An if an angel should have come to me,

And told me Hubert should put out mine eyes,

75

I would not have believ'd him. No tongue but Hubert's— Hub. Come forth!

[Stamps.

Re-enter ATTENDANTS, with Cords, Irons, &c.
Do as I bid you do.

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.

80

Arth. Alas, what need you be so bois'trous rough?

I will not struggle, I will stand stone-still.

For heaven's sake, Hubert, let me not be bound!
Nay, hear me, Hubert ! drive these men away,
And I will sit as quiet as a lamb ;

85

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.

90

Hub. Go, stand within; let me alone with him.
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.

95

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, 100

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. 105

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.

ΙΙΟ

Arth. No, in good sooth; the fire is dead with grief, 115 Being create for comfort, to be us'd

In undeserv'd extremes; see else yourself;

There is no malice in this burning coal;

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. An 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,

120

125

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.

130

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

For all the treasure that thine uncle owes ;

Yet am I sworn, and I did purpose, boy,

With this same very iron to burn them out.

Arth. O, now you look like Hubert ! all this while 135 You were disguised.

Hub.

Peace; no more: adieu !

Your uncle must not know but

you are dead ·

I'll fill these dogged spies with false reports.
And, pretty child, sleep doubtless, and secure,
That Hubert, for the wealth of all the world,
Will not offend thee.

Arth. O heaven! I thank you, Hubert.

140

Hub. Silence; no more; go closely in with me, Much danger do I undergo for thee.

[Exeunt. 145

2. Arras-In old times the rooms of the wealthy were hung round with curtains or hangings. These hangings were called the arras, from a town of that name in France noted for their manufacture. The arras was a convenient hiding-place for persons who wished to hear and observe all that was going on in the room without themselves being seen. 6. Your warrant--Your authority or instructions from the king. 10-11. Little prince-Hubert has been addressing him as little in reference to his size. Arthur replies, that though he was born to the title and estate of a prince, yet, inasmuch as he was a captive and deprived of power, there was little of the prince about him.

18. For wantonness-For mere foolishness, whim or fashion.

24. Geoffrey's son-Arthur was the son of Geoffrey, elder brother of John. Geoffrey was killed at a tournament, leaving Arthur as his heir.

27. Innocent prate-Childish, guileless prattle.

29. Despatch-Make haste, do the work quickly.

31. In sooth-To speak the truth.

31. I would I wish.

34. Do take possession His words rouse my pity.

36. Rheum-Tears: Hubert is trying to suppress or smother his better nature, but Arthur's words cause his pity for the young prince to show itself in foolish rheum or tears.

37. Dispiteous—Without pity, unfeeling.

38. Lest resolution, &c.-Lest he should change his resolution, and weep for very shame and pity-like a soft-hearted woman-at the thought of his cruel intentions.

40. Fair writ--Well written, legible.

41. Foul effect--Evil deed or purpose.

48. Wrought-Worked.

52. Still and anon--Frequently, from time to time.

53. Lack-Want.

53. Grief-Pain.

54. Good love-Good office, good work.

58. Crafty Cunning, shown for a purpose.

59. An if you will-If you wish. [An if=if.]

66. Iron age-An unfeeling age, or time when peoples' better feelings had been deadened.

69. Quench his fiery indignation-As if he should say, the iron

would draw tears from my eyes; which tears falling upon the iron and entering into it would quench or destroy its heat and thus render it harmless; nay, not only so, but drinking up the falling tears the iron itself would at last turn to rust.

73. Stubborn hard-Can you resist my pleadings, or are you more stubborn, unyielding, or hard-hearted than hammered iron which would yield its heat to my tears?

88. Angerly-Angrily.

93. Chid away-Chidden, or driven away by my words.

98. No remedy-No relief, no way out of it.

102. Any annoyance-Anything to trouble you and make you feel pain.

104. Vile intent-Evil intention or purpose must seem to you more evil still.

106. Brace of tongues-Two tongues would be inadequate to the task of pleading for a pair of eyes.

112. Instrument—The heated iron, which had gone cold during the talk or parleying.

121. Revive it→Quicken it, make it to glow again. 124. Perchance-Perhaps.

124. Will sparkle-Will throw sparks in your eyes.

126. Tarre-Urge, incite.

128. Deny their office-Refuse or fail to do their work.

130. Mercy-lacking uses-Things noted for uses the reverse of merciful,-fire often causing great destruction and misery, and iron being the metal of which weapons of war and instruments of torture are made.

132. Thine uncle-King John.

136. Disguised—Not your own self.

137. Adieu-[To God] French form of farewell.

139. Dogged spies—The two attendants who had been set to dog or watch his actions.

140. Doubtless-Free from doubt or apprehension of any harm. 145. Much danger-From the resentment of the king in case he should discover that Arthur had not been murdered.

1. The first part of our way lay along the flat ground, gay with bright scarlet Guernsey lilies, and shaded by cocoa-nut trees between the town and the sea. Then we struck off to the right, and soon left the town behind us, emerging into the open country. At a distance from the sea, Hilo looks as green as the Emerald Isle itself; but on a closer inspection the grass turns out to be coarse and dry, and many of the trees look scrubby and half dead. Except in the 'gulches' and the deep holes between the hills, the island is covered with lava, in many places of so recent a deposit that it has not yet had time to decompose, and there is consequently only a thin layer of soil on its surface. This soil being, however, very

A Voyage in the Sunbeam.