READ STUDY GUIDE: Act II, scenes iii-iv |
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Act II, Scene iii:
The Wolds in Gloucestershire.
The Wolds in Gloucestershire.
| [Enter BOLINGBROKE and NORTHUMBERLAND, with Forces.] |
| BOLINGBROKE: |
| How far is it, my lord, to Berkeley now? |
| NORTHUMBERLAND: |
| Believe me, noble lord, |
| I am a stranger here in Gloucestershire. |
| These high wild hills and rough uneven ways |
| Draws out our miles, and makes them wearisome; |
| And yet your fair discourse hath been as sugar, |
| Making the hard way sweet and delectable. |
| But I bethink me what a weary way |
| From Ravenspurgh to Cotswold will be found |
| In Ross and Willoughby, wanting your company, |
| Which, I protest, hath very much beguil'd |
| The tediousness and process of my travel. |
| But theirs is sweeten'd with the hope to have |
| The present benefit which I possess; |
| And hope to joy is little less in joy |
| Than hope enjoy'd: by this the weary lords |
| Shall make their way seem short, as mine hath done |
| By sight of what I have, your noble company. |
| BOLINGBROKE: |
| Of much less value is my company |
| Than your good words. But who comes here? |
| [Enter HARRY PERCY.] |
| NORTHUMBERLAND: |
| It is my son, young Harry Percy, |
| Sent from my brother Worcester, whencesoever. |
| Harry, how fares your uncle? |
| PERCY: |
| I had thought, my lord, to have learn'd his health of you. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND: |
| Why, is he not with the Queen? |
| PERCY: |
| No, my good lord; he hath forsook the court, |
| Broken his staff of office, and dispers'd |
| The household of the King. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND: |
| What was his reason? |
| He was not so resolv'd when last we spake together. |
| PERCY: |
| Because your lordship was proclaimed traitor. |
| But he, my lord, is gone to Ravenspurgh, |
| To offer service to the Duke of Hereford; |
| And sent me over by Berkeley, to discover |
| What power the Duke of York had levied there; |
| Then with directions to repair to Ravenspurgh. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND: |
| Have you forgot the Duke of Hereford, boy? |
| PERCY: |
| No, my good lord; for that is not forgot |
| Which ne'er I did remember; to my knowledge, |
| I never in my life did look on him. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND: |
| Then learn to know him now; this is the duke. |
| PERCY: |
| My gracious lord, I tender you my service, |
| Such as it is, being tender, raw, and young;, |
| Which elder days shall ripen, and confirm |
| To more approved service and desert. |
| BOLINGBROKE: |
| I thank thee, gentle Percy; and be sure |
| I count myself in nothing else so happy |
| As in a soul remembering my good friends; |
| And as my fortune ripens with thy love, |
| It shall be still thy true love's recompense. |
| My heart this covenant makes, my hand thus seals it. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND: |
| How far is it to Berkeley? And what stir |
| Keeps good old York there with his men of war? |
| PERCY: |
| There stands the castle, by yon tuft of trees, |
| Mann'd with three hundred men, as I have heard; |
| And in it are the Lords of York, Berkeley, and Seymour; |
| None else of name and noble estimate. |
| [Enter Ross and WILLOUGHBY.] |
| NORTHUMBERLAND: |
| Here come the Lords of Ross and Willoughby, |
| Bloody with spurring, fiery-red with haste. |
| BOLINGBROKE: |
| Welcome, my lords. I wot your love pursues |
| A banish'd traitor; all my treasury |
| Is yet but unfelt thanks, which, more enrich'd, |
| Shall be your love and labour's recompense. |
| ROSS: |
| Your presence makes us rich, most noble lord. |
| WILLOUGHBY: |
| And far surmounts our labour to attain it. |
| BOLINGBROKE: |
| Evermore thanks, the exchequer of the poor; |
| Which, till my infant fortune comes to years, |
| Stands for my bounty. But who comes here? |
| [Enter BERKELEY.] |
| NORTHUMBERLAND: |
| It is my Lord of Berkeley, as I guess. |
| BERKELEY: |
| My Lord of Hereford, my message is to you. |
| BOLINGBROKE: |
| My lord, my answer is—to Lancaster; |
| And I am come to seek that name in England; |
| And I must find that title in your tongue |
| Before I make reply to aught you say. |
| BERKELEY: |
| Mistake me not, my lord; 'tis not my meaning |
| To raze one title of your honour out: |
| To you, my lord, I come, what lord you will, |
| From the most gracious regent of this land, |
| The Duke of York, to know what pricks you on |
| To take advantage of the absent time, |
| And fright our native peace with self-borne arms. |
| [Enter YORK, attended.] |
| BOLINGBROKE: |
| I shall not need transport my words by you; |
| Here comes his Grace in person. |
 My noble uncle! |
| [Kneels.] |
| YORK: |
| Show me thy humble heart, and not thy knee, |
| Whose duty is deceivable and false. |
| BOLINGBROKE: |
| My gracious uncle— |
| YORK: |
| Tut, tut! |
| Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle: |
| I am no traitor's uncle; and that word 'grace' |
| In an ungracious mouth is but profane. |
| Why have those banish'd and forbidden legs |
| Dar'd once to touch a dust of England's ground? |
| But then more 'why?' why have they dar'd to march |
| So many miles upon her peaceful bosom, |
| Frighting her pale-fac'd villages with war |
| And ostentation of despised arms? |
| Com'st thou because the anointed king is hence? |
| Why, foolish boy, the king is left behind, |
| And in my loyal bosom lies his power. |
| Were I but now lord of such hot youth |
| As when brave Gaunt, thy father, and myself |
| Rescued the Black Prince, that young Mars of men, |
| From forth the ranks of many thousand French, |
| O! then how quickly should this arm of mine, |
| Now prisoner to the palsy, chastise the |
| And minister correction to thy fault! |
| BOLINGBROKE: |
| My gracious uncle, let me know my fault: |
| On what condition stands it and wherein? |
| YORK: |
| Even in condition of the worst degree, |
| In gross rebellion and detested treason: |
| Thou art a banish'd man, and here art come |
| Before the expiration of thy time, |
| In braving arms against thy sovereign. |
| BOLINGBROKE: |
| As I was banish'd, I was banish'd Hereford; |
| But as I come, I come for Lancaster. |
| And, noble uncle, I beseech your Grace |
| Look on my wrongs with an indifferent eye: |
| You are my father, for methinks in you |
| I see old Gaunt alive: O! then, my father, |
| Will you permit that I shall stand condemn'd |
| A wandering vagabond; my rights and royalties |
| Pluck'd from my arms perforce, and given away |
| To upstart unthrifts? Wherefore was I born? |
| If that my cousin king be King in England, |
| It must be granted I am Duke of Lancaster. |
| You have a son, Aumerle, my noble cousin; |
| Had you first died, and he been thus trod down, |
| He should have found his uncle Gaunt a father |
| To rouse his wrongs and chase them to the bay. |
| I am denied to sue my livery here, |
| And yet my letters-patents give me leave. |
| My father's goods are all distrain'd and sold; |
| And these and all are all amiss employ'd. |
| What would you have me do? I am a subject, |
| And challenge law: attorneys are denied me; |
| And therefore personally I lay my claim |
| To my inheritance of free descent. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND: |
| The noble Duke hath been too much abus'd. |
| ROSS: |
| It stands your Grace upon to do him right. |
| WILLOUGHBY: |
| Base men by his endowments are made great. |
| YORK: |
| My lords of England, let me tell you this: |
| I have had feeling of my cousin's wrongs, |
| And labour'd all I could to do him right; |
| But in this kind to come, in braving arms, |
| Be his own carver and cut out his way, |
| To find out right with wrong, it may not be; |
| And you that do abet him in this kind |
| Cherish rebellion, and are rebels all. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND: |
| The noble Duke hath sworn his coming is |
| But for his own; and for the right of that |
| We all have strongly sworn to give him aid; |
| And let him never see joy that breaks that oath! |
| YORK: |
| Well, well, I see the issue of these arms: |
| I cannot mend it, I must needs confess, |
| Because my power is weak and all ill left; |
| But if I could, by him that gave me life, |
| I would attach you all and make you stoop |
| Unto the sovereign mercy of the king; |
| But since I cannot, be it known unto you |
| I do remain as neuter. So, fare you well; |
| Unless you please to enter in the castle, |
| And there repose you for this night. |
| BOLINGBROKE: |
| An offer, uncle, that we will accept: |
| But we must win your Grace to go with us |
| To Bristol Castle, which they say is held |
| By Bushy, Bagot, and their complices, |
| The caterpillars of the commonwealth, |
| Which I have sworn to weed and pluck away. |
| YORK: |
| It may be I will go with you; but yet I'll pause, |
| For I am loath to break our country's laws. |
| Nor friends nor foes, to me welcome you are. |
| Things past redress are now with me past care. |
| [Exeunt.] |
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