第 6 节
作者:
上访不如上网 更新:2021-04-30 16:09 字数:9322
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KING RICHARD III
SCENE 4。
London。 The Tower
Enter CLARENCE and KEEPER
KEEPER。 Why looks your Grace so heavily to…day? CLARENCE。 O;
I have pass'd a miserable night; So full of fearful dreams; of ugly sights;
That; as I am a Christian faithful man; I would not spend another such a
night Though 'twere to buy a world of happy days… So full of dismal terror
was the time! KEEPER。 What was your dream; my lord? I pray you tell
me。 CLARENCE。 Methoughts that I had broken from the Tower And was
embark'd to cross to Burgundy; And in my company my brother
Gloucester; Who from my cabin tempted me to walk Upon the hatches。
Thence we look'd toward England; And cited up a thousand heavy times;
During the wars of York and Lancaster; That had befall'n us。 As we pac'd
along Upon the giddy footing of the hatches; Methought that Gloucester
stumbled; and in falling Struck me; that thought to stay him; overboard
Into the tumbling billows of the main。 O Lord; methought what pain it was
to drown; What dreadful noise of waters in my ears; What sights of ugly
death within my eyes! Methoughts I saw a thousand fearful wrecks; A
thousand men that fishes gnaw'd upon; Wedges of gold; great anchors;
heaps of pearl; Inestimable stones; unvalued jewels; All scatt'red in the
bottom of the sea; Some lay in dead men's skulls; and in the holes Where
eyes did once inhabit there were crept; As 'twere in scorn of eyes;
reflecting gems; That woo'd the slimy bottom of the deep And mock'd the
dead bones that lay scatt'red by。 KEEPER。 Had you such leisure in the
time of death To gaze upon these secrets of the deep? CLARENCE。
Methought I had; and often did I strive To yield the ghost; but still the
envious flood Stopp'd in my soul and would not let it forth To find the
empty; vast; and wand'ring air; But smother'd it within my panting bulk;
Who almost burst to belch it in the sea。 KEEPER。 Awak'd you not in this
sore agony? CLARENCE。 No; no; my dream was lengthen'd after life。 O;
then began the tempest to my soul! I pass'd; methought; the melancholy
flood With that sour ferryman which poets write of; Unto the kingdom of
perpetual night。 The first that there did greet my stranger soul Was my
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KING RICHARD III
great father…in…law; renowned Warwick; Who spake aloud 'What scourge
for perjury Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?' And so he
vanish'd。 Then came wand'ring by A shadow like an angel; with bright hair
Dabbled in blood; and he shriek'd out aloud 'Clarence is come…false;
fleeting; perjur'd Clarence; That stabb'd me in the field by Tewksbury。
Seize on him; Furies; take him unto torment!' With that; methoughts; a
legion of foul fiends Environ'd me; and howled in mine ears Such hideous
cries that; with the very noise; I trembling wak'd; and for a season after
Could not believe but that I was in hell; Such terrible impression made my
dream。 KEEPER。 No marvel; lord; though it affrighted you; I am afraid;
methinks; to hear you tell it。 CLARENCE。 Ah; Keeper; Keeper; I have
done these things That now give evidence against my soul For Edward's
sake; and see how he requites me! O God! If my deep prayers cannot
appease Thee; But Thou wilt be aveng'd on my misdeeds; Yet execute Thy
wrath in me alone; O; spare my guiltless wife and my poor children!
KEEPER; I prithee sit by me awhile; My soul is heavy; and I fain would
sleep。 KEEPER。 I will; my lord。 God give your Grace good rest。
'CLARENCE sleeps'
Enter BRAKENBURY the Lieutenant
BRAKENBURY。 Sorrow breaks seasons and reposing hours; Makes
the night morning and the noontide night。 Princes have but their titles for
their glories; An outward honour for an inward toil; And for unfelt
imaginations They often feel a world of restless cares; So that between
their tides and low name There's nothing differs but the outward fame。
Enter the two MURDERERS
FIRST MURDERER。 Ho! who's here? BRAKENBURY。 What
wouldst thou; fellow; and how cam'st thou hither? FIRST MURDERER。 I
would speak with Clarence; and I came hither on my legs。
BRAKENBURY。 What; so brief? SECOND MURDERER。 'Tis better; sir;
than to be tedious。 Let him see our commission and talk no more。
'BRAKENBURY reads it' BRAKENBURY。 I am; in this; commanded to
deliver The noble Duke of Clarence to your hands。 I will not reason what
is meant hereby; Because I will be guiltless from the meaning。 There lies
the Duke asleep; and there the keys。 I'll to the King and signify to him
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KING RICHARD III
That thus I have resign'd to you my charge。 FIRST MURDERER。 You
may; sir; 'tis a point of wisdom。 Fare you well。 Exeunt BRAKENBURY
and KEEPER SECOND MURDERER。 What; shall I stab him as he sleeps?
FIRST MURDERER。 No; he'll say 'twas done cowardly; when he wakes。
SECOND MURDERER。 Why; he shall never wake until the great
judgment…day。 FIRST MURDERER。 Why; then he'll say we stabb'd him
sleeping。 SECOND MURDERER。 The urging of that word judgment hath
bred a kind of remorse in me。 FIRST MURDERER。 What; art thou afraid?
SECOND MURDERER。 Not to kill him; having a warrant; but to be
damn'd for killing him; from the which no warrant can defend me。 FIRST
MURDERER。 I thought thou hadst been resolute。 SECOND MURDERER。
So I am; to let him live。 FIRST MURDERER。 I'll back to the Duke of
Gloucester and tell him so。 SECOND MURDERER。 Nay; I prithee; stay a
little。 I hope this passionate humour of mine will change; it was wont to
hold me but while one tells twenty。 FIRST MURDERER。 How dost thou
feel thyself now? SECOND MURDERER。 Faith; some certain dregs of
conscience are yet within me。 FIRST MURDERER。 Remember our
reward; when the deed's done。 SECOND MURDERER。 Zounds; he dies; I
had forgot the reward。 FIRST MURDERER。 Where's thy conscience now?
SECOND MURDERER。 O; in the Duke of Gloucester's purse! FIRST
MURDERER。 When he opens his purse to give us our reward; thy
conscience flies out。 SECOND MURDERER。 'Tis no matter; let it go;
there's few or none will entertain it。 FIRST MURDERER。 What if it come
to thee again? SECOND MURDERER。 I'll not meddle with it…it makes a
man coward: a man cannot steal; but it accuseth him; a man cannot swear;
but it checks him; a man cannot lie with his neighbour's wife; but it detects
him。 'Tis a blushing shame… fac'd spirit that mutinies in a man's bosom; it
fills a man full of obstacles: it made me once restore a purse of gold that…
by chance I found。 It beggars any man that keeps it。 It is turn'd out of
towns and cities for a dangerous thing; and every man that means to live
well endeavours to trust to himself and live without it。 FIRST
MURDERER。 Zounds; 'tis even now at my elbow; persuading me not to
kill the Duke。 SECOND MURDERER。 Take the devil in thy mind and
believe him not; he would insinuate with thee but to make the sigh。 FIRST
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MURDERER。 I am strong…fram'd; he cannot prevail with me。 SECOND
MURDERER。 Spoke like a tall man that respects thy reputation。 Come;
shall we fall to work? FIRST MURDERER。 Take him on the costard with
the hilts of thy sword; and then chop him in the malmsey…butt in the next
room。 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