CLARENCE.
I shall be reconcil'd to him again.
I shall be reconciled with him.
SECOND MURDERER.
Never, my lord; therefore prepare to die.
Never, my lord; and so 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.
Have you been chosen from the world of men
to slay the innocent? What have I done wrong?
Where is the evidence against me?
What jury has handed its evidence up
to the frowning judge, and who pronounced
the bitter sentence of death on poor Clarence?
Unless I am convicted by the courts of law
then it is most unlawful to threaten me with death.
I order you, if you hope to be saved
by the dear blood of Christ shed for our grievous sins,
that you leave and do not lay your hands on me.
The thing you are doing is damnable.
FIRST MURDERER.
What we will do, we do upon command.
What we are doing is obeying orders.
SECOND MURDERER.
And he that hath commanded is our
King.
And the orders were given by our king.
CLARENCE.
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 hand
To hurl upon their heads that break his law.
Wrongheaded peasants! The great King of Kings
ordered in the commandments that
you shall not murder. Are you then going to
ignore his instructions and follow those of a man?
Be careful; for he has vengeance prepared
to throw down upon those who break his laws.
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.
The same vengeance he throws down on you
for perjuring yourself, and for murder too;
you took an oath to fight
against 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 sov'reign's son.
And like a traitor to the name of God
you broke your promise; and with your treacherous sword
you tore open the stomach of your king's son.
SECOND MURDERER.
Whom thou wast sworn to cherish and
defend.
Whom you had sworn to love and defend.
FIRST MURDERER.
How canst thou urge God's dreadful law
to us,
When thou hast broke it in such dear degree?
How can you tell us to obey the great laws of God,
when you have broken them so badly?
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 pow'rful arm;
He needs no indirect or lawless course
To cut off those that have offended Him.
Alas! For whom did I commit that foul deed?
For Edward, my brother, for his sake.
He has not sent you to murder me for this,
for he is as guilty of that sin as I am.
If God wants to be avenged for the deed,
you know that he will do it in public.
Do not steal his revenge from him;
he does not need secret or illegal assistance
to punish those who 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?
So who made you a bloody Minister of his
when the bravely charging Plantagenet,
that novice Prince, was struck dead by you?
CLARENCE.
My brother's love, the devil, and my rage.
My brother's love, the devil, and my anger.
FIRST MURDERER.
Thy brother's love, our duty, and thy
faults,
Provoke us hither now to slaughter thee.
Your brother's love, our duty, and your sins,
have driven us to come here now to kill you.
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.
If you love my brother, do not take me;
I am his brother, and I love him very much.
If you are hired for reward, go back,
and I will send you to my brother Gloucester,
who will give you a better reward for leaving me alive
than Edward will for news of my death.
SECOND MURDERER.
You are deceiv'd: your brother Gloucester
hates you.
You are wrong: your brother Gloucester hates you.
CLARENCE.
O, no, he loves me, and he holds me dear.
Go you to him from me.
Oh no, he loves me, I am special to him.
Go to him from me.
FIRST MURDERER.
Ay, so we will.
Yes, we shall.
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 Gloucester think of this, and he will weep.
Tell him that when our royal father York
blessed his three sons with his victorious arm
and ordered us from the heart to love one another,
he had not considered how we might be parted.
Ask Gloucester to consider this, and he will weep.
FIRST MURDERER.
Ay, millstones; as he lesson'd us to weep.
Yes, millstones; that's what he taught us to weep.
CLARENCE.
O, do not slander him, for he is kind.
Do not tell lies about him, he is kind.
FIRST MURDERER.
Right, as snow in harvest. Come, you
deceive yourself:
'Tis he that sends us to destroy you here.
As kind as snow at harvest time. Come, you
are deceiving yourself: it's he who sends us here to destroy you.
CLARENCE.
It cannot be; for he bewe
pt my fortune
And hugg'd me in his arms, and swore with sobs
That he would labour my delivery.
That cannot be; he wept at my fate
and embraced me, and he swore, sobbing,
that he would work for my freedom.
FIRST MURDERER.
Why, so he doth, when he delivers you
From this earth's thraldom to the joys of heaven.
Why, he does, he plans to send you
from the troubles of earth to the joys of heaven.
SECOND MURDERER.
Make peace with God, for you must die,
my lord.
Make your 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 murd'ring me?
O, sirs, consider: they that set you on
To do this deed will hate you for the deed.
Are you holy enough in your souls
to advise me to make my peace with God,
and yet so unconcerned about your own souls
that you will go to war with God by murdering me?
Think about it, sirs: those who asked you to commit
this deed will hate you for it.
SECOND MURDERER.
What shall we do?
What shall we do?
CLARENCE.
Relent, and save your souls.
Refuse, and save your souls.
FIRST MURDERER.
Relent! No, 'tis cowardly and womanish.
Refuse! No, that is cowardly and effeminate.
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?
If you don't refuse you are beastly, savage, devilish.
If you were the son of a prince, which of you,
being penned up here as I am now,
would not beg for life,
if two murderers like yourselves came to you?
My friend, I see some pity in your face;
if your looks are not deceiving,
join my side and beg for me,
as you would beg if you were in my place.
What beggar does not pity a begging prince?
SECOND MURDERER.
Look behind you, my lord.
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-butt within.
Exit with the body
Take that, and that. If this hasn't done the job,
I'll drown you in the barrel of malmsey in there.
SECOND MURDERER.
A bloody deed, and desperately
dispatch'd!
How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands
Of this most grievous murder!
A bloody deed, horribly done!
How I would like to be like Pilate and wash my hands
of this horrible 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!
What's this, what do you think you're doing, not helping me?
By heaven, 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.
I wish he could know that I had saved his brother!
You take the reward, and tell him what I say;
for I am sorry that the duke has been killed.
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.
I don't. Go, you coward.
Well, I'll go and hide the body in some hole,
until the Duke gives orders for him to be buried;
and when I have my reward, I shall disappear;
this matter will come out, and I mustn't be around when it does.
Exit
London. The palace
Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD 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.
Hastings and Rivers, take each other's hand;
Dissemble not your hatred, swear your love.
Well, there we are. Now I have done a good day's work.
You peers, maintain this unity.
I am expecting any day now to have a visitor
from my Saviour to take me from here;
and my soul shall leave for heaven with an easier mind,
having made peace between my friends on earth.
Hastings and Rivers, take each other's hands;
ignore your hatred: swear to your love for each other.
RIVERS.
By heaven, my soul is purg'd from grudging hate;
And with my hand I seal my true heart's love.
By heaven, there is no hate left in my soul;
and I give my hand as a sign of the true love of my heart.
HASTINGS.
So thrive I, as I truly swear the like!
I feel the same, and I swear the same truly!
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.
Make sure you really mean this;
otherwise the supreme King of Kings
might discover your hidden deceit and make
one of you be the death of the other.
HASTINGS.
So prosper I, as I swear perfect love!
All is well, I swear to my perfect love!
RIVERS.
And I, as I love Hastings with my heart!
As do I, as I love Hastings with all 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 him kiss your hand;
And what you do, do it unfeignedly.
Madam, you are not exempt from this;
nor you, my son Dorset; nor you, Buckingham;
you have all formed parties against each other.
Wife, show love to Lord Hastings, let him kiss your hand;
and do this genuinely.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
There, Hastings; I will never more
remember
Our former hatred, so thrive I and mine!
There, Hastings; I will now forget
our former hatred, for as long as me and mine prosper!
KING EDWARD.
Dorset, embrace him; Hastings, love Lord
Marquis.
Dorset, embrace him; Hastings, love Lord Marquis.
DORSET.
This interchange of love, I here protest,
Upon my part shall be inviolable.
I swear here that this exchange of love,
for my part, cannot be broken.
HASTINGS.
And so swear I.
And I swear the same.
[They embrace]
KING EDWARD.
Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this
league
With thy embracements to my wife's allies,
And make me happy in your unity.
Now, princely Buckingham, confirm this alliance
by embracing my wife's confederates,
and make me happy with your unity.
BUCKINGHAM.
[To the QUEEN]Whenever Buckingham
doth turn his hate
Upon your Grace, but with all duteous love
Doth cherish you and yours, God punish me
With hate in those where I expect most love!
When I have most need to employ a friend
And most assured that he is a friend,
Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile,
Be he unto me! This do I beg of God
When I am cold in love to you or yours.
If Buckingham ever turns his hate
upon your Grace, if he does not cherish you
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 43