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Shall blow each dust, each straw, each little rub,
Out of the path which shall directly lead

Thy foot to England's throne; and therefore mark. 130
John hath seized Arthur; and it cannot be
That, whiles warm life plays in that infant's veins,
The misplaced John should entertain an hour,
One minute, nay, one quiet breath of rest.
A sceptre snatch'd with an unruly hand
Must be as boisterously maintain'd as gain'd;
And he that stands upon a slippery place
Makes nice of no vile hold to stay him up:
That John may stand, then Arthur needs must
fall;

So be it, for it cannot be but so.

Lew. But what shall I gain by young Arthur's fall?

Pand. You, in the right of Lady Blanch your
wife,

May then make all the claim that Arthur did.
Lew. And lose it, life and all, as Arthur did.
Pand. How green you are and fresh in this
old world!

John lays you plots; the times conspire with you;
For he that steeps his safety in true blood
Shall find but bloody safety and untrue.
This act so evilly born shall cool the hearts
Of all his people and freeze up their zeal,
That none so small advantage shall step forth
To check his reign, but they will cherish it;
No natural exhalation in the sky,

No scope of nature, no distemper'd day,
No common wind, no customèd event,

128. rub, obstacle.

138. Makes nice of, scruples

to seize.

153. exhalation, meteor.
154. No scope of nature, no

140

150

effect produced within the limits
of nature, no 'natural phenome-
non.'

154. distemper'd, troubled,
stormy.

1

But they will pluck away his natural cause
And call them meteors, prodigies and signs,
Abortives, presages and tongues of heaven,
Plainly denouncing vengeance upon John.

Lew. May be he will not touch young Arthur's life,

But hold himself safe in his prisonment.

Pand. O, sir, when he shall hear of your approach,

If that young Arthur be not gone already,
Even at that news he dies; and then the hearts
Of all his people shall revolt from him
And kiss the lips of unacquainted change
And pick strong matter of revolt and wrath
Out of the bloody fingers' ends of John.
Methinks I see this hurly all on foot :
And, O, what better matter breeds for you
Than I have named ! The bastard Faulconbridge
Is now in England, ransacking the church,
Offending charity: if but a dozen French
Were there in arms, they would be as a call
To train ten thousand English to their side,
Or as a little snow, tumbled about,
Anon becomes a mountain. O noble Dauphin,
Go with me to the king: 'tis wonderful
What may be wrought out of their discontent,
Now that their souls are topfull of offence.
For England go: I will whet on the king.

Lew. Strong reasons make strong actions: let

us go:

If you say ay, the king will not say no.

169. hurly, uproar, 'hurly

burly.'

174. call, a cry used in en

[Exeunt.

ticing birds.

175. train, allure.

160

170

180

ACT IV.

SCENE I. A room in a castle.

Enter HUBERT and Executioners.

Hub. Heat me these irons hot; and look thou stand

Within the arras: when I strike my foot

Upon the bosom of the ground, rush forth,

And bind the boy which you shall find with me Fast to the chair: be heedful: hence, and watch. First Exec. I hope your warrant will bear out the deed.

Hub. Uncleanly scruples! fear not you look to 't. [Exeunt Executioners. Young lad, come forth; I have to say with you.

Enter ARTHUR.

Good morrow, little prince.

Arth. Good morrow, Hubert.

Hub.
Arth. As little prince, having so great a title
To be more prince, as may be. You are sad.
Hub. Indeed, I have been merrier.

Mercy on me!

Arth.
Methinks no body should be sad but I:
Yet, I remember, when I was in France,
Young gentlemen would be as sad as night,
Only for wantonness. By my christendom,
So I were out of prison and kept sheep,
I should be as merry as the day is long;

2. Within the arras, i.e. behind the tapestry.

16. Only for wantonness, for

a mere freak.

ΙΟ

16. my christendom, my faith as a Christian.

And so I would be here, but that I doubt
My uncle practises more harm to me:
He is afraid of me and I of him:

Is it my fault that I was Geffrey's son?

No, indeed, is 't not; and I would to heaven
I were your son, so you would love me, Hubert.
Hub. [Aside] If I talk to him, with his innocent
prate

He will awake my mercy which lies dead :
Therefore I will be sudden and dispatch.

Arth. Are you sick, Hubert? you look pale
to-day :

In sooth, I would you were a little sick,
That I might sit all night and watch with you:
I warrant I love you more than you do me.

Hub. [Aside] His words do take possession of my bosom.

Read here, young Arthur.

[Showing a paper.

[Aside] How now, foolish rheum!
Turning dispiteous torture out of door!
I must be brief, lest resolution drop
Out at mine eyes in tender womanish tears.
Can you not read it? is it not fair writ?

Arth. Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect: Must you with hot irons burn out both mine eyes?

Hub. Young boy, I must.

Arth.

Hub.

And will you?

And I will.

Arth. Have you the heart? When your head

did but ache,

I knit my handkercher about your brows,
The best I had, a princess wrought it me,
And I did never ask it you again;

And with my hand at midnight held your head,

20

30

40

19. doubt, fear.

34. dispiteous, pitiless.

And like the watchful minutes to the hour,
Still and anon cheer'd up the heavy time,

Saying, 'What lack you?' and 'Where lies your grief?'

Or 'What good love may I perform for you?'
Many a poor man's son would have lien still
And ne'er have spoke a loving word to you;
But you at your sick service had a prince.
Nay, you may think my love was crafty love
And call it cunning: do, an if you will:

If heaven be pleased that you must use me ill,
Why then you must. Will you put out mine

eyes?

These eyes that never did nor never shall

So much as frown on you.

Hub.

I have sworn to do it;

And with hot irons must I burn them out.

Arth. Ah, none but in this iron age would do it!

The iron of itself, though heat red-hot,

Approaching near these eyes, would drink my

tears

And quench his fiery indignation

Even in the matter of mine innocence ;
Nay, after that, consume away in rust,
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.

46. watchful minutes to the hour, minutes that serve as watches to the hour (succeed one another at regular intervals).

[Stamps.

50

60

70

47. Still and anon, ever and

anon.

50. lien, lain.

52. sick service, service in sickness.

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