Scene 1
Enter Bolingbroke with the Lords Aumerle ,
Northumberland , Harry Percy , Fitzwater , Surrey , the
Bishop of Carlisle , the Abbot of Westminster , and
another Lord , Herald , Officers to parliament .
BOLINGBROKE
Call forth Bagot .
Enter Officers with Bagot .
Now , Bagot , freely speak thy mind
What thou dost know of noble Gloucester’s death ,
Who wrought it with the King , and who performed
The bloody office of his timeless end .
BAGOT
Then set before my face the Lord Aumerle .
BOLINGBROKE
Cousin , stand forth , and look upon that man .
Aumerle steps forward .
BAGOT
My Lord Aumerle , I know your daring tongue
Scorns to unsay what once it hath delivered .
In that dead time when Gloucester’s death was
plotted ,
I heard you say ‘Is not my arm of length ,
That reacheth from the restful English court
As far as Calais , to mine uncle’s head ?’
Amongst much other talk that very time
[153] ACT 4. SC. 1 I heard you say that you had rather refuse
The offer of an hundred thousand crowns
Than Bolingbroke’s return to England ,
Adding withal how blest this land would be
In this your cousin’s death .
AUMERLE
Princes and noble lords ,
What answer shall I make to this base man ?
Shall I so much dishonor my fair stars
On equal terms to give him chastisement ?
Either I must or have mine honor soiled
With the attainder of his slanderous lips .
He throws down a gage .
There is my gage , the manual seal of death
That marks thee out for hell . I say thou liest ,
And will maintain what thou hast said is false
In thy heart-blood , though being all too base
To stain the temper of my knightly sword .
BOLINGBROKE
Bagot , forbear . Thou shalt not take it up .
AUMERLE
Excepting one , I would he were the best
In all this presence that hath moved me so .
FITZWATER
, throwing down a gage
If that thy valor stand on sympathy ,
There is my gage , Aumerle , in gage to thine .
By that fair sun which shows me where thou
stand’st ,
I heard thee say , and vauntingly thou spak’st it ,
That thou wert cause of noble Gloucester’s death .
If thou deniest it twenty times , thou liest ,
And I will turn thy falsehood to thy heart ,
Where it was forgèd , with my rapier’s point .
AUMERLE
, taking up the gage
Thou dar’st not , coward , live to see that day .
FITZWATER
Now , by my soul , I would it were this hour .
[155]ACT 4. SC. 1
AUMERLE
Fitzwater , thou art damned to hell for this .
PERCY
Aumerle , thou liest ! His honor is as true
In this appeal as thou art all unjust ;
And that thou art so , there I throw my gage ,
He throws down a gage .
To prove it on thee to the extremest point
Of mortal breathing . Seize it if thou dar’st .
AUMERLE
, taking up the gage
An if I do not , may my hands rot off
And never brandish more revengeful steel
Over the glittering helmet of my foe !
ANOTHER LORD
, throwing down a gage
I task the earth to the like , forsworn Aumerle ,
And spur thee on with full as many lies
As may be holloed in thy treacherous ear
From sun to sun . There is my honor’s pawn .
Engage it to the trial if thou darest .
AUMERLE
, taking up the gage
Who sets me else ? By heaven , I’ll throw at all !
I have a thousand spirits in one breast
To answer twenty thousand such as you .
SURREY
My Lord Fitzwater , I do remember well
The very time Aumerle and you did talk .
FITZWATER
’Tis very true . You were in presence then ,
And you can witness with me this is true .
SURREY
As false , by heaven , as heaven itself is true .
FITZWATER
Surrey , thou liest .
SURREY
Dishonorable boy ,
That lie shall lie so heavy on my sword
That it shall render vengeance and revenge
[157] ACT 4. SC. 1 Till thou the lie-giver and that lie do lie
In earth as quiet as thy father’s skull .
He throws down a gage .
In proof whereof , there is my honor’s pawn .
Engage it to the trial if thou dar’st .
FITZWATER
, taking up the gage
How fondly dost thou spur a forward horse !
If I dare eat or drink or breathe or live ,
I dare meet Surrey in a wilderness
And spit upon him whilst I say he lies ,
And lies , and lies . There is my bond of faith
To tie thee to my strong correction .
He throws down a gage .
As I intend to thrive in this new world ,
Aumerle is guilty of my true appeal . —
Besides , I heard the banished Norfolk say
That thou , Aumerle , didst send two of thy men
To execute the noble duke at Calais .
AUMERLE
Some honest Christian trust me with a gage .
A Lord hands him a gage .
Aumerle throws it down .
That Norfolk lies , here do I throw down this ,
If he may be repealed to try his honor .
BOLINGBROKE
These differences shall all rest under gage
Till Norfolk be repealed . Repealed he shall be ,
And though mine enemy , restored again
To all his lands and seigniories . When he is
returned ,
Against Aumerle we will enforce his trial .
CARLISLE
That honorable day shall never be seen .
Many a time hath banished Norfolk fought
For Jesu Christ in glorious Christian field ,
Streaming the ensign of the Christian cross
[159] ACT 4. SC. 1 Against black pagans , Turks , and Saracens ;
And , toiled with works of war , retired himself
To Italy , and there at Venice gave
His body to that pleasant country’s earth
And his pure soul unto his captain , Christ ,
Under whose colors he had fought so long .
BOLINGBROKE
Why , bishop , is Norfolk dead ?
CARLISLE
As surely as I live , my lord .
BOLINGBROKE
Sweet peace conduct his sweet soul to the bosom
Of good old Abraham ! Lords appellants ,
Your differences shall all rest under gage
Till we assign you to your days of trial .
Enter York .
YORK
Great Duke of Lancaster , I come to thee
From plume-plucked Richard , who with willing
soul
Adopts thee heir , and his high scepter yields
To the possession of thy royal hand .
Ascend his throne , descending now from him ,
And long live Henry , fourth of that name !
BOLINGBROKE
In God’s name , I’ll ascend the regal throne .
CARLISLE
Marry , God forbid !
Worst in this royal presence may I speak ,
Yet best beseeming me to speak the truth .
Would God that any in this noble presence
Were enough noble to be upright judge
Of noble Richard ! Then true noblesse would
Learn him forbearance from so foul a wrong .
What subject can give sentence on his king ?
And who sits here that is not Richard’s subject ?
Thieves are not judged but they are by to hear ,
Although apparent guilt be seen in them ;
And shall the figure of God’s majesty ,
[161] ACT 4. SC. 1 His captain , steward , deputy elect ,
Anointed , crowned , planted many years ,
Be judged by subject and inferior breath ,
And he himself not present ? O , forfend it God
That in a Christian climate souls refined
Should show so heinous , black , obscene a deed !
I speak to subjects and a subject speaks ,
Stirred up by God thus boldly for his king .
My Lord of Hereford here , whom you call king ,
Is a foul traitor to proud Hereford’s king ,
And if you crown him , let me prophesy
The blood of English shall manure the ground
And future ages groan for this foul act ,
Peace shall go sleep with Turks and infidels ,
And in this seat of peace tumultuous wars
Shall kin with kin and kind with kind confound .
Disorder , horror , fear , and mutiny
Shall here inhabit , and this land be called
The field of Golgotha and dead men’s skulls .
O , if you raise this house against this house ,
It will the woefullest division prove
That ever fell upon this cursèd earth !
Prevent it , resist it , let it not be so ,
Lest child , child’s children , cry against you woe !
NORTHUMBERLAND
Well have you argued , sir , and , for your pains ,
Of capital treason we arrest you here . —
My Lord of Westminster , be it your charge
To keep him safely till his day of trial .
May it please you , lords , to grant the commons’
suit ?
BOLINGBROKE
Fetch hither Richard , that in common view
He may surrender . So we shall proceed
Without suspicion .
YORK
I will be his conduct .
He exits .
[163]ACT 4. SC. 1
BOLINGBROKE
Lords , you that here are under our arrest ,
Procure your sureties for your days of answer .
Little are we beholding to your love
And little looked for at your helping hands .
Enter Richard and York .
KING RICHARD
Alack , why am I sent for to a king
Before I have shook off the regal thoughts
Wherewith I reigned ? I hardly yet have learned
To insinuate , flatter , bow , and bend my knee .
Give sorrow leave awhile to tutor me
To this submission . Yet I well remember
The favors of these men . Were they not mine ?
Did they not sometime cry ‘All hail’ to me ?
So Judas did to Christ , but He in twelve
Found truth in all but one ; I , in twelve thousand ,
none .
God save the King ! Will no man say ‘amen’ ?
Am I both priest and clerk ? Well , then , amen .
God save the King , although I be not he ,
And yet amen , if heaven do think him me .
To do what service am I sent for hither ?
YORK
To do that office of thine own goodwill
Which tired majesty did make thee offer :
The resignation of thy state and crown
To Henry Bolingbroke .
KING RICHARD
Give me the crown . — Here , cousin , seize the crown .
Here , cousin .
On this side my hand , on that side thine .
Now is this golden crown like a deep well
That owes two buckets , filling one another ,
The emptier ever dancing in the air ,
[165] ACT 4. SC. 1 The other down , unseen , and full of water .
That bucket down and full of tears am I ,
Drinking my griefs , whilst you mount up on high .
BOLINGBROKE
I thought you had been willing to resign .
KING RICHARD
My crown I am , but still my griefs are mine .
You may my glories and my state depose
But not my griefs ; still am I king of those .
BOLINGBROKE
Part of your cares you give me with your crown .
KING RICHARD
Your cares set up do not pluck my cares down .
My care is loss of care , by old care done ;
Your care is gain of care , by new care won .
The cares I give I have , though given away .
They ’tend the crown , yet still with me they stay .
BOLINGBROKE
Are you contented to resign the crown ?
KING RICHARD
Ay , no ; no , ay ; for I must nothing be .
Therefore no ‘no ,’ for I resign to thee .
Now , mark me how I will undo myself .
I give this heavy weight from off my head
And this unwieldy scepter from my hand ,
The pride of kingly sway from out my heart .
With mine own tears I wash away my balm ,
With mine own hands I give away my crown ,
With mine own tongue deny my sacred state ,
With mine own breath release all duteous oaths .
All pomp and majesty I do forswear .
My manors , rents , revenues I forgo ;
My acts , decrees , and statutes I deny .
God pardon all oaths that are broke to me .
God keep all vows unbroke are made to thee .
Make me , that nothing have , with nothing grieved ,
[167] ACT 4. SC. 1 And thou with all pleased that hast all achieved .
Long mayst thou live in Richard’s seat to sit ,
And soon lie Richard in an earthy pit .
God save King Henry , unkinged Richard says ,
And send him many years of sunshine days .
What more remains ?
NORTHUMBERLAND
, offering Richard a paper
No more , but that you read
These accusations and these grievous crimes
Committed by your person and your followers
Against the state and profit of this land ;
That , by confessing them , the souls of men
May deem that you are worthily deposed .
KING RICHARD
Must I do so ? And must I ravel out
My weaved-up follies ? Gentle Northumberland ,
If thy offenses were upon record ,
Would it not shame thee in so fair a troop
To read a lecture of them ? If thou wouldst ,
There shouldst thou find one heinous article
Containing the deposing of a king
And cracking the strong warrant of an oath ,
Marked with a blot , damned in the book of
heaven . —
Nay , all of you that stand and look upon me
Whilst that my wretchedness doth bait myself ,
Though some of you , with Pilate , wash your hands ,
Showing an outward pity , yet you Pilates
Have here delivered me to my sour cross ,
And water cannot wash away your sin .
NORTHUMBERLAND
My lord , dispatch . Read o’er these articles .
KING RICHARD
Mine eyes are full of tears ; I cannot see .
And yet salt water blinds them not so much
But they can see a sort of traitors here .
[169] ACT 4. SC. 1 Nay , if I turn mine eyes upon myself ,
I find myself a traitor with the rest ,
For I have given here my soul’s consent
T’ undeck the pompous body of a king ,
Made glory base and sovereignty a slave ,
Proud majesty a subject , state a peasant .
NORTHUMBERLAND
My lord —
KING RICHARD
No lord of thine , thou haught insulting man ,
Nor no man’s lord . I have no name , no title ,
No , not that name was given me at the font ,
But ’tis usurped . Alack the heavy day ,
That I have worn so many winters out
And know not now what name to call myself .
O , that I were a mockery king of snow
Standing before the sun of Bolingbroke ,
To melt myself away in water drops . —
Good king , great king , and yet not greatly good ,
An if my word be sterling yet in England ,
Let it command a mirror hither straight ,
That it may show me what a face I have
Since it is bankrupt of his majesty .
BOLINGBROKE
Go , some of you , and fetch a looking-glass .
An Attendant exits .
NORTHUMBERLAND
Read o’er this paper while the glass doth come .
KING RICHARD
Fiend , thou torments me ere I come to hell !
BOLINGBROKE
Urge it no more , my Lord Northumberland .
NORTHUMBERLAND
The commons will not then be satisfied .
KING RICHARD
They shall be satisfied . I’ll read enough
[171] ACT 4. SC. 1 When I do see the very book indeed
Where all my sins are writ , and that’s myself .
Enter one with a glass .
Give me that glass , and therein will I read .
He takes the mirror .
No deeper wrinkles yet ? Hath sorrow struck
So many blows upon this face of mine
And made no deeper wounds ? O flatt’ring glass ,
Like to my followers in prosperity ,
Thou dost beguile me . Was this face the face
That every day under his household roof
Did keep ten thousand men ? Was this the face
That like the sun did make beholders wink ?
Is this the face which faced so many follies ,
That was at last outfaced by Bolingbroke ?
A brittle glory shineth in this face .
As brittle as the glory is the face ,
He breaks the mirror .
For there it is , cracked in an hundred shivers . —
Mark , silent king , the moral of this sport :
How soon my sorrow hath destroyed my face .
BOLINGBROKE
The shadow of your sorrow hath destroyed
The shadow of your face .
KING RICHARD
Say that again .
The shadow of my sorrow ? Ha , let’s see .
’Tis very true . My grief lies all within ;
And these external manners of laments
Are merely shadows to the unseen grief
That swells with silence in the tortured soul .
There lies the substance . And I thank thee , king ,
For thy great bounty , that not only giv’st
Me cause to wail but teachest me the way
How to lament the cause . I’ll beg one boon
[173] ACT 4. SC. 1 And then be gone and trouble you no more .
Shall I obtain it ?
BOLINGBROKE
Name it , fair cousin .
KING RICHARD
‘Fair cousin’ ? I am greater than a king ,
For when I was a king , my flatterers
Were then but subjects . Being now a subject ,
I have a king here to my flatterer .
Being so great , I have no need to beg .
BOLINGBROKE
Yet ask .
KING RICHARD
And shall I have ?
BOLINGBROKE
You shall .
KING RICHARD
Then give me leave to go .
BOLINGBROKE
Whither ?
KING RICHARD
Whither you will , so I were from your sights .
BOLINGBROKE
Go , some of you , convey him to the Tower .
KING RICHARD
O , good ! ‘Convey’ ? Conveyers are you all ,
That rise thus nimbly by a true king’s fall .
Richard exits with Guards .
BOLINGBROKE
On Wednesday next , we solemnly set down
Our coronation . Lords , prepare yourselves .
They exit . The Abbot of Westminster , the Bishop of
Carlisle , Aumerle remain .
ABBOT
A woeful pageant have we here beheld .
CARLISLE
The woe’s to come . The children yet unborn
Shall feel this day as sharp to them as thorn .
AUMERLE
You holy clergymen , is there no plot
To rid the realm of this pernicious blot ?
[175]ACT 4. SC. 1
ABBOT
My lord ,
Before I freely speak my mind herein ,
You shall not only take the sacrament
To bury mine intents , but also to effect
Whatever I shall happen to devise .
I see your brows are full of discontent ,
Your hearts of sorrow , and your eyes of tears .
Come home with me to supper . I’ll lay
A plot shall show us all a merry day .
They exit .