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;

For I repent me that the duke is slain.

[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. [Erit.

АСТ II. SCENE 1.

THE SAME. A ROOM IN THE PALACE.

Enter King Edward, (led in sick,) Queen Elizabeth, Dorset, Rivers, Hastings, Buckingham, Grey, and Others.

K. Edw. 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 in 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.
Riv. By heaven, my soul is purg'd from grudg-
ing hate;

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

Hast. So thrive I, as I truly swear the like!
K. Edw. 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.

Hast. So prosper I, as I swear perfect love!
Riv. And I, as I love Hastings with my heart!
K. Edw. Madam, yourself are not exempt in
this,-

Nor your 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.

Q. Eliz. There, Hastings;-I will never more remember

Our former hatred, So thrive I, and mine!

K. Edw. Dorset, embrace him,-Hastings, love lord marquis.

Dors. This interchange of love, I here protest, Upon my part, shall be inviolable.

Hast. And so swear I.

[Embraces Dorset.

K. Edw. Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this league

With thy embracements to my wife's allies,
And make me happy in your unity.

Buck. Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hate Upon your grace, [to the Queen.] but with all du

teous 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 assured 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.

K. Edw. A pleasing cordial, princely Buckingham,

Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart.

There wanteth now our brother Glo'ster here,
To make the blessed period of this peace.

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

duke.

Enter Glo'ster.

Glo. Good-morrow to my sovereign king, and

queen;

And, princely peers, a happy time of day!

K. Edw. Happy, indeed, as we have spent the day:

Brother, we have done deeds of charity;
Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate,
Between these swelling wrong-incensed peers.
Glo. A blessed labour, my most sovereign liege.—

Among this princely heap, if any here,

By false intelligence, or wrong surmise,
Hold me a foe;

If I unwittingly, or in my rage,

Have aught committed that is hardly borne

By any in this presence, I desire

To reconcile me to his friendly peace:

'Tis death to me, to be at enmity;

I hate it, and desire all good men's love.-
First, madam, I entreat true peace of you,
Which I will purchase with my duteous service;-
Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham,

If ever any grudge were lodg'd between us;-
Of you, lord Rivers, -and lord Grey, of you,-
That all without desert have frown'd on me;-
Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen; indeed, of all.
I do not know that Englishman alive,
With whom my soul is any jot at odds,

More than the infant that is born to-night;

I thank my God for

my humility.

Q. Eliz. A holyday shall this be kept hereafter:

I would to God, all strifes were well compounded.—-
My sovereign lord, I do beseech your highness
To take our brother Clarence to your grace.

Glo. Why, madam, have I offer'd love for this,
To be so flouted in this royal presence?
Who knows not, that the gentle duke is dead?
[They all start.

You do him injury, to scorn his corse.
K. Edw. Who knows not, he is dead! who knows

he is?

Q. Eliz. All-seeing heaven, what a world is

this!

Buck. Look I so pale, lord Dorset, as the rest? Dor. Ay, my good lord; and no man in the pre

sence,

But his red colour hath forsook his cheeks.

K. Edw. Is Clarence dead? the order was re

vers'd.

Glo. But he, poor man, by your first order died, And that a winged Mercury did bear;

Some tardy cripple bore the countermand,

That came too lag to see him buried:-

God grant, that some, less noble, and less loyal,
Nearer in bloody thoughts, and not in blood,
Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did,
And yet go current from suspicion !

Enter Stanley.

Stan. A boon, my sovereign, for my service done!

K. Edw. I pr'ythee, peace; my soul is full of

sorrow.