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the crown is mine.

Bagot

all thanks, love, duty to my princely sovereign.

King

Bushy, from thee shall stretch his government

over these lands that lie in wales, together

with our counties of Gloucester, worcester, hereford,

shropshire, staffordshire and cheshire. there is thy lot.

Bushy

thanks to my King that thus hath honoured me.

sir Thomas Scroope, from trent to tweed thy lot

is parted thus: all Yorkshire, derbyshire, lancashire,

cumberland, westmoreland, and Northumberland.

receive thy lot, thy state and government.

Scroope

with faith and duty to your highness' throne.

King

now, my Greene, what have I left for thee?

Green

sfoot, and you will give me nothing, then goodnight

landlord! since ye have served me last, and I be not

the last shall pay your rent, never trust me!

King

I kept thee last to make thy part the greatest.

see here, sweet Greene:

these shires are thine, even from the thames to trent:

thou here shalt lie, in the middle of my land.

Green

that is best in the winter. is there any pretty

wenches in my government?

King

guess that by this: thou hast London, middlesex,

essex, suffolk, norfolk, cambridgeshire,

hertfordshire, bedfordshire, bucKinghamshire,

oxfordshire, northamptonshire; rutlandshire,

leicestershire, warwickshire, huntingdonshire,

and lincolnshire. there is your portion, sir.

Green

'slid, I will rule like a King amongst them,

and thou shalt reign like an emperor over us.

King

thus have I parted my whole realm amongst ye.

be careful of your charge and government.

and now to attach our stubborn uncles,

let warrants be sent down, Tresilian,

for Gaunt and York, Surrey and Arundel

whiles we this night at plashey suddenly

surprise plain Woodstock. being parted thus

we shall with greater ease arrest and take them.

your places are not sure while they have breath,

therefore pursue them hard: those traitors gone,

the staves are broke the people lean upon,

and you may guide and rule then at your pleasures.

away to plashey, let our masque be ready.

beware plain Thomas, for King Richard comes

resolved with blood to wash all former wrongs.

Exeunt

Act IV, Scene 2: Plashey House, Essex]

Enter Woodstock and his Duchess, with a gentleman, Cheyney and others Woodstock

the Queen so sick! come, come, make haste good

wife, thou wilt be belated, sure, it is night already!

on with thy cloak and mask! to horse, to horse!

Duchess of Gloucester

good troth, my lord I have no mind to ride.

I have been dull and heavy all this day,

my sleeps were troubled with sad dreams last night,

and I am full or fear and heaviness.

pray let me ride tomorrow.

Woodstock

what, and the Queen so sick? away for shame!

stay for a dream? thou hast dreamt I am sure ere this!

Duchess of Gloucester

never so fearful were my dreams till now.

had they concerned myself, my fears were past;

but you were made the object of mine eye

and I beheld you murdered cruelly.

Woodstock ha, murdered?

alack, good lady, didst thou dream of me?

take comfort, then, all dreams are contrary.

Duchess of Gloucester

pray god it prove so, for my soul is fearful,

the vision did appear so lively to me.

methoughts as you were ranging through the woods

an angry lion with a herd of wolves

had in an instant round encompassed you;

when to your rescue, against the course of kind,

a flock of silly sheep made head against them,

bleating for help, against whom the forest King

roused up his strength, and slew both you and them.

this fear affrights me.

Woodstock

afore my god thou art foolish, I will tell thee all

thy dream. thou knowest last night we had some private

talk about the blanks the country is taxed withal,

where I compared the state (as now it stands,

meaning King Richard and his harmful flatterers)

unto a savage herd of ravening wolves,

the commons to a flock of silly sheep

who, whilst their slothful shepherd careless stood,

those forest thieves broke in, and sucked their blood.

and this thy apprehension