That tyranny, which never quaffed but blood, K. Hen. But wherefore did he take away the crown ? Re-enter PRINCE HENRY. Lo, where he comes.-Come hither to me, Harry.Depart the chamber; leave us here alone. [Exeunt CLARENce, Prince Humphrey, Lords, &c. P. Hen. I never thought to hear you speak again. K. Hen. Thy wish was father, Harry, to that thought; I stay too long by thee; I weary thee. Dost thou so hunger for my empty chair, That thou wilt needs invest thee with mine honors Before thy hour be ripe? O, foolish youth! Thou seek'st the greatness that will overwhelm thee. Stay but a little; for my cloud of dignity Is held from falling with so weak a wind, That it will quickly drop; my day is dim. Thou hast stolen that, which, after some few hours, Were thine without offence; and, at my death, Thou hast sealed up my expectation;1 Thy life did manifest, thou lov'dst me not, Thou hid'st a thousand daggers in thy thoughts, What! canst thou not forbear me half an hour? Then get thee gone, and dig my grave thyself; And bid the merry bells ring to thine ear, Give that, which gave thee life, unto the worms. Now, neighbor confines, purge you of your scum. O, thou wilt be a wilderness again, Peopled with wolves, thy old inhabitants! P. Hen. O, pardon me, my liege! but for my tears, The moist impediments unto my speech, [Kneeling. I had forestalled this dear and deep rebuke, 1 The Variorum Shakspeare reads: "Let me no more from this obedience rise (Which my most true and inward duteous spirit The sense appears to be, "Let me no more rise from this obeisance, which my most loyal and inwardly duteous spirit teacheth this prostrate Heaven witness with me, when I here came in, And thus upbraided it :-The care on thee depending, Therefore, thou, best of gold, art worst of gold. Preserving life in med'cine potable;1 But thou, most fine, most honored, most renowned, Hast eat thy bearer up. Thus, my most royal liege, Accusing it, I put it on my head; To try with it, as with an enemy, That had before my face murdered my father, The quarrel of a true inheritor. But if it did infect my blood with joy, Or swell my thoughts to any strain of pride; If any rebel or vain spirit of mine Did, with the least affection of a welcome, And make me as the poorest vassal is, That doth with awe and terror kneel to it! Heaven put it in thy mind to take it hence, Come hither, Harry; sit thou by my bed; And hear, I think, the very latest counsel That ever I shall breathe. Heaven knows, my son, and exterior bending." Obeisance and obedience were formerly used indiscriminately the one for the other. Truth is always used for loyalty. 1 It was long a prevailing opinion that a solution of gold had great medicinal virtues; and that the incorruptibility of the metal might be communicated to the body impregnated with it. Potable gold was one of the panacea of ancient quacks. By what by-paths, and indirect, crook'd ways, My gain of it by their assistances; 1 Which daily grew to quarrel and to bloodshed, For all my reign hath been but as a scene Changes the mode; 3 for what in me was purchased, So thou the garland wear'st successively.* Yet, though thou stand'st more sure than I could do, 5 I cut them off; and had a purpose now To lead out many to the Holy Land; Lest rest, and lying still, might make them look With foreign quarrels; that action, hence borne out, 1 Supposed peace is imagined peace, counterfeit, not real. 2 Fears are objects of fear, terrors. 3 The mode is the state or form of things. 4 i. e. by order of succession. 5 Mason proposes to read, "I cut some off" which seems, indeed, necessary. The sense would then be, "Some I have cut off, and many I intended to lead to the Holy Land.” How I came by the crown, O God, forgive! You won it, wore it, kept it, gave it me: Enter PRINCE JOHN of Lancaster, WARWICK, Lords, and others. K. Hen. Look, look, here comes my John of Lan caster. P. John. Health, peace, and happiness, to my royal father! K. Hen. Thou bring'st me happiness, and peace, son John; But health, alack, with youthful wings is flown Where is my lord of Warwick? P. Hen. It hath been prophesied to me many years, [Exeunt. 1 "At length he recovered his speech and understanding, and perceiving himselfe in a strange place, which he knew not, he willed to know if the chamber had anie particular name, whereunto answer was made, that it was called Jerusalem. Then said the king, Lauds be given to the Father of Heaven, for now I know that I shall die here in this chamber, according to the prophesie, of me declared, that I should depart this life in Jerusalem." Holinshed, p. 541. |