Shakespeare's First Folio Part 278

Enter with Drum and Colours, Bullingbrooke, Yorke, Northumberland, Attendants.

Bull. So that by this intelligence we learne The Welchmen are dispers'd, and Salisbury Is gone to meet the King, who lately landed With some few priuate friends, vpon this Coast

North. The newes is very faire and good, my Lord, Richard, not farre from hence, hath hid his head

York. It would beseeme the Lord Northumberland, To say King Richard: alack the heauie day, When such a sacred King should hide his head

North. Your Grace mistakes: onely to be briefe, Left I his t.i.tle out

York. The time hath beene, Would you haue beene so briefe with him, he would Haue beene so briefe with you, to shorten you, For taking so the Head, your whole heads length

Bull. Mistake not (Vnckle) farther then you should

York. Take not (good Cousin) farther then you should.

Least you mistake the Heauens are ore your head

Bull. I know it (Vnckle) and oppose not my selfe Against their will. But who comes here?

Enter Percie.

Welcome Harry: what, will not this Castle yeeld?

Per. The Castle royally is mann'd, my Lord, Against thy entrance

Bull. Royally? Why, it containes no King?

Per. Yes (my good Lord) It doth containe a King: King Richard lyes Within the limits of yond Lime and Stone, And with him, the Lord Aumerle, Lord Salisbury, Sir Stephen Scroope, besides a Clergie man Of holy reuerence; who, I cannot learne

North. Oh, belike it is the Bishop of Carlile

Bull. n.o.ble Lord, Goe to the rude Ribs of that ancient Castle, Through Brazen Trumpet send the breath of Parle Into his ruin'd Eares, and thus deliuer: Henry Bullingbrooke vpon his knees doth kisse King Richards hand, and sends allegeance And true faith of heart to his Royall Person: hither come Euen at his feet, to lay my Armes and Power, Prouided, that my Banishment repeal'd, And Lands restor'd againe, be freely graunted: If not, Ile vse th 'aduantage of my Power, And lay the Summers dust with showers of blood, Rayn'd from the wounds of slaughter'd Englishmen; The which, how farre off from the mind of Bullingbrooke It is, such Crimson Tempest should bedrench The fresh greene Lap of faire King Richards Land, My stooping dutie tenderly shall shew.

Goe signifie as much, while here we march Vpon the Gra.s.sie Carpet of this Plaine: Let's march without the noyse of threatning Drum, That from this Castles tatter'd Battlements Our faire Appointments may be well perus'd.

Me thinkes King Richard and my selfe should meet With no lesse terror then the Elements Of Fire and Water, when their thundring smoake At meeting teares the cloudie Cheekes of Heauen: Be he the fire, Ile be the yeelding Water; The Rage be his, while on the Earth I raine My Waters on the Earth, and not on him.

March on, and marke King Richard how he lookes.

Parle without, and answere within: then a Flourish. Enter on the Walls, Richard, Carlile, Aumerle, Scroop, Salisbury.

See, see, King Richard doth himselfe appeare As doth the blus.h.i.+ng discontented Sunne, From out the fierie Portall of the East, When he perceiues the enuious Clouds are bent To dimme his glory, and to staine the tract Of his bright pa.s.sage to the Occident

York. Yet lookes he like a King: behold his Eye (As bright as is the Eagles) lightens forth Controlling Maiestie: alack, alack, for woe, That any harme should staine so faire a shew

Rich. Wee are amaz'd, and thus long haue we stood To watch the fearefull bending of thy knee, Because we thought our selfe thy lawfull King: And if we be, how dare thy ioynts forget To pay their awfull dutie to our presence?

If we be not, shew vs the Hand of G.o.d, That hath dismiss'd vs from our Stewards.h.i.+p, For well wee know, no Hand of Blood and Bone Can gripe the sacred Handle of our Scepter, Vnlesse he doe prophane, steale, or vsurpe.

And though you thinke, that all, as you haue done, Haue torne their Soules, by turning them from vs, And we are barren, and bereft of Friends: Yet know, my Master, G.o.d Omnipotent, Is mustring in his Clouds, on our behalfe, Armies of Pestilence, and they shall strike Your Children yet vnborne, and vnbegot, That lift your Va.s.sall Hands against my Head, And threat the Glory of my precious Crowne.

Tell Bullingbrooke, for yond me thinkes he is, That euery stride he makes vpon my Land, Is dangerous Treason: He is come to ope The purple Testament of bleeding Warre; But ere the Crowne he lookes for, liue in peace, Ten thousand b.l.o.o.d.y crownes of Mothers Sonnes Shall ill become the flower of Englands face, Change the complexion of her Maid-pale Peace To Scarlet Indignation, and bedew Her Pastors Gra.s.se with faithfull English Blood

North. The King of Heauen forbid our Lord the King Should so with ciuill and vnciuill Armes Be rush'd vpon: Thy thrice-n.o.ble Cousin, Harry Bullingbrooke, doth humbly kisse thy hand, And by the Honorable Tombe he sweares, That stands vpon your Royall Grandsires Bones, And by the Royalties of both your Bloods, (Currents that spring from one most gracious Head) And by the buried Hand of Warlike Gaunt, And by the Worth and Honor of himselfe, Comprising all that may be sworne, or said, His comming hither hath no further scope, Then for his Lineall Royalties, and to begge Infranchis.e.m.e.nt immediate on his knees: Which on thy Royall partie graunted once, His glittering Armes he will commend to Rust, His barbed Steedes to Stables, and his heart To faithfull seruice of your Maiestie: This sweares he, as he is a Prince, is iust, And as I am a Gentleman, I credit him

Rich. Northumberland, say thus: The King returnes, His n.o.ble Cousin is right welcome hither, And all the number of his faire demands Shall be accomplish'd without contradiction: With all the gracious vtterance thou hast, Speake to his gentle hearing kind commends.

We doe debase our selfe (Cousin) doe we not, To looke so poorely, and to speake so faire?

Shall we call back Northumberland, and send Defiance to the Traytor, and so die?

Aum. No, good my Lord, let's fight with gentle words, Till time lend friends, and friends their helpeful Swords

Rich. Oh G.o.d, oh G.o.d, that ere this tongue of mine, That layd the Sentence of dread Banishment On yond prowd man, should take it off againe With words of sooth: Oh that I were as great As is my Griefe, or lesser then my Name, Or that I could forget what I haue beene, Or not remember what I must be now: Swell'st thou prowd heart? Ile giue thee scope to beat, Since Foes haue scope to beat both thee and me

Aum. Northumberland comes backe from Bullingbrooke

Rich. What must the King doe now? must he submit?

The King shall doe it: Must he be depos'd?

The King shall be contented: Must he loose The Name of King? o' G.o.ds Name let it goe.

Ile giue my Iewels for a sett of Beades, My gorgeous Pallace, for a Hermitage, My gay Apparrell, for an Almes-mans Gowne, My figur'd Goblets, for a Dish of Wood, My Scepter, for a Palmers walking Staffe, My Subiects, for a payre of carued Saints, And my large Kingdome, for a little Graue, A little little Graue, an obscure Graue.

Or Ile be buryed in the Kings high-way, Some way of common Trade, where Subiects feet May howrely trample on their Soueraignes Head: For on my heart they tread now, whilest I liue; And buryed once, why not vpon my Head?

Aumerle, thou weep'st (my tender-hearted Cousin) Wee'le make foule Weather with despised Teares: Our sighes, and they, shall lodge the Summer Corne, And make a Dearth in this reuolting Land.

Or shall we play the Wantons with our Woes, And make some prettie Match, with shedding Teares?

As thus: to drop them still vpon one place, Till they haue fretted vs a payre of Graues, Within the Earth: and therein lay'd, there lyes Two Kinsmen, digg'd their Graues with weeping Eyes?

Would not this ill, doe well? Well, well, I see I talke but idly, and you mock at mee.

Most mightie Prince, my Lord Northumberland, What sayes King Bullingbrooke? Will his Maiestie Giue Richard leaue to liue, till Richard die?

You make a Legge, and Bullingbrooke sayes I

North. My Lord, in the base Court he doth attend To speake with you, may it please you to come downe

Rich. Downe, downe I come, like glist'ring Phaeton, Wanting the manage of vnruly Iades.

In the base Court? base Court, where Kings grow base, To come at Traytors Calls, and doe them Grace.

In the base Court come down: down Court, down King, For night-Owls shrike, where mou[n]ting Larks should sing

Bull. What sayes his Maiestie?

North. Sorrow, and griefe of heart Makes him speake fondly, like a frantick man: Yet he is come

Bull. Stand all apart, And shew faire dutie to his Maiestie.

My gracious Lord

Rich. Faire Cousin, You debase your Princely Knee, To make the base Earth prowd with kissing it.

Me rather had, my Heart might feele your Loue, Then my vnpleas'd Eye see your Courtesie.

Vp Cousin, vp, your Heart is vp, I know, Thus high at least, although your Knee be low

Bull. My gracious Lord, I come but for mine owne

Rich. Your owne is yours, and I am yours, and all

Bull. So farre be mine, my most redoubted Lord, As my true seruice shall deserue your loue

Rich. Well you deseru'd: They well deserue to haue, That know the strong'st, and surest way to get.

Vnckle giue me your Hand: nay, drie your Eyes, Teares shew their Loue, but want their Remedies.

Cousin, I am too young to be your Father, Though you are old enough to be my Heire.

What you will haue, Ile giue, and willing to, For doe we must, what force will haue vs doe.

Set on towards London: Cousin, is it so?

Bull. Yea, my good Lord

Rich. Then I must not say, no.

Flourish.