1422King. Goe, call the Earles of Surrey, and of Warwick:

1423But ere they come, bid them ore-reade these Letters,

1424And well consider of them: make good speed.

1425How many thousand of my poorest Subiects

1426Are at this howre asleepe? O Sleepe, O gentle Sleepe,

1427Natures soft Nurse, how haue I frighted thee,

1428That thou no more wilt weigh my eye-lids downe,

1429And steepe my Sences in Forgetfulnesse?

1430Why rather (Sleepe) lyest thou in smoakie Cribs,

1431Vpon vneasie Pallads stretching thee,

1432And huisht with bussing Night, flyes to thy slumber,

1433Then in the perfum'd Chambers of the Great?

1434Vnder the Canopies of costly State,

1435And lull'd with sounds of sweetest Melodie?

1436O thou dull God, why lyest thou with the vilde,

1437In loathsome Beds, and leau'st the Kingly Couch,

1438A Watch-case, or a common Larum-Bell?

1439Wilt thou, vpon the high and giddie Mast,

1440Seale vp the Ship-boyes Eyes, and rock his Braines,

1441In Cradle of the rude imperious Surge,

1442And in the visitation of the Windes,

1443Who take the Ruffian Billowes by the top,

1444Curling their monstrous heads, and hanging them

1445With deaff'ning Clamors in the slipp'ry Clouds,

1446That with the hurley, Death it selfe awakes?

1447Canst thou (O partiall Sleepe) giue thy Repose

1448To the wet Sea-Boy, in an houre so rude:

1449And in the calmest, and most stillest Night,

1450With all appliances, and meanes to boote,

1451Deny it to a King? Then happy Lowe, lye downe,

1452Vneasie lyes the Head, that weares a Crowne.

1454War. Many good-morrowes to your Maiestie.

1455King. Is it good-morrow, Lords?

1456War. 'Tis One a Clock, and past.

1457King. Why then good-morrow to you all (my Lords:)

1458Haue you read o're the Letters that I sent you?

1459War. We haue (my Liege.)

1460King. Then you perceiue the Body of our Kingdome,

1461How foule it is: what ranke Diseases grow,

1462And with what danger, neere the Heart of it?

1463War. It is but as a Body, yet distemper'd,

1464Which to his former strength may be restor'd,

1465With good aduice, and little Medicine:

1466My Lord Northumberland will soone be cool'd.

1467King. Oh Heauen, that one might read the Book of Fate,

1468And see the reuolution of the Times

1469Make Mountaines leuell, and the Continent

1470(Wearie of solide firmenesse) melt it selfe

1471Into the Sea: and other Times, to see

1472The beachie Girdle of the Ocean

1473Too wide for Neptunes hippes; how Chances mocks

1474And Changes fill the Cuppe of Alteration

1475With diuers Liquors. 'Tis not tenne yeeres gone,

1476Since Richard, and Northumberland, great friends,

1477Did feast together; and in two yeeres after,

1478Were they at Warres. It is but eight yeeres since,

1479This Percie was the man, neerest my Soule,

1480Who, like a Brother, toyl'd in my Affaires,

1481And layd his Loue and Life vnder my foot:

1482Yea, for my sake, euen to the eyes of Richard

1483Gaue him defiance. But which of you was by

1484(You Cousin Neuil, as I may remember)

1485When Richard, with his Eye, brim-full of Teares,

1486(Then check'd, and rated by Northumberland)

1487Did speake these words (now prou'd a Prophecie:)

1488Northumberland, thou Ladder, by the which

1489My Cousin Bullingbrooke ascends my Throne:

1490(Though then, Heauen knowes, I had no such intent,

1491But that necessitie so bow'd the State,

1492That I and Greatnesse were compell'd to kisse:)

1493The Time shall come (thus did hee follow it)

1494The Time will come, that foule Sinne gathering head,

1495Shall breake into Corruption: so went on,

1496Fore-telling this same Times Condition,

1497And the diuision of our Amitie.

1498War. There is a Historie in all mens Liues,

1499Figuring the nature of the Times deceas'd:

1500The which obseru'd, a man may prophecie

1501With a neere ayme, of the maine chance of things,

1502As yet not come to Life, which in their Seedes

1503And weake beginnings lye entreasured:

1504Such things become the Hatch and Brood of Time;

1505And by the necessarie forme of this,

1506King Richard might create a perfect guesse,

1507That great Northumberland, then false to him,

1508Would of that Seed, grow to a greater falsenesse,

1509Which should not finde a ground to roote vpon,

1510Vnlesse on you.

1511King. Are these things then Necessities?

1512Then let vs meete them like Necessities;

1513And that same word, euen now cryes out on vs:

1514They say, the Bishop and Northumberland

1515Are fiftie thousand strong.

1516War. It cannot be (my Lord:)

1517Rumor doth double, like the Voice, and Eccho,

1518The numbers of the feared. Please it your Grace

1519To goe to bed, vpon my Life (my Lord)

1520The Pow'rs that you alreadie haue sent forth,

1521Shall bring this Prize in very easily.

1522To comfort you the more, I haue receiu'd

1523A certaine instance, that Glendour is dead.

1524Your Maiestie hath beene this fort-night ill,

1525And these vnseason'd howres perforce must adde

1526Vnto your Sicknesse.

1527King. I will take your counsaile:

1528And were these inward Warres once out of hand,

1529Wee would (deare Lords) vnto the Holy-Land.