night.
Princes have but their titles for their glories,
An outward honour for an inward toil;
And, for unfelt imagination,
They often feel a world of restless cares:
So that, betwixt their tides and low names,
There’s nothing differs but the outward fame.
Enter the two
Murderers.
First Murderer
Ho! who’s here?
Brakenbury
In God’s name what are you, and how came you hither?
First Murderer
I would speak with Clarence, and I came hither on my legs.
Brakenbury
Yea, are you so brief?
Second Murderer
O sir, it is better to be brief than tedious. Shew him our commission; talk no more.
Brakenbury reads it.
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 of the meaning.
Here are the keys, there sits the duke asleep:
I’ll to the king; and signify to him
That thus I have resign’d my charge to you.
First Murderer
Do so, 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
When he wakes! why, fool, 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 for it; but to be damned for killing him, from 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
Back to the Duke of Gloucester, tell him so.
Second Murderer
I pray thee, stay a while: I hope my holy humour will change; ’twas wont to hold me but while one would tell twenty.
First Murderer
How dost thou feel thyself now?
Second Murderer
’Faith, some certain dregs of conscience are yet within me.
First Murderer
Remember our reward, when the deed is done.
Second Murderer
’Zounds, he dies: I had forgot the reward.
First Murderer
Where is thy conscience now?
Second Murderer
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
Let it go; there’s few or none will entertain it.
First Murderer
How if it come to thee again?
Second Murderer
I’ll not meddle with it: it is a dangerous thing: it makes a man a coward: a man cannot steal, but it accuseth him; he cannot swear, but it checks him; he cannot lie with his neighbour’s wife, but it detects him: ’tis a blushing shamefast spirit that mutinies in a man’s bosom; it fills one full of obstacles: it made me once restore a purse of gold that 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 endeavours to trust to himself and to live without it.
First Murderer
’Zounds, it is 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
Tut, I am strong-framed, he cannot prevail with me, I warrant thee.
Second Murderer
Spoke like a tall fellow that respects his reputation. Come, shall we to this gear?
First Murderer
Take him over the costard with the hilts of thy sword, and then we will chop him in the malmsey-butt in the next room.
Second Murderer
O excellent device! make a sop of him.
First Murderer
Hark! he stirs: shall I strike?
Second Murderer
No, first let’s reason with him.
Clarence
Where art thou, keeper? give me a cup of wine.
Second murderer
You shall have wine enough, my lord, anon.
Clarence
In God’s name, what art thou?
Second Murderer
A man, as you are.
Clarence
But not, as I am, royal.
Second Murderer
Nor you, as we are, loyal.
Clarence
Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks are humble.
Second 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?
Both
To, to, to—
Clarence
To murder me?
Both
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?
First Murderer
Offended us you have not, but the king.
Clarence
I shall be reconciled to him again.
Second Murderer
Never, my lord; therefore prepare to die.
Clarence
Are you call’d forth from out a world of men
To slay the innocent? What is my offence?
Where are the evidence that do 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.
First Murderer
What we will do, we do upon command.
Second Murderer
And he that hath commanded is the king.
Clarence
Erroneous vassal! the great King of kings
Hath in the tables of his law commanded
That thou shalt do no murder: and wilt thou, then,
Spurn at his edict and fulfil a man’s?
Take heed; for he holds vengeance in his hands,
To hurl upon their heads that break his law.
Second Murderer
And that same vengeance doth he hurl on thee,
For false forswearing and for murder too:
Thou didst receive the holy sacrament,
To fight in quarrel of the house of Lancaster.
First Murderer
And, like a traitor to the name of God,
Didst break that vow; and with thy treacherous blade
Unrip’dst the bowels of thy sovereign’s son.
Second Murderer
Whom thou wert sworn to cherish and defend.
First Murderer
How canst thou urge God’s dreadful law to us,
When thou hast broke it in so dear degree?
Clarence
Alas! for whose sake did I that ill
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