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