K. Rich. A lunatic lean-witted fool,[1032]115
Presuming on an ague's privilege,
Barest with thy frozen admonition
Make pale our cheek, chasing the royal blood[1033]
With fury from his native residence.[1034]
Now, by my seat's right royal majesty,120
Wert thou not brother to great Edward's son,
This tongue that runs so roundly in thy head
Should run thy head from thy unreverent shoulders.[1035]
Gaunt. O, spare me not, my brother Edward's son,[1036]
For that I was his father Edward's son;125
That blood already, like the pelican,
Hast thou tapp'd out and drunkenly caroused:[1037]
My brother Gloucester, plain well-meaning soul,
Whom fair befal in heaven 'mongst happy souls!
May be a precedent and witness good130
That thou respect'st not spilling Edward's blood:[1038]
Join with the present sickness that I have;
And thy unkindness be like crooked age,[1039][1040]
To crop at once a too long wither'd flower.[1039]
Live in thy shame, but die not shame with thee![1041]135
These words hereafter thy tormentors be!
Convey me to my bed, then to my grave:
Love they to live that love and honour have.
[Exit, borne off by his Attendants.[1042]
K. Rich. And let them die that age and sullens have;
For both hast thou, and both become the grave.[1043]140
York. I do beseech your majesty, impute his words[1044][1045]
To wayward sickliness and age in him:[1044]
He loves you, on my life, and holds you dear
As Harry Duke of Hereford, were he here.
K. Rich. Right, you say true: as Hereford's love, so his;145
As theirs, so mine; and all be as it is.[1046]
Enter Northumberland.[1047]
North. My liege, old Gaunt commends him to your majesty.
K. Rich. What says he?
North. Nay, nothing; all is said:[1048]
His tongue is now a stringless instrument;
Words life and all, old Lancaster hath spent.150