Of all his people shall revolt from him,
And kiss the lips of unacquainted 20 change;
And pick strong matter of revolt and wrath
Out of the bloody fingers' ends of John.
Methinks I see this hurly 21 all on foot :
And, O, what better matter breeds for you
Than I have named! The bastard Falconbridge
Is now in England, ransacking the Church,
Offending charity: if but a dozen French
Were there in arms, they would be as a call22
To train ten thousand English to their side;
Or, as a little snow, tumbled about,
Anon becomes a mountain.23

O noble Dauphin,

Go with me to the King: 'tis wonderful

What may be wrought out of their discontent,
Now that their souls are topful of offence :

For England go: I will whet on the King.

Lou. Strong reasons make strong actions: let us go:

If you say ay, the King will not say no.

20 Unacquainted for unaccustomed or extraordinary.

21 Hurly is tumult, commotion; like hurly-burly.

[Exeunt.

22 An allusion to the reed, or pipe, termed a bird-call; or to the practice of bird-catchers, who, in laying their nets, place a caged bird over them, which they term the call-bird or bird-call, to lure the wild birds to the snare. STAUNTON,

23 Bacon, in his History of Henry VII., speaking of Simnel's march, remarks that their snowball did not gather as it went.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.—Northampton. A Room in the Castle.

Enter HUBERT and two Attendants.

you stand

Hub. Heat me these irons hot; and look
Within the arras :1 when I strike my foot
Upon the bosom of the ground, rush forth,
And bind the boy which you shall find with me
Fast to the chair: be heedful: hence, and watch.

I Attend. I hope your warrant will bear out the deed.
Hub. Uncleanly scruples! fear not you look to't.

[Exeunt Attendants.

Young lad, come forth; I have to say with you

Enter ARTHUR.

Arth. Good morrow, Hubert.

Hub.

Good morrow, little Prince.

Arth. As little prince, having so great a title

You are sad.

Mercy on me!

To be more 2 prince, as may be.
Hub. Indeed, I have been merrier.
Arth.
Methinks no body should be sad but I:
Yet, I remember, when I was in France,
Young gentlemen would be as sad as night,

1 Arras were the hangings or tapestries with which rooms were lined, before the days of plastering. To keep them from being rotted by the damp, they were hung on frames, far enough from the walls to admit of a person's hiding behind them.

2 More for greater, again. See page 19, note 5.

Only for wantonness.3 By my christendom,1
So I were out of prison, and kept sheep,

I should be merry as the day is long ;

And so I would be here, but that I doubt 5
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, is't not; and I would to Heaven

I were your son, so you would love me, Hubert.

Hub. [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.

Arth. 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.

Hub. [Aside.] His words do take possession of my

bosom.

Read here, young Arthur.

[Showing a paper.

[Aside.] How, now, foolish rheum ! 7

Turning dispiteous 8 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't not fairly writ?

Arth. Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect:

8 This fashionable affectation is ridiculed by Lyly in his Midas: "Now every base companion, being in his muble-fubles, says he is melancholy."

4 Christendom for christening or baptism. The usage was common. See vol. iv. page 19, note 34.

5 Doubt in the sense of fear or suspect; a frequent usage. — Practises, in the next line, is contrives, plots, or uses arts. Repeatedly so.

6 In truth or truly. This use of sooth occurs very often.

7 Rheum, again, for tears. See page 42, note 2.

8 Dispiteous for unpiteous, that is, pitiless. — In the next line, brief is quick, prompt, or sudden. Often so.

Must you with hot irons burn out both mine eyes?

Hub. Young boy, I must.

Arth.

Hub.

And will you?

And I will.

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

ache,

I knit my handkercher 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,9
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 lain still,
And ne'er have spoke a loving word to you;
But you at your sick service 10 had a prince.
Nay, you may think my love was crafty love,
And call it cunning; do, an if11 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'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, though heat 12 red-hot,

9 That is, as the minutes watch over, or mark, the progress or passage of the hour. A pretty way of expressing a minute and sedulous attention. "Still and anon," in the next line, is the same as our "ever and anon.” 10 Sick service is of course merely an instance of what is called transferred epithet service done to the sick.

11 An if is an old reduplication much used in the Poet's time. So we have an, or if, or an if, used indifferently.

12 Heat for heated, as, before, waft for wafted. See page 21, note 13.

Approaching near these eyes, would drink my tears,
And quench his fiery indignation

Even in the water 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,
Hub. Come forth!

no tongue but Hubert's.

Re-enter Attendants, with cord, 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.
Arth. Alas, what need you be so boisterous-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 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.
I 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?