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Richard II

Act III, Scene 2

The coast of Wales. A castle in view.
 
[Drums; flourish and colors. Enter KING RICHARD II, the BISHOP OF CARLISLE, DUKE OF AUMERLE, and Soldiers]
 
KING RICHARD II
            ,       ,        ,           ,         ,
      Barklough|ly Cast|le call | they this | at hand?
 
DUKE OF AUMERLE
       ,          T    T    T             ,          ,
      Yea, my | lord: how brooks | your grace | the air,
       ,   2         ,   ,                  ,         ,
      After your | late tos/sing on | the break|ing seas?
 
KING RICHARD II
              ,        ,         ,        ,         ,
      Needs^must | I like | it well:| I weep | for joy
           ,       ,         ,        ,       ,
      To stand | upon | my king|dom once | again.
             ,        ,       ,           ,         ,
      Dear^earth,| I do | salute | thee with | my hand,
              ,        ,       ,                ,         ,
      Though reb|els wound | thee with | their hors|es' hoofs:
               ,   ,       ,        ,          ,
      As a / long-part|ed moth|er with | her child,
        ,     ,         2        ,            ,         ,
      Plays fond/ly with her | tears and | smiles in | meeting;
          ,         ,          ,         ,         ,
      So weep|ing, smil|ing, greet | I thee | my earth,
           ,         ,       ,        ,       ,
      And do | thee fav|or with | my roy|al hands.
            ,          ,           ,        ,        ,
      Feed^not | thy sove|reign's foe,| my gent|le earth,
       ,                ,      ,             ,   2      ,
      Nor with | thy sweets,| comfort | his rav|enous sense:
           ,            x            ,     ,        ,
      But let | thy spiders,| that suck | up thy | venom,
           ,       ,       ,      ,              ,
      And hea|vy-gait|ed toads | lie in | their way,
       ,         ,        ,         ,     2      ,
      Doing | annoy|ance to | the treach|erous feet,
              ,       ,        ,          ,        ,
      Which^with | usurp|ing steps | do tramp|le thee.
        T      Tx     T        ,        ,     ,
      Yield stinging net|tles to | mine en|emies;  ??
            ,           ,         ,       ,          x
      And when | they from | thy bos|om pluck | a flower,
        ,        ,   ,          2     ,         ,
      Guard it | I prith/ee with a | lurking | adder,
              ,        ,      ,            ,        ,
      Whose^doub|le tongue | may with | a mort|al touch
        T     T   . T          ,           ,    ,
      Throw death upon | thy sove|reign's en|emies.
            ,         ,         ,     ,         ,
      Mock^not | my sense|less con|jura|tion, lords;
             ,             ,       ,         ,             ,
      This earth | shall have | a feel|ing, and | these stones
        T     T    T          ,         ,        ,
      Prove armed sol|diers, ere | her nat|ive king
             ,       ,       ,       ,    2      ,
      Shall falt|er und|er foul | rebel|lion's arms.
 
BISHOP OF CARLISLE
            ,         ,           x            ,          ,
      Fear^not | my lord,| that power | that made | you king
             x          ,          ,         ,         ,
      Hath power | to keep | you king,| in spite | of all.
            ,           ,         ,           ,        ,
      The means | that heav|en yields | must be | embraced,
           ,        ,         ,        ,        ,
      And not | neglect|ed; else | if heav|en would,
           ,         ,       x      ,              ,
      And we | will not,| heaven's of/fer we | refuse,
            ,          ,         ,        ,        ,
      The prof|fered means | of suc|cor, and | redress.
 
DUKE OF AUMERLE
           ,          ,          ,        ,        ,
      He means,| my lord,| that we | are too | remiss,
              ,       ,              ,       ,    ,
      Whilst^Bol|ingbroke | through our | secur|ity,
        T      T    .    T         ,          ,         x
      Grows strong and great,| in sub|stance and | in friends.
 
KING RICHARD II
          ,      ,       ,         ,           ,
      Discom|fortab|le cous|in, knowst | thou not,
             ,          ,         ,          x         ,
      That when | the search|ing eye | of heaven | is hid
          ,          ,             ,          ,       ,
      Behind | the globe,| that lights | the low|er world,
              ,           ,         ,        ,         ,
      Then thieves | and rob|bers range | abroad | unseen,
          ,                  ,   ,     ,       ,
      In murd|ers and in // outrage, bold|ly here:
            ,          ,       ,        ,     2    ,
      But when | from und|er this | terrest|rial ball
           ,           ,       ,             ,        ,
      He fires | the proud | tops of | the east|ern pines,
            ,           ,       2         ,       ,       ,
      And darts | his light|ning through ev|ery guil|ty hole,
             ,         ,         ,       ,        ,
      Then murd|ers, treas|ons, and | detest|ed sins
             ,          ,       2      ,            ,            ,
      (The cloak | of night | being plucked | from off | their backs)
        T     T   .   T        ,         ,          ,
      Stand bare and nak|ed, trem|bling at | themselves.
           ,           ,            ,       ,       ,
      So when | this thief,| this trait|or Bol|ingbroke,
           ,           ,           ,         ,         ,
      Who all | this while | hath rev|elled in | the night,
             ,        ,       ,          ,           ,
      Shall see | us ris|ing in | our throne,| the east,
            ,               ,    ,        ,         ,
      His treas|ons will / sit blush|ing in | his face,
           ,     ,       ,          ,         ,
      Not ab|le to | endure | the sight | of day;
            ,        ,         ,       ,        ,
      But self-|affright|ed, trem|ble at | his sin.
           ,         ,                 ,     ,   ,
      Not all | the wat|er in the // rough rude sea
            ,          ,      ,          ,        ,
      Can wash | the balm | from an | anoint|ed king;
             ,          ,       ,        ,        ,
      The breath | of world|ly men | cannot | depose
           ,    ,      ,      ,         ,
      The dep|uty | elect|ed by | the Lord:
          ,       ,          ,       ,             ,
      For ev|ery man | that Bol|ingbroke | hath pressed,
       .   T     T     T         ,          ,        ,
      To lift shrewd steel | against | our gold|en crown,
         x              ,         ,          x       ,
      Heaven for | his Rich|ard hath | in heaven|ly pay
         ,    2    ,        ,        ,        ,
      A glor|ious ang|el: then | if ang|els fight,
        ,               ,           x              ,           ,
      Weak men*| must fall,| for heaven | still guards | the right.  ??
       ,             ,         ,          ,           x
      Welcome | my lord,| how far | off^lies | your power?
 
[Enter EARL OF SALISBURY]
 
EARL OF SALISBURY
            ,          ,       ,        ,          ,
      Nor near,| nor farth|er off,| my gra|cious lord,
             ,          ,        ,          ,           ,
      Than this | weak^arm:| discom|fort guides | my tongue,
            ,         ,         ,        ,        ,
      And bids | me speak | of noth|ing but | despair.
           ,          ,        ,        ,       ,
      One^day | too late,| I fear |(my nob|le lord)
             ,       ,         ,       ,         ,
      Hath cloud|ed all | thy hap|py days | on earth:
           ,          ,      ,          ,        ,
      Oh call | back yest|erday,| bid^time | return,
            ,            ,       T      Tx      T        ,
      And thou | shalt have | twelve thousand^fight|ing men:  ??
         ,       ,       ,      ,           ,
      Today,| today,| unhap|py day,| too* late,
            ,           ,       ,       ,                   ,
      Orethrows | thy joys,| friends, fort/une, and | thy state;
           ,          ,        ,         ,           ,
      For all | the Welsh|men hear|ing thou | wert dead,
            ,        ,       ,          ,           ,
      Are gone | to Bol|ingbroke,| dispersed,| and fled.
 
DUKE OF AUMERLE
       ,             ,           ,            ,          ,
      Comfort | my liege,| why looks | your grace | so pale?
 
KING RICHARD II
           ,          ,          ,       ,        ,
      But now | the blood | of twen|ty thous|and men
           ,        ,        ,          ,          ,
      Did tri|umph in | my face,| and they | are fled,
            ,         ,      ,     ,               ,
      And till | so much | blood thith/er come^|again,
        ,           ,             ,    ,          ,
      Have I | not reas|on to / look pale,| and dead?
             ,            ,         ,     ,              ,
      All* souls | that will | be safe,| fly from | my side,
            ,          ,        ,      ,         ,
      For time | hath set | a blot | upon | my pride.
 
DUKE OF AUMERLE
       ,             ,        ,       ,         ,
      Comfort | my liege,| remem|ber who | you are.
 
KING RICHARD II
         ,        ,        ,       ,         ,
      I had | forgot | myself.| Am I | not king?
         ,           ,        ,    ,            ,
      Awake | thou slug|gard maj|esty,| thou sleepst:
       ,    2         T     T    T       ,         ,
      Is not the | king's name twen|ty thous|and names?  ??
       T    T   .   T       ,     ,           ,
      Arm, arm my name:| a pu|ny sub|ject* strikes
                 ,    ,        ,     ,              ,
      At thy / great glo|ry. Look | not to | the ground,
          ,   2      ,       ,         ,         ,
      Ye fav|orites of | a king:| are we | not high?
        ,               ,          ,        ,       ,
      High be | our thoughts:| I know | my unc|le York
             x        ,          ,           ,    oo
      Hath power | enough | to serve | our turn.|
           ,            ,
      But who | comes^here?  \\
 
[Enter SIR STEPHEN SCROOP]
 
SIR STEPHEN SCROOP
               ,          ,      ,        ,         ,
      More* health | and hap|piness | betide | my liege,
            ,         ,     T      T    . T      ,
      Than can | my care-|tuned tongue deliv|er him.
 
KING RICHARD II
            ,       ,       ,         ,          ,
      Mine^ear | is op|en, and | my heart | prepared:
            ,          ,        ,           ,         ,
      The worst | is world|ly loss,| thou canst | unfold:
       ,             ,        ,           ,         ,
      Say, is | my king|dom lost?| Why 'twas | my care:
            ,      ,   ,               ,         ,
      And what | loss is / it to | be rid | of care?
         T       Tx    T         ,        ,         ,
      Strives *Bolingbroke | to be | as great | as we?
        ,            ,          ,             ,    ,
      Greater | he shall | not be:| if he / serve God,
              ,      ,   ,                  ,       ,
      We'll serve | him too,/ and be | his fel|low so.
          ,         ,            ,        ,        ,
      Revolt | our sub|jects*? That | we can|not mend,
             ,             ,         ,         ,        ,
      They break | their faith | to God,| as well | as us:
       T   T    .   T         ,       ,       ,
      Cry woe, destruc|tion, ru|in, loss,| decay,
            ,          ,           ,            ,         ,
      The worst | is death,| and death | will have | his day.
 
SIR STEPHEN SCROOP
        ,       ,                ,             ,   ,
      Glad am | I, that | your high|ness is / so armed
           ,         ,        ,      ,    ,
      To bear | the tid|ings of | calam|ity.
        ,           ,    ,       ,      ,
      Like an | unseas|ona|ble stor|my day,
              ,          ,       ,        ,              ,
      Which makes | the silv|er riv|ers drown | their shores,
          ,         ,           ,          ,          ,
      As if | the world | were all | dissolved | to tears:
           ,       ,         ,          ,           ,
      So high,| above | his lim|its, swells | the rage
          ,       ,      ,  2             ,        ,
      Of Bol|ingbroke,| covering | your fear|ful land
        .    T     T     T            ,      ,              ,
      With^hard bright steel,| and hearts | harder | than steel:
        T     T      .    T             ,          ,          ,
      White-beards have^armed | their thin | and hair|less scalps
          ,        ,    ,        ,        ,       ,
      Against thy majesty, and boys with women's voices,  ????
         T    .   T    T          ,           ,         ,
      Strive to speak big,| and clap | their fe|male joints
           ,         ,       ,        ,           ,
      In stiff | unwiel|dy arms:| against | thy crown
           ,      ,         ,          ,            ,
      The ve|ry beads|men learn | to bend | their bows
          ,       ,      ,        ,           ,
      Of doub|le-fat|al yew:| against | thy state
            ,        ,      ,       ,       ,
      Yea* dis|taff^wom|en man|age rus|ty bills:
          ,           ,           ,          ,       ,
      Against | thy seat | both young | and old | rebel,
           ,           ,          ,          x          ,
      And all | goes worse | than I | have power | to tell.
 
KING RICHARD II
            ,          ,            ,         ,        ,
      Too well,| too well | thou tellst | a tale | so ill.
        ,     2        ,         ,           ,         ,
      Where is the | Earl of | Wiltshire?| Where is | Bagot?
        ,           ,        ,        ,          ,
      What is | become | of Bush|y? Where | is Green?
             ,          ,          ,   2    ,    ,
      That they | have let | the dang|erous en|emy
       ,             ,    ,                 ,         ,
      Measure | our con|fines with | such^peace|ful steps?
          ,        ,            ,            ,         ,
      If we | prevail,| their heads | shall pay | for it.
         ,           2         ,    ,           ,       ,
      I war|rant they have / made peace | with Bol|ingbroke.
 
SIR STEPHEN SCROOP
        ,                 ,          ,        ,         ,
      Peace have | they made | with him | indeed |(my lord).
 
KING RICHARD II
         ,          ,          ,          ,        ,       ->
      O vil|lains, vip|ers, damned | without | redemp||tion,
        ,     ,       ,         ,      3 3   ,
      Dogs,| easi|ly won | to fawn | on any man,  ??
         ,     2       T     T      T            ,          ,
      Snakes in my | heart-blood warmed,| that sting | my heart,
              ,    ,          ,             ,            x
      Three* Jud|ases,| each^one | thrice^worse | than Judas,
        ,            T    T     T    2     ,          ,
      Would they | make peace? Ter|rible hell | make^war
        ,            ,        ,           ,        ,
      Upon | their spot|ted souls | for this | offense.
 
SIR STEPHEN SCROOP
              ,       ,      ,             ,      ,
      Sweet^love |(I see)| changing | his prop|erty,
        ,              ,               ,    ,       ,
      Turns to | the sour|est, and / most dead|ly hate:
         ,        ,             ,             ,          ,
      Again | uncurse | their souls;| their peace | is made
             ,          ,           ,       ,                ,
      With heads,| and not | with hands:| those whom | you curse
             ,          ,           ,          ,         ,
      Have felt | the worst | of death's | destro|ying hand,
           ,          ,       ,             ,         ,
      And lie | full^low,| graved in | the hol|low ground.
 
DUKE OF AUMERLE
           ,       ,        2      ,         ,          ,
      Is Bush|y, Green,| and the Earl | of Wilt|shire dead?
 
SIR STEPHEN SCROOP
       ,   ,                   ,        ,            ,
      Yea all / of them | at Brist|ol lost | their heads.
 
DUKE OF AUMERLE
        ,              ,        ,        ,          x
      Where is | the duke | my fath|er with | his power?
 
KING RICHARD II
          ,        ,         ,        ,         ,
      No mat|ter where;| of com|fort no | man^speak:
        T     T   .    T          ,          ,    ,
      Let's talk of graves,| of worms,| and ep|itaphs;
             ,         ,       ,          ,       ,
      Make^dust | our pap|er, and | with rai|ny eyes
        ,    ,                ,      ,         ,
      Write sor/row on | the bos|om of | the earth.
               ,        ,    ,          ,         ,
      Let's^choose | exec|utors,| and talk | of wills:
           ,         ,         ,         ,        ,
      And yet | not so;| for what | can we | bequeath,
        ,           ,      ,       ,          ,
      Save our | depos|ed bod|ies to | the ground?
            ,           ,          ,         ,        ,
      Our lands,| our lives,| and all | are Bol|ingbroke's,
           ,        ,         ,         ,          ,
      And noth|ing can | we call | our own,| but death,
                   ,    ,      ,        ,        ,
      And that / small mod|el of | the bar|ren earth,
               ,          ,          ,      ,         ,
      Which serves | as paste,| and cov|er to | our bones:
             x         T   T   .  T      ,           ,
      For heaven's | sake let us sit | upon | the ground,
            ,     ,    ,                 ,          ,
      And tell | sad stor/ies of | the death | of kings:
            ,           ,        ,             ,         ,
      How some | have been | deposed,| some* slain | in war,
             ,       ,          ,            ,        ,
      Some haunt|ed by | the ghosts | they have | deposed,
            ,         ,           ,            ,          ,
      Some^pois|oned by | their wives,| some sleep|ing killed,
       ,   ,                   ,         ,        ,
      All murd/ered. For | within | the hol|low crown
              ,          ,       ,        ,       ,
      That rounds | the mort|al temp|les of | a king,
        T     T    .    T           ,          ,       ,
      Keeps Death his^court,| and there | the ant|ic sits
        ,              ,           ,        ,         ,
      Scoffing | his state,| and grin|ning at | his pomp,
         ,       ,         ,        ,        ,
      Allow|ing him | a breath,| a lit|tle scene,
          ,      ,           ,           ,           ,
      To mon|archize,| be feared | and kill | with looks,
         ,       ,           ,          ,         ,
      Infus|ing him | with self | and vain | conceit,
          ,          ,             ,        ,          ,
      As if | this flesh,| which walls | about | our life,
             ,         ,     ,         ,         ,
      Were brass | impreg|nable:| and hum|ored thus,
        ,              ,          ,       ,       ,
      Comes at | the last,| and with | a lit|tle pin
        ,          2       ,         ,            T   T    T
      Bores through his | castle | walls, and | farewell king.
       ,             ,           ,     T    T    .    T
      Cover | your heads,| and mock | not flesh and blood
            ,        ,           ,       ,        ,
      With sol|emn reve|rence: throw | away | respect,
          ,         ,         ,    ,   2    ,    ->
      Tradi|tion, form,| and cer|emon|ious du||ty,
       ,       2      ,         ,        ,           ,
      For | you have but | mistook | me all | this while:
          ,           ,           ,     __     __
      I live | with bread | like^you,| feel | want,
        T     T      T      ___         ,        ,
      Taste grief, need | friends:| subject|ed thus,
       ,     2       ,    2     ,          ,
      How can you | say to me,| I am | a king?
 
BISHOP OF CARLISLE
                                                    ,
                                               My lord,
        ,               ,          ,            ,        ,
      Wise men*| nere* sit | and wail | their pres|ent woes,
           ,       ,        ,          ,         ,
      But pres|ently | prevent | the ways | to wail:
           ,         ,            ,        ,           ,
      To fear | the foe,| since^fear | oppres|seth strength,
        T    .   T    T            ,         ,         ,
      Gives in your weak|ness, strength | unto | your foe;
           ,         ,         ,         ,           ,
      And so | your fol|lies fight | against | yourself.
        ,              ,          ,           ,         ,
      Fear, and | be slain,| no worse | can come | to fight.
            ,          ,         ,         ,         ,
      And fight | and die,| is death | destroy|ing death,
             ,         ,        ,           ,           ,
      Where fear|ing, dy|ing, pays | death^serv|ile* breath.  ??
 
DUKE OF AUMERLE
          ,        ,        x         ,         ,
      My fath|er hath | a power,| inquire | of him,
            ,          ,       ,     ,       ,
      And learn | to make | a bo|dy of | a limb.
 
KING RICHARD II
              ,      .   T     T    T       ,         ,
      Thou chidst | me well: proud Bol|ingbroke | I come   ??
            ,       ,            ,              ,         ,
      To change | blows with | thee, for | our day | of doom:
           ,      ,         ,       ,      ,
      This ag|ue fit | of fear | is ov|erblown,
          ,      ,        ,       ,         ,
      An ea|sy task | it is | to win | our own.
              ,             ,         ,       ,          x
      Say* Scroop,| where lies | our unc|le with | his power?
               ,       ,         ,           ,          ,
      Speak* sweet|ly man,| although | thy looks | be sour.
 
SIR STEPHEN SCROOP
       ,    ,                   ,       ,        ,
      Men judge / by the | complex|ion of | the sky
            ,          ,     ,       ,        ,
      The state | and in|clina|tion of | the day:
       ,        ,            ,         ,      ,
      So may | you by | my dull | and hea|vy eye:
            ,           ,       ,    2    ,        ,
      My tongue | hath but | a heav|ier tale | to say:
          ,         ,     ,         ,           ,
      I play | the tor|turer,| by small | and small
           ,        ,          ,            ,          x
      To length|en out | the worst,| that must | be spoken.
            ,       ,          ,           ,       ,
      Your unc|le York | is joined | with Bol|ingbroke,
           ,          ,         ,         ,       ,
      And all | your north|ern cast|les yield|ed up,
           ,           ,         ,     ,         ,
      And all | your south|ern gent|lemen | in arms
        ,         ,
      Upon | his fac|tion.
 
KING RICHARD II
                             ,           ,       ,
                           Thou | hast said | enough.
          ,           ,         ,             ,         ,
      Beshrew | thee cous|in, which | didst lead | me forth
                  ,    ,       ,     ,           ,
      Of that / sweet way | I was | in, to | despair:
            ,         ,          ,         ,        ,
      What say | you now?| What com|fort have | we now?
            x            ,        ,     ,       ,
      By heaven | I'll hate | him ev|erlast|ingly,
             ,        ,       ,       ,      ,
      That bids | me be | of com|fort an|y more.
       ,        ,     ,                    ,      ,
      Go to | Flint Cast/le, there^|I'll pine | away,
      .   T     T     T             ,      ,      ,
      A king, woe's slave,| shall^king|ly woe | obey:
             x         ,          ,          ,          ,
      That power | I have,| discharge,| and let | them go
          ,          ,           ,           ,         ,
      To ear | the land,| that hath | some hope | to grow,
          ,          ,         ,         ,        ,
      For I | have none.| Let no | man speak | again
          ,       ,          ,       ,         ,
      To alt|er this,| for couns|el is | but vain.
 
DUKE OF AUMERLE
           ,           ,
      My liege,| one^word.
 
KING RICHARD II
                               ,        ,        ,
                          He does | me doub|le wrong,
              ,          ,          ,    2     ,          ,
      That wounds | me with | the flat|teries of | his tongue.
            ,         ,     2     ,           ,       ,
      Discharge | my fol|lowers: let | them hence | away,
             ,          ,         ,        ,             ,
      From Rich|ard's night,| to Bol|ingbroke's | fair* day.
 
[Exeunt]

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