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Ten thousand bloody crowns of mothers' fons
Shall ill become the flow'r of England's face:
Change the complexion of her maid-pale peace
To fcarlet indignation; and bedew

Her Pafture's grafs with faithful English blood..
North. The King of heav'n forbid, our lord the King
Should fo with civil and uncivil arms

Be rufh'd upon! no, thy thrice-noble coufin,
Harry of Bolingbroke, doth kifs thy hand,
And by the honourable tomb he fwears,
That ftands upon your royal grandfire's bones,
And by the Royalties of both your bloods,
Currents, that fpring from one most gracious head
And by the bury'd hand of warlike Gaunt',
And by the worth and honour of himself,
Comprising all that may be fworn, or faid,
His Coming hither hath no farther scope,

the Poet fay, That bloody Crowns Thould disfigure the Flow'rs that fpring on the Ground, and bedew the Grass with blood? Surely the two Images are too fimilar. I have fufpected,

Shall ill become the Floor of Eng

land's Face; i. e. Shall make a difmal Spectacle on the Surface of the Kingdom's Earth. THEOBALD. Shall ill become the flow'r of

England's face;] By the flow'r of England's face, is meant the choiceft youths of England, who fhall be flaughter'd in this quarrel, or have bloody crowns. The flower of England's face, to defign her choiceft Youth, is a fine and noble expreffion. Pericles, by a fimilar thought, faid that the deftruction of the Athenian youth was a fatality like cutting off the Spring from the Year. Yet the Oxford Editor

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Dr. Warburton has inferted light in peace in the text of his own edition, but live in peace is more fuitable to Richard's intention, which is to tell him that though he fhould get the crown by rebellion, it will be long before it will live in peace, be fo fettled as to be firm, The flow'r of England's face, is very happily explained, and any alteration is therefore needlefs.

And by the bury'd band of warlike Gaunt.] It should be read juft the other way, And by the warlike hand of bury'd Gaunt. WARBURT. I fee no great difference.

Then

Than for his lineal Royalties, and to beg
Infranchisement immediate on his knees;
Which on thy royal party granted once,
His glitt'ring arms he will commend to ruft ;
His barbed steeds to ftables; and his heart
To faithful service of your Majefty.

This fwears he, as he is a Prince, is juft;
And as I am a Gentleman, I credit him.

[turns:

K. Rich. Northumberland, fay-Thus the King reHis noble Coufin is right-welcome hither, And all the number of his fair demands Shall be accomplish'd without contradiction. With all the gracious utterance thou haft, Speak to his gentle Hearing kind Commends.

Exit North.

We do debafe ourself, Coufin, do we not,
To look fo poorly, and to speak so fair?
Shall we call back Northumberland, and fend
Defiance to the traitor, and fo die?

[To Aum.

Aum. No, good my lord, let's fight with gentle words, Till time lend friends, and friends their helpful fwords. K. Rich. Oh God, oh God! that e'er this tongue of mine,

That laid the Sentence of dread Banishment

On yond proud man, should take it off again

With words of Sooth; oh, that I were as great
As is my grief, or leffer than my name!
Or that I could forget what I have been,
Or not remember what I must be now!

Swell'ft thou, proud heart? I'll give thee scope to beat,
Since foes have fcope to beat both thee and me.

Aum. Northumberland comes back from Bolingbroke. K. Rich. What must the King do now? muft he fubmit?

The King shall do it. Muft he be depos'd?

"With words of footh;] or foftnefs, a fignification yet reSooth is fweet as well as true. In tained in the verb to footh. this place footh means fweetness

VOL. IV.

F

The

3

The King fhall be contented: must he lose
The name of King? o' God's name, let it go.
I'll give my jewels for a set of beads;
My gorgeous palace for a hermitage;
My gay apparel, for an alms-man's gown;
My figur'd goblets, for a difh of wood;
My fcepter, for a palmer's walking staff;
My fubjects, for a pair of carved faints;
And my large Kingdom, for a little Grave;
A little, little Grave;-an obfcure Grave;
Or I'll be bury'd in the King's high way 3,
Some way of common Trade, where Subjects' feet
May hourly trample on their Sovereign's head +;
For on my heart they tread now, whilft I live;
And, bury'd once, why not upon my head?
Aumerle, thou weep'ft; my tender hearted coufin!
We'll make foul weather with defpifed tears;
Our fighs, and they, fhall lodge the fummer corn,
And make a dearth in this revolting Land.
Or fhall we play the Wantons with our woes,
And make fome pretty match, with fhedding tears?
As thus, to drop them ftill upon one place,
Till they have fretted us a pair of Graves

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Within the earth; and therein laid, there lies
Two kinfmen, digg'd their Graves with weeping eyes.
Would not this ill do well? Well, well, I fee

I talk but idly, and you mock at me.

[North. advances. Moft mighty Prince, my lord Northumberland, What fays King Bolingbroke? will his Majefty Give Richard leave to live, till Richard die? You make a leg, and Bolingbroke fays, ay.

North. My lord, in the bafe court he doth attend To fpeak with you, may't please you to come down. K.Rich. Down, down I come; like glift'ring Phaeton, Wanting the manage of unruly jades.

[North. retires to Bol. In the bafe court? bafe court, where Kings grow base, To come at traitors' Calls, and do them grace.

In the bafe court come down? down, court; down, King; For Night-owls fhriek, where mounting Larks fhould fing.

Boling. What fays his Majefty?

North. Sorrow, and grief of Heart,

Makes him fpeak fondly, like a frantick Man;

Yet is he come.

Boling. Stand all apart,

[Richard comes to them.

And fhew fair duty to his Majefty.

My gracious lord

[Kneels.

K. Rich. Fair coufin, you debase your princely knee, To make the bafe earth proud with kiffing it. Me rather had, my heart might feel your love, Than my unpleas'd eye fee your courtéfie. Up, coufin, up; your heart is up, I know, Thus high at leaft, although your knee be low.

[Touching his own head. Boling. My gracious lord, I come but for mine own. K. Rich. Your own is yours, and I am yours, and all. Boling. So far be mine, my moft redoubted lord, As my true fervice fhall deferve your love.

F 2

K. Rich

K. Rich. Well you deserve.-They well deferve to have,

That know the ftrong'ft and fureft way to get.
Uncle, give me your hand; nay, dry your eyes;
Tears thew their love, but want their remedies.
Coufin, I am too young to be your father,
Though you are old enough to be my heir.
What you will have, I'll give, and willing too;
For do we must, what force will have us do.
Set on towards London. Coufin, is it fo?
Boling. Yea, my good lord.

K. Rich. Then I must not fay, no. [Flourish. Exeunt.

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Queen.W
WHA

WHAT fport fhall we devife here in this garden,

To drive away the heavy thought of care?

Lady. Madam, we'll play at bowls.

Queen. 'Twill make me think, the world is full of rubs,

And that my fortune runs against the bias.

Lady. Madam, we'll dance.

Queen. My legs can keep no measure in delight,
When my poor heart no measure keeps in grief.
Therefore no dancing, girl; fome other sport.
Lady. Madam, we'll tell tales.

Queen. Of forrow, or of joy?
Lady. Of either, Madam.

Queen. Of neither, girl.

For if of joy, being altogether wanting,
It doth remember me the more of forrow;
Orif of grief, being altogether had,
It adds more forrow to my want of joy.

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