Bid him repair to us to Ely House To see this business. To-morrow next We will for Ireland; and 'tis time, I trow:
And we create, in absence of ourself, Our uncle York lord governor of England;
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 RICHARD II, QUEEN, DUKE OF AUMERLE, BUSHY, GREEN, and BAGOT NORTHUMBERLAND Well, lords, the Duke of Lancaster is dead. LORD ROSS And living too; for now his son is duke. LORD WILLOUGHBY Barely in title, not in revenue. NORTHUMBERLAND Richly in both, if justice had her right. LORD ROSS My heart is great; but it must break with silence, Ere't be disburden'd with a liberal tongue. NORTHUMBERLAND Nay, speak thy mind; and let him ne'er speak more That speaks thy words again to do thee harm! LORD WILLOUGHBY Tends that thou wouldst speak to the Duke of Hereford?
If it be so, out with it boldly, man;
Quick is mine ear to hear of good towards him. LORD ROSS No good at all that I can do for him;
Unless you call it good to pity him, Bereft and gelded of his patrimony. NORTHUMBERLAND Now, afore God, 'tis shame such wrongs are borne In him, a royal prince, and many moe Of noble blood in this declining land.
The king is not himself, but basely led By flatterers; and what they will inform, Merely in hate, 'gainst any of us all, That will the king severely prosecute 'Gainst us, our lives, our children, and our heirs. LORD ROSS The commons hath he pill'd with grievous taxes, And quite lost their hearts: the nobles hath he fined For ancient quarrels, and quite lost their hearts. LORD WILLOUGHBY And daily new exactions are devised, As blanks, benevolences, and I wot not what:
But what, o' God's name, doth become of this? NORTHUMBERLAND Wars have not wasted it, for warr'd he hath not, But basely yielded upon compromise That which his noble ancestors achieved with blows:
More hath he spent in peace than they in wars. LORD ROSS The Earl of Wiltshire hath the realm in farm. LORD WILLOUGHBY The king's grown bankrupt, like a broken man. NORTHUMBERLAND Reproach and dissolution hangeth over him. LORD ROSS He hath not money for these Irish wars, His burthenous taxations notwithstanding, But by the robbing of the banish'd duke. NORTHUMBERLAND His noble kinsman: most degenerate king!
But, lords, we hear this fearful tempest sing, Yet see no shelter to avoid the storm;
We see the wind sit sore upon our sails, And yet we strike not, but securely perish. LORD ROSS We see the very wreck that we must suffer;
And unavoided is the danger now, For suffering so the causes of our wreck. NORTHUMBERLAND Not so; even through the hollow eyes of death I spy life peering; but I dare not say How near the tidings of our comfort is. LORD WILLOUGHBY Nay, let us share thy thoughts, as thou dost ours. LORD ROSS Be confident to speak, Northumberland:
We three are but thyself; and, speaking so, Thy words are but as thoughts; therefore, be bold. NORTHUMBERLAND Then thus: I have from Port le Blanc, a bay In Brittany, received intelligence That Harry Duke of Hereford, Rainold Lord Cobham, That late broke from the Duke of Exeter, His brother, Archbishop late of Canterbury, Sir Thomas Erpingham, Sir John Ramston, Sir John Norbery, Sir Robert Waterton and Francis Quoint, All these well furnish'd by the Duke of Bretagne With eight tall ships, three thousand men of war, Are making hither with all due expedience And shortly mean to touch our northern shore:
Perhaps they had ere this, but that they stay The first departing of the king for Ireland.
If then we shall shake off our slavish yoke, Imp out our drooping country's broken wing, Redeem from broking pawn the blemish'd crown, Wipe off the dust that hides our sceptre's gilt And make high majesty look like itself, Away with me in post to Ravenspurgh;
But if you faint, as fearing to do so, Stay and be secret, and myself will go. LORD ROSS To horse, to horse! urge doubts to them that fear. LORD WILLOUGHBY Hold out my horse, and I will first be there.
