But, for thy world, enjoying but this land, K. Rich. - -a lunatick lean-witted fool, Presuming on an ague's privilege, Dar'st with thy frozen admonition Make pale our cheek; chasing the royal blood, Should run thy head from thy unreverend shoulders. son, For that I was his father Edward's son; That blood already, like the pelican, Hast thou tapp'd out, and drunkenly carous'd: That thou respect'st not spilling Edward's blood: Live in thy shame, but die not shame with thee!— [Exit, borne out by his Attendants. K. Rich. And let them die, that age and sullens have; For both hast thou, and both become the grave. York. 'Beseech your majesty, impute his words Love they] That is, let them love. To wayward sickliness and age in him: you dear As Harry duke of Hereford, were he here. K. Rich. Right; you say true: as Hereford's love, so his: As theirs, so mine; and all be as it is. Enter NORTHUMBERLAND.3 North. My liege, old Gaunt commends him to your majesty. K. Rich. What says he now? North. Nay, nothing; all is said: His tongue is now a stringless instrument; Words, life, and all, old Lancaster hath spent. York. Be York the next that must be bankrupt so! Though death be poor, it ends a mortal woe. K. Rich. The ripest fruit first falls, and so doth he; His time is spent, our pilgrimage must be: And for these great affairs do ask some charge, Shall tender duty make me suffer wrong? 3 land. Northumberland.] Henry Percy, Earl of Northumber where no venom else,] This alludes to a tradition that St. Patrick freed the kingdom of Ireland from venomous reptiles of every kind. Not Gaunt's rebukes, nor England's private wrongs, Nor the prevention of poor Bolingbroke 5 About his marriage, nor my own disgrace, Of whom thy father, prince of Wales, was first; Seek you to seize, and gripe into your hands, 5 Nor the prevention of poor Bolingbroke About his marriage,] When the duke of Hereford, after his banishment, went into France, he was honourably entertained at that court, and would have obtained in marriage the only daughter of the duke of Berry, uncle to the French king, had not Richard prevented the match. "Accomplish'd with the number of thy hours;] i. e. when he was of thy age. Take Hereford's rights away, and take from time K. Rich. Think what you will; we seize into our hands His plate, his goods, his money, and his lands. York. I'll not be by, the while: My liege, fare well: What will ensue hereof, there's none can tell; But by bad courses may be understood, That their events can never fall out good. [Exit. K. Rich. Go, Bushy, to the earl of Wiltshire straight; Bid him repair to us to Ely-house, To see this business: To-morrow next We will for Ireland; and 'tis time, I trow; And we create, in absence of ourself, Come on, our queen: to-morrow must we part; deny his offer'd homage,] That is, refuse to admit the homage, by which he is to hold his lands. North. Well, lords, the duke of Lancaster is dead. Ross. And living too; for now his son is duke. Willo. Barely in title, not in revenue. North. Richly in both, if justice had her right. Ross. My heart is great; but it must break with silence, Ere't be disburden'd with a liberal tongue. North. Nay, speak thy mind; and let him ne'er speak more, That speaks thy words again, to do thee harm! Willo. Tends that thou'dst speak, to the duke of Hereford? If it be so, out with it boldly, man; Quick is mine ear, to hear of good towards him. Bereft and gelded of his patrimony. North. Now, afore heaven, 'tis shame, such wrongs are borne, In him a royal prince, and many more 'Gainst us, our lives, our children, and our heirs. Ross. The commons hath he pill'd with grievous taxes, And lost their hearts: the nobles hath he fin'd But basely yielded upon compromise |