LEW. Strong reasons make strange actions: Let us go;

a

If you say ay, the king will not say no.

[Exeunt.

a Strange. So the reading of the first folio. It has been generally altered into strong. The old reading restored gives us a deep observation instead of an epigrammatic one. Strong reasons make-that is, justify-a large deviation from common courses.

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.-
Young lad, come forth; I have to say with you.

[Exeunt Attendants.

Yet, I remember, when I was in France,
Young gentlemen would be as sad as night,
Only for wantonness. By my christendoma,
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
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, Hubert.
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.

ART. 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.—

[Aside.

Read here, young Arthur. [Showing a paper.] How now, foolish rheum!

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.

HUB.

And will you?

And I will.

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;

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?

[Aside.

■ 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:

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.

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 at your sick service had a prince.
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?

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 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.

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

do.

Do as I bid you
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.
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.

[Stamps.

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.)

I would not have believ'd him. So the reading of the original. 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.

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.

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 coala ;

The breath of heaven hath blown his spirit out,

And strew'd repentant ashes on his head.

HUB. But with my breath I can revive it, boy.
ARTH. And if you do, you will but make it blush,

And glow with shame of your proceedings, Hubert:
Nay, it, perchance, will sparkle in your eyes;
And, like a dog that is compell'd to fight,
Snatch at his master that doth tarre him on.
All things that you should use to do me wrong
Deny their office: only you do lack

That mercy which fierce fire and iron extends,
Creatures of note for mercy-lacking uses.

HUB. Well, see to live; I will not touch thine eyes

[Exeunt Attendants.

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."

Tarre. Tooke derives this from a Saxon word, meaning to exasperate. Others think that it has only reference to the custom of exciting terriers-tarriers.