Aum. Unto my mother's prayers I bend my knee.
York. Against them both my true joints bended be.
Ill mayst thou thrive, if thou grant any grace![1850]
Duch. Pleads he in earnest? look upon his face;100
His eyes do drop no tears, his prayers are in jest;[1851]
His words come from his mouth, ours from our breast:[1852]
He prays but faintly and would be denied;
We pray with heart and soul and all beside:
His weary joints would gladly rise, I know;105
Our knees shall kneel till to the ground they grow:[1853]
His prayers are full of false hypocrisy;
Ours of true zeal and deep integrity.
Our prayers do out-pray his; then let them have[1854]
That mercy which true prayer ought to have.[1855]110
Boling. Good aunt, stand up.[1856]
Duch. Nay, do not say, 'stand up;'
Say 'pardon' first, and afterwards 'stand up.'[1857]
An if I were thy nurse, thy tongue to teach,[1858]
'Pardon' should be the first word of thy speech.
I never long'd to hear a word till now;115
Say 'pardon,' king; let pity teach thee how:[1859]
The word is short, but not so short as sweet;[1860]
No word like 'pardon' for kings' mouths so meet.[1860][1861]
York. Speak it in French, king; say, 'pardonne moi.'[1860][1862]
Duch. Dost thou teach pardon pardon to destroy?[1860][1863]120
Ah, my sour husband, my hard-hearted lord,[1860]
That set'st the word itself against the word![1860][1864]
Speak 'pardon' as 'tis current in our land;[1860]
The chopping French we do not understand.[1860]
Thine eye begins to speak, set thy tongue there:[1860]125
Or in thy piteous heart plant thou thine ear;[1860]
That hearing how our plaints and prayers do pierce,[1860]
Pity may move thee 'pardon' to rehearse.[1860][1865]
Boling. Good aunt, stand up.
Duch. I do not sue to stand;
Pardon is all the suit I have in hand.130
Boling. I pardon him, as God shall pardon me.[1866]