KING RICHARD THE SECOND

Act 1 Scene 4

(Enter King Richard with Green and Bagot at one door, and the Lord Aumerle at another)
l1l	King Richard	 We did observe.—Cousin Aumerle,
l2l		How far brought you high Hereford on his way?
l3l	Aumerle	I brought high Hereford, if you call him so,
l4l		But to the next highway, and there I left him.
l5l	King Richard	And say, what store of parting tears were shed?
l6l	Aumerle	Faith, none for me, except the north-east wind,
l7l		Which then grew bitterly against our faces,
l8l		Awaked the sleeping rheum, and so by chance
l9l		Did grace our hollow parting with a tear.
l10l	King Richard	What said our cousin when you parted with him?
l11l	Aumerle	“Farewell.” And for my heart disdainèd that my tongue
l12l		Should so profane the word, that taught me craft
l13l		To counterfeit oppression of such grief
l14l		That words seemed buried in my sorrow’s grave.
l15l		Marry, would the word “farewell” have lengthened hours
l16l		And added years to his short banishment,
l17l		He should have had a volume of farewells#
l18l		But since it would not, he had none of me.
l19l	King Richard	He is our cousin, cousin# but ’tis doubt,
l20l		When time shall call him home from banishment,
l21l		Whether our kinsman come to see his friends.
l22l		Ourself and Bushy, Bagot here, and Green
l23l		Observed his courtship to the common people,
l24l		How he did seem to dive into their hearts
l25l		With humble and familiar courtesy,
l26l		What reverence he did throw away on slaves,
l27l		Wooing poor craftsmen with the craft of smiles
l28l		And patient underbearing of his fortune,
l29l		As ’twere to banish their affects with him.
l30l		Off goes his bonnet to an oysterwench.
l31l		A brace of draymen bid God speed him well,
l32l		And had the tribute of his supple knee
l33l		With “Thanks, my countrymen, my loving friends”,
l34l		As were our England in reversion his,
l35l		And he our subjects’ next degree in hope.
l36l	Green	Well, he is gone, and with him go these thoughts.
l37l		Now for the rebels which stand out in Ireland.
l38l		Expedient manage must be made, my liege,
l39l		Ere further leisure yield them further means
l40l		For their advantage and your highness’ loss.
l41l	King Richard	We will ourself in person to this war,
l42l		And for our coffers with too great a court
l43l		And liberal largess are grown somewhat light,
l44l		We are enforced to farm our royal realm,
l45l		The revenue whereof shall furnish us
l46l		For our affairs in hand. If that come short,
l47l		Our substitutes at home shall have blank charters,
l48l		Whereto, when they shall know what men are rich,
l49l		They shall subscribe them for large sums of gold,
l50l		And send them after to supply our wants#
l51l		For we will make for Ireland presently.
		(Enter Bushy)
l52l		Bushy, what news?
l53l	Bushy	Old John of Gaunt is grievous sick, my lord,
l54l		Suddenly taken, and hath sent post-haste
l55l		To entreat your majesty to visit him.
l56l	King Richard	Where lies he?
l57l	Bushy	At Ely House.
l58l	King Richard	Now put it, God, in his physician’s mind
l59l		To help him to his grave immediately.
l60l		The lining of his coffers shall make coats
l61l		To deck our soldiers for these Irish wars.
l62l		Come, gentlemen, let’s all go visit him.
l63l		Pray God we may make haste and come too late!
		(Exeunt)