Shakespeare Portal

Act 1, Scene 3

Plains near Sandal Castle.

  1. [Alarums. Enter RUTLAND and his TUTOR]
  2. Edmund, Earl of Rutland
  3. 355 Ah! whither shall I fly to scape their hands?
  4. 356 Ah, tutor! look where bloody Clifford comes.
  5. [Enter CLIFFORD and Soldiers.]
  6. Lord Clifford
  7. 357 Chaplain, away! thy priesthood saves thy life.
  8. 358 As for the brat of this accursed duke
  9. 359 Whose father slew my father, he shall die.
  10. Rutland's Tutor
  11. 360 And I, my lord, will bear him company.
  12. Lord Clifford
  13. 361 Soldiers, away with him!
  14. Rutland's Tutor
  15. 362 Ah, Clifford, murder not this innocent child,
  16. 363 Lest thou be hated both of God and man.
  17. [Exit, forced off by Soldiers.]
  18. Lord Clifford
  19. 364 How now! is he dead already? Or is it fear
  20. 365 That makes him close his eyes?—I'll open them.
  21. Edmund, Earl of Rutland
  22. 366 So looks the pent-up lion o'er the wretch
  23. 367 That trembles under his devouring paws;
  24. 368 And so he walks, insulting o'er his prey,
  25. 369 And so he comes to rend his limbs asunder.—
  26. 370 Ah, gentle Clifford, kill me with thy sword,
  27. 371 And not with such a cruel threat'ning look.
  28. 372 Sweet Clifford, hear me speak before I die:
  29. 373 I am too mean a subject for thy wrath;
  30. 374 Be thou reveng'd on men, and let me live.
  31. Lord Clifford
  32. 375 In vain thou speak'st, poor boy; my father's blood
  33. 376 Hath stopp'd the passage where thy words should enter.
  34. Edmund, Earl of Rutland
  35. 377 Then let my father's blood open it again;
  36. 378 He is a man, and, Clifford, cope with him.
  37. Lord Clifford
  38. 379 Had I thy brethren here, their lives and thine
  39. 380 Were not revenge sufficient for me.
  40. 381 No; if I digg'd up thy forefathers' graves
  41. 382 And hung their rotten coffins up in chains,
  42. 383 It could not slake mine ire nor ease my heart.
  43. 384 The sight of any of the house of York
  44. 385 Is as a fury to torment my soul;
  45. 386 And till I root out their accursed line
  46. 387 And leave not one alive, I live in hell.
  47. 388 Therefore—
  48. Edmund, Earl of Rutland
  49. 389 O, let me pray before I take my death!—
  50. 390 To thee I pray; sweet Clifford, pity me!
  51. Lord Clifford
  52. 391 Such pity as my rapier's point affords.
  53. Edmund, Earl of Rutland
  54. 392 I never did thee harm; why wilt thou slay me?
  55. Lord Clifford
  56. 393 Thy father hath.
  57. Edmund, Earl of Rutland
  58. 394 But 't was ere I was born.
  59. 395 Thou hast one son; for his sake pity me,
  60. 396 Lest in revenge thereof, sith God is just,
  61. 397 He be as miserably slain as I.
  62. 398 Ah, let me live in prison all my days,
  63. 399 And when I give occasion of offence,
  64. 400 Then let me die, for now thou hast no cause.
  65. Lord Clifford
  66. 401 No cause?
  67. 402 Thy father slew my father; therefore, die.
  68. [Clifford stabs him.]
  69. Edmund, Earl of Rutland
  70. 403 Dii faciant laudis summa sit ista tuae!
  71. [Dies.]
  72. Lord Clifford
  73. 404 Plantagenet! I come, Plantagenet!
  74. 405 And this thy son's blood cleaving to my blade
  75. 406 Shall rust upon my weapon till thy blood
  76. 407 Congeal'd with this, do make me wipe off both.
  77. [Exit.]