Nay, hear me, Hubert, drive these men away, I will not ftir, nor wince, nor speak a word, Thruft but these men away, and I'll forgive you, Hub. Go, ftand within; let me alone with him. Hub. Come, boy, prepare your felf. Hub. None, but to lose your eyes. Arth. O heav'n! that there were but a moth in A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wandring hair, Any annoyance in that precious sense: yours, Then, feeling what small things are boift'rous there, Your vile intent must needs feem horrible. tongues Hub. Is this your promife? go to, hold your tongue.--Arth. Hubert, the utterance of a brace of Muft 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 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 elfe your self, Hub. But with my breath I can revive it, boy. Arth. And if you do, you will but make it blush, And glow with fhame of your proceedings, Hubert : Nay, it, perchance, will sparkle in your eyes: And And like a Dog, that is compell'd to fight, That mercy which fierce fire and iron extend, 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. 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. Arth. O heav'n! I thank you, Hubert. Hub. Silence, no more; go closely in with me.' Much danger do I undergo for thee., [Exeunt. SCENE changes to the Court of England. Enter King John, Pembroke, Salisbury, and other Lords. K. John. HE ERE 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 Was once fuperfluous; you were crown'd before, To smooth the ice, or add another hue Pemb. But that your royal pleasure must be done, Sal. In this the antique and well-noted face It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about; Makes found opinion fick, and truth suspected, Pemb. When workmen strive to do better than well, They do confound their skill in covetoufnefs; (21) And oftentimes excufing of a fault Doth make the fault the worse by the excufe: 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 counsel; but it pleas'd your Highness To over-bear it; and we're all well pleas'd; Since all and every part of what we would, Must make a Stand at what your Highnels will. K. John. Some reasons of this double Coronation I have poffeft you with, and think them ftrong. And more, more ftrong (the leffer is my fear) I shall 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, (21) They do confound their Skill in Covetoufnels.] i. e. Not by their Avarice, but in an eager Emulation, an intense Delire of excelling; as in Henry V. But if it be a Sin to covet Honour, To To found the purposes of all their hearts, Enter Hubert. K. John. Let it be fo; I do commit his youth The image of a wicked heinous fault What we so fear'd he had a Charge to do. Sal. The colour of the King doth come and go, Like heralds 'twixt two dreadful battels fent: (22) (22) Like Heralds, 'twixt two dreadful Battles fet;] But Heralds are not planted, I prefume, in the midft betwixt two Lines of Battle; tho' they, and Trumpets, are often fent over from Party to Party, to propose Terms, demand a Parley, &c. I have therefore ventur'd to read, fent. Pemb. Pemb. And when it breaks, I fear, will iffue 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 fickness 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 Greatness fhould fo grofly 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. Enter a Meffenger. [Exeunt. K. John. They burn in indignation; I repent. That I have feen inhabit in those cheeks? [Afide. [To the Mef. So foul á sky clears not without, a ftorm; Was levy'd in the body of a Land. The copy of your fpeed is learn'd by them: K. John. |