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. 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 now? North. Nay, nothing; all is said: His tongue is now a stringless instrument; Words, life, and all, old Lancaster has spent. 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 doth he; His time is spent, our pilgrimage must be: So much for that.- -Now for our Irish wars: We must supplant those rough rug-headed kerns*; * Irish soldiers. Which live like venom, where no venom else, And for these great affairs do ask some charge, Shall tender duty make me suffer wrong? Not Gloster's death, nor Hereford's banishment, Of whom thy father, prince of Wales, was first; O, my liege, • Alluding to the idea that no venemous reptiles live in Ireland. + When of thy age. Did not the one deserve to have an heir? 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, fare well: What will ensue hereof, there's none can tell; 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. Taking possession. 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* 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 thoud'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, In him a royal prince, and many more 'Gainst us, our lives, our children, and our heirs. Ross. The commons hath he pill'd with grievous taxes, And lost their hearts: the nobles hath he fin'd, But basely yielded upon compromise That which his 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. * Free. + Deprived. Pillaged. 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, For suffering so the causes of our wreck. North. Not so; even through the hollow eyes of death, I 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 Brittany, received intelligence, That Harry Hereford, Reignold lord Cobham, That late broke from the duke of Exeter, All these well furnish'd by the duke of Bretagne, * Perish by confidence in our security. + Stout. + Expedition. |