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  • Title: Richard II (Quarto 1, 1597)
  • Editor: Catherine Lisak

    • ISBN: 978-1-55058-436-3

    Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Catherine Lisak
    Peer Reviewed

    Richard II (Quarto 1, 1597)

    Enter the Queene with her attendants
    Quee. What sport shall we deuise here in this garden,
    To driue away the heauy thought of care?
    1810Lady Madame weele play at bowles.
    Quee. Twil make me thinke the world is full of rubs,
    And that my fortune runs against the bias.
    Lady Madame weele daunce.
    Quee. My legs can keepe no measure in delight,
    1815When my poore hart no measure keepes in griefe:
    Therfore no dauncing girle, some other sport.
    Lady Madame weele tell tales.
    Quee. Of sorrow or of griefe.
    Lady Of either Madame.
    1820Quee. Of neither girle:
    For if of ioy, being altogither wanting,
    It doth remember me the more of sorrow:
    Or if of griefe, being altogither had,
    It adds more sorrow to my want of ioy:
    1825For what I haue I need not to repeate,
    And what I want it bootes not to complaine.
    Lady Madame Ile sing.
    Quee. Tis well that thou hast cause,
    But thou shouldst please me better, wouldst thou weepe.
    1830Lady I could weepe; Madame would it doe you good?
    Quee. And I could sing would weeping doe me good,
    And neuer borrow any teare of thee.
    Enter Gardeners.
    But stay, here come the gardeners,
    1835Lets step into the shadow of these trees,
    My wretchednes vnto a row of pines,
    They will talke of state for euery one doth so,
    Against a change woe is fore-runne with woe.
    Gard. Go bind thou vp yong dangling Aphricokes,
    1840Which like vnruly children make their sire,
    Stoope with oppression of their prodigall weight,
    Giue some supportance to the bending twigs,
    Go thou, and like an executioner
    Cut off the heads of two fast growing spraies,
    1845That looke too loftie in our common-wealth,
    All must be euen in our gouernement.
    You thus employed, I will goe roote away
    The noysome weedes which without profit sucke
    The soiles fertilitie from wholsome flowers.
    1850Man. Why should we in the compas of a pale,
    Keepe law and forme, and due proportion,
    Shewing as in a modle our firme estate,
    When our sea-walled garden the whole land
    Is full of weedes, her fairest flowers choakt vp,
    1855Her fruit trees all vnprunde, her hedges ruinde,
    Her knots disordered, and her holsome hearbs
    Swarming with caterpillers.
    Gard. Hold thy peace,
    He that htah suffered this disordered spring,
    1860Hath now himselfe met with the fall of leafe:
    The weedes which his broad spreading leaues did shelter,
    That seemde in eating him to hold him vp,
    Are pluckt vp roote and all by Bullingbrooke,
    I meane the Earle of Wiltshire, Bushie, Greene,
    1865Man. What are they dead?
    Gard. They are.
    And Bullingbrooke hath ceasde the wastefull king,
    Oh what pitie is it that he had not so trimde,
    And drest his land as we this garden at time of yeare
    1870Do wound the barke, the skinne of our fruit trees,
    Lest being ouer prowd in sap and bloud,
    With too much riches it confound it selfe
    Had he done so to great and growing men,
    They might haue liude to beare, and he to taste
    1875Their fruits of duety: superfluous branches
    We loppe away, that bearing boughes may liue:
    Had he done so, himselfe had borne the crowne,
    Which waste of idle houres hath quite throwne downe.
    Man. What, thinke you the King shall be deposed?
    1880Gard. Deprest he is already, and deposde
    Tis doubt he will be. Letters came last night
    To a deare friend of the good Duke of Yorkes,
    That tell blacke tidings.
    Queene Oh I am prest to death through want of speaking
    1885Thou old Adams likenesse set to dresse this garden,
    How dares thy harsh rude tong sound this vnpleasing news?
    What Eue? what serpent hath suggested thee
    To make a second fall of cursed man?
    Why dost thou say king Richard is deposde?
    1890Darst thou thou little better thing than earth
    Diuine his downefall? say, where, when, and how,
    Canst thou by this ill tidings speake thou wretch?
    Gard. Pardon me Madam, little ioy haue I
    To breathe this newes, yet what I say is true:
    1895King Richard he is in the mightie hold
    Of Bullingbrooke: their fortunes both are weyde
    In your Lo. scale is nothing but himselfe,
    And some few vanities that make him light:
    But in the ballance of great Bullingbrooke,
    1900Besides himselfe are all the English peeres,
    And with that oddes he weighs King Richard downe;
    Post you to London and you will find it so,
    I speake no more than euery one doth know.
    Queene Nimble Mischance that arte so light of foote,
    1905Doth not thy embassage belong to me,
    And am I last that knowes it? Oh thou thinkest
    To serue me last that I may longest keepe
    Thy sorrow in my breast: come Ladies go
    To meete at London Londons king in wo.
    1910What, was I borne to this that my sad looke
    Should grace the triumph of great Bullingbrooke?
    Gardner for telling me these newes of wo,
    Pray God the plants thou graftst may neuer grow. Exit
    Gard. Poore Queene, so that thy state might be no worse,
    1915I would my Skill were subiect to thy curse:
    Here did she fall a teare, here in this place
    Ile set a banke of Rew sowre hearb of grace,
    Rew euen for ruth heere shortly shall be seene,
    In the remembrance of a weeping Queene. Exeunt.
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