, thou wouldst be more pitiful. But now I know thy mind: thou dost suspect That I have been disloyal to thy bed And that he is a bastard, not thy son. Sweet York, sweet husband, be not of that mind. He is as like thee as a man may be Not like to me, or any of my kin, And yet I love him. YORK. Make way, unruly woman! Exit DUCHESS. After, Aumerle! Mount thee upon his horse; Spur post, and get before him to the King, And beg thy pardon ere he do accuse thee. I'll not be long behind; though I be old, I doubt not but to ride as fast as York; And never will I rise up from the ground Till Bolingbroke have pardon'd thee. Away, be gone. Exeunt SCENE 3. Windsor Castle Enter BOLINGBROKE as King, PERCY, and other LORDS BOLINGBROKE. Can no man tell me of my unthrifty son? 'Tis full three months since I did see him last. If any plague hang over us, 'tis he. I would to God, my lords, he might be found. Inquire at London, 'mongst the taverns there, For there, they say, he daily doth frequent With unrestrained loose companions, Even such, they say, as stand in narrow lanes And beat our watch and rob our passengers, Which he, young wanton and effeminate boy, Takes on the point of honour to support So dissolute a crew. PERCY. My lord, some two days since I saw the Prince, And told him of those triumphs held at Oxford. BOLINGBROKE. And what said the gallant? PERCY. His answer was, he would unto the stews, And from the common'st creature pluck a glove And wear it as a favour; and with that He would unhorse the lustiest challenger. BOLINGBROKE. As dissolute as desperate; yet through both I see some sparks of better hope, which elder years May happily bring forth. But who comes here? Enter AUMERLE amazed AUMERLE. Where is the King? BOLINGBROKE. What means our cousin that he stares and looks So wildly? AUMERLE. God save your Grace! I do beseech your Majesty, To have some conference with your Grace alone. BOLINGBROKE. Withdraw yourselves, and leave us here alone. Exeunt PERCY and LORDS What is the matter with our cousin now? AUMERLE. For ever may my knees grow to the earth, [Kneels] My tongue cleave to my roof within my mouth, Unless a pardon ere I rise or speak. BOLINGBROKE. Intended or committed was this fault? If on the first, how heinous e'er it be, To win thy after-love I pardon thee. AUMERLE. Then give me leave that I may turn the key, That no man enter till my tale be done. BOLINGBROKE. Have thy desire. [The DUKE OF YORK knocks at the door and crieth] YORK. [Within] My liege, beware; look to thyself; Thou hast a traitor in thy presence there. BOLINGBROKE. [Drawing] Villain, I'll make thee safe. AUMERLE. Stay thy revengeful hand; thou hast no cause to fear. YORK. [Within] Open the door, secure, foolhardy King. Shall I, for love, speak treason to thy face? Open the door, or I will break it open. Enter YORK BOLINGBROKE. What is the matter, uncle? Speak; Recover breath; tell us how near is danger, That we may arm us to encounter it. YORK. Peruse this writing here, and thou shalt know The treason that my haste forbids me show. AUMERLE. Remember, as thou read'st, thy promise pass'd. I do repent me; read not my name there; My heart is not confederate with my hand. YORK. It was, villain, ere thy hand did set it down. I tore it from the traitor's bosom, King; Fear, and not love, begets his penitence. Forget to pity him, lest thy pity prove A serpent that will sting thee to the heart. BOLINGBROKE. O heinous, strong, and bold conspiracy! O loyal father of a treacherous son! Thou sheer, immaculate, and silver fountain, From whence this stream through muddy passages Hath held his current and defil'd himself! Thy overflow of good converts to bad; And thy abundant goodness shall excuse This deadly blot in thy digressing son. YORK. So shall my virtue be his vice's bawd; And he shall spend mine honour with his shame, As thriftless sons their scraping fathers' gold. Mine honour lives when his dishonour dies, Or my sham'd life in his dishonour lies. Thou kill'st me in his life; giving him breath, The traitor lives, the true man's put to death. DUCHESS. [Within] I What ho, my liege, for God's sake, let me in. BOLINGBROKE. What shrill-voic'd suppliant makes this eager cry? DUCHESS. [Within] A woman, and thine aunt, great King; 'tis I. Speak with me, pity me, open the door. A beggar begs that never begg'd before. BOLINGBROKE. Our scene is alt'red from a serious thing, And now chang'd to 'The Beggar and the King.' My dangerous cousin, let your mother in. I know she is come to pray for your foul sin. YORK. If thou do pardon whosoever pray, More sins for this forgiveness prosper may. This fest'red joint cut off, the rest rest sound; This let alone will all the rest confound. Enter DUCHESS DUCHESS. O King, believe not this hard-hearted man! Love loving not itself, none other can. YORK. Thou frantic woman, what dost thou make here? Shall thy old dugs once more a traitor rear? DUCHESS. Sweet York, be patient. Hear me, gentle liege. [Kneels] BOLINGBROKE. Rise up, good aunt. DUCHESS. Not yet, I thee beseech. For ever will I walk upon my knees, And never see day that the happy sees Till thou give joy; until thou bid me joy By pardoning Rutland, my transgressing boy. AUMERLE. Unto my mother's prayers I bend my knee. [Kneels] YORK. Against them both, my true joints bended be. [Kneels] Ill mayst thou thrive, if thou grant any grace! DUCHESS. Pleads he in earnest? Look upon his face; His eyes do drop no tears, his prayers are in jest; His words come from his mouth, ours from our breast. He prays but faintly and would be denied; We pray with heart and soul, and all beside. His weary joints would gladly rise, I know; Our knees still kneel till to the ground they grow. His prayers are full of false hypocrisy; Ours of true zeal and deep integrity. Our prayers do out-pray his; then let them have That mercy which true prayer ought to have. BOLINGBROKE. Good aunt, stand up. DUCHESS. do not say 'stand up'; Say 'pardon' first, and afterwards 'stand up.' An if I were thy nurse, thy tongue to teach, 'Pardon' should be the first word of thy speech. I never long'd to hear a word till now; Say 'pardon,' King; let pity teach thee how. The word is short, but not so short as sweet; No word like 'pardon' for kings' mouths so meet. YORK. Speak it in French, King, say 'pardonne moy.' DUCHESS. Dost thou teach pardon pardon to destroy? Ah, my sour husband, my hard-hearted lord, That sets the word itself against the word! Speak 'pardon' as 'tis current in our land; The chopping French we do not understand. Thine eye begins to speak, set thy tongue there; Or in thy piteous heart plant thou thine ear, That hearing how our plaints and prayers do pierce, Pity may move thee 'pardon' to rehearse. BOLINGBROKE. Good aunt, stand up. DUCHESS. I do not sue to stand; Pardon is all the suit I have in hand. BOLINGBROKE. I pardon him, as God shall pardon me. DUCHESS. O happy vantage of a kneeling knee! Yet am I sick for fear. Speak it again. Twice saying 'pardon' doth not pardon twain, But makes one pardon strong. BOLINGBROKE. With all my heart I pardon him. DUCHESS. A god on earth thou art. BOLINGBROKE. But for our trusty brother-in-law and the Abbot, With all the rest of that consorted crew, Destruction straight shall dog them at the heels. Good uncle, help to order several powers To Oxford, or where'er these traitors are. They shall not live within this world, I swear, But I will have them, if I once know where. Uncle, farewell; and, cousin, adieu; Your mother well hath pray'd, and prove you true. DUCHESS. Come, my old son; I pray God make thee new. Exeunt SCENE 4. Windsor Castle Enter SIR PIERCE OF EXTON and a servant EXTON. Didst thou not mark the King, what words he spake? 'Have I no friend will rid me of this living fear?' Was it not so? SERVANT. These were his very words. EXTON. 'Have I no friend?' quoth he. He spake it twice And urg'd it twice together, did he not? SERVANT. He did. EXTON. And, speaking it, he wishtly look'd on me, As who should say 'I would thou wert the man That would divorce this terror from my heart'; Meaning the King at Pomfret. Come, let's go. I am the King's friend, and will rid his foe. Exeunt SCENE 5. Pomfret Castle. The dungeon of the Castle Enter KING RICHARD KING RICHARD. I have been studying how I may compare This prison where I live unto the world And, for because the world is populous And here is not a creature but myself, I cannot do it. Yet I'll hammer it out. My brain I'll prove the female to my soul, My soul the father; and these two beget A generation of still-breeding thoughts, And these same thoughts people this little world, In humours like the people of this world, For no thought is contented. The better sort, As thoughts of things divine, are intermix'd With scruples, and do set the word itself Against the word, As thus: 'Come, little ones'; and then again, 'It is as hard to come as for a camel To thread the postern of a small needle's eye.' Thoughts tending to ambition, they do plot Unlikely wonders: how these vain weak nails May tear a passage through the flinty ribs Of this hard world, my ragged prison walls; And, for they cannot, die in their own pride. Thoughts tending to content flatter themselves That they are not the first of fortune's slaves, Nor shall not be the last; like silly beggars Who, sitting in the stocks, refuge their shame, That many have and others must sit there; And in this thought they find a kind of ease, Bearing their own misfortunes on the back Of such as have before endur'd the like. Thus play I in one person many people, And none contented. Sometimes am I king; Then treasons make me wish myself a beggar, And so I am. Then crushing penury Persuades me I was better when a king; Then am I king'd again; and by and by Think that I am unking'd by Bolingbroke, And straight am nothing. But whate'er I be, Nor I, nor any man that but man is, With nothing shall be pleas'd till he be eas'd With being nothing. [The music plays] Music do I hear? Ha, ha! keep time. How sour sweet music is When time is broke and no proportion kept! So is it in the music of men's lives. And here have I the daintiness of ear To check time broke in a disorder'd string; But, for the concord of my state and time, Had not an ear to hear my true time broke. I wasted time, and now doth time waste me; For now hath time made me his numb'ring clock: My thoughts are minutes; and with sighs they jar Their watches on unto mine eyes, the outward watch, Whereto my finger, like a dial's point, Is pointing still, in cleansing them from tears. Now sir, the sound that tells what hour it is Are clamorous groans which strike upon my heart, Which is the bell. So sighs, and tears, and groans, Show minutes, times, and hours; but my time Runs posting on in Bolingbroke's proud joy, While I stand fooling here, his Jack of the clock. This music mads me. Let it sound no more; For though it have holp madmen to their wits, In me it seems it will make wise men mad. Yet blessing on his heart that gives it me! For 'tis a sign of love; and love to Richard Is a strange brooch in this all-hating world. Enter a GROOM of the stable GROOM. Hail, royal Prince! KING RICHARD. Thanks, noble peer! The cheapest of us is ten groats too dear. What art thou? and how comest thou hither, Where no man never comes but that sad dog That brings me food to make misfortune live? GROOM. I was a poor groom of thy stable, King, When thou wert king; who, travelling towards York, With much ado at length have gotten leave To look upon my sometimes royal master's face. O, how it ern'd my heart, when I beheld, In London streets, that coronation-day, When Bolingbroke rode on roan Barbary- That horse that thou so often hast bestrid, That horse that I so carefully have dress'd! KING RICHARD. Rode he on Barbary? Tell me, gentle friend, How went he under him? GROOM. So proudly as if he disdain'd the ground. KING RICHARD. So proud that Bolingbroke was on his back! That jade hath eat bread from my royal hand; This hand hath made him proud with clapping him. Would he not stumble? would he not fall down, Since pride must have a fall, and break the neck Of that proud man that did usurp his back? Forgiveness, horse! Why do I rail on thee, Since thou, created to be aw'd by man, Wast born to bear? I was not made a horse; And yet I bear a burden like an ass, Spurr'd, gall'd, and tir'd, by jauncing Bolingbroke. Enter KEEPER with meat KEEPER. Fellow, give place; here is no longer stay. KING RICHARD. If thou love me, 'tis time thou wert away. GROOM. my tongue dares not, that my heart shall say. Exit KEEPER. My lord, will't please you to fall to? KING RICHARD. Taste of it first as thou art wont to do. KEEPER. My lord, I dare not. Sir Pierce of Exton, Who lately came from the King, commands the contrary. KING RICHARD. The devil take Henry of Lancaster and thee! Patience is stale, and I am weary of it. [Beats the KEEPER] KEEPER. Help, help, help! The murderers, EXTON and servants, rush in, armed KING RICHARD. How now! What means death in this rude assault? Villain, thy own hand yields thy death's instrument. [Snatching a weapon and killing one] Go thou and fill another room in hell. [He kills another, then EXTON strikes him down] That hand shall burn in never-quenching fire That staggers thus my person. Exton, thy fierce hand Hath with the King's blood stain'd the King's own land. Mount, mount, my soul! thy seat is up on high; Whilst my gross flesh sinks downward, here to die. [Dies] EXTON. As full of valour as of royal blood. Both have I spill'd. O, would the deed were good! For now the devil, that told me I did well, Says that this deed is chronicled in hell. This dead King to the living King I'll bear. Take hence the rest, and give them burial here. Exeunt SCENE 6. Windsor Castle Flourish. Enter BOLINGBROKE, the DUKE OF YORK, With other LORDS and attendants BOLINGBROKE. Kind uncle York, the latest news we hear Is that the rebels have consum'd with fire Our town of Ciceter in Gloucestershire; But whether they be ta'en or slain we hear not. Enter NORTHUMBERLAND Welcome, my lord. What is the news? NORTHUMBERLAND. First, to thy sacred state wish I all happiness. The next news is, I have to London sent The heads of Salisbury, Spencer, Blunt, and Kent. The manner of their taking may appear At large discoursed in this paper here. BOLINGBROKE. We thank thee, gentle Percy, for thy pains; And to thy worth will add right worthy gains. Enter FITZWATER FITZWATER. My lord, I have from Oxford sent to London The heads of Brocas and Sir Bennet Seely; Two of the dangerous consorted traitors That sought at Oxford thy dire overthrow. BOLINGBROKE. Thy pains, Fitzwater, shall not be forgot; Right noble is thy merit, well I wot. Enter PERCY, With the BISHOP OF CARLISLE PERCY. The grand conspirator, Abbot of Westminster, With clog of conscience and sour melancholy, Hath yielded up his body to the grave; But here is Carlisle living, to abide Thy kingly doom, and sentence of his pride. BOLINGBROKE. Carlisle, this is your doom: Choose out some secret place, some reverend room, More than thou hast, and with it joy thy life; So as thou liv'st in peace, die free from strife; For though mine enemy thou hast ever been, High sparks of honour in thee have I seen. Enter EXTON, with attendants, hearing a coffin EXTON. Great King, within this coffin I present Thy buried fear. Herein all breathless lies The mightiest of thy greatest enemies, Richard of Bordeaux, by me hither brought. BOLINGBROKE. Exton, I thank thee not; for thou hast wrought A deed of slander with thy fatal hand Upon my head and all this famous land. EXTON. From your own mouth, my lord, did I this deed. BOLINGBROKE. They love not poison that do poison need, Nor do I thee. Though I did wish him dead, I hate the murderer, love him murdered. The guilt of conscience take thou for thy labour, But neither my good word nor princely favour; With Cain go wander thorough shades of night, And never show thy head by day nor light. Lords, I protest my soul is full of woe That blood should sprinkle me to make me grow. Come, mourn with me for what I do lament, And put on sullen black incontinent. I'll make a voyage to the Holy Land, To wash this blood off from my guilty hand. March sadly after; grace my mournings here In weeping after this untimely bier. Exeunt THE END