A doozen of them heere, haue tane the facrament,
And interchangeably fet downe their hands,
To kill the king at Oxford.

Du. He fhall be none, weele keepe him heere,
Then what is that to him?

Yor. Away fond woman, were he twenty times my fon,

I would appeach him.

Du. Hadft thou groand for him as I haue done,

Thou wouldst be more pittifull:

But now I know thy mind, thou dost suspect

That I haue beene disloyall to thy bed,

And that he is a baftard, not thy fonne :

Sweete Yorke, fweete hufband be not of that mind,
He is as like thee as a man may be,

Not like me or any of my kinne,

And yet I loue him.

Yorke. Make way vnruly woman.

Du. After Aumerle: mount thee vpon his horse,

Spur, poft, and get before him to the king,
And beg thy pardon ere he do accuse thee,
Ile not be long behind, though I be old,
I doubt not but to ride as fast as Yorke,
And neuer will I rife vp from the ground,

Till Bullingbrooke haue pardoned thee, away, be gone.

Enter the king with his nobles. §

Exit.

King H. Can no man tell me ‡ of my vnthriftie fonne? Tis full three months fince I did see him last;

If any plague hang ouer vs, tis hee;

I would to God my lords, he might be found:
Inquire at London, mongst the tauernes there,
For there they fay, he dayly doth frequent,

*Exeunt. + Scaena Tertia.
Ime omitted.

$Enter Bullingbrooke, Percy, and other lords. Leaven.

With vnreftrained loose companions,

Euen fuch (they fay) as stand in narrow lanes,
And beate our watch, and robbe † our paffengers,
Which he yong wanton and effeminate boy,

Takes on the point of honor to fupport fo diffolute a crew
H. Per. My lord, fome two daies fince I faw the prince
And told him of these ‡ triumphs held at Oxford.

King. And what said the gallant?

Percie. His anfwere was, he would to the ftewes, And from the commoneft creature plucke a gloue, And weare it as a fauour, and with that

He would vnhorfe the luftieft challenger.

King H. As diffolute as defperate, yet through both
I fee fome fparkles of better hope, which elder yeares §
May happily bring forth.

But who comes heere?

Enter Aumerle amazed **

Aum. Where is the king?

King H. What meanes curt coofin that he ftares and looks fo wildly?

Aum. God faue your grace; I do befeech your maiefty, To haue fome conference with your grace alone.

King. Withdraw your felues, and leaue vs here alone: What is the matter with our coofin now?

Aum. For euer may my knees grow to the earth, My tongue cleaue to my roofe within my mouth, Vnleffe a pardon ere I rife or fpeake.

King. Intended, or committed, was this fault? If on the firft, how hainous ere it be,

To winne thy after loue, I pardon thee.

Aum. Then giue me leaue that I may turne the key, That no man enter till my ‡‡ tale be done.

King. Haue thy defire.

The duke of Yorke knocks at the doore and cryeth.

Yorke My liege beware, looke to thy felfe, Thou haft a traitor in thy presence there.

King. Villaine, Ile make thee fafe.

Au. Stay thy reuengefull hand, thou haft no caufe to feare Yorke. Open the doore, fecure foole, hardy king: Shall I for loue fpeake treafon to thy face?

Open the doore, or I will breake it open.

King. What is the matter vnckle, fpeake, recouer breath, Tell vs, how neere is danger,

That we may arme vs to encounter it?

Yorke. Perufe this writing here, and thou shalt know,

The treafont that my haft forbids me show.

Au. Remember as thou read'ft, thy promise past,

I doe repent me, reade not my name there,
My heart is not confederate with my hand.

Yorke. It was (villaine) ere thy hand did fet it downe:
I tore it from the traitors bofome (king)
Feare, and not loue, begets his penitence:
Forget to pitty him, left thy pitty prooue
A ferpent, that will fting thee to thee heart.
King. O heynous, strong, and bold confpiracie!
O loyall father of a treacherous fonne !

Thou fheere immaculate and filuer fountaine,
From whence this ftreame through muddie paffages
Hath hald his current, and defilde himfelfe:
Thy ouer flow of good conuerts to bad,
And thy aboundant goodnesse shall excufe
This deadly blot in thy digreffing fonne.

Yorke. So fhall my vertue, be his vices baude,
And he thall fpend mine honor, with his shame,
Enter Yorke. + reason.

bad, beld.

As

As thriftles fonnes, their fcraping fathers gold:
Mine honour liues when his dishonour dies,
Or my fhamde life in his dishonor lies:
Thou kilst me in his life giuing him breath,
The traitor liues, the true man's put to death. *
Dutch. What ho, my liege for Gods † fake let me in.
King. What shrill voyc'd fuppliant makes this eger cry?
Dutc. A woman, and thy aunt (great king) tis I,
Speake with me, pittie me, open the doore,

A begger begs, that neuer begd before.

King. Our fcene is altered from a serious thing,
And now changde to the beggar and the king:
My dangerous coofin, let your mother in,

I know she is come, to pray for your foule finne.
Yorke. If thou do pardon whofoeuer pray,
More finnes for this forgiuenes, profper may:
This feftred ioynt cut off, the rest rest ‡ found,
This let alone, will all the reft confound.

Dut. Oh king, beleeue not this hard-harted man:

Loue louing not it felfe, none other can.

Yorke. Thou franticke woman, what doft thou make here?

Shall thy old dugs once more a traytor reare ?

Dut. Sweete Yorke be patient; heare me gentle liege.

King H. Rife vp good aunt.

Dut. Not yet I thee befeech,

For euer will I walke § vpon my knees,

And neuer fee day that the happy fees,

Till thou giue ioy; vntill thou bid me ioy,
By pardoning Rutland, my tranfgreffing boy.
Au. Vnto my mothers praiers I bend my knee.
Yorke. Against them both my true ioynts bended be,
** Ill mayst thou thriue if thou graunt any grace.

Dutcheffe within, + Heavens.

refts. Enter dutcheffe. * omitted.

Bb 3

kneele.

Dutc.

Dutc. Pleades he in earnest? looke vpon his face:
His eyes do drop no teares, his prayers are in ieft,
His words do come from his mouth, ours from our breast :
He prayes but faintly, and would be denide,

We pray with heart and foule, and all befide:
His weary ioynts would gladly rife I know,
Our knees still kneele till to the ground they grow:
His prayers are full of falfe hypocryfie,

Ours of true zeale and deepe integritie:

Our prayers doe out-pray his, then let them haue
That mercy which true prayer ought to haue.
King. Good aunt stand vp.

Dutc. Nay, doe not fay, ftand vp;

Say † pardon first, and afterwards stand vp,
And if I were thy nurse thy tongue to teach,
Pardon fhould be the first word of thy fpeach:
I neuer longd to heare a word till now,
Say pardon king, let pittie teach the how :
The word is fhort, but not so short as sweete;
No word like pardon for kings mouthes fo meete.
Yorke. Speake it in French, king fay, Pardonne moy.
Dutc. Doft thou teach pardon? pardon to deftroy:
Ah my fowre husband, my hard hearted lord!
That fets the word it felfe against the word;
Speake pardon as tis currant in our land,

The chopping French we do not vnderstand:

Thine eye begins to fpeake, fet thy tongue there,

Or in thy piteous heart, plant thou thine eare,

That hearing how our ‡ plaints and prayers doe pierce, Pittie may mooue thee pardon to rehearse.

King H. Good aunt stand vp.

Dutch. I doe not fue to stand;

Pardon is all the fute I haue in hand.