King Richard The Second

1 Enter Bolingbroke as King, Harry Percy and other Lords.
2 KING HENRY.
3 Can no man tell me of my unthrifty son?
4 ’Tis full three months since I did see him last.
5 If any plague hang over us, ’tis he.
6 I would to God, my lords, he might be found.
7 Inquire at London, ’mongst the taverns there,
8 For there, they say, he daily doth frequent
9 With unrestrained loose companions,
10 Even such, they say, as stand in narrow lanes
11 And beat our watch and rob our passengers,
12 While he, young wanton and effeminate boy,
13 Takes on the point of honour to support
14 So dissolute a crew.
15 PERCY.
16 My lord, some two days since I saw the Prince,
17 And told him of those triumphs held at Oxford.
18 KING HENRY.
19 And what said the gallant?
20 PERCY.
21 His answer was he would unto the stews,
22 And from the common’st creature pluck a glove
23 And wear it as a favour, and with that
24 He would unhorse the lustiest challenger.
25 KING HENRY.
26 As dissolute as desperate! Yet through both
27 I see some sparks of better hope, which elder years
28 May happily bring forth. But who comes here?
29 Enter Aumerle.
30 AUMERLE.
31 Where is the King?
32 KING HENRY.
33 What means our cousin that he stares and looks so wildly?
34 AUMERLE.
35 God save your Grace! I do beseech your majesty
36 To have some conference with your Grace alone.
37 KING HENRY.
38 Withdraw yourselves, and leave us here alone.
39 [_Exeunt Harry Percy and Lords._]
40 What is the matter with our cousin now?
41 AUMERLE.
42 [_Kneels_.] For ever may my knees grow to the earth,
43 My tongue cleave to my roof within my mouth,
44 Unless a pardon ere I rise or speak.
45 KING HENRY.
46 Intended or committed was this fault?
47 If on the first, how heinous e’er it be,
48 To win thy after-love I pardon thee.
49 AUMERLE.
50 Then give me leave that I may turn the key,
51 That no man enter till my tale be done.
52 KING HENRY.
53 Have thy desire.
54 [_Aumerle locks the door._]
55 YORK.
56 [_Within_.] My liege, beware! Look to thyself!
57 Thou hast a traitor in thy presence there.
58 KING HENRY.
59 [_Drawing_.] Villain, I’ll make thee safe.
60 AUMERLE.
61 Stay thy revengeful hand. Thou hast no cause to fear.
62 YORK.
63 [_Within_.] Open the door, secure, foolhardy king!
64 Shall I for love speak treason to thy face?
65 Open the door, or I will break it open.
66 [_King Henry unlocks the door; and afterwards, relocks it._]
67 Enter York.
68 KING HENRY.
69 What is the matter, uncle? Speak!
70 Recover breath. Tell us how near is danger,
71 That we may arm us to encounter it.
72 YORK.
73 Peruse this writing here, and thou shalt know
74 The treason that my haste forbids me show.
75 AUMERLE.
76 Remember, as thou read’st, thy promise passed.
77 I do repent me. Read not my name there;
78 My heart is not confederate with my hand.
79 YORK.
80 It was, villain, ere thy hand did set it down.
81 I tore it from the traitor’s bosom, king.
82 Fear, and not love, begets his penitence.
83 Forget to pity him, lest thy pity prove
84 A serpent that will sting thee to the heart.
85 KING HENRY.
86 O heinous, strong, and bold conspiracy!
87 O loyal father of a treacherous son!
88 Thou sheer, immaculate, and silver fountain
89 From whence this stream through muddy passages
90 Hath held his current and defiled himself!
91 Thy overflow of good converts to bad,
92 And thy abundant goodness shall excuse
93 This deadly blot in thy digressing son.
94 YORK.
95 So shall my virtue be his vice’s bawd,
96 And he shall spend mine honour with his shame,
97 As thriftless sons their scraping fathers’ gold.
98 Mine honour lives when his dishonour dies,
99 Or my shamed life in his dishonour lies.
100 Thou kill’st me in his life: giving him breath,
101 The traitor lives, the true man’s put to death.
102 DUCHESS.
103 [_Within_.] What ho, my liege! For God’s sake, let me in!
104 KING HENRY.
105 What shrill-voiced suppliant makes this eager cry?
106 DUCHESS.
107 [_Within_.] A woman, and thine aunt, great king, ’tis I.
108 Speak with me, pity me, open the door!
109 A beggar begs that never begged before.
110 KING HENRY.
111 Our scene is altered from a serious thing,
112 And now changed to “The Beggar and the King.”
113 My dangerous cousin, let your mother in.
114 I know she’s come to pray for your foul sin.
115 Enter Duchess.
116 YORK.
117 If thou do pardon whosoever pray,
118 More sins for this forgiveness prosper may.
119 This festered joint cut off, the rest rest sound;
120 This let alone will all the rest confound.
121 DUCHESS.
122 O King, believe not this hard-hearted man.
123 Love loving not itself none other can.
124 YORK.
125 Thou frantic woman, what dost thou make here?
126 Shall thy old dugs once more a traitor rear?
127 DUCHESS.
128 Sweet York, be patient. [_Kneels_.] Hear me, gentle liege.
129 KING HENRY.
130 Rise up, good aunt.
131 DUCHESS.
132 Not yet, I thee beseech.
133 For ever will I walk upon my knees
134 And never see day that the happy sees,
135 Till thou give joy, until thou bid me joy
136 By pardoning Rutland, my transgressing boy.
137 AUMERLE.
138 Unto my mother’s prayers I bend my knee.
139 [_Kneels._]
140 YORK.
141 Against them both, my true joints bended be.
142 [_Kneels._]
143 Ill mayst thou thrive if thou grant any grace!
144 DUCHESS.
145 Pleads he in earnest? Look upon his face.
146 His eyes do drop no tears, his prayers are in jest;
147 His words come from his mouth, ours from our breast.
148 He prays but faintly and would be denied;
149 We pray with heart and soul and all beside:
150 His weary joints would gladly rise, I know;
151 Our knees still kneel till to the ground they grow.
152 His prayers are full of false hypocrisy;
153 Ours of true zeal and deep integrity.
154 Our prayers do outpray his; then let them have
155 That mercy which true prayer ought to have.
156 KING HENRY.
157 Good aunt, stand up.
158 DUCHESS.
159 Nay, do not say “stand up”.
160 Say “pardon” first, and afterwards “stand up”.
161 An if I were thy nurse, thy tongue to teach,
162 “Pardon” should be the first word of thy speech.
163 I never longed to hear a word till now.
164 Say “pardon,” king; let pity teach thee how.
165 The word is short, but not so short as sweet;
166 No word like “pardon” for kings’ mouths so meet.
167 YORK.
168 Speak it in French, King, say “pardonne moy.”
169 DUCHESS.
170 Dost thou teach pardon pardon to destroy?
171 Ah! my sour husband, my hard-hearted lord,
172 That sets the word itself against the word!
173 Speak “pardon” as ’tis current in our land;
174 The chopping French we do not understand.
175 Thine eye begins to speak, set thy tongue there,
176 Or in thy piteous heart plant thou thine ear,
177 That, hearing how our plaints and prayers do pierce,
178 Pity may move thee “pardon” to rehearse.
179 KING HENRY.
180 Good aunt, stand up.
181 DUCHESS.
182 I do not sue to stand.
183 Pardon is all the suit I have in hand.
184 KING HENRY.
185 I pardon him, as God shall pardon me.
186 DUCHESS.
187 O, happy vantage of a kneeling knee!
188 Yet am I sick for fear. Speak it again,
189 Twice saying “pardon” doth not pardon twain,
190 But makes one pardon strong.
191 KING HENRY.
192 With all my heart
193 I pardon him.
194 DUCHESS.
195 A god on earth thou art.
196 KING HENRY.
197 But for our trusty brother-in-law and the Abbot,
198 With all the rest of that consorted crew,
199 Destruction straight shall dog them at the heels.
200 Good uncle, help to order several powers
201 To Oxford, or where’er these traitors are;
202 They shall not live within this world, I swear,
203 But I will have them, if I once know where.
204 Uncle, farewell, and cousin, adieu.
205 Your mother well hath prayed, and prove you true.
206 DUCHESS.
207 Come, my old son. I pray God make thee new.
208 [_Exeunt._]