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Richard II - Act 4, scene 1
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Richard II - Act 4, scene 1Act 4, scene 1
⌜Scene 1⌝
Synopsis:
Bolingbroke seeks information about the duke of Gloucester’s death. Bagot implicates Aumerle, and several nobles challenge Aumerle and each other. York brings word that Richard resigns the crown. When Bolingbroke begins to ascend the throne, the bishop of Carlisle accuses him of treachery and predicts bloody civil war. Carlisle is arrested, and Bolingbroke orders Richard brought before him. Richard formally deposes himself and is taken off to the Tower. Aumerle learns from the abbot of Westminster that there is a plot against Bolingbroke.
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 1944 Call forth Bagot.
Enter ⌜Officers with⌝ Bagot.
1945 Now, Bagot, freely speak thy mind
1946 What thou dost know of noble Gloucester’s death,
1947 Who wrought it with the King, and who performed
1948 5 The bloody office of his timeless end.
BAGOT
1949 Then set before my face the Lord Aumerle.
BOLINGBROKE
1950 Cousin, stand forth, and look upon that man.
⌜Aumerle steps forward.⌝
BAGOT
1951 My Lord Aumerle, I know your daring tongue
1952 Scorns to unsay what once it hath delivered.
1953 10 In that dead time when Gloucester’s death was
1954 plotted,
1955 I heard you say “Is not my arm of length,
1956 That reacheth from the restful English court
1957 As far as Calais, to mine uncle’s head?”
1958 15 Amongst much other talk that very time
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1959
I heard you say that you had rather refuse1960 The offer of an hundred thousand crowns
1961 Than Bolingbroke’s return to England,
1962 Adding withal how blest this land would be
1963 20 In this your cousin’s death.
AUMERLE 1964 Princes and noble lords,
1965 What answer shall I make to this base man?
1966 Shall I so much dishonor my fair stars
1967 On equal terms to give ⌜him⌝ chastisement?
1968 25 Either I must or have mine honor soiled
1969 With the attainder of his slanderous lips.
⌜He throws down a gage.⌝
1970 There is my gage, the manual seal of death
1971 That marks thee out for hell. I say thou liest,
1972 And will maintain what thou hast said is false
1973 30 In thy heart-blood, though being all too base
1974 To stain the temper of my knightly sword.
BOLINGBROKE
1975 Bagot, forbear. Thou shalt not take it up.
AUMERLE
1976 Excepting one, I would he were the best
1977 In all this presence that hath moved me so.
FITZWATER, ⌜throwing down a gage⌝
1978 35 If that thy valor stand on sympathy,
1979 There is my gage, Aumerle, in gage to thine.
1980 By that fair sun which shows me where thou
1981 stand’st,
1982 I heard thee say, and vauntingly thou spak’st it,
1983 40 That thou wert cause of noble Gloucester’s death.
1984 If thou deniest it twenty times, thou liest,
1985 And I will turn thy falsehood to thy heart,
1986 Where it was forgèd, with my rapier’s point.
AUMERLE, ⌜taking up the gage⌝
1987 Thou dar’st not, coward, live to see that day.
FITZWATER
1988 45 Now, by my soul, I would it were this hour.
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AUMERLE 1989 Fitzwater, thou art damned to hell for this.
PERCY
1990 Aumerle, thou liest! His honor is as true
1991 In this appeal as thou art all unjust;
1992 And that thou art so, there I throw my gage,
⌜He throws down a gage.⌝
1993 50 To prove it on thee to the extremest point
1994 Of mortal breathing. Seize it if thou dar’st.
AUMERLE, ⌜taking up the gage⌝
1995 An if I do not, may my hands rot off
1996 And never brandish more revengeful steel
1997 Over the glittering helmet of my foe!
ANOTHER LORD, ⌜throwing down a gage⌝
1998 55 I task the earth to the like, forsworn Aumerle,
1999 And spur thee on with full as many lies
2000 As may be holloed in thy treacherous ear
2001 From ⌜sun⌝ to ⌜sun.⌝ There is my honor’s pawn.
2002 Engage it to the trial if thou darest.
AUMERLE, ⌜taking up the gage⌝
2003 60 Who sets me else? By heaven, I’ll throw at all!
2004 I have a thousand spirits in one breast
2005 To answer twenty thousand such as you.
SURREY
2006 My Lord Fitzwater, I do remember well
2007 The very time Aumerle and you did talk.
FITZWATER
2008 65 ’Tis very true. You were in presence then,
2009 And you can witness with me this is true.
SURREY
2010 As false, by heaven, as heaven itself is true.
FITZWATER
2011 Surrey, thou liest.
SURREY 2012 Dishonorable boy,
2013 70 That lie shall lie so heavy on my sword
2014 That it shall render vengeance and revenge
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2015
Till thou the lie-giver and that lie do lie2016 In earth as quiet as thy father’s skull.
⌜He throws down a gage.⌝
2017 In proof whereof, there is my honor’s pawn.
2018 75 Engage it to the trial if thou dar’st.
FITZWATER, ⌜taking up the gage⌝
2019 How fondly dost thou spur a forward horse!
2020 If I dare eat or drink or breathe or live,
2021 I dare meet Surrey in a wilderness
2022 And spit upon him whilst I say he lies,
2023 80 And lies, and lies. There is ⌜my⌝ bond of faith
2024 To tie thee to my strong correction.⌜He throws down a gage.⌝
2025 As I intend to thrive in this new world,
2026 Aumerle is guilty of my true appeal.—
2027 Besides, I heard the banished Norfolk say
2028 85 That thou, Aumerle, didst send two of thy men
2029 To execute the noble duke at Calais.
AUMERLE
2030 Some honest Christian trust me with a gage.
⌜A Lord hands him a gage.
Aumerle throws it down.⌝
2031 That Norfolk lies, here do I throw down this,
2032 If he may be repealed to try his honor.
BOLINGBROKE
2033 90 These differences shall all rest under gage
2034 Till Norfolk be repealed. Repealed he shall be,
2035 And though mine enemy, restored again
2036 To all his lands and seigniories. When he is
2037 returned,
2038 95 Against Aumerle we will enforce his trial.
CARLISLE
2039 That honorable day shall never be seen.
2040 Many a time hath banished Norfolk fought
2041 For Jesu Christ in glorious Christian field,
2042 Streaming the ensign of the Christian cross
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2043
100 Against black pagans, Turks, and Saracens;2044 And, toiled with works of war, retired himself
2045 To Italy, and there at Venice gave
2046 His body to that pleasant country’s earth
2047 And his pure soul unto his captain, Christ,
2048 105 Under whose colors he had fought so long.
BOLINGBROKE 2049 Why, bishop, is Norfolk dead?
CARLISLE 2050 As surely as I live, my lord.
BOLINGBROKE
2051 Sweet peace conduct his sweet soul to the bosom
2052 Of good old Abraham! Lords appellants,
2053 110 Your differences shall all rest under gage
2054 Till we assign you to your days of trial.
Enter York.
YORK
2055 Great Duke of Lancaster, I come to thee
2056 From plume-plucked Richard, who with willing
2057 soul
2058 115 Adopts thee heir, and his high scepter yields
2059 To the possession of thy royal hand.
2060 Ascend his throne, descending now from him,
2061 And long live Henry, fourth of that name!
BOLINGBROKE
2062 In God’s name, I’ll ascend the regal throne.
CARLISLE 2063 120Marry, God forbid!
2064 Worst in this royal presence may I speak,
2065 Yet best beseeming me to speak the truth.
2066 Would God that any in this noble presence
2067 Were enough noble to be upright judge
2068 125 Of noble Richard! Then true noblesse would
2069 Learn him forbearance from so foul a wrong.
2070 What subject can give sentence on his king?
2071 And who sits here that is not Richard’s subject?
2072 Thieves are not judged but they are by to hear,
2073 130 Although apparent guilt be seen in them;
2074 And shall the figure of God’s majesty,
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2075
His captain, steward, deputy elect,2076 Anointed, crowned, planted many years,
2077 Be judged by subject and inferior breath,
2078 135 And he himself not present? O, forfend it God
2079 That in a Christian climate souls refined
2080 Should show so heinous, black, obscene a deed!
2081 I speak to subjects and a subject speaks,
2082 Stirred up by God thus boldly for his king.
2083 140 My Lord of Hereford here, whom you call king,
2084 Is a foul traitor to proud Hereford’s king,
2085 And if you crown him, let me prophesy
2086 The blood of English shall manure the ground
2087 And future ages groan for this foul act,
2088 145 Peace shall go sleep with Turks and infidels,
2089 And in this seat of peace tumultuous wars
2090 Shall kin with kin and kind with kind confound.
2091 Disorder, horror, fear, and mutiny
2092 Shall here inhabit, and this land be called
2093 150 The field of Golgotha and dead men’s skulls.
2094 O, if you raise this house against this house,
2095 It will the woefullest division prove
2096 That ever fell upon this cursèd earth!
2097 Prevent it, resist it, let it not be so,
2098 155 Lest child, child’s children, cry against you woe!
NORTHUMBERLAND
2099 Well have you argued, sir, and, for your pains,
2100 Of capital treason we arrest you here.—
2101 My Lord of Westminster, be it your charge
2102 To keep him safely till his day of trial.
2103 160 ⌜May it please you, lords, to grant the commons’
2104 suit?
BOLINGBROKE
2105 Fetch hither Richard, that in common view
2106 He may surrender. So we shall proceed
2107 Without suspicion.
YORK 2108 165 I will be his conduct.He exits.
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BOLINGBROKE 2109 Lords, you that here are under our arrest,
2110 Procure your sureties for your days of answer.
2111 Little are we beholding to your love
2112 And little looked for at your helping hands.
Enter Richard and York.
KING RICHARD
2113 170 Alack, why am I sent for to a king
2114 Before I have shook off the regal thoughts
2115 Wherewith I reigned? I hardly yet have learned
2116 To insinuate, flatter, bow, and bend my knee.
2117 Give sorrow leave awhile to tutor me
2118 175 To this submission. Yet I well remember
2119 The favors of these men. Were they not mine?
2120 Did they not sometime cry “All hail” to me?
2121 So Judas did to Christ, but He in twelve
2122 Found truth in all but one; I, in twelve thousand,
2123 180 none.
2124 God save the King! Will no man say “amen”?
2125 Am I both priest and clerk? Well, then, amen.
2126 God save the King, although I be not he,
2127 And yet amen, if heaven do think him me.
2128 185 To do what service am I sent for hither?
YORK
2129 To do that office of thine own goodwill
2130 Which tired majesty did make thee offer:
2131 The resignation of thy state and crown
2132 To Henry Bolingbroke.
KING RICHARD
2133 190 Give me the crown.—Here, cousin, seize the crown.
2134 Here, cousin.
2135 On this side my hand, on that side thine.
2136 Now is this golden crown like a deep well
2137 That owes two buckets, filling one another,
2138 195 The emptier ever dancing in the air,
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2139
The other down, unseen, and full of water.2140 That bucket down and full of tears am I,
2141 Drinking my griefs, whilst you mount up on high.
BOLINGBROKE
2142 I thought you had been willing to resign.
KING RICHARD
2143 200 My crown I am, but still my griefs are mine.
2144 You may my glories and my state depose
2145 But not my griefs; still am I king of those.
BOLINGBROKE
2146 Part of your cares you give me with your crown.
KING RICHARD
2147 Your cares set up do not pluck my cares down.
2148 205 My care is loss of care, by old care done;
2149 Your care is gain of care, by new care won.
2150 The cares I give I have, though given away.
2151 They ’tend the crown, yet still with me they stay.
BOLINGBROKE
2152 Are you contented to resign the crown?
KING RICHARD
2153 210 Ay, no; no, ay; for I must nothing be.
2154 Therefore no “no,” for I resign to thee.
2155 Now, mark me how I will undo myself.
2156 I give this heavy weight from off my head
2157 And this unwieldy scepter from my hand,
2158 215 The pride of kingly sway from out my heart.
2159 With mine own tears I wash away my balm,
2160 With mine own hands I give away my crown,
2161 With mine own tongue deny my sacred state,
2162 With mine own breath release all duteous oaths.
2163 220 All pomp and majesty I do forswear.
2164 My manors, rents, revenues I forgo;
2165 My acts, decrees, and statutes I deny.
2166 God pardon all oaths that are broke to me.
2167 God keep all vows unbroke are made to thee.
2168 225 Make me, that nothing have, with nothing grieved,
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2169
And thou with all pleased that hast all achieved.2170 Long mayst thou live in Richard’s seat to sit,
2171 And soon lie Richard in an earthy pit.
2172 God save King Henry, unkinged Richard says,
2173 230 And send him many years of sunshine days.
2174 What more remains?
NORTHUMBERLAND, ⟨offering Richard a paper⟩
2175 No more, but that you read
2176 These accusations and these grievous crimes
2177 Committed by your person and your followers
2178 235 Against the state and profit of this land;
2179 That, by confessing them, the souls of men
2180 May deem that you are worthily deposed.
KING RICHARD
2181 Must I do so? And must I ravel out
2182 My weaved-up follies? Gentle Northumberland,
2183 240 If thy offenses were upon record,
2184 Would it not shame thee in so fair a troop
2185 To read a lecture of them? If thou wouldst,
2186 There shouldst thou find one heinous article
2187 Containing the deposing of a king
2188 245 And cracking the strong warrant of an oath,
2189 Marked with a blot, damned in the book of
2190 heaven.—
2191 Nay, all of you that stand and look upon me
2192 Whilst that my wretchedness doth bait myself,
2193 250 Though some of you, with Pilate, wash your hands,
2194 Showing an outward pity, yet you Pilates
2195 Have here delivered me to my sour cross,
2196 And water cannot wash away your sin.
NORTHUMBERLAND
2197 My lord, dispatch. Read o’er these articles.
KING RICHARD
2198 255 Mine eyes are full of tears; I cannot see.
2199 And yet salt water blinds them not so much
2200 But they can see a sort of traitors here.
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2201
Nay, if I turn mine eyes upon myself,2202 I find myself a traitor with the rest,
2203 260 For I have given here my soul’s consent
2204 T’ undeck the pompous body of a king,
2205 Made glory base ⟨and⟩ sovereignty a slave,
2206 Proud majesty a subject, state a peasant.
NORTHUMBERLAND 2207 My lord—
KING RICHARD
2208 265 No lord of thine, thou haught insulting man,
2209 Nor no man’s lord. I have no name, no title,
2210 No, not that name was given me at the font,
2211 But ’tis usurped. Alack the heavy day,
2212 That I have worn so many winters out
2213 270 And know not now what name to call myself.
2214 O, that I were a mockery king of snow
2215 Standing before the sun of Bolingbroke,
2216 To melt myself away in water drops.—
2217 Good king, great king, and yet not greatly good,
2218 275 An if my word be sterling yet in England,
2219 Let it command a mirror hither straight,
2220 That it may show me what a face I have
2221 Since it is bankrupt of his majesty.
BOLINGBROKE
2222 Go, some of you, and fetch a looking-glass.
⟨An Attendant exits.⟩
NORTHUMBERLAND
2223 280 Read o’er this paper while the glass doth come.
KING RICHARD
2224 Fiend, thou torments me ere I come to hell!
BOLINGBROKE
2225 Urge it no more, my Lord Northumberland.
NORTHUMBERLAND
2226 The commons will not then be satisfied.
KING RICHARD
2227 They shall be satisfied. I’ll read enough
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2228
285 When I do see the very book indeed2229 Where all my sins are writ, and that’s myself.
Enter one with a glass.
2230 Give me that glass, and therein will I read.
⟨He takes the mirror.⟩
2231 No deeper wrinkles yet? Hath sorrow struck
2232 So many blows upon this face of mine
2233 290 And made no deeper wounds? O flatt’ring glass,
2234 Like to my followers in prosperity,
2235 Thou dost beguile me. Was this face the face
2236 That every day under his household roof
2237 Did keep ten thousand men? Was this the face
2238 295 That like the sun did make beholders wink?
2239 Is this the face which faced so many follies,
2240 That was at last outfaced by Bolingbroke?
2241 A brittle glory shineth in this face.
2242 As brittle as the glory is the face,
⟨He breaks the mirror.⟩
2243 300 For there it is, cracked in an hundred shivers.—
2244 Mark, silent king, the moral of this sport:
2245 How soon my sorrow hath destroyed my face.
BOLINGBROKE
2246 The shadow of your sorrow hath destroyed
2247 The shadow of your face.
KING RICHARD 2248 305 Say that again.
2249 The shadow of my sorrow? Ha, let’s see.
2250 ’Tis very true. My grief lies all within;
2251 And these external ⟨manners⟩ of laments
2252 Are merely shadows to the unseen grief
2253 310 That swells with silence in the tortured soul.
2254 There lies the substance. And I thank thee, king,
2255 For thy great bounty, that not only giv’st
2256 Me cause to wail but teachest me the way
2257 How to lament the cause. I’ll beg one boon
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2258
315 And then be gone and trouble you no more.2259 Shall I obtain it?
BOLINGBROKE 2260 Name it, fair cousin.
KING RICHARD
2261 “Fair cousin”? I am greater than a king,
2262 For when I was a king, my flatterers
2263 320 Were then but subjects. Being now a subject,
2264 I have a king here to my flatterer.
2265 Being so great, I have no need to beg.
BOLINGBROKE 2266 Yet ask.
KING RICHARD 2267 And shall I have?
BOLINGBROKE 2268 325You shall.
KING RICHARD 2269 Then give me leave to go.
BOLINGBROKE 2270 Whither?
KING RICHARD
2271 Whither you will, so I were from your sights.
BOLINGBROKE
2272 Go, some of you, convey him to the Tower.
KING RICHARD
2273 330 O, good! “Convey”? Conveyers are you all,
2274 That rise thus nimbly by a true king’s fall.
⟨Richard exits with Guards.⟩
BOLINGBROKE
2275 On Wednesday next, we solemnly set down
2276 Our coronation. Lords, prepare yourselves.⌝
They exit. ⌜The Abbot of⌝ Westminster, ⌜the Bishop of⌝
Carlisle, Aumerle remain.
ABBOT
2277 A woeful pageant have we here beheld.
CARLISLE
2278 335 The woe’s to come. The children yet unborn
2279 Shall feel this day as sharp to them as thorn.
AUMERLE
2280 You holy clergymen, is there no plot
2281 To rid the realm of this pernicious blot?
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ABBOT
2282
My lord,2283 340 Before I freely speak my mind herein,
2284 You shall not only take the sacrament
2285 To bury mine intents, but also to effect
2286 Whatever I shall happen to devise.
2287 I see your brows are full of discontent,
2288 345 Your hearts of sorrow, and your eyes of tears.
2289 Come home with me to supper. I’ll lay
2290 A plot shall show us all a merry day.
They exit.