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