North. My guilt be on my head, and there an end. Sent back like Hallowmas, or short'st of day. Queen. And must we be divided? must we part? K. Rich. Ay, hand from hand, my love, and heart from heart. Queen. Banish us both, and send the king with me. 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 And piece the way out with a heavy heart. Come, come, in wooing sorrow let's be brief, [short, Since, wedding it, there is such length in grief. Queen. Give me mine own again; 'twere no good part, That I may strive to kill it with a groan. K. Rich. We make woe wanton with this fond delay: Once more, adieu; the rest let sorrow say. [Exeunt. Enter YORK and his DUCHESS. Duch. My lord, you told me you would tell the rest, When weeping made you break the story off, Of our two cousins coming into London. York. Where did I leave? Duch. At that sad stop, my lord, Where rude misgovern'd hands, from windows' tops, Yea, look'st thou pale? let me see the writing. 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; York. Which for some reasons, Sir, I mean to see. Duch. What should you fear? 'Tis nothing but some bond that he is enter'd into York. Bound to himself? what doth he with a bond Aum. I do beseech you, pardon me; I may not shew it. [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 horse. Now by mine honour, by my life, my troth, Duch. What's the matter? York. Peace, foolish woman. [Exit Servant. Duch. I will not peace. - What is the matter, son? Aum. Good mother, be content; it is no more Than my poor life must answer. Duch. Thy life answer! Re-enter Servant with boots. York. Bring me my boots; I will unto the king. Duch. Strike him, Aumerle. -Poor boy, thou art York. Then, as I said, the duke, great Bolingbroke, - Hence, villain; never more come in my sight. Mounted upon a hot and fiery steed, Which his aspiring rider seem'd to know, With slow but stately pace kept on his course, While all tongues cried "God save thee, Bolingbroke!" You would have thought the very windows spake, Duch. Alas, poor Richard! where rides he the while? Even so, or with much more contempt, men's eyes To whose high will we bound our calm contents. Enter AUMERLE. Duch. Here comes my son Aumerle. But that is lost for being Richard's friend, Duch. Welcome, my son: who are the violets now, amazed. [To the Servant. York. Give me my boots, I say. Duch. Why, York, what wilt thou do? Wilt thou not hide the trespass of thine own? York. Thou fond mad woman, 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, As I have done, thou'dst be more pitiful. That I have been disloyal to thy bed, And that he is a bastard, not thy son: Sweet York, sweet husband, be not of that mind. He is as like thee as a man may be, Not like to me, or any of my kin, York. Make way, unruly woman. If any plague hang over us, 'tis he. Even such, they say, as stand in narrow lanes, Percy. Mylord, some two days since I saw the prince, And told him of these triumphs held at Oxford. Boling. And what said the gallant? Percy. His answer was, he would unto the stews, And from the common'st creature pluck a glove, And wear it as a favour; and with that He would unhorse the lustiest challenger. Boling. As dissolute as desperate; yet, through both I see some sparkles of a better hope, Which elder days may happily bring forth.- Enter AUMERLE, hastily. Aum. Where is the king? Boling. What means Our cousin, that he stares and looks so wildly? Aum. God save your grace. I do beseech your maTo have some conference with your grace alone. [jesty Boling. Withdraw yourselves, and leave us here alone.[Exeunt PERCY and Lords. What is the matter with our cousin now? My tongue cleave to my roof within my mouth, Boling. Intended, or committed, was this fault? Aum. Then give me leave that I may turn the key, That no man enter till my tale be done. Boling. Have thy desire. [AUMERLE locks the door. Thou hast a traitor in thy presence there. Aum. Stay thy revengeful hand; Thou hast no cause to fear. [Drawing. Boling. What is the matter, uncle? speak; Recover breath; tell us how near is danger, That we may arm us to encounter it. York. Peruse this writing here, and thou shalt know The treason that my haste forbids me shew. Aum. Remember, as thou read'st, thy promise past: I do repent me; read not my name there, My heart is not confederate with my hand. York. 'Twas, villain, ere thy hand did set it down.I tore it from the traitor's bosom, king; Fear, and not love, begets his penitence: Forget to pity him, lest thy pity prove A serpent that will sting thee to the heart. Boling. O heinous, strong, and bold conspiracy 1O loyal father of a treacherous son! Thou sheer, immaculate, and silver fountain, York. So shall my virtue be his vice's bawd; Duch. [Within.] What ho, my liege! for God's sake let me in. Boling. What shrill-voiced suppliant makes this eager cry? Duch. A woman, and thine aunt, great king; 'tis I. Speak with me, pity me, open the door; A beggar begs that never begg'd before. Boling. Our scene is alter'd, from a serious thing, And now changed to "The Beggar and the King."My dangerous cousin, let your mother in; 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. Enter DICHESS. Duch. O king, believe not this hard-hearted man; Love, loving not itself, none other can. York. Thou frantic woman, what dost thou make here! Shall thy old dugs once more a traitor rear? Duch. Not yet, I thee beseech: For ever will I kneel upon my knees, Till thou give joy; until thou bid me joy, [gentle liege By pardoning Rutland, my transgressing boy. [knee. Aum. [Kneels.] Unto my mother's prayers, I bend my York. [Kneels. Against them both, my true joints Ill mayst thou thrive, if thou grant any grace! [bendedbe. 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; We pray with heart and soul, and all beside: His weary joints would gladly rise, I know; Our knees shall kneel till to the ground they grow: Our prayers do out-pray his; then let them have Duch. Nay, do not say-stand up; But, pardon first; and afterwards, stand up. Boling. Good aunt, stand up. Duch. I do not sue to stand; Pardon is all the suit I have in hand. Boling. I pardon him, as God shali pardon ine. Yet am I sick for fear: speak it again; Twice saying pardon, doth not pardon twain, Boling. With all my heart I pardon him. Duch. A god on earth thou art. Boling. But for our trusty brother-in-law, and the [abbot, With all the rest of that consorted crew, Your mother well hath pray'd, and prove you true. SCENE IV. Enter EXTON and a Servant. [Ezeunt. And, for because the world is populous, I cannot do it;-yet I'll hammer it out. My soul, the father and these two beget A generation of still-breeding thoughts, And these same thoughts people this little world; For no thought is contented. The better sort- As thus,-"Come, little ones;" and then again, "It is as hard to come, as for a camel To thread the postern of a needle's eye." Persuades me I was better when a king; Then am I king'd again; and by and by Think that I am unking'd by Bolingbroke, And straight am nothing: but whate'er I am, Nor I, nor any man, that but man is, With nothing shall be pleased, till he be eased [Music And here have I the daintiness of ear, To check time broke in a disorder'd string; Enter Groom Groom. Hail, royal prince! The cheapest of us is ten groats too dear. K. Rich. Rode he on Barbary? Tell me, gentle friend, How went he under him? Groom. So proudly, as if he disdain'd the ground. K. Rich. So proud that Bolingbroke was on his back! That jade hath eat bread from my royal hand; This hand hath made him proud with clapping him. Would he not stumble' Would he not fall down, (Since pride must have a fall,) and break the neck Of that proud man that did usurp his back? Forgiveness, horse! why do I rail on thee. Since thou, created to be awed by man, Enter Keeper, with a dish. Keep. Fellow, give place; here is no longer stay. [To the Groom. K. Rich. If thou love me, 'tis time thou wert away. Groom. What my tongue dares not, that my heart Exit shall say. Keep. My lord, will't please you to fall to? K. Rich. Taste of it first, as thou art wont to do. Keep. My lord, I dare not; Sir Pierce of Exton, who Lately came from the king, commands the contrary. K. Rich. The devil take Henry of Lancaster and thee! Patience is stale, and I am weary of it. [Beats the Keeper. Keep. Help, help, help! Enter EXTON, and Servants, armed. K. Rich. How now? what means death in this rude [assault? Villain, thy own hand yields thy death's instrument. [Snatching a weapon, and killing one. Go thou, and fill another room in hell. [He kills another, then EXTON strikes him down. Exton. As full of valour, as of royal blood: This dead king to the living king 1'll bear ;- SCENE VI.- WINDSOR. A Room in the Castle. Flourish. Enter BOLINGBROKE and YORK, with Lords and Attendants. Boling. Kind uncle York, the latest news we hear But whether they be ta'en, or slain, we hear not. Welcome, my lord: what is the news? North. First, to thy sacred state wish I all happiness. The next news is, I have to London sent The heads of Salisbury, Spencer, Blunt, and Kent: The manner of their taking may appear At large discoursèd in this paper here. [Presenting a paper. Boling. We thank thee, gentle Percy, for thy pains; And to thy worth will add right worthy gains. Enter FITZWATER. Fitz. My lord, I have from Oxford sent to London The heads of Brocas and Sir Bennet Seely; Two of the dangerous consorted traitors, That sought at Oxford thy dire overthrow. Boling. Thy pains, Fitzwater, shall not be forgot; Right noble is thy merit, weli I wot. Enter PEROT, with the BISHOP OF CARLISLE. Thy kingly doom and sentence of his pride. Enter ExTON, with Attendants bearing a cofin. Boling. Exton, I thank thee not; for thou hast wrought A deed of slander, with thy fatal hand, Upon my head, and all this famous land. deed Exton. From your own mouth, my lord, did I this Nor do I thee; though I did wish him dead, Came from the north, and thus it did import. Where they did spend a sad and bloody hour; As by discharge of their artillery, SCENE I.-LONDON. A Room in the Palace. Enter KING HENRY, WESTMORELAND, SIR WALTER K. Hen. So shaken as we are, so wan with care, Shall now, in mutual, well-beseeming ranks, (Whose soldier now, under whose blessed cross West. My liege, this haste was hot in question, K. Hen. It seems, then, that the tidings of this broil Brake off our business for the Holy Land. West. This, match'd with other, did, my gracious For more uneven and unwelcome news [lord; And shape of likelihood, the news was told; K. Hen. Here is a dear and true-industrious friend, Betwixt that Holmedon and this seat of ours; Ten thousand bold Scots, two-and-twenty knights, And is not this an honourable spoil? It is a conquest for a prince to boast of. K. Hen. Yea, there thou mak'st me sad, and mak'st In envy that my lord Northumberland A son, who is the theme of honour's tongue; Of my young Harry. O, that it could be proved, [me sin Then would I have his Harry, and he mine. West. This is his uncle's teaching, this is Worcester Malevolent to you in all aspects; Which makes him prune himself, and bristle up K. Hen. But I have sent for him to answer this: Will hold at Windsor, so inform the lords: But come yourself with speed to us again; SCENE II. The same. Another Room in the Palace. Enter HENRY, Prince of Wales, and FALSTAFF. Fal. Now, Hal, what time of day is it, lad? P. Hen. Thou art so fat-witted, with drinking of old sack, and unbuttoning thee after supper, and sleeping upon benches after noon, that thou hast forgotten to demand that truly which thou wouldst truly know. What a devil hast thou to do with the time of the day? unless hours were cups of sack, and minutes capons, and clocks the tongues of bawds, and dials the signs of leaping-houses, and the blessed sun himself a fair hot wench in flame-colour'd taffeta, -I see no reason why thou shouldst be so superfluous to demand the time of the day. Fal. Indeed, you come near me now, Hal; for we that take purses go by the moon and seven stars; and not by Phœbus, -he, "that wandering knight so fair." And, I pray thee, sweet wag, when thou art king, as, God save thy grace (majesty, I should say; for grace thou wilt have none.) P. Hen. What, none? about you, Sir; but I marked him not: and yet he talked very wisely; but I regarded him not; and yet he talked wisely, and in the street too. P. Hen. Thou didst well; for wisdom cries out in the streets, and no man regards it. Fal. O thou hast damnable iteration, and art, indeed, able to corrupt a saint. Thou hast done much harm upon me, Hal, -God forgive thee for it! Before I knew thee, Hal, I knew nothing; and now am 1, if a man should speak truly, little better than one of the wicked. I must give over this life, and I will give it over; by the Lord, an I do not, I am a villain; I'll be damned for never a king's son in Christendom. P. Hen. Where shall we take a purse to-morrow, Jack? Fal. Where thou wilt, lad, I'll make one; an I do not, call me villain, and baffle me. P. Hen. I see a good amendment of life in thee: from praying to purse-taking. Enter POINS, at a distance. Fal. Why, Hal, 'tis my vocation, Hal; 'tis no sin for a man to labour in his vocation. Poins!- Now shall we know if Gadshill have set a match. O, if men were to be saved by merit, what hole in hell were hot that ever cried "Stand!" to a true man. P. Hen. Good morrow, Ned. Fal. No, by my troth; not so much as will serve to enough for him? This is the most omnipotent villain be prologue to an egg and butter. P. Hen. Well, how then? come, roundly, roundly. Fal. Marry, then, sweet wag, when thou art king, let not us, that are squires of the night's body, be called thieves of the day's beauty; let us be Diana's foresters, gentlemen of the shade, minions of the moon: and let men say, we be men of good government: being governed, as the sea is, by our noble and chaste mistress the moon, under whose countenance we steal. P. Hen. Thou say'st well; and it holds well too: for the fortune of us, that are the moon's men, doth ebb and flow like the sea; being governed, as the sea is, by the moon. As, for proof, now: a purse of gold most resolutely snatched on Monday night, and most dissolutely spent on Tuesday morning; got with swearing"lay by;" and spent with crying "bring in:" now in as low an ebb as the foot of the ladder, and by and by in as high a flow as the ridge of the gallows. Fal. By the Lord, thou say'st true, lad. And is not my hostess of the tavern a most sweet wench? P. Hen. As the honey of Hybla, my old lad of the castle. And is not a buff jerkin a most sweet robe of durance? Fal. How now, how now, mad wag? what, in thy quips, and thy quiddities? what a plague have I to do with a buff jerkin? P. Hen. Why, what a pox have I to do with my hostess of the tavern? Fal. Well, thou hast called her to a reckoning many a time and oft. P. Hen. Did I ever call for thee to pay thy part? Fal. No; I'll give thee thy due, thou hast paid all there. P. Hen. Yea, and elsewhere, so far as my coin would stretch; and, where it would not, I have used my judge. P. Hen. Thou judgest false already; I mean, thou shalt have the hanging of the thieves, and so become a rare hangman. Fal. Well, Hal, well; and in some sort it jumps with my humour, as well as waiting in the court, I can tell you. P. Hen. For obtaining of suits? Fal. Yea, for obtaining of suits: whereof the hangman hath no lean wardrobe. 'Sblood, I am as melancholy as a gib cat, or a lugged bear. P. Hen. Or an old lion, or a lover's lute. Fal. Yea, or the drone of a Lincolnshire bagpipe. P. Hen. What sayest thou to a hare, or the melancholy of Moor-ditch? Fal. Thou hast the most unsavoury similes, and art, indeed, the most comparative, rascalliest, -sweet young prince; but, Hal, I prythee, trouble me no more with vanity. I would to God, thou and I knew where a commodity of good names were to be bought. An old lord of the council rated me the other day in the street Poins. Good morrow, sweet Hal. - What says monsieur Remorse? What says Sir John Sack-and-Sugar? Jack, how agrees the devil and thee about thy soul, that thou soldest him on Good-Friday last, for a cup of Madeira and a cold capon's leg? P. Hen. Sir John stands to his word, the devil shall have his bargain; for he was never yet a breaker of proverbs-he will give the devil his due. Poins. Then art thou damned for keeping thy word with the devil. P. Hen. Else he had been damned for cozening the devil. Poins. But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four o'clock, early at Gadshill! There are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purses: I have visors for you all, you have horses for yourselves; Gadshill lies tonight in Rochester; I have bespoke supper to-morrow night in Eastcheap; we may do it as secure as sleep. If you will go, I will stuff your purses full of crowns; if you will not, tarry at home, and be hanged. Fal. Hear me, Yedward; if I tarry at home, and go not, I'll hang you for going. Poins. You will, chops? Fal. Hal, wilt thou make one? P. Hen. Who, I rob? I a thief? not I, by my faith. Fal. There's neither honesty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee, nor thou camest not of the bloodroyal, if thou darest not stand for ten shillings. P. Hen. Well, then once in my days I'll be a madcap. Fal. Why, that's well said. P. Hen. Well, come what will, I'll tarry at home. Fal. By the Lord, I'll be a traitor then, when thou art king. P. Hen. I care not. Poins. Sir John, I prythee, leave the prince and me alone; I will lay him down such reasons for this adventure, that he shall go. Fal. Well, mayst thou have the spirit of persuasion. and he the ears of profiting, that what thou speakest may move, and what he hears may be believed, that the true prince may (for recreation sake) prove a false thief; for the poor abuses of the time want countenance. Farewell: you shall find me in Eastcheap. P. Hen. Farewell, thou latter spring! Farewell, Allhallown summer! [Exit FALSTAFF. Poins. Now, my good sweet honey lord, ride with us to-morrow; I have a jest to execute, that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill, shall rob those men that we have already waylaid; yourself and I will not be there: and when they have the booty, if you and I do not rob them, cut this head from V shoulders. P. Hen. But how shall we part with them in setting forth? Poins. Why, we will set forth before or after them, and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein it is at our pleasure to fail; and then will they adventure upon the exploit themselves: which they shall have no sooner achieved, but we'll set upon them. P. Hen. Ay, but 'tis like that they will know us, by our horses, by our habits, and by every other appoint ment, to be ourselves. |