs fhould fo grofsly offer it:
So thrive it in your game, and fo farewel!

Pemb. Stay yet, Lord Salisbury, I'll go with thee,
And find th' inheritance of this poor child,
His little kingdom of a forced grave.

That blood which own'd the breadth of all this ifle,
Three foot of it doth hold; bad world the while!
This must not be thus borne; this will break out
To all our forrows, and ere long, I doubt. [Exeunt
SCENE III. Enter a Meffenger.

K. John. They burn in indignation; I repent.

There

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