But for containing fire to harm mine eye.
Are you more stubborn-hard than hammer'd iron?
An if an angel should have come to me

And told me Hubert should put out mine eyes,
I would not have believed him,-no tongue but
Hubert's-

Hub. Come forth.

[Stamps.

Re-enter EXECUTIONERS with a cord, 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 boisterous-rough?
I will not struggle, I will stand stone-still.
For heaven's sake, Hubert, let me not be bound;
Nay, hear me, Hubert, drive these men away,
And I will sit as quiet as a lamb;

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80

85

I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word,

Nor look upon the iron angerly;

Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you,

Whatever torment you do put me to.

90

Hub. Go, stand within; let me alone with him.
First Exec. I am best pleased to be from such a deed.

[Exeunt EXECUTIONERS.

Arth. Alas, I then have chid away my friend!
He hath a stern look, but a gentle heart;
Let him come back, that his compassion may
Give life to yours.

95

Come, boy, prepare yourself.

None, but to lose your eyes.

Hub.
Arth. Is there no remedy?

Hub.

fire, but, continuing their application, could cause the iron to rust.

74. An if.-See note 59.

88. Angerly. The old form of angrily.

93. Have chid.--Another instance of an altered participle; we should

now say have chidden.

Arth. O heaven, that there were but a mote in yours,
A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wandering hair,
Any annoyance in that precious sense!

Then feeling what small things are boisterous there,
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

Hub.

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.

I can heat it, boy.
Arth. No, in good sooth; the fire is dead with grief,
Being create for comfort, to be used

In undeserved extremes; see else yourself;
There is no malice in this burning coal;

100

105

110

115

The breath of heaven has blown his spirit out
And strew'd repentant ashes on his head.

120

100. A mote.-A small particle of dust.

102. That precious sense.—'

-The sense of sight.

103. Boisterous.-Rough.

104. Your vile intent.-Your wicked intention.

105. Go to. This is an old saying, used almost exactly in the same

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sense as our no more of that,' 'say no more." It always had a scornful meaning.

106. A brace. -Two.

112. By my troth.—An old form of oath, equivalent to "by my faith,”

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or to our on my honour."

115. In good sooth.-See note 31.

116. Being create.--Create is used for created; this is quite a mark of

Shakespeare's style. See note 67.

120. Repentant ashes.-The word ashes refers to the change red-hot iron undergoes in cooling. In the phrase "strew repentant ashes on his head," Shakespeare alludes to the custom of penitents covering the head with ashes as a sign of repentance. The name Ash Wednesday is derived from this custom.

C

Hub. But with my breath I can revive it, boy.
Arth. An if you do, you will but make it blush

And glow with shame of your proceedings, Hubert;
Nay, it perchance will sparkle in your eyes;
And like a dog that is compell'd to fight,
Snatch at his master that doth tarre him on.
All things that you should use to do me wrong
Deny their office; only you do lack

That mercy which fierce fire and iron extends,
Creatures of note for mercy-lacking uses.

Hub. Well, see to live; I will not touch thine eye
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.

Arth.

Peace; no more.

Adieu.

Your uncle must not know but you are dead;
I'll fill these dogged spies with false reports;
And, pretty child, sleep doubtless and secure,
That Hubert, for the wealth of all the world,
Will not offend thee.

122. An if.-See note 59.

125

130

135

140

O heaven! I thank you, Hubert.

122. Make it blush and glow.-Make it become red again, as cooling iron would when blown.

124. Perchance.-Perhaps.

126. Tarre him on.-Urge him on.

130. Creatures of note for mercy-lacking uses.-The creatures here meant are fire and iron, and Arthur says they are well known as being used for cruel purposes.

132. Thine uncle owes.-Owes is the old form of owns.

136. Disguised.-Changed; altered in appearance, or in this place more particularly, altered in character.

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137. Adieu.-A form borrowed from the French, answering to our Good-bye." Its exact meaning is "to God," and it implies "to God's care I leave you."

139. Dogged. Here used for dogging, which means watching, hunting, or following as a dog.

Hub. Silence; no more; go closely in with me;
Much danger do I undergo for thee.

[Exeunt.

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IX.

KING JOHN.

ACT iv. SCENES 2, 3.-THE KING'S REMORSE.

[Shortly after the scene between Hubert and Prince Arthur in the castle, Hubert, in the scene which now follows, informs the king of the excited and angry temper of the people, who had reason to believe that Arthur had been cruelly murdered. It is, of course, known to the reader that Arthur was not put to death on that occasion, but John was not yet aware that his nephew's life had been spared. As is usual with persons of the hard-hearted, yet cowardly, character of this wicked king, he endeavours to shift the blame from himself, and lays all the responsibility on Hubert; a fitting comment on his half-expressed promise when the death of the young prince was planned, "Hubert I love thee!

Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee!"

It may be remarked, that the manner of Arthur's death, as given in scene 3 of this extract, is contrary to that related by most historians, who agree in stating that the prince was murdered in the castle of Rouen, in Normandy, probably by John himself.]

SCENE: King John's palace-the King alone.

Enter HUBERT.

Hub. My lord, they say five moons were seen to-night;
Four fixed, and the fifth did whirl about

The other four in wondrous motion.

K. John. Five moons!

Hub.

Old men and beldams in the streets 5

144. Closely.-Secretly; so as not to be noticed.

1. Five moons.-The old historian Holinshed mentions this as a fact. It is doubtless untrue, but Shakespeare makes use of the incident to show us how, in those days, both kings and people could be terrified by superstitious tales.

2. Whirl about.-The word about is here a preposition governing other four; the meaning, therefore, is not "whirl the other four about," but "whirl around the other four, while they remained fixed." 5. Beldams.-Lit. "beautiful ladies," but the word had undergone a

Do prophesy upon it dangerously;

Young Arthur's death is common in their mouths;
And when they talk of him, they shake their heads
And whisper one another in the ear;

And he that speaks doth gripe the hearer's wrist; 10
Whilst he that hears makes fearful action,

With wrinkled brows, with nods, with rolling eyes.

I saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus,
The whilst his iron did on the anvil cool,
With open mouth swallowing a tailor's news;
Who, with his shears and measure in his hand,
Standing on slippers, which his nimble haste
Had falsely thrust upon contrary feet,
Told of a many thousand warlike French
That were embattailed and rank'd in Kent;
Another lean unwash'd artificer

Cuts off his tale and talks of Arthur's death.
K. John. Why seek'st thou to possess me with these fears?
Why urgest thou so oft young Arthur's death?
Thy hand hath murder'd him; I had a mighty cause
To wish him dead, but thou hadst none to kill him.
Hub. No had, my lord! why, did you not provoke me?
K. John. It is the curse of kings to be attended

15

20

[25

complete change of meaning before Shakespeare's time; it meant then, and does now, an old woman, a hag.

10. Gripe.-Clutch; hold tightly; grip.

13. Thus.-Imagine Hubert showing the king the manner in which the smith stood.

18. Upon contrary feet.-The left slipper on the right foot, and the right slipper on the left foot; a sure sign of haste.

20. Embattailèd.-Drawn up in fighting order.

21. Artificer.-A man who works at a trade.

23. To possess me.-To cause me to have.

27. No had. This was a phrase in use in Shakespeare's time, as were also " no does,' no will," &c. They were used as short answers

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of surprise. "No had," in this place would mean, "What! had

not!"

27. Provoke.-Used not quite as it is now; in this place it means urge,

encourage.