The Life and Death of King Richard III by William Shakespeare (books for men to read .TXT) 📕

hither?

FIRST MURDERER.
I would speak with Clarence, and I came hither on my legs.

BRAKENBURY.
What, so brief?

SECOND MURDERER.
'Tis better, sir, than to be tedious. - Let
him see our commission and talk no more.

[A paper is delivered to BRAKENBURY, who reads it.]

BRAKENBURY.
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.
There lies the Duke asleep, - and there the keys;
I'll to the king and signify to him
That thus I have resign'd to you my charge.

FIRST MURDERER.
You may, sir; 'tis a point of wisdom: fare you well.

[Exit BRAKENBURY.]

SECOND MURDERER.
What, shall we stab him as he sleeps?

FIRST MURDERER.
No; he'll say 'twas done cowardly, when he wakes.

SECOND MURDERER.
When he wakes! why, fool, he shall never wake until the great
judgment-day.

FIRST MURDERER.
Why, then he'll say we stabb'd him sleeping.

SECOND MURDERER.
The urging of that word "judgment" hath bred a kind of remorse in
me.

FIRST MURDERER.
What, art thou afraid?

SECOND MURDERER.
Not to kill him, having a warrant for it; but to be damned
for killing him, from the which no warrant can defend me.

FIRST MURDERER.
I thought thou hadst been resolute.

SECOND MURDERER.
So I am, to let him live.

FIRST MURDERER.
I'll back to the Duke of Gloster and tell him so.

SECOND MURDERER.
Nay, I pr'ythee, stay a little: I hope my holy humour will
change; it was wont to hold me but while one tells twenty.

FIRST MURDERER.
How dost thou feel thyself now?

SECOND MURDERER.
Faith, some certain dregs of conscience are yet within me.

FIRST MURDERER.
Remember our reward, when the deed's done.

SECOND MURDERER.
Zounds, he dies: I had forgot the reward.

FIRST MURDERER.
Where's thy conscience now?

SECOND MURDERER.
O, in the Duke of Gloster's purse.

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

SECOND MURDERER.
'Tis no matter; let it go; there's few or none will entertain it.

FIRST MURDERER.
What if it come to thee again?

SECOND MURDERER.
I'll not meddle with it, - it makes a man 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 a man
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 towns and cities for a dangerous thing;
and every man that means to live well endeavours to trust
to himself and live without it.

FIRST MURDERER.
Zounds,'tis even now at my elbow, persuading me
not to kill the duke.

SECOND MURDERER.
Take the devil in thy mind, and believe him not; he would
insinuate with thee but to make thee sigh.

FIRST MURDERER.
I am strong-framed; he cannot prevail with me.

SECOND MURDERER.
Spoke like a tall man that respects thy reputation.
Come, shall we fall to work?

FIRST MURDERER.
Take him on the costard with the hilts of thy sword,
and then throw him in the malmsey-butt in the next room.

SECOND MURDERER.
O excellent device! and make a sop of him.

FIRST MURDERER.
Soft! he wakes.

SECOND MURDERER.
Strike!

FIRST MURDERER.
No, we'll reason with him.

CLARENCE.
Where art thou, keeper? give me a cup of wine.

SECOND MURDERER.
You shall have wine enough, my lord, anon.

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

FIRST MURDERER.
A man, as you are.

CLARENCE.
But not as I am, royal.

SECOND MURDERER.
Nor you as we are, loyal.

CLARENCE.
Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks are humble.

FIRST MURDERER.
My voice is now the king's, my looks mine own.

CLARENCE.
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?

SECOND MURDERER.
To, to, to -

CLARENCE.
To murder me?

BOTH MURDERERS.
Ay, ay.

CLARENCE.
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 MURDERER.
Offended us you have not, but the king.

CLARENCE.
I shall be reconcil'd to him again.

SECOND MURDERER.
Never, my lord; therefore prepare to die.

CLARENCE.
Are you drawn forth among a world of men
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 pronounc'd
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 MURDERER.
What we will do, we do upon command.

SECOND MURDERER.
And he that hath commanded is our king.

CLARENCE.
Erroneous vassals! the great King of kings
Hath in the table 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.

SECOND MURDERER.
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 MURDERER.
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.

SECOND MURDERER.
Whom thou wast sworn to cherish and defend.

FIRST MURDERER.
How canst thou urge God's dreadful law to us,
When thou hast broke it in such dear degree?

CLARENCE.
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 or lawless course
To cut off those that have offended Him.

FIRST MURDERER.
Who made thee, then, a bloody minister
When gallant-springing brave Plantagenet,
That princely novice, was struck dead by thee?

CLARENCE.
My brother's love, the devil, and my rage.

FIRST MURDERER.
Thy brother's love, our duty, and thy faults,
Provoke us hither now to slaughter thee.

CLARENCE.
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.

SECOND MURDERER.
You are deceiv'd, your brother Gloster hates you.

CLARENCE.
O, no, he loves me, and he holds me dear:
Go you to him from me.

FIRST MURDERER.
Ay, so we will.

CLARENCE.
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 of this, and he will weep.

FIRST MURDERER.
Ay, millstones; as he lesson'd us to weep.

CLARENCE.
O, do not slander him, for he is kind.

FIRST MURDERER.
Right, as snow in harvest. - Come, you deceive yourself:
'Tis he that sends us to destroy you here.

CLARENCE.
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.

FIRST MURDERER.
Why, so he doth, when he delivers you
From this earth's thraldom to the joys of heaven.

SECOND MURDERER.
Make peace with God, for you must die, my lord.

CLARENCE.
Have you that holy feeling in your souls,
To counsel me to make my peace with God,
And are you yet to your own souls so blind
That you will war with God by murdering me? -
O, sirs, consider, they that set you on
To do this deed will hate you for the deed.

SECOND MURDERER.
What shall we do?

CLARENCE.
Relent, and save your souls.

FIRST MURDERER.
Relent! 'tis cowardly and womanish.

CLARENCE.
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?

SECOND MURDERER.
Look behind you, my lord.

FIRST MURDERER.
[Stabs him.]
Take that, and that: if all this will not do,
I'll drown you in the malmsey-butt within.

[Exit with the body.]

SECOND MURDERER.
A bloody deed, and desperately dispatch'd!
How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands
Of this most grievous murder!

[Re-enter FIRST MURDERER.]

FIRST MURDERER.
How now, what mean'st thou that thou help'st me not?
By heavens, the duke shall know how slack you have
been!

SECOND MURDERER.
I would he knew that I had sav'd his brother!
Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say;
For I repent me that the duke is slain.

[Exit.]

FIRST MURDERER.
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. London. A Room in the palace.

[Enter KING EDWARD, led in sick, QUEEN ELIZABETH, DORSET,
RIVERS, HASTINGS, BUCKINGHAM, GREY, and others.]

KING EDWARD.
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 more at 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.

RIVERS.
By heaven, my soul is purg'd from grudging hate;
And with my hand I seal my true heart's love.

HASTINGS.
So thrive I, as I truly swear the like!

KING EDWARD.
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.

HASTINGS.
So prosper I, as I swear perfect love!

RIVERS.
And I, as I love Hastings with my heart!

KING EDWARD.
Madam, yourself is not exempt from this; -
Nor you, son Dorset; - Buckingham, nor you; -
You have been factious one against the other.
Wife, love Lord Hastings, let