First Murd. So, when he opens his purse to give us our reward, thy conscience flies out.

Sec. Murd. Let it go; there's few or none will enter- 130 tain it.

First Murd. How if it come to thee again?

Sec. Murd. I'll not meddle with it: it is a dangerous thing: it makes a man a coward: a man cannot steal, but it accuseth him; he cannot swear, but it checks him; he cannot lie with his neighbour's wife, but it detects him: it is a blushing shame-faced spirit that mutinies in a man's bosom; it fills one full of obstacles: it made me once restore a purse of gold, that by chance I found; it beggars any man that keeps it: it is turn'd out of all towns and cities for a dangerous thing; and every man that means to live well endeavours to trust to himself and to live without it.

First Murd. Zounds, it is even now at my elbow, persuading me not to kill the duke.

Sec. Murd. Take the devil in thy mind, and believe him not: he would insinuate with thee but to make thee sigh.

First Murd. Tut, I am strong-framed, he cannot prevail with me, I warrant thee.

Sec. Murd. Spoke like a tall fellow that respects his reputation. Come, shall we to this gear?

First Murd. Take him over the costard with the hilts of thy sword, and then we will chop him in the malmsey-butt in the next room.

Sec. Murd. O excellent device! make a sop of him.
First Murd. Hark! he stirs: shall I strike?

Sec. Murd. No, first let's reason with him.
Clar. [waking] Where art thou, keeper? give me a
cup of wine.

First Murd. You shall have wine enough, my lord,

anon.

Clar. In God's name, what art thou?

First Murd. A man, as you are.

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Clar. But not, as I am, royal.
First Murd. Nor you, as we are, loyal.

Clar. Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks are humble. First Murd. My voice is now the king's, my looks mine own.

Clar. How darkly and how deadly dost thou speak! Your eyes do menace me: why look you pale? Who sent you hither? Wherefore do you come? Both Murd. To, to, to

Clar. To murder me?
Both Murd. Ay, ay.

Clar. You scarcely have the hearts to tell me so, And therefore cannot have the hearts to do it. Wherein, my friends, have I offended you?

First Murd. Offended us you have not, but the king.
Clar. I shall be reconciled to him again.
Sec. Murd. Never, my lord; therefore prepare to die.
Clar. Are you call'd forth from out a world of men
To slay the innocent? What is my offence?
Where are the evidence that do accuse me?
What lawful quest have given their verdict up
Unto the frowning judge? or who pronounced
The bitter sentence of poor Clarence' death?
Before I be convict by course of law,

To threaten me with death is most unlawful.
I charge you, as you hope to have redemption
By Christ's dear blood shed for our grievous sins,
That you depart, and lay no hands on me:
The deed you undertake is damnable.

First Murd. What we will do, we do upon command.
Sec. Murd. And he that hath commanded is the king.
Clar. Erroneous vassal! the great King of kings
Hath in the tables of His law commanded
That thou shalt do no murder: will you, then,
Spurn at His edict, and fulfil a man's?

Take heed; for He holds vengeance in His hand,
To hurl
upon their heads that break His law.

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Sec. 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.

First Murd. And, like a traitor to the name of God, Didst break that vow; and with thy treacherous blade Unripp'dst the bowels of thy sovereign's son.

Sec. Murd. Whom thou wert sworn to cherish and defend.

First Murd. How canst thou urge God's dreadful

law to us,

When thou hast broke it in so dear degree?

Clar. Alas! for whose sake did I that ill deed?
For Edward, for my brother, for his sake:
Why, sirs,

He sends ye not to murder me for this;
For in this sin he is as deep as I.

If God will be revenged for this 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.

First Murd. Who made thee, then, a bloody minister,
When gallant-springing brave Plantagenet,
That princely novice, was struck dead by thee?
Clar. My brother's love, the devil, and my rage.
First Murd. Thy brother's love, our duty, and thy
fault,

Provoke us hither now to slaughter thee.

Clar. O, if you do love my brother, hate not me;
I am his brother, and I love him well.

If you be hired 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.
Sec. Murd. You are deceived, your brother Gloster

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hates you.

Clar. O, no, he loves me, and he holds me dear: to him from me.

Go you
Both Murd.

Ay, so we will.

Clar. Tell him, when that our princely father York Blest his three sons with his victorious arm,

And charged us from his soul to love each other,
He little thought of this divided friendship:
Bid Gloster think of this, and he will weep.

First Murd. Ay, millstones; as he lesson'd us to weep.
Clar. O, do not slander him, for he is kind.
First Murd. Right,

As snow in harvest.—Thou deceivest thyself:
'Tis he that sent us hither now to slaughter thee.

Clar. It cannot be; for when I parted with him,
He hugg'd me in his arms, and swore, with sobs,
That he would labour my delivery.

First Murd. Why, so he doth, now he delivers thee From this earth's thraldom to the joys of heaven. Sec. 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?—
Ah, sirs, consider, he that set you on

To do this deed will hate you for the deed.

Sec. Murd. What shall we do?

Clar.

Relent, and save your souls.

Which of you, if you were a prince's son,
Being pent from liberty, as I am now,

If two such murderers as yourselves came to you,
Would not entreat for life? As you would beg,
Were you in my distress-

First Murd. Relent! 'tis cowardly and womanish.
Clar. Not to relent is beastly, savage, devilish.

My friend, I spy some pity in thy looks;
O, if thine eye be not a flatterer,

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

First Murd. Take that, and that [stabs him]: if all this will not do,

I'll drown you in the malmsey-butt within.

[Exit, with the body.
Sec. Murd. A bloody deed, and desperately dispatcht!
How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands
Of this most grievous guilty murder done!
Enter First Murderer.

First Murd. How now! what mean'st thou, that

thou help'st me not?

By heaven, the duke shall know how slack thou art!
Sec. Murd. I would he knew that I had saved his

brother!

Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say;

For I repent me that the duke is slain.

[Exit.

First 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.

ACT II.

SCENE I. London. The palace.

[Exit.

Enter the KING, sick, the QUEEN, DORSET, RIVERS,
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,

VI.

H H

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