2 MURD. Whom thou wast sworn to cherish and defend. 1 MURD. How canst thou urge God's dreadful law to us, 4 When thou hast broke it in such dear degree? CLAR. Alas! for whose sake did I that ill deed? For Edward, for my brother, for his sake: Why, sirs*, he sends you not to murder me for this; For in this sin he is as deep as I. If God will be avenged for the deed, 5 O, know you, that he doth it publickly † ; 1 MURD. Who made thee then a bloody minister, When gallant-springing, brave Plantagenet, That princely novice', was struck dead by thee? CLAR. My brother's love, the devil, and my rage. 1 MURD. Thy brothers' love, our duty, and thy fault, * So quarto 1597. First folio omits Why, sirs. † Quarto 1597 omits this line. dear-] This is a word of mere enforcement, and very frequently occurs, with different shades of meaning, in our author. So, in Timon of Athens: "And strain what other means is left unto us, "In our dear peril." STEEVENS. 5 O, know you, THAT, &c.] The old copies-" O, know you yet-," but we should read-that instead of yet. In the MS. сору that would naturally have been written yt. Hence the mistake, which I have corrected, by the advice of Dr. Farmer. 6 STEEVENS. springing, Plantagenet,] Blooming Plantagenet; a prince in the spring of life. JOHNSON. So, in Spenser's Shepherd's Calendar, 1579: MALONE. "When gallant, springing." This should be printed as one word, I think;-gallant-springing. Shakspeare is fond of these compound epithets, in which the first adjective is to be considered as an adverb. So, in this play, he uses childish-foolish, senselessobstinate, and mortal-staring. TYRWHITT. 7 novice,] Youth, one yet new to the world. JOHNSON. VOL. XIX. F 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, 2 MURD. You are deceiv'd, your brother Gloster hates you9. CLAR. O, no; he loves me, and he holds me dear: Go you to him from me. BOTH MURD. Ay, so we will. CLAR. Tell him, when that our princely father York Bless'd his three sons with his victorious arm, 1 MURD. Ay, mill-stones'; as he lesson'd us to 8 If you are hir'd for MEED,] Thus the quarto 1597 and the folio. The quarto 1598, reads-"If you be hired for need;" which is likewise sense: If it be necessity which induces you to commit this murder.' MALone. Mr. Walpole, some 9 your brother Gloster hates you.] years ago, suggested from the Chronicle of Croyland, that the true cause of Gloster's hatred to Clarence was, that Clarence was unwilling to share with his brother that moiety of the estate of the great Earl of Warwick, to which Gloster became entitled on his marriage with the younger sister of the Duchess of Clarence, Lady Anne Neville, who had been betrothed to Edward Prince of Wales. This account of the matter is fully confirmed by a letter from Sir John Paston to his brother, dated Feb. 14, 1471-2, which has been lately published. Paston Letters, vol. ii. p. 91: "Yesterday the king, the queen, my lords of Clarence and Gloucester, went to Shene to pardon; men say, not all in charity. The king entreateth my lord of Clarence for my lord of Gloucester; and, as it is said, he answereth, that he may well have my lady his sister-in-law, but they shall part no livelihood, as he saith; so, what will fall, can I not say." MALONE. I he will weep. 1 Murd. Ay, MILL-STONES ;] Madam : So, in Massinger's City CLAR. O, do not slander him, for he is kind. 1 MURD. Right, as snow in harvest.-Come, you deceive yourself; "Tis he that sends us to destroy you here. CLAR. It cannot be ; for he bewept my fortune, And hugg'd me in his arms, and swore, with sobs, That he would labour my delivery. 1 MURD. Why, so he doth, when he delivers you From this earth's thraldom to the joys of heaven. 2 MURD. Make peace with God, for you must die, my lord. CLAR. Hast thou that holy feeling in thy soul, To counsel me to make my peace with God, And 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 the deed. 2 MURD. What shall we do? CLAR. Relent, and save your souls 2. 1 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,- My friend, I spy some pity in thy looks; Come thou on my side, and entreat for me, 2 "He, good gentleman, "Will weep when he hears how we are used. 66 Yes, mill-stones." STEEVENS. and save your souls, &c.] The six following lines are not in the old edition [i. e. the quarto]. POPE. They are not necessary, but so forced in, that something seems omitted to which these lines are the answer. JOHNSON. 3 —what beggar pities not ?] I cannot but suspect that the 2 MURD. Look behind you, my lord. 1 MURD. Take that, and that; if all this will not do, [Stabs him. lines, which Mr. Pope observed not to be in the old edition, are now misplaced, and should be inserted here, somewhat after this manner: "Clar. A begging prince what beggar pities not? "Clar. Which of you, if you were a prince's son," &c. Upon this provocation, the villain naturally strikes him. JOHNSON. Mr. Pope's note is not accurately stated. I believe this passage should be regulated thus: "Clar. Relent and save your souls. "1 Vil. Relent! 'tis cowardly and womanish. "Which of you if you were a prince's son, “O, if thine eye 66 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?" TYRWHITT. In the quarto 1597, after the last line of the preceding speech, we find only the following dialogue: • 66 "2. What shall we do? "Cla. Relent, and save your soules. "1. Relent! 'tis cowardly and womanish. "Cla. Not to relent, is beastly, savage, devilish. My friend, I spy some pity in thy looks: O, if thy eye be not a flatterer, "Come thou on my side, and entreate for me. "A begging prince what beggar pities not? "1. Ay, thus and thus; if this will not suffice," &c. In the folio the passage is thus exhibited; five lines being added here; and the second murderer's speech [Look, behold you, my lord]: "2. What shall we do? દ Cla. Relent and save your soules. "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, as you would beg, I'll drown you in the malmsey-butt within. [Exit, with the body. 2 MURD. A bloody deed, and desperately de spatch'd! How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands Re-enter first Murderer. 1 MURD. How now? what mean'st thou, that thou help'st me not? By heaven, the duke shall know how slack you have been. 2 MURD. I would he knew, that I had sav'd his brother! Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say; [Exit. 1 MURD. So do not I; go, coward, as thou art.Well, I'll go hide the body in some 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. 66 66 "1. Relent! 'tis cowardly and womanish. "Cla. Not to relent, is beastly, savage, devilish. O, if I think, with Mr. Tyrwhitt, that the added lines have been inserted in the wrong place, and have therefore adopted his arrangement. MALone. I have regulated the text according to Mr. Tyrwhitt's instruction. STEEVENS. "A begging prince what beggar pities not?" To this, in the quarto, the Murderer replies: "I, thus and thus: if this will not serve "I'll chop thee in the malmesey but in the next roome—." and then stabs him. STEEVENS. |