And yet, incaged in so small a verge, The waste is no whit lesser than thy land; K. Rich. -a lunatick lean-witted fool, Presuming on an ague's privilege, Dar'st with thy frozen admonition Make pale our cheek; chasing the royal blood, Now by my seat's right royal majesty, Wert thou not brother to great Edward's son, Should run thy head from thy unreverent shoulders. Hast thou tapp'd out, and drunkenly carous'd: That thou respect'st not spilling Edward's blood: 15 Mad. 16 Thy legal state, that rank in the state and these large desmesnes, which the constitution allotted thee, are now bondslave to the law; being subject to the same legal restrictions as every ordinary pelting farm that has been let on lease.' And thy unkindness be like crooked age, [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. He loves you, on my life, and holds you dear 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; K. Rich. The ripest fruit first falls, and so doth he; 17 i. e. let them love to live, &c. 18 That is, our pilgrimage is yet to come.' 19 Kernes were Irish peasantry, serving as light armed foot soldiers. Shakspeare makes York say, in the second part of King Henry V. that Cade, when in Ireland, used to disguise himself as a shag-haired crafty kerne. The kerne is an ordinary VOL. V. E Which live like venom, where no venom else, But only they, hath privilege to live 20. York. How long shall I be patient? Ah, how long Shall tender duty make me suffer wrong? Not Gloster's death, nor Hereford's banishment, About his marriage 21, nor my own disgrace, Of whom thy father, prince of Wales, was first; foot soldier, according to Stanhihurst; kerne (kigheyren) signifieth a shower of hell, because they are taken for no better than rake hells, or the devil's black-garde.'-Description of Ireland, ch. 8, fol. 28. 20 Alluding to the idea that no venomous reptiles live in Ireland. 21 When the duke of Hereford went into France, after his banishment, he was honourably entertained at that court, and would have obtained in marriage the only daughter of the duke of Berry, uncle to the French king, had not Richard prevented the match. 22 i. e. when he was of thy age. But bloody with the enemies of his kin. K. Rich. Why, uncle, what's the matter? Seek you to seize, and gripe into your hands, Take Hereford's rights away, and take from time His livery 23, 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. 23 On the death of every person who held by knight's service, his heir, if under age, became a ward of the king's; but if of age, he had a right to sue out a writ of ouster le main, i. e. livery, that the king's hand might be taken off, and the land delivered to him. To deny his offer'd homage' was to refuse to admit the homage by which he was to hold his lands. York. I'll not be by the while: My liege, farewell: What will ensue hereof, there's none can tell; But by bad courses may be understood, That their events can never fall out good. [Exit. K. Rich. Go, Bushy, to the earl of Wiltshire straight; Bid him repair to us to Ely-house, To see this business: To-morrow next We will for Ireland; and 'tis time, I trow; North. Well, lords, the duke of Lancaster is dead. North. Richly in both, if justice had her right. Ross. My heart is great; but it must break with silence, Ere't be disburden'd with a liberal 24 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 would'st 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. Bereft and gelded of his patrimony. North. Now, afore heaven, 'tis shame, such wrongs are borne, 24 Free. |