ACT I SCENE IV London. The Tower. Enter CLARENCE and BRAKENBURY. BRAKENBURY Why looks your grace so heavily today? CLARENCE O, I have pass'd a miserable night, So full of ugly sights, of ghastly dreams, That, as I am a Christian faithful man, I would not spend another such a night, 5 Though 'twere to buy a world of happy days, So full of dismal terror was the time! BRAKENBURY What was your dream? I long to hear you tell it. CLARENCE Methoughts that I had broken from the Tower, And was embark'd to cross to Burgundy; 10 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 fearful times, During the wars of York and Lancaster 15 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. 20 Lord, Lord! methought, what pain it was to drown! What dreadful noise of waters in mine ears! What ugly sights of death within mine eyes! Methought I saw a thousand fearful wrecks; Ten thousand men that fishes gnaw'd upon; 25 Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl, Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels, All scatter'd in the bottom of the sea: Some lay in dead men's skulls; and, in those holes Where eyes did once inhabit, there were crept, 30 As 'twere in scorn of eyes, reflecting gems, Which woo'd the slimy bottom of the deep, And mock'd the dead bones that lay scatter'd by. BRAKENBURY Had you such leisure in the time of death To gaze upon the secrets of the deep? 35 CLARENCE Methought I had; and often did I strive To yield the ghost: but still the envious flood Kept in my soul, and would not let it forth To seek the empty, vast and wandering air; But smother'd it within my panting bulk, 40 Which almost burst to belch it in the sea. BRAKENBURY Awaked you not with this sore agony? CLARENCE O, no, my dream was lengthen'd after life; O, then began the tempest to my soul, Who pass'd, methought, the melancholy flood, 45 With that grim 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, renowned Warwick; Who cried aloud, 'What scourge for perjury 50 Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?' And so he vanish'd: then came wandering by
Dabbled in blood; and he squeak'd out aloud, 'Clarence is come; false, fleeting, perjured Clarence, 55 That stabb'd me in the field by Tewksbury; Seize on him, Furies, take him to your torments!' With that, methoughts, a legion of foul fiends Environ'd me about, and howled in mine ears Such hideous cries, that with the very noise 60 I trembling waked, and for a season after Could not believe but that I was in hell, Such terrible impression made the dream. BRAKENBURY No marvel, my lord, though it affrighted you; I promise, I am afraid to hear you tell it. 65 CLARENCE O Brakenbury, I have done those things, Which now bear 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, 70 Yet execute thy wrath in me alone, O, spare my guiltless wife and my poor children! I pray thee, gentle keeper, stay by me; My soul is heavy, and I fain would sleep. BRAKENBURY I will, my lord: God give your grace good rest! 75 CLARENCE sleeps. Sorrow breaks seasons and reposing hours, Makes the night morning, and the noon-tide night. Princes have but their tides for their glories, An outward honour for an inward toil; And, for unfelt imagination, 80 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? 85 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. Show him our commission; talk no more. 90 A paper is delivered to BRAKENBURY who 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. 95 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 You may, it is a point of wisdom: fare you well. 100 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. 105 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 Nay, I pray thee, stay a little: I hope my holy humour 120 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? 130 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 cheques him; 140 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 relieve him not: he 150 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 tail 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. 160 Second Murderer O excellent devise! 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? 170 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-- 180 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. 190 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, 200 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? 210 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. 220 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 deed? For Edward, for my brother, for his sake: Why, sirs, He sends ye not to murder me for this For in this sin he is as deep as I. If God will be revenged for this deed. O, know you yet, he doth it publicly, Take not the quarrel from his powerful arm; 230 He needs no indirect nor lawless course To cut off those that have offended him. First 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. First Murderer Thy brother's love, our duty, and thy fault, Provoke us hither now to slaughter thee. CLARENCE Oh, if you love my brother, hate not me; I am his brother, and I love him well. 240 If you be 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. 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. Both Ay, so we will. CLARENCE Tell him, when that our princely father York Bless'd his three sons with his victorious arm, And charged us from his soul to love each other, 250 He little thought of this divided friendship: Bid Gloucester think of this, and he will weep. First Murderer Ay, millstones; as be lesson'd us to weep. CLARENCE O, do not slander him, for he is kind. First Murderer Right, As snow in harvest. Thou deceivest thyself: 'Tis he that sent us hither now to slaughter thee. CLARENCE It cannot be; for when I parted with him, He hugg'd me in his arms, and swore, with sobs, That he would labour my delivery. Second Murderer Why, so he doth, now he delivers you 260 From this world's thraldom to the joys of heaven. First Murderer Make peace with God, for you must die, my lord. CLARENCE Hast thou that holy feeling in thy soul, To counsel me to make my peace with God, And art thou yet to thy own soul so blind, That thou wilt war with God by murdering me? Ah, sirs, consider, 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. First Murderer Relent! 'tis cowardly and womanish. 270 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? 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, As you would beg, were you in my distress A begging prince what beggar pities not? 280 Second Murderer Look behind you, my lord. First Murderer Take that, and that: if all this will not do, Stabs him. I'll drown you in the malmsey-butt within . Exit, with the body. Second Murderer A bloody deed, and desperately dispatch'd! How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands Of this most grievous guilty murder done! Re-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 thou art! Second Murderer I would he knew that I had saved his brother! Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say; 290 For I repent me that the duke is slain. Exit First Murderer So do not I: go, coward as thou art. Now must I hide his body in some hole, Until the duke take order for his burial: And when I have my meed, I must away; For this will out, and here I must not stay.
Abbreviations. — A.-S. = Anglo-Saxon: M.E. = Middle
English (from the 13th to the 15th century) ; Fr. = French ;
Ger. = German ; Gr. = Greek ; Cf. = compare (Lat. confer) ;
Abbott refers to the excellent Shakespearean Grammar of Dr.
Abbott; Schmidt, to Dr. Schmidt's invaluable Shakespeare Lexicon.
Heavily , sadly.
Faithful , as opposed to infidel or faithless.
Such a night . The a is inserted pleonastically here.
Methought . The reading of the folios is methoughts , the s having been incorrectly added to assimilate the termination to that of methinks .
Unvalued , invaluable.
To yield the ghost , to die. Envious, malignant,
spiteful.
Bulk , body.
The melancholy flood is the river Styx, which flows
seven times round the infernal regions.
Ferryman . Charon, whose task it is to convey in his
boat the shades of the dead across the rivers of the lower
world.
Fleeting , inconstant.
In me , on me. -
Guiltless , innocent of, ignorant of.
Tell , count. A.-S. tellan , to number, talu , a number,
narrative. Allied words are Dutch taal , speech; Icelandic
tal , speech; German zahl , number.
Shamefast , modest. The word is now spelt shame-
faced by a singular confusion with face, due to the fact that
shame is commonly indicated by the face.
Insinuate , to meddle with.
Tall , stout, spirited.
Take him = strike him. Costard , a slang expression
for the head .
malmesie ."
thou and you may be seen very clearly
in this passage. Thou is the customary address from superiors to inferiors, and is expressive, besides, of any excitement or sensibility, of familiar tenderness as well as of anger; of reverence as well as of contempt. Thus the
constant address of Venus to Adonis in Shakespeare's poem is thou ; of Adonis to Venus, you.
Evidence = the witnesses.
Quest , inquest or jury.
Convict , convicted.
Forswearing , perjury.
Unrip means simply to cut open.
Dear , used often as a kind of emphatic adjective, the
sense being, in so great a degree.
ye . Ye was originally the
nominative form; you , the accusative. This distinction,
though observed in our version of the Bible, was disregarded
in the usage of Elizabethan writers.
Gallant-springing , putting forth the promise of beauty
like buds opening in the Spring.
Novice , one new to anything, just entering on life.
Provoke , impel.
Millstones . To weep millstones was a common proverb = not to weep at all, to remain hard and unfeeling as a stone. Lesson'd , taught. Any noun or adjective, can be converted into a verb by the Elizabethan writers, generally in
an active signification.
kind in the sense
of natural or foolish .
Labor , bring about.
