How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds Make deeds ill done!Hadst not thou been by,A fellow by the hand of nature mark'd,Quoted and sign'd to do a deed of shame,This murder had not come into my mind:
But taking note of thy abhorr'd aspect,Finding thee fit for bloody villany,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 conscience to destroy a prince.HUBERT My lord--KING JOHN Hadst thou but shook thy head or made a pause When I spake darkly what I purposed,Or turn'd an eye of doubt upon my face,As bid me tell my tale in express words,Deep shame 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 didst in signs again parley with sin;Yea,without stop,didst let thy heart consent,And consequently thy rude hand to act The deed,which both our tongues held vile to name.
Out of my sight,and never see me more!
My nobles leave me;and my state is braved,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,Hostility and civil tumult reigns Between my conscience and my cousin's death.HUBERT Arm you against your other enemies,I'll make a peace between your soul 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 bosom never enter'd yet The dreadful motion of a murderous thought;And you have slander'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.KING JOHN Doth Arthur live?O,haste thee to the peers,Throw this report on their incensed rage,And make them tame to their obedience!
Forgive the comment that my passion made Upon thy feature;for my rage was blind,And foul imaginary eyes of blood Presented thee more hideous than thou art.