KING HENRY.
O heinous, strong, and bold conspiracy!
O loyal father of a treacherous son!
Thou sheer, immaculate, and silver fountain
From whence this stream through muddy passages
Hath held his current and defiled himself!
Thy overflow of good converts to bad,
And thy abundant goodness shall excuse
This deadly blot in thy digressing son.
YORK.
So shall my virtue be his vice’s bawd,
And he shall spend mine honour with his shame,
As thriftless sons their scraping fathers’ gold.
Mine honour lives when his dishonour dies,
Or my shamed life in his dishonour lies.
Thou kill’st me in his life: giving him breath,
The traitor lives, the true man’s put to death.
DUCHESS.
[Within.] What ho, my liege! For God’s sake, let me in!
KING HENRY.
What shrill-voiced suppliant makes this eager cry?
DUCHESS.
[Within.] A woman, and thine aunt, great king, ’tis I.
Speak with me, pity me, open the door!
A beggar begs that never begged before.
KING HENRY.
Our scene is altered from a serious thing,
And now changed to “The Beggar and the King.”
My dangerous cousin, let your mother in.
I know she’s come to pray for your foul sin.
Enter Duchess.
YORK.
If thou do pardon whosoever pray,
More sins for this forgiveness prosper may.
This festered joint cut off, the rest rest sound;
This let alone will all the rest confound.
DUCHESS.
O King, believe not this hard-hearted man.
Love loving not itself none other can.
YORK.
Thou frantic woman, what dost thou make here?
Shall thy old dugs once more a traitor rear?