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Turning difpiteous torture out of door!
I must be brief, left 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 irons burn out both mine eyes ?
Hub. Young boy, I must.

Arth. And will you?

Hub. And I will.

Arth. Have you the heart? when your head did

but ake,

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 chear'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 fon would have lain still,
And ne'er have spoke a loving word to you;
But you at your fick service had a Prince.
Nay, you may think, my love was crafty love,
And call it cunning. Do, an if you will:
If heav'n be pleas'd that you must 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've 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, tho' heat red-hot, Approaching near these eyes, would drink my tears, And quench its fiery indignation,

[Turning dispiteous torture out of door!] For torture Sir T. Hanmer reads nature, and is VOL, III.

followed, I think, without necessity, by Dr. Warburton.

Hh

I

Even

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?
Oh! if an Angel should have come to me,
And told me, Hubert should put out mine eyes,
" I would not have believ'd a tongue, but Hubert's.

[Hubert stamps, and the men enter.

Hub. Come forth; do, as I bid you.
Arth. O lave me, Hubert, save me! my eyes are out,

Ev'n with the fierce looks of these bloody men.
Hub. Give me the iron, 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 heav'n's fake, Hubert, let me not be bound.
Nay, hear me, Hubert-drive these men away,
•And I will fit as quiet as a lamb.
I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word,
Nor look upon the iron angrily;

Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you,

61 would not have believed a

tongue BUT HUBERT'S.]

Thus Mr. Pope found the line in the old editions. According to this reading, it is supposed that Hubert had told him, he would not put out his eyes, for the an gel who says he would, is brought in as contradicting Hubert. Mr. Theobald, by what authority I don't know, reads,

the transcribers, taking it in this
sense, substituted the more usual
word but in its place. My alte-
ration greatly improves the sense,
as implying a tenderness of af-
fection for Hubert; the common
reading, only an opinion of Hu
bert's veracity; whereas the point
here was to win upon Hubert's
paffions, which could not be bet-
ter done than by shewing af-
fection towards him.

I would not have believ'd him:
no tongue, but Hubert's.

which is spoiling the measure,
without much mending the sense.
Shakespeare, I am perfuaded, wrote,
I would not have believ'd a
tongue BATE HUBERT;
i. abate, disparage. The blun-
der seems to have arisen thus,
bate fignifies except, saving; fo
4

WARBURTON;

I do not fee why the old reading may not stand, Mr, Theobald's alteration, as we find, injures the measure, and Dr. Warburton's corrupts the language, and neither can be faid much to mend the sense.

What

1

Whatever torment you do put me to.

Hub. Go, stand within; let me alone with him.
Exec. I am best pleas'd to be from such a deed.

[Exeunt.

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 heav'n! that there were but a moth in yours,

A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wandring hair,
Any annoyance in that precious sense;
Then, feeling what small things are boistrous there,
Your vile intent must needs feem horrible.

Hub. Is this your promise ? go to, hold your
tongue.

Arth. Hubert, the utterance of a brace of tongues

Muft needs want pleading for a pair of eyes:

Let me not hold my tongue : let me not, Hubert;

7

Or, Hubert, if you will, cut out my tongue,

So I may keep mine eyes. O fpare 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 footh, the fire is dead with grief,

Being create for comfort, to be us'd
In undeserv'd extreams; fee else yourself,
There is no malice in this burning coal;

The breath of heav'n hath blown its spirit out,

7 This is according to nature. We imagine no evil so great as that which is near us.

* No, in good footh, &c.] The sense is: The fire, being created

not to hurt but to comfort, is dead with grief for finding itself used in acts of cruelty, which, being innocent, I have not deferved.

[blocks in formation]

And strew'd repentant ashes on its 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 compell'd 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 extend,
Creatures of note for mercy-lacking uses.

Hub. Well, see to live; I will not touch thine eye,
For all the treasure that thine uncle owns:
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 difguised.

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.

۱

Arth. Oheav'n! I thank you, Hubert.
Hub. Silence, no more; go closely in with me.

Much danger do I undergo for thee.

SCENE II.

Changes to the Court of England.

1

[Exeunt.

Enter King John, Pembroke, Salisbury, and other

K. John.U

Lords.

ERE once again we fit, once again

crown'd,

And look'd upon, I hope, with chearful eyes.

Pemb.

Pemb. This once again, but that your highness

pleas'd,

Was once superfluous; you were crown'd before,
And that high royalty was ne'er pluck'd off:
The faiths of men ne'er stained with revolt:
Fresh expectation troubled not the land
With any long'd-for change, or better state.

Sal. Therefore, to be possess'd with double pomp,
'To guard a title that was rich before;
To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,
To throw a perfume on the violet,
To finooth the ice, or add another hue
Unto the rainhow, or with taper-light
To feek the beauteous eye of heav'n to garnish,
Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.

Hemb. But that your royal pleasure must be done, This act is as an ancient tale new told, And in the last repeating troublesome : Being urged at a time unseasonable.

Sal. In this the antique and well-noted face

Of plain old form is much disfigured;
And, like a shifted wind unto a fail,

It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about:
Startles and frights confideration;
Makes found opinion sick, and truth suspected,
For putting on so new a fashion'd robe.

Pemb. When workmen strive to do better than well, 2 They do confound their skill in covetousness ; And oftentimes excusing of a fault

Doth make the fault the worse by the excuse :

This once again was once fuperfluous.) This one time more was one time more than enough.

1

To guard a title that was
rich before.] To guard, is

by their Avarice, but in an eager
Emulation, an intense Defire of
excelling; as in Henry V.
But if it be a Sin to covet Ho-
nour,

to fringe.

2 They do confound their Skill in Covetousness.] i. e. Not

I am the most offending Soul alive. THEOBALD.

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