William Shakespeare: The Life and Death of King Richard III

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

CLARENCE.
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.]