2 Vil. You fhall have wine enough, my lord, anon. Clar. In God's name, what art thou?

1 Vil. A man, as you are.

Clar. But not, as I am, royal.

1 Vil. Nor you, as we are, loyal.

Clar, Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks are humble.

1 Vil. My voice is now the king's, my looks miné

own.

Clar. How darkly, and how deadly dost thou speak! -Your eyes do menace me. Why look you pale? Who fent you hither? Wherefore do you come? Both. To, to, to,

Clar. To murder me?

Both. Ay, ay.

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

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

2 Vil. Never, my lord; therefore prepare to die.
Clar. Are you call'd forth from out a world of men,
To flay the innocent? What's 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 bittter 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.

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

Are ye cull'd forth

Are ve call'd forth.

JOHNSON.

] The folio reads, drawn. STEEVENS. W bat lawful queft—] Queft is inqwft or jury. JOHNSON.

Į Vil.

Vil. What we will do, we do upon command.
2 Vil. And he, that hath commanded, is our king.
Clar. Erroneous vaffals! the great King of kings
Hath in the table of his law commanded,

That thou shalt 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 Vil. And that fame vengeance doth he hurl on thee,

For false forfwearing, and for murder too;
Thou didst receive the facrament, to fight
In quarrel of the houfe of Lancaster.

i Vil. 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 Vil. Whom thou wert fworn to cherish and defend. 1 Vil. 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 fake.
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 course,
To cut off thofe that have offended him.

1 Vil. Who made thee then a bloody minifter, When gallant, fpringing, brave Plantagenet, That princely novice, was ftruck dead by thee?

9

3-fringing Plantagenet,] Blooming Plantagenet; a prince in the Spring of life. JOHNSON.

? —novice,-] Youth; one yet new to the world. JOHNSON.

Clar

Clar. My brother's love, the devil, and my rage. 1 Vil. 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 will reward you better for my life,
Than Edward will for tidings of my death.

2 Vil. 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 Vil. Ay mill-stones, as he leffon'd us to weep. Clar. O do not flander him, for he is kind.

I Vil. Right, as fnow in harveft:-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.

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

lord.

Clar. Haft thou that holy feeling in thy foul, To counfel 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, they that fet you on

To do this deed, will hate you for the deed.

2 Vil. What shall we do?

Clar. Relent,' and save 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 Vil. 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 intreat for me: A begging prince what beggar pities not? 2 2 Vil. Look behind you, my lord.

1 Vil. Take that, and that; if all this will not do,

[Stabs him. I'll drown you in the malmfey butt within. [Exit. 2 Vil. A bloody deed, and defperately perform'd. -How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands Of this moft grievous guilty murder done!

Re-enter firft Villain.

1 Vil. How now? what mean'ft thou, that thou help'ft me not?

1-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 fomething feems omitted to which these lines are the answer. JOHNSON.

2

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. A begging prince what beggar pities not?]] To this in the quarto, the murderer replies, Ay, thus, and thus! and ftabs him.

STEEVENS.

By

By heaven, the duke fhall know how flack you have

been.

2 Vill. I would he knew, that I had fav'd his brother! Take thou the fee, and tell him what I fay; For I repent me, that the duke is flain.

[Exit. 1 Vil. So do not 1; 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 must away; For this will out, and then I must not stay. [Exit.

ACT II. SCENE I.

THE COURT.

Enter King Edward fick, the Queen, Dorfet, Rivers, Haftings, Buckingham, Grey, and others.

K. EDWARD.

HY, fo:-Now have I done a good day's work ;

WHY,

You peers, continue this united league:

I every day expect an embaffage,

From my Redeemer to redeem me hence;

And more in peace my foul fhall part to heaven,
Since I have made my friends at peace on earth.
Rivers and Haftings, take each other's hand;
Diffemble not your hatred, fwear your love.

Riv. By heaven, my foul is purg'd from grudging hate;

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

Haft. So thrive I, as I truly fwear the like! K. Edw. Take heed, you dally not before your king; Left he, that is the fupreme King of kings,

Con