2.5.0.21069 Enter Mortimer, brought in a chair, 1070[by his jailor Keepers]. Kind keepers of my weak decaying age,
2.5.21072Let dying Mortimer here rest himself.
2.5.31073Even like a man new-halèd from the rack,
2.5.41074So fare my limbs with long imprisonment;
2.5.51075And these grey locks, the pursuivants of death,
2.5.81078These eyes, like lamps whose wasting oil is spent,
2.5.91079Wax dim, as drawing to their exigent;
2.5.101080Weak shoulders, overborne with burdening grief,
2.5.111081And pithless arms, like to a withered vine
2.5.121082That droops his sapless branches to the ground.
2.5.131083Yet are these feet, whose strengthless stay is numb,
2.5.151085Swift-wingèd with desire to get a grave,
2.5.171087But tell me, keeper, will my nephew come?
Richard Plantagenet, my lord, will come.
2.5.191089We sent unto the Temple, unto his chamber,
2.5.201090And answer was returned that he will come.
Enough. My soul shall then be satisfied.
2.5.221092Poor gentleman, his wrong doth equal mine.
2.5.231093Since Henry Monmouth first began to reign,
2.5.251095This loathsome sequestration have I had;
2.5.261096And even since then hath Richard been obscured,
2.5.291099Just Death, kind umpire of men's miseries,
2.5.301100With sweet enlargement doth dismiss me hence.
2.5.311101I would his troubles likewise were expired,
My lord, your loving nephew now is come.
Richard Plantagenet, my friend, is he come?
Aye, noble uncle, thus ignobly used:
2.5.361107Your nephew, late despisèd Richard, comes.
Direct mine arms I may embrace his neck
2.5.391110O tell me when my lips do touch his cheeks,
2.5.401111That I may kindly give one fainting kiss.
2.5.411112And now declare sweet stem from York's great stock,
2.5.421113Why didst thou say of late thou wert despised?
First lean thine agèd back against mine arm,
2.5.441115And in that ease I'll tell thee my dis-ease.
2.5.461117Some words there grew 'twixt Somerset and me;
2.5.471118Among which terms he used his lavish tongue
2.5.481119And did upbraid me with my father's death;
2.5.491120Which obloquy set bars before my tongue,
2.5.511122Therefore, good uncle, for my father's sake,
2.5.531124And for alliance' sake, declare the cause
2.5.541125My father, Earl of Cambridge, lost his head.
That cause, fair nephew, that imprisoned me,
2.5.561127And hath detained me all my flow'ring youth
2.5.571128Within a loathsome dungeon, there to pine,
Discover more at large what cause that was,
I will, if that my fading breath permit
2.5.621133And death approach not ere my tale be done.
2.5.631134Henry the Fourth, grandfather to this King,
2.5.641135Deposed his nephew Richard, Edward's son,
2.5.661137Of Edward, king the third of that descent;
2.5.671138During whose reign the Percies of the north,
2.5.691140Endeavored my advancement to the throne.
2.5.701141The reason moved these warlike lords to this
2.5.711142Was for that, young Richard thus removed,
2.5.751146From Lionel, Duke of Clarence, third son
2.5.771148From John of Gaunt doth bring his pedigree,
2.5.791150But mark: as in this haughty great attempt
2.5.801151They labourèd to plant the rightful heir,
2.5.811152I lost my liberty, and they their lives.
2.5.831154Succeeding his father Bolingbroke, did reign,
2.5.841155Thy father, Earl of Cambridge, then derived
2.5.851156From famous Edmund Langley, Duke of York,
2.5.901161But as the rest, so fell that noble earl,
2.5.921163In whom the title rested, were suppressed.
Of which, my lord, your honor is the last.
True, and thou seest that I no issue have,
2.5.951166And that my fainting words do warrant death.
2.5.961167Thou art my heir. The rest I wish thee gather:
Thy grave admonishments prevail with me.
With silence, nephew, be thou politic.
2.5.1051176As princes do their courts, when they are cloyed
O uncle, would some part of my young years
Thou dost then wrong me, as that slaughterer doth,
2.5.1101181Which giveth many wounds when one will kill.
2.5.1141185And prosperous be thy life in peace and war.
And peace, no war, befall thy parting soul.
2.5.121.1 [Exeunt Keepers with Mortimer's body in the chair.] 2.5.1241195And for those wrongs, those bitter injuries,