2 Murd. And he, that hath commanded, is our king. Clar. Erroneous vaffal! the great King of kings Hath in the table of his law commanded,

That thou shalt do no murder; Wilt thou 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 Murd. And that fame vengeance doth he hurl on thee,

For false forfwearing, and for murder too:
Thou didst receive the facrament, to fight
In quarrel of the house of Lancafter.

i Murd. And, like a traitor to the name of God, Didft break that vow; and, with thy treacherous blade,

Unrip'dft the bowels of thy fovereign's fon.

2 Murd. Whom thou waft fworn to cherish and

defend.

1 Murd. How canft thou urge God's dreadful law

to us,

When thou haft broke it in fuch dear 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 thofe that have offended him.

I Murd. Who made thee then a bloody minifter, When gallant-fpringing', brave Plantagenet,

3 -Springing Plantagenet,] Blooming Plantagenet; a prince in the spring of life. JOHNSON.

When gallant, fpringing,] This fhould be printed as one word, I think gallant-fpringing. Shakspeare is fond of thefe compound epithets, in which the first adjective is to be confidered as an adverb. So, in this play he uses childish-foolish, fenfelessobftinate and mortal-faring. TxRWHITT,

That

That princely novice, was ftruck dead by thee? Clar. My brother's love, the devil, and my rage. Murd. 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.

"If you are hir'd for meed, go back again,
And I will fend you to my brother Glofter;
Who fhall 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 harvest.-Come, 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 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,

• —novice,—] Youth; one yet new to the world. JOHNSON. If you are hired for meed, go back again.] The quarto of 1613, reads- -for need,-which may be right. If it be neceffity which induces you to undertake this murder MALONE. And

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.
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? as you would beg,
Were you in my diftrefs,-

1 Murd. Relent! 'tis cowardly, and womanish.
Clar. Not to relent, is beaftly, favage, devilifh.-
My friend, I fpy some pity in thy looks;
O, if thine eye be not a flatterer,

Come thou on my fide, and entreat for me:
A begging prince what beggar pities not??

2 Murd.

—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 these lines are the answer. JOHNSON.

7 what beggar pities not?] I cannot but fufpect that the lines, which Mr. Pope obferved not to be in the old edition, are now misplaced, and should be inferted here, fomewhat after this

manner:

Clar. A begging prince what beggar pities not?
Vil. A begging prince!

Clar. Which of you, if you were a prince's fon, &c.

Upon this provocation, the villain naturally strikes him.

JOHNSON.

Mr. Pope's note is not accurately stated. I believe this paffage fhould be regulated thus.

Clar. Relent and fave your

fouls.

1 Vil. Relent! 'tis cowardly and womanish.

Clar. Not to relent is beastly, favage, devilish.

Which of you if you were a prince's fon

Being pent

If two fuch

Would not intreat for life?

My friend, I fpy

O, if thine

eye

VOL. VII.

E

Come

2 Murd. Look behind you, my lord.

ferve,

I Murd. Take that, and that; if all this will not [Stabs him. I'll drown you in the malmfey-butt within. [Exit. 2 Murd. A bloody deed, and defperately dif

patch'd!

How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands
Of this moft 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 bro

ther!

Take thou the fee, and tell him what I fay;

For I repent me that the duke is flain.

[Exit.

I 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, with the body.

Come thou on my fide, and intreat for me,

As

you would beg, were you in my diftrefs.

A begging prince what beggar pities not? TYRWHITT. A begging prince what beggar pities not?] To this in the quarto, the murderer replies:

I, thus and thus: if this will not ferve,

I'll chop thee in the malmefey but in the next roome.

and then ftabs him. STEEVENS,

ACT

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 embassage

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 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 Haftings, let him kifs your hand;
And what you do, do it unfeignedly.

Queen. There, Haftings;-I will never more re

member

Our former hatred, So thrive I, and mine!