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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, and howlèd in mine ears

       Such hideous cries that, with the very noise,

       I trembling wak’d, and for a season after

       Could not believe but that I was in hell,—

       Such terrible impression made my dream.

       BRAKENBURY

       No marvel, lord, though it affrighted you;

       I am afraid, methinks, to hear you tell it.

       CLARENCE

       Ah, Brakenbury, 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 aveng’d 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.

       BRAKENBURY

       I will, my lord; God give your grace good rest!—

       [CLARENCE reposes himself on a chair.]

       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 tides 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?

       FIRST MURDERER

       I would speak with Clarence, and I came hither on my legs.

       BRAKENBURY

       What, so brief?

       SECOND MURDERER

       ‘Tis better, sir, than to be tedious.—Let him see our commission and talk no more.

       [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.

       There lies the Duke asleep,—and there the keys;

       I’ll to the king and signify to him

       That thus I have resign’d to you my charge.

       FIRST MURDERER

       You may, sir; ‘tis a point of wisdom: fare you well.

       [Exit BRAKENBURY.]

       SECOND MURDERER

       What, shall we stab him as he sleeps?

       FIRST MURDERER

       No; he’ll say ‘twas done cowardly, when he wakes.

       SECOND MURDERER

       When he wakes! why, fool, he shall never wake until the great judgment-day.

       FIRST MURDERER

       Why, then he’ll say we stabb’d 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 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 Gloster and tell him so.

       SECOND MURDERER

       Nay, I pr’ythee, stay a little: I hope my holy 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 Gloster’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 shame-faced 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.

      

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