Act IScene IV
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 nightThough ’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 walkUpon 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 alongUpon the giddy footing of the hatches,Methought that Gloucester stumbled, and in falling,Struck me, that thought to stay him, overboardInto 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 wracks;A 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 holesWhere 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 deathTo gaze upon these secrets of the deep?
Clarence
Methought I had; and often did I striveTo yield the ghost, but still the envious floodStopped in my soul, and would not let it forthTo 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-soulWas my great father-in-law, renowned Warwick,Who spake aloud, “What scourge for perjuryCan this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?”And so he vanished. Then came wand’ring byA shadow like an angel, with bright hairDabbled in blood; and he shrieked out aloud“Clarence is come—false, fleeting, perjured Clarence,That stabbed me in the field by Tewksbury!Seize on him, Furies! Take him unto torment!”With that, methoughts, a legion of foul fiendsEnvironed me, and howled in mine earsSuch hideous cries that with the very noiseI trembling waked, and for a season afterCould 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 reposes himself on a chair.
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 the two Murderers.
First Murderer
Ho, who’s here?
Brakenbury
What wouldst thou, fellow? And how cam’st thou hither?
Second Murderer
I would speak with Clarence, and I came hither on my legs.
Brakenbury
What, so brief?
First Murderer
’Tis better, sir, than to be tedious. Let him see our commission, and talk no more.
Brakenbury reads the commission.
Brakenbury
I am in this commanded to deliverThe noble Duke of Clarence to your hands.I will not reason what is meant hereby,Because I will be guiltless of the meaning.There lies the Duke asleep, and there the keys.I’ll to the King and signify to himThat thus I have resigned to you my charge.
First Murderer
You may, sir; ’tis a point of wisdom. Fare you well.
Exeunt Brakenbury and the Keeper.
Second Murderer
What, shall I stab him as he sleeps?
First Murderer
No. He’ll say ’twas done cowardly, when he wakes.
Second Murderer
Why, he shall never wake until the great Judgement Day.
First Murderer
Why, then he’ll say we stabbed him sleeping.
Second Murderer
The urging of that word “judgement” 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 me.
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 humour will change. It was wont to hold me but while one tells 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’s done.
Second Murderer
Zounds, 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 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.
First Murderer
Zounds, ’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 tall 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 in 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
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?
First 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.
First 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?
Second Murderer
To, to, to—
Clarence
To murder me?
Both 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?
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 drawn forth among a world of menTo slay the innocent? What is my offence?Where is the evidence that doth accuse me?What lawful quest have given their verdict upUnto the frowning judge? Or who pronouncedThe 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 our King.
Clarence
Erroneous vassals! The great King of kingsHath in the table of his law commandedThat thou shalt do no murder. Will you thenSpurn at His edict and fulfil a man’s?Take heed, for He holds vengeance in His handTo hurl upon their heads that break His law.
Second Murderer
And that same vengeance doth He hurl on theeFor false forswearing, and for murder too.Thou didst receive the sacrament to fightIn quarrel of the house of Lancaster.
First Murderer
And like a traitor to the name of GodDidst break that vow, and with thy treacherous bladeUnrippedst the bowels of thy sovereign’s son.
Second Murderer
Whom thou wast sworn to cherish and defend.
First 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 avenged 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 courseTo cut off those that have offended Him.
First Murderer
Who made thee then a bloody ministerWhen gallant-springing, brave Plantagenet,That princely novice, was struck dead by thee?
Clarence
My brother’s love, the devil, and my rage.
First 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 lifeThan Edward will for tidings of my death.
Second 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.
First Murderer
Ay, so we will.
Clarence
Tell him when that our princely father YorkBlessed 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
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 sobsThat he would labour my delivery.
First Murderer
Why, so he doth, when he delivers youFrom 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 soulsTo counsel me to make my peace with God,And are you yet to your own souls so blindThat you will war with God by murd’ring me?O sirs, consider: they that set you onTo do this deed will hate you for the deed.
Second Murderer
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.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? Ay, 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?
Second Murderer
Look behind you, my lord.
First Murderer
Take that, and that!
Stabs him.
If all this will not do,I’ll drown you in the malmsey-butt within.
Exit with the body.
Second Murderer
A bloody deed, and desperately dispatched.How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my handsOf this most grievous murder.
Enter First Murderer.
First Murderer
How now? What mean’st thou that thou help’st me not?By heavens, 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.
First Murderer
So do not I. Go, coward as thou art.Well, I’ll go hide the body in some holeTill 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.