William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (78 page)
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Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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RICHARD PLANTAGENET
Of which, my lord, your honour is the last.
MORTIMER
True, and thou seest that I no issue have,
And that my fainting words do warrant death.
Thou art my heir. The rest I wish thee gather—
But yet be wary in thy studious care.
And that my fainting words do warrant death.
Thou art my heir. The rest I wish thee gather—
But yet be wary in thy studious care.
RICHARD PLANTAGENET
Thy grave admonishments prevail with me.
But yet methinks my father’s execution
Was nothing less than bloody tyranny.
But yet methinks my father’s execution
Was nothing less than bloody tyranny.
MORTIMER
With silence, nephew, be thou politic.
Strong-fixed is the house of Lancaster,
And like a mountain, not to be removed.
But now thy uncle is removing hence,
As princes do their courts, when they are cloyed
With long continuance in a settled place.
Strong-fixed is the house of Lancaster,
And like a mountain, not to be removed.
But now thy uncle is removing hence,
As princes do their courts, when they are cloyed
With long continuance in a settled place.
RICHARD PLANTAGENET
O uncle, would some part of my young years
Might but redeem the passage of your age.
Might but redeem the passage of your age.
MORTIMER
Thou dost then wrong me, as that slaughterer doth
Which giveth many wounds when one will kill.
Mourn not, except thou sorrow for my good.
Only give order for my funeral.
And so farewell, and fair be all thy hopes,
And prosperous be thy life in peace and war. Dies
Which giveth many wounds when one will kill.
Mourn not, except thou sorrow for my good.
Only give order for my funeral.
And so farewell, and fair be all thy hopes,
And prosperous be thy life in peace and war. Dies
RICHARD PLANTAGENET
And peace, no war, befall thy parting soul.
In prison hast thou spent a pilgrimage,
And like a hermit overpassed thy days.
Well, I will lock his counsel in my breast,
And what I do imagine, let that rest.
Keepers, convey him hence, and I myself
Will see his burial better than his life.
In prison hast thou spent a pilgrimage,
And like a hermit overpassed thy days.
Well, I will lock his counsel in my breast,
And what I do imagine, let that rest.
Keepers, convey him hence, and I myself
Will see his burial better than his life.
Exeunt Keepers with Mortimer’s body
Here dies the dusky torch of Mortimer,
Choked with ambition of the meaner sort.
And for those wrongs, those bitter injuries,
Which Somerset hath offered to my house,
I doubt not but with honour to redress.
And therefore haste I to the Parliament,
Either to be restored to my blood,
Or make mine ill th’advantage of my good. Exit
3.1Choked with ambition of the meaner sort.
And for those wrongs, those bitter injuries,
Which Somerset hath offered to my house,
I doubt not but with honour to redress.
And therefore haste I to the Parliament,
Either to be restored to my blood,
Or make mine ill th’advantage of my good. Exit
Flourish. Enter young King Henry, the Dukes of Exeter and Gloucester, the Bishop of Winchester; the Duke of Somerset and the Earl of Suffolk
⌈
with
⌉
red roses
⌉
; the Earl of Warwick and Richard Plantagenet
⌈
with white roses
⌉
. Gloucester offers to
put up a
bill;
Winchester snatches it, tears it
WINCHESTER
Com‘st thou with deep premeditated lines?
With written pamphlets studiously devised?
Humphrey of Gloucester, if thou canst accuse,
Or aught intend’st to lay unto my charge,
Do it without invention, suddenly,
As I with sudden and extemporal speech
Purpose to answer what thou canst object.
With written pamphlets studiously devised?
Humphrey of Gloucester, if thou canst accuse,
Or aught intend’st to lay unto my charge,
Do it without invention, suddenly,
As I with sudden and extemporal speech
Purpose to answer what thou canst object.
GLOUCESTER
Presumptuous priest, this place commands my
patience,
Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonoured me.
Think not, although in writing I preferred
The manner of thy vile outrageous crimes,
That therefore I have forged, or am not able
Verbatim to rehearse the method of my pen.
No, prelate, such is thy audacious wickedness,
Thy lewd, pestiferous, and dissentious pranks,
As very infants prattle of thy pride.
Thou art a most pernicious usurer,
Froward by nature, enemy to peace,
Lascivious, wanton, more than well beseems
A man of thy profession and degree.
And for thy treachery, what’s more manifest?—
In that thou laid’st a trap to take my life,
As well at London Bridge as at the Tower.
Beside, I fear me, if thy thoughts were sifted,
The King thy sovereign is not quite exempt
From envious malice of thy swelling heart.
patience,
Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonoured me.
Think not, although in writing I preferred
The manner of thy vile outrageous crimes,
That therefore I have forged, or am not able
Verbatim to rehearse the method of my pen.
No, prelate, such is thy audacious wickedness,
Thy lewd, pestiferous, and dissentious pranks,
As very infants prattle of thy pride.
Thou art a most pernicious usurer,
Froward by nature, enemy to peace,
Lascivious, wanton, more than well beseems
A man of thy profession and degree.
And for thy treachery, what’s more manifest?—
In that thou laid’st a trap to take my life,
As well at London Bridge as at the Tower.
Beside, I fear me, if thy thoughts were sifted,
The King thy sovereign is not quite exempt
From envious malice of thy swelling heart.
WINCHESTER
Gloucester, I do defy thee.—Lords, vouchsafe
To give me hearing what I shall reply.
If I were covetous, ambitious, or perverse,
As he will have me, how am I so poor?
Or how haps it I seek not to advance
Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling?
And for dissension, who preferreth peace
More than I do ?—except I be provoked.
No, my good lords, it is not that offends;
It is not that that hath incensed the Duke.
It is because no one should sway but he,
No one but he should be about the King—
And that engenders thunder in his breast
And makes him roar these accusations forth.
But he shall know I am as good—
To give me hearing what I shall reply.
If I were covetous, ambitious, or perverse,
As he will have me, how am I so poor?
Or how haps it I seek not to advance
Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling?
And for dissension, who preferreth peace
More than I do ?—except I be provoked.
No, my good lords, it is not that offends;
It is not that that hath incensed the Duke.
It is because no one should sway but he,
No one but he should be about the King—
And that engenders thunder in his breast
And makes him roar these accusations forth.
But he shall know I am as good—
GLOUCESTER As good?—
Thou bastard of my grandfather.
WINCHESTER
Ay, lordly sir; for what are you, I pray,
But one imperious in another’s throne?
But one imperious in another’s throne?
GLOUCESTER
Am I not Protector, saucy priest?
WINCHESTER
And am not I a prelate of the Church?
GLOUCESTER
Yes—as an outlaw in a castle keeps
And useth it to patronage his theft.
And useth it to patronage his theft.
WINCHESTER
Unreverent Gloucester.
GLOUCESTER Thou art reverend
Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life.
WINCHESTER
Rome shall remedy this.
⌈GLOUCESTER⌉ Roam thither then.
⌈WARWICK⌉
(to Winchester
)
(to Winchester
)
My lord, it were your duty to forbear.
SOMERSET
Ay, so the bishop be not overborne:
Methinks my lord should be religious,
And know the office that belongs to such.
Methinks my lord should be religious,
And know the office that belongs to such.
WARWICK
Methinks his lordship should be humbler.
It fitteth not a prelate so to plead.
It fitteth not a prelate so to plead.
SOMERSET
Yes, when his holy state is touched so near.
WARWICK
State holy or unhallowed, what of that?
Is not his grace Protector to the King?
Is not his grace Protector to the King?
RICHARD PLANTAGENET (
aside
)
aside
)
Plantagenet, I see, must hold his tongue,
Lest it be said, ‘Speak, sirrah, when you should;
Must your bold verdict intertalk with lords?’
Else would I have a fling at Winchester.
Lest it be said, ‘Speak, sirrah, when you should;
Must your bold verdict intertalk with lords?’
Else would I have a fling at Winchester.
KING HENRY
Uncles of Gloucester and of Winchester,
The special watchmen of our English weal,
I would prevail, if prayers might prevail,
To join your hearts in love and amity.
O what a scandal is it to our crown
That two such noble peers as ye should jar!
Believe me, lords, my tender years can tell
Civil dissension is a viperous worm
That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth.
The special watchmen of our English weal,
I would prevail, if prayers might prevail,
To join your hearts in love and amity.
O what a scandal is it to our crown
That two such noble peers as ye should jar!
Believe me, lords, my tender years can tell
Civil dissension is a viperous worm
That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth.
A noise within
⌈SERVINGMEN⌉ (
within
) Down with the tawny coats!
within
) Down with the tawny coats!
KING HENRY
What tumult’s this?
WARWICK An uproar, I dare warrant,
Begun through malice of the Bishop’s men.
A noise again
⌈SERVINGMEN⌉ (
within
) Stones, stones!
within
) Stones, stones!
Enter the Mayor of London
MAYOR
O my good lords, and virtuous Henry,
Pity the city of London, pity us! so
The Bishop and the Duke of Gloucester’s men,
Forbidden late to carry any weapon,
Have filled their pockets full of pebble stones
And, banding themselves in contrary parts,
Do pelt so fast at one another’s pate
That many have their giddy brains knocked out.
Our windows are broke down in every street,
And we for fear compelled to shut our shops.
Pity the city of London, pity us! so
The Bishop and the Duke of Gloucester’s men,
Forbidden late to carry any weapon,
Have filled their pockets full of pebble stones
And, banding themselves in contrary parts,
Do pelt so fast at one another’s pate
That many have their giddy brains knocked out.
Our windows are broke down in every street,
And we for fear compelled to shut our shops.
Enter in skirmish, with bloody pates, Winchester’s Servingmen in tawny coats and Gloucester’s in blue coats
KING HENRY
We charge you, on allegiance to ourself,
To hold your slaught’ring hands and keep the peace.
To hold your slaught’ring hands and keep the peace.
⌈
The skirmish ceases
⌉
Pray, Uncle Gloucester, mitigate this strife.
FIRST SERVINGMAN Nay, if we be forbidden stones, we’ll fall to it with our teeth.
SECOND SERVINGMAN
Do what ye dare, we are as resolute.
Skirmish again
GLOUCESTER
You of my household, leave this peevish broil,
And set this unaccustomed fight aside.
And set this unaccustomed fight aside.
THIRD SERVINGMAN
My lord, we know your grace to be a man
Just and upright and, for your royal birth,
Inferior to none but to his majesty;
And ere that we will suffer such a prince,
So kind a father of the commonweal,
To be disgraced by an inkhorn mate,
We and our wives and children all will fight
And have our bodies slaughtered by thy foes.
Just and upright and, for your royal birth,
Inferior to none but to his majesty;
And ere that we will suffer such a prince,
So kind a father of the commonweal,
To be disgraced by an inkhorn mate,
We and our wives and children all will fight
And have our bodies slaughtered by thy foes.
FIRST SERVINGMAN
Ay, and the very parings of our nails
Shall pitch a field when we are dead.
Shall pitch a field when we are dead.
They begin to skirmish again
GLOUCESTER Stay, stay, I say!
An if you love me as you say you do,
Let me persuade you to forbear a while.
Let me persuade you to forbear a while.
KING HENRY
O how this discord doth afflict my soul!
Can you, my lord of Winchester, behold o
My sighs and tears, and will not once relent?
Who should be pitiful if you be not?
Or who should study to prefer a peace,
If holy churchmen take delight in broils?
Can you, my lord of Winchester, behold o
My sighs and tears, and will not once relent?
Who should be pitiful if you be not?
Or who should study to prefer a peace,
If holy churchmen take delight in broils?
WARWICK
Yield, my lord Protector; yield, Winchester—
Except you mean with obstinate repulse
To slay your sovereign and destroy the realm.
You see what mischief-and what murder, too—
Hath been enacted through your enmity.
Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood.
Except you mean with obstinate repulse
To slay your sovereign and destroy the realm.
You see what mischief-and what murder, too—
Hath been enacted through your enmity.
Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood.
WINCHESTER
He shall submit, or I will never yield.
GLOUCESTER
Compassion on the King commands me stoop,
Or I would see his heart out ere the priest
Should ever get that privilege of me.
Or I would see his heart out ere the priest
Should ever get that privilege of me.
WARWICK
Behold, my lord of Winchester, the Duke
Hath banished moody discontented fury,
As by his smoothed brows it doth appear.
Why look you still so stern and tragical?
Hath banished moody discontented fury,
As by his smoothed brows it doth appear.
Why look you still so stern and tragical?
GLOUCESTER
Here, Winchester, I offer thee my hand.
KING HENRY (
to Winchester
)
to Winchester
)
Fie, Uncle Beaufort! I have heard you preach
That malice was a great and grievous sin;
And will not you maintain the thing you teach,
But prove a chief offender in the same?
That malice was a great and grievous sin;
And will not you maintain the thing you teach,
But prove a chief offender in the same?
WARWICK
Sweet King! The Bishop hath a kindly gird.
For shame, my lord of Winchester, relent.
What, shall a child instruct you what to do?
For shame, my lord of Winchester, relent.
What, shall a child instruct you what to do?
WINCHESTER
Well, Duke of Gloucester, I will yield to thee
Love for thy love, and hand for hand I give.
Love for thy love, and hand for hand I give.
GLOUCESTER (
aside
)
aside
)
Ay, but I fear me with a hollow heart.
(
To the others
) See here, my friends and loving
(
To the others
) See here, my friends and loving
countrymen,
This token serveth for a flag of truce
Betwixt ourselves and all our followers.
So help me God, as I dissemble not.
Betwixt ourselves and all our followers.
So help me God, as I dissemble not.
WINCHESTER
So help me God (
aside
) as I intend it not.
aside
) as I intend it not.
KING HENRY
O loving uncle, kind Duke of Gloucester,
How joyful am I made by this contract!
(
To Servingmen
) Away, my masters, trouble us no
more,
But join in friendship as your lords have done.
How joyful am I made by this contract!
(
To Servingmen
) Away, my masters, trouble us no
more,
But join in friendship as your lords have done.
first SERVINGMAN Content. I’ll to the surgeon’s.
SECOND SERVINGMAN And so will I.
THIRD SERVINGMAN And I will see what physic the tavern affords.
Exeunt the Mayor and Servingmen
Exeunt the Mayor and Servingmen
WARWICK
Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign,
Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet
We do exhibit to your majesty.
Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet
We do exhibit to your majesty.
GLOUCESTER
Well urged, my lord of Warwick—for, sweet prince,
An if your grace mark every circumstance,
You have great reason to do Richard right,
Especially for those occasions
At Eltham Place I told your majesty.
An if your grace mark every circumstance,
You have great reason to do Richard right,
Especially for those occasions
At Eltham Place I told your majesty.
KING HENRY
And those occasions, uncle, were of force.—
Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is
That Richard be restored to his blood.
Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is
That Richard be restored to his blood.
WARWICK
Let Richard be restored to his blood.
So shall his father’s wrongs be recompensed.
So shall his father’s wrongs be recompensed.
WINCHESTER
As will the rest, so willeth Winchester.
KING HENRY
If Richard will be true, not that alone
But all the whole inheritance I give
That doth belong unto the house of York,
From whence you spring by lineal descent. 170
But all the whole inheritance I give
That doth belong unto the house of York,
From whence you spring by lineal descent. 170
RICHARD PLANTAGENET
Thy humble servant vows obedience
And humble service till the point of death.
And humble service till the point of death.
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