William Shakespeare: The Life and Death of King Richard III

ACT I. 4. SCENE IV. London. A Room in the Tower. (continued)

SECOND MURDERER.
O excellent device! and make a sop of him.

FIRST MURDERER.
Soft! he wakes.

SECOND MURDERER.
Strike!

FIRST MURDERER.
No, we'll reason with him.

CLARENCE.
Where art thou, keeper? give me a cup of wine.

SECOND MURDERER.
You shall have wine enough, my lord, anon.

CLARENCE.
In God's name, what art thou?

FIRST MURDERER.
A man, as you are.

CLARENCE.
But not as I am, royal.

SECOND MURDERER.
Nor you as we are, loyal.

CLARENCE.
Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks are humble.

FIRST MURDERER.
My voice is now the king's, my looks mine own.

CLARENCE.
How darkly and how deadly dost thou speak!
Your eyes do menace me; why look you pale?
Who sent you hither? Wherefore do you come?

SECOND MURDERER.
To, to, to--

CLARENCE.
To murder me?

BOTH MURDERERS.
Ay, ay.

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?

FIRST MURDERER.
Offended us you have not, but the king.

CLARENCE.
I shall be reconcil'd to him again.

SECOND MURDERER.
Never, my lord; therefore prepare to die.