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and view thy subjects' sad petitions.

see here, King Richard, whilst thou livest at ease

lulling thyself in nice security,

thy wronged Kingdom is in a mutiny.

from every province are the people come

with open mouths exclaiming on the wrongs

thou and these upstarts have imposed on them.

shame is deciphered on thy palace gate,

confusion hangeth over thy wretched head,

mischief is coming and in storms must fall:

the oppression of the poor to heaven doth call.

King

well, well, good uncle, these your bitter taunts

against my friends and me will one day cease.

but what is the reason you have sent for us?

Lancaster

to have your grace confirm this parliament

and set your hand to certain articles

most needful for your state and Kingdom's quiet.

King

where are those articles?

Arundel

the states and burgesses of the parliament

attend with duty to deliver them.

York

please you ascend your throne. we will call them in.

King

we will ask a question first, and then we will see

them; for trust me, reverent uncles, we have sworn

we will not sit upon our royal throne

until this question be resolved at full.

reach me that paper, Bushy. hear me, princes:

we had a strange petition here delivered us.

a poor man's son, his father being deceased,

gave him in charge unto a rich man's hands

to keep him and the little land he had

till he attained to one and twenty years.

the poor revenue amounts but to three crowns,

and yet the insatiate churl denies his right

and bars him of his fair inheritance.

tell me, I pray: will not our english laws

enforce this rich man to resign his due?

Woodstock

there is no let to bar it, gracious soverign.

afore my god, sweet prince, it joys my soul

to see your grace in person thus to judge his cause.

York

such deeds as this will make King Richard shine

above his famous predecessor Kings

if thus he labour to establish right.

King

the poor man then had wrong, you all confess?

Woodstock

and shall have right, my liege, to quit his wrong.

King

then, Woodstock, give us right, for we are

wronged.

thou art the rich, and we the poor man's son.

the realms of England, France, and Ireland

are those three crowns thou yearly keepest from us.

is it not a wrong when every mean man's son

may take his birthright at the time expired,

and we, the principal, being now attained

almost to two and twenty years of age

cannot be suffered to enjoy our own

nor peaceably possess our father's right?

Woodstock

was this the trick, sweet prince! alack the day,

you need not thus have doubled with your friends.

the right I hold, even with my heart I render

and wish your grace had claimed it long ago.

thou hadst rid mine age of mickle care and woe.

and yet I think I have not wronged your birthright:

for if the times were searched I guess your grace

is not so full of years till april next.

but be it as it will. lo, here, King Richard,

I thus yield up my sad protectorship:

a heavy burthen has thou taken from me.

long mayst thou live in peace and keep thine own

that truth and justice may attend thy throne.

Gives the Mace up King

then in the name of heaven we thus ascend it

and here we claim our fair inheritance

of fruitful England, France, and Ireland,

superior lord of scotland; and the rights

belonging to our great dominions.

here, uncles, take the crown from Richard's hand

and once more place it on our Kingly head.

this day we will be new enthronished.

Woodstock

with all our hearts, my lord. trumpets, be ready.

A Flourish All

long live King Richard, of that name the second

the sovereign lord of England's ancient rights!

King

we thank ye all. so. now we feel ourself.

our body could not fill this chair till now,

it was scanted to us by protectorship.

but now we let ye know King Richard rules

and will elect and choose, place and displace

such officers as we ourself shall like of.

and first, my lords, because your age is such

as pity it were ye should be further pressed

with weighty business of