EXECUTIONER.
I hope your warrant will bear out the deed.
I hope that your warrant gives you permission for this.
HUBERT.
Uncleanly scruples! Fear not you. Look to't.
Improper doubts! Don't worry. Get it done.
Exeunt
EXECUTIONERS
Young lad, come forth; I have to say with you.
Young lad, come out; I need to speak with you.
Enter ARTHUR
ARTHUR.
Good morrow, Hubert.
Good morning, Hubert.
HUBERT.
Good morrow, little Prince.
Good morning, little Prince.
ARTHUR.
As little prince, having so great a tide
To be more prince, as may be. You are sad.
I am as small a prince as one who is going to be
such a much greater prince can be. You are sad.
HUBERT.
Indeed I have been merrier.
I have certainly been happier.
ARTHUR.
Mercy on me!
Methinks no body 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 Geffrey's son?
No, indeed, ist not; and I would to heaven
I were your son, so you would love me, Hubert.
God forgive me!
I imagine that nobody could be sad but me;
but I remember, when I was in France,
young gentlemen would be a sad as night
just for show. I swear by my kingdom,
that if I was out of prison and keeping sheep,
I would be as happy as the day is long;
I would be the same here except for my fear
that my uncle means to do me more harm;
he is afraid of me, and I am afraid of him.
Is it my fault that I was Geoffrey's son?
No it certainly isn't; I wish to heaven
that I were your son, Hubert, and that you would love me.
HUBERT.
[Aside]If I talk to him, with his innocent prate
He will awake my mercy, which lies dead;
Therefore I will be sudden and dispatch.
If I talk with him his innocent chatter
will inspire my mercy, which is dead now;
so I will get the business over quickly.
ARTHUR.
Are you sick, Hubert? You look pale to-day;
In sooth, I would you were a little sick,
That I might sit all night and watch with you.
I warrant I love you more than you do me.
Are you ill, Hubert? You look pale today;
I swear, I wish that you were a little ill,
so that I could sit up all night to keep you company.
I believe I love you more than you do me.
HUBERT.
[Aside]His words do take possession of my bosom.-
Read here, young Arthur.[Showing a
paper]
[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.-
Can you not read it? Is it not fair writ?
His words have taken hold of my heart–
Read this, young Arthur.
What's this, foolish tears!
Driving dispassionate torture out of the door!
I must be quick, unless my strength falls
out of my eyes in tender effeminate tears–
can't you read it? Isn't it clearly written?
ARTHUR.
Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect.
Must you with hot irons burn out both mine eyes?
To clear, Hubert, for such a dark purpose.
Must you burn both my eyes out with hot irons?
HUBERT.
Young boy, I must.
Young boy, I must.
ARTHUR.
And will you?
And will you?
HUBERT.
And I will.
And I will.
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 cheer'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 son would have lyen 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 pleas'd 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?
Have you the heart to do it? When you had a headache,
I tied my handkerchief around your forehead–
the best I had, a Princess made it for me–
and I never asked for it back;
at midnight I held your head in my hands;
and I tried to cheer up the dark time and make it
past like the minutes in the hour,
saying, “what do you need?" And “where does it hurt?"
Or “is there anything that I can do for you?"
Many sons of poor men would have just slept
and never spoken a loving word to you;
but to serve you in your sickness you had a prince.
Well, you may think that my love was a trick,
and call it cunning. Do, if you want to.
If heaven is determined that you must treat me badly,
well, then you must. Are you going to put out my eyes,
the eyes that never did and never will
so much as frown at you?
HUBERT.
I have sworn to do it;
And with hot irons must I burn them out.
I have sworn to do it;
and I must burn them out with hot irons.
ARTHUR.
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 eye.
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 believ'd him-no tongue but Hubert's.
Ah, only people in this iron age could do it!
The iron on its own, although heated redhot,
coming near these eyes would drink my tears,
and extinguish its fiery anger
with the stuff of my innocence;
and after that it would rust away
as punishment for having fire to harm my eyes.
Are you more stubborn and hard than forged iron?
If an angel had come to me
and told me that Hubert would put out my eyes,
I wouldn't have believed him–I only believe it when I hear it from Hubert.
/> HUBERT.
[Stamps]Come forth.
Re-enter EXECUTIONERS, With cord, irons, etc.
Do as I bid you do.
Come out.
Do as I tell you.
ARTHUR.
O, save me, Hubert, save me! My eyes are out
Even with the fierce looks of these bloody men.
Oh save me, Hubert, save me! I am blinded
just by the fierce looks of these bloodthirsty men.
HUBERT.
Give me the iron, I say, and bind him here.
Give me the iron and tie him up here.
ARTHUR.
Alas, what need you be so boist'rous rough?
I will not struggle, I will stand stone-still.
For heaven 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 angrily;
Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you,
Whatever torment you do put me to.
Alas, why'd you need to be so terribly rough?
I won't struggle, I'm standing as still as a stone.
For heavens sake, Hubert, don't let them tie me!
No, listen to me, Hubert! Send these men away,
and I will sit as quiet as a lamb;
I will not move, or wince, or say a word,
or look angrily at the iron;
only send these men away and I will forgive you,
whatever torture you put on me.
HUBERT.
Go, stand within; let me alone with him.
Go and stand in the next room; leave me alone with him.
EXECUTIONER.
I am best pleas'd to be from such a deed.
I'm well pleased to be excused doing this.
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.
Alas, it seems I have sent away my friend!
He looked stern but had gentle heart.
Bring him back, so his compassion can
inspire yours.
HUBERT.
Come, boy, prepare yourself.
Come, boy, get ready.
ARTHUR.
Is there no remedy?
Is there nothing to be done?
HUBERT.
None, but to lose your eyes.
Nothing, you must lose your eyes.
ARTHUR.
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.
I wish to heaven that there was just a speck in yours,
a grain, dust, a gnat, a stray hair,
any irritation to your eyesight!
Then, feeling how revolting small things there are,
you would see how horrible your evil plan is.
HUBERT.
Is this your promise? Go to, hold your tongue.
Is that all you have to say? Enough, 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,
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, the speech of a pair of tongues
is not enough to plead for a pair of eyes.
Don't make me hold my tongue, don't make me, Hubert;
or, Hubert, if you like, cut out my tongue,
and let me keep my eyes. Oh, spare my eyes,
even if just so I can look at you!
Look, I swear, the instrument is cold
and cannot harm me.
HUBERT.
I can heat it, boy.
I can heat it, boy.
ARTHUR.
No, in good sooth; the fire is dead with grief,
Being create for comfort, to be us'd
In undeserved extremes. See else yourself:
There is no malice in this burning coal;
The breath of heaven hath blown his spirit out,
And strew'd repentant ashes on his head.
No, by heaven; the fire is dead from grief,
as it was made to comfort us, at being used
in such a terrible way. Look for yourself:
there is no evil in this burning coal;
the breath of heaven has blown out his spirit,
and piled the ashes of repentance on his head.
HUBERT.
But with my breath I can revive it, boy.
But I can bring back to life with my breath, 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 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 extends,
Creatures of note for mercy lacking uses.
If you do, you will only be making it blush
with shame at your behaviour, Hubert.
No, maybe it will sparkle in your eyes,
and, like a dog that is forced to fight,
bite his master who is urging him on.
Everything you want to harm me with
refuses to do so; it's only you who lacks
the mercy which fierce fire and iron offers,
a creature who should be able to show mercy.
HUBERT.
Well, see to live; I will not touch thine eye
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.
Well, I must think of what's best; I won't touch your eyes
for all the treasure that your uncle has.
But I swore, and I intended, boy,
to burn them out with this iron here.
ARTHUR.
O, now you look like Hubert! All this while
You were disguis'd.
Oh, now you look like Hubert! All this time
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.
Quiet; no more. Goodbye.
Your uncle must believe that you are dead:
I'll give these cruel spies false reports;
and, pretty child, sleep without fear, safe in the knowledge
that Hubert will not harm you
for all the wealth in the world.
ARTHUR.
O heaven! I thank you, Hubert.
Oh heaven! I thank you, Hubert.
HUBERT.
Silence; no more. Go closely in with me.
Much danger do I undergo for thee.
Silence; no more. Stick close to me.
I'm taking a great risk for you.
Exeunt
England. KING JOHN'S palace
Enter KING JOHN, PEMBROKE, SALISBURY, and other LORDS
KING JOHN.
Here once
again we sit, once again crown'd,
And look'd upon, I hope, with cheerful eyes.
Here I sit once again, once again with my crown,
and, I hope, looked upon by happy eyes.
PEMBROKE.
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.
To say once again, except that your Highness wished,
was unnecessary: you had the crown before,
and your great royalty was never taken away,
the loyalty of men was never stained with rebellion;
the land was not troubled by demands
for any desired change or better leader.
SALISBURY.
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 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.
So, to be given a double ceremony,
to add to a title that was rich before,
to gild refined gold, to paint the lily,
to put perfume on a violet,
to polish ice, or add another colour
to the rainbow, or try to add to
the sunlight with the light of a candle,
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 11