Who sent you hither? Wherefore do

Second Murd. To, to, to

Clar. To murder me?

Both Murd. Ay, ay.

you come?

Clar. You scarcely have the hearts to tell me so, And therefore cannot have the hearts to do it. Wherein, my friends, have I offended you?

First Murd. Offended us you have not, but the king. Clar. I shall be reconcil'd to him again.

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

Clar. Are you drawn forth among a world of men,
To slay the innocent? What is my offence?
Where is the evidence that doth accuse me?
What lawful quest have given their verdict up
Unto the frowning judge? or who pronounc'd
The bitter sentence of poor Clarence' death?
Before I be convict by course of law,

To threaten me with death is most unlawful.
I charge you, as you hope to have redemption
By Christ's dear blood shed for our grievous sins,
That you depart, and lay no hands on me.

First Murd. What we will do we do upon command.
Second Murd. And he that hath commanded is our

king.

Clar. Erroneous vassal; the great King of kings Hath in the table of His law commanded,

That thou shalt do no murder: will you 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.

Second Murd. Make peace with God, for you must die, my lord.

Clar. Have you that holy feeling in your souls,
To counsel me to make my peace with God,
And are you yet to your own souls so blind,
That you will war with God, by murdering me?
Oh, sirs, consider they that set you on

To do this deed will hate you for the deed.
Second Murd. What shall we do?

Clar.

Relent, and save your souls. First Murd. Relent! 'tis cowardly and womanish.

Clar. Not to relent is beastly, savage, devilish. Which of you, if you were a prince's son,

Being pent from liberty as I am now

If two such murderers as yourselves came to you—
Would not entreat for life?—

My friend, I spy some pity in thy looks;
O, if thine eye be not a flatterer,

Come thou on my side, and entreat for me,
As you would beg were you in my distress :
A begging prince what beggar pities not?
Second Murd. Look behind you, my lord.
First Murd. Take that, and that; if all this will
[Stabs him.

not do,

I'll drown you in the malmsey-butt within.

[Exit, with the body.

[Edward IV. left two sons, mere children - Edward, aged twelve years, and Richard, aged nine. Edward was proclaimed king in April, 1483; but his reign was merely nominal. He and his brother were sent to the Tower by their uncle, where they were cruelly murdered, so as to clear Richard's path to the throne. The following is Shakespeare's account of their death :-]

SCENE-A Room in the Palace.

Enter SIR JAMES TYRREL.

Tyr. The tyrannous and bloody act is done;
The most arch deed of piteous massacre
That ever yet this land was guilty of.
Dighton and Forrest, whom I did suborn
To do this piece of ruthless butchery,
Albeit they were flesh'd villains, bloody dogs,
Melting with tenderness and mild compassion,
Wept like two children, in their death's sad story.
"O thus," quoth Dighton, "lay the gentle babes"

"Thus, thus," quoth Forrest, "girdling one another
Within their alabaster innocent arms:
Their lips were four red roses on a stalk,

Which, in their summer beauty kiss'd each other.
A book of prayers on their pillow lay;

Which once," quoth Forrest, "almost chang'd my mind;
But, O, the devil"—there the villain stopp'd;
When Dighton thus told on-"we smothered
The most replenished sweet work of Nature,
That, from the prime creation, e'er she fram'd.”-
Hence both are gone, with conscience and remorse
They could not speak; and so I left them both,
To bear this tidings to the bloody king.—

And here he comes.

Enter KING RICHARD.

All health, my sovereign lord!

K. Rich. Kind Tyrrel, am I happy in thy news? Tyr. If to have done the thing you gave in charge Beget you happiness, be happy then,

For it is done.

K. Rich. But didst thou see them dead?

Tyr. I did, my

lord.

K. Rich. And buried, gentle Tyrrel?

Tyr. The chaplain of the Tower hath buried them; But where, to say the truth, I do not know.

K. Rich. Come to me, Tyrrel, soon, at after supper, When thou shalt tell the process of their death. Meantime, but think how I may do thee good, And be inheritor of thy desire.

Farewell till then.

Tyr.

I humbly take my leave.

This sun of York. The cognisance of Edward IV. was a Sun. Gloster is referring to the accession of the House of York to the throne in the person of Edward IV. Barbed.-Completely armed.

Inductions.-Insinuations; charges not openly made, but merely hinted at.

For my name.-Because, in as much as, my name, &c.
Toys.-Trifles.

Hath kept an evil diet long.-Hath long led a dissolute life.

That grim ferryman.-Charon, the fabled ferryman of souls over the river Styx.

Warwick.-Commonly called the king-maker. He sided alternately with the Lancastrians and the Yorkists. He was killed at the battle of Barnet, 1471.

A shadow like an angel.—The reference is to Edward, son of Henry VI. and his queen, Margaret, who was taken prisoner at the battle of Tewksbury, 1471, and cruelly murdered at the age of eighteen years.

Lawful quest.-Legal trial by his peers.

Flesh'd villains.-Villains accustomed to such bloody work.

Remorse.-Used by Shakespeare for pity, compassion.

V.-KING HENRY VIII.

[HENRY VIII. succeeded to the throne in the year 1509. In that same year he married his brother Arthur's widow, Catherine of Arragon. Cardinal Wolsey, who from a lowly origin had risen to the highest honours in the Church and State, was, in the early part of Henry's reign, his chief adviser. After a marriage of eighteen years to Catherine, Henry began to entertain scruples regarding the validity of this union. His real object was to have Catherine divorced, that he might marry Anne Boleyn, one of the maids of honour at the court. In 1529 a papal commission, composed of Wolsey and a special legate, began to try the question of the validity of the marriage in London. On the opening of the court, Catherine refused to plead, or acknowledge the authority of the court at all.]

SCENE. A Hall in Blackfriars, London.

Enter KING HENRY, CATHERINE, WOLSEY, &c.
Q. Kath. Sir, I desire you do me right and justice;
And to bestow your pity on me; for

I am a most poor woman, and a stranger,
Born out of your dominions; having here
No judge indifferent, nor no inore assurance

Of equal friendship and proceeding. Alas, sir,
In what have I offended you? what cause
Hath my behaviour given to your displeasure,
That thus you should proceed to put me off,

And take your good grace from me? Heaven witness,
I have been to you a true and humble wife,
At all times to your will conformable:

Ever in fear to kindle your dislike,

Yea, subject to your countenance; glad or sorry,
As I saw it inclin'd. When was the hour
I ever contradicted your desire,

friends

Or made it not mine too? Or which of your
Have I not strove to love, although I knew
He were mine enemy? What friend of mine
That had to him deriv'd your anger, did I
Continue in my liking? nay, gave not notice
He was from thence discharg'd? Sir, call to mind
That I have been your wife, in this obedience,
Upward of twenty years, and have been blest
With many children by you; if, in the course
And process
of this time, you can report,
And prove it too, against mine honour aught,
My bond to wedlock, or my love and duty,
Against your sacred person, in God's name,
Turn me away; and let the foul'st contempt
Shut door upon me, and so give me up

To the sharpest kind of justice. Please you, sir,
The king, your father, was reputed for
A prince most prudent, of an excellent

And unmatch'd wit and judgment: Ferdinand,
My father, king of Spain, was reckon'd one
The wisest prince, that there had reign'd by many
A year before it is not to be question'd

That they had gather'd a wise council to them
Of every realm, that did debate this business,

Who deem'd our marriage lawful : wherefore I humbly
Beseech you, sir, to spare me, till I may

Be by my friends in Spain advis'd; whose counsel