King Richard III Part 5

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. Exeunt BRAKENBURY and KEEPER SECOND MURDERER. What, shall I stab him as he sleeps?

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

SECOND MURDERER. Why, 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; but to be d.a.m.n'd 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 Gloucester and tell him so.

SECOND MURDERER. Nay, I prithee, stay a little. I hope this pa.s.sionate humour of mine 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 Gloucester's purse!

FIRST MURDERER. 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 blus.h.i.+ng shame- fac'd 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 turn'd 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 the sigh.

FIRST MURDERER. I am strong-fram'd; 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 chop him in the malmsey-b.u.t.t 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 G.o.d'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 p.r.o.nounc'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 d.a.m.nable.

FIRST MURDERER. What we will do, we do upon command.

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

CLARENCE. Erroneous va.s.sals! the great King of kings Hath in the tables 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 G.o.d Didst break that vow; and with thy treacherous blade Unripp'dst the bowels of thy sov'reign's son.

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

FIRST MURDERER. How canst thou urge G.o.d'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 G.o.d will be avenged for the deed, O, know you yet He doth it publicly.

Take not the quarrel from His pow'rful arm; He needs no indirect or lawless course To cut off those that have offended Him.

FIRST MURDERER. Who made thee then a b.l.o.o.d.y 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. .h.i.ther 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 Gloucester, Who shall reward you better for my life Than Edward will for tidings of my death.

SECOND MURDERER. You are deceiv'd: your brother Gloucester 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 friends.h.i.+p.

Bid Gloucester 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 G.o.d, for you must die, my lord.

CLARENCE. Have you that holy feeling in your souls To counsel me to make my peace with G.o.d, And are you yet to your own souls so blind That you will war with G.o.d by murd'ring 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! No, '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. [Stabbing him] Take that, and that. If all this will not do, I'll drown you in the malmsey-b.u.t.t within.

Exit with the body SECOND MURDERER. A b.l.o.o.d.y deed, and desperately dispatch'd!

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