Whom God preserve better than you would wish! The king, of his own royal disposition, Glo. I cannot tell;- The world is grown so bad, Q. Eliz. Come, come, we know your meaning, You envy my advancement, and my friends; Our brother is imprison'd by your means, Held in contempt; while great promotions That scarce, some two days since, were worth a noble. From that contented hap which I enjoy'd, Against the duke of Clarence, but have been My lord, you do me shameful injury, Glo. You may deny that you were not the cause Grey, Were factious for the house of Lancaster ;- Q. Mar. A murd'rous villain, and so still thou art. Glo. To fight on Edward's party, for the crown; I am too childish-foolish for this world. Q. Mar. Hie thee to hell for shame, and leave this world, Thou cacodæmon! there thy kingdom is. Riv. My lord of Gloster, in those busy days, Glo. She may, lord Rivers?-why, who knows You should enjoy, were you this country's king; not so? She may do more, sir, than denying that: She may help you to many fair preferments; And then deny her aiding hand therein, As little joy you may suppose in me, I can no longer hold me patient. [Advancing What may she not? She may,-ay, marry, may Hear me, you wrangling pirates, that fall out she, Rie. What, marry, may she? In sharing that which you have pill'd from me : Glo. What, marry, may she? marry with a king, | If not, that, I being queen, you bow like subjects; A bachelor, a handsome stripling too: I wis, your grandam had a worser match. Q. Eliz. My lord of Gloster, I have too long Your blunt upbraidings, and your bitter scoffs: Enter QUEEN MARGARET, behind. Yet that, by you depos'd, you quake like rebels? Glo. Foul wrinkled witch, what mak'st thou in Q. Mar. But repetition of what thou hast marr'd; Glo. Wert thou not banished on pain of death? ment, Than death can yield me here by my abode. Q. Mar. And lessen'd be that small, God, I be- And all the pleasures you usurp, are mine. seech thee! Thy honour, state, and seat, is due to me. Glo. What? threat you me with telling of the Tell him, and spare not: look, what I have said Glo. The curse my noble father laid on thee, Denounc'd against thee, are all fallen upon thee; curses! Though not by war, by surfeit die your king! Glo. Have done thy charm, thou hateful wither'd hag. Q. Mar. And leave out thee? stay, dog, for thou If heaven have any grievous plague in store, Q. Mar. Glo. Q. Mar. Richard! Q. Mar. Poor painted queen, vain flourish of Why strew'st thou sugar on that bottled spider, curse; Lest, to thy harm, thou move our patience. Riv. Were you well serv'd, you would be taught Q. Mar. To serve me well, you all should do me Teach me to be your queen, and you my subjects: Dor. Dispute not with her, she is lunatick. Q. Mar. Peace, master marquis, you are malapert: And, if they fall, they dash themselves to pieces. Dor. It touches you, my lord, as much as me. Our aiery buildeth in the cedar's top, Q. Mar. And turns the sun to shade; -alas! Witness my son, now in the shade of death: Buck. Peace, peace, for shame, if not for charity. Q. Mar. O princely Buckingham, I kiss thy hand, Buck. Nor no one here; for curses never pass Q. Mar. I'll not believe but they ascend the sky Glo. What doth she say, my lord of Buckinglam Ha? I call thee not. Glo. I cry thee mercy then; for I did think, That thou had'st call'd me all these bitter names. Q. Mar. Why, so I did; but look'd for no reply. O, let me make the period to my curse. Glo. 'Tis done by me; and ends in Margaret. Q. Elix. Thus have you breath'd your curse O, but remember this another day, When he shall split thy very heart with sorrow; against yourself. -- And sooth the devil that I warn thee from? And say, poor Margaret was a prophetess.→→→ curses. [Exit. Riv. And so doth mine; I muse, why she's at Glo. I cannot blame her, by God's holy mother; Q Eliz. I never did her any, to my knowledge, Riz. A virtuous and a christian-like conclusion, - Cates. Madam, his majesty doth call for you, with me? Rio, Madam, we will attend upon your grace. Glo. I do the wrong, and first begin to brawl. I lay unto the grievous charge of others. SCENE IV.- The same. A Room in the Tower. Brak. Why looks your grace so heavily to-day? Brak. What was your dream, my lord? I pray Clar. Methought, that I had broken from the And was embark'd to cross to Burgundy; O Lord! methought, what pain it was to drown! What dreadful noise of water in mine ears! Clarence, whom I, indeed, have laid in dark- All scatter'd in the bottom of the sea. ness, m I do beweep to many simple gulls; But soft, here come my executioners. ➡ Are you now going to despatch this thing? Some lay in dead men's skulls; and, in those holes Clar. Methought, I had; and often did I strive Brak. Awak'd you not with this sore agony? I pass'd, methought, the melancholy flood, 1 Murd. We are, my lord; and come to have the With that grim ferryman which poets write of, warrant, That we may be admitted where he is, Gla. Well thought upon, I have it here about me: Talkers are no good doers; be assur'd, I like you, lads; Go, go, despatch. 1 Murd about your business straight; We will, my noble lord. Unto the kingdom of perpetual night. - The first that there did greet my stranger soul, Brak. No marvel, lord, though it affrighted you; I am afraid, methinks, to hear you tell it. 1 Murd. So, when he opens his purse to give us our reward, thy conscience flies out. 2 Murd. 'Tis no matter; let it go; there's few, or none, will entertain it. 1 Murd. What, if it come to thee again? 2 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; a man cannot swear, but it checks him; a man cannot lie with his neighbour's wife, but it detects him: 'Tis 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 turned out of all towns and cities for a dangerous thing; and every man, that means to live well, endeavours to trust to himself, and live without it. 1 Murd. 'Zounds, it is even now at my elbow, persuading me not to kill the duke. 2 Murd. Take the devil in thy mind, and believe him not he would insinuate with thee, but to make thee sigh. 1 Murd. I am strong-fram'd, he cannot prevail Brak. What would'st thou, fellow? and how with me. cam'st thou hither? 2 Murd. Spoke like a tall fellow, that respects 1 Murd. I would speak with Clarence, and I came his reputation. Come, shall we fall to work? hither on my legs. Brak. What, so brief? 2 Murd. O, sir, 'tis better to be brief than tedious: Let him see our commission; talk no more. [A paper is delivered to BRAKENBURY, who reads it. 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. 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, when he wakes. 2 Murd. When he wakes! why, fool, he shall never wake until the great judgment day. 1 Murd. Why, then he'll say, we stabb'd him sleeping. 2 Murd. The urging of that word, judgment, hath bred a kind of remorse in me. 1 Murd. What? art thou afraid? 2 Murd. Not to kill him, having a warrant for it; but to be damn'd for killing him, from the 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 holy 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. 2 Murd. Come, he dies; I had forgot the reward. 1 Murd. Where's thy conscience now? 2 Murd. In the duke of Gloster's purse. 1 Murd. Take him over the costard with the hilts of thy sword, and then throw him into the malmseybutt, in the next room. 2 Murd. O excellent device! and make a sop of Clar. How darkly, and how deadly dost thou speak! Your eyes do menace me: Why look you pale? 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? 1 Murd. Offended us you have not, but the king, Clar. I shall be reconcil'd to him again. 2 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 ? That you depart, and lay no hands on me; 1 Murd. What we will do, we do upon command. 2 Murd. And he, that hath commanded, is our king. 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, 2 Murd. And that same vengeance doth he hurl on thee, For false forswearing, and for murder too: 1 Murd. And, like a traitor to the name of God, Didst break that vow; and, with thy treacherous blade, Unrip'dst the bowels of thy sovereign's son. 2 Murd. Whom thou wast sworn to cherish and defend. 1 Murd. How canst thou urge God's dreadful law to us, When thou hast broke it in such dear degree? Take not the quarrel from his powerful arm; 1 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. 1 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. Clar. O, no; he loves me, and he holds me dear: Go you to him from me. Both Murd.. Ay, so we will. 1 Murd. Ay, mill-stones; as he lesson'd us to weep. 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, That he would labour my delivery. 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? Ah, sirs, consider, he, that set you on To do this deed, will hate you for the deed. Relent, and save your souls. 1 Murd. Relent! 'tis cowardly, and womanish. Clar. Not to relent, is beastly, savage, devilish. 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? My friend, I spy some pity in thy looks; 1 Murd. Take that, and that; if all this will not I'll drown you in the malmsey-butt within. [Exit, with the body. 2 Murd. A bloody deed, and desperately de. 2 Murd. I would he knew, that I had sav'd his brother! Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say; Clar. Tell him, when that our princely father For I repent me that the duke is slain. York Bless'd his three sons with his victorious arm, [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. ACT II. SCENE I. The same. A Room in the Palace. Enter KING EDWARD, (led in sick,) QUEEN ELIZABETH, DORSET, RIVERS, HASTINGS, BUCKINGHAM, GREY, and others. You peers, continue this united league: K. Edw. Why, so:-now have I done a good Rivers and Hastings, take each other's hand; day's work; Dissemble not your hatred, swear your love. |