That scarce, some two days since, were worth a noble. 1 Q. Eliz. By him that rais'd me to this careful From that contented hap which I enjoy'd, Against the duke of Clarence, but have been An earnest advocate to plead for him. My lord, you do me shameful injury, Glo. To fight on Edward's party, for the crown; And, for his meed, poor lord, he is mew'd up: I would to heaven, my heart were flint like Edward's, Or Edward's soft and pitiful, like mine; I am too childish-foolish for this world. Q. Mar. Hie thee to hell for shame, and leave this world. Riv. My lord of Gloster, in those busy days, Which here you urge to prove us enemies, Glo. You may deny that you were not the cause We follow'd then our lord, our lawful king; So should we you, if you should be our king. Glo. She may, lord Rivers? why, who knows Far be it from my heart, the thought thereof! not so? She may do more, sir, than denying that: Q. Eliz. As little joy, my lord, as you suppose Q. Mar. A little joy enjoys the queen thereof; What may she not? She may, ay, marry may For I am she, and altogether joyless. she. Riv. What, marry, may she? I can no longer hold me patient. [Advancing. Glo. What, marry, may she? marry with a king, In sharing that which you have pill'd3 from me : A bachelor, a handsome stripling too: I wis2, your grandam had a worser match. Q. Eliz. My lord of Gloster, I have too long borne Enter QUEEN MARGARET, behind. Which of you trembles not, that looks on me : Glo. Foul wrinkled witch, what mak'st thou in Q. Mar. But repetition of what thou hast marr'd; That will I make, before I let thee go. Glo. Wert thou not banished on pain of death? Q. Mar. I was; but I do find more pain in banishment, Than death can yield me here by my abode. Q. Mar. And lessen'd be that small, God, I be- | A husband, and a son, thou ow'st to me, — 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 Q. Mar. Out, devil! I remember them too well: Glo. Ere you were queen, ay, or your husband I was a pack-horse in his great affairs; To royalize his blood, I spilt mine own. Q. Mar. Ay, and much better blood than his, or Glo. In all which time, you, and your husband Were factious for the house of Lancaster? And thou, a kingdom; - all of you, allegiance ; Glo. The curse my noble father laid on thee, And, Rivers, so were you: - Was not your hus- Did York's dread curse prevail so much with heaven, Die in his youth, by like untimely violence! Deck'd in thy rights, as thou art stall'd in mine! Glo. Have done thy charm, thou hateful wither'd hag. Glo. Good counsel, marry;— learn it, learn it, marquis. Dors. It touches you, my lord, as much as me. Glo. Ay, and much more: But I was born so high, Our aiery 6 buildeth in the cedar's top, And dallies with the wind, and scorns the sun. Q. Mar. And turns the sun to shade; — alas! Witness my son, now in the shade of death; Q. Mar. And leave out thee ? stay, dog, for thou Uncharitably with me have you dealt, shalt hear me. If heaven have any grievous plague in store, Q. Mar. Glo. Q. Mar. Richard! Ha? I call thee not. Q. Mar. Poor painted queen, vain flourish of my Why strew'st thou sugar on that bottled spider1, Q. Mar. Foul shame upon you! you have all Rw. Were you well serv'd, you would be taught your duty. Q. Mar. To serve me well, you all should do me duty, Teach me to be your queen, and you my subjects: 0, serve me well, and teach yourselves that duty. Dors. Dispute not with her, she is lunatick. : Q. Mar. Peace, master marquis, you are malapert: 4 Alluding to Gloster's form and venom. | | And shamefully by you my hopes are butcher'd. Q. Mar. Oprincely 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 Buckingham? And soothe the devil that I warn thee from ? When he shall split thy very heart with sorrow ; curses. [Exit. Riv. And so doth mine; I muse 7, why she's at liberty. Glo. I cannot blame her, She hath had too much wrong, and I repent Q. Elis. I never did her any, to my knowledge. Riv. A virtuous and a christian-like conclusion, For had I curs'd now, I had curs'd myself. [Aside. Cates. Madam, his majesty doth call for you, Riv. Madam, we will attend upon 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, What sights of ugly death within mine eyes! whom I, indeed, have laid in dark- All scattered in the bottom of the sea. ness, I do beweep to many simple gulls; With old odd ends, stol'n forth of holy writ, But soft, here come my executioners. 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? Clar. O, no, my dream was lengthen'd after life; O, then began the tempest to my soul! I pass'd, methought, the melancholy flood, 1 Murd. We are, my lord; and come to have With that grim ferryman which poets write of, the warrant, That we may be admitted where he is. me: Glo. Well thought upon, I have it here about [Gives the Warrant. 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 Murd. Tut, tut, my lord, we will not stand to prate, We go to use our hands, and not our tongues. Glo. Your eyes drop mill-stones, when fools' eyes drop tears: Enter CLARENCE and BRAKENBURY. Brak. Why looks your grace so heavily to day? Clar. O, I have pass'd 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 And was embark'd to cross to Burgundy; Upon the hatches; thence we look'd toward England, O heaven! methought, what pain it was to drown! 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. Clar. O, Brakenbury, I have done these things,— O, spare my guiltless wife, and my poor children! [CLARENCE reposes himself on a Chair. They often feel a world of restless cares : 1 Murd. Ho! who's here? 1 Murd. I would speak with Clarence, and I came hither on my legs. Brak. What, so brief? hilts of thy sword, and then throw him into the 2 Murd. O, sir, 'tis better to be brief than te- malmsey-butt, in the next room. dious: Let him see our commission; talk no more. Brak. I am, in this, commanded to deliver 1 Murd. You may, sir; 'tis a point of wisdom: 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 hadst 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. 2 Murd. O excellent device! and make a sop of him. 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. 2 Murd. Never, my lord; therefore prepare to die. 1 Murd. Remember our reward, when the deed's Before I be convict by course of law, 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. 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. '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 with me. 2 Murd. Spoke like a tall 9 fellow, that respects his reputation. Come, shall we fall to work? 1 Murd. Take him over the costard with the To threaten me with death is most unlawful. 1 Murd. What we will do, we do upon command. 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? 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; 2 Inquest, jury. 3. On the part. For in that sin he is as deep as I. If God will be avenged for the deed, 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. Clar. Tell him, when that our princely father York Bless'd his three sons with his victorious arm, And charg'd us from his soul to love each other, He little thought of this divided friendship: Bid Gloster think on this, and he will weep. 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, SCENE I. - A Room in the Palace. To counsel me to make my peace with God, 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 5 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; O, if thine eye be not a flatterer, Come thou on my side, and entreat for me, As you would beg, were you in my distress, 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 do, [Stabs him. I'll drown you in the malmsey-butt within. [Exit with the body. 2 Murd. A bloody deed, and desperately despatch'd! How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands Re-enter first Murderer. ACT II. Enter KING EDWARD (led in sick), QUEEN ELIZABETH, Dorset, RIVERS, HASTINGS, BUCKINGHAM, GREY, and others. Confound your hidden falsehood, and award Hast. So prosper I, as I swear perfect love! K. Edw. Why, so: - now have I done a good Nor your son Dorset, day's work; You peers continue this united league : I every day expect an embassage And with my hand I seal my true heart's love. Q. Eliz. There, Hastings; - I will never more remember Our former hatred; So thrive I, and mine! lord marquis. Hastings, love Dor. This interchange of love, I here protest, Upon my part shall be inviolable. Hast. And so swear I. [Embraces DORSET. K. Edw. Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this league. With thy embracements to my wife's allies, And make me happy in your unity. 5 Shut up. |