HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATION.

the scene,

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 Avgoulême, 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

and made him raise the banver 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' vecks 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 Within the arras : 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.

1 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
To be more prince) as may be.—You are sad.

Hub. Indeed, I have been merrier.
Arth.

Mercy on me!
Methinks, nobody should be sad but I:
Yet, I remember, when I was in France,
Young gentlemen would be as sad as night,
Only for wantonness. By my christendom,
So I were out of prison, and kept sheep,
I should be as merry as the day is long;
And so I would be here, but that I doubt

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

From heaven, into the place come,
Where that he toke his christendome."

you more than

me.

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, Huber

Hub. If I talk to him, with his innocent prate
He will awake my mercy, which lies dead :
Therefore I will be sudden, and despatch.

[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

do Hub. His words do take possession of my bosom.Read here, young Arthur. [Showing a paper.] How now, foolish rheum!

[Aside. Turning dispiteous 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 it not fair writ?

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

with hot 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 ache, I knit my hand-kercher about your brows,a (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 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

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.

at your

Nay, you may think my love was crafty love,

, And call it cunning; do, an if you will: If heaven 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 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!
The iron of itself, though heat a red-hot,
Approaching near these eyes, would drink my tears,
And quench his fiery indignation,
Even in the matter of mine innocence ;
Nay, after that, consume away in rust,
But for containing fire to harm mine eye.
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 believ'd him. No tongue but Hubert's—
Hub. Come forth.

[Stamps.

Re-enter Attendants, with Cords, Irons, &c.

you do.

Do as I bid

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 boist'rous-rough ? 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 rden 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 !
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.
1 Attend. I am best pleas’d 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?
Hub.

None, but to lose your eyes.
Arth. O heaven !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 boist'rous there,
Your vile intent must needs seem horrible.

Hub. Is this your promise ? go to, hold your tongue.

Arth. 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,
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.
Hub.

I can heat it, boy.
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;
There is no malice in this burning coal ; &

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.”'