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DRAMATIC SCENES AND DIALOGUES.

Ex. 189.

Arthur and Hubert.

Arth. Good morrow, Hubert.

Hub. Good morrow, little prince.

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.

Arth. Mercy on me!

Methinks, nobody 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;
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 Geoffrey's son?
No, indeed, it's not : And I would to heaven,
I were your son, so you would love me, Hubert.
Hub. If I talk to him, with his innocent prate
He will awake my mercy, which lies dead :
Therefore I will be sudden, and dispatch.

In sooth, I would you were a little sick;

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

I warrant, I love you more than you do me.

That I might sit all night, and watch with you:

Hub. His words do take possession of my bosom.—

[Aside.

Read here, young Arthur. [Showing a paper.] 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. And will you?

Hub. And I will.

[Aside.

Arth. Have you the heart? When your head did but

ache,

I knit my handkerchief 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
And, like the watchful minutes to the hour,
Still and anon cheered 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 lain 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 eyes.

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'sHub. Come forth.

Enter ATTENDANTS, with Cords, Irons, etc.

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 irons, I say, and bind him here.
Arth. Alas, what need you be so boist'rous-rough?

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

For heaven's sake, Hubert, let me not be bound!
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,
Nor look upon the iron angerly:

Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you,
Whatever torment you do put me to.

Hub. Go, stand within; let me alone with him.
1 Attend. I am best pleased to be from such a deed.
[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. 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 yours, A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wand'ring hair,

Any annoyance in that precious sense!

Then, feeling what small things are boist'rous 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!
Or, Hubert, if you will, cut out my tongue,
So I may keep mine eyes; O spare mine eyes;
Though to no use, but still to look on you!
Lo, by my troth, the instrument is cold,
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,

And strewed repentant ashes on his head.

Hub. But with my breath I can revive it, boy.
Arth. And 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 compelled to fight,
Snatch at his master that doth tarre him on.
All things, that you should use to do me wrong,
Deny their office: only you do lack

That mercy, which fierce fire and iron extends,

Creatures of note, for mercy-lacking uses.

Hub. Well, see to live; I will not touch thine eyes 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 You were disguised.

Hub. Peace: no more. Adieu;

Your uncle must not know but you are dead :
I'll fill these dogged spies with false reports.
And, pretty child, sleep doubtless, and secure,
That Hubert, for the wealth of all the world,
Will not offend thee.

Arth. O heaven !—I thank you, Hubert.

Hub. Silence; no more : Go closely in with me ; Much danger do I undergo for thee.

Ex. 190.

King John and Hubert.

Shakspeare.

Hub. My lord, they say, five moons were seen to-night : Four fixed; and the fifth did whirl about

The other four, in wondrous motion.

K. John. Five moons?

Hub. Old men, and beldams, in the streets

Do prophesy upon it dangerously:

Young Arthur's death is common in their mouths :

And when they talk of him, they shake their heads,
And whisper one another in the ear.

K. John. Why seek'st thou to possess me with these fears? Why urgest thou so oft young Arthur's death?

Thy hand hath murder'd him. I had a mighty cause

To wish him dead, but thou hadst none to kill him.

Hub. None had, my lord! Why, did you not provoke me?

K. John. It is the curse of kings, to be attended

By slaves, that take their humours for a warrant
To break within the bloody house of life :

And, on the winking of authority,

To understand a law; to know the meaning

Of dangerous majesty, when, perchance it frowns

More upon humour than advised respect.

Hub. Here is your hand and seal for what I did.

K. John. O when the last account 'twixt heaven and earth

Is to be made, then shall this hand and seal

Witness against us to damnation !

How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds

Makes ill deeds done! Hadst not thou been by,

A fellow by the hand of nature marked,

Quoted, and signed, to do a deed of shame,
This murder had not come into my mind:
But taking note of thy abhorr'd aspect,

Finding thee fit for bloody villany,
Apt, liable, to be employed in danger,

I faintly broke with thee of Arthur's death;
And thou, to be endeared to a king,

Made it no conscience to destroy a prince.
Hub. My lord,-

K. John. Hadst thou but shook thy head, or made a pause, When I spake darkly what I purposed,

Or turned an eye of doubt upon my face,

As bid me tell my tale in express words,

Deep shame had struck me dumb, made me break off,

And those thy fears might have wrought fears in me:
But thou didst understand me by my signs,

And didst in signs again parley with sin;

Yea, without stop, didst let thy heart consent,
And, consequently, thy rude hand to act

The deed, which both our tongues held vile to name.
Out of my sight, and never see me more!
My nobles leave me ; and my state is braved,
Even at my gates, with ranks of foreign powers:
Nay, in the body of this fleshly land,

This kingdom, this confine of blood and breath,
Hostility and civil tumult reigns

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.
Young Arthur is alive. This hand of mine
Is yet a maiden and an innocent hand,
Not painted with the crimson spots of blood.
Within this bosom never entered yet

The dreadful motion of a murderous thought;
And you have slandered nature in my form,
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, Throw this report on their incensed rage,

And make them tame to their obedience !
Forgive the comment that my passion made
Upon thy feature; for my rage was blind,
And foul imaginary eyes of blood

Presented thee more hideous than thou art.
O answer not; but to my closet bring
The angry lords, with all expedient haste :
I conjure thee but slowly; run more fast.

Shakspeare.

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