By slaves that take their humours for a warrant And on the winking of authority To understand a law, to know the meaning Of dangerous majesty, when perchance it frowns Hub. Here is your hand and seal for what I did. How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds 40 A fellow by the hand of nature mark'd, 31. The winking of authority.-The slightest movement of one in power; the smallest hint dropped by a king. 34. More upon humour than advis'd respect. - John means that the frowns which he has been saying Hubert misunderstood, might have been caused by sudden change of temper, or humour, rather than by any actual consideration or determination. 35. Your hand and seal. Your warrant; that which the two men referred to in § VIII. "I hope your warrant," &c. 40. Make ill deeds done.—The word make should be makes, to agree with its nominative sight in the singular. In Shakespeare's time this concord of number was often violated, even by good writers, when a plural word stood close to the verb, as "deeds" in this instance. 42. Quoted.-Noted; set apart for any particular purpose. 44. Aspect.-Accent on the second syllable. "Abhorred aspect," means 46. Liable to be employ'd.-Well fitted for such a work. 47. I faintly broke with thee.—I mentioned the matter faintly, not openly nor plainly. K. John. Hadst thou but shook thy head or made a pause Or turn'd an eye of doubt upon my face, [55 Deep shame had struck me dumb, made me break off, And didst in signs again parley with sin; Yea, without stop, didst let thy heart consent, And consequently thy rude hand to act 60 The deed, which both our tongues held vile to name. My nobles leave me; and my state is brav'd, This kingdom, this confine of blood and breath, Between my conscience and my cousin's death. Hub. Arm you against your other enemies, I'll make a peace between your soul and you; The dreadful motion of a murderous thought; 65 70 75 51. But shook.-After hadst we should say shaken. This is one of the numerous instances of the uncertainty of perfect participles in the poet's time. See § VIII. note 40. 52. Darkly.-Used like faintly, in note 47. 58. Parley with.-Talk with; hold converse with. 62. Out of my sight, &c.—This, then, was Hubert's reward! Before the deed, John's words had been "Hubert, I love thee!" 63. My state is brav'd.—My kingdom is invaded. 65. This fleshly land. 66. This kingdom. 66. This confine of blood and breath. of tumult. Three phrases by which John de scribes his own body, which he says is, like his land, in a state 72. A maiden hand.-A hand not practised in crime. Which, howsoever rude exteriorly, Is yet the cover of a fairer mind Than to be butcher of an innocent child. K. John. Doth Arthur live? O, haste thee to the peers, SCENE 3: Before the castle. Enter ARTHUR, on the walls. [Exeunt. Arth. The wall is high, and yet will I leap down; If I get down, and do not break my limbs, As good to die and go, as die and stay. [Leaps down. O me! my uncle's spirit is in these stones; [Dies. 80 85 90 95 77. Exteriorly.-On the outside. John had referred to Hubert's "abhorred aspect;" Hubert here admits that his body is not handsome. 80. The peers.-The nobility who had forsaken John. 89. Conjure thee.-Earnestly beg thee; beseech thee. 93. Ship-boy's semblance.-The dress of a sailor-boy, which Arthur had put on. 98. My uncle's spirit.-Alluding to the stony heart of King John. X. KING RICHARD II. ACT i. SCENE 3.-BANISHMENT OF BOLINGBROKE. [In this scene is narrated the banishment of Henry Bolingbroke by his cousin, King Richard the Second. Bolingbroke had quarrelled with the Duke of Norfolk, and, according to a custom of those times, the king had appointed that the two noblemen should decide their quarrel by single combat, in other words, by fighting. On the occasion of the combat, however, he suddenly put a stop to the proceedings, and banished both men from the kingdom, Norfolk for life, and Bolingbroke for ten years. Among the nobility present on this occasion was John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the father of Bolingbroke, and uncle to King Richard; throughout the scene he will be called Gaunt. There are two other persons who are included in this scene, namely, the Duke of Aumerle, a cousin of Bolingbroke and of the king, and the Lord Marshal, the officer who had charge of the arrangements for the combat which was to have taken place.] SCENE: The lists at Coventry. K. Rich. Draw near, And list what with our council we have done. Till twice five summers have enrich'd our fields, But tread the stranger paths of banishment. 5 Boling. Your will be done; this must my comfort be, 10 That sun that warms you here shall shine on me; K. Rich. (To Gaunt.) Uncle, even in the glasses of thine eyes 15 3. For that.-Equal to "so that," "in order that," or in one word "because." 4. Fostered.-Reared; brought up as a child. 8. Regreet.-Literally, greet again; that is, return to. 15. Thy sad aspect.-Thy sorrowful looks; accent the word aspèct on the second syllable. Hath from the number of his banish'd years Pluck'd four away. (To Boling.) Six frozen winters spent, Return with welcome home from banishment. Four lagging winters and four wanton springs 20 For, ere the six years that he hath to spend 25 Can change their moons and bring their times about, My oil-dried lamp and time-bewasted light Shall be extinct with age and endless night; Shorten my days thou canst with sullen sorrow, But stop no wrinkle in his pilgrimage; Thy word is current with him for my death, But dead, thy kingdom cannot buy my breath. K. Rich. Thy son is banish'd upon good advice, 30 35 22. My liege.-My lord. See § III. note 28. 24. Vantage.-Gain; the word is now generally written advantage. 28. Extinct.-Gone out; Gaunt has just compared life to a lamp, and to a light; death may therefore justly be regarded as the extinction, or putting out, of the lamp. 29. Inch of taper.-Comparing his life to a taper, or candle, Gaunt implies, by using the word inch, that he has not long to live. 35. Furrow me.-Make furrows or wrinkles, as a plough does in the field, and as age does on the forehead. 37. Thy word is current with him.-The word current means running, continuing; a person's word is current, when it is accepted as good or reliable; Gaunt therefore means that the king's word would be sufficient to bring about his (Gaunt's) death. 39. Upon good advice. This does not necessarily imply that the king |