If we be not, fhew vs the hand of God
That hath dismist vs from our stewardship:
For well we know, no hand of blood and bone,
Can gripe the facred handle of our fcepter,
Vnleffe he do prophane, steale, or vfurpe:

And though you thinke that all as you haue done,
Haue torne their foules, by turning them from vs,
And we are barren and bereft of friends:
Yet know, my maister God omnipotent,
Is muftering in his clouds on our behalfe,
Armies of peftilence, and they shall strike
Your children yet vnborne, and vnbegot,
That lift your vaffaile hands against my head,
And threat the glorie of my precious crowne.
Tell Bullingbrooke (for yon me thinks he stands *)
That euerie ftride he makes vpon my land,
Is dangerous treafon: he is come to open †
The purple teftament of bleeding warre:
But ere the crowne he lookes for, liue in peace,
Ten thousand bloody crownes of mothers fonnes,
Shall ill become the flower of Englands face,
Change the complexion of mayd-pale peace,
To scarlet indignation, and bedeaw

Her paftors graffe with faithfull English blood.

North. The king of heauen forbid, our lord the king

Should fo with ciuill and vnciuill armes

Be ruht vpon. Thy thrife noble coofin,
Harry Bullingbrooke doth humbly kisse thy hand,
And by the honourable tombe he fweares,
That stands vpon your royall grandfires bones,

And by the royalties of both your bloods

Currents that fpring from one moft gracious head,
And by the buried hand of warlike Gaunt,

⚫ be is

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of ber

And

And by the worth and honour of himselfe,
Comprifing all that may be fworne or faid,
His comming hither hath no further scope,
Then for his lineall royalties, and to begge
Infranchisement immediate on his knees,
Which on thy royall partie graunted once,
His glittering armes he will commend to ruft,
His barbed steeds to ftables, and his heart
To faithfull feruice of your maieftie.

This fweares he, as he is a prince iuft*:
And as I am a gentleman, I credit him.

King. Northumberland, fay thus: the king returnes His noble coofin is right welcome hither, And all the number of his faire demaunds Shall be accomplisht without contradiction, With all the gracious vtterance thou hast; Speake to his gentle hearing kind commends: We doe debafe our felues (coofin) do wee not? To looke fo paorely, and to fpeake so faire ? Shall we call backe Northumberland, and fend Defiance to the traitour; and fo die?

Aum. No good my lord, lets fight with gentle words, Till time lend friends, and friends their helpfull + fwords. King. Oh God, oh God that ere this tongue of mine, That laid the fentence of dread banishment

On you proud man, fhould take it off againe,
With words of footh! Oh that I were as great,

As is my griefe, or leffer then my name !..
Or that I could forget what I haue been!

Or not remember what I must be now!

Swell'st thou (proud heart,) Ile giue thee fcope to beat, Since foes have scope to beat both thee and mee.

Aum. Northumberland comes backe from Bullingbrooke.

1

King. What muft the king do now? muft he fubmit?
The king fhall do it: muft he be depofde?
The king fhall be contented muft he loose
The name of a king? a * Gods name let it goe:
Ile giue my jewels for a fet of beades:
My gorgeous pallace, for a hermitage;
My gay apparell, for an almef-mans gowne:
My figurde goblets, for a dish of wood:
My fcepter, for a palmers walking staffe:
My fablets, for a payre of carued faints:
And my large kingdome, for a little graue;
A little little graue, an obfcure graue,
Or, Ile be buried in the kings hie way,
Some way of common trade, where fubiects feete
May hourely trample on their foueraignes head;
For on my heart they tread now whilst I liue:
And buried once, why not vpon my head?
Aumerle, thou weepeft (my tender-hearted coofin)
Weele make foule weather with defpifed teares;
Our fighes, and they, fhall lodge the fummer corne,
And make a dearth in this reuolting land:

Or fhall we play the wantons with our woes,
And make fome pretty match with fheading teares,
And thus to drop them ftill vpon one place,
Till they haue fretted vs a paire of graues

Within the earth and therein layde; their lies

:

Two kinsmen dig'd their graues with weeping eyes?
Would not this ill doe well? well well I fee,
I talke but idlely, and you laugh || at mee.
Moft mighty prince, my lord Northumberland,
What fayes king Bullingbrooke, will his maieftie
Giue Richard leaue to liue till Richard die?
You make a legge, and Bullingbrooke sayes I.

† As

močke

North.

1

North. My lord, in the base court he doth attend,
To fpeake with you: may it please you to come downe.
King. Downe, downe I come, like glistering Phaeton,
Wanting the mannage of vnruly iades.

In the base court, base court where kings grow base,
To come at traytors calles, and do them grace.

In the base court come downe: downe court, downe king

For night owles fhreeke where mounting larks should fing.
Bull. What fayes his maieftie?

North. Sorrow and griefe of heart,

Makes him fpeake fondly like a franticke man :

Yet he is come.

Bull. Stand all apart,

And fhew faire dutie to his maieftie:

My gracious lord.

He kneeles downe.

King. Faire coofin you debafe your princely knee,
To make the base earth proud with kissing it :
Me rather had my heart might feele your loue,
Then my vnpleafed eye fee your curtefie:
Vp coofin vp; your heart is vp I know,
Thus high at least, although your knee be low.
Bull. My gracious lord, I come but for mine owne.
King. Your owne is yours, and I am yours and all.
Bull. So farre be mine, my most redoubted lord,
As my true feruice fhall deferue your loue.

King. Well you deferue*: they well deferue to haue,
That know the ftrong'ft and fureft way to get.
Vnckle, giue me your hand; nay dry your eyes,

Teares fhew their loue, but want their remedies.
Coofin, I am too young to be your father,

Though you are old enough to be theyre;
What you will haue, Ile giue, and willing too:

For doe we muft, what force will haue vs do:
Set on towards London, coofin is it so?

Bull. Yea my good lord.

King. Then I must not say no.

Enter the queene with her attendants +

Exeunt. *

Que. What fport shall we deuife heere in this garden, To driue away the heauie thought of care?

Lady. Madam weele play at bowles.

Que. Twill make me thinke the world is full of rubs, And that my fortune runnes against the bias.

Lady. Madam weele daunce.

Que. My legs can keepe no measure in delight,
When my poore heart no measure keepes in griefe:
Therefore no dauncing girle, fome other sport.
Lady. Madam weele tell tales.
Que. Of forrow or of griefe?
Lady. Of either madam.

Que. Of neither girle,

For if of ioy, being altogither wanting,
It doth remember me the more of forrow:
Or if of griefe, being altogither fadd ‡
It addes more forrow to my want of ioy:
For what I haue I neede not to repeate,
And what I want it bootes not to complaine.
Lady. Madam Ile fing.

Que. Tis well that thou haft caufe,

But thou shouldst please me better wouldst thou weepe.
Lady. I could wecpe madam, would it do you good.
Quee. And I could fing would weeping do me good,
And neuer borow any teare of thee.

But ftay, heere commeth the gardiners,

Scena Quinta.

tand zwo ladies

+bad

Lets