Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Catherine Lisak
Peer Reviewed

Richard II (Quarto 1, 1597)

Enter erle of Salisbury and a Welch captaine.
1285Welch. My lord of Salisbury, we haue stayed ten dayes,
And hardly kept our countrymen together,
And yet we heare no tidings from the King,
Therefore we will disperse our selues, farewell.
Salis. Stay yet another day, thou trustie Welchman,
1290The King reposeth all his confidence in thee.
Welch. Tis thought the King is dead; we wil not stay,
The bay trees in our country are al witherd,
And Meteors fright the fixed starres of heauen,
The pale-facde moone lookes bloudie on the earth,
1295And leane-lookt prophets whisper fearefull change,
Rich men looke sad, and ruffians daunce and leape,
The one in feare to loose what they enioy,
The other to enioy by rage and warre:
These signes forerunne the death or fall of Kings.
1300Farewell, our countrymen are gone and fled,
As well assured Richard their King is dead.
Salis. Ah Richard! with the eies of heauy mind
I see thy glory like a shooting starre
Fall to the base earth from the firmament,
1305Thy sunne sets weeping in the lowly west,
Witnessing stormes to come, wo, and vnrest,
Thy friends are fled to wait vpon thy foes,
And crosly to thy good all fortune goes.