King John by William Shakespeare
Act 4 - Scene 1
A room in a castle.
Hubert de Burgh : Heat me these irons hot; and look thou stand
[p]Within the arras: when
I strike my foot
[p]Upon the bosom of the ground, rush forth,
[p]And
bind the boy which you shall find with me
[p]Fast to the chair: be
heedful: hence, and watch.
First Executioner : I hope your warrant will bear out the deed.
Hubert de Burgh : Uncleanly scruples! fear not you: look to't.
[p][Exeunt
Executioners]
[p]Young lad, come forth; I have to say with you.
Arthur : Good morrow, Hubert.
Hubert de Burgh : Good morrow, little prince.
Arthur : As little prince, having so great a title
[p]To be more prince, as may
be. You are sad.
Hubert de Burgh : Indeed, I have been merrier.
Arthur : Mercy on me!
[p]Methinks no body should be sad but I:
[p]Yet, I
remember, when I was in France,
[p]Young gentlemen would be as sad as
night,
[p]Only for wantonness. By my christendom,
[p]So I were out of
prison and kept sheep,
[p]I should be as merry as the day is
long;
[p]And so I would be here, but that I doubt
[p]My uncle
practises more harm to me:
[p]He is afraid of me and I of him:
[p]Is
it my fault that I was Geffrey's son?
[p]No, indeed, is't not; and I
would to heaven
[p]I were your son, so you would love me, Hubert.
Hubert de Burgh : [Aside] If I talk to him, with his innocent prate
[p]He will awake my
mercy which lies dead:
[p]Therefore I will be sudden and dispatch.
Arthur : Are you sick, Hubert? you look pale to-day:
[p]In sooth, I would you
were a little sick,
[p]That I might sit all night and watch with
you:
[p]I warrant I love you more than you do me.
Hubert de Burgh : [Aside] His words do take possession of my bosom.
[p]Read here, young
Arthur.
[p][Showing a paper]
[p][Aside]
[p]How now, foolish
rheum!
[p]Turning dispiteous torture out of door!
[p]I must be brief,
lest resolution drop
[p]Out at mine eyes in tender womanish
tears.
[p]Can you not read it? Is it not fair writ?
Arthur : Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect:
[p]Must you with hot irons
burn out both mine eyes?
Hubert de Burgh : Young boy, I must.
Arthur : And will you?
Hubert de Burgh : And I will.
Arthur : Have you the heart? When your head did but ache,
[p]I knit my
handercher about your brows,
[p]The best I had, a princess wrought it
me,
[p]And I did never ask it you again;
[p]And with my hand at
midnight held your head,
[p]And like the watchful minutes to the
hour,
[p]Still and anon cheer'd up the heavy time,
[p]Saying, 'What
lack you?' and 'Where lies your grief?'
[p]Or 'What good love may I
perform for you?'
[p]Many a poor man's son would have lien
still
[p]And ne'er have spoke a loving word to you;
[p]But you at your
sick service had a prince.
[p]Nay, you may think my love was crafty
love
[p]And call it cunning: do, an if you will:
[p]If heaven be
pleased that you must use me ill,
[p]Why then you must. Will you put
out mine eyes?
[p]These eyes that never did nor never shall
[p]So much
as frown on you.
Hubert de Burgh : I have sworn to do it;
[p]And with hot irons must I burn them out.
Arthur : Ah, none but in this iron age would do it!
[p]The iron of itself,
though heat red-hot,
[p]Approaching near these eyes, would drink my
tears
[p]And quench his fiery indignation
[p]Even in the matter of
mine innocence;
[p]Nay, after that, consume away in rust
[p]But for
containing fire to harm mine eye.
[p]Are you more stubborn-hard than
hammer'd iron?
[p]An if an angel should have come to me
[p]And told me
Hubert should put out mine eyes,
[p]I would not have believed him,--no
tongue but Hubert's.
Hubert de Burgh : Come forth.
[p][Stamps]
[p][Re-enter Executioners, with a cord, irons,
&c]
[p]Do as I bid you do.
Arthur : O, save me, Hubert, save me! my eyes are out
[p]Even with the fierce
looks of these bloody men.
Hubert de Burgh : Give me the iron, I say, and bind him here.
Arthur : Alas, what need you be so boisterous-rough?
[p]I will not struggle, I
will stand stone-still.
[p]For heaven sake, Hubert, let me not be
bound!
[p]Nay, hear me, Hubert, drive these men away,
[p]And I will
sit as quiet as a lamb;
[p]I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a
word,
[p]Nor look upon the iron angerly:
[p]Thrust but these men away,
and I'll forgive you,
[p]Whatever torment you do put me to.
Hubert de Burgh : Go, stand within; let me alone with him.
First Executioner : I am best pleased to be from such a deed.
Arthur : Alas, I then have chid away my friend!
[p]He hath a stern look, but a
gentle heart:
[p]Let him come back, that his compassion may
[p]Give
life to yours.
Hubert de Burgh : Come, boy, prepare yourself.
Arthur : Is there no remedy?
Hubert de Burgh : None, but to lose your eyes.
Arthur : O heaven, that there were but a mote in yours,
[p]A grain, a dust, a
gnat, a wandering hair,
[p]Any annoyance in that precious
sense!
[p]Then feeling what small things are boisterous there,
[p]Your
vile intent must needs seem horrible.
Hubert de Burgh : Is this your promise? go to, hold your tongue.
Arthur : Hubert, the utterance of a brace of tongues
[p]Must needs want
pleading for a pair of eyes:
[p]Let me not hold my tongue, let me not,
Hubert;
[p]Or, Hubert, if you will, cut out my tongue,
[p]So I may
keep mine eyes: O, spare mine eyes.
[p]Though to no use but still to
look on you!
[p]Lo, by my truth, the instrument is cold
[p]And would
not harm me.
Hubert de Burgh : I can heat it, boy.
Arthur : No, in good sooth: the fire is dead with grief,
[p]Being create for
comfort, to be used
[p]In undeserved extremes: see else
yourself;
[p]There is no malice in this burning coal;
[p]The breath of
heaven has blown his spirit out
[p]And strew'd repentent ashes on his
head.
Hubert de Burgh : But with my breath I can revive it, boy.
Arthur : An if you do, you will but make it blush
[p]And glow with shame of
your proceedings, Hubert:
[p]Nay, it perchance will sparkle in your
eyes;
[p]And like a dog that is compell'd to fight,
[p]Snatch at his
master that doth tarre him on.
[p]All things that you should use to do
me wrong
[p]Deny their office: only you do lack
[p]That mercy which
fierce fire and iron extends,
[p]Creatures of note for mercy-lacking
uses.
Hubert de Burgh : Well, see to live; I will not touch thine eye
[p]For all the treasure
that thine uncle owes:
[p]Yet am I sworn and I did purpose,
boy,
[p]With this same very iron to burn them out.
Arthur : O, now you look like Hubert! all this while
[p]You were disguised.
Hubert de Burgh : Peace; no more. Adieu.
[p]Your uncle must not know but you are
dead;
[p]I'll fill these dogged spies with false reports:
[p]And,
pretty child, sleep doubtless and secure,
[p]That Hubert, for the
wealth of all the world,
[p]Will not offend thee.
Arthur : O heaven! I thank you, Hubert.
Hubert de Burgh : Silence; no more: go closely in with me:
[p]Much danger do I undergo
for thee.
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Next: Act 4 - Scene 2
