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Richard the Third (Modern)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Adrian Kiernander
Not Peer Reviewed
835

[1.4]

Enter Clarence, Brakenbury.
Brakenbury Why looks your grace so heavily today?
Clarence Oh, I have passed a miserable night,
So full of ugly sights, of ghastly dreams,
840That as I am a Christian, faithful man
I would not spend another such a night
Though 'twere to buy a world of happy days,
So full of dismal terror was the time.
Brakenbury What was your dream? I long to hear you tell it.
845Clarence Methoughts I was embarked for Burgundy,
And in my company my brother Gloucester
Who from my cabin tempted me to walk
Upon the hatches; thence we looked toward England
850And cited up a thousand fearful times
During the wars of York and Lancaster
That had befallen us. As we paced along
Upon the giddy footing of the hatches
Methought that Gloucester stumbled, and in stumbling
855Struck me, that thought to stay him, overboard
Into the tumbling billows of the main.
Lord, Lord, methought what pain it was to drown,
What dreadful noise of waters in my ears,
What ugly sights of death within my eyes:
860Methought I saw a thousand fearful wracks,
Ten thousand men that fishes gnawed upon,
Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl,
Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels;
865Some lay in dead men's skulls, and in those holes
Where eyes did once inhabit, there were crept,
As 'twere in scorn of eyes, reflecting gems
Which wooed the slimy bottom of the deep
And mocked the dead bones that lay scattered by.
870Brakenbury Had you such leisure in the time of death
To gaze upon the secrets of the deep?
Clarence Methought I had, for still the envious flood
Kept in my soul, and would not let it forth
875To seek the empty, vast and wandering air,
But smothered it within my panting bulk
Which almost burst to belch it in the sea.
Brakenbury Awaked you not with this sore agony?
Clarence Oh no, my dream was lengthened after life.
880Oh, then began the tempest to my soul,
Who passed, methought, the melancholy flood,
With that grim ferryman which poets write of,
Unto the kingdom of perpetual night.
The first that there did greet my stranger soul
885Was my great father-in-law, renownèd Warwick,
Who cried aloud, "What scourge for perjury
Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?"
And so he vanished; then came wandring by
A shadow like an angel in bright hair,
890Dabbled in blood, and he squeaked out aloud,
"Clarence is come, false, fleeting, perjured Clarence
That stabbed me in the field by Tewkesbury.
Seize on him, Furies, take him to your torments."
With that, methoughts, a legion of foul fiends
895Environed me about and howled in mine ears
Such hideous cries that with the very noise
I trembling waked, and for a season after
Could not believe but that I was in hell,
Such terrible impression made the dream.
900Brakenbury No marvel, my lord, though it affrighted you.
I promise you, I am afraid to hear you tell it.
Clarence O Brakenbury, I have done those things
Which now bear evidence against my soul
For Edward's sake, and see how he requites me.
I pray thee, gentle keeper, stay by me;
910My soul is heavy and I fain would sleep.
Brakenbury I will, my lord, God give your grace good rest.
[Clarence sleeps.]
Sorrow breaks seasons, and reposing hours
Makes the night morning and the noontide night.
915Princes have but their titles for their glories,
An outward honor for an inward toil,
And for unfelt imagination
They often feel a world of restless cares;
So that betwixt their titles and low names
920There's nothing differs but the outward fame.
The executioners enter.
In God's name, what are you, and how came you hither?
9251 Executioner I would speak with Clarence, and I came hither on my legs.
Brakenbury Yea, are you so brief?
2 Executioner Oh sir, it is better to be brief than tedious.
[To the first executioner] Show him our commission, talk no more.
[The first executioner gives the commission to Brakenbury, who] reads it.
930Brakenbury I am in this commanded to deliver
The noble Duke of Clarence to your hands.
I will not reason what is meant hereby
Because I will be guiltless of the meaning.
Here are the keys, there sits the Duke asleep;
935I'll to his majesty, and certify his grace
That thus I have resigned my charge to you.
[Exit.]
1 Executioner Do so, it is a point of wisdom.
2 Executioner What, shall I stab him as he sleeps?
9401 Executioner No, then he will say it was done cowardly when he wakes.
2 Executioner When he wakes? Why, fool, he shall never wake till the judgment day.
1 Executioner Why, then he will say we stabbed him sleeping.
2 Executioner The urging of that word "judgment" hath bred a 945kind of remorse in me.
1 Executioner What? Art thou afraid?
2 Executioner Not to kill him, having a warrant for it, but to be damned for killing him, from which no warrant can defend us.
1 Executioner Back to the Duke of Gloucester, tell him so.
2 Executioner I pray thee stay a while, I hope my holy humor will change; 955'twas wont to hold me but while one would tell twenty.
[He counts to twenty.]
1 Executioner How dost thou feel thyself now?
2 Executioner Faith, some certain dregs of conscience are yet within me.
1 Executioner Remember our reward when the deed is done.
9602 Executioner Zounds, he dies! I had forgot the reward.
1 Executioner Where is thy conscience now?
2 Executioner In the Duke of Gloucester's purse.
1 Executioner So when he opens his purse to give us our reward, thy conscience flies out.
9652 Executioner Let it go, there's few or none will entertain it.
1 Executioner How if it come to thee again?
2 Executioner I'll not meddle with it, it is a dangerous thing. It makes a man a coward: a man cannot steal but it accuses him; he cannot 970swear but it checks him; he cannot lie with his neighbor's wife but it detects him. It is a blushing shamefaced spirit that mutinies in a man's bosom: it fills one full of obstacles. It made me once restore a purse of gold that I found. It beggars any 975man that keeps it: it is turned out of all towns and cities for a dangerous thing, and every man that means to live well endeavors to trust to himself, and to live without it.
1 Executioner Zounds, it is even now at my elbow persuading me not to 980kill the Duke.
2 Executioner Take the devil in thy mind and believe him not. He would insinuate with thee to make thee sigh.
1 Executioner Tut, I am strong in fraud, he cannot prevail with me, I warrant thee.
2 Executioner Spoke like a tall fellow that respects his reputation. 985Come, shall we to this gear?
1 Executioner Take him over the costard with the hilts of thy sword, and then we will chop him in the malmsey butt in the next room.
2 Executioner Oh, excellent device, make a sop of him.
9901 Executioner Hark, he stirs, shall I strike?
2 Executioner No, first let's reason with him.
Clarence Where art thou, keeper, give me a cup of wine.
1 Executioner You shall have wine enough, my lord, anon.
995Clarence In God's name, what art thou?
2 Executioner A man, as you are.
Clarence But not as I am, royal.
2 Executioner Nor you as we are, loyal.
Clarence Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks are humble.
10002 Executioner My voice is now the King's, my looks mine own.
Clarence How darkly and how deadly dost thou speak.
Tell me who are you, wherefore come you hither?
Both To, to, to. . .
1005Clarence To murder me?
Both Aye.
Clarence 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?
10101 Executioner Offended us you have not, but the King.
Clarence I shall be reconciled to him again.
2 Executioner Never, my lord, therefore prepare to die.
Clarence Are you called forth from out a world of men
To slay the innocent? What is my offence?
1015Where are the evidence that do accuse me?
What lawful quest have given their verdict up
Unto the frowning judge, or who pronounced
The bitter sentence of poor Clarence' death
Before I be convict by course of law?
1020To threaten me with death is most unlawful.
I charge you as you hope to have redemption,
1021.1By Christ's dear blood shed for our grievous sins,
That you depart and lay no hands on me.
The deed you undertake is damnable.
1 Executioner What we will do, we do upon command.
10252 Executioner And he that hath commanded is the King.
Clarence Erroneous vassal, the great King of Kings
Hath in the tables of his law commanded
That thou shalt do no murder, and wilt thou then
Spurn at his edict and fulfill a man's?
1030Take heed, for he holds vengeance in his hands
To hurl upon their heads that break his law.
2 Executioner And that same vengeance doth he throw on thee
For false forswearing, and for murder too.
Thou didst receive the holy sacrament
1035To fight in quarrel of the House of Lancaster . . .
1 Executioner And like a traitor to the name of God
Didst break that vow, and with thy treacherous blade
Unripped the bowels of thy sovereign's son. . .
2 Executioner Whom thou wert sworn to cherish and defend.
10401 Executioner How canst thou urge God's dreadful law to us
When thou hast broke it in so dear degree?
Clarence Alas, for whose sake did I that ill deed?
For Edward, for my brother, for his sake.
Why, sirs, he sends ye not to murder me for this,
1045For in this sin he is as deep as I.
If God will be revengèd for this deed,
Take not the quarrel from his powerful arm.
He needs no indirect nor lawless course
1050To cut off those that have offended him.
1 Executioner Who made thee then a bloody minister
When gallant, springing, brave Plantagenet,
That princely novice, was struck dead by thee?
Clarence My brother's love, the devil, and my rage.
10551 Executioner Thy brother's love, the devil and thy fault
Have brought us hither now to murder thee.
Clarence Oh, if you love my brother, hate not me;
I am his brother and I love him well.
If you be hired for meed, go back again
1060And I will send you to my brother Gloucester
Who will reward you better for my life
Than Edward will for tidings of my death.
2 Executioner You are deceived, your brother Gloucester hates you.
1065Clarence Oh no, he loves me, and he holds me dear.
Go you to him from me.
Both Aye, so we will.
Clarence Tell him, when that our princely father York
Blessed his three sons with his victorious arm
1069.1And charged us from his soul to love each other,
1070He little thought of this divided friendship.
Bid Gloucester think of this and he will weep.
Both Aye, millstones, as he lessoned us to weep.
Clarence Oh do not slander him for he is kind.
1 Executioner Right, as snow in harvest; 1075thou deceiv'st thyself.
'Tis he hath sent us hither now to slaughter thee.
Clarence It cannot be, for when I parted with him
He hugged me in his arms, and swore with sobs
That he would labor my delivery.
10802 Executioner Why so he doth, now he delivers thee
From this world's thralldom to the joys of heaven.
1 Executioner Make peace with God, for you must die, my lord.
Clarence Hast thou that holy feeling in thy soul
To counsel me to make my peace with God,
1085And art thou yet to thy own soul so blind
That thou wilt war with God by murdering me?
Ah sirs, consider, he that set you on
To do this deed will hate you for this deed.
2 Executioner What shall we do?
1090Clarence Relent, and save your souls.
1 Executioner Relent, 'tis cowardly and womanish.
Clarence Not to relent is beastly, savage, devilish.
[to the second executioner]
My friend, I spy some pity in thy looks.
Oh, if thy eye be not a flatterer,
1100Come thou on my side and entreat for me;
A begging prince, what beggar pities not?
1 Executioner
I'll chop thee in the malmsey butt in the next room.
[Exit with the wounded or unconscious Clarence.]
11052 Executioner A bloody deed and desperately performed.
How fain like Pilate would I wash my hand
Of this most grievous, guilty murder done.
[The first executioner re-enters.]
1 Executioner Why dost thou not help me?
By heavens, the Duke shall know how slack thou 1110art.
2 Executioner I would he knew that I had saved his brother.
Take thou the fee and tell him what I say,
For I repent me that the Duke is slain.
Exit.
1 Executioner So do not I; go, coward as thou art.
1115Now must I hide his body in some hole
Until the Duke take order for his burial,
And when I have my meed I must away
For this will out and here I must not stay.
[Exit].