William Shakespeare - The Complete Works

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KING RICHARD THE SECOND Act 2 Scene 1 (Enter John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, sick, carried in a chair, with the Duke of York) l1l John Of Gaunt Will the King come, that I may breathe my last l2l In wholesome counsel to his unstaid youth? l3l York Vex not yourself, nor strive not with your breath, l4l For all in vain comes counsel to his ear. l5l John Of Gaunt O, but they say the tongues of dying men l6l Enforce attention, like deep harmony. l7l Where words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain, l8l For they breathe truth that breathe their words in pain. l9l He that no more must say is listened more l10l Than they whom youth and ease have taught to glose. l11l More are menÆs ends marked than their lives before. l12l The setting sun, and music at the close, l13l As the last taste of sweets, is sweetest last, l14l Writ in remembrance more than things long past. l15l Though Richard my lifeÆs counsel would not hear, l16l My deathÆs sad tale may yet undeaf his ear. l17l York No, it is stopped with other, flattering sounds, l18l As praises of whose taste the wise are feared, l19l Lascivious metres to whose venom sound l20l The open ear of youth doth always listen, l21l Report of fashions in proud Italy, l22l Whose manners still our tardy-apish nation l23l Limps after in base imitation. l24l Where doth the world thrust forth a vanityù l25l So it be new thereÆs no respect how vileù l26l That is not quickly buzzed into his ears? l27l Then all too late comes counsel, to be heard l28l Where will doth mutiny with witÆs regard. l29l Direct not him whose way himself will choose: l30l ÆTis breath thou lackÆst, and that breath wilt thou lose. l31l John Of Gaunt Methinks I am a prophet new-inspired, l32l And thus, expiring, do foretell of him. l33l His rash, fierce blaze of riot cannot last, l34l For violent fires soon burn out themselves. l35l Small showers last long, but sudden storms are short. l36l He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes. l37l With eager feeding food doth choke the feeder. l38l Light vanity, insatiate cormorant, l39l Consuming means, soon preys upon itself. l40l This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, l41l This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, l42l This other Eden, demi-paradise, l43l This fortress built by nature for herself l44l Against infection and the hand of war, l45l This happy breed of men, this little world, l46l This precious stone set in the silver sea, l47l Which serves it in the office of a wall, l48l Or as a moat defensive to a house l49l Against the envy of less happier lands; l50l This blessΦd plot, this earth, this realm, this England, l51l This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings, l52l Feared by their breed and famous by their birth, l53l RenownΦd for their deeds as far from home l54l For Christian service and true chivalry l55l As is the sepulchre, in stubborn Jewry, l56l Of the worldÆs ransom, blessΦd MaryÆs son; l57l This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land, l58l Dear for her reputation through the world, l59l Is now leased outùI die pronouncing itù l60l Like to a tenement or pelting farm. l61l England, bound in with the triumphant sea, l62l Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege l63l Of watÆry Neptune, is now bound in with shame, l64l With inky blots and rotten parchment bonds. l65l That England that was wont to conquer others l66l Hath made a shameful conquest of itself. l67l Ah, would the scandal vanish with my life, l68l How happy then were my ensuing death! (Enter King Richard and the Queen; the Duke of Aumerle, Bushy, Green, Bagot, Lord Ross, and Lord WIlloughby) l69l York The King is come. Deal mildly with his youth, l70l For young hot colts, being reined, do rage the more. l71l Queen How fares our noble uncle Lancaster? l72l King Richard What comfort, man? How is Æt with agΦd Gaunt? l73l John Of Gaunt O, how that name befits my composition! l74l Old Gaunt indeed, and gaunt in being old. l75l Within me grief hath kept a tedious fast, l76l And who abstains from meat that is not gaunt? l77l For sleeping England long time have I watched. l78l Watching breeds leanness, leanness is all gaunt. l79l The pleasure that some fathers feed upon l80l Is my strict fast: I mean my childrenÆs looks. l81l And therein fasting, hast thou made me gaunt. l82l Gaunt am I for the grave, gaunt as a grave, l83l Whose hollow womb inherits naught but bones. l84l King Richard Can sick men play so nicely with their names? l85l John Of Gaunt No, misery makes sport to mock itself. l86l Since thou dost seek to kill my name in me, l87l I mock my name, great King, to flatter thee. l88l King Richard Should dying men flatter with those that live? l89l John Of Gaunt No, no, men living flatter those that die. l90l King Richard Thou now a-dying sayst thou flattÆrest me. l91l John Of Gaunt O no: thou diest, though I the sicker be. l92l King Richard I am in health; I breathe, and see thee ill. l93l John Of Gaunt Now He that made me knows I see thee ill: l94l Ill in myself to see, and in thee seeing ill. l95l Thy deathbed is no lesser than thy land, l96l Wherein thou liest in reputation sick; l97l And thou, too careless patient as thou art, l98l CommittÆst thy anointed body to the cure l99l Of those physicians that first wounded thee. l100l A thousand flatterers sit within thy crown, l101l Whose compass is no bigger than thy head, l102l And yet, encagΦd in so small a verge, l103l The waste is no whit lesser than thy land. l104l O, had thy grandsire with a prophetÆs eye l105l Seen how his sonÆs son should destroy his sons, l106l From forth thy reach he would have laid thy shame, l107l Deposing thee before thou wert possessed, l108l Which art possessed now to depose thyself. l109l Why, cousin, wert thou regent of the world l110l It were a shame to let this land by lease. l111l But, for thy world, enjoying but this land, l112l Is it not more than shame to shame it so? l113l Landlord of England art thou now, not king. l114l Thy state of law is bondslave to the law, l115l Andù l116l King Richard And thou, a lunatic lean-witted fool, l117l Presuming on an agueÆs privilege, l118l DarÆst with thy frozen admonition l119l Make pale our cheek, chasing the royal blood l120l With fury from his native residence. l121l Now by my seatÆs right royal majesty, l122l Wert thou not brother to great EdwardÆs son, l123l This tongue that runs so roundly in thy head l124l Should run thy head from thy unreverent shoulders. l125l John Of Gaunt O, spare me not, my brother EdwardÆs son, l126l For that I was his father EdwardÆs son. l127l That blood already, like the pelican, l128l Hast thou tapped out and drunkenly caroused. l129l My brother Gloucester, plain well-meaning soulù l130l Whom fair befall in heaven Æmongst happy soulsù l131l May be a precedent and witness good l132l That thou respectÆst not spilling EdwardÆs blood. l133l Join with the present sickness that I have, l134l And thy unkindness be like crookΦd age, l135l To crop at once a too-long withered flower. l136l Live in thy shame, but die not shame with thee. l137l These words hereafter thy tormentors be. l138l (To attendants) Convey me to my bed, then to my grave. l139l Love they to live that love and honour have. (Exit, carried in the chair) l140l King Richard And let them die that age and sullens have, l141l For both hast thou, and both become the grave. l142l York I do beseech your majesty impute his words l143l To wayward sickliness and age in him. l144l He loves you, on my life, and holds you dear l145l As Harry Duke of Hereford, were he here. l146l King Richard Right, you say true: as HerefordÆs love, so his. l147l As theirs, so mine; and all be as it is. (Enter the Earl of Northumberland) l148l Northumberland My liege, old Gaunt commends him to your majesty. l149l King Richard What says he? Northumberland Nay, nothing: all is said. l150l His tongue is now a stringless instrument. l151l Words, life, and all, old Lancaster hath spent. l152l York Be York the next that must be bankrupt so! l153l Though death be poor, it ends a mortal woe. l154l King Richard The ripest fruit first falls, and so doth he. l155l His time is spent; our pilgrimage must be. l156l So much for that. Now for our Irish wars. l157l We must supplant those rough rug-headed kerns, l158l Which live like venom where no venom else l159l But only they have privilege to live. l160l And for these great affairs do ask some charge, l161l Towards our assistance we do seize to us l162l The plate, coin, revenues, and movables l163l Whereof our uncle Gaunt did stand possessed. l164l York How long shall I be patient? Ah, how long l165l Shall tender duty make me suffer wrong? l166l Not GloucesterÆs death, nor HerefordÆs banishment, l167l Nor GauntÆs rebukes, nor EnglandÆs private wrongs, l168l Nor the prevention of poor Bolingbroke l169l About his marriage, nor my own disgrace, l170l Have ever made me sour my patient cheek, l171l Or bend one wrinkle on my sovereignÆs face. l172l I am the last of noble EdwardÆs sons, l173l Of whom thy father, Prince of Wales, was first. l174l In war was never lion raged more fierce, l175l In peace was never gentle lamb more mild, l176l Than was that young and princely gentleman. l177l His face thou hast, for even so looked he, l178l Accomplished with the number of thy hours. l179l But when he frowned it was against the French, l180l And not against his friends. His noble hand l181l Did win what he did spend, and spent not that l182l Which his triumphant fatherÆs hand had won. l183l His hands were guilty of no kindred blood, l184l But bloody with the enemies of his kin. l185l O, Richard, York is too far gone with grief, l186l Or else he never would compare between. l187l King Richard Why uncle, whatÆs the matter? York O my liege, l188l Pardon me if you please; if not, I, pleased l189l Not to be pardoned, am content withal. l190l Seek you to seize and grip into your hands l191l The royalties and rights of banished Hereford? l192l Is not Gaunt dead? And doth not Hereford live? l193l Was not Gaunt just? And is not Harry true? l194l Did not the one deserve to have an heir? l195l Is not his heir a well-deserving son? l196l Take HerefordÆs rights away, and take from Time l197l His charters and his customary rights: l198l Let not tomorrow then ensue today; l199l Be not thyself, for how art thou a king l200l But by fair sequence and succession? l201l Now afore GodùGod forbid I say true!ù l202l If you do wrongfully seize HerefordÆs rights, l203l Call in the letters patents that he hath l204l By his attorneys general to sue l205l His livery, and deny his offered homage, l206l You pluck a thousand dangers on your head, l207l You lose a thousand well-disposΦd hearts, l208l And prick my tender patience to those thoughts l209l Which honour and allegiance cannot think. l210l King Richard Think what you will, we seize into our hands l211l His plate, his goods, his money, and his lands. l212l York IÆll not be by the while. My liege, farewell. l213l What will ensue hereof thereÆs none can tell. l214l But by bad courses may be understood l215l That their events can never fall out good. (Exit) l216l King Richard Go, Bushy, to the Earl of Wiltshire straight. l217l Bid him repair to us to Ely House l218l To see this business. Tomorrow next l219l We will for Ireland, and Ætis time, I trow. l220l And we create, in absence of ourself, l221l Our uncle York Lord Governor of England; l222l For he is just and always loved us well.ù l223l Come on, our Queen; tomorrow must we part. l224l Be merry, for our time of stay is short. l225l Northumberland Well, lords, the Duke of Lancaster is dead. l226l Ross And living too, for now his son is Duke. l227l Willoughby Barely in title, not in revenues. l228l Northumberland Richly in both, if justice had her right. l229l Ross My heart is great, but it must break with silence l230l Ere Æt be disburdened with a liberal tongue. l231l Northumberland Nay, speak thy mind, and let him neÆer speak more l232l That speaks thy words again to do thee harm. l233l Willoughby Tends that that thou wouldst speak to the Duke of Hereford? l234l If it be so, out with it boldly, man. l235l Quick is mine ear to hear of good towards him. l236l Ross No good at all that I can do for him, l237l Unless you call it good to pity him, l238l Bereft and gelded of his patrimony. l239l Northumberland Now afore God, Ætis shame such wrongs are borne l240l In him, a royal prince, and many more l241l Of noble blood in this declining land. l242l The King is not himself, but basely led l243l By flatterers; and what they will inform l244l Merely in hate Ægainst any of us all, l245l That will the King severely prosecute l246l ÆGainst us, our lives, our children, and our heirs. l247l Ross The commons hath he pilled with grievous taxes, l248l And quite lost their hearts. The nobles hath he fined l249l For ancient quarrels, and quite lost their hearts. l250l Willoughby And daily new exactions are devised, l251l As blanks, benevolences, and I wot not what. l252l But what, aÆ GodÆs name, doth become of this? l253l Northumberland Wars hath not wasted it; for warred he hath not, l254l But basely yielded upon compromise l255l That which his ancestors achieved with blows. l256l More hath he spent in peace than they in wars. l257l Ross The Earl of Wiltshire hath the realm in farm. l258l Willoughby The KingÆs grown bankrupt like a broken man. l259l Northumberland Reproach and dissolution hangeth over him. l260l Ross He hath not money for these Irish wars, l261l His burdenous taxations notwithstanding, l262l But by the robbing of the banished Duke. l263l Northumberland His noble kinsman. Most degenerate King! l264l But, lords, we hear this fearful tempest sing, l265l Yet seek no shelter to avoid the storm. l266l We see the wind sit sore upon our sails, l267l And yet we strike not, but securely perish. l268l Ross We see the very wreck that we must suffer, l269l And unavoided is the danger now l270l For suffering so the causes of our wreck. l271l Northumberland Not so: even through the hollow eyes of death l272l I spy life peering; but I dare not say l273l How near the tidings of our comfort is. l274l Willoughby Nay, let us share thy thoughts, as thou dost ours. l275l Ross Be confident to speak, Northumberland. l276l We three are but thyself, and, speaking so, l277l Thy words are but as thoughts. Therefore be bold. l278l Northumberland Then thus. I have from Port le Blanc, l279l A bay in Brittaine, received intelligence l280l That Harry Duke of Hereford, Reinold Lord Cobham, l281l Thomas son and heir to the Earl of Arundel l282l That late broke from the Duke of Exeter, l283l His brother, Archbishop late of Canterbury, l284l Sir Thomas Erpingham, Sir Thomas Ramston, l285l Sir John Norbery, l286l Sir Robert Waterton, and Francis Coint, l287l All these well furnished by the Duke of Brittaine l288l With eight tall ships, three thousand men of war, l289l Are making hither with all due expedience, l290l And shortly mean to touch our northern shore. l291l Perhaps they had ere this, but that they stay l292l The first departing of the King for Ireland. l293l If then we shall shake off our slavish yoke, l294l Imp out our drooping countryÆs broken wing, l295l Redeem from broking pawn the blemished crown, l296l Wipe off the dust that hides our sceptreÆs gilt, l297l And make high majesty look like itself, l298l Away with me in post to Ravenspurgh. l299l But if you faint, as fearing to do so, l300l Stay, and be secret, and myself will go. l301l Ross To horse, to horse! Urge doubts to them that fear. l302l Willoughby Hold out my horse, and I will first be there. (Exeunt)