And these external manners of lament Boling. Name it, fair cousin. K. Rich. Fair cousin? Why, I am greater than a king: For, when I was a king, my flatterers K. Rich. And shall I have? K. Rich. Then give me leave to go. K. Rich. Whither you will, so I were from your sights. Boling. Go, some of you, convey him to the Tower. Shall feel this day as sharp to them as thorn. Aum. You holy clergymen, is there no plot To rid the realm of this pernicious blot? Abbot. Before I freely speak my mind herein, You shall not only take the sacrament To bury mine intents, but to effect Whatever I shall happen to devise :I see your brows are full of discontent, Your hearts of sorrow, and your eyes of tears; Come home with me to supper; I will lay A plot, shall show us all a merry day. [Exeuni. Queen. This way the king will come; this is Transform'd, and weaken'd? Hath Bolingbroke the way To Julius Cæsar's ill-erected tower, Enter King RICHARD, and Guards. not so, To make my end too sudden: learn, good soul, Depos'd thine intellect? hath he been in thy heart? The lion, dying, thrusteth forth his paw, K. Rich. A king of beasts, indeed; if sught but beasts, I had been still a happy king of men. Think, I am dead; and that even here thou tak'st, Enter NORTHUMBERLAND, attended. North. My lord, the mind of Bolingbroke is chang'd; You must to Pomfret, not unto the Tower.=And, madam, there is order ta'en for you; With all swift speed you must away to France. K. Rich. Northumberland, thou ladder, wherewithal The mounting Bolingbroke ascends my throne,The time shall not be many hours of age More than it is, ere foul sin, gathering head, Shall break into corruption: thou shalt think, Though he divide the realm, and give thee half, It is too little, helping him to all; And he shall think, that thou, which know'st the way To plant unrightful kings, wilt know again, North. My guilt be on my head, and there Take leave, and part; for you must part forthwith. K. Rich. Doubly divorc'd?-Bad men, ye violate A twofold marriage; 'twixt my crown and me; And then, betwixt me and my married wife.Let me unkiss the oath 'twixt thee and me; And yet not so, for with a kiss 'twas made.Part us, Northumberland; I towards the north, Where shivering cold and sickness pines the clime; My wife to France; from whence, set forth in pomp, She came adorned hither like sweet May, K. Rich. Ay, hand from hand, my love, and heart from heart. Queen. Banish us both, and send the king with me. North. That were some love, but little policy. Queen. Then whither he goes, thither let me go. K. Rich. So two, together weeping, make one woe. Weep thou for me in France, I for thee here; Better far off, than-near, be neʼer the nearʼ. Go, count thy way with sighs; I, mine with groans. Queen. So longest way shall have the longest moans. K. Rich. Twice for one step I'll groan, the way being short, And piece the way out with a heavy heart. Come, come, in wooing sorrow let's be brief, Since, wedding it, there is such length in grief. One kiss shall stop our mouths, and dumbly part; Thus give I mine, and thus I take thy heart. [They kiss. Queen. Give me mine own again; 'twere no To take on me to keep, and kill thy heart. So, now I have mine own again, begone, Once more, adieu; the rest let sorrow say. SCENE II.-The same. A room in the Duke of York's palace. Enter YORK, and his Duchess. Duch. My lord, you told me, you would tell When weeping made you break the story off Duch. At that sad stop, my lord, Where rude misgovern'd hands, from window's tops, Threw dust and rubbish on king Richard's head. York. Then, as I said, the duke, great Bolingbroke, Mounted upon a hot and fiery steed, You would have thought the very windows spake, Duch. Alas, poor Richard! where rides he York. As in a theatre, the eyes of men, After a well grac'd actor leaves the stage, Are idly bent on him that enters next, Thinking his prattle to be tedious: Even so, or with much more contempt, men's God knows, I had as lief be none, as one. York. Well, bear you well in this new spring of time, Lest you be cropp'd before you come to prime. What news from Oxford? hold those justs and triumphs? Aum. For aught I know, my lord, they do. York. You will be there, I know. Aum. If God prevent it not; I purpose so. York. What seal is that, that hangs without thy bosom ? Yea, look'st thou pale? let me see the writing. Aum. My lord, 'tis nothing. York. No matter then who sees it: I will be satisfied, let me see the writing. Aum. I do beseech your grace to pardon me; It is a matter of small consequence, Which for some reasons I would not have seen. York. Which for some reasons, sir, I mean to That he is bound to? Wife, thou art a fool.Boy, let me see the writing. Aum. I do beseech you, pardon me; I may not show it. York. I will be satisfied; let me see it, I say. [Snatches it, and reads. Treason! foul treason!-villain! traitor! slave! Duch. What is the matter, my lord? York. Ho! who is within there? [Enter a Servant. Saddle my horse. God for his mercy! what treachery is here! Duch. Why, what is it, my lord? York. Give me my boots, I say; saddle my Duch. What's the matter? my troth, [Exit Servant. Re-enter Servant, with boots. York. Bring me my boots, I will unto the king. Hence, villain; never more come in my sight.- Wilt thou conceal this dark conspiracy? Duch. He shall be none; We'll keep him here: Then what is that to him? Fond woman! were he twenty times my son, Duch. Hadst thou groan'd for him, [Exit. York. Make way, unruly woman. horse; Spur, post; and get before him to the king, SCENE III.-Windsor. A room in the castle. Enter BOLINGBROKE as King; PERCY, and other Lords. Boling. Can no man tell of my unthrifty son? 'Tis full three months since I did see him last:If any plague hang over us, 'tis he. I would to God, my lords, he might be found: stews; And from the common'st creature pluck a glove, I see some sparkles of a better hope, Enter AUMERLE, hastily. Our cousin, that he stares and looks so wildly? Aum. God save your grace. I do beseech your majesty, To have some conference with your grace alone. Boling. Withdraw yourselves, and leave us here alone. [Exeunt Percy and Lords. What is the matter with our cousin now? Aum. For ever may my knees grow to the earth, [Kneels. My tongue cleave to my roof within my mouth, Unless a pardon, ere I rise, or speak. Boling. Intended, or committed, was this fault? If but the first, how heinous ere it be, To win thy after-love, I pardon thee. I do repent me; read not my name there, I tore it from the traitor's bosom, king; O loyal father of a treacherous son! Hath held his current, and defil'd himself! York. So shall my virtue be his vice's bawd; Boling. What shrill-voic'd suppliant makes this eager cry? Duch. A woman, and thine aunt, great king; 'tis I. ; Speak with me, pity me, open the door And now chang'd to The Beggar and the King. Aum. Then give me leave, that I may turn My dangerous cousin, let your mother in ; the key, That no man enter till my tale be done. Boling. Have thy desire. Thou hast a traitor in thy presence there. Aum. Stay thy revengeful hand; [Drawing. York. Within.] Open the door, secure, foolhardy king: Shall I, for love, speak treason to thy face? Open the door, or I will break it open. [Bolingbroke opens the door. I know, she's come to pray for your foul sin. York. If thou do pardon, whosoever pray, More sins, for this forgiveness, prosper may. This fester'd joint cut off, the rest rests sound; This, let alone, will all the rest confound. Duch. Pleads he in earnest? look upon his face; | His eyes do drop no tears, his prayers are in jest; His words come from his mouth, ours from our breast: He prays but faintly, and would be denied ; Duch. Nay, do not say-stand up; But, pardon, first; and afterwards, stand up. Pardon-should be the first word of thy speech. SCENE V.-Pomfret. The dungeon of the castle. I never long'd to hear a word till now; nez moy. Duch. Dost thou teach pardon pardon to destroy? Ah, my sour husband, my hard-hearted lord, Pity may move thee, pardon to rehearse. Boling. I pardon him, as God shall pardon me. Boling. With all my heart I pardon him. Duch. A god on earth thou art.- With all the rest of that consorted crew,- thee new. SCENE IV. Enter EXTON, and a Servant, Enter King RICHARD. K. Rich. I have been studying how I may compare This prison, where I live, unto the world: As thus,-Come, little ones; and then again,- With nothing shall be pleas'd, till he be eas'd Exton. Didst thou not mark the king, what Ha, ha! keep time:-How sour sweet music is, words he spake? When time is broke, and no proportion kept! |