Richard II
ACT I SCENE IV | The court. | |
Enter KING RICHARD II, with BAGOT and GREEN at one door; and the DUKE OF AUMERLE at another. | ||
KING RICHARD II | We did observe. Cousin Aumerle, | |
How far brought you high Hereford on his way? | ||
DUKE OF AUMERLE | I brought high Hereford, if you call him so, | |
But to the next highway, and there I left him. | 5 | |
KING RICHARD II | And say, what store of parting tears were shed? | |
DUKE OF AUMERLE | Faith, none for me; except the north-east wind, | |
Which then blew bitterly against our faces, | ||
Awaked the sleeping rheum, and so by chance | ||
Did grace our hollow parting with a tear. | 10 | |
KING RICHARD II | What said our cousin when you parted with him? | |
DUKE OF AUMERLE | ‘Farewell:’ | |
And, for my heart disdained that my tongue | ||
Should so profane the word, that taught me craft | ||
To counterfeit oppression of such grief | 15 | |
That words seem’d buried in my sorrow’s grave. | ||
Marry, would the word ‘farewell’ have lengthen’d hours | ||
And added years to his short banishment, | ||
He should have had a volume of farewells; | ||
But since it would not, he had none of me. | 20 | |
KING RICHARD II | He is our cousin, cousin; but ’tis doubt, | |
When time shall call him home from banishment, | ||
Whether our kinsman come to see his friends. | ||
Ourself and Bushy, Bagot here and Green | ||
Observed his courtship to the common people; | 25 | |
How he did seem to dive into their hearts | ||
With humble and familiar courtesy, | ||
What reverence he did throw away on slaves, | ||
Wooing poor craftsmen with the craft of smiles | ||
And patient underbearing of his fortune, | 30 | |
As ’twere to banish their affects with him. | ||
Off goes his bonnet to an oyster-wench; | ||
A brace of draymen bid God speed him well | ||
And had the tribute of his supple knee, | ||
With ‘Thanks, my countrymen, my loving friends;’ | 35 | |
As were our England in reversion his, | ||
And he our subjects’ next degree in hope. | ||
GREEN | Well, he is gone; and with him go these thoughts. | |
Now for the rebels which stand out in Ireland, | ||
Expedient manage must be made, my liege, | 40 | |
Ere further leisure yield them further means | ||
For their advantage and your highness’ loss. | ||
KING RICHARD II | We will ourself in person to this war: | |
And, for our coffers, with too great a court | ||
And liberal largess, are grown somewhat light, | 45 | |
We are inforced to farm our royal realm; | ||
The revenue whereof shall furnish us | ||
For our affairs in hand: if that come short, | ||
Our substitutes at home shall have blank charters; | ||
Whereto, when they shall know what men are rich, | 50 | |
They shall subscribe them for large sums of gold | ||
And send them after to supply our wants; | ||
For we will make for Ireland presently. | ||
Enter BUSHY. | ||
Bushy, what news? | ||
BUSHY | Old John of Gaunt is grievous sick, my lord, | 55 |
Suddenly taken; and hath sent post haste | ||
To entreat your majesty to visit him. | ||
KING RICHARD II | Where lies he? | |
BUSHY | At Ely House. | |
KING RICHARD II | Now put it, God, in the physician’s mind | 60 |
To help him to his grave immediately! | ||
The lining of his coffers shall make coats | ||
To deck our soldiers for these Irish wars. | ||
Come, gentlemen, let’s all go visit him: | ||
Pray God we may make haste, and come too late! | 65 | |
All | Amen. | |
Exeunt |
Richard II, Act 2, Scene 1