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his?

Y. Mor. Strike off his head, he shall have martial

law.

Kent. Strike off my head! base traitor, I defy thee.
King. My lord, he is my uncle, and shall live.
Y. Mor. My lord, he is your enemy, and shall die.
Kent. Stay, villains!

King. Sweet mother, if I cannot pardon him,
Entreat my Lord Protector for his life.

Queen. Son, be content; I dare not speak a word.

King. Nor I, and yet methinks I should command; But, seeing I cannot, I'll entreat for him,—

My lord, if you will let my uncle live,

I will requite it when I come to age.

90

Y. Mor. 'Tis for your highness' good, and for the realm's.

How often shall I bid you bear him hence?

100

Kent. Art thou king? must I die at thy command?
Y. Mor. At our command! once more away with

him.

Kent. Let me but stay and speak; I will not go.
Either my brother or my son is king,

And none of both them thirst for Edmund's blood.
And therefore, soldiers, whither will you hale me?

[They hale KENT away, and carry him to be beheaded. King. What safety may I look for at his hands,

If that my uncle shall be murdered thus?

Queen. Fear not, sweet boy, I'll guard thee from thy

foes;

Had Edmund lived, he would have sought thy death.
Come, son, we'll ride a hunting in the park.

110

King. And shall my uncle Edmund ride with us? Queen. He is a traitor; think not on him; come. [Exeunt omnes.

SCENE V.

Enter 1 MATREVIS and GURNEY.

Mat. Gurney, I wonder the king dies not,
Being in a vault up to the knees in water,
To which the channels of the castle run,
From whence a damp continually ariseth,
That were enough to poison any man,
Much more a king brought up so tenderly.
Gur. And so do I, Matrevis: yesternight
I opened but the door to throw him meat,
And I was almost stifled with the savour.

Mat. He hath a body able to endure

More than we can inflict: and therefore now
Let us assail his mind another while.

Gur. Send for him out thence, and I will
Mat. But stay, who's this?

Enter LIGHTBORN.

Light. My Lord Protector greets you.

anger him.

Gur. What's here? I know not how to construe it. Mat. Gurney, it was left unpointed for the nonce; Edwardum occidere nolite timere,

That's his meaning.

10

Light. Know ye this token? I must have the king. Mat. I, stay awhile, thou shalt have answer straight. 20

1 Scene: Berkeley Castle.

VOL. II.

P

This villain's sent to make away the king.

Gur. I thought as much.

Mat. And when the murder's done,

See how he must be handled for his labour.
Pereat iste! Let him have the king.

[Aside.

[Aside.

[Aside.

What else? here is the keys, this is the lake,1

Do as you are commanded by my lord.

Light. I know what I must do; get you away. Yet be not far off, I shall need your help;

See that in the next room I have a fire,

And get me a spit, and let it be red-hot.

Mat. Very well.

Gur. Need you anything besides?

Light. What else? A table and a feather-bed.
Gur. That's all ?

Light. I, I; so, when I call you, bring

It in.

Mat. Fear not thou that.

Gur. Here's a light,

To go into the dungeon.

Light. So now

30

[Gives light, and exit with MATREVIS.

Must I about this gear ; ne'er was there any
So finely handled as this king shall be.

Foh, here's a place indeed, with all my heart!

Edw. Who's there? what light is that? wherefore com'st thou?

1 I.e., the dungeon full of mire and puddle. But perhaps we should read "lock."

2 A curtain is drawn and the king is discovered in the dungeon. 3 Business.

Light. To comfort you, and bring you joyful news. 40 Edw. Small comfort finds poor Edward in thy looks. Villain, I know thou com'st to murder me.

Light. To murder you, my most gracious lord!
Far is it from my heart to do you harm.

The queen sent me to see how you were used,
For she relents at this your misery :

And what eyes can refrain from shedding tears,
To see a king in this most piteous state?

Edw. Weep'st thou already? list awhile to me.
And then thy heart, were it as Gurney's is,
Or as Matrevis', hewn from the Caucasus,
Yet will it melt, ere I have done my tale.
This dungeon where they keep me is the sink
Wherein the filth of all the castle falls.

Light. O villains!

Edw. And there in mire and puddle have I stood
This ten days' space; and, lest that I should sleep,
One plays continually upon a drum.

They give me bread and water, being a king;
So that, for want of sleep and sustenance,
My mind's distempered, and my body's numbed,
And whether I have limbs or no I know not.
O, would my blood dropped out from every vein,

As doth this water from my tattered 1 robes.

Tell Isabel, the queen, I looked not thus,
When for her sake I ran at tilt in France,
And there unhorsed the Duke of Cleremont.

1 So eds. 1598, 1612.-Ed. 1622 "tottered."

50

60

Light. O speak no more, my lord! this breaks my

heart.

Lie on this bed,1 and rest yourself awhile,

Edw. These looks of thine can harbour nought but

death:

I see my tragedy written in thy brows.

70

Yet stay; awhile forbear thy bloody hand,

And let me see the stroke before it comes,

That 2 even then when I shall lose my life,
My mind may be more steadfast on my God.

Light. What means your highness to mistrust me thus ?
Edw. What mean'st thou to dissemble with me

thus?

Light. These hands were never stained with innocent

blood,

Nor shall they now be tainted with a king's.

79

Edw. Forgive my thought 3 for having such a thought.

One jewel have I left, receive thou this.

[Giving jewel.

Still fear I, and I know not what's the cause,

But every joint shakes as I give it thee.

O, if thou harbour'st murder in thy heart,

Let this gift change thy mind, and save thy soul !
Know that I am a king: O! at that name
I feel a hell of grief; where is my crown?
Gone, gone; and do I remain alive? 4

1 The feather-bed mentioned in 1. 32. "It was no doubt thrust upon the stage from the wing after the exit of Gurney and Matrevis."-Dyce. 2 Old eds. "That and even."

3 Mr. Fleay would read “fau't" (i.e. fault), comparing Richard III, ii. 1, 104 :-" His fault was thought.'

So ed. 1598.-Omitted in eds. 1612, 1622.

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