York. Be York the next that must be bankrupt so!
Though death be poor, it ends a mortal woe.
K. Rich. The ripest fruit first falls, and so doth he;
His time is spent, our pilgrimage must be.
So much for that. Now for our Irish wars:155
We must supplant those rough rug-headed kerns,[1049]
Which live like venom where no venom else
But only they have privilege to live.[1050]
And for these great affairs do ask some charge,
Towards our assistance we do seize to us160
The plate, coin, revenues and moveables,[1051]
Whereof our uncle Gaunt did stand possess'd.
York. How long shall I be patient? ah, how long[1052]
Shall tender duty make me suffer wrong?
Not Gloucester's death, nor Hereford's banishment,[1053]165
Not Gaunt's rebukes, nor England's private wrongs,
Nor the prevention of poor Bolingbroke
About his marriage, nor my own disgrace,
Have ever made me sour my patient cheek,
Or bend one wrinkle on my sovereign's face.170
I am the last of noble Edward's sons,[1054]
Of whom thy father, Prince of Wales, was first:
In war was never lion raged more fierce,[1055]
In peace was never gentle lamb more mild,
Than was that young and princely gentleman.175
His face thou hast, for even so look'd he,
Accomplish'd with the number of thy hours;[1056]
But when he frown'd, it was against the French
And not against his friends; his noble hand
Did win what he did spend and spent not that180
Which his triumphant father's hand had won;
His hands were guilty of no kindred blood,[1057]
But bloody with the enemies of his kin.
O Richard! York is too far gone with grief,
Or else he never would compare between.[1058]185
K. Rich. Why, uncle, what's the matter?[1059]
York. O my liege,[1059]
Pardon me, if you please; if not, I, pleased[1059][1060]
Not to be pardon'd, am content withal.[1059][1060]
Seek you to seize and gripe into your hands
The royalties and rights of banish'd Hereford?190
Is not Gaunt dead, and doth not Hereford live?
Was not Gaunt just, and is not Harry true?
Did not the one deserve to have an heir?
Is not his heir a well-deserving son?
Take Hereford's rights away, and take from time[1061]195
His charters and his customary rights;
Let not to-morrow then ensue to-day:
Be not thyself; for how art thou a king
But by fair sequence and succession?
Now, afore God—God forbid I say true!—[1062]200
If you do wrongfully seize Hereford's rights,[1063]
Call in the letters patents that he hath[1064]
By his attorneys-general to sue
His livery and deny his offer'd homage,
You pluck a thousand dangers on your head,205
You lose a thousand well-disposed hearts[1065]
And prick my tender patience to those thoughts
Which honour and allegiance cannot think.
K. Rich. Think what you will, we seize into our hands[1066]
His plate, his goods, his money and his lands.[1067]210
York. I'll not be by the while: my liege, farewell:
What will ensue hereof, there's none can tell;
But by bad courses may be understood
That their events can never fall out good. [Exit.
K. Rich. Go, Bushy, to the Earl of Wiltshire straight:215
Bid him repair to us to Ely House
To see this business. To-morrow next[1068]
We will for Ireland; and 'tis time, I trow:
And we create, in absence of ourself,
Our uncle York lord governor of England;220
For he is just and always loved us well.
Come on, our queen: to-morrow must we part;
Be merry, for our time of stay is short.
[Flourish. Exeunt King, Queen, Aumerle, Bushy, Green, and Bagot.[1069]
North. Well, lords, the Duke of Lancaster is dead.[1070]