Clar. But not, as I am, royal. I 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! Clar. To murder me? 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. To threaten me with death is most unlawful. The deed you undertake is damnable. I Murd. What we will do, we do upon command. 2 Murd. And he that hath commanded is our King. 13 Quest here means a jury of inquest. 14 Convict for convicted. Such shortened preterites are very frequent. See vol. vii. page 21, note 42. Clar. 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. 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 Unripp'dst the bowels of thy sovereign's son. 2 Murd. Whom thou wast sworn to cherish and defend. I 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 avengèd for the deed, O, know you yet, He doth it publicly: Take not the quarrel from His powerful arm; To cut off those that have offended Him. I Murd. Who made thee, then, a bloody minister, Clar. My brother's love, the Devil, and my rage. 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, 2 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. Tell him, when that our princely father York And charged us from his soul to love each other, Bid Gloster think of this, and he will weep. 1 Murd. Ay, millstones; as he lesson'd us to weep. As snow in harvest. Come, you deceive yourself: 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. 1 Murd. Relent! 'tis cowardly and womanish. Clar. Not to relent is beastly, savage, devilish. 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: A begging prince what beggar pities not? 1 Murd. Ay, [Stabbing him.] thus, and thus: if all this will not do, I'll drown you in the malmsey-butt within. [Exit, with the body. 2 Murd. A bloody deed, and desperately dispatch'd! How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands Of this most grievous murder! I Murd. How now! what mean'st thou, that thou help'st me not? By Heaven, the duke shall know how slack you've been. 2 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. 1 Murd. So do not I: go, coward as thou art. [Exit. [Exit. 15 The Duke of Clarence was arraigned for treason before the Parliament, convicted, and sentence of death passed upon him. This was in February, 1478, and a few days later it was announced that he had died in the Tower. So that this first Act of the play embraces a period of nearly seven years, the death of King Henry having occurred in May, 1471. The manner of Clarence's death has never been ascertained. It was generally attributed to the machinations of Richard. There was a fierce grudge between the two Dukes, growing out of their rapacity towards the Warwick estates. See page 148, note 24. 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. 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.2 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 súpreme 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! 1 Part for depart; the two being often used indiscriminately. 2 To dissemble is, strictly, to put off the show of what is, as to simulate is to put on the show of what is not. So here the meaning is, "Do not merely put off the show of hatred, but eradicate it altogether, and swear love into its place." |