i Murd. I am strong-fram'd,3 he cannot prevail with

me.

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

1 Murd. Take him over the costard5 with the hilts of thy sword, and then throw him into the malmsey-butt, in the next room.

2 Murd. O excellent device! and make a sop of him. 1 Murd. Soft! he wakes.

2 Murd. Strike.

1 Murd. No, we 'll reason with him.

Clar. Where art thou, keeper? give me a cup of wine. 1 Murd. You shall have wine enough, my lord, anon. Clar. In God's name, what art thou?

1 Murd. A man, as you are. Clar. But not, as I am, royal.

1 Murd. Nor you, as we are, loyal.

Clar. Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks are humble. 1 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,

were not here personified, Shakspeare would have used him instead of it. He does so in almost every page of these plays.

Malone. 3 I am strong-fram'd,] Thus the folio. The quarto reads-I am strong in fraud Malone.

4 Spoke like a tall fellow,] The meaning of tall, in old English, is stout, daring, fearless, and strong.

So, in The Merry Wives of Windsor:

good soldiers, and tall fellows." Steevens.

5- the costard ] i. e. the head; a name adopted from an apple shaped like a man's head. So, in Arden of Feversham, 1592: "One and two rounds at his costard."

Hence likewise the term-costar-monger.

n. 3, and p. 47, n. 8.

See Vol. IV, p. 44,

Steevens.

-] We'll talk. Johnson.

So, in The Merchant of Venice:

"I reason'd with a Frenchman yesterday." Steevens.

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 reconciled 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?
Where is the evidence that doth accuse me?
What lawful quest3 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,9
To threaten me with death, is most unlawful.
I charge you, as you hope for any goodness,1

7 Are you call'd forth from out a world of men,] I think it may be better read:

Are ye cull'd forth

The folio reads;

Johnson.

"Are you drawn forth among a world of men."

I adhere to the reading now in the text. So, in Nobody and Somebody, 1598:

Malone.

“Art thou call'd forth amongst a thousand men "To minister this soveraigne antidote?" Steevens. The reading of the text is that of the quarto, 1598. What lawful quest] Quest is inquest or jury. Johnson. So, in Hamlet:

9 Before I be convict &c.] Shakspeare has followed the current tale of his own time, in supposing that Clarence was imprisoned by Edward, and put to death by order of his brother Richard, without trial or condemnation. But the truth is, that he was tried, and found guilty by his Peers, and a bill of attainder was afterwards passed against him. According to Sir Thomas More, his death was commanded by Edward; but he does not assert that the Duke of Gloster was the instrument. Polydore Virgil says, though he talk'd with several persons who lived at the time, he never could get any certain account of the motives that induced Edward to put his brother to death. See p. 47, n. 8. Malone. as you hope for any goodness,] The quarto reads: "As you hope to have redemption."

1

I have adopted the former words, for the sake of introducing variety; the idea of redemption being comprised in the very next line. Steevens.

This arbitrary alteration was made, and the subsequent line was omitted, by the editors of the folio, to avoid the penalty of the Stat. 3 Jac. I, c. 21. Malone.

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.

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,
To hurl upon their heads that break his law.

2 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.

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 de

fend.

1 Murd. How canst thou urge God's dreadful law to us, When thou hast broke it in such dear2 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 avenged for the deed,

O, know you, that he doth it publickly; 3
Take not the quarrel from his powerful arm;
He needs no indirect nor lawless course,

To cut off those that have offended him.

1 Murd. Who made thee then a bloody minister, When gallant-springing, brave Plantagenet,

4

2 dear -] This is a word of mere enforcement, and very frequently occurs, with different shades of meaning, in our author. So, in Timon of Athens:

"And strain what other means is left unto us,

"In our dear peril." Steevens.

3 O, know you, that &c.] The old copies-O, know you yet,— but we should read-that instead of yet. In the MS. copy that would naturally have been written yt. Hence the mistake, which I have corrected, by the advice of Dr. Farmer. Steevens.

That princely novice,5, 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,3 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.7

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,

springing,

Plantagenet,] Blooming Plantagenet; a prince in the spring of life. Johnson.

So, in Spenser's Shepherd's Calendar, 1579:

"That wouldest me my springing youth to spill." Malone. When gallant, springing,] This should be printed as one word, I think;-gallant-springing. Shakspeare is fond of these compound epithets, in which the first adjective is to be considered as an adverb. So, in this play, he uses childish-foolish, senseless-obstinate, and mortal-staring, Tyrwhitt.

5

novice,] Youth; one yet new to the world. Johnson.

6 If you are hir'd for meed,] Thus the quarto 1597 and the folio. The quarto 1598, reads-If you be hired for need; which is likewise sense: If it be necessity which induces you to commit this murder. Malone.

7- your brother Gloster hates you.] Mr. Walpole, some years ago, suggested, from the Chronicle of Croyland, that the true cause of Gloster's hatred to Clarence was, that Clarence was unwilling to share with his brother that moiety of the estate of the great Earl of Warwick, to which Gloster became entitled on his marriage with the younger sister of the Dutchess of Clarence, Lady Anne Neville, who had been betrothed to Edward Prince of Wales. This account of the matter is fully confirmed by a letter, dated Feb. 14, 1471-2, which has been lately published. Paston Letters, Vol. II, p. 91: "Yesterday the king, the queen, my lords of Clarence and Gloucester, went to Shene to pardon; men say, not all in charity. The king entreateth my lord of Clarence for my lord of Gloucester; and, as it is said, he answereth, that he may well have my lady his sister-in-law, but they shall part no livelihood, as he saith; so, what will fall, can I not say." Malone.

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,
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.

2 Murd. What shall we do?

Clar.

Relent, and save your souls.8

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? At you would beg
My friend, I spy some pity in thy looks;
I's

sop.

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?11

8

and save your souls, &c.] The six following lines are not in the old edition. [i. e. the quarto.] Pope.

They are not necessary, but so forced in, that something seems omitted to which these lines are the answer. Johnson.

9

what beggar pities not?] I cannot but suspect that the lines, which Mr. Pope observed not to be in the old edition, are now misplaced, and should be inserted here, somewhat after this

manner:

Clar. A begging prince what beggar pities not?