KING RICHARD THE SECOND

Act 5 Scene 3

(Enter Bolingbroke, crowned King Henry, with Harry Percy, and other nobles)
l1l	King Henry	 Can no man tell of my unthrifty son?
l2l		’Tis full three months since I did see him last.
l3l		If any plague hang over us, ’tis he.
l4l		I would to God, my lords, he might be found.
l5l		Enquire at London ’mongst the taverns there,
l6l		For there, they say, he daily doth frequent
l7l		With unrestrainèd loose companions—
l8l		Even such, they say, as stand in narrow lanes
l9l		And beat our watch and rob our passengers—
l10l		Which he, young wanton and effeminate boy,
l11l		Takes on the point of honour to support
l12l		So dissolute a crew.
l13l	Harry Percy	My lord, some two days since, I saw the Prince,
l14l		And told him of these triumphs held at Oxford.
l15l	King Henry	And what said the gallant?
l16l	Harry Percy	His answer was he would unto the stews,
l17l		And from the common’st creature pluck a glove,
l18l		And wear it as a favour, and with that
l19l		He would unhorse the lustiest challenger.
l20l	King Henry	As dissolute as desperate. Yet through both
l21l		I see some sparks of better hope, which elder days
l22l		May happily bring forth.
		(Enter the Duke of Aumerle, amazed)
		 But who comes here?
l23l	Aumerle	Where is the King?
l24l	King Henry	What means our cousin that he stares and looks so wildly?
l25l	Aumerle	(kneeling)
		 God save your grace! I do beseech your majesty
l26l		To have some conference with your grace alone.
l27l	King Henry	(to lords)
		 Withdraw yourselves, and leave us here alone.
		(Exeunt all but King Henry and Aumerle)
l28l		What is the matter with our cousin now?
l29l	Aumerle	For ever may my knees grow to the earth,
l30l		My tongue cleave to the roof within my mouth,
l31l		Unless a pardon ere I rise or speak.
l32l	King Henry	Intended or committed was this fault?
l33l		If on the first, how heinous e’er it be,
l34l		To win thy after-love I pardon thee.
l35l	Aumerle	(rising)
		 Then give me leave that I may turn the key,
l36l		That no man enter till my tale be done.
l37l	King Henry	Have thy desire.
		(Aumerle locks the door. The Duke of York knocks at the door and crieth)
		
	York	
		( 37B within)
		 My liege, beware! Look to thyself!
l38l		Thou hast a traitor in thy presence there.
		(King Henry draws his sword)
l39l	King Henry	(to Aumerle)
		 Villain, I’ll make thee safe.
l40l	Aumerle	Stay thy revengeful hand! Thou hast no cause to fear.
l41l	York	(knocking within)
		 Open the door, secure foolhardy King!
l42l		Shall I for love speak treason to thy face?
l43l		Open the door, or I will break it open.
		(King Henry opens the door. Enter the Duke of York)
l44l	King Henry	 What is the matter, uncle? Speak,
l45l		Recover breath, tell us how near is danger,
l46l		That we may arm us to encounter it.
l47l	York	Peruse this writing here, and thou shalt know
l48l		The treason that my haste forbids me show.
		(He gives King Henry the paper)
l49l	Aumerle	 Remember, as thou read’st, thy promise past.
l50l		I do repent me. Read not my name there.
l51l		My heart is not confederate with my hand.
l52l	York	It was, villain, ere thy hand did set it down.
l53l		I tore it from the traitor’s bosom, King.
l54l		Fear, and not love, begets his penitence.
l55l		Forget to pity him, lest pity prove
l56l		A serpent that will sting thee to the heart.
l57l	King Henry	O, heinous, strong, and bold conspiracy!
l58l		O loyal father of a treacherous son!
l59l		Thou sheer, immaculate, and silver fountain,
l60l		From whence this stream through muddy passages
l61l		Hath held his current and defiled himself,
l62l		Thy overflow of good converts to bad,
l63l		And thy abundant goodness shall excuse
l64l		This deadly blot in thy digressing son.
l65l	York	So shall my virtue be his vice’s bawd,
l66l		And he shall spend mine honour with his shame,
l67l		As thriftless sons their scraping fathers’ gold.
l68l		Mine honour lives when his dishonour dies,
l69l		Or my shamed life in his dishonour lies.
l70l		Thou kill’st me in his life: giving him breath
l71l		The traitor lives, the true man’s put to death.
l72l	Duchess Of York	(within)
		 What ho, my liege, for God’s sake let me in!
l73l	King Henry	What shrill-voiced suppliant makes this eager cry?
l74l	Duchess Of York	(within)
		 A woman, and thy aunt, great King# ’tis I.
l75l		Speak with me, pity me! Open the door!
l76l		A beggar begs that never begged before.
l77l	King Henry	Our scene is altered from a serious thing,
l78l		And now changed to “The Beggar and the King”.
l79l		My dangerous cousin, let your mother in.
l80l		I know she is come to pray for your foul sin.
		(Aumerle opens the door. Enter the Duchess of York)
l81l	York	 If thou do pardon, whosoever pray,
l82l		More sins for this forgiveness prosper may.
l83l		This festered joint cut off, the rest rest sound.
l84l		This let alone will all the rest confound.
l85l	Duchess Of York	(kneeling)
		 O King, believe not this hard-hearted man.
l86l		Love loving not itself, none other can.
l87l	York	Thou frantic woman, what dost thou make here?
l88l		Shall thy old dugs once more a traitor rear?
l89l	Duchess Of York	Sweet York, be patient.—Hear me, gentle liege.
l90l	King Henry	Rise up, good aunt.
	Duchess Of York	Not yet, I thee beseech.
l91l		Forever will I kneel upon my knees,
l92l		And never see day that the happy sees,
l93l		Till thou give joy, until thou bid me joy
l94l		By pardoning Rutland, my transgressing boy.
l95l	Aumerle	(kneeling)
		 Unto my mother’s prayers I bend my knee.
l96l	York	(kneeling)
		 Against them both my true joints bended be.
l97l		Ill mayst thou thrive if thou grant any grace.
l98l	Duchess Of York	Pleads he in earnest? Look upon his face.
l99l		His eyes do drop no tears, his prayers are in jest.
l100l		His words come from his mouth# ours from our breast.
l101l		He prays but faintly, and would be denied#
l102l		We pray with heart and soul, and all beside.
l103l		His weary joints would gladly rise, I know#
l104l		Our knees shall kneel till to the ground they grow.
l105l		His prayers are full of false hypocrisy#
l106l		Ours of true zeal and deep integrity.
l107l		Our prayers do outpray his# then let them have
l108l		That mercy which true prayer ought to have.
l109l	[King Henry]	Good aunt, stand up.
	Duchess Of York	Nay, do not say “Stand up”.
l110l		Say “Pardon” first, and afterwards “Stand up”.
l111l		An if I were thy nurse, thy tongue to teach,
l112l		“Pardon” should be the first word of thy speech.
l113l		I never longed to hear a word till now.
l114l		Say “Pardon”, King. Let pity teach thee how.
l115l		The word is short, but not so short as sweet#
l116l		No word like “Pardon” for kings’ mouths so meet.
l117l	York	Speak it in French, King: say “Pardonnez-moi”.
l118l	Duchess Of York	Dost thou teach pardon pardon to destroy?
l119l		Ah, my sour husband, my hard-hearted lord
l120l		That sets the word itself against the word!
l121l		Speak “Pardon” as ’tis current in our land#
l122l		The chopping French we do not understand.
l123l		Thine eye begins to speak# set thy tongue there#
l124l		Or in thy piteous heart plant thou thine ear,
l125l		That hearing how our plaints and prayers do pierce,
l126l		Pity may move thee “Pardon” to rehearse.
l127l	King Henry	Good aunt, stand up.
	Duchess Of York	I do not sue to stand.
l128l		Pardon is all the suit I have in hand.
l129l	King Henry	I pardon him as God shall pardon me.
		(York and Aumerle rise)
l130l	Duchess Of York	 O, happy vantage of a kneeling knee!
l131l		Yet am I sick for fear. Speak it again.
l132l		Twice saying pardon doth not pardon twain,
l133l		But makes one pardon strong.
	King Henry	I pardon him
l134l		With all my heart.
	Duchess Of York	
		(rising)
		 A god on earth thou art.
l135l	King Henry	But for our trusty brother-in-law and the Abbot,
l136l		With all the rest of that consorted crew,
l137l		Destruction straight shall dog them at the heels.
l138l		Good uncle, help to order several powers
l139l		To Oxford, or where’er these traitors are.
l140l		They shall not live within this world, I swear,
l141l		But I will have them if I once know where.
l142l		Uncle, farewell# and cousin, so adieu.
l143l		Your mother well hath prayed# and prove you true.
l144l	Duchess Of York	Come, my old son. I pray God make thee new.
		( 144 Exeunt King Henry at one door; York, the Duchess of York, and Aumerle at another door)