North.
Great Duke of Lancaster, I come to thee
From Richard, who with free and willing Soul
Adopts thee Heir, and his high Scepter yields
To the possession of thy Royal Hand;
Ascend his Throne descending now from him,
And long live Henry of that Name the Fourth.

Bull.
Richard Consents, and Lords I have your Voices,
In Heav'ns Name therefore I ascend the Throne.

Carl.
No, hasty Bullingbrook, in Heav'ns Name stay,
Tho' meanest of this Presence, yet I'll speak
A Truth that do's beseem me best to speak,
And wou'd to God, the noblest of this presence
Were enuff noble to be Richard's Judge:
What subject can give sentence on his King!
And who sits here that is not Richard's Subject?
Theeves are not judg'd, but they are by to hear,
Th' indictment read, and Answer to their Charge,
And shall the Figure of Heav'ns Majesty,
His Captain, Steward, Deputy, Elect,
Anointed, Crown'd and planted many years,
Be judg'd by Subject and inferiour Breath,
And he not present! o' forbid it God!
That in a Christian Climate Souls refin'd,
Shou'd Plot so heinous black obscene a deed;
I speak to Subjects, and a Subject speaks,
Stir'd up by Heaven thus boldly for his King.

York.
Now by my Life, I thank thee honest Prelate,
My Lords what say ye to the Bishops Doctrine,
Is't not Heavenly true? you know it is;
Nor can ev'n graceless Herford's self gain say't.

Carl.
My Lord of Hereford here whom you call King,
Is a foul Traytor to proud Herford's King,
And if you Crown him, let me prophesie,
The blood of English shall manure the Land,
And future Ages groan for this foul Deed:
And if you rear this House against its self,
It will the wofullest Division prove
That ever yet befell this guilty Earth.
Prevent, resist it, stop this breach in Time
Lest Childrens Children, curse you for this Crime.

North.
Well have you argu'd, Sir, and for your pains
Of Capital Treason we Arrest you here;
My Lord of Westminster, be it your care
To keep him safely till his Day of Tryal.
Wil't please you Lords to grant the Common's Suit?

York.
First let me move and yield some Knave a Seat.

Bull.
Bring hither Richard, that in open view
He may surrender so shall we proceed
Without suspition. King Richard brought in.

King.
Alack why am I sent for to the King,
Before I have shook off the Regal thoughts
With which I Reign'd—as yet I have not learnt
T' insinuate, flatter, bow, and bend the Knee,
Give sorrow leave a while to tutor me
To this submission—Yet I well remember
The favours these Men! were they not mine?
To do what service am I sent for hither?

North.
To do that Office of your own good will,
Which weary'd Majesty did prompt thee to
The Resignation of thy Crown and State
To Henry Bullingbrook.

King.
My own good Will?
Yes, Heav'n and you know with what sort of Will!
You say it is my Will: why be it so,
Give me the Crown—come Cousin seize the Crown
Upon this side my Hand, on that side thine.
Now is this Crown a Well wherein two Vessels
That in successive Motion rise and fall,

The emptier ever dancing in the Air,
Th' opprest one down, unseen and sunk, that Vessel
Dejected, prest and full of Tears am I,
Drinking my Griefs whilst Herford mounts on high.

Bull.
I thought you had been willing to Resign.

King.
My Crown I am, but still my Griefs are mine.

Bull.
Are you contented to Resign or no?

King.
Yes—No—yet let it pass,
From off my Head I give this heavy weight,
And this unwieldy Scepter from my Hand;
So with my Tears I wash my Balm away,
With my own breath release all duteous Oaths,
My Pomp and Majesty for ever quit,
My mannors, Rents, Revenues I forego,
My Acts, Decrees and Statutes I repeal,
Heav'n pardon all Oaths that are broke to me;
Heav'n keep unbroke all Vows are made to thee
Make me that nothing have, to covet nought,
And thee possest of all that all hast sought:
What more remains?

North.
No more, but that you read
This Bill of Accusations charg'd upon your Crimes.

King.
Distraction! made my own accuser too
To read a bead-roll of my own defaults,
Read it my self? by piece-meal to unrauel
My weav'd-up follies? why, Northumberland,
If thy Offences were upon Record,
Wou'd it not shame thee in so full a Presence
To read a Lecture of 'em? if thou shou'dst,
There wou'dst thou find one heynous Article,
Containing the deposing of a King:
And cracking the strong warrant of an Oath,
Markt with a blot damn'd in the book of Heav'n,
Nay all of you that stand and look upon me,
Waiting to see my Misery bait it self;
Like Pilates have betray'd me to my Cross,
And water cannot wash away your sin.

North.
My Lord dispatch, read ore the Articles.

King.
My Eyes are full of Tears! I cannot see.

North.
My Lord—

King.
No Lord of thine thou false insulting Man;
Nor no Man's Lord—I have no Name, no Title,
Let me Command a Mirrour hither streight,
That it may shew me what a Face I have
Since stript and Bankrupt of it's Majesty.

Bul.
Fetch him a Glass.

North.
In the mean time read o're this Paper.

King.
Hell!—for a Charm to lay
This foul Tormenting Fiend.

Bul.
Urge it no more Northumberland.

Nor.
The Commons Sir will not be satisfi'd,
Unless he Read, Confess, and Sign it too.

King.
They shall be satisfi'd, I'le Read enuff
When I shall see the very Book indeed
Where all my faults are writ, and that's my Self,
Give me that Mirrour— [Views himself in the Glass.
No deeper wrinkles yet? has Sorrow struck
So many many blows upon these Cheeks and made
No deeper wounds?—O' flattring Instrument,
Like to my followers in prosperity,
So shall just Fate dash them as I dash thee: [Breaks it.
So Pomp and Fals-hood ends—I'll beg one Boon,
Then take my leave and trouble you no more,
Shall I obtain it?

Bul.
Name it fair Cousin.

King.
Fair Cousin?—I am greater than a King!
For when I was a King my Flatterers
Were then but Subjects, being now a Subject
I have a King here for my Flaterer.
'Tis onely leave to go.

Bul.
Whether?

King.
Why, from your sight and then no matter where

Bul.
Convey him to the Tower.

King.
Ha! ha! my fortune's Malice now
Is grown so strange that 'tis become my sport;
Convey, Convey, Conveighers are you all
That rise thus nimbly on your Monarchs fall.

Bul.
Lords, I shall study to requite your Favours:
On Wednesday next we Solemnly set down
Our Coronation, so prepare your selves.

All,
Long live King Bullingbrook, Henry the Fourth.

York.
Well, my Allegiance follows still the Crown,
True to the King I shall be, and thereon
I kiss his Hand; 'tis equally as true
That I shall always Love and Guard the King,
As that I always shall hate Bullingbrook.
The King's Sacred, be Herford what he will
Yet 'tis no Treason sure to pity Richard.

Bul.
Break up the Assembly, so wee'll pass in state
To greet the Loves of our expecting Subjects,
Lead there and bid our Trumpets speak. Ex. Bullingbrook attended; shouts without.

York.
Peace Hell-hounds or your own breath Poyson ye.

King.
Good Uncle give 'em way, all Monsters Act
To their own kind, so do the Multitude. Shout again.

Carl.
Why impious hardned wretches, Brands for Hell?
Forbear this barb'rous Out-rage, Tears of Blood
Can never wash this Monstrous Guilt away.

King.
What must I then preach Patience to my Priest?
Let no Man's wrongs complain whilst mine are silent,
How think ye my good Friends, will not
Succeeding Ages call this Day to witness
What Changes sway the World; your King must pass
A Spectacle of scorn through crouded streets,
That at the same time view th' usurpers Triumph;
Heav'n shut thy Eye till this dire Scene be past,
The light that sees it, sure will be the last. Ex. Guarded.

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