The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 4 of 9]

Welcome, Harry: what, will not this castle yield?[1413]20

Percy. The castle royally is mann'd, my lord,[1414]
Against thy entrance.[1415]

Boling. Royally![1416]
Why, it contains no king?[1416]

Percy. Yes, my good lord,
It doth contain a king; King Richard lies [1417]25
Within the limits of yon lime and stone:[1418]
And with him are the Lord Aumerle, Lord Salisbury,[1419]
Sir Stephen Scroop, besides a clergyman
Of holy reverence; who, I cannot learn.

North. O, belike it is the Bishop of Carlisle.[1420][1421]30

Boling. Noble lords,[1421][1422]
Go to the rude ribs of that ancient castle;
Through brazen trumpet send the breath of parley [1423]
Into his ruin'd ears, and thus deliver:[1424]
Henry Bolingbroke[1424][1425][1426]35
On both his knees doth kiss King Richard's hand[1426][1427]
And sends allegiance and true faith of heart [1428]
To his most royal person; hither come [1429]
Even at his feet to lay my arms and power,[1430]
Provided that my banishment repeal'd40
And lands restored again be freely granted:
If not, I'll use the advantage of my power
And lay the summer's dust with showers of blood
Rain'd from the wounds of slaughter'd Englishmen:[1431]
The which, how far off from the mind of Bolingbroke [1432]45
It is, such crimson tempest should bedrench [1433]
The fresh green lap of fair King Richard's land,
My stooping duty tenderly shall show.
Go, signify as much, while here we march
Upon the grassy carpet of this plain.50
Let's march without the noise of threatening drum,[1434]
That from this castle's tatter'd battlements [1435]
Our fair appointments may be well perused.
Methinks King Richard and myself should meet
With no less terror than the elements55
Of fire and water, when their thundering shock [1436]
At meeting tears the cloudy cheeks of heaven.
Be he the fire, I'll be the yielding water:[1437]
The rage be his, whilst on the earth I rain[1437][1438]
My waters; on the earth, and not on him.[1437][1439]60
March on, and mark King Richard how he looks.

Parle without, and answer within. Then a flourish. Enter on the walls, King Richard, the Bishop of Carlisle, Aumerle, Scroop, and Salisbury.[1440]

See, see, King Richard doth himself appear,[1441]
As doth the blushing discontented sun
From out the fiery portal of the east,
When he perceives the envious clouds are bent65
To dim his glory and to stain the track [1442]
Of his bright passage to the occident.

York. Yet looks he like a king: behold, his eye,
As bright as is the eagle's, lightens forth
Controlling majesty: alack, alack, for woe,[1443]70
That any harm should stain so fair a show![1444]

K. Rich. We are amazed; and thus long have we stood
To watch the fearful bending of thy knee, [To North.[1445]
Because we thought ourself thy lawful king:[1446]
And if we be, how dare thy joints forget [1447]75
To pay their awful duty to our presence?[1448]
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 sceptre,80
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,[1449]85
Is mustering 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.90
Tell Bolingbroke—for yond methinks he stands—[1450]
That every stride he makes upon my land [1451]
Is dangerous treason: he is come to open [1452]
The purple testament of bleeding war;
But ere the crown he looks for live in peace,[1453]95
Ten thousand bloody crowns of mothers' sons
Shall ill become the flower of England's face,[1454][1455]
Change the complexion of her maid-pale peace[1455][1456]
To scarlet indignation and bedew
Her pastures' grass with faithful English blood.[1457]100

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 [1458]
Harry Bolingbroke doth humbly kiss thy hand;[1459]
And by the honourable tomb he swears,105
That stands upon your 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,[1460]
And by the worth and honour of himself,110
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,115
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;[1461]
And, as I am a gentleman, I credit him.[1462]120

K. Rich. Northumberland, say thus the king returns:[1463]
His noble cousin is right welcome hither;
And all the number of his fair demands
Shall be accomplish'd without contradiction:[1464]
With all the gracious utterance thou hast[1464][1465]125
Speak to his gentle hearing kind commends.[1466]
We do debase ourselves, cousin, do we not, [To Aumerle.[1467]
To look so poorly and to speak so fair?
Shall we call back Northumberland, and send
Defiance to the traitor, and so die?130

Aum. No, good my lord; let's fight with gentle words [1468]
Till time lend friends and friends their helpful swords.[1469]

K. Rich. O God, O God! that e'er this tongue of mine,
That laid the sentence of dread banishment
On yon proud man, should take it off again [1470]135
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 beat,140
Since foes have scope to beat both thee and me.

Aum. Northumberland comes back from Bolingbroke.

K. Rich. What must the king do now? must he submit?
The king shall do it: must he be deposed?
The king shall be contented: must he lose145
The name of king? o' God's name, let it go:[1471]
I'll give my jewels for a set of beads,
My gorgeous palace for a hermitage,
My gay apparel for an almsman's gown,[1472]
My figured goblets for a dish of wood,150
My sceptre 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,155
Some way of common trade, where subjects' feet [1473]
May hourly trample on their sovereign's head;
For on my heart they tread now whilst I live;[1474]
And buried once, why not upon my head?[1474]
Aumerle, thou weep'st, my tender-hearted cousin![1475]160
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?[1476]165
As thus, to drop them still upon one place,[1477]
Till they have fretted us a pair of graves
Within the earth; and, therein laid,—there lies [1478][1479]
Two kinsmen digg'd their graves with weeping eyes.[1478]
Would not this ill do well? Well, well, I see[1478]170
I talk but idly, and you laugh at me.[1478][1480]
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.175

North. My lord, in the base court he doth attend
To speak with you; may it please you to come down.[1481]

K. Rich. Down, down I come; like glistering Phaeton,
Wanting the manage of unruly jades.[1482]
In the base court? Base court, where kings grow base,[1483][1484]180
To come at traitors' calls and do them grace.[1483]
In the base court? Come down? Down, court! down, king![1483][1485]
For night-owls shriek where mounting larks should sing.[1483]

[Exeunt from above.[1486]

Boling. What says his majesty?

North. Sorrow and grief of heart [1487]
Makes him speak fondly, like a frantic man:185
Yet he is come.[1488]

Enter King Richard and his attendants below.[1488][1489]

Boling. Stand all apart,[1488]
And show fair duty to his majesty.[1488] [He kneels down.[1490]
My gracious lord,—[1488]

K. Rich. Fair cousin, you debase your princely knee [1491]190
To make the base earth proud with kissing it:
Me rather had my heart might feel your love
Than my unpleased eye see your courtesy.
Up, cousin, up; your heart is up, I know,[1492][1493]
Thus high at least, although your knee be low.[1492][1494]195

Boling. My gracious lord, I come but for mine own.

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,[1495]200
That know the strong'st and surest way to get.
Uncle, give me your hands: nay, dry your eyes;[1496]
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.[1497]205
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?[1498]

Boling. Yea, my good lord.

K. Rich. Then I must not say no.

[Flourish. Exeunt.[1499]

Scene IV. Langley. The Duke of York's garden.

Enter the Queen and two Ladies.[1500]

Queen. What sport shall we devise here in this garden,
To drive away the heavy thought of care?

Lady. Madam, we'll play at bowls.[1501]

Queen. 'Twill make me think the world is full of rubs,
And that my fortune runs against the bias.5

Lady. Madam, we'll dance.

Queen. My legs can keep no measure in delight,
When my poor heart no measure keeps in grief:
Therefore, no dancing, girl; some other sport.

Lady. Madam, we'll tell tales.[1502]10

Queen. Of sorrow or of joy?[1502][1503]

Lady. Of either, madam.

Queen. Of neither, girl:[1504]
For if of joy, being altogether wanting,
It doth remember me the more of sorrow;
Or if of grief, being altogether had,[1505]15
It adds more sorrow to my want of joy:
For what I have I need not to repeat;
And what I want it boots not to complain.[1506]

Lady. Madam, I'll sing.

Queen. 'Tis well that thou hast cause;
But thou shouldst please me better, wouldst thou weep.20

Lady. I could weep, madam, would it do you good.

Queen. And I could sing, would weeping do me good,[1507][1508]
And never borrow any tear of thee.[1507][1509]

Enter a Gardener, and two Servants.

But stay, here come the gardeners:[1510]
Let's step into the shadow of these trees.25
My wretchedness unto a row of pins,[1511]
They'll talk of state; for every one doth so
Against a change; woe is forerun with woe.

[Queen and Ladies retire.[1512]

Gard. Go, bind thou up yon dangling apricocks,[1513]
Which, like unruly children, make their sire30
Stoop with oppression of their prodigal weight:
Give some supportance to the bending twigs.
Go thou, and like an executioner,
Cut off the heads of too fast growing sprays,[1514]
That look too lofty in our commonwealth:35
All must be even in our government.
You thus employ'd, I will go root away
The noisome weeds, which without profit suck [1515]
The soil's fertility from wholesome flowers.

Serv. Why should we in the compass of a pale [1516]40
Keep law and form and due proportion,
Showing, as in a model, our firm estate,[1517]
When our sea-walled garden, the whole land,
Is full of weeds; her fairest flowers choked up,
Her fruit-trees all unpruned, her hedges ruin'd,45
Her knots disorder'd and her wholesome herbs [1518]
Swarming with caterpillars?

Gard. Hold thy peace:
He that hath suffer'd this disorder'd spring[1518][1519]
Hath now himself met with the fall of leaf:
The weeds which his broad-spreading leaves did shelter,[1520]50
That seem'd in eating him to hold him up,
Are pluck'd up root and all by Bolingbroke,[1521]
I mean the Earl of Wiltshire, Bushy, Green.

Serv. What, are they dead?

Gard. They are; and Bolingbroke [1522]
Hath seized the wasteful king. O, what pity is it[1522][1523]55
That he had not so trimm'd and dress'd his land[1522][1524]
As we this garden! We at time of year[1522][1525]
Do wound the bark, the skin of our fruit-trees,[1525]
Lest, being over-proud in sap and blood,
With too much riches it confound itself:60
Had he done so to great and growing men,
They might have lived to bear and he to taste
Their fruits of duty: superfluous branches [1526]
We lop away, that bearing boughs may live:[1527]
Had he done so, himself had borne the crown,65
Which waste of idle hours hath quite thrown down.[1528]

Serv. What, think you then the king shall be deposed?[1529]

Gard. Depress'd he is already, and deposed
'Tis doubt he will be: letters came last night [1530][1531]
To a dear friend of the good Duke of York's,[1530][1532]70
That tell black tidings.[1533]

Queen. O, I am press'd to death through want of speaking![1533][1534]

[Coming forward.

Thou, old Adam's likeness, set to dress this garden,[1533][1535]
How dares thy harsh rude tongue sound this unpleasing news?[1533][1536]
What Eve, what serpent, hath suggested thee75
To make a second fall of cursed man?
Why dost thou say King Richard is deposed?
Darest thou, thou little better thing than earth,
Divine his downfal? Say, where, when, and how,
Camest thou by this ill tidings? speak, thou wretch.[1537]80

Gard. Pardon me, madam: little joy have I
To breathe this news; yet what I say is true.[1538]
King Richard, he is in the mighty hold
Of Bolingbroke: their fortunes both are weigh'd:
In your lord's scale is nothing but himself,[1539]85
And some few vanities that make him light;
But in the balance of great Bolingbroke,
Besides himself, are all the English peers,
And with that odds he weighs King Richard down.
Post you to London, and you will find it so;[1540]90
I speak no more than every one doth know.

Queen. Nimble mischance, that art so light of foot,
Doth not thy embassage belong to me,
And am I last that knows it? O, thou think'st [1541]
To serve me last, that I may longest keep95
Thy sorrow in my breast. Come, ladies, go,[1542]
To meet at London London's king in woe.
What, was I born to this, that my sad look
Should grace the triumph of great Bolingbroke?
Gardener, for telling me these news of woe,[1543]100
Pray God the plants thou graft'st may never grow.

[Exeunt Queen and Ladies.[1544]

The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 4 of 9]

About This Book

Scene IV. Langley. The Duke of York's garden.