Marry, would the word farewell have lengthen'd hours,
And added years to his short banishment,
He should have had a volume of farewells ;
But, since it would not, he had none of me.

K. Rich. He is our cousin, cousin; but 'tis doubt,
When time shall call him home from banishment,
Whether our kinsman come to see his friends.
Ourself, and Bushy, Bagot here, and Green,
Observ'd his courtship to the common people :-
How he did seem to dive into their hearts,
With humble and familiar courtesy :
What reverence he did throw away on Naves;
Wooing poor craftsmen with the craft of smiles,
And patient under-bearing of his fortune,
As 'were, to banish their affects with him.
Off goes his bonnet to an oyster-wench;
A brace of dray-men bid, God speed him well,
And had the tribute of his supple knee,
With-Thanks, my countrymen, my loving friends;-
As were our England in reversion his,
And he our subjects' next degree in hope.
Green. Well, he is gone, and with him go these

thoughts.
Now for the rebels, which stand out in Ireland
Expedient manage must be made, my liege ;
Ere further leisure yield thém further means
For their advantage, and your highness' lofs.

K. Rich. We will ourself in person to this war.
And, for our coffers with too great a court,
And liberal largess, are grown fomewhat light,
We are enforc'd to farm our royal realm ;
The revenue whereof shall furnish us
For our affairs in hand : if that come short,
Our substitutes at home shall have blank charters;
Whereto, when they shall know what men are rich,
They shall subscribe them for large sums of gold,
And send them after to supply our wants ;
For we will make for Ireland presently.

Enter

7

Enter Bushy. K. Rich. Bushy, what news ?

Busby. Old John of Gaunt is grievous sick, my lord,
Suddenly taken ; and hath sent post-hafte
To intreat your majesty to visit him.

K. Ricb. Where lies he?
Busby. At Ely-house.
K. Kich. Now put it, heaven, in his physician's

mind,
To help him to his grave immediately!
The lining of his coffers shall make coats
To deck our soldiers for these Irish wars.
Come, gentlemen, let's all

go visit him: Pray heaven, we may make haste, and come too late!

[Exeunt.

A C T II.

SCENE I.

London.

A room in Ely-bouse.
Gaunt brought in, fick; with the duke of York.

GAUNT.

WILL

ILL the king come? that I may

breathe

my last In wholesome counsel to his unftay'd youth. York. Vex not yourself, nor itrive not with your

breath ; For all in vain comes counsel to his ear.

Gaunt. Oh, but, they say, the tongues of dying men Inforce attention, like deep harmony: Where words are scarce, they are seldom spent in vain; For they breathe truth, that breathe their words in pain,

Не, ,

He, that no more must say, is listen'd more,
Than they, whom youth and ease have taught to

glose, More are men's ends mark'd, than their lives before ;

The setting sun, and music at the close, As the last taste of sweets, is sweetest last; Writ in remembrance, more than things long past. Though Richard my life's counsel would not hear, My death's sad tale may yet undeaf his ear.

York. No; it is stopt with other flattering charms, As praises of his state : then there are found Lascivious meeters, to whose venom'd found The open ear of youth doth always listen : Report of fashions in proud Italy ? ;

Vhose manners still our tardy, apish nation Limps after, in base imitation. Where doth the world thrust forth a vanity (So it be new there's no respect how vile) That is not quickly buzz’d into his ears ? Then all too late comes counsel to be heard, Where will doth mutiny with wit's regard 3. Direct not him, whose way himself will chuse 4 ; 'Tis breath thou lack'st, and that breath wilt thou lose.

Gaunt. Methinks, I am a prophet new-inspir’d; And, thus expiring, do foretell of him :His 5 rash, fierce blaze of riot cannot last, For violent fires soon burn out themselves, Small showers last long, but sudden storms are short;

Report of fashions in proud Italy ;] Our author, who gives to all nations the customs of England, and to all ages the manners of his own, has charged the times of Richard with a folly not perhaps known then, but very frequent in Shakespeare's time, and much lamented by the wiseft and best of our ancestors. JOHNSON.

3 Where will doth mutiny vith wit’s regard.] Where the will rebels against the notices of the understanding. JOHNSON.

whoje way himself will chuje ;] Ďo not attempt to guide him who, whatever thou shalt say, will take his own course.

JOHNSON. Sarah--) That is, bajty, violent. JOHNSON,

He

4

He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes ;
With eager feeding, food doth choak the feeder.
Light vanity, insatiate cormorant,
Consuming means, foon preys upon itself.
This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd inle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demy Paradise ;
This fortress, built by nature for herself,
Against infection, and the hand of war;
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver-sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands 7;
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England,
This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings,
8 Feard for their breed, and famous by their birth,
Renowned for their deeds, as far from home
For Christian service, and true chivalry,
As is the fepulchre in stubborn Jury

• Againft infection] I once suspected that for infe&tion we might read invafion ; but the copies all agree, and I suppose Shakespeare meant to say, that isanders are secured by their situation both from war and peftilence. JOHNSON,

' — less happier lands;] So read all the editions, except Hanmer's, which has lefs happy. I believe Shakespeare, from the habit of saying more happier according to the custom of his time, inadvertently writ less happier. JOHNSON.

: Fear'd for their breed, and famous by their birth,] The fira edition in 4to, 1598, reads,

Feard by their breed, and famous for their birth. The second 4to, in 1615,

Feard by their breed, and famous by their birth.
The first folio, though printed from the second quarto, reads as
the first. The particles in this author feem often to have been
printed by chance. Perhaps the passage, which appears a little
disordered, may be regulated thus:

royal kings,
Fear'd for their breed, and famous for their birth,
For Chriftian service, and true chivalry;
Renowned for their deeds as far

from home
Ai is the sepulchre. JOHNSON

Of

1

For young

Of the world's ransom, blessed Mary's son ;
This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land,
Dear for her reputation through the world,
Is now leas'd out (I die, pronouncing it)
Like to a tenement, or pelting farm.
England, bound in with the triumphant fea,
Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege
Of watry Neptune, is now bound in with shame,
With inky blots, and rotten parchment-bonds :
That England, that was wont to conquer others,
Hath made a shameful conquest of itself.
Ah! would the scandal vanish with my life,
How happy then were my ensuing death!
Enter king Richard, queen, Aumerle, Busby, Green,

Bagot, Ross, and Willoughby.
York. The king is come : deal mildly with his youth ;

hot colts, being rag'd, do rage the more. Queen. How fares our noble uncle, Lancaster ? King. Rich. What comfort, man? How is't with

aged Gaunt? Gaunt. Oh, how that name befits my composition ! Old Gaunt, indeed ; and gaunt in being old : Within me grief hath kept a tedious faft; And who abitains from meat, that is not gaunt? For Neeping England long time have I watch'd; Watching breeds leanness, leanness is all

gaunt :
The pleasure, that some fathers feed upon,
Is my strict fast; I mean, my childrens looks;
And, therein fafting, thou hast made me gaunt:
Gaunt am I for the grave, gaunt as a grave,
Whose hollow womb inherits nought but bones.
K. Rich. Can fick men play so nicely with their

names ?
Gaunt. No, misery makes sport to mock itself:
Since thou dost seek to kill my name in me,
I mock my name, great king, to Hatter thee.

K. Rich. Should dying men fatter with those that live?
Gaunt. Oh, no; men living flatter those that die.

K. Riche