2 Vil. Oexcellent Device, and make a Sop of him. 1 Vil. Soft, he wakes.

2 Vil. Strike.

1 Vil. No, we'll reafon with him.

Clar. Where art thou, Keeper? Give me Cup of Wine. 2 Vill. You shall 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.

I Vil. Nor you as we are, Loyal.

Clar. Thy Voice is thunder, but thy Loooks are humble. 1 Vil. My Voice is now the King's, my Looks mine own. Clar. How darkly, and how deadly doft thou speak? Your Eyes do menace me: Why look you pale? Who fent you hither? wherefore do you come?

2 Vil. To, to, to

Clar. To Murther me?

Both. Ay, ay.

Clar. You fcarcely have the Hearts to tell me fo;
And therefore cannot have the Hearts to do it.
Wherein, my Friends, have I offended you?.

I 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 dye.
Clar. Are you drawn forth among 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 bitter Sentence of poor Clarence's Death?
Before I be convict by courfe of Law,
To threaten me with Death, is moft unlawful.
I charge you, as you hope for any goodness,
That you depart, and lay no Hands on me:
The deed you undertake is damnable.

I 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 this Law commanded,
That Thou shalt do no Murther; Will you then
Spurn at his Ediets, and fulfil a Man's?

Take

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 falfe forfwearing, and for Murther too:
Thou didst receive the Sacrament, to fight
In quarrel of the House of Lancaster.

Vil. And like a Traitor to the name of God,
Didft break that Vow, and with thy treacherous blade,
Unripp'ft the Bowels of thy Soveraign's Son.

2 Vil. Whom thou waft fworn to cherish and defend. I Vil. How canft thou urge God's dreadful Law to us, When thou haft broke it in fuch high degree?

Clar. Alas! for whofe fake did I that ill deed?
For Edward, for my Brother, for his fake.
He fends you not to murther 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, or lawlefs course,
To cut off thofe that have offended him.

I Vil. Who made thee then a bloody Minifter,
When gallant fpringing brave Plantagenet,
That Princely Novice, was ftruck dead by thee?

Clar. My Brother's Love, the Devil, and my Rage. 1 Vil. Thy Brother's Love, our Duty, and thy Faults, 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 Glo'fter:
Who fhall reward you better for my Life,
Than Edward will for tidings of my Death.
2 Vil. You are deceiv'd,

Your Brother Glo'fter hates you.

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

Clar. Tell him, when that our Princely Father Tork, Bleft his three Sons with his victorious Aim,

He

He little thought of this divided Friendship:
Bid Glofter think on this, and he will weep.
1 Vil. Ay, Milftones; as he leffon'd us to weep.
Clar. O do not flander him, for he is kind,
I Vil. Right, as Snow in Harveft:

Come, you deceive your self,

'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 Vil. Why fo he doth, when he delivers you From this Earth's thraldom, to the joys of Heav'n. 2 Val. Make peace with God, for you muft die, my Lord. Clar. Have you that holy feeling in your Souls, To counfel me to make my peace with God, And are you yet to your own Souls fo blind, That you will War with God, by murd'ring me? O Sirs, confider, they that fet you on

To do this deed, will hate you for the deed. 2 Vil. What fhall we do?

Clar. Relent, and fave your Souls:
Which of you, if you were a Prince's Son,
Being pent from Liberty, as I am now,

If two fuch Murtherers as your felves came to you,
Would not intreat for Life, as you would beg
Were you in my distress.

1 Vil. Relent? no; '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 Vil. Look behind you, my Lord.

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

I'll drown you in the Malmsey-Butt within.

[Stabs him. [Exiti

2 Vil. A bloody deed, and defperately dispatcht! How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my Hands Of this moft grievous Murther.

Enter

Enter first Villain.

1 Vil. How now? what mean'ft thou that thou help'ft me not? By Heav'n, the Duke fhall know how flack you

have been,

2 Vil. 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,

1 Vil. 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.

[Exit.

[Exit.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

Flourish. Enter King Edward fick, the Queen, Dorfer, Rivers, Haftings, Catesby, Buckingham, and Woodvil.

.Edw.

WH
THY fo; 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 fhall part to Heav'n,
Since I have made my Friends at peace on Earth;
Haftings and Rivers, take each others hand,
Diffemble not your Hatred, fwear your Love.

Riv. By Heav'n, my Soul is purg'd from bearing 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 fupream King of Kings,
Confound your hidden falfhood, and award
Either of you to be the others end.

Haft. So profper I, as I fwear perfect Love.
Riv. And I, as I love Hastings with my Heart.
K.Edw. Madam, your felf is not exempt from this;
Nor you Son Dorset, Buckingham nor you;
You have been factious one against the other.

Wife, love Lord Hastings, let him kifs your Hand,
And what you do, do it unfeignedly.

Queen. There Haftings, I will never more remember
Our former hatred, fo thrive I, and mine.

K. Edw. Dorfet, embrace him:

Haftings, love Lord Marquefs.

Dorf. This interchange of Love, I here protest Upon my part, fhall be inviolable.

Haft. And fo fwear I.

K. Edw. Now Princely Buckingham, feal thou this League With thy embracements to my Wife's Allies,

And make me happy in your unity.

Buck. When ever Buckingham doth turn his hate

Upon your Grace, but with all duteous Love, [To the Queen.
Doth cherish you and yours, God punish me

With hate in thofe where I expect moft love:
When I have moft need to imploy a Friend,
And moft affured that he is a Friend,
Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile,
Be he unto me; this do I beg of Heav'n,
When I am cold in love, to you or yours.

[Embracing Rivers, &c. K. Edw. A pleafing Cordial, Princely Buckingham,.

Is this thy Vow unto my fickly Heart.

There wanteth now our Brother Glo'fter here,
To make the bleffed Period of this Peace.

Buck. And in good time,

Here comes Sir Richard Ratcliff, and the Duke.

Enter Ratcliff and Gloucefter.

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: Glofter, we have done deeds of Charity,

Made Peace of Enmity, fair love of hate,

Between these swelling wrong incensed Peers.

Glo. A bleffed Labour, my moft Sovereign Lord:
Among this Princely heap, if any here
By falfe Intelligence, or wrong Surmise

Hold me a Foe: If I unwillingly, or in my Rage,
Have ought committed that is hardly born,
To any in this Prefence, I defire

To