HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATION. AFTER the peace of 1200 Arthur remained under the care of King Philip, in fear, as it is said, of the treachery of John. But the peace was broken within two years. John, whose passions were ever his betrayers, seized upon the wife of the Count de la Marche, Isabella of Angoulême, and married her, although his wife Avisa, to whom he had been married ten years, was living. The injured Count headed an insurrection in Aquitaine; which Philip secretly encouraged. John was, however, courteously entertained by his crafty rival in Paris. But, upon his return to England, Philip openly succoured the insurgents; once more brought the unhappy Arthur upon the scene, and made him raise the banner of war against his powerful uncle. With a small force he marched against the town of Mirebeau, near Poictiers, where his grandmother Elinor was stationed, as "Regent of those parts." Some of the chroniclers affirm that Elinor was captured; but, says Holinshed, "others write far more truly, that she was not taken, but escaped into a tower, within the which she was straitly besieged." John, who was in Normandy, being apprised of the danger of his mother, "used such diligence that he was upon his enemies' necks ere they could understand anything of his coming." On the night of the 31st July, 1202, John obtained possession of the town by treachery, and Arthur was taken in his bed. The Count de la Marche, and the other leaders, were captured, and were treated with extreme cruelty and indignity. Arthur was conveyed to the castle of Falaise. The interdict of John, by Rome, for refusing to admit Stephen Langton to the archbishopric of Canterbury, did not take place till five years after these events. ACT IV. SCENE I.—Northampton. A Room in the Castle. Enter HUBERT and Two Attendants. Hub. Heat me these irons hot; and look thou stand Upon the bosom of the ground, rush forth, 1 Attend. I hope your warrant will bear out the deed. Young lad, come forth; I have to say Hub. Good morrow, little prince. Arth. As little prince (having so great a title To be more prince) as may be.—You are sad. Hub. Indeed, I have been merrier. Mercy on me! Arth. a Christendom. Arthur prettily asseverates by the baptismal office-by his christening. The word is used in this sense in All's Well that Ends Well;' and it is found in Gower : "A light, as though it was a sonne My uncle practises more harm to me: Is it my fault that I was Geffrey's son? No, indeed is 't not; And I would to heaven [Aside. 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. His words do take possession of my bosom.Read here, young Arthur. [Showing a paper.] How now, foolish rheum! Turning dispiteous torture out of door! I must be brief; lest resolution drop Arth. Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect: Arth. Hub. And will you? And I will. [Aside. Arth. Have you the heart? When your head did but ache, I knit my hand-kercher 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 1; 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? you at your sick service had a prince. a Hand-kercher. The spelling of the original is thus. In 'Othello' we have handkerchiefe in the folio of 1623; but handkercher in the quarto.. The words were used indifferently in Shakspere's day. Nay, you may think my love was crafty love, So much as frown on you? Hub. you put out mine eyes? I have sworn to do it; And with hot irons must I burn them out. Arth. Ah, none, but in this iron age, would do it! Approaching near these eyes, would drink my tears, Even in the matter of mine innocence; 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.b No tongue but Hubert's— Hub. Come forth. Re-enter Attendants, with Cords, Irons, &c. [Stamps. Arth. O, save me, Hubert, save me! my eyes are out, Hub. Give me the iron, I say, and bind him here. I will not struggle, I will stand stone-still. a Heat, used as a participle, as in our translation of the Bible: "He commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heat." —(DANIEL.) b. I would not have believ'd him. So the reading of the original. In all the modern editions we have "I would not have believ'd no tongue but Hubert's." The double negative is quite justifiable here; but the rejection of him weakens the line; and, as usual, may be traced to the ear of Steevens, which regarded what he called a redundant syllable as a foul weed in the garden of poetry. Shakspere made abundant work for his unsparing hoe. As we have pointed the passage, Arthur begins a fresh sentence, which is interrupted by Hubert stamping. He is about to say, "No tongue but Hubert's" would have made me believe it. For heaven sake, Hubert, let me not be bound! I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word, Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you, Hub. Go, stand within; let me alone with him. Arth. Alas! I then have chid away my friend; Hub. Come, boy, prepare yourself. Arth. Is there no remedy? None, but to lose your eyes. Arth. O heaven !—that there were but a mote in A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wandering hair, Any annoyance in that precious sense! Then, feeling what small things are boist'rous there, yours, Hub. Is this your promise? go to, hold your tongue. Lo, by my troth, the instrument is cold, Arth. No, in good sooth; the fire is dead with grief, Being create for comfort, to be us'd In undeserv'd extremes: See else yourself; a There is no malice in this burning coal ; a a In this burning coal. Dr. Grey, whose remarks are generally just as well as learned, would read "There is no malice burning in this coal." |