Part 41 (1/2)

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; _Hub._ But that same Essence hath I will not stir nor wince, nor ordained a law, speak a word, A death for guilt, to keepe the Nor look upon the iron angerly.

world in awe. Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you, _Arth._ I pleade, not guiltie, Whatever torment you do put me to.

treasonlesse and free.

_Hub._ Go, stand within: let me _Hub._ But that appeale, my alone with him.

Lord, concernes not me.

_1. Attend._ I am best pleas'd to _Arth._ Why thou art he that be from such a deed.

maist omit the perill.

(_Exeunt Attendants._) _Hub._ I, if my Soveraigne would remit his quarrell. _Arth._ Alas! I then have chid away my friend: _Arth._ His quarrell is He hath a stern look, but a gentle unhallowed false and wrong. heart.-- Let him come back that his _Hub._ Then be the blame to whom compa.s.sion may it doth belong. Give life to yours.

_Arth._ Why thats to thee if _Hub._ Come, boy, prepare yourself.

thou as they proceede, Conclude their judgement with so _Arth._ Is there no remedy?

vile a deede.

_Hub._ None but to lose your eyes.

_Hub._ Why then no execution can be lawfull, _Arth._ O heaven!--that there were If Judges doomes must be reputed but a mote in yours, doubtfull. A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wandering hair, _Arth._ Yes where in forme of Any annoyance in that precious Lawe in place and time, sense!

The offended is convicted of the Then, feeling what small things are crime. boisterous there, Your vile intent must needs seem _Hub._ My Lord, my Lord, this horrible.

long expostulation, Heapes up more griefe, than _Hub._ Is this your promise? go to; promise of redresse; hold your tongue.

For this I know, and so resolude I end, _Arth._ Hubert, the utterance of a That subjects lives on Kings brace of tongues commaunds depend. Must needs want pleading for a pair I must not reason why he is your of eyes: foe, Let me not hold my tongue; let me But doo his charge since he not, Hubert: commaunds it so. Or Hubert, if you will, cut out my tongue.

_Arth._ Then doo thy charge, and So I may keep mine eyes. O! spare charged be thy soule mine eyes; With wrongfull persecution don Though to no use, but still to look this day. on you.

You rowling eyes, whose Lo! by my troth, the instrument is superficies yet cold, I doo behold with eyes that And would not harm me.

Nature lent: Send foorth the terror of your _Hub._ I can heat it, boy.

Moovers frowne, To wreake my wrong upon the _Arth._ No, in good sooth; the fire murtherers is dead with grief, That rob me of your faire Being create for comfort, to be reflecting view: us'd Let h.e.l.l to them (as earth they In undeserv'd extremes: see else wish to me) yourself; Be darke and direfull guerdon There is no malice in this burning for their guylt, coal; And let the black tormentors of The breath of heaven hath blown his deepe Tartary spirit out, Upbraide them with this d.a.m.ned And strew'd repentant ashes on his enterprise, head.

Inflicting change of tortures on their soules. _Hub._ But with my breath I can Delay not Hubert, my orisons are revive it, boy.

ended, Begin I pray thee, reave me of _Arth._ And if you do, you will but my sight: make it blush, But to performe a tragedie And glow with shame of your indeede, proceedings, Hubert: Conclude the period with a Nay, it, perchance, will sparkle in mortal stab. your eyes; Constance farewell, tormenter And like a dog that is compell'd to come away, fight, Make my dispatch the Tyrants s.n.a.t.c.h at his master that doth tarre feasting day. him on.

All things that you should use to do _Hub._ I faint, I feare, my me wrong, conscience bids desist: Deny their office: only you do lack Faint did I say? fear was it That mercy, which fierce fire, and that I named: iron, extends, My King commaunds, that warrant Creatures of note for mercy-lacking sets me free: uses.

But G.o.d forbids, and he commandeth Kings, _Hub._ Well, see to live; I will not That great Commaunder touch thine eyes counterchecks my charge, For all the treasures that thine He stayes my hand, he maketh uncle owes: soft my heart. Yet I am sworn, and I did purpose, Goe cursed tooles, your office boy, is exempt, With this same very iron to burn Cheere thee young Lord, thou them out.

shalt not loose an eye, Though I should purchase it with _Arth._ O! now you look like Hubert; losse of life. all this while Ile to the King and say his will You were disguised.

is done, And of the langor tell him thou _Hubert._ Peace! no more. Adieu.

art dead, Your uncle must not know but you Goe in with me, for Hubert was are dead: not borne I'll fill these dogged spies with To blinde those lampes that false reports; nature pollisht so. And pretty child, sleep doubtless, and secure, _Arth._ Hubert, if ever Arthur That Hubert for the wealth of all be in state, the world Looke for amends of this Will not offend thee.

received gift, I tooke my eyesight by thy _Arth._ O heaven!-- curtesie, I thank you, Hubert.

Thou lentst them me, I will not be ingrate. _Hub._ Silence! no more. Go closely But now procrastination may in with me; offend Much danger do I undergo for thee.

The issue that thy kindness (_Exeunt._) undertakes: Depart we Hubert, to prevent the worst. (_Exeunt._)[36]

For further ill.u.s.tration of Shakespeare's clear understanding that the emotions of well-characterized figures are better means of controlling an audience than a merely horrific situation, study his handling of the ghost scene in _Richard III_ or _Julius Caesar_ in contrast with similar places in _Hamlet_. What most trans.m.u.ted the _Ur-Hamlet_ of Thomas Kyd into one of the greatest tragedies of all time was the characterization Shakespeare put into it. Certainly, characterization makes for dramatists the stepping-stones on which they may rise from dead selves to higher things.

How may all this needed characterization best be done? A dramatist should not permit himself to describe his characters, for in his own personality he has no proper place in the text. There the characters must speak and act for themselves. There has been, however, an increasing tendency lately to describe the _dramatis personae_ of the play in programs, either in the list of characters or in a summary of the plot. Some writers apparently a.s.sume that every auditor reads his program carefully before the curtain goes up. Such an a.s.sumption is false: more than that it is lazy, incompetent, and thoroughly vicious, putting a play on the level with the motion pictures, which cannot depend wholly on themselves but would often be wholly vague without explanatory words thrown upon the canvas. Nor can the practice of the older dramatists like Wycherley and Shadwell, who often prefixed to their printed plays elaborate summaries describing the _dramatis personae_, be cited as a final defense.

Sir William Belfond, a Gentleman of above 3,000 per annum, who in his youth had been a spark of the town, but married and retired into the country, where he turned to the other extreme, rigid and morose, most sordidly covetous, clownish, obstinate, positive, and froward.

Sir Edward Belfond, his Brother, a merchant, who by lucky hits had gotten a great estate, lives single, with ease and pleasure, reasonably and virtuously. A man of great humanity and gentleness and compa.s.sion towards mankind; well read in good books possessed with all gentleman-like qualities.

Belfond, Senior, eldest son to Sir William; bred after his father's rustic, swinish manner, with great rigour and severity; upon whom his father's estate is entailed; the confidence of which makes him break out into open rebellion to his father, and become lewd, abominably vicious, stubborn, and obstinate.