The Illustrated Works of Shakespeare/Illustrated Works of Shakespeare, The (1990)(Animated Pixels)[!][CDTV-PC].iso/shakes/text/03/01_04

Text File | 1991-04-10 | 14KB | 389 lines

London. A Room in the Tower.
 Enter CLARENCE and KEEPER.

Keeper    Why looks your grace so heavily today?

Clarence    O, I have passed a miserable night,
    So full of fearful dreams, of ugly sights,
    That, as I am a Christian faithful man,
    I would not spend another such a night
    Though 'twere to buy a world of happy days,
    So full of dismal terror was the time.

Keeper    What was your dream, my lord? I pray you tell me.

Clarence    Methoughts that I had broken from the Tower,
    And was embarked to cross to Burgundy,
    And in my company my brother Gloucester,
    Who from my cabin tempted me to walk
    Upon the hatches. Thence we looked toward England,
    And cited up a thousand heavy times
    During the wars of York and Lancaster
    That had befall'n us. As we paced along
    Upon the giddy footing of the hatches,
    Methought that Gloucester stumbled, and in falling
    Struck me, that thought to stay him, overboard
    Into the tumbling billows of the main.
    O Lord, methought what pain it was to drown,
    What dreadful noise of waters in my ears,
    What sights of ugly death within my eyes.
    Methoughts I saw a thousand fearful wrecks,
    Ten thousand men that fishes gnawed upon,
    Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl,
    Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels,
    All scattered in the bottom of the sea.
    Some lay in dead men's skulls, and in the holes
    Where eyes did once inhabit there were crept,
    As 'twere in scorn of eyes, reflecting gems
    That wooed the slimy bottom of the deep,
    And mocked the dead bones that lay scattered by.

Keeper    Had you such leisure in the time of death
    To gaze upon these secrets of the deep?

Clarence    Methought I had; and often did I strive
    To yield the ghost; but still the envious flood
    Stopped-in my soul, and would not let it forth
    To find the empty, vast, and wand'ring air,
    But smothered it within my panting bulk,
    Who almost burst to belch it in the sea.

Keeper    Awaked you not in this sore agony?

Clarence    No, no; my dream was lengthened after life.
    O, then began the tempest to my soul!
    I passed, methought, the melancholy flood,
    With that sour ferryman which poets write of,
    Unto the kingdom of perpetual night.
    The first that there did greet my stranger-soul
    Was my great father-in-law, renownd Warwick,
    Who spake aloud "What scourge for perjury
    Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?"
    And so he vanished. Then came wand'ring by
    A shadow like an angel, with bright hair
    Dabbled in blood, and he shrieked out aloud
    "Clarence is come. False, fleeting, perjured Clarence,
    That stabbed me in the field by Tewkesbury.
    Seize on him, Furies; take him unto torment."
    With that, methoughts, a legion of foul fiends
    Environed me, and howld in mine ears
    Such hideous cries that with the very noise
    I trembling waked, and for a season after
    Could not believe but that I was in hell,
    Such terrible impression made my dream.

Keeper    No marvel, lord, though it affrighted you;
    I am afraid, methinks, to hear you tell it.

Clarence    Ah, Keeper, Keeper, I have done these things,
    That now give evidence against my soul,
    For Edward's sake; and see how he requites me.
    O God, if my deep prayers cannot appease Thee,
    But Thou wilt be avenged on my misdeeds,
    Yet execute Thy wrath in me alone:
    O, spare my guiltless wife and my poor children.
    Keeper, I prithee sit by me awhile;
    My soul is heavy, and I fain would sleep.

Keeper    I will, my lord. God give your grace good rest.
                                                        [CLARENCE sleeps.

                    Enter BRAKENBURY, the Lieutenant.

Brakenbury    Sorrow breaks seasons and reposing hours,
    Makes the night morning, and the noontide night.
    Princes have but their titles for their glories,
    An outward honour for an inward toil;
    And for unfelt imaginations
    They often feel a world of restless cares,
    So that between their titles and low name
    There's nothing differs but the outward fame.

                           Enter two MURDERERS.

1st Murderer    Ho, who's here?

Brakenbury    What wouldst thou, fellow? And how cam'st thou hither?

2nd Murderer    I would speak with Clarence, and I came hither on my legs.

Brakenbury    What, so brief?

1st Murderer    'Tis better, sir, than to be tedious.
    [To 2nd MURDERER.] Let him see our commission, and talk no
    more.
                                                        [BRAKENBURY reads.
Brakenbury    I am in this commanded to deliver
    The noble Duke of Clarence to your hands.
    I will not reason what is meant hereby,
    Because I will be guiltless from the meaning.
    There lies the duke asleep, and there the keys.
    I'll to the king, and signify to him
    That thus I have resigned to you my charge.

1st Murderer    You may, sir; 'tis a point of wisdom. Fare you well.
                                   [Exit BRAKENBURY with the KEEPER.

2nd Murderer    What, shall I stab him as he sleeps?

1st Murderer    No; he'll say 'twas done cowardly, when he wakes.

2nd Murderer    Why, he shall never wake until the great Judgement Day.

1st Murderer    Why, then he'll say we stabbed him sleeping.

2nd Murderer    The urging of that word 'judgement' hath bred a kind of
    remorse in me.

1st Murderer    What, art thou afraid?

2nd Murderer    Not to kill him, having a warrant, but to be damned for
    killing him, from the which no warrant can defend me.

1st Murderer    I thought thou hadst been resolute.

2nd Murderer    So I am - to let him live.

1st Murderer    I'll back to the Duke of Gloucester, and tell him so.

2nd Murderer    Nay, I prithee stay a little: I hope this passionate
    humour of mine will change. It was wont to hold me but
    while one tells twenty.

1st Murderer    How dost thou feel thyself now?

2nd Murderer    Some certain dregs of conscience are yet within me.

1st Murderer    Remember our reward when the deed's done.

2nd Murderer    'Zounds, he dies! I had forgot the reward.

1st Murderer    Where's thy conscience now?

2nd Murderer    O, in the Duke of Gloucester's purse.

1st Murderer    When he opens his purse to give us our reward, thy
    conscience flies out.

2nd Murderer    'Tis no matter; let it go. There's few or none will
    entertain it.

1st Murderer    What if it come to thee again?

2nd Murderer    I'll not meddle with it; it makes a man a coward. A man
    cannot steal but it accuseth him; a man cannot swear but
    it checks him; a man cannot lie with his neighbour'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 towns and cities for a dangerous thing; and
    every man that means to live well endeavours to trust to
    himself, and live without it.

1st Murderer    'Zounds, 'tis even now at my elbow, persuading me not to
    kill the duke.

2nd Murderer    Take the devil in thy mind, and believe him not. He would
    insinuate with thee but to make thee sigh.

1st Murderer    I am strong-framed; he cannot prevail with me.

2nd Murderer    Spoke like a tall man that respects thy reputation. Come,
    shall we fall to work?

1st Murderer    Take him on the costard with the hilts of thy sword, and
    then throw him into the malmsey-butt in the next room.

2nd Murderer    Oh excellent device! - and make a sop of him.

1st Murderer    Soft, he wakes.

2nd Murderer    Strike!

1st Murderer    No, we'll reason with him.

Clarence    Where art thou, Keeper? Give me a cup of wine.

2nd Murderer    You shall have wine enough, my lord, anon.

Clarence    In God's name, what art thou?

2nd Murderer    A man, as you are.

Clarence    But not as I am, royal.

1st Murderer    Nor you as we are, loyal.

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

1st Murderer    My voice is now the king's, my looks mine own.

Clarence    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?

1st & 2nd
Murderers    To-to-to-

Clarence                            To murder me?

1st & 2nd
Murderers                                        Ay, ay.

Clarence    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?

1st Murderer    Offended us you have not, but the king.

Clarence    I shall be reconciled to him again.

2nd Murderer    Never, my lord; therefore 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 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.

1st Murderer    What we will do, we do upon command.

2nd Murderer    And he that hath commanded is our king.

Clarence    Erroneous vassals! The great King of kings
    Hath in the table 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.

2nd 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.

1st Murderer    And like a traitor to the name of God
    Didst break that vow, and with thy treacherous blade
    Unripped'st the bowels of thy sovereign's son.

2nd Murderer    Whom thou wast sworn to cherish and defend.

1st Murderer    How canst thou urge God's dreadful law to us,
    When thou hast broke it in such dear degree?

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 avengd for the deed,
    O know you yet, He doth it publicly.
    Take not the quarrel from His powerful arm:
    He needs no indirect or lawless course
    To cut off those that have offended Him.

1st Murderer    Who made thee then a bloody minister
    When gallant-springing brave Plantagenet,
    That princely novice, was struck dead by thee?

Clarence    My brother's love, the devil, and my rage.

1st Murderer    Thy brother's love, our duty, and thy faults,
    Provoke us hither now to slaughter thee.

Clarence    If you do love my brother, hate not me:
    I am his brother, and I love him well.
    If you are hired 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.

2nd Murderer    You are deceived: your brother Gloucester hates you.

Clarence    O no, he loves me, and he holds me dear.
    Go you to him from me.

1st 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.

1st Murderer    Ay, millstones, as he lessoned us to weep.

Clarence    O, do not slander him, for he is kind.

1st Murderer    Right, as snow in harvest. Come, you deceive yourself;
    '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.

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

2nd 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.

2nd Murderer    What shall we do?

Clarence                            Relent, and save your souls.

1st Murderer    Relent? No, 'tis cowardly and womanish.

Clarence    Not to relent is beastly, savage, devilish.
    [To 2nd MURDERER.]
    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-

2nd Murderer    Look behind you, my lord!

1st Murderer    Take that! And that!
                                                        [Stabs him.
                                If all this will not do,
    I'll drown you in the malmsey-butt within.
                                            [Exit with CLARENCE's body.

2nd Murderer    A bloody deed, and desperately dispatched.
    How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands
    Of this most grievous murder.

                          Re-enter 1st MURDERER.

1st Murderer    How now! What mean'st thou that thou help'st me not?
    By heavens, the duke shall know how slack you have been.

2nd 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.
1st 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.