To watch the fearful bending of thy knee,
[To Northumberland. Because we thought ourself thy lawful king: And if we be, how dare thy joints forget To pay their awful duty to our presence? If we be not, show us the hand of God That hath dismiss'd us from our stewardship; For well we know, no hand of blood and bone Can gripe the sacred handle of our scepter, Unless he do profane, steal, or usurp.
And though you think, that all, as you have done, Have torn their souls, by turning them from us, And we are barren, and bereft of friends;-~ Yet know,—my master, God omnipotent, Is must'ring in his clouds, on our behalf, Armies of pestilence; and they shall strike Your children yet unborn, and unbegot, That lift your vassal hands against my head, And threat the glory of my precious crown. Tell Bolingbroke, (for yond', methinks, he is,) That every stride he makes upon my land, Is dangerous treason: He is come to ope The purple testament of bleeding war; But ere the crown he looks for live in peace, Ten thousand bloody crowns of mothers' sons Shall ill become the flower of England's face; Change the complexion of her maid-pale peace To scarlet indignation, and bedew
Her pastures' grass with faithful English blood. North. The King of heaven forbid, our lord the king
Should so with civil and uncivil arms
Be rush'd upon! Thy thrice-noble cousin, Harry Bolingbroke, doth humbly kiss thy hand, And by the honourable tomb he swears, That stands upon thy royal grandsire's bones; And by the royalties of both your bloods, Currents that spring from one most gracious head; And by the buried hand of warlike Gaunt; And by the worth and honour of himself, Comprising all that may be sworn or said,- His coming hither hath no further scope, Than for his lineal royalties, and to beg Enfranchisement immediate on his knees: Which on thy royal party granted once, His glittering arms he will commend to rust, His barbed steeds to stables, and his heart To faithful service of your majesty. This swears he, as he is a prince, is just; And, as I am a gentleman, I credit him.
K. Rich. Northumberland, say,-thus the king
His noble cousin is right welcome hither; And all the number of his fair demands Shall be accomplish'd without contradiction: With all the gracious utterance thou hast, Speak to his gentle hearing kind commends.--- We do debase ourself, cousin, do we not,
To look so poorly, and to speak so fair? Shall we call back Northumberland, and send Defiance to the traitor, and so die?.
Aum. No, my good lord; let's fight with gentle words,
Till time lend friends, and friends their helpful
K. Rich. O God! O God! that e'er this tongue
That laid the sentence of dread banishment
On yon proud man, should take it off again With words of sooth! O, that I were as great As is my grief, or lesser than my name! Or that I could forget what I have been! Or not remember what I must be now! Swell'st thou, proud heart? I'll give thee scope to
Since foes have scope to beat both thee and me. Aum. Northumberland comes back from Boling
K. Rich. What must the king do now? Must he submit?
The king shall do it. Must he be depos'd? The king shall be contented: Must he lose The name of king? o'God's name, let it go: I'll give my jewels, for a set of beads; My gorgeous palace, for a hermitage; My gay apparel, for an alms-man's gown; My figur'd goblets, for a dish of wood; My scepter, for a palmer's walking-staff; My subjects, for a pair of carved saints; And my large kingdom for a little grave, A little little grave, an obscure grave:- Or I'll be buried in the king's highway, Some way of common trade, where subjects' feet May hourly trample on their sovereign's head: For on my heart they tread, now whilst I live;
And, buried once, why not upon my head?Aumerle, thou weep'st; My tender-hearted cou
We'll make foul weather with despised tears;
Our sighs, and they, shall lodge the summer corn, And make a dearth in this revolting land.
Or shall we play the wantons with our woes, And make some pretty match with shedding tears? As thus;-To drop them still upon one place, Till they have fretted us a pair of graves
Within the earth; and, therein laid,―There lies Two kinsmen, digg'd their graves with weeping eyes? Would not this ill do well?-Well, well, I see I talk but idly, and you mock at me.- Most mighty prince, my lord Northumberland, What says king Bolingbroke? will his majesty Give Richard leave to live till Richard die? You make a leg, and Bolingbroke says—ay.
North. My lord, in the base court he doth at- tend
To speak with you; may't please you to come down. K. Rich. Down, down, I come; like glistering
Wanting the manage of unruly jades.
[North. retires to Boling. In the base court? Base court, where kings grow base, To come at traitors' calls, and do them grace. In the base court? Come down? Down, court! down king!
For night-owls shriek, where mounting larks should [Exeunt, from above.
Boling. What says his majesty?
Sorrow and grief of heart
Makes him speak fondly, like a frantick man:
Enter King Richard, and his Attendants, below.
Boling. Stand all apart,
And show fair duty to his majesty.-.-.
My gracious lord,
K. Rich. Fair cousin, you debase your princely
To make the base earth proud with kissing it: Me rather had, my heart might feel your love, Than my unpleas'd eye see your courtesy. Up, cousin, up; your heart is up, I know, Thus high at least, [Touching his own head.] although your knee be low.
Boling. My gracious lord, I come but for mine
K. Rich. Your own is yours, and I am yours, and all.
Boling. So far be mine, my most redoubted lord, As my true service shall deserve your love.
K. Rich. Well you deserve:-They well deserve to have,
That know the strong'st and surest way to get.— Uncle, give me your hand: nay, dry your eyes; Tears show their love, but want their remedies.- Cousin, I am too young to be your father,
Though you are old enough to be my heir. What you will have, I'll give, and willing too; For do we must, what force will have us do.- Set on towards London:-Cousin, is it so?
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