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London. The Tower.
[Enter CLARENCE and BRAKENBURY]
BRAKENBURY
, ,
, , ,
Why looks | your grace | so heav|ily | today.
CLARENCE
, ,
, , ,
O, I | have passed | a mis|era|ble night,
,
, ,
, ,
So full | of fear|ful dreams,| of ug|ly sights,
, ,
, , ,
That as | I am | a Chris|tian faith|ful man,
, , , ,
,
I would | not spend | anoth|er such | a night
,
, ,
, ,
Though 'twere | to buy | a world | of hap|py
days:
, ,
, ,
,
So full | of dis|mal ter|ror was | the time.
BRAKENBURY
, 2 ,
, ,
,
What was your | dream my | Lord, I | pray you |
tell me.
CLARENCE
, ,
, ,
x
Methoughts | that I | had brok|en from | the
Tower,
, ,
, ,
,
And was | embarked | to cross | to Burg|undy,
, 2 ,
, ,
,
And in my | compa|ny my | brother | Gloucester,
, 2
, , ,
,
Who from my | cabin,| tempted | me to | walk,
<- ,
, , ,
,
U||pon the | hatches:| there we | looked
toward | England,
, , ,
, ,
And cit|ed up | a thous|and hea|vy times,
,
, ,
, ,
During | the wars | of York | and Lan|caster
, x ,
, ,
That had | befallen | us. As | we paced | along
x ,
, ,
,
Upon the | giddy | footing | of the | hatches,
, ,
, ,
, ->
Methought | that Glouce|ster stum|bled, and | in
fal||ling
, 2
, , , ,
Struck | me (that thought | to stay | him)
ov|erboard,
, ,
, , ,
Into | the tum|bling bil|lows of | the main.
,
, ,
, ,
O Lord,| methought | what pain | it was | to
drown,
,
, ,
, ,
What dread|ful noise | of wat|er in | mine^ears,
,
, ,
, ,
What sights | of ug|ly death | within |
mine^eyes.
,
, ,
, ,
Methoughts,| I saw | a thous|and fear|ful wracks:
, ,
, ,
,
A thous|and men | that fish|es gnawed | upon:
, 2
T T T ,
,
Wedges of | gold, great anch|ors, heaps | of
pearl,
, , ,
, x
Inest|ima|ble stones,| unval|ued jewels,
,
, ,
, ,
All scat|tered in | the bot|tom of | the sea,
, 2
T T T ,
,
Some lay^in | dead men's skulls,| and in | the
holes
, ,
, ,
,
Where eyes | did once | inhab|it, there | were crept
, ,
, ,
,
(As 'twere | in scorn | of eyes)| reflect|ing
gems,
, ,
, ,
,
That wooed | the sli|my bot|tom of | the deep,
,
, ,
, ,
And mocked | the dead | bones that | lay*
scat|tered by.
BRAKENBURY
,
, , ,
,
Had you | such leis/ure in | the time | of death
, ,
, ,
,
To gaze | upon | the sec|rets of | the deep?
CLARENCE
, ,
, ,
,
Methought | I had,| and of|ten did | I strive
, ,
, , 2
,
To yield | the ghost:| but still | the env|ious
flood
,
, , ,
,
Stopped in | my soul,| and would | not let | it
forth
,
, ,
, 2 ,
To find | the emp|ty, vast,| and wand|ering air;
, ,
, , ,
But smoth|ered it | within | my pant|ing bulk,
,
, , ,
,
Who al|most burst,| to belch | it in | the sea.
BRAKENBURY
,
, , , ,
Awaked | you not | in this / sore ag|ony?
CLARENCE
, ,
, , ,
No no,| my dream | was length|ened aft|er life.
,
, ,
, ,
Oh then,| began | the temp|est to | my soul,
, ,
, , ,
I passed |(methought)| the mel|ancho|ly flood,
2 , , , ,
,
With that sour | ferry|man which | poets | write
of,
, ,
, , 2
,
Unto | the king|dom of | perpe|tual night.
,
, , , ,
The first | that there | did greet | my strang|er soul,
, ,
2 , ,
,
Was my / great fath|er-in-law,| renowned |
Warwick,
, ,
, , ,
Who spake | aloud:| what scourge | for per|jury,
2 ,
, , ,
,
Can this dark | monar|chy af/ford false |
Clarence?
, , ,
, 2 ,
And so | he van|ished. Then | came* wand|ering by,
, ,
, , ,
A shad|ow like | an ang|el, with / bright hair
,
, ,
, ,
Dabbled | in blood,| and he / shrieked out |
aloud
, 2
T T T
, ,
->
Clarence is | come, false, fleet|ing, per|jured
Clar||ence,
, ,
2 , , ,
That / stabbed me | in the field | by Tewks|bury:
, 2
, ,
, ,
Seize on him | Furies,| take him | unto |
torment.
,
, ,
, ,
With that |(methought)| a leg|ion of / foul
fiends
, , , ,
,
Envir|oned me,| and howl|ed in | mine ears
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Such hid|eous cries,| that with | the ve|ry noise,
, , ,
2 , ,
I trem|bling waked,| and for a | season | after,
,
, , ,
,
Could not | believe,| but that | I was | in hell,
, ,
, ,
,
Such ter|rible | impres|sion made | the dream.
BRAKENBURY
, ,
, ,
,
No marv|el lord,| though it | affright|ed you,
,
, ,
, x
I am | afraid |(methinks)| to hear | you tell it.
CLARENCE
, , , , ,
Ah keep|er, keep|er, I | have done | these things
, , ,
, ,
(That now | give ev|idence | against | my soul)
, ,
, , 2 ,
For Ed|ward's sake,| and see | how he re|quites
me.
,
, x , 2
,
O God!| if my / deep prayers | cannot ap|pease
thee,
, ,
, ,
,
But thou | wilt be | avenged | on my | misdeeds,
, , ,
, ,
Yet^ex|ecute | thy wrath | in me | alone:
, ,
, 2 ,
,
O spare | my guilt|less wife,| and my poor |
children.
, ,
, ,
,
Keeper,| I prith|ee sit | by me | awhile,
,
, , , ,
My soul | is hea|vy, and | I fain | would sleep.
BRAKENBURY
, ,
, , ,
I will | my lord,| God give | your grace | good^rest.
,
, ,
, ,
Sorrow | breaks seas/ons, and | repos|ing hours,
T . T T
, , ,
Makes the night morn|ing, and the // noon-tide
night:
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Princes have | but their | titles | for their |
glories,
,
, ,
, ,
An out|ward hon|or, for | an in|ward toil,
, ,
,
, ,
And for | unfelt | imag|ina|tions
,
, ,
, ,
They of|ten feel | a world | of rest|less cares:
,
, ,
, ,
So that | between | their tit|les, and / low
name,
, , ,
, ,
There's^noth|ing dif|fers, but | the out|ward
fame.
[Enter the two Murderers]
FIRST MURDERER
Ho, who's here?
BRAKENBURY
What wouldst thou fellow? And how camst thou hither?
FIRST MURDERER
I would speak with Clarence, and I came hither on my legs.
BRAKENBURY
What so brief?
SECOND MURDERER
, ,
, , ,
Tis bet|ter (sir)| than to | be ted|ious:
, ,
2 ,
. T T T
Let him | see our com|mission,| and talk no
more.
[BRAKENBURY reads it]
BRAKENBURY
,
, ,
, , 2->
I am | in this,| command|ed to | deliv||er
, ,
, ,
,
The nob|le Duke | of Clar|ence to | your hands.
,
, ,
, ,
I will | not reas|on what | is meant | hereby,
, , 2
, ,
,
Because | I will be | guiltless | of the |
meaning.
T T . T , ,
,
There lies the Duke | asleep,| and there | the
keys.
,
, ,
, ,
I'll to | the king,| and sig|nify | to him,
, ,
, ,
,
That thus | I have | resigned | to you | my charge.
FIRST MURDERER
You may sir, it is a point of wisdom: fare you well.
[Exit BRAKENBURY]
SECOND MURDERER
What, shall we stab him as he sleeps.
FIRST MURDERER
No: then he will say 'twas done cowardly, when he wakes.
SECOND MURDERER
Why he shall never wake, till the judgment-day.
FIRST MURDERER
Why then he will say, we stabbed 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 damned for killing him, from
the which
No warrant can defend us.
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 passionate humor of mine, will
change,
It was wont to hold me but while one would tell twenty.
FIRST MURDERER
How dost thou feel thyself now?
SECOND MURDERER
Some certain dregs of conscience are yet within me.
FIRST MURDERER
Remember our reward, when the deed's done.
SECOND MURDERER
Come, 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
So 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 a coward: a man cannot steal, but it
accuseth him: he cannot swear, but it checks him: a man cannot lie with his
neighbor's wife, but it detects him. 'Tis a blushing shamefaced 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 turned out of all towns and cities for a dangerous thing,
and every man that means to live well, endeavors to trust to himself, and to
live without it.
FIRST MURDERER
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 thee sigh.
FIRST MURDERER
I am strong-framed, he cannot prevail with me.
SECOND MURDERER
Spoke like a tail 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 throw him
into the malmsey-butt 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
, ,
, 2 ,
,
Where art | thou keep|er? Give | me a cup | of
wine.
SECOND MURDERER
,
, , ,
,
You shall | have wine | enough | my lord | anon.
CLARENCE
, ,
, 2
In God's | name, what | art thou?
SECOND MURDERER
, ,
A | man, as | you are.
CLARENCE
, ,
, o
But not | as I | am roy|al.
SECOND MURDERER
,
, ,
o
Nor you | as we | are, loy|al.
(tetra with prev)
CLARENCE
, ,
, ,
, 2->
Thy voice | is thund|er, but | thy looks | are
hum||ble.
SECOND MURDERER
, ,
, ,
,
My voice | is now | the king's,| my looks |
mine^own.
CLARENCE
, ,
, , ,
How dark|ly, and | how dead|ly dost | thou speak?
, ,
, ,
,
Your eyes | do men|ace me:| why look | you pale?
, ,
, ,
,
Who sent | you hith|er? Where|fore do | you come?
BOTH
T T T
To, to, to--
CLARENCE
, ,
To murd|er me?
BOTH
,
Aye,^aye.
CLARENCE
, ,
, ,
,
You scarce|ly have | the hearts | to tell | me
so,
, ,
, ,
x
And there|fore can|not have | the hearts | to do it.
, ,
, ,
,
Wherein | my friends | have I | offend|ed you?
FIRST MURDERER
,
, , ,
,
Offend|ed us | you have / not, but | the king.
CLARENCE
, ,
, ,
,
I shall | be rec|onciled | to him | again.
SECOND MURDERER
, ,
, ,
,
Never | my lord,| therefore | prepare | to die.
CLARENCE
, ,
, , ,
Are you / drawn forth | from out | a world | of men
, ,
, , 2 ,
To slay | the in|nocent?| What is my | offense?
, 2
, ,
, ,
Where are the | evi|dence that | do ac|cuse me?
, ,
x , ,
What law|ful quest | have given | their ver|dict
up
,
, ,
, ,
Unto | the frown|ing judge?| Or who | pronounced
,
, , ,
,
The bit|ter sent|ence of / poor Clar|ence' death,
, ,
, ,
,
Before | I be | convict | by course | of law?
x
, , ,
,
To threaten | me with | death, is | most
un|lawful.
, ,
2 , ,
,
I charge | you, as you | hope for | any | goodness,
, ,
, ,
,
That you | depart,| and lay | no hands | on me:
,
, ,
, ,
The deed | you und|ertake | is damn|able.
FIRST MURDERER
, ,
, ,
,
What we | will do,| we do | upon | command.
SECOND MURDERER
, ,
, ,
,
And he | that hath | command|ed, is | our king.
CLARENCE
, 2
, , ,
,
Erro|neous vas|sals, the / great King | of kings
, 2
, ,
, ,
Hath in the | tables | of his | law com|manded
, ,
, ,
,
That thou | shalt do | no murd|er. Will | you
then
,
, ,
, ,
Spurn at | his ed|ict, and | fulfill | a man's?
, , , ,
,
Take^heed:| for he / holds venge|ance in | his
hand,
, ,
, ,
,
To hurl | upon | their heads | that break | his
law.
SECOND MURDERER
, ,
, ,
,
And that / same venge|ance doth | he hurl | on thee,
, ,
, ,
,
For false | forswear|ing, and | for murd|er too:
, ,
, , ,
, ->
Thou didst | receive | the ho|ly sa|crament,|| to
fight
x 2
, ,
,
In quarrel | of the house | of
Lan|caster.
FIRST MURDERER
, ,
, ,
,
And like | a trait|or to | the name | of God,
,
, , ,
2 ,
Didst break | that vow,| and with | thy treach|erous blade,
, ,
, , ,
Unripst | the bow|els of | thy sove|reign's son.
SECOND MURDERER
, ,
, ,
,
Whom thou | wast sworn | to cher|ish and |
defend.
FIRST MURDERER
, ,
, ,
,
How canst | thou urge | God's^dread|ful law | to
us,
, ,
, , ,
When thou | hast broke | it in / so dear |
degree?
CLARENCE
, ,
, , ,
Alas!| For whose^/sake did | I that / ill deed?
,
, , ,
,
For Ed|ward, for | my broth|er, for / his sake.
,
, , ,
,
He sends | ye not | to murd|er me | for this:
,
, , ,
,
For in | this sin | he is | as deep | as I.
, , ,
, ,
If God | will be | aveng|ed for | the deed,
, ,
, ,
,
O know | you yet,| he doth | it pub|licly,
T T . T
, x
,
Take not the quar|rel from | his power|ful arm:
,
, , ,
,
He needs | no in|direct,| or law|less course,
, ,
, ,
,
To cut | off those | that have | offend|ed him.
FIRST MURDERER
, ,
, , ,
Who made | thee then | a bloo|dy min|ister,
, ,
, , ,
When gal|lant-spring|ing brave | Plantag|enet,
,
, , ,
,
That prince|ly no|vice was / struck dead | by
thee?
CLARENCE
, ,
, ,
,
My broth|er's love,| the dev|il, and | my rage.
FIRST MURDERER
, ,
, , ,
Thy broth|er's love,| our du|ty, and | thy
faults,
, ,
, ,
,
Provoke | us hith|er now,| to slaught|er thee.
CLARENCE
, ,
, , ,
If you | do love | my broth|er, hate | not me:
,
, ,
, ,
I am | his broth|er, and | I love | him well.
, , ,
, ,
If you | be hired | for meed,| go back | again,
, ,
, 2 ,
,
And I | will send | you to my | brother |
Gloucester:
,
, ,
, ,
Who shall | reward | you bet|ter for | my life,
,
, ,
, ,
Than Ed|ward will | for tid|ings of | my death.
SECOND MURDERER
, 2
,
You are de|ceived,
, ,
,
Your | brother | Gloucester |
hates you.
CLARENCE
,
, ,
, ,
Oh no,| he loves | me, and | he holds | me dear:
, ,
,
Go you | to him | from me.
BOTH
, ,
Aye so | we will.
CLARENCE
,
, ,
, ,
Tell him,| when that | our prince|ly fath|er York,
,
, , ,
2 ,
Blessed his | three sons / with his | victor|ious
arm,
,
, 2 ,
, ,
And charged | us from his | soul to | love each |
other,
x ,
, , ,
He little | thought of | this di|vided |
friendship:
, ,
, ,
,
Bid Glouce|ster think | of this,| and he | will
weep.
FIRST MURDERER
T T T 2 ,
, ,
Aye millstones,| as he les|soned us | to weep.
CLARENCE
,
, ,
, ,
O do | not sland|er him,| for he | is kind.
FIRST MURDERER
,
, ,
Right, as | snow in | harvest:
,
, ,
Come, you | deceive | yourself: (tri with prev)
, , , ,
,
'Tis he | that sends | us to | destroy | you
here.
CLARENCE
, , ,
, ,
->
It can|not be,| for he | bewept | my for||tune,
, ,
2 , , ,
And | hugged me | in his arms,| and swore | with
sobs,
, ,
, , ,
That he | would lab|or my | deliv|ery.
SECOND MURDERER
,
, , ,
,
Why so | he doth,| when he | deliv|ers you
,
, ,
, x
From this | earth's thral/dom, to | the joys | of
heaven.
FIRST MURDERER
, ,
, ,
,
Make^peace | with God,| for you | must die | my lord.
CLARENCE
,
, ,
, ,
Have you | that ho|ly feel|ing in | your souls,
,
, ,
, ,
To couns|el me | to make | my peace | with God,
,
, , ,
,
And are | you yet | to your / own souls | so
blind,
, ,
, ,
2 ,
That you | will war | with God,| by murd|ering
me.
,
, , ,
,
O sirs | consid|er, he | 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:
,
, ,
, ,
Which of | you, if | you were | a prin|ce's son,
2 ,
, , ,
,
Being pent | from lib|erty,| as I | am now,
,
, 2 , ,
, 2
If two | such^murd|erers as | yourselves | came
to you,
, ,
, ,
,
Would not | entreat | for life,| as you | would
beg
,
, ,
Were you | in my | distress. \\
FIRST MURDERER
, ,
x ,
,
Relent?| No: 'tis | cowardly | and wom|anish.
CLARENCE
, 2
, ,
, x
Not to re|lent, is | beastly,| savage,| devilish:
,
, , ,
,
My friend,| I spy | some pi|ty in | thy looks:
, ,
, , ,
O, if | thine^eye | be not | a flat|terer,
,
, ,
, ,
Come thou | on my | side, and | entreat | for me,
, ,
, , ,
A beg|ging prince,| what beg|gar pi|ties not.
SECOND MURDERER
,
, ,
Look be|hind you,| my lord. \\
FIRST MURDERER
T T . T , ,
,
Take that, and that:| if all | this will | not
do,
,
, , ,
,
I'll drown | you in | the malm|sey-butt | within.
[Exit, with the body]
SECOND MURDERER
, ,
, 2 ,
,
A bloo|dy deed,| and des|perately | dispatched:
, ,
, ,
,
How fain (like Pil|ate) would | I wash | my hands
, ,
,
Of this / most griev|ous murd|er.
\\
[Enter FIRST MURDERER]
FIRST MURDERER
How now? What meanst thou that thou helpst me not? By heaven the duke shall
know how slack you have been.
SECOND MURDERER
, ,
, ,
, ->
I would | he knew | that I | had saved | his
broth||er,
,
2 , , ,
,
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 cow|ard as | thou art.
,
, ,
, ,
Well, I'll | go hide | the bo|dy in / some hole,
, ,
, ,
, 2 ->
Until | the duke | give^ord|er for | his
bu||rial:
,
2 , ,
, ,
And | when I have | my meed,| I will | away,
, ,
, ,
,
For this | will out,| and then | I must | not
stay.
[Exeunt]