24972319King H. Can no man tell me of my vnthriftie sonne?

24982320Tis full three moneths since I did see him last,

24992321If any plague hang ouer vs tis he:

25002322I would to God my Lordes he might be found:

25012323Inquire at London, mongst the Tauernes there,

25022324For there (they say) he daylie doth frequent,

25032325With vnrestrained loose companions,

25042326Euen such (they say) as stand in narrow lanes,

25052327And beate our watch, and rob our passengers,

25062328Which he yong wanton and effeminate boy,

2507.25082329Takes on the point of honour to support so dissolute a crew.

25092330H. Percie My Lord, some two dayes since I saw the prince,

25102331And tould him of those triumphes helde at Oxford.

25112332King. And what said the gallant?

25122333Per. His answer was, he would vnto the stews,

25132334And from the commonst creature plucke a gloue,

25142335And weare it as a fauour, and with that,

25152336He would vnhorse the lustiest Challenger.

25162337King H. As dissolute as desperat, yet through both,

25172338I see some sparkes of better hope, which elder yeares,

25182339May happily bring foorth. But who comes heere?

25202341Aum. Where is the King?

25212342King H. What meanes our cosen, that he stares and lookes(so wildly.

25232343Aum. God saue your grace, I doe beseech your Maiestie,

25242344To haue some conference with your grace alone.

25252345King. Withdrawe your selues, and leaue vs here alone.

25262346What is the matter with our cosen nowe?

25272347Aum. For ouer may my knees growe to the earth,

25282348My tongue, cleaue to my rooffe within my mouth,

25292349Vnlesse a pardon ere I rise or speake.

25302350King Intended, or committed, was this fault?

25312351If on the first, how heynous ere it be

25322352To win thy after loue, I pardon thee.

25332353Aum. Then giue me leaue that May turne the key,

25342354That no man enter till my tale be done.

25352355King. Haue thy desire.

25362357Yor. My leige beware, looke to thy selfe,

25372358Thou hast a Traitor in thy presence there.

25382359King. Vilain Ile make thee safe.

25392360Aum. Stay thy reuengefull hand, thou hast no cause to(feare

25412361York. Open the dore, secure foole, hardie King,

25422362Shall I for loue speake treason to thy face,

25432363Open the dore, or I will breake it open.

25452364King What is the matter vncle, speake, recouer breath,

25462365TeIl vs, how neare is daunger,

25472366That wee may arme vs to encounter it?

25482367Yor. Peruse this writtng heere, and thou shalt know,

25492368The treason that my haste forbids me shew.

25502369Aum. remember as thou readst, thy promise past,

25512370I do repent me, reade not my name there,

25522371My hart is not confederate with my hand.

25532372Yor. It was (vilaine) ere thy hand did set it downe.

25542373I tore it from the traitors bosome (King,)

25552374Feare, and not loue, begets his penitence:

25562375Forget to pittie him, lest thy pittie proue,

25572376A Serpent that will sting thee to the hart.

25582377King. O heynous, strong, and bould conspiracy;

25592378O loyall Father, of a treacherous Sonne,

25602379Thou sheere immaculate and siluer Fountaine,

25612380From whence this streame, through muddy passages,

25622381Hath held his current, and defild himselfe,

25632382Thy ouerflow of good, conuerts to bad:

25642383And thy aboundant goodnes, shall excuse,

25652384This deadly blot in thy digressing sonne.

25662385Yor. So shall my vertue, be his vices baude,

25672386An he shall spend mine honour, with his shame,

25682387As thriftles sonnes, their scraping Fathers gold:

25692388Mine honour liues when his dishonour dies,

25702389Or my shamde life in his dishonour lies,

25712390Thou kilst me in his life giuing him breath,

25722391The traitor liues, the true man's put to death.

25742392Du. What ho, my Liege, for Gods sake let me in.

25752393King H. What shril voice suppliant makes this eger crie?

25762394Du. A woman, and thy aunt (great king) tis I,

25772395Speake with me, pitie me, open the doore,

25782396A beggar begs that neuer begd before.

25792397King Our scene is altred from a serious thing,

25802398And now changde to the Beggar and the King:

25812399My dangerous cousin, let your mother in,

25822400I know she is come to pray for your foule sinne.

25832401Yorke If thou do pardon whosoeuer pray,

25842402More sinnes for this forgiuenes prosper may:

25852403This festred ioynt cut off, the rest rest sound,

25862404This let alone wil all the rest confound.

25882405Du. Oh king, beleeue not this hard-hearted man,

25892406Loue louing not it selfe, none other can.

25902407Yorke Thou frantike woman, what dost thou make here?

25912408Shall thy old dugs once more a traitor reare?

25922409Du. Sweete Yorke be patient, heare me gentle Liege.

25932410King H. Rise vp good aunt.

25942411Du. Not yet I thee beseech,

25952412For euer wil I walke vpon my knees,

25962413And neuer see day that the happy sees,

25972414Till thou giue ioy, vntil thou bid me ioy,

25982415By pardoning Rutland my transgressing boy.

25992416Aum. Vnto my mothers prayers I bend my knee.

26002417yorke Against them both my true ioynts bended be,

2600.12418Ill maist thou thriue if thou graunt any grace.

26012419Du. Pleades he in earnest? looke vpon his face.

26022420His eies do drop no teares, his prayers are in iest,

26032421His words come from his month, ours from our breast,

26042422He prayes but faintly, and would be denied,

26052423We pray with heart and soule, and all beside,

26062424His weary ioynts would gladly rise I know,

26072425Our knees still kneele till to the ground they grow,

26082426His prayers are full of false hypocrisie,

26092427Ours of true zeale and deepe integritie,

26102428Our prayers do outpray his, then let them haue

26112429That mercy which true prayer ought to haue.

26122430yorke Good aunt stand vp.

26132431Du. Nay, do not say, stand vp;

26142432Say Pardon first, and afterwards, stand vp,

26152433And if I were thy nurse thy tong to teach,

26162434Pardon should be the first word of thy speach:

26172435I neuer longd to heare a word till now,

26182436Say pardon King, let pitie teach thee how,

26192437The word is short, but not so short as sweete,

26202438No word like pardon for Kings mouthes so meete.

26212439yorke Speake it in French, King say, Pardonne moy.

26222440Du. Dost thou teach pardon pardon to destroy?

26232441Ah my sower husband, my hard-hearted Lord!

26242442That sets the word it selfe against the word:

26252443Speake pardon as tis currant in our land,

26262444The chopping French we do not vnderstand,

26272445Thine eie begins to speake, set thy tongue there:

26282446Or in thy piteous heart plant thou thine eare,

26292447That hearing how our plaints and prayers do pierce,

26302448Pitie may mooue thee pardon to rehearse.

26312449King H. Good aunt stand vp.

26322450Du. I do not sue to stand.

26332451Pardon is all the sute I haue in hand.

26342452King I pardon him as God shall pardon me.

26352453Du. Oh happy vantage of a kneeling knee,

26362454Yet am I sicke for feare, speake it againe,

26372455Twice saying pardon doth not pardon twaine,

26382456But makes one pardon strong.

26392457King H. I pardon him with al my heart.

26402458Du. A god on earth thou art.

26412459King H. But for our trusty brother in law and the Abbot,

26422460With all the rest of that consorted crew,

26432461Destruction strait shal dog them at the heeles,

26442462Good vncle, help to order seuerall powers,

26452463To Oxford, or where ere these traitors are,

26462464They shall not liue within this world I sweare,

26472465But I will haue them if I once know where.

26482466Vncle farewell, and cousin adue,

26492467Your mother well hath prayed, and prooue you true.

26502468Du. Come my olde sonne, I pray God make thee new.