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Enter Catesby.

Cates. Madam, his majesty doth call for you, And for your grace, and you, my noble lords. Queen. Catesby, I come:-Lords, will you go with me?

Ric. Madam, we will attend your grace.

[Exeunt all but Gloster.

Glo. I do the wrong, and first begin to brawl.
The secret mischiefs that I set abroach,
I lay unto the grievous charge of others.
Clarence, whom I, indeed, have laid in darkness,
I do beweep to many simple guils;

Namely, to Stanley, Hastings, Buckingham;
And tell them-'tis the queen and her allies,
That stir the king against the duke my brother.
Now they believe it; and withal whet me
To be reveng'd on Rivers, Vaughan, Grey:
But then I sigh, and, with a piece of scripture,
Tell them-that God bids us do good for evil:
And thus I clothe my naked villainy

With old odd ends, stol'n forth of holy writ;
And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.
Enter two Murderers.

But soft, here come my executioners.—
How now, my hardy, stout, resolved mates?
Are you now going to dispatch this thing?

1 Mur. We are, my lord; and come to have
the warrant,

And, in my company, my brother Gloster:
Who from my cabin tempted me to walk
Upon the hatches; thence we look'd towards
England,

5 And cited up a thousand heavy times,
During the wars of York and Lancaster
That had befall'n us. As we pac'd along
Upon the giddy footing of the hatches,
Methought, that Gloster stumbled; and, in falling,
10 Struck me, that thought to stay him, over-board,
Into the tumbling billows of the main,

O Lord! methought what pain it was to drown!
What dreadful noise of water in mine ears!
What sights of ugly death within mine eyes!
15 Methought, I saw a thousand fearful wrecks;
A thousand men, that fishes gnaw'd upon;
Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl,
Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels,

All scatter'd in the bottom of the sea.
20 Some lay in dead men's skulls; and, in those holes,
Where eyes did once inhabit, there were crept
(As 'twere in scorn of eyes) reflecting gems,
That woo'd the slimy bottom of the deep,
And mock'd the dead bones that lay scatter'd by,
Brak. Had you such leisure, in the time of death,
To gaze upon the secrets of the deep?

25

That we may be admitted where he is. [me:
Glo. Well thought upon, I have it here about 30
When you have done, repair to Crosby-place.
But, sirs, be sudden in the execution,
Withal obdurate, do not hear him plead;
For Clarence is well spoken, and, perhaps,
May move your hearts to pity, if you mark him.
1 Mur. Tut, tut, my lord, we will not stand
to prate,

Talkers are no good doers; be assur'd,
We go to use our hands, and not our tongues.
Glo. Your eyes drop mill-stones, when fools'
eyes drop tears1:

I like you, lads; about your business straight;
Go, go, dispatch.

1 Mur. We will, my noble lord.

SCENE IV.

An Apartment in the Tower.

Enter Clarence, and Brakenbury.

[Exeunt.

Clar. Methought, I had; and often did I strive
To yield the ghost: but still the envious flood
Kept in my soul, and would not let it forth
To seek the empty, vast, and wand'ring air;
But smother'd it within my panting bulk,
Which almost burst to belch it in the sea,

Brak. Awak'd you not with this sore agony? Clar, O, no, my dream was lengthen'd after life; 350, then began the tempest to my soul!

40

I pass'd, methought, the melancholy flood,
With that grim ferryman which poets write of,
Unto the kingdom of perpetual night.
The first that there did greet my stranger soul,
Was my great father-in-law, renowned Warwick;
Who cry'd aloud,-What scourge for perjury
Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?
And so he vanish'd; Then came wand'ring by
A shadow like an angel, with bright hair
45 Dabbled in blood; and he shriek'd out aloud,
Clarence is come--fulse, fleeting, perjur'd Clarence,
That stabb'd me in the field by Tewksbury ;—
Seize on him, furies, tuke him to your torments!
With that, methought, a legion of foul fiends

Brak. Why looks your grace so heavily to-day 50 Environ'd me, and howled in mine ears

2

Cla. O, I have past a miserable night,
So full of fearful dreams, of ugly sights,
That, as I am a christian faithful man
I would not spend another such a night,
Though 'twere to buy a world of happy days;
So full of dismal terror was the time.

Brak. What was your dream, my lord? I pray

you, tell me.

Clar. Methought, that I had broken from the
Tower,

And was embark'd to cross to Burgundy;

55

Such hideous cries, that, with the very noise,
I trembling wak'd, and, for a season after,
Could not believe but that I was in hell;
Such terrible impression made my dream.
Brak. No marvel, lord, that it affrighted you;

I am afraid, methinks, to hear you tell it.
Clar. O, Brakenbury, I have done those

things,

That now give evidence against my soul,— 60 For Edward's sake; and, see, how he requites me! O God! if my deep prayers cannot appease thee,

Probably, a proverbial expression. 2 i, e. not an infidel. 3 i, e. invaluable,

is the same as changing sides,

Tt

• Fleeting

ut

I

spare my

wile,

my poor

pray thee, gentle keeper, stay by me;
My soul is heavy, and I fain would sleep.
Brak. I will, my lord; God give your grace
good rest!- [Clarence sleeps.
Sorrow breaks seasons, and reposing hours, [night.
Makes the night morning, and the noon-tide
Princes have but their titles for their glories,
An outward honour for an inward toil;
And, for unfelt imaginations,

They often feel a world of restless cares':
So that, between their titles, and low name,
There's nothing differs but the outward fame.
Enter the two Murderers.

1 Murd. Ho! who's here?
Brak. What would'st thou, fellow? and how
cam'st thou hither?

5

our reward, thy conscience flies 2 Murd. 'Tis no matter; 1 few, or none, will entertain it.

Murd. What, if it come to t 2 Murd. I'll not meddle with it thing, it makes a man a coward 10 steal, but it accuseth him; a m but it checks him; a man cannot bour's wife, but it detects him shame-fac'd spirit, that mutini som; it fills one full of obstacles: 15 restore a purse of gold, that by it beggars any man that keeps it of all towns and cities for a dang every man, that means to live v to trust to himself, and live wit

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1 Murd. O, sir, 'tis better to be brief, than teShew him our commission, talk no more.

Brak. I am, in this, commanded to deliver
The noble duke of Clarence to your hands :—
I will not reason what is meant hereby,
Because I will be guiltless of the meaning.
Here are the keys; there sits the duke asleep:
I'll to the king; and signify to him,
That thus I have resign'd to you my charge.

25

1 Murd. 'Zounds, it is even n persuading me not to kill the du 2 Murd. Take the devil in th lieve him not: he would insinua to make thee sigh.

1 Murd. I am strong fram'd, with me.

2 Murd. Spoke like a tall fell his reputation. Come, shall we

1 Murd. Take him over the c 30hilts of thy sword, and then thr inalmsey-butt, in the next room. 2 Murd. O excellent device! of him.

1 Murd. You may, sir, 'tis a point of wisdom: Fare you well. [Exit Brakenbury. 2 Murd. What, shall we stab him as he sleeps? 1 Murd. No; he'll say, 'twas done cowardly, 35 when he wakes.

2 Murd. When he wakes! why, fool, he shall never wake until the great judgement-day.

1 Murd. Why, then he'll say, we stabb'd him sleeping.

2 Murd. The urging of that word, judgement, hath bred a kind of remorse in me.

1 Murd. What? art thou afraid?

40

2 Murd. Not to kill him, having a warrant for it; but to be damn'd for killing him, from the 45 which no warrant can defend me.

1 Murd. I thought, thou had'st been resolute. 2 Murd. So I am, to let him live.

1 Murd. I'll back to the duke of Gloster, and tell him so.

2 Murd. Nay, I pr'ythee, stay a little: I hope, this compassionate humour of mine will change it was wont to hold me but while one would tell twenty.

1 Murd. How dost thou feel thyself now? 2 Murd. 'Faith, some certain dregs of conscience are yet within me.

1 Murd. Remember our reward, when the deed's done.

[ward.

50

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Clar. How darkly, and how d
Your eyes do menace me: why
Who sent you hither? Wherefor
2 Murd. To, to, to-
Clar. To murder me?
Both. Ay, ay.

Clar. You scarcely have the hea 55 And therefore cannot have the he Wherein, my friends, have I offen 1 Murd. Offended us you have Clar. I shall be reconcil'd to hi 2 Murd Never, my lord; th die.

2 Murd. Come, he dies; I had forgot the re-60lto

Meaning, they often suffer real miseries for imaginary and unreal gratifications.

English, means stout, daring, fearless, and strong. ple shap'd like a man's head. 4i. e. we'll talk,

3i.e. the head, a name adopt

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1 Murd. What we will do, we do upon com- 2 Murd. And he that hath commanded is our king.

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Clar. O, do not slander him, for he is kind.
1 Murd. Right, as snow in harvest.-Come,
you deceive yourself;

Tis he that sends us to destroy you here.

Clar. It cannot be; for he bewept my fortune, And hugg'd me in his arms, and swore with sobs, 15 That he would labour my delivery.

Clar. Erroneous vassal! the great King of kings
Hath in the table of his law commanded,
That thou shalt do no murder; wilt thou then
Spurn at his edict, and fulfil a man's?
Take heed; for he holds vengeance in his hand, 20|
To hurl upon their heads that break his law.
2 Murd. And that same vengeance doth he
hurl on thee,

For false forswearing, and for murder too:
Thou didst receive the sacrament to fight
In quarrel of the house of Lancaster.

1 Murd. And, like a traitor to the name of
God,
[blade,
Didst break that vow; and, with thy treacherous
Unripp'dst the bowels of thy sovereign's son.
2 Murd. Whom thou wast sworn to cherish
and defend.
[law to us,
1 Murd. How canst thou urge God's dreadful
When thou hast broke it in such dear degree?
Clar. Alas! for whose sake did I that ill deed
For Edward, for my brother, for his sake;
He sends you not to murder me for this:
For in that sin he is as deep as I.
If God will be avenged for the deed,
O, know you yet, he doth it publicly:
Take not the quarrel from his powerful arm;
He needs no indirect nor lawless course,
To cut off those that have offended him. [ster,
1 Murd. Who made thee then a bloody mini-
When gallant-springing?, brave Plantagenet,
That princely novice, was struck dead by thee?

Cla. My brother's love, the devil, and my rage. Murd. Thy brother's love, our duty, and thy fault,

Provoke us hither now to slaughter thee.

Clar. If you do love my brother, hate not me; I am his brother, and I love him well. If you are hir'd for meed, go back again, And I will send you to my brother Gloster; Who shall reward you better for my life, Than Edward will for tidings of my death. 2 Murd. You are deceiv'd, your brother Gloster hates you. [dear: Cla. Oh, no; he loves me, and he holds me Go you to him from me.

1 Quest is inquest or jury. youth; one yet new to the world.

1 Murd. Why, so he doth,when he delivers you From this earth's thraldom to the joys of heaven. 2 Murd. Make peace with God, for you must die, my lord.

Clar. Hast thou that holy feeling in thy soul,
To counsel me to make my peace with God,
And art thou yet to thy own soul so blind,
That thou wilt war with God by murdering me?—
O, sirs, consider, he that sets you on

25 To do this deed, will hate you for the deed.
2 Murd. What shall we do?

30

Clar. Relent, and save your souls.
Which of you, if you were a prince's son,
Being pent from fiberty, as I am now,

Iftwo such murderers as yourselves came to you-
Would not intreat for life? as you would beg,
Were you in my distress,-

1 Murd. Relent! 'tis cowardly, and womanish.
Clar. Not to relent, is beastly, savage, devilish.-
35 My friend, I spy some pity in thy looks;
O, if thine eye be not a flatterer,

40

Come thou on my side, and entreat for me:
A begging prince what beggar pities not?
2 Murd. Look behind you, my lord.

1 Murd. Take that, and that; if all this will
not serve,
[Stabs him.
I'll drown you in the malmsey-butt within. [Exit.
2 Murd. A bloody deed, and desp'rately dis-

patch'd!

45 How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands
Of this most grievous guilty murder done!
Re-enter first Murderer.

1 Murd. How now? what mean'st thou, that
thou help'st me not?
[been.
50 By heaven, the duke shall know how slack you've
2 Murd. I would he knew that I had sav'd his

55

160

brother!

Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say;
For I repent me that the duke is slain.

[Exit.
1 Murd. So do not I; go, coward, as thou art.—
Well, I'll go hide the body in some hole,
Till that the duke give order for his burial:
And when I have my meed, I will away;
For this will out, and then I must not stay.
[Exit with the body.

2

i. e. blooming Plantagenet, a prince in the spring of life.

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SCENE I.

The Court.

Buck. And, in good time, here comes the noble

Enter Gloster.

[duke.
Glo. Good-morrow to my sovereign king and
And, princely peers, a happy time of day! [queen;
5 K. Edw. Happy, indeed, as we have spent the
Brother, we have done deeds of charity; [day :-
Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate,
Between these swelling wrong-incensed peers.
Glo. A blessed labour,my most sovereign liege.--
10 Among this princely heap, if any here,
By false intelligence, or wrong surmise,
Hold me a foe; if I unwittingly
Have aught committed that is hardly borne
By any in this presence, I desire
To reconcile me to his friendly peace:
Tis death to me, to be at enmity;

Enter King Edward sick, the Queen, Dorset, Ri-
cers, Hastings, Buckingham, Grey, and others.
K. Edw. WHY, so:-now have I done a good
day's work;-
You peers, continue this united league:
I every day expect an embassage.
From my Redeemer to redeem me hence;
And now in peace my soul shall part to heaven,
Since I have made my friends at peace on earth.
Rivers, and Hastings, take each other's hand;
Dissemble not your hatred, swear your love.
Riv. By heaven, my soul is purg'd from grudg-15
ing hate;

And with my hand I seal my true heart's love.
Hast. So thrive I, as I truly swear the like!
K. Edw. Take heed, you dally not before your
king;

Lest He, that is the supreme King of kings,
Confound your hidden falsehood, and award
Either of you to be the other's end.

Hast. So prosper I, as I swear perfect love.
Riv. And I, as I love Hastings with my heart!
K. Edw. Madam, yourself are not exempt in
this,-

I hate it, and desire all good men's love.-
First, madam, I entreat true peace of you,
Which I will purchase with my duteous service;→
20Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham,

If ever any grudge were lodg'd between us;-
Of you, lord Rivers,—and, lord Grey, of you,
That all without desert have frown'd on me;-
Of you, lord Woodville,--and, lord Scales, of you,→→
25 Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen; indeed, of all.
I do not know that Englishman alive,
With whom my soul is any jot at odds,
More than the infant that is born to-night;
I thank my God for my humility.

Nor your son Dorset,-Buckingham, nor you;-
You have been factious one against the other.
Wife, love lord Hastings, let him kiss your hand; 30
And what you do, do it unfeignedly. [remember
Queen. There, Hastings;-I will never more
Our former hatred, so thrive I, and mine!

K.Edw. Dorset, embrace him ;-Hastings, love
lord marquis.

Dor. This interchange of love, I here protest,
Upon my part, shall be inviolable.
Hast. And so swear I.

[this league

K. Edw. Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou
With thy embracements to my wife's allies,
And make me happy in your unity.

Buck. Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hate
Upon your grace, but with all duteous love
[To the Queen.
Doth cherish you, and yours, God punish me
With hate in those where I expect most love!
When I have most need to employ a friend,
And most assured that he is a friend,
Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile,
Be he unto me! This do I beg of heaven,
When I am cold in love, to you, or yours.
[Embracing Rivers, &c.
K. Edw. A pleasing cordial, princely Bucking-
Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart. [ham,
There wanteth now our brother Gloster here,
To make the blessed period of this peace.

This alludes to a proverbial expression, that "Comfort's a cripple, and comes ever slow,"

I

Queen. Aholy-day this shall be kept hereafter:-
would to God,all strifes were well compounded.--
My sovereign lord, I do beseech your highness
To take our brother Clarence to your grace.

Glo. Why, madam, have I offer'd love for this,
35 To be so flouted in this royal presence?
Who knows not, that the gentle duke is dead?
[They all start.
You do him injury, to scorn his corse. [he is?
K.Edw. Who knows not, he is dead! who knows
Queen. All-seeing heaven, what a world is this!
Buck. Look I so pale, lord Dorset, as the rest?
Dr. Ay, my good lord; and no man in the

40

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K. Edw. I pr'ythee, peace; my soul is full of

sorrow.

Stan. I will not rise, unless your highness hear me.
K. Edw. Then say at once, what is it thou re-

quest'st.

Stan. The forfeit', sovereign, of my servant's life;
Who slew to-day a riotous gentleman,
Lately attendant on the duke of Norfolk.

K. Ed. Have I a tongue to doom my bro-
ther's death,

5

10

[both:

Dutch. My pretty cousins, you mistake me
I do lament the sickness of the king,
As loth to lose him; not your father's death;
It were lost sorrow, to wail one that's lost.
Son.Then,grandam, you conclude that he is dead.
The king mine uncle is to blame for this:
God will revenge it; whom I will importune
With earnest prayers, all to that effect.

Daugh. And so will I. [love you well:
Dutch. Peace, children, peace! the king doth
Incapable and shallow innocents,

You cannot guess who caus'd your father's death.
SOR.Grandam,we can: for my good uncle Gloster
Told me, the king, provok'd to 't by the queen,
15 Devis'd impeachments to imprison him:
And when iny uncle told me so, he wept,
And pitied me, and kindly kiss'd my cheek;
Bade me rely on him, as on my father,
And he would love me dearly as his child.
Dutch. Ah, that deceit should steal such gentle

20

25

And shall that tongue give pardon to a slave?
My brother kill'd no man, his fault was thought,
And yet his punishment was bitter death.
Who su'd to me for him? who, in my wrath,
Kneel'd at my feet, and bid me be advis'd?
Who spoke of brotherhood? who spoke of love?
Who told me, how the poor soul did forsake
The mighty Warwick, and did fight for me?
Who told me, in the field at Tewksbury,
When Oxford had ine down, he rescu'd me,
And said, Dear brother, live, and be a king?
Who told me, when we both lay in the field,
Frozen almost to death, how he did lap me
E'en in his garments; and did give himself,
All thin and naked, to the numb-cold night?
All this from my remembrance brutish wrath
Sinfully pluck'd, and not a man of you
Had so much grace to put it in my mind.
But, when your carters, or your waiting vassals,
Have done a drunken slaughter, and defac'd
The precious image of our dear Redeemer,
Youstraight are on your knees for pardon, pardon;
And I, unjustly too, must grant it you :-
But for my brother not a man would speak,-
Nor I (ungracious) speak unto myself
For him, poor soul. The proudest of you all
Hath been beholden to him in his life;
Yet none of you would once plead for his life.-
O God! I fear, thy justice will take hold
On me, and you, and mine, and yours, for this.-40
Come, Hastings, help me to my closet. Oh,
Poor Clarence! [Exeunt King and Queen, Hast-
ings, Rivers, Dorset, and Grey.
Glo. These are the fruits of rashness!-Mark'd
you not,

How that the guilty kindred of the queen [death
Look'd pale, when they did hear of Clarence'
O! they did urge it still unto the king:
God will revenge it. Come, lords; will you go,
To comfort Edward with our company
Buck. We wait upon your grace.

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?
[Exeunt.

Enter the Dutchess of York, with the two children
of Clarence.

Son. Good grandam, tell us, is our father dead?
Dutch. No, boy.
[breast?

130

35

shapes,

And with a virtuous vizor hide deep vice!
He is my son, ay, and therein my shame,
Yet from my dugs he drew not this deceit.
Son. Think you, my uncle did dissemble, gran-
Dutch. Ay, boy.
[dam?
Son. I cannot think it. Hark! what noise is this?
Enter the Queen, distractedly; Rivers, and Dorset,
after her.

Queen. Ah! who shall hinder me to wail and
weep?

To chide my fortune, and torment myself?
I'll join with black despair against my soul,
And to myself become an enemy.- [tience?
Dutch. What means this scene of rude impa-
Queen. To make an act of tragic violence:—
Edward, my lord, thy son, our king, is dead.—
Why grow the branches, when the root is gone?
Why wither not the leaves, that want their sap?—
If you will live, lament; if die, be brief;
That our swift-winged souls may catch the king's;
Or, like obedient subjects, follow him
To his new kingdom of perpetual rest.

Dutch. Ah,so much interest have I in thy sorrow,
45 As I had title in thy noble husband!
I have bewept a worthy husband's death,
And liv'd by looking on his images:
But now, two mirrors of his princely semblance
Are crack'd in pieces by malignant death;
50 And I for comfort have but one false glass,
That grieves me when I see my shame in him.
Thou art a widow; yet thou art a mother,
And hast the comfort of thy children left thee:
Butdeathhath snatch'dmyhusbandfromminearms,
55 And pluck'd two crutches from my feeble hands,
Clarence, and Edward. O, what cause have I
(Thine being but a moiety of my grief)
To over-go thy plaints, and drown thy cries!
Son. Ah, aunt! [To the Queen.] you wept not
for our father's death;

Daugh. Why do you weep so oft? and beat your
And cry,-O Clarence, my unhappy son! [head, 60
Son. Why do you look on us, and shake your
And call us,-orphans, wretches, cast-aways,
If that our noble father be alive?

How can we aid you with our kindred tears?
Daugh. Our fatherless distress was left unmoan'd,
Your widow dolours likewise be unwept!

He means the remission of the forfeit.
Tt3

Queen.

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