2 Vil. I would speak with Clarence, and I came his ther on my legs.

Brok. What, fo brief?

1 Vil. 'Tis better, Sir, than to be tedious.--Let him fee our Commiffion, and talk no more.

Brak. [Reads.] 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 guiltlefs of the meaning. There lies the Duke afleep, and there the keys. I'll to the King, and fignify to him,

That thus I have refign'd to you my Charge. [Exit. 1 Vil. You may, Sir, 'tis a point of wifdom. Fare you well. [Exit Brakenbury. 2 Vil. What, fhall we ftab him as he fleeps? 1 Vil. No; he'll fay, 'twas done cowardly, when he wakes.

2 Vil. When he wakes? why, Fool, he fhall never wake until the great Judgment-day.

1 Vil. Why, then he'll fay, we ftabb'd him sleeping.

2 Vil. The urging of that word, Judgment, hath bred a kind of remorfe in me.

1 Vil. What? art thou afraid?

2 Vil. 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.

1 Vil. I'll back to the Duke of Glofter, and tell him fo.

2 Vil. Nay, pr'ythee, ftay a little: I hope, this holy humour of mine will change; it was wont to hold me but while one would tell twenty.

1 Vil. How doft thou feel thyfelf now?

2 Vil. Faith, fome certain dregs of conscience are yet within me.

1 Vil. Remember the reward, when the deed's done. 2. Vil, Come, he dies. I had forgot the reward. 1 Vil. Where's thy confcience now?

2 Vil.

2 Vil. O, in the Duke of Glo'fter's purse.

1 Vil. When he opens his purfe to give us our reward, thy confcience flies out.

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

1 Vil. What if it come to thee again?

2 Vil. I'll not meddle with it; it is a dangerous Thing, it makes a man a coward: a man cannot steal, but it accuseth him; a man cannot fwear, but it checks him; a man cannot lie with his neighbour's wife, but it detects him. 'Tis a blufhing fham'd-fac'd fpirit, that mutinies in a man's bofom: it fills one full of obftacles. It made me once reftore 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 truft to himself, and live without it. 1 Vil. 'Tis even now at my elbow, perfuading me not to kill the Duke.

2 Vil. Take the devil in thy mind, and believe him not he would infinuate with thee but to make thee figh.

me.

1 Vil, I am strong fram'd, he cannot prevail with

*

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

1 Vil. Take him over the costard, with the hilt of thy sword; and then throw him into the malmfie-butt, in the next room.

2 Vil. O excellent device, and make a fop of him. 1 Vil. Soft, he wakes.

Take the Devil in thy mind, and believe HIM not: HE would infinuate with thee, &c.] One villain fays, Confcience is at his elbows perfuading him not to kill the Duke. The other fays, take the devil into thy nearer acquaintance, into thy mind, who

Shall I ftrike?

will be a match for thy confcience, and believe it not, Sc. It is plain then, that HIM in both places in the text fhould be IT, namely, confcience. WARB.

• Spoke like a tall fellow.] The meaning of tall, in old English, is flout, daring, fearless and ftreng. S3 2 Vil.

9

2 Vil. No, we'll reason with him.

Clar. Where art thou, Keeper? give me a cup of

wine. "

2 Vil. 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.

1 Vil. Nor you, as we are, loyal.

Clar. Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks 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? Both. To, to, to

Clar. To murder me?

Both. Ay, ay.

Clar. Ye icarcely have the hearts to tell me fo, And therefore cannot have the hearts to do it. Wherein, my friends, have I offended you?

1 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 die.
Clar. Are you call'd forth from out a world of men,
To flay the innocent? what's my offence?
Where is the evidence, that doth accuse me?
What lawful Queft 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 courfe of law,

To threaten me with death, is most unlawful.
I charge you, as you hope to have Redemption,
That you depart, and lay no hands on me:

The deed, you undertake, is damnable.

1 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 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.

2 Vil. And that fame vengeance doth he hurl on thee
For false forfwearing, and for murder too;
Thou didst receive the Sacrament, to fight
In Quarrel of the House of Lancaster.

1 Vil. And, like a traitor to the name of God, Didst break that vow; and with thy treacherous blade, Unrip'dft the bowels of thy Sovereign's fon.

2 Vil. Whom thou wert fworn to cherish and defend. 1 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 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 those that have offended him.

1 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 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.

3 Springing Plantagenet. ]

Novice. ] Youth; one yet

Blooming Plantagenet; a prince new to the world. in the Spring of life.

If you are hir'd for Meed, go back again,
And I will fend you to my brother Glofter,
Who will reward you better for my life,

Than Edward will for tidings of my death.

2 Vil. 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 Bleft 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 Vil. Ay, millftones; as he leffon'd us to weep. Clar. O do not flander him, for he is kind. i Vil. As fnow in harveft:-you deceive yourself; "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 swore with fobs, That he would labour my delivery.

1 Vil. Why, fo he doth, when he delivers you From this earth's thraldom to the joys of heav'n. 2 Vil. Make peace with God, for you must die, my

Lord.

Clar. Have you that holy feeling in your foul, To counfel me to make my peace with God, And are you yet to your own fouls 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 fouls. Which of you, if

you were a Prince's fon,

4--and fave your fouls, &c.] The fix following lines are not in the old edition. POPE. They are not neceffary, but fo

forced in, that fomething feems omitted to which thefe lines are the answer.