Hub. Had none, my lord! why, did you not provoke

me?

K. John. It is the curfe of kings, to be attended
By flaves, that take their humours for a warrant
To break within the bloody house of life:
And, on the winking of authority,

To understand a law; to know the meaning
Of dangerous majesty, when, perchance, it frowns
More upon humour than advis'd respect.

Hub. Here is your hand and feal for what I did.

K. John, O, when the last account 'twixt heaven and

earth

Is to be made, then fhall this hand and feal

Witness against us to damnation!

How oft the fight of means to do ill deeds,
Makes deeds ill done! Hadeft not thou been by,
A fellow by the hand of nature mark'd,
Quoted, and fign'd, to do a deed of shame,
This murder had not come into my mind:
But, taking note of thy abhorr'd aspéct,;
Finding thee fit for bloody villainy,
Apt, liable, to be employ'd in danger,

I faintly broke with thee of Arthur's death;
And thou, to be endeared to a king,

Made it no confcience to destroy a prince.
Hub. My lord,-

K. John. Hadft thou but shook thy head, or made a

pause,

When I fpake darkly what I purposed;

Or turn'd an eye of doubt upon my face,

As bid me tell my tale in exprefs words;

Deep fhame had struck me dumb, made me break off,
And those thy fears might have wrought fears in me:
But thou didst understand me by my signs,

And

And didft in figns again parley with fin;

Yea, without ftop, didst let thy heart consent,
And, confequently, thy rude hand to act

The deed, which both our tongues held vile to name.-
Out of my fight, and never see me more!

My nobles leave me; and my state is brav'd,
Even at my gates, with ranks of foreign powers:
Nay, in the body of this fleshly land,

This kingdom, this confine of blood and breath,
Hoftility and civil tumult reigns

Between my conscience, and my cousin's death.
Hub. Arm you against your other enemies,
I'll make a peace between your foul and you.
Young Arthur is alive: This hand of mine
Is yet a maiden and an innocent hand,
Not painted with the crimson spots of blood.
Within this bofom never enter'd yet

The dreadful motion of a murd'rous thought,
And you have flander'd nature in my form ;
Which, howsoever rude exteriorly,

Is yet the cover of a fairer mind

Than to be butcher of an innocent child.

K. John. Doth Arthur live? O, hafte thee to the peers, Throw this report on their incenfed rage, And make them tame to their obedience! Forgive the comment that my paffion made Upon thy feature; for my rage was blind, And foul imaginary eyes of blood Prefented thee more hideous than thou art. O, answer not: but to my closet bring The angry lords, with all expedient hafte : I conjure thee but flowly; run more fast.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The fame. Before the Caftle.

Enter ARTHUR, on the Walls.

Arth. The wall is high; and yet will I leap down :Good ground, be pitiful, and hurt me not!

'There's few, or none, do know me; if they did, This fhipboy's femblance hath difguis'd me quite. I am afraid; and yet I'll venture it.

If I get down, and do not break my limbs,

I'll find a thousand fhifts to get away:

As good to die, and go, as die, and stay. [Leaps down. . O me! my uncle's fpirit is in these stones :

Heaven take my foul, and England keep my bones!

Enter PEMBROKE, SALISBURY, and BIGOT.

[Dies.

Sal. Lords, I will meet him at faint Edmund's-Bury; It is our fafety, and we muft embrace

This gentle offer of the perilous time.

Pemb. Who brought that letter from the cardinal ?
Sal. The count Melun, a noble lord of France;
Whose private with me, of the Dauphin's love,
Is much more general than these lines import.

Big. To-morrow morning let us meet him then.
Sal. Or, rather then fet forward: for 'twill be
Two long days' journey, lords, or e'er we meet.

Enter

Thurston del.

King Ichn.

Act 4 scene 3?

Published by Vernor & Hood 1 April 1799.

Hopwood fault.