What, if two brethren love not heartily, Who shall be good to either one of them?
MURRAY.
Madam, I have great joy of your good will.
QUEEN.
I pray you, brother, use no courtesies:
I have some fear you will not suffer me When I shall speak. Fear is a fool, I think, Yet hath he wit enow to fool my wits, Being but a woman's. Do not answer me Till you shall know; yet if you have a word I shall be fain to heart it; but I think There is no word to help me; no man's word:
There be two things yet that should do me good, A speeding arm and a great heart. My lord, I am soft-spirited as women are, And ye wot well I have no harder heart:
Yea, with all my will I would not slay a thing, But all should live right sweetly if I might;So that man's blood-spilling lies hard on me.
I have a work yet for mine honor's sake, A thing to do, God wot I know not how, Nor how to crave it of you: nay, by heaven, I will not shame myself to show it you:
I have not heart.
MURRAY.
Why, if it may be done With any honor, or with good men's excuse, I shall well do it.
QUEEN.
I would I wist that well.
Sir, do you love me?
MURRAY.
Yea, you know I do.
QUEEN.
In faith, you should well love me, for I love The least man in your following for your sake With a whole sister's heart.
MURRAY.
Speak simply, madam;
I must obey you, being your bounden man.
QUEEN.
Sir, so it is you know what things have been, Even to the endangering of mine innocent name, And by no fault, but by men's evil will;If Chastelard have trial openly, I am but shamed.
MURRAY.
This were a wound indeed, If your good name should lie upon his lip.
QUEEN.
I will the judges put him not to plead, For my fame's sake; he shall not answer them.
MURRAY.
What, think you he will speak against your fame?
QUEEN.
I know not; men might feign belief of him For hate of me; it may be he will speak;In brief, I will not have him held to proof.
MURRAY.
Well, if this be, what good is to be done?
QUEEN.
Is there no way but he must speak to them, Being had to trial plainly?
MURRAY.
I think, none.
QUEEN.
Now mark, my lord; I swear he will not speak.
MURRAY.
It were the best if you could make that sure.
QUEEN.
There is one way. Look, sir, he shall not do it:
Shall not, or will not, either is one way;
I speak as I would have you understand.
MURRAY.
Let me not guess at you; speak certainly.
QUEEN.
You will not mind me: let him be removed;
Take means to get me surety; there be means.
MURRAY.
So, in your mind, I have to slay the man?
QUEEN.
Is there a mean for me to save the man?
MURRAY.
Truly I see no mean except your love.
QUEEN.
What love is that, my lord? what think you of, Talking of love and of love's mean in me And of your guesses and of slaying him?
Why, I say nought, have nought to say: God help me!
I bid you but take surety of the man, Get him removed.
MURRAY.
Come, come, be clear with me;
You bid me to despatch him privily.
QUEEN.
God send me sufferance! I bid you, sir?
Nay, do not go; what matter if I did?
Nathless I never bade you; no, by God.
Be not so wroth; you are my brother born;
Why do you dwell upon me with such eyes?
For love of God you should not bear me hard.
MURRAY.
What, are you made of flesh?
QUEEN.
O, now I see You had rather lose your wits to do me harm Than keep sound wits to help me.
MURRAY.
It is right strange;
The worst man living hath some fear, some love, Holds somewhat dear a little for life's sake, Keeps fast to some compassion; you have none;You know of nothing that remembrance knows To make you tender. I must slay the man?
Nay, I will do it.
QUEEN.
Do, if you be not mad.
I am sorry for him; and he must needs die.
I would I were assured you hate me not:
I have no heart to slay him by my will.
I pray you think not bitterly of me.
MURRAY.
Is it your pleasure such a thing were done?
QUEEN.
Yea, by God's body is it, certainly.
MURRAY.
Nay, for your love then, and for honor's sake, This thing must be.
QUEEN.
Yea, should I set you on?
Even for my love then, I beseech you, sir, To seek him out, and lest he prate of me To put your knife into him ere he come forth:
Meseems this were not such wild work to do.
MURRAY.
I'll have him in the prison taken off.
QUEEN.
I am bounden to you, even for my name's sake, When that is done.
MURRAY.
I pray you fear me not.
Farewell. I would such things were not to do, Or not for me; yea, not for any man.
[Exit.]
QUEEN.
Alas, what honor have I to give thanks?
I would he had denied me: I had held my peace Thenceforth forever; but he wrung out the word, Caught it before my lip, was fain of it-It was his fault to put it in my mind, Yea, and to feign a loathing of his fault.
Now is he about devising my love's death, And nothing loth. Nay, since he must needs die, Would he were dead and come alive again And I might keep him safe. He doth live now And I may do what love I will to him;But by to-morrow he will be stark dead, Stark slain and dead; and for no sort of love Will he so much as kiss me half a kiss.
Were this to do I would not do it again.
[Reenter MURRAY.]
What, have you taken order? is it done?
It were impossible to do so soon.
Nay, answer me.
MURRAY.
Madam, I will not do it.
QUEEN.
How did you say? I pray, sir, speak again:
I know not what you said.
MURRAY.
I say I will not;
I have thought thereof, and have made up my heart To have no part in this: look you to it.
QUEEN.
O, for God's sake! you will not have me shamed?
MURRAY.
I will not dip my hand into your sin.
QUEEN.
It were a good deed to deliver me;
I am but a woman, of one blood with you, A feeble woman; put me not to shame;I pray you of your pity do me right.
Yea, and no fleck of blood shall cleave to you For a just deed.
MURRAY.
I know not; I will none.
QUEEN.
O, you will never let him speak to them To put me in such shame? why, I should die Out of pure shame and mine own burning blood;Yea, my face feels the shame lay hold on it, I am half burnt already in my thought;Take pity of me. Think how shame slays a man;How shall I live then? would you have me dead?
I pray you for our dead dear father's sake, Let not men mock at me. Nay, if he speak, I shall be sung in mine own towns. Have pity.
What, will you let men stone me in the ways?
MURRAY.
Madam, I shall take pains the best I may To save your honor, and what thing lieth in me That will I do, but no close manslayings.
