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  • William Shakespeare: Richard II, Act II, Scene II

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Scene IIThe palaceEnter Queen, Bushy, and BagotBushyMadam, your majesty is too much sad: You promised, when you parted with the king, To lay aside life-harming heaviness And entertain a cheerful disposition.QueenTo please the king I did; to please myself I cannot do it; yet I know no cause Why I should welcome such a guest as grief, Save bidding farewell to so sweet a guest As my sweet Richard: yet again, methinks, Some unborn sorrow, ripe in fortune’s womb, Is coming towards me, and my inward soul With nothing trembles: at some thing it grieves, More than with parting from my lord the king.BushyEach substance of a grief hath twenty shadows, Which shows like grief itself, but is not so; For sorrow’s eye, glazed with blinding tears, Divides one thing entire to many objects; Like perspectives, which rightly gazed upon Show nothing but confusion, eyed awry Distinguish form: so your sweet majesty, Looking awry upon your lord’s departure, Find shapes of grief, more than himself, to wail; Which, look’d on as it is, is nought but shadows Of what it is not. Then, thrice-gracious queen, More than your lord’s departure weep not: more’s not seen; Or if it be, ’tis with false sorrow’s eye, Which for things true weeps things imaginary.QueenIt may be so; but yet my inward soul Persuades me it is otherwise: howe’er it be, I cannot but be sad; so heavy sad As, though on thinking on no thought I think, Makes me with heavy nothing faint and shrink.Bushy’Tis nothing but conceit, my gracious lady.Queen’Tis nothing less: conceit is still derived From some forefather grief; mine is not so, For nothing had begot my something grief; Or something hath the nothing that I grieve: ‘Tis in reversion that I do possess; But what it is, that is not yet known; what I cannot name; ’tis nameless woe, I wot.Enter GreenGreenGod save your majesty! and well met, gentlemen: I hope the king is not yet shipp’d for Ireland.QueenWhy hopest thou so? ’tis better hope he is; For his designs crave haste, his haste good hope: Then wherefore dost thou hope he is not shipp’d?GreenThat he, our hope, might have retired his power, And driven into despair an enemy’s hope, Who strongly hath set footing in this land: The banish’d Bolingbroke repeals himself, And with uplifted arms is safe arrived At Ravenspurgh.QueenNow God in heaven forbid!GreenAh, madam, ’tis too true: and that is worse, The Lord Northumberland, his son young Henry Percy, The Lords of Ross, Beaumond, and Willoughby, With all their powerful friends, are fled to him.BushyWhy have you not proclaim’d Northumberland And all the rest revolted faction traitors?GreenWe have: whereupon the Earl of Worcester Hath broke his staff, resign’d his stewardship, And all the household servants fled with him To Bolingbroke.QueenSo, Green, thou art the midwife to my woe, And Bolingbroke my sorrow’s dismal heir: Now hath my soul brought forth her prodigy, And I, a gasping new-deliver’d mother, Have woe to woe, sorrow to sorrow join’d.BushyDespair not, madam.QueenWho shall hinder me? I will despair, and be at enmity With cozening hope: he is a flatterer, A parasite, a keeper back of death, Who gently would dissolve the bands of life, Which false hope lingers in extremity.Enter Duke of YorkGreenHere comes the Duke of York.QueenWith signs of war about his aged neck: O, full of careful business are his looks! Uncle, for God’s sake, speak comfortable words.Duke of YorkShould I do so, I should belie my thoughts: Comfort’s in heaven; and we are on the earth, Where nothing lives but crosses, cares and grief. Your husband, he is gone to save far off, Whilst others come to make him lose at home: Here am I left to underprop his land, Who, weak with age, cannot support myself: Now comes the sick hour that his surfeit made; Now shall he try his friends that flatter’d him.Enter a ServantServantMy lord, your son was gone before I came.Duke of YorkHe was? Why, so! go all which way it will! The nobles they are fled, the commons they are cold, And will, I fear, revolt on Hereford’s side. Sirrah, get thee to Plashy, to my sister Gloucester; Bid her send me presently a thousand pound: Hold, take my ring.ServantMy lord, I had forgot to tell your lordship, To-day, as I came by, I called there; But I shall grieve you to report the rest.Duke of YorkWhat is’t, knave?ServantAn hour before I came, the duchess died.Duke of YorkGod for his mercy! what a tide of woes Comes rushing on this woeful land at once! I know not what to do: I would to God, So my untruth had not provoked him to it, The king had cut off my head with my brother’s. What, are there no posts dispatch’d for Ireland? How shall we do for money for these wars? Come, sister,—cousin, I would say—pray, pardon me. Go, fellow, get thee home, provide some carts And bring away the armour that is there.Exit ServantGentlemen, will you go muster men? If I know how or which way to order these affairs Thus thrust disorderly into my hands, Never believe me. Both are my kinsmen: The one is my sovereign, whom both my oath And duty bids defend; the other again Is my kinsman, whom the king hath wrong’d, Whom conscience and my kindred bids to right. Well, somewhat we must do. Come, cousin, I’ll Dispose of you. Gentlemen, go, muster up your men, And meet me presently at Berkeley. I should to Plashy too; But time will not permit: all is uneven, And every thing is left at six and seven.Exeunt Duke of York and QueenBushyThe wind sits fair for news to go to Ireland, But none returns. For us to levy power Proportionable to the enemy Is all unpossible.GreenBesides, our nearness to the king in love Is near the hate of those love not the king.BagotAnd that’s the wavering commons: for their love Lies in their purses, and whoso empties them By so much fills their hearts with deadly hate.BushyWherein the king stands generally condemn’d.BagotIf judgement lie in them, then so do we, Because we ever have been near the king.GreenWell, I will for refuge straight to Bristol castle: The Earl of Wiltshire is already there.BushyThither will I with you; for little office The hateful commons will perform for us, Except like curs to tear us all to pieces. Will you go along with us?BagotNo; I will to Ireland to his majesty. Farewell: if heart’s presages be not vain, We three here art that ne’er shall meet again.BushyThat’s as York thrives to beat back Bolingbroke.GreenAlas, poor duke! the task he undertakes Is numbering sands and drinking oceans dry: Where one on his side fights, thousands will fly. Farewell at once, for once, for all, and ever.BushyWell, we may meet again.BagotI fear me, never.Exeunt

William Shakespeare: Richard II, Act II

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William Shakespeare: Richard II, Act II

  • William Shakespeare: Richard II, Act II

TrendingHere are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.

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