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Richard II (Quarto 1, 1597)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Catherine Lisak
Peer Reviewed
The Tragedie of
My water's on the earth, and not on him,
1645March on, and marke King Richard how he lookes.

The trumpets sound, Richard appeareth on the walls.
Bull. See see King Richard doth himselfe appeare,
1650As doth the blushing discontented Sunne,
From out the fierie portall of the East,
When he perceiues the enuious cloudes are bent
To dimme his glorie, and to staine the tracke
Of his bright passage to the Occident.
1655Yorke Yet lookes he like a King, beholde his eye,
As bright as is the Eagles, lightens forth
Controlling maiestie; alacke alacke for woe,
That any harme should staine so faire a shew.
King We are amazde, and thus long haue we stoode,
1660To watch the feareful bending of thy knee,
Because : me'thought our selfe thy lawful King:
And if wee be, howe dare thy ioynts forget
To pay their awefull duety to our presence?
If we be not, shew vs the hand of God
1665That hath dismist vs from our Stewardship;
For well we know no hand of bloud and bone
Can gripe the sacred handle of our Scepter,
Vnlesse he do prophane, steale, or vsurpe,
And though you thinke that all as you haue done
1670Haue torne their soules, by turning them from vs,
And we are barren and bereft offriends:
Yet know, my maister God omnipotent,
Is mustering in his cloudes on our behalfe,
Armies of pestilence, and they shall strike
1675Your children yet vnborne, and vnbegot,
That lift your vassaile hands against my head,
And threat the glorie of my precious crowne.
Tell Bullingbrooke, for yon me thinkes he standes,
That euery stride he makes vpon my land,
1680Is dangerous treason: he is come to open
The purple testament ofbloeding warre:
But