KING RICHARD III. William Shakespeare

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?—

       O, sirs, consider, they that set you on

       To do this deed will hate you for the deed.

       SECOND MURDERER

       What shall we do?

       CLARENCE

       Relent, and save your souls.

       FIRST MURDERER

       Relent! ‘tis cowardly and womanish.

       CLARENCE

       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 MURDERER

       Look behind you, my lord.

       FIRST MURDERER.

       [Stabs him.]

       Take that, and that: if all this will not do,

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

       [Exit with the body.]

       SECOND MURDERER

       A bloody deed, and desperately dispatch’d!

       How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands

       Of this most grievous murder!

       [Re-enter FIRST MURDERER.]

       FIRST MURDERER

       How now, what mean’st thou that thou help’st me not?

       By heavens, the duke shall know how slack you have been!

       SECOND MURDERER

       I would he knew that I had sav’d his brother!

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

       For I repent me that the duke is slain.

       [Exit.]

       FIRST MURDERER

       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.]

ACT II

       Table of Contents

      SCENE I. London. A Room in the palace

       [Enter KING EDWARD, led in sick, QUEEN ELIZABETH, DORSET, RIVERS, HASTINGS, BUCKINGHAM, GREY, and others.]

       KING EDWARD

       Why, so. 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 more at peace my soul shall part to heaven,

       Since I have made my friends at peace on earth.

       Rivers and Hastings, take each other’s hand;

       Dissemble not your hatred, swear your love.

       RIVERS

       By heaven, my soul is purg’d from grudging hate;

       And with my hand I seal my true heart’s love.

       HASTINGS

       So thrive I, as I truly swear the like!

       KING EDWARD

       Take heed you dally not before your king;

       Lest He that is the supreme King of kings

       Confound your hidden falsehood, and award

       Either of you to be the other’s end.

       HASTINGS

       So prosper I, as I swear perfect love!

       RIVERS

       And I, as I love Hastings with my heart!

       KING EDWARD

       Madam, yourself is not exempt from this;—

       Nor you, son Dorset;—Buckingham, nor you;—

       You have been factious one against the other.

       Wife, love Lord Hastings, let him kiss your hand;

       And what you do, do it unfeignedly.

       QUEEN ELIZABETH

       There, Hastings; I will never more remember

       Our former hatred, so thrive I and mine!

       KING EDWARD

       Dorset, embrace him;—Hastings, love lord marquis.

       DORSET

       This interchange of love, I here protest,

       Upon my part shall be inviolable.

       HASTINGS

       And so swear I.

       [Embraces Dorset.]

       KING EDWARD

       Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this league

       With thy embracements to my wife’s allies,

       And make me happy in your unity.

       BUCKINGHAM

       Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hate

       Upon your grace [to the queen], but with all duteous love

       Doth cherish you and yours, God punish me

       With hate in those where I expect most love!

       When I have most need to employ a friend,

       And most assurèd that he is a friend,

       Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile,

       Be he unto me!—this do I beg of heaven

       When I am cold in love to you or yours.

       [Embracing Rivers &c.]

       KING EDWARD

       A pleasing cordial, princely Buckingham,

       Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart.

       There wanteth now our brother Gloster here,

       To make the blessèd period of this peace.

       BUCKINGHAM

       And, in good time, here comes the noble duke.

       [Enter GLOSTER.]

       GLOSTER

       Good morrow to my sovereign king and queen;

       And, princely peers, a happy time of day!

       KING EDWARD

       Happy, indeed, as we have spent the day.