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King Richard II: Act V, Scene 3

King Richard II
Act V, Scene 3

A royal palace.

  1. Enter the King Henry with his nobles Percy and other Lords.

King Henry IV

1 - 12
  1. Can no man tell me of my unthrifty son?
  2. ’Tis full three months since I did see him last.
  3. If any plague hang over us, ’tis he.
  4. I would to God, my lords, he might be found.
  5. Inquire at London, ’mongst the taverns there,
  6. For there, they say, he daily doth frequent,
  7. With unrestrained loose companions,
  8. Even such, they say, as stand in narrow lanes
  9. And beat our watch and rob our passengers,
  10. Which he, young wanton and effeminate boy,
  11. Takes on the point of honor to support
  12. So dissolute a crew.

Percy

13 - 14
  1. My lord, some two days since I saw the Prince,
  2. And told him of those triumphs held at Oxford.

King Henry IV

15
  1. And what said the gallant?

Percy

16 - 19
  1. His answer was, he would unto the stews,
  2. And from the common’st creature pluck a glove
  3. And wear it as a favor, and with that
  4. He would unhorse the lustiest challenger.

King Henry IV

20 - 22
  1. As dissolute as desperate, yet through both
  2. I see some sparks of better hope, which elder years
  3. May happily bring forth. But who comes here?
  1. Enter Aumerle amazed.

Aumerle

23
  1. Where is the King?

King Henry IV

24 - 25
  1. What means our cousin, that he stares and looks
  2. So wildly?

Aumerle

26 - 27
  1. God save your Grace! I do beseech your Majesty,
  2. To have some conference with your Grace alone.

King Henry IV

28 - 29
  1. Withdraw yourselves, and leave us here alone.
  2. Exeunt Percy and Lords.
  3. What is the matter with our cousin now?

Aumerle

30 - 32
  1. Forever may my knees grow to the earth,
  2. Kneels.
  3. My tongue cleave to my roof within my mouth,
  4. Unless a pardon ere I rise or speak.

King Henry IV

33 - 35
  1. Intended, or committed, was this fault?
  2. If on the first, how heinous e’er it be,
  3. To win thy after-love I pardon thee.

Aumerle

36 - 37
  1. Then give me leave that I may turn the key,
  2. That no man enter till my tale be done.

King Henry IV

38
  1. Have thy desire.
  1. Aumerle locks the door. The Duke of York knocks at the door
  2. and crieth.

York

39 - 40
  1. Within.
  2. My liege, beware! Look to thyself,
  3. Thou hast a traitor in thy presence there.

King Henry IV

41
  1. Villain, I’ll make thee safe.
  1. Draws.

Aumerle

42
  1. Stay thy revengeful hand, thou hast no cause to fear.

York

43 - 45
  1. Within.
  2. Open the door, secure foolhardy King!
  3. Shall I for love speak treason to thy face?
  4. Open the door, or I will break it open.
  1. King Henry unlocks the door.
  1. Enter York.

King Henry IV

46 - 48
  1. What is the matter, uncle? Speak,
  2. Recover breath, tell us how near is danger
  3. That we may arm us to encounter it.

York

49 - 50
  1. Peruse this writing here, and thou shalt know
  2. The treason that my haste forbids me show.

Aumerle

51 - 53
  1. Remember, as thou read’st, thy promise pass’d.
  2. I do repent me, read not my name there,
  3. My heart is not confederate with my hand.

York

54 - 58
  1. It was, villain, ere thy hand did set it down.
  2. I tore it from the traitor’s bosom, King;
  3. Fear, and not love, begets his penitence.
  4. Forget to pity him, lest thy pity prove
  5. A serpent that will sting thee to the heart.

King Henry IV

59 - 66
  1. O heinous, strong, and bold conspiracy!
  2. O loyal father of a treacherous son!
  3. Thou sheer, immaculate, and silver fountain,
  4. From whence this stream through muddy passages
  5. Hath held his current and defil’d himself!
  6. Thy overflow of good converts to bad,
  7. And thy abundant goodness shall excuse
  8. This deadly blot in thy digressing son.

York

67 - 73
  1. So shall my virtue be his vice’s bawd,
  2. An’ he shall spend mine honor with his shame,
  3. As thriftless sons their scraping fathers’ gold.
  4. Mine honor lives when his dishonor dies,
  5. Or my sham’d life in his dishonor lies:
  6. Thou kill’st me in his life; giving him breath,
  7. The traitor lives, the true man’s put to death.

Duchess of York

74
  1. Within.
  2. What ho, my liege! For God’s sake let me in.

King Henry IV

75
  1. What shrill-voic’d suppliant makes this eager cry?

Duchess of York

76 - 78
  1. Within.
  2. A woman, and thy aunt, great King, ’tis I.
  3. Speak with me, pity me, open the door!
  4. A beggar begs that never begg’d before.

King Henry IV

79 - 82
  1. Our scene is alt’red from a serious thing,
  2. And now chang’d to The Beggar and the King.”
  3. My dangerous cousin, let your mother in,
  4. I know she is come to pray for your foul sin.

York

83 - 86
  1. If thou do pardon, whosoever pray,
  2. More sins for this forgiveness prosper may.
  3. This fest’red joint cut off, the rest rest sound,
  4. This let alone will all the rest confound.
  1. Enter Duchess of York.

Duchess of York

87 - 88
  1. O King, believe not this hard-hearted man!
  2. Love loving not itself, none other can.

York

89 - 90
  1. Thou frantic woman, what dost thou make here?
  2. Shall thy old dugs once more a traitor rear?

Duchess of York

91
  1. Sweet York, be patient. Hear me, gentle liege.
  1. Kneels.

King Henry IV

92
  1. Rise up, good aunt.

Duchess of York

93 - 97
  1.                     Not yet, I thee beseech.
  2. Forever will I walk upon my knees,
  3. And never see day that the happy sees,
  4. Till thou give joy, until thou bid me joy
  5. By pardoning Rutland, my transgressing boy.

Aumerle

98
  1. Unto my mother’s prayers I bend my knee.
  1. Kneels.

York

99 - 100
  1. Against them both my true joints bended be.
  2. Kneels.
  3. Ill mayst thou thrive if thou grant any grace!

Duchess of York

101 - 111
  1. Pleads he in earnest? Look upon his face:
  2. His eyes do drop no tears, his prayers are in jest,
  3. His words come from his mouth, ours from our breast;
  4. He prays but faintly, and would be denied,
  5. We pray with heart and soul, and all beside;
  6. His weary joints would gladly rise, I know,
  7. Our knees still kneel till to the ground they grow;
  8. His prayers are full of false hypocrisy,
  9. Ours of true zeal and deep integrity;
  10. Our prayers do outpray his, then let them have
  11. That mercy which true prayer ought to have.

King Henry IV

112
  1. Good aunt, stand up.

Duchess of York

113 - 120
  1.                      Nay, do not say stand up”;
  2. Say pardon first, and afterwards stand up.”
  3. And if I were thy nurse, thy tongue to teach,
  4. Pardon should be the first word of thy speech.
  5. I never long’d to hear a word till now,
  6. Say pardon,” King, let pity teach thee how.
  7. The word is short, but not so short as sweet,
  8. No word like pardon for kings’ mouths so meet.

York

121
  1. Speak it in French, King, say pardonne moy.”

Duchess of York

122 - 130
  1. Dost thou teach pardon pardon to destroy?
  2. Ah, my sour husband, my hard-hearted lord,
  3. That sets the word itself against the word!
  4. Speak pardon as ’tis current in our land,
  5. The chopping French we do not understand.
  6. Thine eye begins to speak, set thy tongue there;
  7. Or in thy piteous heart plant thou thine ear,
  8. That hearing how our plaints and prayers do pierce,
  9. Pity may move thee pardon to rehearse.

King Henry IV

131
  1. Good aunt, stand up.

Duchess of York

132 - 133
  1.                      I do not sue to stand;
  2. Pardon is all the suit I have in hand.

King Henry IV

134
  1. I pardon him as God shall pardon me.

Duchess of York

135 - 138
  1. O happy vantage of a kneeling knee!
  2. Yet am I sick for fear, speak it again,
  3. Twice saying pardon doth not pardon twain,
  4. But makes one pardon strong.

King Henry IV

139 - 140
  1.                              With all my heart
  2. I pardon him.

Duchess of York

141
  1.               A god on earth thou art.

King Henry IV

142 - 150
  1. But for our trusty brother-in-law and the abbot,
  2. With all the rest of that consorted crew,
  3. Destruction straight shall dog them at the heels.
  4. Good uncle, help to order several powers
  5. To Oxford, or where e’er these traitors are.
  6. They shall not live within this world, I swear,
  7. But I will have them if I once know where.
  8. Uncle, farewell, and, cousin, adieu!
  9. Your mother well hath pray’d, and prove you true.

Duchess of York

151
  1. Come, my old son, I pray God make thee new.
  1. Exeunt.
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