K. Rich. But now the blood of twenty thousand men[1346]
Did triumph in my face, and they are fled;
And, till so much blood thither come again,[1347]
Have I not reason to look pale and dead?[1347]
All souls that will be safe fly from my side,80
For time hath set a blot upon my pride.
Aum. Comfort, my liege; remember who you are.
K. Rich. I had forgot myself: am I not king?
Awake, thou coward majesty! thou sleepest.[1348]
Is not the king's name twenty thousand names?[1349]85
Arm, arm, my name! a puny subject strikes
At thy great glory. Look not to the ground,
Ye favourites of a king: are we not high?
High be our thoughts: I know my uncle York
Hath power enough to serve our turn. But who comes here?[1350]90
Enter Scroop.
Scroop. More health and happiness betide my liege[1351]
Than can my care-tuned tongue deliver him!
K. Rich. Mine ear is open and my heart prepared:
The worst is worldly loss thou canst unfold.
Say, is my kingdom lost? why, 'twas my care;95
And what loss is it to be rid of care?
Strives Bolingbroke to be as great as we?
Greater he shall not be; if he serve God,
We'll serve Him too and be his fellow so:
Revolt our subjects? that we cannot mend;100
They break their faith to God as well as us:
Cry woe, destruction, ruin and decay;[1352]
The worst is death, and death will have his day.
Scroop. Glad am I that your highness is so arm'd
To bear the tidings of calamity.105
Like an unseasonable stormy day,
Which makes the silver rivers drown their shores,[1353]
As if the world were all dissolved to tears,
So high above his limits swells the rage[1354]
Of Bolingbroke, covering your fearful land110
With hard bright steel and hearts harder than steel.[1355]
White-beards have arm'd their thin and hairless scalps[1356]
Against thy majesty; boys, with women's voices,[1357]
Strive to speak big and clap their female joints[1358]
In stiff unwieldy arms against thy crown:[1359]115
Thy very beadsmen learn to bend their bows[1360]
Of double-fatal yew against thy state;[1361]
Yea, distaff-women manage rusty bills[1362]
Against thy seat: both young and old rebel,[1362]
And all goes worse than I have power to tell.120
K. Rich. Too well, too well thou tell'st a tale so ill.
Where is the Earl of Wiltshire? where is Bagot?[1363]
What is become of Bushy? where is Green?
That they have let the dangerous enemy
Measure our confines with such peaceful steps?125
If we prevail, their heads shall pay for it:[1364]
I warrant they have made peace with Bolingbroke.[1365]
Scroop. Peace have they made with him indeed, my lord.[1366]
K. Rich. O villains, vipers, damn'd without redemption!
Dogs, easily won to fawn on any man![1367]130
Snakes, in my heart-blood warm'd, that sting my heart!
Three Judases, each one thrice worse than Judas!
Would they make peace? terrible hell make war
Upon their spotted souls for this offence![1368]