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Stay, Edmund, stay, Canutus yields to thee.

EDRICUS: What, will he basely yield? The devil forfend.

CANUTUS: Take which of these thou wilt, my hand or sword:

my hand brings friendship firm, immovable;

my sword brings enmity irrevocable.

EDMUND: Brave Canutus, in yielding thou hast won.

That which thy sword could never do,

thy tongue hath brought to pass by gentle speech.

Canutus, take my hand; here lies my sword.

Edmund is thine, his thine, himself and all; ...

now let us strive who shall demerit best

by mutual kindness who shall be termed a friend.

CANUTUS: How pleasant are these speeches to my ears,

Aeolian music to my dancing heart,

Ambrosian dainties to my starved maw,

sweet-passing Nectar to my thirsty throat,

rare cullises to my sick-glutted mind,

refreshing ointments to my wearied limbs,

and heavenly physic to my earth-sick soul,

which erst was surfeited with woe and war. ...

EDMUND: Let me embrace thee, war-begotten friend. [They embrace.]

God grant as brothers we may long embrace

and, sweet Egina, for thy husband's sake,

in sigh of love, this kiss from Edmund take. [Edmund kisses Egina.]

But, lords, why stand you still, grieve you to see

Canutus and your king so well agree?

ALFRIC: The inward solace which our hearts conceive

to see peace grow where foul debate was sown,

to see sweet concord spring from discord's womb,

to see war bring forth love and amity, ...

to see two mortal foes prove faithful friends,

and Mars drink milk instead of purple blood,

doth force our tongues, our hearts' chief orators,

to show with silence joy unspeakable.

Yet, lords, behold, even as you do embrace,

so in dumb shows we all unite our hearts. [The lords embrace.]

TURKILLUS: Remember, Leofric, our children's loss.

LEOFRIC: Turkillus, I do, and must serve the time

and wait upon occasion for revenge.

A day of mirth begins a woeful year, ...

as sudden storms do follow sunshine clear.

EDMUND: Now, noble lords, let us like friends consult

upon partition of this noble isle.

Yourself shall choose which part you think is best:

the east or west, the right hand or the left.

My court is yours, my counselors are yours,

my friends your friends, thy foe my enemy,

my people yours, my treasure and myself

all are your own, for you shall all command.

CANUTUS: Thanks, noble brother and my second self. ...

In all thy acts thou dost excel thyself.

Foul shame on them that are thy enemies,

and vengeance light on them that think thee ill.

EDMUND: Go [we] unto our coasts and feast us there,

and there conclude an everlasting peace.

Sound drums and trumpets! Here ends [woeful war].

Thus hand in hand and heart in heart we go.

EDRICUS: And I for one. 'Tis meet it should be so.

[Aside.] Thus wise men can dissemble what they think,

and till occasion fits them, sleeping wink. ...

But I have sworn and I will keep my vow,

By heaven Ill be revenged on both of you.

[They go hand in hand out of the stage, Edricus leading the drum.]

FINIS

THOMAS OF WOODSTOCK

OR

RICHARD THE SECOND PART ONE

This incomplete manuscript depicts events in the reign of King Richard II. Some scholars have attributed the work to Shakespeare, though it does not usually appear in the major editions of Shakespeare’s Apocrypha. The play is often cited as being a probable influence upon Shakespeare's Richard II, as well as possibly his Henry IV plays. It depicts events immediately prior to Richard II and provides explanations for the behaviour of many of Shakespeare's characters in that play.

Richard II

CONTENTS

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Act I, Scene 1 [A house near London]

Act I, Scene 2 [A house near London]

Act I, Scene 3: London, the Court]

Act II, Scene 1

Act II, Scene 2: Westminster]

Act II, Scene 3: The Queen's apartment, Westminster]

Act III, Scene 1

Act III, Scene 2: Plashey House, Essex]

Act III, Scene 3: The market square, Dunstable]

Act IV, Scene 1

Act IV, Scene 2: Plashey House, Essex]

Act IV, Scene 3: Sheen House.]

Act V, Scene 1

Act V, Scene 2: Open country]