Tut,tut!Grace me no grace,nor uncle me no uncle.I am no traitor's uncle;and that word 'grace'In an ungracious mouth is but profane.Why have those banish'd and forbidden legs Dar'd once to touch a dust of England's ground?But then more 'why?'-why have they dar'd to march So many miles upon her peaceful bosom,Frighting her pale-fac'd villages with war And ostentation of despised arms?Com'st thou because the anointed King is hence?
Why,foolish boy,the King is left behind,And in my loyal bosom lies his power.Were I but now lord of such hot youth As when brave Gaunt,thy father,and myself Rescued the Black Prince,that young Mars of men,From forth the ranks of many thousand French,O,then how quickly should this arm of mine,Now prisoner to the palsy,chastise the And minister correction to thy fault!BOLINGBROKE My gracious uncle,let me know my fault;On what condition stands it and wherein?YORK.Even in condition of the worst degree-In gross rebellion and detested treason.Thou art a banish'd man,and here art come Before the expiration of thy time,In braving arms against thy sovereign.BOLINGBROKE.As I was banish'd,I was banish'd Hereford;But as I come,I come for Lancaster.And,noble uncle,I beseech your Grace Look on my wrongs with an indifferent eye.
You are my father,for methinks in you I see old Gaunt alive.O,then,my father,Will you permit that I shall stand condemn'd A wandering vagabond;my rights and royalties Pluck'd from my arms perforce,and given away To upstart unthrifts?Wherefore was I born?If that my cousin king be King in England,It must be granted I am Duke of Lancaster.You have a son,Aumerle,my noble cousin;Had you first died,and he been thus trod down,He should have found his uncle Gaunt a father To rouse his wrongs and chase them to the bay.I am denied to sue my livery here,And yet my letters patents give me leave.My father's goods are all distrain'd and sold;And these and all are all amiss employ'd.What would you have me do?
I am a subject,And I challenge law-attorneys are denied me;And therefore personally I lay my claim To my inheritance of free descent.NORTHUMBERLAND.The noble Duke hath been too much abused.ROSS.It stands your Grace upon to do him right.WILLOUGHBY.Base men by his endowments are made great.YORK.My lords of England,let me tell you this:I have had feeling of my cousin's wrongs,And labour'd all I could to do him right;But in this kind to come,in braving arms,Be his own carver and cut out his way,To find out right with wrong-it may not be;And you that do abet him in this kind Cherish rebellion,and are rebels all.NORTHUMBERLAND.The noble Duke hath sworn his coming is But for his own;and for the right of that We all have strongly sworn to give him aid;And let him never see joy that breaks that oath!YORK.Well,well,I see the issue of these arms.I cannot mend it,I must needs confess,Because my power is weak and all ill left;But if I could,by Him that gave me life,I would attach you all and make you stoop Unto the sovereign mercy of the King;But since I cannot,be it known unto you I do remain as neuter.So,fare you well;Unless you please to enter in the castle,And there repose you for this night.BOLINGBROKE.An offer,uncle,that we will accept.But we must win your Grace to go with us To Bristow Castle,which they say is held By Bushy,Bagot,and their complices,The caterpillars of the commonwealth,Which I have sworn to weed and pluck away.YORK.It may be I will go with you;but yet I'll pause,For I am loath to break our country's laws.Nor friends nor foes,to me welcome you are.Things past redress are now with me past care.Exeunt
SCENE 4.A camp in Wales
Enter EARL OF SALISBURY and a WELSH CAPTAIN
CAPTAIN.My Lord of Salisbury,we have stay'd ten days And hardly kept our countrymen together,And yet we hear no tidings from the King;Therefore we will disperse ourselves.Farewell.SALISBURY.Stay yet another day,thou trusty Welshman;The King reposeth all his confidence in thee.CAPTAIN.'Tis thought the King is dead;we will not stay.The bay trees in our country are all wither'd,And meteors fright the fixed stars of heaven;The pale-fac'd moon looks bloody on the earth,And lean-look'd prophets whisper fearful change;Rich men look sad,and ruffians dance and leap-The one in fear to lose what they enjoy,The other to enjoy by rage and war.These signs forerun the death or fall of kings.Farewell.Our countrymen are gone and fled,As well assur'd Richard their King is dead.Exit SALISBURY.Ah,Richard,with the eyes of heavy mind,I see thy glory like a shooting star Fall to the base earth from the firmament!The sun sets weeping in the lowly west,Witnessing storms to come,woe,and unrest;Thy friends are fled,to wait upon thy foes;And crossly to thy good all fortune goes.Exit