Hast thou tapp'd out, and drunkenly carous'd. That thou respect'st not spilling Edward's blood. [Exit, borne out by his Attendants. K. Rich. And let them die, that age and sullens have, For both hast thou, and both become the grave. York. I do beseech your majesty, impute his words To wayward sickliness and age in him : K. Rich. Right, you say true; as Hereford's love, so his : As theirs, so mine; and all be as it is. Enter NORTHUMBERLAND. North. My liege, old Gaunt commends him to your majesty. K. Rich. What says he? North. Nay, nothing; all is said. His tongue is now a stringless instrument: York. Be York the next that must be bankrupt so! Though death be poor, it ends a mortal woe. K. Rich. The ripest fruit first falls, and so dotl. he: Shall tender duty make me suffer wrong? Of whom thy father, prince of Wales, was first : Not to be pardon'd, am content withal. Take Hereford's rights away, and take from time His livery, and deny his offer'd homage, K. Rich. Think what you will: we seize into our hands His plate, his goods, his money, and his lands. York. I'll not be by the while. My liege, farewell: What will ensue hereof, there's none can tell; Bid him repair to us to Ely-house, [Exit. To see this business. To-morrow next North. Well, lords, the duke of Lancaster is dea !. Ere't be disburden'd with a liberal tongue. North. Nay, speak thy mind; and let him ne'er speak more, That speaks thy words again to do thee harm! Willo. Tends that thou'dst speak, to the duke of Hereford? If it be so, out with it boldly, man; Quick is mine ear to hear of good towards him. Unless you call it good to pity him, Bereft and gelded of his patrimony. North. Now, afore God, 'tis shame such wrongs are borne In him, a royal prince, and many more taxes, And quite lost their hearts: the nobles hath he fin'd For ancient quarrels, and quite lost their hearts. Willo. And daily new exactions are devis'd; As blanks, benevolences, and I wot not what : But what, o' God's name, doth become of this? North. Wars have not wasted it, for warr'd he hath not, But basely yielded upon compromise That which his noble ancestors achiev'd with blows: More hath he spent in peace, than they in wars. Ross. The earl of Wiltshire hath the realm in farm. Willo. The king's grown bankrupt, like a broken man. North. Reproach, and dissolution, hangeth over him. Ross. He hath not money for these Irish wars, His burdenous taxations notwithstanding, But by the robbing of the banish'd duke. North. His noble kinsman: most degenerate king! But, lords, we hear this fearful tempest sing, We see the wind sit sore upon our sails, And yet we strike not, but securely perish. Ross. We see the very wreck that we must suffer; And unavoided is the danger now, For suffering so the causes of our wreck. I North. Not so: even through the hollow eyes of death, spy life peering; but I dare not say How near the tidings of our comfort is. Willo. Nay, let us share thy thoughts, as thou dost ours. Ross. Be confident to speak, Northumberland: We three are but thyself; and, speaking so, Thy words are but as thoughts: therefore, be bold. North. Then thus.-I have from Port le Blanc, a bay In Britanny, receiv'd intelligence, That Harry duke of Hereford, Reginald lord Cobham, That late broke from the duke of Exeter, Quoint, All these well furnish'd by the duke of Bretagne, Ross. To horse, to horse! urge doubts to them that fear. Willo. Hold out my horse, and I will first be there. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The Same. An Apartment in the Palace. Enter QUEEN, BUSHY, and BAGOT. Bushy. Madam, your majesty is too much sad: You promis'd, when you parted with the king, To lay aside life-harming heaviness, And entertain a cheerful disposition. Queen. To please the king, I did; to please myself, I cannot do it; yet I know no cause Bushy. Each substance of a grief hath twenty shadows, Which show like grief itself, but are not so: not seen; Or if it be, 'tis with false sorrow's eye, Queen. It may be so; but yet my inward soul As, though in thinking on no thought I think,— Makes me with heavy nothing faint and shrink. Bushy. 'Tis nothing but conceit, my gracious lady. Queen. 'Tis nothing less: conceit is still deriv'd But what it is, that is not yet known; what Comfort's in heaven; and we are on the earth, Serv. My lord, your son was gone before I came. York. He was?-Why, so :-go all which way it will! The nobles they are fled, the commons they are cold, And will, I fear, revolt on Hereford's side.Sirrah, get thee to Plashy, to my sister Gloster; Bid her send me presently a thousand pound. Serv. My lord, I had forgot to tell your lordship: To-day, as I came by, I called there: But I shall grieve you to report the rest. York. What is't, knave? Serv. An hour before I came the duchess died. York. God for his mercy! what a tide of woes Comes rushing on this woeful land at once! I know not what to do:-I would to God, (So my untruth had not provok'd him to it,) The king had cut off my head with my brother's.What! are there no posts dispatch'd for Ireland ?How shall we do for money for these wars?Come, sister,-cousin. I would say: pray, pardon me. Go, fellow,[To the Servant.]-get thee home; provide some carts, And bring away the armour that is there.- Is my kinsman, whom the king hath wrong'd, And meet me presently at Berkley. I should to Plashy too, But time will not permit.-All is uneven, [Exeunt YORK, and QUEEN. Bushy. The wind sits fair for news to go for Ireland, But none returns. For us to levy power, Is all impossible. Green. Besides, our nearness to the king in love Is near the hate of those love not the king. Bagot. And that's the wavering commons; for their love Lies in their purses, and whoso empties them, Bagot. If judgment lie in them, then so do we, Because we ever have been near the king. Green. Well, I'll for refuge straight to Bristol castle : The earl of Wiltshire is already there. Bushy. Thither will I with you; for little office Will the hateful commons perform for us, Except like curs to tear us all to pieces.— Will you go along with us? Bagot. No; I will to Ireland to his majesty. Farewell if heart's presages be not vain, We three here part, that ne'er shall meet again. Bushy. That's as York thrives to beat back Bolingbroke. Green. Alas, poor duke! the task he undertakes Is numbering sands, and drinking oceans dry: Where one on his side fights, thousands will fly. Farewell at once; for once, for all, and ever. Bushy. Well, we may meet again. Bagot. I fear me, never. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The Wilds in Glostershire. Enter BOLINGBROKE, and NORTHUMBERLAND, with Forces. Boling. How far is it, my lord, to Berkley now? North. Believe me, noble lord, I am a stranger here in Glostershire. These high wild hills, and rough uneven ways, But theirs is sweeten'd with the hope to have : Than hope enjoy'd by this the weary lords By sight of what I have, your noble company. North. It is my son, young Harry Percy, Percy. I had thought, my lord, to have learn'd his health of you. North. Why, is he not with the queen? Percy. No, my good lord: he hath forsook the He was not so resolv'd, when last we spake But he, my lord, is gone to Ravenspurg, North. Have you forgot the duke of Hereford, boy? Percy. No, my good lord; for that is not forgot, Which ne'er I did remember: to my knowledge, I never in my life did look on him. North. Then learn to know him now: this is the duke. Percy. My gracious lord, I tender you my service, Such as it is, being tender, raw, and young, Which elder days shall ripen, and confirm To more approved service and desert. Boling. I thank thee, gentle Percy; and be sure, I count myself in nothing else so happy, As in a soul remembering my good friends; And as my fortune ripens with thy love, It shall be still thy true love's recompense: My heart this covenant makes, my hand thus seals it. North. How far is it to Berkley? And what stir Keeps good old York there, with his men of war? Percy. There stands the castle, by yond' tuft of To take advantage of the absent time, Boling. I shall not need transport my words by you: Here comes his grace in person. My noble uncle. [Kneels. York. Show me thy humble heart, and not thy knee, Whose duty is deceivable and false. Boling. My gracious uncle York. Tut, tut! grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle: I am no traitor's uncle; and that word "grace," So many miles upon her peaceful bosom, Com'st thou because th' anointed king is hence? O! then, how quickly should this arm of mine, Boling. My gracious uncle, let me know my fault: On what condition stands it, and wherein ? York. Even in condition of the worst degree; In gross rebellion, and detested treason: Thou art a banish'd man, and here art come Before the expiration of thy time, In braving arms against thy sovereign. But as I come, I come for Lancaster. I see old Gaunt alive: O! then, my father, |