Page:Richard III (1927) Yale.djvu/49

Richard the Third, I. iv

''1. Mur''. What if it come to thee again?

2. Mur. I'll not meddle with it; it makes

a man a 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 shamefac'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 beg-

gars any man that keeps it; it is turned 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.

1. Mur. 'Tis even now at my elbow, persuading

me not to kill the duke.

2. Mur. Take the devil in thy mind, and

believe him not: he would insinuate with thee

but to make thee sigh.

1. Murur. I am strong-framed; he cannot pre-

vail with me.

2. Mur. Spoke like a tall man that re-

spects thy reputation. Come, shall we fall to

work?

1. Mur. Take him on the costard with

the hilts of thy sword, and then throw him into

the malmsey-butt in the next room.

2. Mur. O, excellent device! and make a sop

of him.

1. Mur. Soft! he wakes.

2. Mur. Strike!

1. Mur. No, we'll reason with him.

 142 shamefac'd: bashful

153 him: refers to conscience

insinuate: ingratiate

157 tall: doughty, valiant

160 costard: head; cf. n.

161 hilts: hilt

162 malmsey: a kind of wine

163 sop; cf. n.

