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  • Title: The Troublesome Reign of King John ((Quarto, 1581))
  • Editor: Karen Oberer

    • Copyright Queen's Men Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: Anonymous
    Editor: Karen Oberer
    Not Peer Reviewed

    The Troublesome Reign of King John ((Quarto, 1581))

    Enter Hubert de Burgh with three men.
    Hubert My masters, I haue shewed you what warrant I
    haue for this attempt; I perceiue by your heauie countenan-
    ces, you had rather be otherwise imployed, and for my owne
    1475part, I would the King had made choyce of some other execu-
    tioner: onely this is my comfort, that a King commaunds,
    whose precepts neglected or omitted, threatneth torture for the
    default. Therefore in briefe, leaue me, and be readie to attend
    the aduenture: stay within that entry, and when you heare me
    1480crie, God saue the King, issue sodainly foorth, lay handes on
    Arthur, set him in this chayre, wherin (once fast bound) leaue
    him with me to finish the rest.
    Attendants We goe, though loath. Exeunt.
    Hubert My Lord, will it please your Honour to take the
    1485benefite of the faire euening?
    Enter Arthur to Hubert de Burgh.
    Arthur Gramercie Hubert for thy care of me,
    In or to whom restraint is newly knowen,
    The ioy of walking is small benefit,
    1490Yet will I take thy offer with small thankes,
    I would not loose the pleasure of the eye.
    But tell me curteous keeper if you can,
    How long the King will haue me tarrie heere.
    Hubert I know not Prince, but as I gesse not long.
    1495God send you freedome, and God saue the King,
    They issue forth.
    Arthur Why how now sirs, what may this outrage
    meane?
    O helpe
    of King Iohn.
    O helpe me Hubert, gentle keeper helpe:
    1500God send this sodaine mutinous approach
    Tend not to reaue a wretched guiltles life.
    Hubert So sirs, depart, and leaue the rest for me.
    Arthur Then Arthur yéeld, death frowneth in thy face,
    What meaneth this? Good Hubert plead the case.
    1505Hubert Patience yong Lord, and listen words of woe,
    Harmfull and harsh, hells horror to be heard:
    A dismall tale fit for a furies tongue.
    I faint to tell, déepe sorrow is the sound.
    Arthur What, must I die?
    1510Hubert No newes of death, but tidings of more hate,
    A wrathfull doome, and most vnluckie fate:
    Deaths dish were daintie at so fell a feast,
    Be deafe, heare not, its hell to tell the rest.
    Arthur Alas thou wrongst my youth with words of feare,
    1515Tis hell, tis horror, not for one to heare:
    What is it man if it must needes be don,
    Act it, and end it, that the paine were gon.
    Hubert I will not chaunt such dolour with my tongue,
    Yet must I act the outrage with my hand.
    1520My heart my head, and all my powers beside,
    To aide the office haue at once denide.
    Peruse this letter, lines of treble woe,
    Read ore my charge, and pardon when you know.
    Hubert
    these are to commaund thee, as thou tendrest our
    1525quiet in minde and the estate of our person, that pre-
    sently vpon the receipt of our commaund, thou put out
    the eyes of Arthur Plantaginet.
    ArthurAh monstrous damned man, his very breath in-
    fects the elements,
    1530 Contagious venyme dwelleth in his heart,
    Effecting meanes to poyson all the world.
    Unreuerent may I be to blame the heauens
    F 3 Of
    The troublesome Raigne
    Of great iniustice, that the miscreant
    Liues to oppresse the innocents with wrong.
    1535Ah Hubert, makes he thee his instrument
    To sound the tromp that causeth hell triumph?
    Heauen weepes, the Saints doo shed celestiall teares,
    They feare thy fall, and cyte thee with remorse,
    They knock thy conscience, moouing pitie there,
    1540Willing to fence thee from the rage of hell:
    Hell Hubert, trust me all the plagues of hell
    Hangs on performance of this damned deede.
    This seale, the warrant of the bodies blisse,
    Ensureth Satan chieftaine of thy soule:
    1545Subscribe not Hubert, giue not Gods part away.
    I speake not onely for eyes priuiledge,
    The chiefe exterior that I would enioy:
    But for thy perill, farre beyond my paine,
    Thy sweete soules losse, more than my eyes vaine lack;
    1550A cause internall, and eternall too.
    Aduise thee Hubert, for the case is hard,
    To loose saluation for a Kings reward.
    Hubert My Lord, a subiect dwelling in the land
    Is tyed to execute the Kings commaund.
    1555Arthur. Yet God commands, whose power reacheth further,
    That no commaund should stand in force to murther.
    Hubert But that same Essence hath ordaind a law,
    A death for guilt, to keepe the world in awe.
    Arthur I plead not guiltie, treasonles and free.
    1560Hubert But that appeale my Lord concernes not me.
    Arthur Why, thou art he that maist omit the perill.
    Hubert I, if my Soueraigne would remit his quarrell.
    Arthur His quarrell is vnhallowed false and wrong.
    Hubert Then be the blame to whom it doth belong.
    1565Arthur Why thats to thee if thou as they proceede,
    Conclude their iudgement with so vile a déede.
    Hubert Why then no execution can be lawfull,
    If Iudges doomes must be reputed doubtfull.
    Arthur
    of King Iohn.
    Arthur Yes where in forme of Lawe in place and time,
    1570The offender is conuicted of the crime.
    Hubert My Lord, my Lord, this long expostulation,
    Heapes vp more griefe, than promise of redresse;
    For this I know, and so resolude I end,
    That subiects liues on Kings commaunds depend.
    1575I must not reason why he is your foe,
    But doo his charge since he commaunds it so.
    Arthur Then doo thy charge, and charged be thy soule
    With wrongfull persecution done this day.
    You rowling eyes, whose superficies yet
    1580I doo behold with eyes that Nature lent:
    Send foorth the terror of your Moouers frowne,
    To wreake my wrong vpon the murtherers
    That rob me of your faire reflecting view:
    Let hell to them (as earth they wish to mée)
    1585Be darke and direfull guerdon for their guylt,
    And let the black tormenters of deepe Tartary
    Upbraide them with this damned enterprise,
    Inflicting change of tortures on their soules.
    Delay not Hubert, my orisons are ended,
    1590Begin I pray thée, reaue me of my sight:
    But to performe a tragedie indéede,
    Conclude the period with a mortall stab.
    Constance farewell, tormentor come away,
    Make my dispatch the Tirants feasting day.
    1595Hubert I faint, I feare, my conscience bids desist:
    Faint did I say, feare was it that I named?
    My King commaunds, that warrant sets me frée:
    But God forbids, and he commaundeth Kings,
    That great Commaunder counterchecks my charge,
    1600He stayes my hand, he maketh soft my heart,
    Goe cursed tooles, your office is exempt,
    Cheere thée yong Lord, thou shalt not loose an eye,
    Though I should purchase it with losse of life.
    Ile to the King, and say his will is done,
    And
    The troublesome Raigne
    1605And of the langor tell him thou art dead,
    Goe in with me, for Hubert was not borne
    To blinde those lampes that Nature pollisht so,
    Arthur Hubert, if euer Arthur be in state,
    Looke for amends of this receiued gift
    1610I tooke my eysight by thy curtesie,
    Thou lentst them me, I will not be ingrate.
    But now procrastination may offend
    The issue that thy kindnes vndertakes:
    Depart we Hubert to preuent the worst.Exeunt.
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