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 minister,
When 'gailant fpringing, brave Plantagenet,
That princely *novice, was ftruck dead by thee?
Clar. My brother's love, the devil, and my rage.
I Murd. Thy brother's love, our duty, and thy fault,
Provoke us hither now to slaughter 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 send you to my brother Glofter;

Who shall 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 harveft.-Come, you deceive yourself;

i gallant-fpringing,]-the rifing hero.

novice,]-youth.

1 for meed,]-If intereft induce you.-for need-If neceffity be your

motive.

'Tis he that fends us to destroy 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 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 muft die, my lord.

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 fet you on

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

--Clar. Relent, and save your fouls.

1 Murd. 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 from liberty, as I am now,—

If two fuch murderers as yourselves came to you,-
Would not intreat for life?

My friend, I spy fome pity in thy looks;

O, if thine eye be not a flatterer,

Come then on my fide, and entreat for me,

As

you would beg, were you in my distress. A begging prince what beggar pities not ?

2 Murd. Look behind you, my lord.

1 Murd. Take that, and that; if all this will not serve,

[Stabs him.

I'll down you in the malmfey-butt within.

[Exit.

2 Murd. A bloody deed, and defperately dispatch'd!

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

Re-enter first Murderer.

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

By heaven, the duke shall know how flack you have been.
2 Murd. 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 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.

[Exit.

[Exit, with the body.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

The Court.

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

K. Edw. Why, fo:-now have I done a good day's work

You peers, continue this united league :

I every day expect an embaffage

From my Redeemer to redeem me hence;

And now 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

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,
Confound your hidden falfhood, and award
Either of you to be the other's end.

Haft. So profper I, as I fwear perfect love!
Riv. And I, as I love Hastings 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 Hastings, let him kiss your hand;
And what you do, do it unfeignedly.

Queen. There, Hastings; I will never more remember Our former hatred, So thrive I, and mine!

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

Dor. This enterchange of love, I here proteft, 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. Whenever 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 those where I expect most love!
When I have moft need to employ a friend,'
And most affured that he is a friend,
Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile,
Be he unto me! this do I beg of heaven,

m

dally not]-play not with oaths, prevaricate.
Ii 4

When

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 Glofter here,

To make the bleffed period of this peace.

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

Glo. Good morrow to my fovereign, king, and queen; And, princely peers, a happy time of day!

K. Edw. Happy, indeed, as we have spent the day:Brother, 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 most fovereign liege.-
Among this princely heap, if any here,

By falfe intelligence, or wrong furmise,
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 fervice ;-
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.

or in my rage.