London. A Room in the KING’S Castle. | |
| |
Enter KING RICHARD, BAGOT, and GREEN at one door; AUMERLE at another. | |
| K. Rich. We did observe. Cousin Aumerle, | |
| How far brought you high Hereford on his way? | 4 |
| Aum. I brought high Hereford, if you call him so, | |
| But to the next highway, and there I left him. | |
| K. Rich. And say, what store of parting tears were shed? | |
| Aum. Faith, none for me; except the northeast wind, | 8 |
| Which then blew bitterly against our faces, | |
| Awak’d the sleeping rheum, and so by chance | |
| Did grace our hollow parting with a tear. | |
| K. Rich. What said our cousin when you parted with him? | 12 |
| Aum. ‘Farewell:’ | |
| And, for my heart disdained that my tongue | |
| Should so profane the word, that taught me craft | |
| To counterfeit oppression of such grief | 16 |
| That words seem’d buried in my sorrow’s grave. | |
| Marry, would the word ‘farewell’ have lengthen’d hours | |
| And added years to his short banishment, | |
| He should have had a volume of farewells; | 20 |
| But, since it would not, he had none of me. | |
| K. Rich. He is our cousin, cousin; but ’tis doubt, | |
| When time shall call him home from banishment, | |
| Whether our kinsman come to see his friends. | 24 |
| Ourself and Bushy, Bagot here and Green | |
| Observ’d his courtship to the common people, | |
| How he did seem to dive into their hearts | |
| With humble and familiar courtesy, | 28 |
| What reverence he did throw away on slaves, | |
| Wooing poor craftsmen with the craft of smiles | |
| And patient underbearing of his fortune, | |
| As ’twere to banish their affects with him. | 32 |
| Off goes his bonnet to an oyster-wench; | |
| A brace of draymen bid God speed him well, | |
| And had the tribute of his supple knee, | |
| With ‘Thanks, my countrymen, my loving friends;’ | 36 |
| As were our England in reversion his, | |
| And he our subjects’ next degree in hope. | |
| Green. Well, he is gone; and with him go these thoughts. | |
| Now for the rebels which stand out in Ireland; | 40 |
| Expedient manage must be made, my liege, | |
| Ere further leisure yield them further means | |
| For their advantage and your highness’ loss. | |
| K. Rich. We will ourself in person to this war. | 44 |
| And, for our coffers with too great a court | |
| And liberal largess are grown somewhat light, | |
| We are enforc’d to farm our royal realm; | |
| The revenue whereof shall furnish us | 48 |
| For our affairs in hand. If that come short, | |
| Our substitutes at home shall have blank charters; | |
| Whereto, when they shall know what men are rich, | |
| They shall subscribe them for large sums of gold, | 52 |
| And send them after to supply our wants; | |
| For we will make for Ireland presently. | |
| |
Enter BUSHY. | |
| Bushy, what news? | 56 |
| Bushy. Old John of Gaunt is grievous sick, my lord, | |
| Suddenly taken, and hath sent post-haste | |
| To entreat your majesty to visit him. | |
| K. Rich. Where lies he? | 60 |
| Bushy. At Ely House. | |
| K. Rich. Now, put it, God, in his physician’s mind | |
| To help him to his grave immediately! | |
| The lining of his coffers shall make coats | 64 |
| To deck our soldiers for these Irish wars. | |
| Come, gentlemen, let’s all go visit him: | |
| Pray God we may make haste, and come too late. | |
| All. Amen. [Exeunt. | 68 |
