Must be as boift'rously maintain'd, as gain'd.
And he, that stands upon a flipp'ry place,
Makes nice of no vile hold to stay him up.

That John may ftand, then Arthur needs muft fall ;
So be it, for it cannot be but fo.

Lewis. But what shall I gain by young Arthur's fall? Pand. You, in the right of lady Blanch your wife, May then make all the claim that Arthur did.

Lewis. And lofe it, life and all, as Arthur did.

Pand. How green you are, and fresh in this old
world!

John lays you plots; the times confpire with you;
For he, that fteeps his fafety in true blood,
Shall find but bloody fafety and untrue.

This act, fo evilly born, fhall cool the hearts
Of all his people, and freeze up their zeal ;
That no fo fmall advantage fhall ftep forth
To check his reign, but they will cherish it.
No nat'ral exhalation in the fky,

No 'fcape of nature, no diftemper'd day,
No common wind, no cuftomed event,
But they will pluck away its natʼral cause,
And call them meteors, prodigies, and figns,
Abortives, and prefages, tongues of heav'n
Plainly denouncing vengeance upon John.

Lewis. May be, he will not touch young Arthur's
life;

But hold himfelf fafe in his prifonment.

Pand. O Sir, when he fhall hear of your approach, If that young Arthur be not gone already, Ev'n at this news he dies: and then the hearts Of all his people fhall revolt from him,

2 True blood.] The blood of him that has the juft claim.

No 'cape of nature,-] The author very finely calls a manBrous lirth, an escape of nature. As if it were produced while the

was bufy elfewhere, or intent on fome other thing. But the Oxford Editor will have it, that Shakespear wrote,

No fhape of nature.

WARBURTON.
And

And kifs the lips of unacquainted change;
And pick ftrong matter of revolt and wrath,
Out of the bloody fingers' ends of John.
Methinks, I fee this hurly all on foot;
And O, what better matter breeds for you
Than I have nam'd!The baftard Faulconbridge
Is now in England, ranfacking the church,
Offending charity. If but twelve French
Were there in arms, they would be as a call
To train ten thousand English to their fide;
4 Or, as a little fnow, tumbled about,

Anon becomes a mountain. Noble Dauphin;
Go with me to the King: 'tis wonderful
What may be wrought out of their discontent.
Now that their fouls are top-full of offence,
For England go; I will whet on the King.

Lewis. Strong reafon makes strong actions: let us go; If you fay ay, the King will not fay no.

[Exeunt.

H

ACT IV. SCENE I.

Changes to ENGLAND.

A PRISON.

Enter Hubert and Executioners.

HUBERT.

EAT me thefe irons hot, and, look, thou stand Within the arras; when I ftrike my foot Upon the bofom of the ground, rush forth;

4 Or, as a little fnow.] Bacon, in his hiftory of Henry VII. Speaking of Perkin's march, ob

ferves, that their fnow-ball did not gather as it rolled.

And

And bind the boy, which you shall find with me,
Faft to the chair. Be heedful; hence, and watch.

Exec. I hope, your warrant will bear out the deed. Hub. Uncleanly fcruples! fear not you; look to't.— Young lad, come forth; I have to fay with you.

Enter Arthur.

Arth. Good morrow, Hubert.

Hub. Good morrow, little prince.

Arth. As little prince (having fo great a title
To be more Prince) as may be.-You are fad.
Hub. Indeed, I have been merrier.
Arth. Mercy on me!

Methinks, no body should be fad but I;
Yet I remember when I was in France,
Young gentlemen would be as fad as night,
Only for wantonnefs. By my christendom,
So were I out of prison, and kept sheep,
I should be merry as the day is long :
And fo 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 fon?
Indeed, it is not; and I would to heav'n,

I were your fon, fo 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 fudden, and dispatch.

[Afide.

Arth. Are you fick, Hubert? you look pale to day;

In footh, I wou'd, you were a little fick;

That I might fit all night and watch with you.
Alas, I love you more than you do me.

Hub. His words do take poffeffion of my bofom. Read here, young Arthur

How now, foolish rheum,

4

[Shewing a paper.

[Afide.

Turn

s 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 fo foul effect.
Muft 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 ftill,
And ne'er have spoke a loving word to you;
But you at your fick fervice 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 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 fworn to do it;

And with hot irons muft 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 thefe eyes, would drink my tears, And quench its fiery indignation,

5 Turning difpiteous torture out of door! For torture Sir T. Hanmer reads nature, and is VOL. III.

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

Hh

Even

Even in the matter of mine innocence :
Nay, after that, confume away in rust,
But for containing fire to harm mine eye.
Are you more stubborn-hard, than hammer'd iron?
Oh! if an Angel fhould 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 ftamps, and the men enter.
Hub. Come forth; do, as I bid you.

Arth. O fave me, Hubert, fave me! my eyes are out, Ev'n with the fierce looks of these bloody men.

Hub. Give me the iron, I fay, and bind him here. Arth. Alas, what need you be fo boist'rous-rough? I will not struggle, I will ftand ftone-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 ftir, nor wince, nor speak a word,
Nor look upon the iron angrily;

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

6 I 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 fuppofed that Hubert had told him, he would not put out his eyes; for the angel who fays be would, is brought in as contradicting Hubert. Mr. Thecba'd, by what authority I don't know, reads,

I would not have believ'd him :

no tongue, but Hubert's. which is fpoiling, the meafure, without much mending the fenfe. Shakespear, I am perfuaded, wrote, I would not have believ'd a

tongue 'BATE HUBERT; i. e. abate, difparage. The blunder feems to have arifen thus, bats fignifies except, faving; fo