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- Edition: Richard II
Richard II (Folio 1, 1623)
- Introduction
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1920Actus Quartus. Scoena Prima.
1921 Enter as to the Parliament, Bullingbrooke, Aumerle, Nor-
1922 thumberland, Percie, Fitz-Water, Surrey, Carlile, Abbot
1923 of Westminster. Herauld, Officers, and Bagot.
1924Bullingbrooke. Call forth Bagot.
1925Now Bagot, freely speake thy minde,
1927Who wrought it with the King, and who perform'd
1931Bag. My Lord Aumerle, I know your daring tongue
1932Scornes to vnsay, what it hath once deliuer'd.
1933In that dead time, when Glousters death was plotted,
1934I heard you say, Is not my arme of length,
1936As farre as Callis, to my Vnkles head.
1937Amongst much other talke, that very time,
1940Then Bullingbrookes returne to England; adding withall,
1942Aum. Princes, and Noble Lords:
1945On equall termes to giue him chasticement?
1948There is my Gage, the manuall Seale of death
1949That markes thee out for Hell. Thou lyest,
1951In thy heart blood, though being all too base
1957There is my Gage, Aumerle, in Gage to thine:
1962And I will turne thy falshood to thy hart,
1963Where it was forged with my Rapiers point.
1965Fitz. Now by my Soule, I would it were this houre.
1966Aum. Fitzwater thou art damn'd to hell for this.
1968In this Appeale, as thou art all vniust:
1969And that thou art so, there I throw my Gage
1970To proue it on thee, to th'extreamest point
1971Of mortall breathing. Seize it, if thou dar'st.
1973And neuer brandish more reuengefull Steele,
1974Ouer the glittering Helmet of my Foe.
1975Surrey. My Lord Fitz-water:
1976I do remember well, the very time
1977Aumerle, and you did talke.
1978Fitz. My Lord,
1979'Tis very true: You were in presence then,
1980And you can witnesse with me, this is true.
1982As Heauen it selfe is true.
1986That it shall render Vengeance, and Reuenge,
1987Till thou the Lye-giuer, and that Lye, doe lye
1988In earth as quiet, as thy Fathers Scull.
1989In proofe whereof, there is mine Honors pawne,
Fitz-
The Life and Death of Richard the Second. 39
1992If I dare eate, or drinke, or breathe, or liue,
1993I dare meete Surrey in a Wildernesse,
1995And Lyes, and Lyes: there is my Bond of Faith,
1997As I intend to thriue in this new World,
1998Aumerle is guiltie of my true Appeale.
2001To execute the Noble Duke at Callis.
2003That Norfolke lyes: here doe I throw downe this,
2004If he may be repeal'd, to trie his Honor.
2006Till Norfolke be repeal'd: repeal'd he shall be;
2007And (though mine Enemie) restor'd againe
2008To all his Lands and Seignories: when hee's return'd,
2009Against Aumerle we will enforce his Tryall.
2011Many a time hath banish'd Norfolke fought
2014Against black Pagans, Turkes, and Saracens:
2015And toyl'd with workes of Warre, retyr'd himselfe
2016To Italy, and there at Venice gaue
2017His Body to that pleasant Countries Earth,
2018And his pure Soule vnto his Captaine Christ,
2023To the Bosome of good old Abraham.
2025Till we assigne you to your dayes of Tryall.
2026Enter Yorke.
2028From plume-pluckt Richard, who with willing Soule
2029Adopts thee Heire, and his high Scepter yeelds
2032And long liue Henry, of that Name the Fourth.
2034Carl. Mary, Heauen forbid.
2037Would God, that any in this Noble Presence
2038Were enough Noble, to be vpright Iudge
2039Of Noble Richard: then true Noblenesse would
2043Theeues are not iudg'd, but they are by to heare,
2044Although apparant guilt be seene in them:
2046His Captaine, Steward, Deputie elect,
2047Anoynted, Crown'd, planted many yeeres,
2053Stirr'd vp by Heauen, thus boldly for his King.
2054My Lord of Hereford here, whom you call King,
2055Is a foule Traytor to prowd Herefords King.
2056And if you Crowne him, let me prophecie,
2058And future Ages groane for his foule Act.
2060And in this Seat of Peace, tumultuous Warres
2061Shall Kinne with Kinne, and Kinde with Kinde confound.
2062Disorder, Horror, Feare, and Mutinie
2063Shall here inhabite, and this Land be call'd
2064The field of Golgotha, and dead mens Sculls.
2067That euer fell vpon this cursed Earth.
2070North. Well haue you argu'd Sir: and for your paines,
2073To keepe him safely, till his day of Tryall.
2074May it please you, Lords, to grant the Commons Suit?
2075Bull. Fetch hither Richard, that in common view
2080Procure your Sureties for your Dayes of Answer:
2081Little are we beholding to your Loue,
2082And little look'd for at your helping Hands.
2083Enter Richard and Yorke.
2086Wherewith I reign'd? I hardly yet haue learn'd
2088Giue Sorrow leaue a while, to tuture me
2090The fauors of these men: were they not mine?
2091Did they not sometime cry, All hayle to me?
2092So Iudas did to Christ: but he in twelue,
2093Found truth in all, but one; I, in twelue thousand, none.
2095Am I both Priest, and Clarke? well then, Amen.
2096God saue the King, although I be not hee:
2097And yet Amen, if Heauen doe thinke him mee.
2101The Resignation of thy State and Crowne
2102To Henry Bullingbrooke.
2105Now is this Golden Crowne like a deepe Well,
2106That owes two Buckets, filling one another,
2107The emptier euer dancing in the ayre,
2108The other downe, vnseene, and full of Water:
2109That Bucket downe, and full of Teares am I,
2110Drinking my Griefes, whil'st you mount vp on high.
2113You may my Glories and my State depose,
2115Bull. Part of your Cares you giue me with your Crowne.
2117My Care, is losse of Care, by old Care done,
2118Your Care, is gaine of Care, by new Care wonne:
2119The Cares I giue, I haue, though giuen away,
d 2 Rich. I,
40The Life and Death of Richard the Second.
2123Therefore no, no, for I resigne to thee.
2124Now, marke me how I will vndoe my selfe.
2125I giue this heauie Weight from off my Head,
2126And this vnwieldie Scepter from my Hand,
2127The pride of Kingly sway from out my Heart.
2128With mine owne Teares I wash away my Balme,
2129With mine owne Hands I giue away my Crowne,
2130With mine owne Tongue denie my Sacred State,
2133My Manors, Rents, Reuenues, I forgoe;
2134My Acts, Decrees, and Statutes I denie:
2135God pardon all Oathes that are broke to mee,
2136God keepe all Vowes vnbroke are made to thee.
2137Make me, that nothing haue, with nothing grieu'd,
2138And thou with all pleas'd, that hast all atchieu'd.
2140And soone lye Richard in an Earthie Pit.
2143What more remaines?
2144North. No more: but that you reade
2146Committed by your Person, and your followers,
2148That by confessing them, the Soules of men
2149May deeme, that you are worthily depos'd.
2151My weau'd-vp follyes? Gentle Northumberland,
2152If thy Offences were vpon Record,
2156Contayning the deposing of a King,
2157And cracking the strong Warrant of an Oath,
2158Mark'd with a Blot, damn'd in the Booke of Heauen.
2159Nay, all of you, that stand and looke vpon me,
2162Shewing an outward pittie: yet you Pilates
2169Nay, if I turne mine Eyes vpon my selfe,
2171For I haue giuen here my Soules consent,
2172T'vndeck the pompous Body of a King;
2173Made Glory base; a Soueraigntie, a Slaue;
2175North. My Lord.
2177No, nor no mans Lord: I haue no Name, no Title;
2178No, not that Name was giuen me at the Font,
2179But 'tis vsurpt: alack the heauie day,
2180That I haue worne so many Winters out,
2182Oh, that I were a Mockerie, King of Snow,
2183Standing before the Sunne of Bullingbrooke,
2184To melt my selfe away in Water-drops.
2185Good King, great King, and yet not greatly good,
2186And if my word be Sterling yet in England,
2187Let it command a Mirror hither straight,
2188That it may shew me what a Face I haue,
2189Since it is Bankrupt of his Maiestie.
2192Rich. Fiend, thou torments me, ere I come to Hell.
2193Bull. Vrge it no more, my Lord Northumberland.
2196When I doe see the very Booke indeede,
2198Enter one with a Glasse.
2199Giue me that Glasse, and therein will I reade.
2200No deeper wrinckles yet? hath Sorrow strucke
2201So many Blowes vpon this Face of mine,
2203Like to my followers in prosperitie,
2204Thou do'st beguile me. Was this Face, the Face
2205That euery day, vnder his House-hold Roofe,
2206Did keepe ten thousand men? Was this the Face,
2207That like the Sunne, did make beholders winke?
2208Is this the Face, which fac'd so many follyes,
2209That was at last out-fac'd by Bullingbrooke?
2210A brittle Glory shineth in this Face,
2211As brittle as the Glory, is the Face,
2212For there it is, crackt in an hundred shiuers.
2216The shadow of your Face.
2217Rich. Say that againe.
2219'Tis very true, my Griefe lyes all within,
2220And these externall manner of Laments,
2224For thy great bountie, that not onely giu'st
2226How to lament the cause. Ile begge one Boone,
2227And then be gone, and trouble you no more.
2228Shall I obtaine it?
2231For when I was a King, my flatterers
2233I haue a King here to my flatterer:
2234Being so great, I haue no neede to begge.
2235Bull. Yet aske.
2238Rich. Then giue me leaue to goe.
2239Bull. Whither?
2243That rise thus nimbly by a true Kings fall.
2246Abbot. A wofull Pageant haue we here beheld.
2247Carl. The Woes to come, the Children yet vnborne,
2248Shall feele this day as sharpe to them as Thorne.
2249Aum. You holy Clergie-men, is there no Plot
2250To rid the Realme of this pernicious Blot.
2252You shall not onely take the Sacrament,
d2 What
The Life and Death of Richard the Second. 41
2256Your Heart of Sorrow, and your Eyes of Teares.
2257Come home with me to Supper, Ile lay a Plot