The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works

by William Shakespeare

  ARTHUR

  Are you sick, Hubert? You look pale today.

  In sooth, I would you were a little sick,

  That I might sit all night and watch with you. 30

  I warrant I love you more than you do me.

  HUBERT(aside)

  His words do take possession of my bosom.

  He shows Arthur a paper

  Read here, young Arthur. (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.

  (To Arthur) Can you not read it? Is it not fair writ?

  ARTHUR

  Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect.

  Must you with hot irons burn out both mine eyes?

  HUBERT

  Young boy, I must.

  ARTHUR And will you?

  HUBERTAnd I will. 40

  ARTHUR

  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, 55

  Why then you must. Will you put out mine eyes,

  These eyes that never did, nor never shall,

  So much as frown on you?

  HUBERTI have sworn to do it,

  And with hot irons must I burn them out.

  ARTHUR

  Ah, none but in this iron age would do it. 60

  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 hammered 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.

  Hubert stamps his foot

  HUBERT

  Come forth!The Executioners come forth

  Do as I bid you do.

  ARTHUR

  O, save me, Hubert, save me! My eyes are out

  Even with the fierce looks of these bloody men.

  HUBERT (to the Executioners)

  Give me the iron, I say, and bind him here.

  He takes the iron

  ARTHUR

  Alas, what need you be so boisterous-rough?

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

  For God’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, 80

  Nor look upon the iron angerly.

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

  Whatever torment you do put me to.

  HUBERT (to the Executioners)

  Go stand within. Let me alone with him.

  EXECUTIONER

  I am best pleased to be from such a deed. 85

  Exeunt Executioners

  ARTHUR

  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.

  HUBERT Come, boy, prepare yourself.

  ARTHUR

  Is there no remedy?

  HUBERT None but to lose your eyes. 90

  ARTHUR

  O God, 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. 95

  HUBERT

  Is this your promise? Go to, hold your tongue!

  ARTHUR

  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, 100

  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.

  HUBERT I can heat it, boy.

  ARTHUR

  No, in good sooth: the fire is dead with grief, 105

  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. II0

  HUBERT

  But with my breath I can revive it, boy.

  ARTHUR

  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 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.

  HUBERT

  Well, see to live. I will not touch thine eye

  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.

  ARTHUR

  O, now you look like Hubert. All this while

  You were disguised.

  HUBERT 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.

  ARTHUR O God! I thank you, Hubert.

  HUBERT

  Silence, no more. Go closely in with me.

  Much danger do I undergo for thee. Exeunt

  4.2 ⌈flourish.⌉ Enter King John, the Earls of Pembroke and Salisbury, and other lords. King John ascends the throne

  KING JOHN

  Here once again we sit, once again crowned,

  And looked upon, I hope, with cheerful eyes.

  PEMBROKE

  This ‘once again’, but that your highness pleased,

  Was once superfluous. You were crowned before,

  And that high royalty was ne‘er plucked off,

  The faiths of men ne’er stained with revolt;

  Fresh expectation troubled not the land

  With any longed-for change or better state.

  SALISBURY

  Therefore to be possessed with double pomp,

  To guard a title that was rich before, 10

  To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,

  To throw a perfume on the violet,

  To smooth the ice, or add another hue

  Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light

  To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,

  Is wasteful
and ridiculous excess.

  PEMBROKE

  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.

  SALISBURY

  In this the antique and well-noted face

  Of plain old form is much disfigured,

  And like a shifted wind unto a sail,

  It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about,

  Startles and frights consideration,

  Makes sound opinion sick, and truth suspected

  For putting on so new a fashioned robe.

  PEMBROKE

  When workmen strive to do better than well,

  They do confound their skill in covetousness;

  And oftentimes excusing of a fault

  Doth make the fault the worser by th’excuse;

  As patches set upon a little breach

  Discredit more in hiding of the fault

  Than did the fault before it was so patched.

  SALISBURY

  To this effect: before you were new-crowned

  We breathed our counsel, but it pleased your

  highness

  To overbear it; and we are all well pleased,

  Since all and every part of what we would

  Doth make a stand at what your highness will.

  KING JOHN

  Some reasons of this double coronation

  I have possessed you with, and think them strong.

  And more, more strong, when lesser is my fear

  I shall endue you with. Meantime but ask

  What you would have reformed that is not well,

  And well shall you perceive how willingly

  I will both hear and grant you your requests.

  PEMBROKE

  Then I, as one that am the tongue of these

  To sound the purposes of all their hearts,

  Both for myself and them, but chief of all

  Your safety, for the which myself and them

  Bend their best studies, heartily request

  Th’enfranchisement of Arthur, whose restraint

  Doth move the murmuring lips of discontent

  To break into this dangerous argument:

  If what in rest you have, in right you hold, 55

  Why then your fears—which, as they say, attend

  The steps of wrong—should move you to mew up

  Your tender kinsman, and to choke his days

  With barbarous ignorance, and deny his youth

  The rich advantage of good exercise?

  That the time’s enemies may not have this

  To grace occasions, let it be our suit

  That you have bid us ask, his liberty;

  Which for our goods we do no further ask

  Than whereupon our weal, on you depending, 65

  Counts it your weal he have his liberty.

  Enter Hubert

  KING JOHN

  Let it be so. I do commit his youth

  To your direction.—Hubert, what news with you?

  He takes Hubert aside

  PEMBROKE

  This is the man should do the bloody deed:

  He showed his warrant to a friend of mine. 70

  The image of a wicked heinous fault

  Lives in his eye; that close aspect of his

  Does show the mood of a much troubled breast;

  And I do fearfully believe ’tis done

  What we so feared he had a charge to do. 75

  SALISBURY

  The colour of the King doth come and go

  Between his purpose and his conscience,

  Like heralds ’twixt two dreadful battles set.

  His passion is so ripe it needs must break.

  PEMBROKE

  And when it breaks, I fear will issue thence 80

  The foul corruption of a sweet child’s death.

  KING JOHN (coming forward)

  We cannot hold mortality’s strong hand.

  Good lords, although my will to give is living,

  The suit which you demand is gone and dead.

  He tells us Arthur is deceased tonight.

  SALISBURY

  Indeed we feared his sickness was past cure.

  PEMBROKE

  Indeed we heard how near his death he was,

  Before the child himself felt he was sick.

  This must be answered, either here or hence.

  KING JOHN

  Why do you bend such solemn brows on me? 90

  Think you I bear the shears of destiny?

  Have I commandment on the pulse of life?

  SALISBURY

  It is apparent foul play, and ’tis shame

  That greatness should so grossly offer it.

  So thrive it in your game; and so, farewell.

  PEMBROKE

  Stay yet, Lord Salisbury; I’ll go with thee,

  And find th’inheritance of this poor child,

  His little kingdom of a forced grave.

  That blood which owed the breadth of all this isle

  Three foot of it doth hold. Bad world the while. 100

  This must not be thus borne. This will break out

  To all our sorrows; and ere long, I doubt.

  Exeunt Pembroke, Salisbury, ⌈and other lords ⌉

  KING JOHN

  They burn in indignation. I repent.

  There is no sure foundation set on blood,

  No certain life achieved by others’ death. 105

  Enter a Messenger

  A fearful eye thou hast. Where is that blood

  That I have seen inhabit in those cheeks?

  So foul a sky clears not without a storm;

  Pour down thy weather: how goes all in France?

  MESSENGER

  From France to England. Never such a power

  For any foreign preparation

  Was levied in the body of a land.

  The copy of your speed is learned by them,

  For when you should be told they do prepare,

  The tidings comes that they are all arrived.

  KING JOHN

  O, where hath our intelligence been drunk?

  Where hath it slept? Where is my mother’s ear,

  That such an army could be drawn in France,

  And she not hear of it?

  MESSENGER My liege, her ear

  Is stopped with dust. The first of April died

  Your noble mother. And as I hear, my lord,

  The Lady Constance in a frenzy died

  Three days before; but this from rumour’s tongue

  I idly heard; if true or false I know not.

  KING JOHN

  Withhold thy speed, dreadful Occasion;

  O, make a league with me till I have pleased

  My discontented peers. What, Mother dead?

  How wildly then walks my estate in France!—

  Under whose conduct came those powers of France

  That thou for truth giv’st out are landed here?

  MESSENGER

  Under the Dauphin.

  Enter the Bastard and Peter of Pomfret

  KING JOHN Thou hast made me giddy

  With these ill tidings. (To the Bastard) Now, what says

  the world

  To your proceedings? Do not seek to stuff

  My head with more ill news, for it is full.

  BASTARD

  But if you,be afeard to hear the worst, 135

  Then let the worst, unheard, fall on your head.

  KING JOHN

  Bear with me, cousin, for I was amazed

  Under the tide; but now I breathe again

  Aloft the flood, and can give audience

  To any tongue, speak it of what it will.

  BASTARD

  How I have sped among the clergymen

  The sums I have collected shall express.

  But as I travelled hither through the land,

  I find the
people strangely fantasied,

  Possessed with rumours, full of idle dreams,

  Not knowing what they fear, but full of fear.

  And here’s a prophet that I brought with me

  From forth the streets of Pomfret, whom I found

  With many hundreds treading on his heels;

  To whom he sung, in rude, harsh-sounding rhymes,

  That ere the next Ascension Day at noon 151

  Your highness should deliver up your crown.

  KING JOHN

  Thou idle dreamer, wherefore didst thou so?

  PETER OF POMFRET

  Foreknowing that the truth will fall out so.

  KING JOHN

  Hubert, away with him! Imprison him,155

  And on that day, at noon, whereon he says

  I shall yield up my crown, let him be hanged.

  Deliver him to safety, and return,

  For I must use thee.Exeunt Hubert and Peter of Pomfret

  O my gentle cousin,

  Hear’st thou the news abroad, who are arrived? 160

  BASTARD

  The French, my lord: men’s mouths are full of it.

  Besides, I met Lord Bigot and Lord Salisbury

  With eyes as red as new-enkindled fire,

  And others more, going to seek the grave

  Of Arthur, whom they say is killed tonight

  On your suggestion.

  KING JOHN Gentle kinsman, go

  And thrust thyself into their companies.

  I have away to win their loves again.

  Bring them before me.

  BASTARD I will seek them out.

  KING JOHN

  Nay, but make haste, the better foot before.

  O, let me have no subject enemies

  When adverse foreigners affright my towns

  With dreadful pomp of stout invasion!

  Be Mercury, set feathers to thy heels,

  And fly like thought from them to me again. 175

  BASTARD

  The spirit of the time shall teach me speed. Exit

  KING JOHN

  Spoke like a sprightful noble gentleman!—

  Go after him, for he perhaps shall need

  Some messenger betwixt me and the peers,

  And be thou he. 180

  MESSENGER With all my heart, my liege. Exit

  KING JOHN My mother dead!

  Enter Hubert

  HUBERT

  My lord, they say five moons were seen tonight,

  Four fixed, and the fifth did whirl about

  The other four in wondrous motion.

  KING JOHN

  Five moons?

  HUBERT Old men and beldams in the streets

  Do prophesy upon it dangerously.