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King Richard II: Act V, Scene 2

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King Richard II
Act V, Scene 2

The Duke of York’s palace.

Costume for the Duchess of York

Costume for the Duchess of York

From Charles Kean's scrapbook

19th century

  1. Enter Duke of York and the Duchess of York.

Duchess of York

1 - 3
  1. My lord, you told me you would tell the rest,
  2. When weeping made you break the story off,
  3. Of our two cousins coming into London.

York

4
  1. Where did I leave?

Duchess of York

5 - 7
  1.                    At that sad stop, my lord,
  2. Where rude misgoverned hands from windows’ tops
  3. Threw dust and rubbish on King Richard’s head.

York

8 - 22
  1. Then, as I said, the Duke, great Bullingbrook,
  2. Mounted upon a hot and fiery steed,
  3. Which his aspiring rider seem’d to know,
  4. With slow but stately pace kept on his course,
  5. Whilst all tongues cried, “God save thee, Bullingbrook!”
  6. You would have thought the very windows spake,
  7. So many greedy looks of young and old
  8. Through casements darted their desiring eyes
  9. Upon his visage, and that all the walls
  10. With painted imagery had said at once,
  11. “Jesu preserve thee! Welcome, Bullingbrook!”
  12. Whilst he, from the one side to the other turning,
  13. Bare-headed, lower than his proud steed’s neck,
  14. Bespake them thus: “I thank you, countrymen.”
  15. And thus still doing, thus he pass’d along.

Duchess of York

23
  1. Alack, poor Richard, where rode he the whilst?

York

24 - 41
  1. As in a theatre the eyes of men,
  2. After a well-graced actor leaves the stage,
  3. Are idly bent on him that enters next,
  4. Thinking his prattle to be tedious,
  5. Even so, or with much more contempt, men’s eyes
  6. Did scowl on gentle Richard. No man cried “God save him!”
  7. No joyful tongue gave him his welcome home,
  8. But dust was thrown upon his sacred head,
  9. Which with such gentle sorrow he shook off,
  10. His face still combating with tears and smiles,
  11. The badges of his grief and patience,
  12. That had not God, for some strong purpose, steel’d
  13. The hearts of men, they must perforce have melted,
  14. And barbarism itself have pitied him.
  15. But heaven hath a hand in these events,
  16. To whose high will we bound our calm contents.
  17. To Bullingbrook are we sworn subjects now,
  18. Whose state and honor I for aye allow.

Duchess of York

42
  1. Here comes my son Aumerle.
  1. Enter Aumerle.

York

43 - 47
  1.                            Aumerle that was,
  2. But that is lost for being Richard’s friend;
  3. And, madam, you must call him Rutland now.
  4. I am in parliament pledge for his truth
  5. And lasting fealty to the new-made king.

Duchess of York

48 - 49
  1. Welcome, my son! Who are the violets now
  2. That strew the green lap of the new-come spring?

Aumerle

50 - 51
  1. Madam, I know not, nor I greatly care not,
  2. God knows I had as lief be none as one.

York

52 - 54
  1. Well, bear you well in this new spring of time,
  2. Lest you be cropp’d before you come to prime.
  3. What news from Oxford? Do these justs and triumphs hold?

Aumerle

55
  1. For aught I know, my lord, they do.

York

56
  1. You will be there, I know.

Aumerle

57
  1. If God prevent not, I purpose so.

York

58 - 59
  1. What seal is that, that hangs without thy bosom?
  2. Yea, look’st thou pale? Let me see the writing.

Aumerle

60
  1. My lord, ’tis nothing.

York

61 - 62
  1.                        No matter then who see it.
  2. I will be satisfied, let me see the writing.

Aumerle

63 - 65
  1. I do beseech your Grace to pardon me.
  2. It is a matter of small consequence,
  3. Which for some reasons I would not have seen.

York

66 - 67
  1. Which for some reasons, sir, I mean to see.
  2. I fear, I fear—
Arms of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York

Arms of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York

Sodacan

Duchess of York

68 - 70
  1.                 What should you fear?
  2. ’Tis nothing but some band that he is ent’red into
  3. For gay apparel ’gainst the triumph day.

York

71 - 73
  1. Bound to himself! What doth he with a bond
  2. That he is bound to? Wife, thou art a fool.
  3. Boy, let me see the writing.

Aumerle

74
  1. I do beseech you pardon me, I may not show it.

York

75 - 76
  1. I will be satisfied, let me see it, I say.
  2. He plucks it out of his bosom and reads it.
  3. Treason, foul treason! Villain, traitor, slave!

Duchess of York

77
  1. What is the matter, my lord?

York

78 - 80
  1. Ho, who is within there?
  2. Enter a Servant.
  3.                          Saddle my horse.
  4. God for his mercy! What treachery is here!

Duchess of York

81
  1. Why, what is it, my lord?

York

82 - 84
  1. Give me my boots, I say, saddle my horse.
  2. Exit Servant.
  3. Now by mine honor, by my life, by my troth,
  4. I will appeach the villain.

Duchess of York

85
  1.                             What is the matter?

York

86
  1. Peace, foolish woman.

Duchess of York

87
  1. I will not peace. What is the matter, Aumerle?

Aumerle

88 - 89
  1. Good mother, be content, it is no more
  2. Than my poor life must answer.

Duchess of York

90
  1.                                Thy life answer?

York

91
  1. Bring me my boots, I will unto the King.
  1. His Man enters with his boots.

Duchess of York

92 - 93
  1. Strike him, Aumerle. Poor boy, thou art amaz’d.
  2. Hence, villain! Never more come in my sight.

York

94
  1. Give me my boots, I say.
  1. His Man helps him on with his boots and exit.

Duchess of York

95 - 101
  1. Why, York, what wilt thou do?
  2. Wilt thou not hide the trespass of thine own?
  3. Have we more sons? Or are we like to have?
  4. Is not my teeming date drunk up with time?
  5. And wilt thou pluck my fair son from mine age,
  6. And rob me of a happy mother’s name?
  7. Is he not like thee? Is he not thine own?

York

102 - 106
  1. Thou fond mad woman,
  2. Wilt thou conceal this dark conspiracy?
  3. A dozen of them here have ta’en the sacrament,
  4. And interchangeably set down their hands,
  5. To kill the King at Oxford.

Duchess of York

107 - 108
  1.                             He shall be none,
  2. We’ll keep him here, then what is that to him?

York

109 - 110
  1. Away, fond woman, were he twenty times my son,
  2. I would appeach him.

Duchess of York

111 - 119
  1.                      Hadst thou groan’d for him
  2. As I have done, thou wouldst be more pitiful.
  3. But now I know thy mind, thou dost suspect
  4. That I have been disloyal to thy bed,
  5. And that he is a bastard, not thy son.
  6. Sweet York, sweet husband, be not of that mind,
  7. He is as like thee as a man may be,
  8. Not like to me, or any of my kin,
  9. And yet I love him.

York

120
  1.                     Make way, unruly woman!
  1. Exit.

Duchess of York

121 - 127
  1. After, Aumerle! Mount thee upon his horse,
  2. Spur post, and get before him to the King,
  3. And beg thy pardon ere he do accuse thee.
  4. I’ll not be long behind; though I be old,
  5. I doubt not but to ride as fast as York.
  6. An’ never will I rise up from the ground
  7. Till Bullingbrook have pardoned thee. Away, be gone!
  1. Exeunt.
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