Ah, sirs, consider, he, that set you on
To do this deed, will hate you for the deed.

2 Murd. What shall we do?
Clar.

Relent, and save your souls. 1 Murd. Relent! 'tis cowardly, and womanish.

Clar. 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?

2 Murd. Look behind you, my lord. 1 Murd. 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. 2 Murd. A bloody deed, and desperately des

patch'd ! How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands Of this most grievous guilty murder done!

Re-enter first Murderer. 1 Murd. How now? what mean'st thou, that

thou help'st me not? By heaven, the duke shall know how slack you have

been. 2 Murd. I would he knew, that I had sav'd his

brother ! Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say ; For I repent me that the Juke is slain. [Exit.

I Murd. 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. ACT II. • SCENE I. The same. A room in the palace. Enter King Edward, (led in sick,) Queen Elizabeth,

Dorset, Rivers, Hastings, Buckingham, Grey, and others. K. Edw. Why, so :-now have I done a good

day's work ;You peers, continue this united league : I every day expect an embassage From my Redeemer to redeem me hence; And more in peace my soul shall part to heaven, Since I have made my friends at peace on earth. Rivers, and Hastings, take each other's hand; Dissemble not your hatred, swear your love.

Riv. By heaven, my soul is purg'd from grudging

And with my hand I seal my true heart's love.

Hast. So thrive I, as I truly swear the like!
K. Edw. Take heed, you dally not before your

king;
Lest he, that is the supreme King of kings,
Confound your hidden falsehood, and award
Either of you to be the other's end.

Hast. So prosper I, as I swear perfect love!
Riv. And I, as I love Hastings with my heart !

K. Edw. Madam, yourself are not exempt in this, Nor your son Dorset,-Buckingham, nor you ;You have been factious one against the other. Wife, love lord Hastings, let him kiss your hand; And what you do, do it unfeignedly. Q. Eliz. There, Hastings; I will never more re

member Our former hatred, so thrive I, and mine! K. Edw. Dorset, embrace him,--Hastings, love

lord marquis.

Dor. This interchange of love, I here protest, Upon my part shall be inviolable. Hast. And so swear I. (Embraces Dorset. K. Edw. Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou

this league With thy embracements to my wife's allies, And make me happy in your unity.

Buck. Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hate Upon your grace, [To the Queen.] but with all du

teous love
Doth cherish you, and yours, God punish me
With hate in those where I expect most love!
When I have most need to employ a friend,
And most assured that he is my friend,
Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile,
Be he unto me! this do I beg of heaven,
When I am cold in love to you, or yours.

[Embracing Rivers, 8c. K. Edw. A pleasing cordial, princely Bucking

ham, Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart. There wanteth now our brother Gloster here, To make the blessed period of this peace, Buck. And in good time, here comes the noble duke.

Enter Gloster. Glo. Good-morrow to my sovereign king, and

queen; And, princely peers, a happy time of day! · K. Edw. Happy, indeed, as we have spent the

day :-
Brother, we have done deeds of charity;
Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate,
Between these swelling wrong-incensed peers.

Glo. A blessed labour, my most sovereign liege.
Among this princely heap, if any here,
By false intelligence, or wrong surmise,
Hold me a foe;
If I unwittingly, or in my rage,

VOL. VII.

que

Have aught committed that is hardly borne
By any in this presence, I desire
To reconcile nie to his friendly peace :
'Tis death to me, to be at enmity;
I hate it, and desire all good men's love.-
First, madam, I entreat true peace of you,
Which I will purchase with my duteous service;
Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham,
If ever any grudge were lodg'd between us ;
Of you, lord Rivers,—and, lord Grey, of you,-
That all, without desert, have frown'd on me';
Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen ; indeed, of all.
I do not know that Englishman alive,
With whom my soul is any jot at odds,
More than the infant that is born to-night;
I thank my God for my humility.

Q. Eliz. A holy-day shall this be kept hereafter :-
I would to God, all strifes were well compounded.-
My sovereign lord, I do beseech your highness
To take our brother Clarence to your grace.

Glo. Why, madam, have I offer'd love for this, To be so fouted in this royal presence? Who knows not, that the gentle duke is dead ?

[They all start. You do him injury, to scorn his corse. K. Edw. Who knows not, he is dead! who knows

he is ?
Q. Eliz. All-seeing heaven, what a world is this !
Buck. Look I so pale, lord Dorset, as the rest ?
Dor. Ay, my good lord; and no man in the pre-

sence,
But his red colour hath forsook his cheeks.

K. Edw. Is Clarence dead? the order was revers’d. Glo. But he, poor man, by your first order died, And that a winged Mercury did bear; Some tardy cripple bore the countermand, That came too lag to see him buried :God grant, that some, less noble, and less loyal, Nearer in bloody thoughts, and not in blood, Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did,

And yet go current from suspicion.

Enter Stanley.
Stan. A boon, my sovereign, for my service done!
K, Edw. I pr’ythee, peace; my soul is full of sor-

row.
Stan. I will not rise, unless your highness hear me.
K. Edw. Then say at once, what is it thou re-

: quest'st. Stan. The forfeit, sovereign, of my servant's life; Who slew to-day a riotous gentleman, Lately attendant on the duke of Norfolk. K. Edw. Have I a tongue to doom my brother's

death, And shall that tongue give pardon to a slave ? · My brother kill'd no man, his fault was thought, And yet his punishment was bitter death. Who sued to me for him ? who, in my wrath, Kneel'd at my feet, and bade me be advis'd ? Who spoke of brotherhood ? who spoke of love ? Who told me, how the poor soul did forsake The mighty Warwick, and did fight for me? Who told me, in the field at Tewksbury, When Oxford had me down, he rescued me, And said, Dear brother, live, and be a king ? Who told me, when we both lay in the field, Frozen almost to death, how he did lap me Even in his garments; and did give himself, All thin and naked, to the numb-cold night? All this from my remembrance brutish wrath Sinfully pluck’d, and not a man of you. Had so much grace to put it in my mind. But, when your carters, or your waiting-vassals, Have done a drunken slaughter, and defac'd The precious image of our dear Redeemer, You straight are on your knees for pardon, pardon; And I, unjustly too, must grant it you :But for my brother, not a man would speak, Nor I (ungracious) speak unto myself For him, poor soul.- The proudest of you all