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Richard II - Act 2, scene 3
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Richard II - Act 2, scene 3Act 2, scene 3
⌜Scene 3⌝
Synopsis:
Bolingbroke and Northumberland, just outside Berkeley Castle, meet young Henry Percy, Northumberland’s son. When the duke of York enters, he chastises Bolingbroke for coming back to England, but admits to being powerless to stop him, and finally offers him hospitality at Berkeley Castle.
Enter ⌜Bolingbroke, Duke of⌝ Hereford, ⌜and⌝Northumberland.
BOLINGBROKE
1138 How far is it, my lord, to Berkeley now?
NORTHUMBERLAND 1139 Believe me, noble lord,
1140 I am a stranger here in Gloucestershire.
1141 These high wild hills and rough uneven ways
1142 5 Draws out our miles and makes them wearisome.
1143 And yet your fair discourse hath been as sugar,
1144 Making the hard way sweet and delectable.
1145 But I bethink me what a weary way
1146 From Ravenspurgh to Cotshall will be found
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1147
10 In Ross and Willoughby, wanting your company,1148 Which, I protest, hath very much beguiled
1149 The tediousness and process of my travel.
1150 But theirs is sweetened with the hope to have
1151 The present benefit which I possess,
1152 15 And hope to joy is little less in joy
1153 Than hope enjoyed. By this the weary lords
1154 Shall make their way seem short as mine hath done
1155 By sight of what I have, your noble company.
BOLINGBROKE
1156 Of much less value is my company
1157 20 Than your good words. But who comes here?
Enter Harry Percy.
NORTHUMBERLAND 1158 It is my son, young Harry Percy,
1159 Sent from my brother Worcester whencesoever.—
1160 Harry, how fares your uncle?
PERCY
1161 I had thought, my lord, to have learned his health of
1162 25 you.
NORTHUMBERLAND 1163 Why, is he not with the Queen?
PERCY
1164 No, my good lord, he hath forsook the court,
1165 Broken his staff of office, and dispersed
1166 The Household of the King.
NORTHUMBERLAND
1167 30 What was his reason? He was not so resolved
1168 When last we spake together.
PERCY
1169 Because your Lordship was proclaimèd traitor.
1170 But he, my lord, is gone to Ravenspurgh
1171 To offer service to the Duke of Hereford,
1172 35 And sent me over by Berkeley to discover
1173 What power the Duke of York had levied there,
1174 Then with directions to repair to Ravenspurgh.
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NORTHUMBERLAND 1175 Have you forgot the Duke of ⌜Hereford,⌝ boy?
PERCY
1176 No, my good lord, for that is not forgot
1177 40 Which ne’er I did remember. To my knowledge
1178 I never in my life did look on him.
NORTHUMBERLAND
1179 Then learn to know him now. This is the Duke.
PERCY, ⌜to Bolingbroke⌝
1180 My gracious lord, I tender you my service,
1181 Such as it is, being tender, raw, and young,
1182 45 Which elder days shall ripen and confirm
1183 To more approvèd service and desert.
BOLINGBROKE
1184 I thank thee, gentle Percy, and be sure
1185 I count myself in nothing else so happy
1186 As in a soul rememb’ring my good friends;
1187 50 And as my fortune ripens with thy love,
1188 It shall be still thy true love’s recompense.
1189 My heart this covenant makes, my hand thus seals it.
⌜Gives Percy his hand.⌝
NORTHUMBERLAND, ⌜to Percy⌝
1190 How far is it to Berkeley, and what stir
1191 Keeps good old York there with his men of war?
PERCY
1192 55 There stands the castle by yon tuft of trees,
1193 Manned with three hundred men, as I have heard,
1194 And in it are the Lords of York, Berkeley, and
1195 Seymour,
1196 None else of name and noble estimate.
⌜Enter Ross and Willoughby.⌝
NORTHUMBERLAND
1197 60 Here come the Lords of Ross and Willoughby,
1198 Bloody with spurring, fiery red with haste.
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BOLINGBROKE 1199 Welcome, my lords. I wot your love pursues
1200 A banished traitor. All my treasury
1201 Is yet but unfelt thanks, which, more enriched,
1202 65 Shall be your love and labor’s recompense.
ROSS
1203 Your presence makes us rich, most noble lord.
WILLOUGHBY
1204 And far surmounts our labor to attain it.
BOLINGBROKE
1205 Evermore thank’s the exchequer of the poor,
1206 Which, till my infant fortune comes to years,
1207 70 Stands for my bounty. But who comes here?
⌜Enter Berkeley.⌝
NORTHUMBERLAND
1208 It is my Lord of Berkeley, as I guess.
BERKELEY, ⌜to Bolingbroke⌝
1209 My Lord of Hereford, my message is to you.
BOLINGBROKE
1210 My lord, my answer is—to “Lancaster”;
1211 And I am come to seek that name in England.
1212 75 And I must find that title in your tongue
1213 Before I make reply to aught you say.
BERKELEY
1214 Mistake me not, my lord, ’tis not my meaning
1215 To rase one title of your honor out.
1216 To you, my lord, I come, what lord you will,
1217 80 From the most gracious regent of this land,
1218 The Duke of York, to know what pricks you on
1219 To take advantage of the absent time,
1220 And fright our native peace with self-borne arms.
⌜Enter York.⌝
BOLINGBROKE
1221 I shall not need transport my words by you.
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1222
85 Here comes his Grace in person.⌜He kneels.⌝1223 My noble uncle.
YORK
1224 Show me thy humble heart and not thy knee,
1225 Whose duty is deceivable and false.
BOLINGBROKE, ⌜standing⌝ 1226 My gracious uncle—
YORK 1227 90Tut, tut!
1228 Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle.
1229 I am no traitor’s uncle, and that word “grace”
1230 In an ungracious mouth is but profane.
1231 Why have those banished and forbidden legs
1232 95 Dared once to touch a dust of England’s ground?
1233 But then, more why: why have they dared to march
1234 So many miles upon her peaceful bosom,
1235 Frighting her pale-faced villages with war
1236 And ostentation of despisèd arms?
1237 100 Com’st thou because the anointed king is hence?
1238 Why, foolish boy, the King is left behind
1239 And in my loyal bosom lies his power.
1240 Were I but now lord of such hot youth
1241 As when brave Gaunt thy father and myself
1242 105 Rescued the Black Prince, that young Mars of men,
1243 From forth the ranks of many thousand French,
1244 O, then, how quickly should this arm of mine,
1245 Now prisoner to the palsy, chastise thee
1246 And minister correction to thy fault!
BOLINGBROKE
1247 110 My gracious uncle, let me know my fault.
1248 On what condition stands it and wherein?
YORK
1249 Even in condition of the worst degree,
1250 In gross rebellion and detested treason.
1251 Thou art a banished man and here art come,
1252 115 Before the expiration of thy time,
1253 In braving arms against thy sovereign.
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BOLINGBROKE 1254 As I was banished, I was banished Hereford,
1255 But as I come, I come for Lancaster.
1256 And, noble uncle, I beseech your Grace
1257 120 Look on my wrongs with an indifferent eye.
1258 You are my father, for methinks in you
1259 I see old Gaunt alive. O, then, my father,
1260 Will you permit that I shall stand condemned
1261 A wandering vagabond, my rights and royalties
1262 125 Plucked from my arms perforce and given away
1263 To upstart unthrifts? Wherefore was I born?
1264 If that my cousin king be king in England,
1265 It must be granted I am Duke of Lancaster.
1266 You have a son, Aumerle, my noble cousin.
1267 130 Had you first died and he been thus trod down,
1268 He should have found his uncle Gaunt a father
1269 To rouse his wrongs and chase them to the bay.
1270 I am denied to sue my livery here,
1271 And yet my letters patents give me leave.
1272 135 My father’s goods are all distrained and sold,
1273 And these, and all, are all amiss employed.
1274 What would you have me do? I am a subject,
1275 And I challenge law. Attorneys are denied me,
1276 And therefore personally I lay my claim
1277 140 To my inheritance of free descent.
NORTHUMBERLAND, ⌜to York⌝
1278 The noble duke hath been too much abused.
ROSS, ⌜to York⌝
1279 It stands your Grace upon to do him right.
WILLOUGHBY, ⌜to York⌝
1280 Base men by his endowments are made great.
YORK
1281 My lords of England, let me tell you this:
1282 145 I have had feeling of my cousin’s wrongs
1283 And labored all I could to do him right.
1284 But in this kind to come, in braving arms,
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1285
Be his own carver and cut out his way1286 To find out right with wrong, it may not be.
1287 150 And you that do abet him in this kind
1288 Cherish rebellion and are rebels all.
NORTHUMBERLAND
1289 The noble duke hath sworn his coming is
1290 But for his own, and for the right of that
1291 We all have strongly sworn to give him aid.
1292 155 And let him never see joy that breaks that oath.
YORK
1293 Well, well. I see the issue of these arms.
1294 I cannot mend it, I must needs confess,
1295 Because my power is weak and all ill-left.
1296 But if I could, by Him that gave me life,
1297 160 I would attach you all and make you stoop
1298 Unto the sovereign mercy of the King.
1299 But since I cannot, be it known unto you
1300 I do remain as neuter. So fare you well—
1301 Unless you please to enter in the castle
1302 165 And there repose you for this night.
BOLINGBROKE
1303 An offer, uncle, that we will accept.
1304 But we must win your Grace to go with us
1305 To Bristow Castle, which they say is held
1306 By Bushy, Bagot, and their complices,
1307 170 The caterpillars of the commonwealth,
1308 Which I have sworn to weed and pluck away.
YORK
1309 It may be I will go with you; but yet I’ll pause,
1310 For I am loath to break our country’s laws.
1311 Nor friends nor foes, to me welcome you are.
1312 175 Things past redress are now with me past care.
They exit.