Stockdale's edition of Shakespeare, with explanatory notes

[dren

But thou wilt be aveng'd on my misdeeds,
Yet execute thy wrath on me alone:
Q, fpare my guiltlefs wife, and my poor chil-
I pray thee, gentle keeper, ftay by me;
My foul is heavy, and I fain would sleep.

Brak. I will, my lord; God give your grace
good reft!-
[Clarence fleeps.

Sorrow breaks feafons, and repofing hours,

I Murd. Where's thy confcience now? 2 Murd. In the duke of Glofter's purfe. I Murd. When he opens his purfe to give our reward, thy confcience flies out.

2 Murd. 'Tis no matter; let it go; there's few, or none, will entertain it.

I Murd. What, if it come to thee again?

2 Murd. I'll not meddle with it, it is a dangerous

Makes the night morning, and the noon-tide night.thing, it makes a man a coward; a man cannot

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 reftlefs cares 1:
So that, between their titles and low name,
There's nothing differs but the outward fame.
Enter the two Murderers.

1 Murd. Hol who's here?

fteal, but it accufeth him; a man cannot fwear, but it checks him; a man cannot lie with his neighbour's wife, but it detects him: 'Tis a bluthing fhame-fac'd fpirit, that mutinies in a man's hofom; it fills one full of obftacles: it made me once reftore a purfe of gold, that by chance I found; it beggars any man that keeps it: it is turn'd out of all towns and cities for a dangerous thing; and

Brak. What would't thou, fellow? and how every man, that means to live well, endeavours to

truft to himself, and live without it.

1 Murd. 'Zounds, it is even now at my elbow, perfuading me not to kill the duke.

2 Murd. Take the devil in thy mind, and be

1 Murd. O, fir, 'tis better to be brief, than te-lieve him not: he would infinuate with thee, but to Shew him our commiffion, talk no more. make thee figh.

Brak. I am, in this, commanded to deliver
The noble duke of Clarence to your hands :-
I will not reafon what is meant hereby,
Because I will be guiltless of the meaning.
Here are the keys;-there fits the duke afleep:
I'll to the king; and fignify to him,
That thus I have refign'd to you my charge.

1 Murd. You may, fir, 'tis a point of wisdom :
Fare you well.
[Exit Brakenbury.

2 Murd. What, shall we stab him as he fleeps? 1 Murd. Noy he'll fay, 'twas done cowardly, when he wakes.

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

1 Murd. Why, then he'll fay, we stabb'd him fleeping.

2 Murd. The urging of that word, judgment, hath bred a kind of remorfe in me.

I Murd. What? art thou afraid ?

2 Murd. Not to kill him, having a warrant for. it; but to be damn'd for killing him, from the which no warrant can defend me.

I Murd. I thought, thou had't been refolute. 2 Murd. So I am, to let him live.

1 Murd. I am strong fram'd, he cannot prevail with me.

2 Murd. Spoke like a tall 2 fellow, that refpects his reputation. Come, fhall we fall to work?

I Murd. Take him over the coftard 3 with the hilts of thy fword, and then throw him into the malmfey-butt, in the next room.

2 Mard. O excellent device! and make a fop of him.

1 Murd. Soft! he wakes.

2 Murd. Strike.

1 Murd. No, we'll reafon 4 with him.
Clar. Where art thou, keeper? give me a cup

of wine.

[anen.

1 Murd. You shall have wine enough, my lord, Clar. In God's name, what art thou?

1 Murd. A man, as you are.

Clar. But not, as I am, royal.

1 Murd. Nor you, as we are, loyal.
Clar. Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks are

humble.

1 Murd. My voice is now the king's, my looks [fpeak!

mine own.

Clar. How darkly, and how deadly doit thou

1 Murd. I'll back to the duke of Glofter, and Your eyes do menace me: why look you pale?

tell him fo.

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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 fo,
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.

2 Murd. Never, my lord; therefore prepare to die.

Meaning, they often fuffer real miferies for imaginary English, means flout, daring, fearlefs, and ftrong." apple thap'd like a man's head. 4 i. c. we'll talk.

and unreal gratifications.

2 Tall, in old 3 i. e. the head, a name adopted from a■ Clar.

Clar. Are you call'd forth from out a world of

men,

To flay 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.
1 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.j

Both. Ay, fo we will.

[York

Clar. Tell him, when that our princely father 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. I Murd. Right, as fnow in harvest.-Come, you deceive yourself;

'Tis he that fends us to destroy you here.

Clar. It cannot be; for he bewept my fortune,»

2 Mard. And he that hath commanded is our And hugg'd me in his arms, and fwore with fubs,

king.

Clar. Erroneous vaffal! 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 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 houfe of Lancaster.

1 Mad. And, like a traitor to the name of God, [blade, Didit break that vow; and, with thy treacherous Unripp'dit the bowels of thy fovereign's fon, 2 Murd. Whom thou wait fworn to cherith and defend. [law to us, 1 Murd. How canft thou urge God's dreadful When thou haft broke it in fuch dear degree? Clas. Alas! for whole fake did I that all 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 Murd. Who made thee then a bloody minifter, When gallant-fpringing 2, brave Plantagenet, That princely 3 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 Glolter; Who thall reward you better for my life, Than Edward will for tidings of my death.

z Murd. You are deceiv'd, your brother Glofter

hates you.

That he would labour my delivery.

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

Clar. Haft thou that holy feeling in thy foul, To counfei 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, fars, confider, he that fets you en

To do this dead, will hate you for the deed. 2 Mard. 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 diftre,

I Murd. Relent! 'tis cowardly, and womanish.
Clar. Not to relent, is beaftly, favage, devilith.-
My friend, I fpy fome.pity in thy locks;
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. Look behind you, my lord.

1 Mard. Take that, and that; if all this will

How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands
Of this moft grievous guilty murder done!
Re-enter fif Murderer.

I Murd. How now ? what mean'ft thou, that thou help'ft me not? [have been. By heaven, the duke thall know how flack you 2 Murd. I would he knew that I had fav'd huis brother!

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

[Exit.

I 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;

Clar. Oh, no; he loves me, and he holds me dear: For this will out, and then I muft not stay.
Go you to him from me.

1 Queft is inquest o jury.

[Exit with the belly.

2 i. e. blooming Plantagenet, a prince in the fpring of life.

2 i. e. youth; one yet new to the world.

SCENE

The Court.

АСТ II.

Enter King Edward fick, the Queen, De fet, Rivers, Haflings, Buckingham, Grey, and others.

K. Edw. WHY, fo

:-now have I done a good day's work;

Your peers, continue this united league:
I every day expect an embassage

From my Redeemer to redeem me hence;
And now in peace my foul thall part to heaven,
Since I have made my friends at peace on earth.
Rivers, and Hattings, take each other's hand;
Diffemble not your hatred, fwear your love.
Riv. By heaven, my foul is purg'd from grudg-
ing hate;

And with my hand I feal my true heart's love.
"Haff. So thrive I, as I truly fear the like!
K. Edw. Take heed, you dally not before your
king;

Left he, that is the fupreme King of kings,
Confound your hidden falfhood, and award
Either of you to be the other's end.

Haf. So profper I, as I fwear perfect love.
Rio. And I, as I love Haftings with my heart!
K. Edw. Madam, yourself are not exempt in
this,

Nor your fon Dorfet,-Buckingham, nor you;-
You have been factious one against the other.
Wife, love lord Haftings, let him kifs your hand;
And what you do, do it unfeignedly. [remember
Queen. There, Haftings;-I will never more
Our former hatred, fo thrive I, and mine!

K. Edw. Dorfet, embrace him ;-Haftings, love lord marquis.

Dor. This enterchange of love, I here protest, Upon my part, fhall be inviolable. Haft. And fo fwear 1.

[this league K. Edw. Now, princely Buckingham, feal thou 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, but with all duteous love

[To the Queen. Doth cherith you, and yours, God punish me With hate in those where I expect most love ! When I have moft need to employ 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 heaven, When I am cold in love, to you, or yours. [Embracing Rivers, St. K.Ed. A pleafing cordial, princely Buckingham, Is this thy vow unto my fickly heart. There wanteth now our brother Glofter here, To make the bleffed period of this peace,

Buck. And, in good time, here comes the noble Enter Glofter.

[duke. Gla. Good-morrow to my fovereign, king, and Aud, princely peers, a happy time of day! [queen; K. Edw. Happy, indeed, as we have spent the Brother, we have done deeds of charity; [day :— Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate, Between thefe fwelling wrong-incenfed peers.

Glo. A bleffed labour, my moft fovereign liege-
Among this princely heap, if any here,
By falfe intelligence, or wrong furmife,
Hold me a foe; if I unwittingly
Have aught committed that is hardly borne
By any in this prefence, I defire
To reconcile me to his friendly peace:
'Tis death to me, to be at enmity;

I hate it, and defire 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 coufin Buckingham,

If ever any grudge were lodg'd between us ;—
Of you, lord Rivers,—and, lord Grey, of you,
That all without defert have frown'd on me ;-
Of you, lord Woodville,—and, lord Scales, of you,--
Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen; indeed, of all.
I do not know that Englishman alive,
With whom my foul is any jot at odds,
More than the infant that is born to-night;
I thank my God for my humility.

Queen. A holy-day this fhall be kept hereafter:would to God, all ftrifes were well compounded.-My fovereign lord, I do befeech your highness To take our brother Clarence to your grace.

Glo. Why, madam, have I offer'd love for this, To be fo fouted in this royal prefence? Who knows not, that the gentle duke is dead? They all fart. You do him injury, to fcorn his corfe. [he is?

K. Edw. Who knows not, he is dead! who knows Queen. All-fecing heaven, what a world is this! Buck. Look I fo pale, lord Dorset, as the rest? Dor. Ay, my good lord; and no man in the profence,

But his red-colour hath forfook his cheeks.

K. Edw. Is Clarence dead? the order was re

This alludes to a proverbial expreffion, that Ill news hath wings, and with the wind doth go; * Comford's a cripple, and comes ever dow.".

K. Edw.

K. Edw. I pr'ythee, peace; my foul is full of |

forrow.

Dutch. My pretty cousins, you mistake me both ; I do lament the ficknefs of the king,

Stan. I will not rife, unless your highness hear me.
K. Edw. Then fay at once, what is it thou re-It
queft'ft.

As loth to lofe him, not your father's death; were loft forrow, to wail one that's loft. Son. Then, grandam, you conclude that he is dead. Stan. The forfeit 1, fovereign, of my fervant's life; The king mine uncle is to blame for this: Who flew to-day a riotous gentleman, Lately attendant on the duke of Norfolk.

K. Edw. Have I a tongue to doom my bro-
ther's death,

And fhall 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 fu'd to me for him? who, in my wrath,
Kneel'd at my feet, and bid me be advis'd?
Who spoke of brotherhood? who spoke of love?
Who told me, how the poor foul did fortake
The mighty Warwick, and did fight for me?
Who told me, in the field at Tewksbury,
When Oxford had me down, he refcu'd me,
And faid, Dear brother, live, and be a king ?
Who told me, when we both lay in the field,
Frozen almoft 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 brutith, wrath
Sinfully pluck'd, and not a man of you
Had to much grace to put it in my mind.
But, when your carters, or your waiting vaffals,
Have done a drunken flaughter, and defac'd
The precious image of our dear Redeemer,
You ftraight are on your knees for pardon, pardon;
And 1, unjustly too, muft grant it you :--
But for my brother, not a man would speak,-
Nor I (ungracious) fpeak unto myself
For him, poor foul.-The proudeft of you all
Hath been beholden to him in his life;

Yet none of you would once plead for his life.----
O God! I fear, thy justice will take hold
On me, and you, and mine, and yours, for this.-
Come, Hattings, help me to my cloíet. Oh,
Poor Clarence! [Exeunt King and Queen, Haflings,
Rivers, Dorfet, and Grey.

Glo. Thefe are the fruits of ralhnets -Mark'd
you not,

How that the guilty kindred of the queen
Look'd pale, when they did hear of Clarence' death?
O! they did urge it ftill unto the king:
God will revenge it. Come, lords; will you go,
To comfort Edward with our company?
Buck. We wait upon your grace.

[Exeunt.

God will revenge it; whom I will importune
With earnest prayers, all to that effect.
Daugh. And fo will I. [love you well:
Dutch. Peace, children, peace! the king doth
Incapable and shallow innocents,

You cannot guess who caus'd your father's death.

Son. Grandam, we can : for my good uncle Glofter
Told me, the king, provok'd to 't by the queen,
Devis'd impeachments to imprifon him:
And when my uncle told me fo, he wept,
And pitied me, and kindly kifs'd my cheek;
Bade me rely on him, as on my father,
And he would love me dearly as his child.
Dutch. Ali, that deceit fhould steal fuch gentle
shapes,

And with a virtuous vizor hide deep vice!
He is my fon, ay, and therein my thame,
Yet from my dugs he drew not this deceit. [dam ?
Son. Think you, my uncle did diffemble, gran-
Dutch. Ay, boy.

Sen. I cannot think it. Hark! what noife is this? Enter the Queen, diftractedly; Rivers, and Do fet, after ber.

Queen. Ah! who thall hinder me to wail and

weep?

To chide my fortune, and torment, myself?
I'll join with black despair against my foul,
And to myfelf become an enemy.-

Dutch. What means this fcene of rude impatience?
Queen. To make an act of tragic violence :-
Edward, my lord, thy fon, our king, is dead.—
Why grow the branches, when the root is gone?
Why wither not the leaves, that want their fap -
If you will live, lament; if die, be brief;
That our swift-winged fouls may catch the king's;
Or, like obedient fubjects, follow him
To his new kingdom of perpetual rest.

Dutch. Ah,fo much interest have I in thy forrow, As I had title in thy noble husband !

I have bewept a worthy husband's death,
And liv'd by looking on his images :
But now, two mirrors of his princely femblance
Are crack'd in pieces by malignant death;
And I for comfort have but one falfe glass,
That grieves me when I fee my fhame in him.
Thou art a widow; yet thou art a mother,
And haft the comfort of thy children left thee;
But death hath fnatch'd my husband from mine armis,
And pluck'd two crutches from my feeble hands,
Clarence, and Edward. O, what caufe have I
(Thine being but a moiety of my grief)
To over-go thy plaints, and drown thy cries?
Son. Ah, aunt! [To the Queen.] you wept not
for our father's death;
How can we aid you with our kindred tears?
Daugh. Our fatherlets diftrefs was left unmoan'd,
Your widow dolcur likewife be unwept !

Queen. Give me no help in lamentation,
I am not barrea to bring forth lam: nts :
All iping reduce their currents to mine eyes,
That 1, being govern'd by the watry moon,
May tend forth plenteous tears to drown the world!
"Ah, for my husband, för my dear lord Edward!
Chil. Aly, for our father, for our dear lord Cla-
rence!
[Clarence!

Dutch. Alas, for both, both mine, Edward and
Quen. What stay had 1, but Edward? and he's
gone.
[gone.
Chil. What ftay had we, but Clarence? and he's
Dutch. What fays had I, but they and they
are gone.
Queen. Was never widow, had fo dear a lofs.
Chil. Were never orphans, had fo dear'a lofs.
Dutch. Was never mother, had fo dear a loís.
Alas! I am the mother of these griefs;
Their woes are parcell'd, mine are general.
She for an Edward weeps, and fo do I;
I for a Clarence weep, fo doth not she:
Thefe babes for Clarence weep, and so do I;
1 for an Edward weep, fo do not they
Alas! you three, on me, threefold diftrefs'd,
Pour all your tears; I am your forrow's nurse,
And I will pamper it with lamentations.

Dor. Comfort, dear mother; God is much
pleas'd,

The broken rancour of your high-fwoln hearts,
But lately fplinted, knit, and join'd together,
Muft gently be preferv'd, cherith', and kept :
Me feemeth good, that, with fome little train,
Forthwith from Ludlow the young prince be fetch'd
Hither to London, to be crown'd our king.

Riv. Why with fome little train, my lord of
Buckingham?

Buck. Marry, my lord, left, by a multitude,
The new-heal'd wound of malice should break out;
Which would be fo much the more dangerous,
By how much the eftatc is green, and yet ungovern'd;
Where every horfe bears his commanding rein,
And may direct his courfe as pleate himself,
As well the fear of harm, as harm apparent,
In my opinion, ought to be prevented.

Glo. I hope, the king made peace with all of us;
And the compact is firm, and true in mc.

Riv. And fo in me; and fo, I think, in all:
Yet, fince it is but green, it fhould be put
To no apparent likelihood of breach,
Which, haply, by much company might be urg'J;
Therefore I fay, with noble Buckingham,

That it is meet fo few fhould fetch the prince.
Haft. And fo fay I.

Glo. Then be it fo; and go we to determine
dif-Who they shall be that straight shall post to Ludlow,
Madam,-and you my mother, will you go
To give your cenfures 2 in this weighty business?
[Exeunt Quern, &c.

That you take with unthankfulness his doing:
In common worldly things, 'tis call'd-ungrateful,
With dull unwillingness to repay a debt,
Which with a bounteous hand was kindly lent;
Much more, to be thus oppofite with heaven,
For it requires the royal debt it lent you. [ther,
Riv. Madam, bethink you, like a careful mo-
Of the young prince your fon: fend ftraight for
him,

Let him be crown'd: in him your comfort lives:
Drown defperate forrow in dead Edward's grave,
And plant your joys in living Edward's throne.
Enter Glafler, Buckingham, Stanley, Haftings, and
Rateliff

Gl. Sifter, have comfort: all of us have caufe
To wail the dimming of our fhining star;
But none can cure their harms by wailing them.-—
Madam, my mother, I do cry you mercy,

I did not fee your grace :-Humbly on my knee
I crave your bleffing.

[breaft, Dutch. "God bless thee; and put meekness in thy Love, charity, obedience, and true duty!

Glo. Amen; and make me die a good old man !---That is the butt-end of a mother's blefling! [Aide. I marvel, that her grace did leave it out.

[peers,

Buck. You cloudy princes, and heart-forrowing
That bear this mutual heavy load of moan,
Now chear each other in each other's love:
Though we have spent our harveft of this king,
We are to reap the harveft of his fon.

Manent Buckingham, and Glofter.
Buck. My lord, whoever journeys to the prince,
For God's fake, let not us two stay at home:
For, by the way, I'll fort occafion,
As index3 to the ftory we late talk'd of,
To part the queen's proud kindred from the prince,
Glo. My other felf, my counfel's confiftory,
My oracle, my prophet !-My dear cousin,
I, as a child, will go by thy direction.
Towards Ludlow then, for we'll not ftay behind.
[Excurt

SCEN E III.

A Street near the Court.
Enter two Citizens, meeting.

1 Cit. Good morrow, neighbour: Whither
away fo faft?

2 Cit. I promife you, I hardly know myself: Hear you

the news abroad?

I Cit. Yes, that the king is dead.

2 Cit. Ill news, by 'r lady: feldom comes a better:

fear, I fear, 'twill prove a giddy world.

Enter another Citizen.

3 Cit. Neighbours, God speed!

1 Cit. Give you good morrow, fir.

[death 2

3 Cit. Doth the news hold of good king Edware's 2 Cit. Ay, fir, it is too true; God help, the while! 3 Cit. Then, mafters, look to fee a troublous world.

1 Edward the young prince, in his father's life-time, and at his demife, kept his houfhold at Ludlow, as prince of Wales, under the governance of Anthony Woodville, earl of Rivers, his uncle by the mother's fide. The intention of his being fent thither was to fee juftice done in the Marches; and, by the authority of his prefence, to retrain the Welchmen, who were wild, diffolute, and difpofed, from their acentomed murders and outrages. a i. c. your opinions." 3 i. e. prepa ratory-by way of prelude.

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