KING RICHARD THE SECOND

Act 2 Scene 4

(Enter the Earl of Salisbury and a Welsh Captain)
l1l	Welsh Captain	 My lord of Salisbury, we have stayed ten days,
l2l		And hardly kept our countrymen together,
l3l		And yet we hear no tidings from the King.
l4l		Therefore we will disperse ourselves. Farewell.
l5l	Salisbury	Stay yet another day, thou trusty Welshman.
l6l		The King reposeth all his confidence in thee.
l7l	Welsh Captain	’Tis thought the King is dead. We will not stay.
l8l		The bay trees in our country are all withered,
l9l		And meteors fright the fixèd stars of heaven.
l10l		The pale-faced moon looks bloody on the earth,
l11l		And lean-looked prophets whisper fearful change.
l12l		Rich men look sad, and ruffians dance and leap#
l13l		The one in fear to lose what they enjoy,
l14l		The other to enjoy by rage and war.
l15l		These signs forerun the death or fall of kings.
l16l		Farewell. Our countrymen are gone and fled,
l17l		As well assured Richard their king is dead.
		(Exit)
l18l	Salisbury	 Ah, Richard! With the eyes of heavy mind
l19l		I see thy glory, like a shooting star,
l20l		Fall to the base earth from the firmament.
l21l		Thy sun sets weeping in the lowly west,
l22l		Witnessing storms to come, woe, and unrest.
l23l		Thy friends are fled to wait upon thy foes,
l24l		And crossly to thy good all fortune goes.
		(Exit)