1 Murd. My voice is now the king's, my looks mine

own.

Clar. How darkly, and how deadly doft thou fpeak!

Your eyes do menace me: Why look you pale? Who fent you hither? Wherefore do you come? 2 Murd. To, to, to,

Clar. To murder me?
Both. Ay, ay.

Clar. You fcarcely have the hearts to tell me so, And therefore cannot have the hearts to do it. Wherein, my friends, have I offended you?

1 Murd. Offended us you have not, but the king. Clar. I fhall be reconcil'd to him again.

8

2 Murd. Never, my lord; therefore prepare to die. Clar. Are you call'd forth from out a world of men, To lay the innocent? What is my offence? Where is the evidence that doth accufe me? What lawful queft have given their verdict up Unto the frowning judge? or who pronounc'd The bitter fentence of poor Clarence' death? Before I be convict by courfe of law, To threaten me with death, is most unlawful. I charge you, as you hope to have redemption, That you depart, and lay no hands on me; The deed you undertake is damnable.

1 Murd. What we will do, we do

upon command.

Are you call'd forth from out a world of men,] I think it may be better read:

Are ye cull'd forth

The folio reads:

JOHNSON.

Are you drawn forth among a world of men.

I adhere to the reading now in the text. So, in Nobody and Somebody, 1598:

Art thou call'd forth amongst a thousand men "To minifter this foveraign antidote?" STEEVENS. • What lawful queft-] Queft is inqueft or jury. JOHNSON. as you hope to have redemption,] The folio reads. you hope for any goodness. The quarto likewife adds: By Chrift's dear blood shed for our grievous fins. STEEVENS.

-as

2 Murd.

2 Murd. And he, that hath commanded, is our king. Clar. Erroneous vaffal! the great King of kings Hath in the table of his law commanded,

That thou fhalt do no murder; Wilt thou 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.

2 Murd. And that fame vengeance doth he hurl on
thee,

For falfe forfwearing, and for murder too:
Thou didst receive the facrament, to fight
In quarrel of the house of Lancaster.

1 Murd. And, like a traitor to the name of God, Didft break that vow; and, with thy treacherous blade,

Unrip'dft the bowels of thy fovereign's fon.

2 Murd. Whom thou waft fworn to cherish and

defend.

1 Murd. How canft thou urge God's dreadful law

to us,

When thou haft broke it in fuch dear degree?

Clar. Alas! for whofe fake did I that ill deed ?
For Edward, for my brother, for his sake :
He fends you not to murder me for this;
For in that fin he is as deep as I.

If God will be avenged for the deed,

O, know you yet, he doth it publickly;

Take not the quarrel from his powerful arm;
He needs no indirect nor lawless courfe,

To cut off those that have offended him.

1 Murd. Who made thee then a bloody minifter, When gallant-springing ', brave Plantagenet,

-Springing Plantagenet,] Blooming Plantagenet; a prince in the spring of life. JOHNSON.

When gallant, fpringing,] This fhould be printed as one word, I think;-gallant-fpringing. Shakespeare is fond of these compound epithets, in which the first adjective is to be confidered as an adverb. So, in this play he ufes childish-foolish, fenfelefs-obfiinate and mortal-faring. TYRWHITT.

That

2.

That princely novice, was ftruck dead by thee? Clar. My brother's love, the devil, and my rage. Murd. Thy brother's love, our duty, and thy fault, Provoke us hither now to flaughter thee.

Clar. If you do love my brother, hate not me; I am his brother, and I love him well.

If you are hir'd for meed, go back again,
And I will fend you to my brother Glofter;
Who fhall reward you better for my life,
Than Edward will for tidings of my death.

2 Murd. You are deceiv'd, your brother Glofter
hates you.

Clar. Oh, no; he loves me, and he holds me dear: Go you to him from me.

Both. Ay, fo we will.

Clar. Tell him, when that our princely father York Blefs'd his three fons with his victorious arm, And charg'd us from his foul to love each other, He little thought of this divided friendship : Bid Glofter think on this, and he will weep '. 1 Murd. Ay, mill-ftones; as he leffon'd us to weep. Clar. O, do not flander him, for he is kind. 1 Murd. Right, as fnow in harvest.-Come, you deceive yourself ;

"Tis he that fends us to deftroy you here.

Clar. It cannot be; for he bewept my fortune, And hugg'd me in his arms, and fwore, with fobs, That he would labour my delivery.

I Murd. Why, fo he doth, when he delivers you From this earth's thraldom to the joys of heaven. 2 Murd. Make peace with God, for you must die, my lord.

3

2 -novice,-] Youth; one yet new to the world. JOHNSON, •he will weep. Murd. Ay, millstones.

So, in Maffinger's City Madam:

66

He, good gentleman,

"Will weep when he hears how we are used.-
"Yes, millftones. STEEVENS."

Clar

Clar. Haft thou that holy feeling in thy foul, To counsel me to make my peace with God, And art thou yet to thy own foul fo blind, That thou wilt war with God by murdering me?O, firs, confider, he, that set you on

To do this deed, will hate you for the deed. 2 Murd. What shall we do?

Clar. Relent, and fave your fouls. Which of you, if you were a prince's fon, Being pent from liberty, as I am now,

If two fuch murderers as yourselves came to you, Would not intreat for life? as you would beg, Were you in my distress,

1 Murd. Relent! 'tis cowardly, and womanish. Clar. Not to relent, is beaftly, favage, devilish.My friend, I fpy fome pity in thy looks;

O, if thine eye be not a flatterer,

Come thou on my fide, and entreat for me:
A begging prince what beggar pities not ' ?

2 Murd.

and fave your fouls, &c.] The fix following lines are not

in the old edition. POPE.

They are not neceffary, but fo forced in, that something seems omitted to which these lines are the answer. JoHNSON.

5 what beggar pities not?] I cannot but fufpect that the lines, which Mr. Pope obferved not to be in the old edition, are now misplaced, and should be inferted here, fomewhat after this

manner :

Clar. A begging prince what beggar pities not?

Vil. A begging prince!

Clar. Which of you, if you were a prince's fon, &c.

Upon this provocation, the villain naturally ftrikes him. JOHNSON. Mr. Pope's note is not accurately stated. I believe this paffage fhould be regulated thus.

Clar. Relent and fave your fouls.

1 Vil. Relent! 'tis cowardly and womanish.

Clar. Not to relent is beaftly, favage, devilish.

Which of you if you were a prince's fon

Being pent

If two fuch.

Would not intreat for life?

My friend, I fpy

2 Murd. Look behind you, my lord.

1 Murd. Take that, and that; if all this will not ferve, [Stabs him. I'll drown you in the malmsey-butt within. [Exit. 2 Murd. A bloody deed, and defperately dif

patch'd!

How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands
Of this moft grievous guilty murder done!

Re-enter firft Murderer.

I Murd. How now? what mean'ft thou, that thou help'ft me not?

By heaven, the duke fhall know how flack you have

been.

2 Murd. I would he knew, that I had fav'd his bro

ther!

Take thou the fee, and tell him what I fay;
For I repent me that the duke is flain.

[Exit.

1 Murd. So do not I; go, coward, as thou art.— Well, I'll go hide the body in fome 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.

O, if thine eye

[Exit, with the body.

Come then on my fide, and intreat for me,

As you would beg, were you in my distress.

A begging prince what beggar pities not? TYRWHITT. A begging prince what beggar pities not?] To this in the quarto, the murderer replies:

I, thus and thus: if this will not ferve,

I'll chop thee in the malmesey but in the next roome.

and then ftabs him. STEEVENS.

VOL. VII.

E

ACT