*

Heat me,

me.

*

stand *

KING JOHN,* ACT IV. SCENE I.- Shakspeare. WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE (1564-1616) the greatest of dramatic poets, and the greatest name in our literature, was born at Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire. He became a player in London, and afterwards the manager of a theatre. Before his death he retired with a competence to his native place. His works consist of thirty-seven plays, two poems, and a collection of Bonnets. Among the plays may be mentioned such masterpieces as Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, King John, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry VIII., The Tempest, &c.

heat for Enter HUBERT and Two ATTENDANTS.

Look thou stand,

take care to Hub. Heat me* these irons hot; and, look thou

stand.

Arras, tapestry. Within the arras ;* when I strike my foot

Embroidered

curtains or hang. Upon the bosom of the ground, rush forth, ings representAnd bind the boy, which you shall find with me, ing

sometimes

the 5 Fast to the chair : be heedful: hence, and watch. battles or

figures of men, I Attend. I hope your warrant * will bear out birds, beasts, &c., the deed.*

used formerly to

cover the walls of Hub. Uncleanly scruples !* Fear not you: look

mansions. First to't.

[Exeunt * ATTENDANTS. manufactured at Young lad, come forth ; I have to

Arras, a town in say with you.

France. Warrant, written authority.

Bear out the deed, Enter ARTHUR.

free the doer from

all blame. Arth. Good morrow, Hubert.

Uncleanly 1ο Hub. Good morrow, little prince. fears or doubts.

scruples, foolish Arth. As little prince (having so great a title Exeunt, a Latin To be more prince,) as may be. You are sad.

word meaning to

go out. Hub. Indeed, I have been merrier.

So great a title, Arth.

Mercy on me! &c., having á 15 Methinks,* nobody should be sad but I;

right to be more

than a prince, Yet, I remember, when I was in France,

viz., to be a king.
Young gentlemen would be as sad as night, Methinks,
Only for wantonness.* By my Christendom, * Wantonness,
So I were out of prison, and kept sheep,

sport, amuseI should be merry as the day is long;

ment, playful

ness, mischief, And so I would be here, but that I doubt

Christendom, that My uncle practises more harm to me:

part of the world

acknow. He is afraid of me, and I of him :

ledges the ChrisIs it my fault, that I was Geffrey's son ? 25 No, indeed, is't not; And I would to heaven By my Christen.

dom, by my chris. I were your son, so you would love me, Hubert.

tening. * King John was the younger brother of Geffrey, the third son of Henry II. fore, according to law, Geffrey's son, Arthur, had a better claim to the crown than his uncle. John knowing this, and fearing a rebellion in favour of his nephew, was anxious to get rid of him, so he employed Hubert de Burgh to murder him. Arthur was born in 11870 and is supposed to have been murdered at Rouen in 1203; some say by John's own hand

*

it seems to me.

*

*

20

which

tian faith.

There

K

conversation.

do me.

а

flow

of

less.

ten.

Ilub. [Aside.] If I talk to him, with his innocent Prate, talk,

He will awake my mercy, which lies dead ; [prate chatter,child-like

Therefore I will be sudden, and despatch.* Despatch, make Arth. Are you sick, Hubert? you look pale to-day; 30 haste to do the In sooth,* I would you were a little sick : work quickly. In sooth, in truth. That I might sit all night and watch with you: I warrant, I de I warrant * I love you more than

you clare, I am sure. Hub. [Aside.] His words do take possession of my

bosom. Read here, young Arthur. [Showing a paper. 35 Rheum, here

[Aside.] How now, foolish rheum 1* tears; Turning dispiteous* torture out of door ! Greek, rheuma, from rheo, mean I must be brief, lest resolution drop ing to flow.

Out at mine eyes in tender womanish tears.-
Dispiteous

, cruel Can you not read it? is it not fair writ ? *.
.

40 Arth. Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect : Fair writ, legibly Must you with hot irons burn out both mine eyes ? or distinctly writ

Hub. Young boy, I must.
Arth.

And will you ?
Hub.

And I will. 45
Arth. Have you the heart? When your head did

but ache,

I knit my handkerchief about your brows, Wrought, (The best I had, a princess wrought* it me,) worked,

And I did never ask it you again.
And with my hand, at midnight, held your head; 50
And, like the watchful minutes to the hour,

Still and anon cheered up the heavy time, Lack, to want, to Saying—“What lack * you ?” and, “Where lies your require, to

grief ?” What good love, Or, “What good love * may I perform for you ?”

I what good action. Many a poor man's son would have lain still,

55 And ne'er have spoke a loving word to you ;

But you at your sick service had a prince. Crafty, cunning, Nay, you may think my love was crafty* love, artful, deceitful.

And call it, cunning; do, an if you will :
If heaven be pleas'd that you must use me ill, 60
Why then, you must.— Will you put out mine eyes ?
These eyes that never did, nor never shall,

So much as frown upon you?
Hcat, heated.
Hub.

I have sworn to do it;
Approaching,
coming near.
And with hot irons must I burn them out.

65 Drink my tears, Arth. Ah, none but in this iron age would do it ; my tears would

The iron of itself, though heat * red-hot,

thus Approaching * near these eyes, would drink my tears, * make it unable And quench his fiery indignation, to harm my eyes. Indignation, Even in the matter of my innocence :

70 Nay, after that, consume away in rust,

without.

*

cool the heated iron and

*

would have be

stood to come before these words.

*

*

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,
75 And told me Hubert should put out mine eyes,
I would not have believ'd him.-No tongue

* but No tongue, the Hubert's.

expression," I Hub. Come forth!

[Stamps. lieved,” is under-
Re-enter ATTENDANTS with cords, irons, &c.
Do as I bid you do.
Arth. O save me, Hubert, save me! my eyes are

out,
80 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 beso boist'rous* rough? What, why.

Boisterous,
I will not struggle, I will stand stone-still.

brutal, violent, For Heaven's sake, Hubert let me not be bound ! noisy. 85 Nay, hear me, Hubert ! drive these men away,

And I will sit as quiet as a lamb,
I will not stir, nor wince,* nor speak a word,

Wince, to shrink
Nor look upon the iron angerly ;*

or start back. Thrust* but these men away, and I'll forgive you,

Angerly, with

anger, angrily. 90 Whatever torment you do put me to.

Thrust, send, put
Hub. Go, stand within ; let me alone with him.
I Attend. I am best pleased to be from such a deed.

[Exeunt ATTENDANTS.
Arth. Alas ! I then have chid* away my friend ; Chid, reproached,

He hath a stern look, but a gentle heart :-
95 Let him come back, that his compassion* may

Compassion,
Give life to yours.

mercy.
Hub.

Come, boy, prepare yourself.
Arth. Is there no remedy ?
Hub.

None, but to lose your eyes,
Arth. O heaven! that there were but a mote* in Mote, a very small
A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wandering hair,
Any annoyance in that precious sense,

Precious sense, the

sense of sight, the Then, feeling what small things are boist'rous * there, eye.

Your vile intent* must needs seem horrible. 105 Hub. Is this your promise ? go to, hold your tongue. violent, hurtful

.

Intent, . Arth. Hubert, the utterance * of a brace* of tongues Utterance, speakMust needs want pleading for a pair of eyes :

A brace, a couple, Let me not hold my tongue ; let me not, Hubert !

a pair. Or, Hubert, if you will, cut out my tongue, 110 So* I may keep mine eyes. O,

So, if.

spare Though to no use, but still to look on you ! Lo, by my troth,* the instrument is cold,

driven away.

100

[yours, particle.

*

Boisterous,

a

ing.

mine eyes ;

to be used either

I 20

Hub.

I can heat it, boy.
Arth. No, in good sooth: the fire is dead with 115

grief,
Being create, &c. Being create * for comfort, to be us'd
Fire is intended In undesery'd extremes : See else yourself.
for our personal There is no malice in this burning coal ;
comfort or for as- The breath of heav'n hath blown his spirit out,
sisting us in our And strew'd repentant ashes on his head.
business, and not
for purposes of Hub. But with my breath I can revive it, boy.
cruelty.

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,

125 Tarre him on, Snatch at his master that doth tarre him on. encourage him to

All things that you should use to do me wrong, fight, to excite, to provoke. Deny their office ; only you do lack

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

130 merciless, piti

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

eyes,
Owes, possesses, 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 135
Disguised, al. You were disguised. *
Hub.
Peace : no more.

Adieu ! ter, as by a change Your uncle must not know but you are dead : of dress, manner, I'll fill these dogged* spies with false reports. Dogged,

surly, And, pretty child, sleep doubtless,* and secure, 140 sullen; following That Hubert, for the wealth of all the world, from place to Will not offend thee. place like a dog. Doubtless, trust. Arth. O heaven !-I thank you,

Hubert.
ful, without fear.
Closely; secretly, Much danger do I undergo * for thee.
Hub. Silence; no more: go closely * in with me ;

[Exeunt. 145 Undergo, incur,

less.

*

owns,

tered in appearance or charac

&c.

risk.

*

Pipe, to sing.

A FAREWELL.-Kingsley.
My gentle child, I have no song to give you ;
No lark could pipe * to skies so dull and grey ;
Yet, ere we part, one lesson I can leave you

For every day.
Be good, sweet child, and let who will be clever; 5
Do noble things, not dream them, all day long ;
And so make life, death, and that vast for ever,

One grand, sweet song.

*

Vast for ever, eternity.

*

MARK ANTONY'S * ORATION.-Shakspeare.

*

most man in all the

man

10

*

to

the custom in Rome

FRIENDS, Romans, countrymen ! lend me your

ears ; I come to bury Cæsar,* not to praise him. Caesar was the leader

of the popular party The evil that men do lives after them;

among the Romans. The good is oft interred with their bones : He became the fore5 So let it be with Cæsar !-Noble Brutus

world, and the greatHath told you Cæsar was ambitious

est general of his If it was so, it was a grievous fault;

time. And grievously hath Cæsar answered it!

Brutus, the nephew

of Cato, was a young Here, under leave * of Brutus and the rest

whom Cæsar For Brutus is an honourable * man !

had treated almost

like & son, So are they all! all honourable men

Under leave, by perCome I to speak in Cæsar's funeral.

mission,

The rest, the other He was my friend-faithful and just to me

Roman senators, But Brutus says he was ambitious

;

some of whom had

helped murder 15 And Brutus is an honourable man!

Cæsar.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Honourable, noble,
Whose ransoms* did the general coffers * fill; without reproach.
Did this in Cæsar seem ambitious ?

To speak, &c. It was When that the poor have cried, Cæsar hath for the nearest friend wept:

of any great man to

attend his funeral and 20 Ambition should be made of sterner stuff !

deliver a speech in his Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

praise. And Brutus an honourable man !

Ransom, the money

paid to liberate a You all did see that on the Lupercal *

captive. I thrice presented him a kingly crown,

Coffer, a chest to hold

money. 25 Which he did thrice refuse : was this am- Lupercal, the place bition ?

Romulus and Remus, Yet Brutus says he was ambitious ;

the founders of the And sure he is an honourable man !

city, were said to have I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke;

been suckled by a she

wolf, But here I am to speak what I do know.

Kingly crown. 30 You all did love him once; not without cause: Romans had a great What cause withholds you,* then, to mourn dislike of kings, and

one of the principal for him ?

charges brought O judgment ! thou hast fled to brutish beasts, against Cæsar was

that he wished to beAnd men have lost their reason !-Bear with come king in name me ;

as well as in power.

Withholds you, forMy heart is in the coffin there with Cæsar; bids or prevents you. 35 And I must pause till it come back to me!

in

Rome

The

*