To speak with you; may't please you to come down? K. Rich. Down, down, I come; like glistering Phaeton, Wanting the manage of unruly jades. [North. retires to Boling. In the base court? Base court, where kings grow base, To come at traitors' calls, and do them grace. down, king! Down, court! For night-owls shriek, where mounting larks should sing. [Exeunt from above. Sorrow and grief of heart Boling. What says his majesty? North. Makes him speak fondly*, like a frantick man : Enter King Richard, and his attendants, below. And show fair duty to his majesty. My gracious lord, [Kneeling. K. Rich. Fair cousin, you debase your princely knee, To make the base earth proud with kissing it: 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 most redoubted lord, As my true service shall deserve your love. K. Rich. Well you deserve :-They well deserve to have, That know the strong'st and surest way to get.* Foolishly. Uncle, give me your hand: nay, dry your eyes; K. Rich. Then I must not say, no. [Flourish. Exeunt. SCENE IV. Langley. The Duke of York's Garden. Enter the Queen and two Ladies. Queen. What sport shall we devise here in this garden, To drive away the heavy thought of care? 1 Lady. Madam, we'll play at bowls. "Twill make me think Queen. 1 Lady. Madam, we will dance. Queen. My legs can keep no measure in delight, When my poor heart no measure keeps in grief: Therefore, no dancing, girl; some other sport. 1 Lady. Madam, we'll tell tales. Queen. Of sorrow, or of joy? 1 Lady. Of either, madam. Queen. Of neither, girl: For if of joy, being altogether wanting, It doth remember me the more of sorrow; Or if of grief, being altogether had, It adds more sorrow to my want of joy : * A weight fixed on one side of the bowl, which turns it from the straight line. For what I have, I need not to repeat; And what I want, it boots* not to complain. 1 Lady. Madam, I'll sing. Queen. 'Tis well, that thou hast cause; But thou should'st please me better, would'st thou weep. 1 Lady. I could weep, madam, would it do you good. Queen. And I could weep, would weeping do me good, And never borrow any tear of thee. Enter a Gardener, and two Servants. My wretchedness unto a row of pins, [Queen and Ladies retire. Cut off the heads of too-fast-growing sprays, 1 Serv. Why should we, in the compass of a palet, Keep law, and form, and due proportion, * Profits. + Inclosure. Her knots disorder'd, and her wholesome herbs Swarming with caterpillars ? Gard. Hold thy peace :· He that hath suffer'd this disorder'd spring, The weeds, that his broad-spreading leaves did shelter, That seem'd in eating him to hold him up, Gard. They are; and Bolingbroke Hath seiz'd the wasteful king.-Oh! What pity is it, That he had not so trimm'd and dress'd his land, Gard. Depress'd he is already; and depos'd, Queen. O, I am press'd to death, Through want of speaking!-Thou, old Adam's likeness, [Coming from her concealment. Set to dress this garden, how dares Thy harsh-rude tongue sound this unpleasing news? Why dost thou say, King Richard is depos'd? VOL. V. + No doubt. Dar'st thou, thou little better thing than earth, Divine his downfal? Say, where, when, and how, Cam'st thou by these ill tidings? speak, thou wretch. Gard. Pardon me, madam: little joy have I, Of Bolingbroke; their fortunes both are weigh'd: I speak no more than every one doth know. Queen. Nimble mischance, that art so light of foot, Doth not thy embassage belong to me, And am I last that knows it? O, thou think'st I would, the plants thou graft'st, may never grow. [Exeunt Queen and Ladies. Gard. Poor queen! so that thy state might be no worse, I would, my skill were subject to thy curse.- * Pity. [Exeunt. |