Approaching near these eyes, would drink my tears, Even in the matter of mine innocence : Are you more stubborn-hard than hammered iron ? And told me, Hubert should put out mine eyes, I would not have believed him. No tongue but Hubert's.Hub. Come forth. Re-enter Attendants, with cords, irons, &c. Do as I bid you do. [Stamps. 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. I will not struggle, I will stand stone-still. For heaven's sake, Hubert, let me not be bound! I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word, Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you, Hub. Go, stand within; let me alone with him. [Exeunt Attendants. 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. Hub. Arth. Is there no remedy? Hub. Come, boy, prepare yourself. None, but to lose your eyes. 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 Must needs want pleading for a pair of eyes: Let me not hold my tongue; let me not, Hubert! And would not harm me. Hub. 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; The breath of heaven hath blown his spirit out, Hub. But with my breath I can revive it, boy. That mercy, which fierce fire, and iron, extends, Hub. Well, see to live 2; I will not touch thine eyes For all the treasure that thine uncle owes : Yet I am 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. Peace: no more. Adieu; Your uncle must not know but you are dead: Arth. 1 Urge, excite. 2 Live with thy sight uninjured. 3 In secret. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The same. A Room of State in the Palace. Enter King JOHN, crowned; PEMBROKE, SALISBURY, and other Lords. The King takes his seat. K. John. Here once again we sit, once again crowned, And looked upon, I hope, with cheerful eyes. Pem. This once again, but that your highness pleased, Sal. Therefore, to be possessed with double pomp, To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, Pem. But that your royal pleasure must be done, And, in the last repeating, troublesome, Being urgèd at a time unseasonable. Sal. In this, the antique and well-noted face Of plain old form is much disfigurèd: And, like a shifted wind unto a sail, It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about; Makes sound opinion sick, and truth suspected, For putting on so new a fashioned robe. Pem. When workmen strive to do better than well, They do confound their skill in covetousness1: And, oftentimes, excusing of a fault, Doth make the fault the worse by the excuse; As patches, set upon a little breach, Discredit more in hiding of the fault, Than did the fault before it was so patched. Sal. To this effect, before you were new-crowned, We breathed our counsel: but it pleased your highness 1 An ambition to excel. To overbear it: and we are all well pleased; K. John. Some reasons of this double coronation K. John. Let it be so; I do commit his youth Enter HUBERT. Το your direction.-Hubert, what news with you? The image of a wicked heinous fault Does show the mood of a much-troubled breast; 1 Furnish, acquaint. 3 Mew (to shut up); a mew, a place where hawks were shut up to mew, or change their feathers. The stables at Whitehall were anciently called "mews," where the king's hawks were kept. And I do fearfully believe, 'tis done, What we so feared he had a charge to do. Sal. The colour of the king doth come and go, K. John. We cannot hold mortality's strong hand; - Sal. Indeed, we feared his sickness was past cure. This must be answered, either here, or hence. K. John. Why do you bend such solemn brows on me? Think you I bear the shears of destiny? Have I commandment on the pulse of life? Sal. It is apparent foul-play; and 'tis shame, That blood which owed the breadth of all this isle, [Exeunt Lords. K. John. They burn in indignation; I repent; Enter a Messenger. A fearful eye thou hast! Where is that blood, So foul a sky clears not without a storm: Pour down thy weather.- How goes all in France? For any foreign preparation, Was levied in the body of a land! The copy of your speed is learned by them; The tidings come that they are all arrived. K. John. O, where hath our intelligence been drunk? |