William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (103 page)
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Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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CLARENCE
O no, he loves me, and he holds me dear.
Go you to him from me.
Go you to him from me.
FIRST MURDERER
Ay, so we will.
CLARENCE
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 Gloucester think of this, and he will weep.
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 Gloucester think of this, and he will weep.
FIRST MURDERER
Ay, millstones, as he lessoned us to weep.
CLARENCE
O do not slander him, for he is kind.
FIRST MURDERER
As snow in harvest. Come, you deceive yourself.
‘Tis he that sends us to destroy you here.
‘Tis he that sends us to destroy you here.
CLARENCE
It cannot be, for he bewept my fortune,
And hugged me in his arms, and swore with sobs
That he would labour my delivery.
And hugged 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.
From this earth’s thraldom to the joys of heaven.
SECOND MURDERER
Make 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.
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.
SECOND MURDERER (
to First
)
to First
)
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.—
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?
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? As you would beg
Were you in my distress—
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?
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? As you would beg
Were you in my distress—
SECOND MURDERER Look behind you, my lord!
FIRST MURDERER (
stabbing Clarence
)
stabbing Clarence
)
Take that, and that! If all this will not serve,
I’ll drown you in the malmsey butt within.
I’ll drown you in the malmsey butt within.
Exit with Clarence’s body
SECOND MURDERER
A bloody deed, and desperately dispatched!
How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands
Of this most grievous, guilty murder done.
How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands
Of this most grievous, guilty murder done.
Enter First Murderer
FIRST MURDERER
How now? What mean‘st thou, that thou help’st me not?
By heaven, the Duke shall know how slack you have
been.
By heaven, the Duke shall know how slack you have
been.
SECOND MURDERER
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
Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say,
For I repent me that the Duke is slain. 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. Exit
2.1Well, 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. Exit
Flourish. Enter King Edward, sick, Queen Elizabeth, Lord Marquis Dorset, Lord Rivers, Lord Hastings,
Sir William
Catesby, the Duke of Buckingham
⌈
and
Lord
Gray
⌉
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 in 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.
You peers, continue this united league.
I every day expect an embassage
From my redeemer to redeem me hence,
And more in 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.
RIVERS
By heaven, my soul is purged from grudging hate,
And with my hand I seal my true heart’s love.
And with my hand I seal my true heart’s love.
⌈
He takes Hastings’ hand
⌉
LORD HASTINGS
So thrive I, as I truly swear the like.
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.
Lest he that is the supreme King of Kings
Confound your hidden falsehood, and award
Either of you to be the other’s end.
LORD HASTINGS
So prosper I, as I swear perfect love.
RIVERS
And I, as I love Hastings with my heart.
KING EDWARD (
to Elizabeth
)
to Elizabeth
)
Madam, yourself is not exempt from this,
Nor your 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.
Nor your 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.
QUEEN ELIZABETH (
giving Hastings her hand to kiss
)
giving Hastings her hand to kiss
)
There, Hastings. I will never more remember
Our former hatred: so thrive I, and mine.
Our former hatred: so thrive I, and mine.
KING EDWARD
Dorset, embrace him. Hastings, love Lord Marquis.
DORSET
This interchange of love, I here protest,
Upon my part shall be inviolable.
Upon my part shall be inviolable.
LORD HASTINGS And so swear I.
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.
With thy embracements to my wife’s allies,
And make me happy in your unity.
BUCKINGHAM (
to Elizabeth
)
to Elizabeth
)
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 heaven,
When I am cold in love to you or yours.
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 heaven,
When I am cold in love to you or yours.
They embrace
KING EDWARD
A pleasing cordial, princely Buckingham,
Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart.
There wanteth now our brother Gloucester here,
To make the blessèd period of this peace.
Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart.
There wanteth now our brother Gloucester here,
To make the blessèd period of this peace.
Enter Sir Richard Ratcliffe and Richard Duke of
Gloucester
BUCKINGHAM And in good time,
Here comes Sir Richard Ratcliffe and the Duke.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
Good morrow to my sovereign King and Queen.—
And princely peers, a happy time of day.
And princely peers, a happy time of day.
KING EDWARD
Happy indeed, as we have spent the day.
Brother, we have done deeds of charity,
Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate,
Between these swelling wrong-incensed peers.
Brother, we have done deeds of charity,
Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate,
Between these swelling wrong-incensed peers.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
A blessed labour, my most sovereign lord.
Among this princely heap if any here,
By false intelligence or wrong surmise,
Hold me a foe,
If I unwittingly or in my rage
Have aught committed that is hardly borne
By any in this presence, I desire
To reconcile me to his friendly peace.
‘Tis death to me to be at enmity.
I hate it, and desire all good men’s love.—
First, madam, I entreat true peace of you,
Which I will purchase with my duteous service.—
Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham,
If ever any grudge were lodged between us.—
Of you, Lord Rivers, and Lord Gray of you,
That all without desert have frowned on me.—
Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen, indeed of all!
I do not know that Englishman alive
With whom my soul is any jot at odds
More than the infant that is born tonight.
I thank my God for my humility.
Among this princely heap if any here,
By false intelligence or wrong surmise,
Hold me a foe,
If I unwittingly or in my rage
Have aught committed that is hardly borne
By any in this presence, I desire
To reconcile me to his friendly peace.
‘Tis death to me to be at enmity.
I hate it, and desire all good men’s love.—
First, madam, I entreat true peace of you,
Which I will purchase with my duteous service.—
Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham,
If ever any grudge were lodged between us.—
Of you, Lord Rivers, and Lord Gray of you,
That all without desert have frowned on me.—
Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen, indeed of all!
I do not know that Englishman alive
With whom my soul is any jot at odds
More than the infant that is born tonight.
I thank my God for my humility.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
A holy day shall this be kept hereafter.
I would to God all strifes were well compounded.—
My sovereign lord, I do beseech your highness
To take our brother Clarence to your grace.
I would to God all strifes were well compounded.—
My sovereign lord, I do beseech your highness
To take our brother Clarence to your grace.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
Why, madam, have I offered love for this,
To be so flouted in this royal presence?
Who knows not that the gentle Duke is dead?
To be so flouted in this royal presence?
Who knows not that the gentle Duke is dead?
The others all start
You do him injury to scorn his corpse.
⌈RIVERS⌉
Who knows not he is dead? Who knows he is?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
All-seeing heaven, what a world is this?
BUCKINGHAM
Look I so pale, Lord Dorset, as the rest?
DORSET
Ay, my good lord, and no one in the presence
But his red colour hath forsook his cheeks.
But his red colour hath forsook his cheeks.
KING EDWARD
Is Clarence dead? The order was reversed.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
But he, poor man, by your first order died,
And that a winged Mercury did bear;
Some tardy cripple bore the countermand,
That came too lag to see him buried.
God grant that some, less noble and less loyal,
Nearer in bloody thoughts, but not in blood,
Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did,
And yet go current from suspicion.
And that a winged Mercury did bear;
Some tardy cripple bore the countermand,
That came too lag to see him buried.
God grant that some, less noble and less loyal,
Nearer in bloody thoughts, but not in blood,
Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did,
And yet go current from suspicion.
Enter Lord Stanley Earl of Derby
STANLEY (
kneeling
)
kneeling
)
A boon, my sovereign, for my service done.
KING EDWARD
I pray thee, peace! My soul is full of sorrow.
STANLEY
I will not rise, unless your highness hear me.
KING EDWARD
Then say at once, what is it thou requests?
STANLEY
The forfeit, sovereign, of my servant’s life,
Who slew today a riotous gentleman,
Lately attendant on the Duke of Norfolk.
Who slew today a riotous gentleman,
Lately attendant on the Duke of Norfolk.
KING EDWARD
Have I a tongue to doom my brother’s death,
And shall that tongue give pardon to a slave?
My brother slew no man; his fault was thought;
And yet his punishment was bitter death.
Who sued to me for him? Who in my wrath
Kneeled at my feet, and bid me be advised?
Who spoke of brotherhood? Who spoke of love?
Who told me how the poor soul did forsake
The mighty Warwick and did fight for me?
Who told me, in the field at Tewkesbury,
When Oxford had me down, he rescued me,
And said, ‘Dear brother, live, and be a king’?
Who told me, when we both lay in the field,
Frozen almost to death, how he did lap me
Even in his garments, and did give himself
All thin and naked to the numb-cold night?
All this from my remembrance brutish wrath
Sinfully plucked, and not a man of you
Had so much grace to put it in my mind.
But when your carters or your waiting vassals
Have done a drunken slaughter, and defaced
The precious image of our dear redeemer,
You straight are on your knees for ‘Pardon, pardon!’—
And I, unjustly too, must grant it you.
But, for my brother, not a man would speak,
Nor I, ungracious, speak unto myself
For him, poor soul. The proudest of you all
Have been beholden to him in his life,
Yet none of you would once beg for his life.
O God, I fear thy justice will take hold
On me—and you, and mine, and yours, for this.—
Come, Hastings, help me to my closet.
Ah, poor Clarence!
And shall that tongue give pardon to a slave?
My brother slew no man; his fault was thought;
And yet his punishment was bitter death.
Who sued to me for him? Who in my wrath
Kneeled at my feet, and bid me be advised?
Who spoke of brotherhood? Who spoke of love?
Who told me how the poor soul did forsake
The mighty Warwick and did fight for me?
Who told me, in the field at Tewkesbury,
When Oxford had me down, he rescued me,
And said, ‘Dear brother, live, and be a king’?
Who told me, when we both lay in the field,
Frozen almost to death, how he did lap me
Even in his garments, and did give himself
All thin and naked to the numb-cold night?
All this from my remembrance brutish wrath
Sinfully plucked, and not a man of you
Had so much grace to put it in my mind.
But when your carters or your waiting vassals
Have done a drunken slaughter, and defaced
The precious image of our dear redeemer,
You straight are on your knees for ‘Pardon, pardon!’—
And I, unjustly too, must grant it you.
But, for my brother, not a man would speak,
Nor I, ungracious, speak unto myself
For him, poor soul. The proudest of you all
Have been beholden to him in his life,
Yet none of you would once beg for his life.
O God, I fear thy justice will take hold
On me—and you, and mine, and yours, for this.—
Come, Hastings, help me to my closet.
Ah, poor Clarence!
Exeunt some with King and
Queen
Queen
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
This is the fruits of rashness. Marked you not
How that the guilty kindred of the Queen
Looked pale, when they did hear of Clarence’ death?
O, they did urge it still unto the King.
God will revenge it. Come, lords, will you go
To comfort Edward with our company?
How that the guilty kindred of the Queen
Looked pale, when they did hear of Clarence’ death?
O, they did urge it still unto the King.
God will revenge it. Come, lords, will you go
To comfort Edward with our company?
BUCKINGHAM We wait upon your grace.
Exeunt
2.2Exeunt
Enter the old Duchess of York with the two children of Clarence
BOY
Good grannam, tell us, is our father dead?
DUCHESS OF YORK No, boy.
GIRL
Why do you weep so oft, and beat your breast,
And cry, ‛O Clarence, my unhappy son’?
And cry, ‛O Clarence, my unhappy son’?
BOY
Why do you look on us and shake your head,
And call us orphans, wretches, castaways,
If that our noble father were alive?
And call us orphans, wretches, castaways,
If that our noble father were alive?
DUCHESS OF YORK
My pretty cousins, you mistake me both.
I do lament the sickness of the King,
As loath to lose him, not your father’s death.
It were lost sorrow to wail one that’s lost.
I do lament the sickness of the King,
As loath to lose him, not your father’s death.
It were lost sorrow to wail one that’s lost.
BOY
Then you conclude, my grannam, he is dead.
The King mine uncle is to blame for this.
God will revenge it—whom I will importune
With earnest prayers, all to that effect.
The King mine uncle is to blame for this.
God will revenge it—whom I will importune
With earnest prayers, all to that effect.
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