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

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

1 Murd. I am strong-framed, 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 costard with the hilts of thy sword, and then throw him into the malmsey-butt in the next room.

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

2 Murd. Strike!

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

Clar. [waking]. Where art thou, keeper? give me a cup of wine.

2 Murd. You shall have wine enough, my lord,

anon.

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

2 Murd. A man, as you are.

Clar. But not, as I am, royal.

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

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

2 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. To, to, to

Clar. To murder me?
Both. Ay, ay.

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. Clar. I shall be reconciled to him again.

2 Murd. Never, my lord; therefore prepare to die.

Clar. Are you called forth from out a world of

men

To slay the innocent? What's 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.

1 Murd. What we will do, we do upon command. 2 Murd. And he that hath commanded is our

king.

Clar. Erroneous vassals! 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 hands
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 wert sworn to cherish and

defend.

1 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 revengéd for this deed,
O, know you yet, 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.

1 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. 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 be 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.

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.

Ay, so we will.

Clar. Tell him, when that our princely father

York

Blessed his three sons with his victorious arm,
And charged us from his soul to love each other,
He little thought of this divided friendship:
Bid Gloster think of this, and he will weep.

1 Murd. Ay, millstones; as he lessoned 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 hugged me in his arms, and swore, with sobs, That he would labour my delivery.

2 Murd. Why, so he doth, when he delivers you From this earth's thraldom to the joys of heaven. 1 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.

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.

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,
As you would beg, were you in my distress:
A begging prince what beggar pities not?
2 Murd. Look behind you, my lord.

1 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. 2 Murd. A bloody deed, and desperately dis

patched!

How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my

hands

Of this most grievous guilty murder done!
Re-enter First Murderer.

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

By heavens, the duke shall know how slack thou

art!

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.

[Exit.

1 Murd. So do not I: go, coward as thou art! Now must I hide his body in some hole,

Until the duke take order for his burial :
And when I have my meed, I will away;

For this will out, and here I must not stay. [Exit.