14221256King Go call the Earles of Surrey and of War.

14231257But ere they come, bid them o're-reade these letters,

14241258And well consider of them, make good speed.

14251259How many thousand of my poorest subiects,

14261260Are at this howre asleepe? ô sleepe! ô gentle sleep!

14271261Natures soft nurse, how haue I frighted thee,

14281262That thou no more wilt weigh my eye-liddes downe,

14291263And steep my sences in forgetfulnesse,

14301264Why rather sleepe liest thou in smoaky cribbes,

14311265Vpon vneasie pallets stretching thee,

14321266And husht with buzzing night-flies to thy slumber,

14331267Then in the perfumde chambers of the great,

14341268Vnder the canopies of costly state,

14351269And lulld with sound of sweetest melody?

14361270O thou dull god, why li'ste thou with the vile

14371271In lothsome beds, and leauest the kingly couch,

14381272A watch-case, or a common larum bell?

14391273Wilt thou vpon the high and giddy masse,

14401274Seale vp the ship-boies eies, and rocke his braines,

14411275In cradle of the rude imperious surge,

14421276And in the visitation of the winds,

14431277Who take the ruffian pillowes by the top,

14441278Curling their monstrous heads, and hanging them

14451279With deaffing clamour in the slippery clouds,

14461280That with the hurly death it selfe awakes?

14471281Canst thou, ô partiall sleepe, giue them repose,

14481282To the wet season in an howre so rude,

14491283And in the calmest, and most stillest night,

14501284With al appliances and meanes to boote,

14511285Deny it to a King? then (happy) low lie downe,

14521286Vneasie lies the head that weares a crowne.

14541289War. Many good morrowes to your maiestie.

14551290King Is it good morrow lords?

14561291War. Tis one a clocke, and past.

14571292King Why then good morrow to you all my lords.

14581293Haue you read ore the letter that I sent you?

14591294War. We haue my liege.

14601295King Then you perceiue the body of our kingdome,

14611296How foule it is, what rancke diseases grow,

14621297And with what danger neare the heart of it.

14631298War. It is but as a body yet distempered,

14641299Which to his former strength may be restored,

14651300With good aduise and little medicine,

E4 My

14661301My Lord Northumberland wil soone be coold.

14671302King O God that one might reade the booke of fate,

14681303And see the reuolution of the times,

14691304Make mountaines leuell, and the continent

14701305Weary of solide firmenesse melt it selfe

14711306Into the sea, and other times to see,

14721307The beachie girdle of the ocean,

14731308Too wide for Neptunes hips, how chances mockes,

14741309And changes fill the cup of alteration,

14751310With diuers liquors! O if this were seene,

1475.11311The happiest youth viewing his progresse through,

1475.21312What perills past, what crosses to ensue?

1475.31313Would shut the booke and sit him downe and die:

1314Tis not ten yeeres gone,

14761315Since Richard and Northumberland great friends,

14771316Did feast togither, and in two yeare after,

14781317Were they at warres: it is but eight yeares since,

14791318This Percie was the man neerest my soule,

14801319Who like a brother toyld in my affaires;

14811320And laied his loue and life vnder my foote,

14821321Yea for my sake, euen to the eyes of Richard,

14831322Gaue him defyance: but which of you was by?

14841323You cousen Neuel, (as I may remember)

14851324When Richard with his eye-brimme full of teares,

14861325Then checkt and rated by Northumberland,

14871326Did speake these wordes now proou'd a prophecie:

14881327Northumberland, thou ladder by the which

14891328My cousen Bolingbrooke ascends my throne,

14901329(Though then (God knowes) I had no such intent,

14911330But that necessitie so bowed the state,

14921331That I and greatnesse were compeld to kisse.)

14931332The time shall come, thus did he follow it,

14941333The time wil come, that foule sin gathering head,

14951334Shall breake into corruption: so went on,

14961335Fortelling this same times condition,

14971336And the deuision of our amitie.

14981337War. There is a historie in all mens liues,

14991338Figuring the natures of the times deceast:

15001339The which obseru'd, a man may prophecie,

15011340With a neere ayme of the maine chance of things,

15021341As yet not come to life, who in their seedes,

15031342And weake beginning lie intreasured:

15041343Such thinges become the hatch and broode of time,

15051344And by the necessary forme of this,

15061345King Richard might create a perfect guesse,

15071346That great Northumberland then false to him,

15081347Would of that seede growe to a greater falsenesse,

15091348Which should not find a ground to roote vpon

15101349Vnlesse on you.

15111350King. Are these thinges then necessities,

15121351Then let vs meet them like necessities,

15131352And that same word euen now cries out on vs:

15141353They say the Bishop and Northumberland,

15151354Are fiftie thousand strong.

15161355War. It cannot be my Lord,

15171356Rumour doth double like the voice, and eccho

15181357The numbers of the feared, please it your grace,

15191358To go to bedde: vpon my soule, my Lord,

15201359The Powers that you alreadie haue sent foorth,

15211360Shall bring this prise in very easily:

15221361To comfort you the more, I haue receiued,

15231362A certain instance that Glendour is dead:

15241363Your Maiestie hath beene this fortnight ill,

15251364And these vnseasoned howers perforce must adde

15261365Vnto your sicknesse.

15271366King. I will take your counsaile,

15281367And were these inward warres once out of hand,

15291368We would (deare Lords) vnto the holy land. exeunt