Parle without, and answer within. Then a flourish. Enter on the walls, King Richard, the Bishop of Carlisle, Aumerle, Scroop, and Salisbury.[1440]
See, see, King Richard doth himself appear,[1441]
As doth the blushing discontented sun
From out the fiery portal of the east,
When he perceives the envious clouds are bent65
To dim his glory and to stain the track[1442]
Of his bright passage to the occident.
York. Yet looks he like a king: behold, his eye,
As bright as is the eagle's, lightens forth
Controlling majesty: alack, alack, for woe,[1443]70
That any harm should stain so fair a show![1444]
K. Rich. We are amazed; and thus long have we stood
To watch the fearful bending of thy knee, [To North.[1445]
Because we thought ourself thy lawful king:[1446]
And if we be, how dare thy joints forget[1447]75
To pay their awful duty to our presence?[1448]
If we be not, show us the hand of God
That hath dismiss'd us from our stewardship;
For well we know, no hand of blood and bone
Can gripe the sacred handle of our sceptre,80
Unless he do profane, steal, or usurp.
And though you think that all, as you have done,
Have torn their souls by turning them from us,
And we are barren and bereft of friends;
Yet know, my master, God omnipotent,[1449]85
Is mustering in his clouds on our behalf
Armies of pestilence; and they shall strike
Your children yet unborn and unbegot,
That lift your vassal hands against my head
And threat the glory of my precious crown.90
Tell Bolingbroke—for yond methinks he stands—[1450]
That every stride he makes upon my land[1451]
Is dangerous treason: he is come to open[1452]
The purple testament of bleeding war;
But ere the crown he looks for live in peace,[1453]95
Ten thousand bloody crowns of mothers' sons
Shall ill become the flower of England's face,[1454][1455]
Change the complexion of her maid-pale peace[1455][1456]
To scarlet indignation and bedew
Her pastures' grass with faithful English blood.[1457]100
North. The king of heaven forbid our lord the king
Should so with civil and uncivil arms
Be rush'd upon! Thy thrice noble cousin[1458]
Harry Bolingbroke doth humbly kiss thy hand;[1459]
And by the honourable tomb he swears,105
That stands upon your royal grandsire's bones,
And by the royalties of both your bloods,
Currents that spring from one most gracious head,
And by the buried hand of warlike Gaunt,[1460]
And by the worth and honour of himself,110
Comprising all that may be sworn or said,
His coming hither hath no further scope
Than for his lineal royalties and to beg
Enfranchisement immediate on his knees:
Which on thy royal party granted once,115
His glittering arms he will commend to rust,
His barbed steeds to stables, and his heart
To faithful service of your majesty.
This swears he, as he is a prince, is just;[1461]
And, as I am a gentleman, I credit him.[1462]120
K. Rich. Northumberland, say thus the king returns:[1463]
His noble cousin is right welcome hither;
And all the number of his fair demands
Shall be accomplish'd without contradiction:[1464]
With all the gracious utterance thou hast[1464][1465]125
Speak to his gentle hearing kind commends.[1466]
We do debase ourselves, cousin, do we not, [To Aumerle.[1467]
To look so poorly and to speak so fair?
Shall we call back Northumberland, and send
Defiance to the traitor, and so die?130
Aum. No, good my lord; let's fight with gentle words[1468]
Till time lend friends and friends their helpful swords.[1469]
K. Rich. O God, O God! that e'er this tongue of mine,
That laid the sentence of dread banishment
On yon proud man, should take it off again[1470]135
With words of sooth! O that I were as great
As is my grief, or lesser than my name!
Or that I could forget what I have been,
Or not remember what I must be now!
Swell'st thou, proud heart? I'll give thee scope to beat,140
Since foes have scope to beat both thee and me.