1st Murd. We are, my lord; and come to have 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. 1st Murd. Tut, tut, my lord, we will not stand to prate :

Talkers are no good doers: be assured
We go to use our hands, and not our tongues.
Glo. Your eyes drop millstones when fools'
eyes drop tears:

I like you, lads. About your business straight:
Go, go, despatch.
1st Murd.

We will, my noble lord.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. The same. A Room in the Tower.

Enter CLARENCE and BRAKENBURY. Brak. Why looks your grace so heavily to-day? Clar. O I have passed 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 't were 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 embarked to cross to Burgundy;
And in my company my brother Gloster:

Who from my cabin tempted me to walk
Upon the hatches: thence we looked toward
England,

And cited up a thousand heavy times,
During the wars of York and Lancaster,
That had befall'n us. As we paced along
Upon the giddy footing of the hatches,
Methought that Gloster stumbled, and in falling
Struck me, that thought to stay him, overboard
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!
Methought I saw a thousand fearful wrecks:
A thousand men that fishes gnawed upon :
Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl,
Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels,
All scattered in the bottom of the sea.

Some lay in dead men's skulls: and in those holes Where eyes did once inhabit, there were crept (As 't were in scorn of eyes) reflecting gems, That woo'd the slimy bottom of the deep, And mocked the dead bones that lay scattered by. Brak. Had you such leisure in the time of death

To gaze upon these secrets of the deep?

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 smothered it within my panting bulk, Which almost burst to belch it in the sea.

Brak. Awaked you not with this sore agony? Clar. O no, my dream was lengthened after life:

O then began the tempest to my soul!
I passed 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 cried aloud, "What scourge for perjury
Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?"
And so he vanished. Then came wandering by
A shadow like an angel, with bright hair
Dabbled in blood; and he shrieked out aloud,
"Clarence is come; false, fleeting, perjured
Clarence,

That stabbed me in the field by Tewkesbury:
Sieze on him, furies, take him to your torments!"
With that, methought a legion of foul fiends
Environed me, and howléd in mine ears
Such hideous cries, that with the very noise
I trembling waked, and for a season after
Could not believe but that I was in hell;
Such terrible impression made my dream.
Brak. No marvel, lord, though it affrighted

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.

1st Murd. Ho! who's here?

Brak. What wouldst thou, fellow; and how cam'st thou hither?

1st Murd. I would speak with Clarence, and I came hither on my legs.

Brak. What, so brief?

2nd Murd. O sir, 't is better to be brief than tedious. Shew him 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 resigned to you my charge.
1st Murd. You may, sir; 'tis a point of wisdom:
fare you well.
Exit BRAKENBURY
2nd Murd. What, shall we stab him as he
sleeps?

1st Murd. No: he 'll say 't was done cowardly when he wakes.

2nd Murd. When he wakes! why, fool, he shall never wake until the great judgment day. 1st Murd. Why, then he'll say we stabbed him sleeping.

2nd Murd. The urging of that word "judgment" hath bred a kind of remorse in me.

1st Murd. What! art thou afraid? 2nd Murd. Not to kill him, having a warrant for it but to be damned for killing him, from the which no warrant can defend me.

1st Murd. I thought thou hadst been resolute. 2nd Murd. So I am-to let him live.

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

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

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

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

2nd Murd. Come, he dies: I had forgot the reward.

1st Murd. Where's thy conscience now? 2nd Murd. In the Duke of Gloster's purse. 1st Murd. So, when he opens his purse to give us our reward, thy conscience flies out.

2nd Murd. "Tis no matter: let it go there's few or none will entertain it.

1st Murd. What if it come to thee again? 2nd 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. "T 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 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.

1st Murd. Zounds, it is even now at my elbow, persuading me not to kill the duke.

2nd Murd. Take the devil in thy mind, and believe him not: he would insinuate with thee but to make thee sigh.

1st Murd. I am strong framed, he cannot prevail with me.

2nd Murd. Spoke like a tall fellow that respects his reputation. Come, shall we fall to work?

1st Murd. Take him over the costard with the hilts of thy sword, and then throw him into the malmsey-butt in the next room.

2nd Murd. O excellent device! and make a sop of him.

1st Murd. Soft! he wakes.
2nd Murd. Strike.

1st Murd. No, we 'll reason with him. Clar. Where art thou, keeper? give me a cup of wine.

1st Murd. You shall have wine enough, my lord, anon.

Clar. In God's name, what art thou? 1st Murd. A man, as you are. Clar. But not, as I am, royal. 1st Murd. Nor you, as we are, loyal. Clar. Thy voice is thunder, but thy 100ks are humble.

1st 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.

To slay the innocent? What is my offence?
Where is the evidence that doth 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.

1st Murd. What we will do, we do upon com

mand.

2nd 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,
To hurl upon their heads that break his law.

2nd 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.

1st 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.

2nd Murd. Whom thou wast sworn to cherish

and defend.

1st 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:
For in that sin he is as deep as I.
If God will be avengéd for the deed,
O know you that 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.

1st 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. 1st 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 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. 2nd Murd. You are deceived; 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. It cannot be: for he bewept my fortune, And hugged me in his arms, and swore with sobs That he would labour my delivery.

1st Murd. Why, so he doth, when he delivers you From this earth's thraldom to the joys of heaven. 2nd 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. 2nd Murd. What shall we do?

Clar. Relent, and save your souls. 1st Murd. Relent! 't is 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: 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? 2nd Murd. Look behind you, my lord. 1st 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. 2nd Murd. A bloody deed, and desperately

despatched!

How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands Of this most grievous guilty murder done!

Re-enter first Murderer.

1st Murd. How now! what mean'st thou that thou help'st me not?

By Heaven the duke shall know how slack you have been.

2nd 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.

1st 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.

Enter KING EDWARD (led in sick), QUEEN ELIZABETH, 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,
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 purged from grudging 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

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

Why thy embracements to my wife's allies,
And make me happy in your unity.

Buck. Whenever Buckingham doth turn his

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 assuréd 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-
ham,

Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart.
There wanteth now our brother Gloster here,
To make the blessed period of this peace.
Buck. And in good time here comes the noble
duke.

Enter GLOSTER. Glo. Good-morrow to my sovereign King and Queen:

And, princely peers, a happy time of day. K. Edw. Happy, indeed, as we have spent the day.

| Brother, we have done deeds of charity Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate,

I Between these swelling wrong-incensed peers.