Home
This site uses cookies
log out

King John: Act IV, Scene 1

Sign in with Google to add your annotations.

King John
Act IV, Scene 1

Scene 1

Northampton. A room in the castle.

  1. Enter Hubert and Executioners.

Hubert de Burgh

1 - 5
  1. Heat me these irons hot, and look thou stand
  2. Within the arras. When I strike my foot
  3. Upon the bosom of the ground, rush forth
  4. And bind the boy which you shall find with me
  5. Fast to the chair. Be heedful. Hence, and watch.

Executioner

6
  1. I hope your warrant will bear out the deed.

Hubert de Burgh

7 - 8
  1. Uncleanly scruples! Fear not you. Look to’t.
  2. Exeunt Executioners.
  3. Young lad, come forth; I have to say with you.
  1. Enter Arthur.

Arthur

9
  1. Good morrow, Hubert.

Hubert de Burgh

10
  1.                      Good morrow, little prince.

Arthur

11 - 12
  1. As little prince, having so great a title
  2. To be more prince, as may be. You are sad.

Hubert de Burgh

13
  1. Indeed I have been merrier.

Arthur

14 - 26
  1.                             Mercy on me!
  2. Methinks nobody should be sad but I.
  3. Yet I remember, when I was in France,
  4. Young gentlemen would be as sad as night,
  5. Only for wantonness. By my christendom,
  6. So I were out of prison and kept sheep,
  7. I should be as merry as the day is long;
  8. And so I would be here, but that I doubt
  9. My uncle practices more harm to me.
  10. He is afraid of me and I of him.
  11. Is it my fault that I was Geffrey’s son?
  12. No indeed is’t not; and I would to heaven
  13. I were your son, so you would love me, Hubert.

Hubert de Burgh

27 - 29
  1. Aside.
  2. If I talk to him, with his innocent prate
  3. He will awake my mercy, which lies dead;
  4. Therefore I will be sudden, and dispatch.

Arthur

30 - 33
  1. Are you sick, Hubert? You look pale today.
  2. In sooth, I would you were a little sick,
  3. That I might sit all night and watch with you.
  4. I warrant I love you more than you do me.

Hubert de Burgh

34 - 40
  1. Aside.
  2. His words do take possession of my bosom.—
  3. Read here, young Arthur.
  4. Showing a paper.
  5. Aside.
  6.                          How now, foolish rheum?
  7. Turning dispiteous torture out of door?
  8. I must be brief, lest resolution drop
  9. Out at mine eyes in tender womanish tears.—
  10. Can you not read it? Is it not fair writ?

Arthur

41 - 42
  1. Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect.
  2. Must you with hot irons burn out both mine eyes?

Hubert de Burgh

43
  1. Young boy, I must.

Arthur

44
  1.                    And will you?

Hubert de Burgh

45
  1.               And I will.

Arthur

46 - 63
  1. Have you the heart? When your head did but ache,
  2. I knit my handkercher about your brows
  3. (The best I had, a princess wrought it me)
  4. And I did never ask it you again;
  5. And with my hand at midnight held your head;
  6. And like the watchful minutes to the hour,
  7. Still and anon cheer’d up the heavy time,
  8. Saying, “What lack you?” and “Where lies your grief?”
  9. Or “What good love may I perform for you?”
  10. Many a poor man’s son would have lien still,
  11. And ne’er have spoke a loving word to you;
  12. But you at your sick service had a prince.
  13. Nay, you may think my love was crafty love,
  14. And call it cunning. Do, and if you will;
  15. If heaven be pleas’d that you must use me ill,
  16. Why then you must. Will you put out mine eyes,
  17. These eyes that never did nor never shall
  18. So much as frown on you?

Mercy on me!

John Masey Wright, Robert Smirke, Thomas Stothard, circa 1800

Hubert de Burgh

64 - 65
  1.                          I have sworn to do it;
  2. And with hot irons must I burn them out.

Arthur

66 - 76
  1. Ah, none but in this iron age would do it!
  2. The iron of itself, though heat red-hot,
  3. Approaching near these eyes, would drink my tears,
  4. And quench his fiery indignation
  5. Even in the matter of mine innocence;
  6. Nay, after that, consume away in rust,
  7. But for containing fire to harm mine eye.
  8. Are you more stubborn-hard than hammer’d iron?
  9. And if an angel should have come to me
  10. And told me Hubert should put out mine eyes,
  11. I would not have believ’d him—no tongue but Hubert’s.

Hubert de Burgh

77 - 78
  1. Come forth.
  2. Stamps.
  3. Enter Executioners with a cord, irons, etc.
  4.             Do as I bid you do.

Arthur

79 - 80
  1. O, save me, Hubert, save me! My eyes are out
  2. Even with the fierce looks of these bloody men.

Hubert de Burgh

81
  1. Give me the iron, I say, and bind him here.

Arthur

82 - 90
  1. Alas, what need you be so boist’rous-rough?
  2. I will not struggle, I will stand stone-still.
  3. For heaven sake, Hubert, let me not be bound!
  4. Nay, hear me, Hubert, drive these men away,
  5. And I will sit as quiet as a lamb;
  6. I will not stir, nor winch, nor speak a word,
  7. Nor look upon the iron angerly.
  8. Thrust but these men away, and I’ll forgive you,
  9. What ever torment you do put me to.

Hubert de Burgh

91
  1. Go stand within; let me alone with him.

Executioner

92
  1. I am best pleas’d to be from such a deed.
  1. Exeunt Executioners.

Arthur

93 - 96
  1. Alas, I then have chid away my friend!
  2. He hath a stern look, but a gentle heart.
  3. Let him come back, that his compassion may
  4. Give life to yours.

Hubert de Burgh

97
  1.                     Come, boy, prepare yourself.

Arthur

98
  1. Is there no remedy?

Hubert de Burgh

99
  1.                     None, but to lose your eyes.

Arthur

100 - 104
  1. O heaven! That there were but a mote in yours,
  2. A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wandering hair,
  3. Any annoyance in that precious sense!
  4. Then feeling what small things are boisterous there,
  5. Your vild intent must needs seem horrible.
Hubert and Arthur

Hubert and Arthur

Francis Philip Stephanoff, circa 1800

Hubert de Burgh

105
  1. Is this your promise? Go to, hold your tongue.

Arthur

106 - 113
  1. Hubert, the utterance of a brace of tongues
  2. Must needs want pleading for a pair of eyes.
  3. Let me not hold my tongue, let me not, Hubert;
  4. Or, Hubert, if you will, cut out my tongue,
  5. So I may keep mine eyes. O, spare mine eyes,
  6. Though to no use but still to look on you!
  7. Lo, by my troth, the instrument is cold,
  8. And would not harm me.

Hubert de Burgh

114
  1.                        I can heat it, boy.

Arthur

115 - 120
  1. No, in good sooth; the fire is dead with grief,
  2. Being create for comfort, to be us’d
  3. In undeserv’d extremes. See else yourself,
  4. There is no malice in this burning coal;
  5. The breath of heaven hath blown his spirit out,
  6. And strew’d repentant ashes on his head.

Hubert de Burgh

121
  1. But with my breath I can revive it, boy.

Arthur

122 - 130
  1. And if you do, you will but make it blush
  2. And glow with shame of your proceedings, Hubert.
  3. Nay, it perchance will sparkle in your eyes;
  4. And, like a dog that is compell’d to fight,
  5. Snatch at his master that doth tarre him on.
  6. All things that you should use to do me wrong
  7. Deny their office; only you do lack
  8. That mercy which fierce fire and iron extends,
  9. Creatures of note for mercy-lacking uses.

Hubert de Burgh

131 - 134
  1. Well, see to live; I will not touch thine eye
  2. For all the treasure that thine uncle owes.
  3. Yet am I sworn, and I did purpose, boy,
  4. With this same very iron to burn them out.

Arthur

135 - 136
  1. O now you look like Hubert! All this while
  2. You were disguis’d.

Hubert de Burgh

137 - 142
  1.                     Peace; no more. Adieu.
  2. Your uncle must not know but you are dead.
  3. I’ll fill these dogged spies with false reports;
  4. And, pretty child, sleep doubtless and secure
  5. That Hubert, for the wealth of all the world,
  6. Will not offend thee.

Arthur

143
  1.                       O heaven! I thank you, Hubert.

Hubert de Burgh

144 - 145
  1. Silence, no more. Go closely in with me;
  2. Much danger do I undergo for thee.
  1. Exeunt.

Byam Shaw, 1901

© 2021 Unotate.com • contact • privacy policy • Creative Commons text from PlayShakespeare.com • All illustrations are public domain or Creative Commons • Header illustration by Byam Shaw