William Shakespeare - The Complete Works

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KING RICHARD THE THIRD Act 1 Scene 4 (Enter George Duke of Clarence and Sir Robert Brackenbury) l1l [Brackenbury] Why looks your grace so heavily today? l2l Clarence O I have passed a miserable night, l3l So full of fearful dreams, of ugly sights, l4l That as I am a Christian faithful man, l5l I would not spend another such a night l6l Though Ætwere to buy a world of happy days, l7l So full of dismal terror was the time. l8l [Brackenbury] What was your dream, my lord? I pray you, tell me. l9l Clarence Methoughts that I had broken from the Tower, l10l And was embarked to cross to Burgundy, l11l And in my company my brother Gloucester, l12l Who from my cabin tempted me to walk l13l Upon the hatches; there we looked toward England, l14l And cited up a thousand heavy times l15l During the wars of York and Lancaster l16l That had befallÆn us. As we paced along l17l Upon the giddy footing of the hatches, l18l Methought that Gloucester stumbled, and in falling l19l Struck meùthat sought to stay himùoverboard l20l Into the tumbling billows of the main. l21l O Lord! Methought what pain it was to drown, l22l What dreadful noise of waters in my ears, l23l What sights of ugly death within my eyes. l24l Methoughts I saw a thousand fearful wrecks, l25l Ten thousand men that fishes gnawed upon, l26l Wedges of gold, great ouches, heaps of pearl, l27l Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels, l28l All scattered in the bottom of the sea. l29l Some lay in dead menÆs skulls; and in those holes l30l Where eyes did once inhabit, there were creptù l31l As Ætwere in scorn of eyesùreflecting gems, l32l Which wooed the slimy bottom of the deep l33l And mocked the dead bones that lay scattered by. l34l [Brackenbury] Had you such leisure in the time of death, l35l To gaze upon these secrets of the deep? l36l Clarence Methought I had, and often did I strive l37l To yield the ghost, but still the envious flood l38l Stopped-in my soul and would not let it forth l39l To find the empty, vast, and wandÆring air, l40l But smothered it within my panting bulk, l41l Who almost burst to belch it in the sea. l42l [Brackenbury] Awaked you not in this sore agony? l43l Clarence No, no, my dream was lengthened after life. l44l O then began the tempest to my soul! l45l I passed, methought, the melancholy flood, l46l With that sour ferryman which poets write of, l47l Unto the kingdom of perpetual night. l48l The first that there did greet my stranger soul l49l Was my great father-in-law, renownΦd Warwick, l50l Who cried aloud, ôWhat scourge for perjury l51l Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?ö l52l And so he vanished. Then came wandÆring by l53l A shadow like an angel, with bright hair, l54l Dabbled in blood, and he shrieked out aloud, l55l ôClarence is come: false, fleeting, perjured Clarence, l56l That stabbed me in the field by Tewkesbury. l57l Seize on him, furies! Take him unto torment!ö l58l With that, methoughts a legion of foul fiends l59l Environed me, and howlΦd in mine ears l60l Such hideous cries that with the very noise l61l I trembling waked, and for a season after l62l Could not believe but that I was in hell, l63l Such terrible impression made my dream. l64l [Brackenbury] No marvel, lord, though it affrighted you; l65l I am afraid, methinks, to hear you tell it. l66l Clarence Ah, Brackenbury, I have done these things, l67l That now give evidence against my soul, l68l For EdwardÆs sake; and see how he requites me. l69l Keeper, I pray thee, sit by me awhile. l70l My soul is heavy, and I fain would sleep. l71l [Brackenbury] I will, my lord. God give your grace good rest. (Clarence sleeps) l72l Sorrow breaks seasons and reposing hours, l73l Makes the night morning and the noontide night. l74l Princes have but their titles for their glories, l75l An outward honour for an inward toil, l76l And for unfelt imaginations l77l They often feel a world of restless cares; l78l So that, between their titles and low name, l79l ThereÆs nothing differs but the outward fame. (Enter two Murderers) l80l First Murderer Ho, whoÆs here? l81l Brackenbury What wouldst thou, fellow? And how camÆst thou hither? l82l Second Murderer I would speak with Clarence, and I l83l came hither on my legs. l84l Brackenbury What, so brief? l85l First Murderer ÆTis better, sir, than to be tedious. l86l (To Second Murderer) Let him see our commission, and l87l talk no more. (Brackenbury reads) l88l Brackenbury I am in this commanded to deliver l89l The noble Duke of Clarence to your hands. l90l I will not reason what is meant hereby, l91l Because I will be guiltless of the meaning. l92l There lies the Duke asleep, and there the keys. (He throws down the keys) l93l IÆll to the King and signify to him l94l That thus I have resigned to you my charge. l95l First Murderer You may, sir; Ætis a point of wisdom. l96l Fare you well. (Exit Brackenbury) l97l Second Murderer What, shall I stab him as he sleeps? l98l First Murderer No. HeÆll say Ætwas done cowardly, when l99l he wakes. l100l Second Murderer Why, he shall never wake until the l101l great judgement day. l102l First Murderer Why, then heÆll say we stabbed him l103l sleeping. l104l Second Murderer The urging of that word ôjudgementö l105l hath bred a kind of remorse in me. l106l First Murderer What, art thou afraid? l107l Second Murderer Not to kill him, having a warrant, but l108l to be damned for killing him, from the which no l109l warrant can defend me. l110l First Murderer I thought thou hadst been resolute. l111l Second Murderer So I amùto let him live. l112l First Murderer IÆll back to the Duke of Gloucester and l113l tell him so. l114l Second Murderer Nay, I pray thee. Stay a little. I hope l115l this passionate humour of mine will change. It was l116l wont to hold me but while one tells twenty. (He counts to twenty) l117l First Murderer How dost thou feel thyself now? l118l Second Murderer Some certain dregs of conscience are l119l yet within me. l120l First Murderer Remember our reward, when the deedÆs l121l done. l122l Second Murderer ÆSwounds, he dies. I had forgot the l123l reward. l124l First Murderer WhereÆs thy conscience now? l125l Second Murderer O, in the Duke of GloucesterÆs purse. l126l First Murderer When he opens his purse to give us our l127l reward, thy conscience flies out. l128l Second Murderer ÆTis no matter. Let it go. ThereÆs few l129l or none will entertain it. l130l First Murderer What if it come to thee again? l131l Second Murderer IÆll not meddle with it. It makes a man l132l a coward. A man cannot steal but it accuseth him. A l133l man cannot swear but it checks him. A man cannot l134l lie with his neighbourÆs wife but it detects him. ÆTis a l135l blushing, shamefaced spirit, that mutinies in a manÆs l136l bosom. It fills a man full of obstacles. It made me once l137l restore a purse of gold that by chance I found. It l138l beggars any man that keeps it. It is turned out of towns l139l and cities for a dangerous thing, and every man that l140l means to live well endeavours to trust to himself and l141l live without it. l142l First Murderer ÆSwounds, Ætis even now at my elbow, l143l persuading me not to kill the Duke. l144l Second Murderer Take the devil in thy mind, and believe l145l him not: he would insinuate with thee but to make l146l thee sigh. l147l First Murderer I am strong framed; he cannot prevail l148l with me. l149l Second Murderer Spoke like a tall man that respects thy l150l reputation. Come, shall we fall to work? l151l First Murderer Take him on the costard with the hilts l152l of thy sword, and then throw him into the malmsey l153l butt in the next room. l154l Second Murderer O excellent device!ùand make a sop l155l of him. l156l First Murderer Soft, he wakes. l157l Second Murderer Strike! l158l First Murderer No, weÆll reason with him. l159l Clarence Where art thou, keeper? Give me a cup of wine. l160l Second Murderer You shall have wine enough, my lord, anon. l161l Clarence In GodÆs name, what art thou? First Murderer A man, as you are. l162l Clarence But not as I am, royal. l163l First Murderer Nor you as we are, loyal. l164l Clarence Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks are humble. l165l First Murderer My voice is now the KingÆs; my looks, mine own. l166l Clarence How darkly and how deadly dost thou speak. l167l Your eyes do menace me. Why look you pale? l168l Who sent you hither? Wherefore do you come? l169l Second Murderer To, to, toù Clarence To murder me. Both Murderers Ay, ay. l170l Clarence You scarcely have the hearts to tell me so, l171l And therefore cannot have the hearts to do it. l172l Wherein, my friends, have I offended you? l173l First Murderer Offended us you have not, but the King. l174l Clarence I shall be reconciled to him again. l175l Second Murderer Never, my lord; therefore prepare to die. l176l Clarence Are you drawn forth among a world of men l177l To slay the innocent? What is my offence? l178l Where is the evidence that doth accuse me? l179l What lawful quest have given their verdict up l180l Unto the frowning judge, or who pronounced l181l The bitter sentence of poor ClarenceÆ death? l182l Before I be convict by course of law, l183l To threaten me with death is most unlawful. l184l I charge you, as you hope to have redemption l185l By ChristÆs dear blood, shed for our grievous sins, l186l That you depart and lay no hands on me. l187l The deed you undertake is damnable. l188l First Murderer What we will do, we do upon command. l189l Second Murderer And he that hath commanded is our king. l190l Clarence Erroneous vassals, the great King of Kings l191l Hath in the table of his law commanded l192l That thou shalt do no murder. Will you then l193l Spurn at his edict, and fulfil a manÆs? l194l Take heed, for he holds vengeance in his hand l195l To hurl upon their heads that break his law. l196l Second Murderer And that same vengeance doth he hurl on thee, l197l For false forswearing, and for murder too. l198l Thou didst receive the sacrament to fight l199l In quarrel of the house of Lancaster. l200l First Murderer And, like a traitor to the name of God, l201l Didst break that vow, and with thy treacherous blade l202l UnrippedÆst the bowels of thy sovÆreignÆs son. l203l Second Murderer Whom thou wast sworn to cherish and defend. l204l First Murderer How canst thou urge GodÆs dreadful law to us, l205l When thou hast broke it in such dear degree? l206l Clarence Alas, for whose sake did I that ill deed? l207l For Edward, for my brother, for his sake. l208l He sends ye not to murder me for this, l209l For in that sin he is as deep as I. l210l If God will be avengΦd for the deed, l211l O know you yet, he doth it publicly. l212l Take not the quarrel from his powÆrful arm; l213l He needs no indirect or lawless course l214l To cut off those that have offended him. l215l First Murderer Who made thee then a bloody minister l216l When gallant springing brave Plantagenet, l217l That princely novice, was struck dead by thee? l218l Clarence My brotherÆs love, the devil, and my rage. l219l First Murderer Thy brotherÆs love, our duty, and thy faults l220l Provoke us hither now to slaughter thee. l221l Clarence If you do love my brother, hate not me. l222l I am his brother, and I love him well. l223l If you are hired for meed, go back again, l224l And I will send you to my brother Gloucester, l225l Who shall reward you better for my life l226l Than Edward will for tidings of my death. l227l Second Murderer You are deceived. Your brother Gloucester hates you. l228l Clarence O no, he loves me, and he holds me dear. l229l Go you to him from me. First Murderer Ay, so we will. l230l Clarence Tell him, when that our princely father York l231l Blessed his three sons with his victorious arm, l232l And charged us from his soul to love each other, l233l He little thought of this divided friendship. l234l Bid Gloucester think of this, and he will weep. l235l First Murderer Ay, millstones, as he lessoned us to weep. l236l Clarence O do not slander him, for he is kind. l237l First Murderer As snow in harvest. Come, you deceive yourself. l238l ÆTis he that sends us to destroy you here. l239l Clarence It cannot be, for he bewept my fortune, l240l And hugged me in his arms, and swore with sobs l241l That he would labour my delivery. l242l First Murderer Why, so he doth, when he delivers you l243l From this earthÆs thraldom to the joys of heaven. l244l Second Murderer Make peace with God, for you must die, my lord. l245l Clarence Have you that holy feeling in your souls l246l To counsel me to make my peace with God, l247l And are you yet to your own souls so blind l248l That you will war with God by murdÆring me? l249l O sirs, consider: they that set you on l250l To do this deed will hate you for the deed. l251l Second Murderer (to First) What shall we do? Clarence Relent, and save your souls. l252l First Murderer Relent? No. ÆTis cowardly and womanish. l253l Clarence Not to relent is beastly, savage, devilish.ù l254l My friend, I spy some pity in thy looks. l255l O if thine eye be not a flatterer, l256l Come thou on my side, and entreat for me. l257l A begging prince, what beggar pities not? l258l Which of you, if you were a princeÆs son, l259l Being pent from liberty as I am now, l260l If two such murderers as yourselves came to you, l261l Would not entreat for life? As you would beg l262l Were you in my distressù l263l Second Murderer Look behind you, my lord! First Murderer (stabbing Clarence) l264l Take that, and that! If all this will not serve, l265l IÆll drown you in the malmsey butt within. (Exit with Clarence's body) l266l Second Murderer A bloody deed, and desperately dispatched! l267l How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands l268l Of this most grievous, guilty murder done. (Enter First Murderer) l269l First Murderer How now? What meanÆst thou, that thou helpÆst me not? l270l By heaven, the Duke shall know how slack you have been. l271l Second Murderer I would he knew that I had saved his brother. l272l Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say, l273l For I repent me that the Duke is slain. (Exit) l274l First Murderer So do not I. Go, coward as thou art.ù l275l Well, IÆll go hide the body in some hole l276l Till that the Duke give order for his burial. l277l And, when I have my meed, I will away, l278l For this will out, and then I must not stay. (Exit)