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Love loving not itself, none other can.

YORK.

Thou frantic woman, what dost thou make here?

Shall thy old dugs once more a traitor rear?

DUCHESS.

Sweet York, be patient. Hear me, gentle liege.

[Kneels]

BOLINGBROKE.

Rise up, good aunt.

DUCHESS.

Not yet, I thee beseech.

For ever will I walk upon my knees,

And never see day that the happy sees

Till thou give joy; until thou bid me joy

By pardoning Rutland, my transgressing boy.

AUMERLE.

Unto my mother's prayers I bend my knee.

[Kneels]

YORK.

Against them both, my true joints bended be.

[Kneels]

Ill mayst thou thrive, if thou grant any grace!

DUCHESS.

Pleads he in earnest? Look upon his face;

His eyes do drop no tears, his prayers are in jest;

His words come from his mouth, ours from our breast.

He prays but faintly and would be denied;

We pray with heart and soul, and all beside.

His weary joints would gladly rise, I know;

Our knees still kneel till to the ground they grow.

His prayers are full of false hypocrisy;

Ours of true zeal and deep integrity.

Our prayers do out-pray his; then let them have

That mercy which true prayer ought to have.

BOLINGBROKE.

Good aunt, stand up.

DUCHESS.

do not say 'stand up';

Say 'pardon' first, and afterwards 'stand up.'

An if I were thy nurse, thy tongue to teach,

'Pardon' should be the first word of thy speech.

I never long'd to hear a word till now;

Say 'pardon,' King; let pity teach thee how.

The word is short, but not so short as sweet;

No word like 'pardon' for kings' mouths so meet.

YORK.

Speak it in French, King, say 'pardonne moy.'

DUCHESS.

Dost thou teach pardon pardon to destroy?

Ah, my sour husband, my hard-hearted lord,

That sets the word itself against the word!

Speak 'pardon' as 'tis current in our land;

The chopping French we do not understand.

Thine eye begins to speak, set thy tongue there;

Or in thy piteous heart plant thou thine ear,

That hearing how our plaints and prayers do pierce,

Pity may move thee 'pardon' to rehearse.

BOLINGBROKE.

Good aunt, stand up.

DUCHESS.

I do not sue to stand;

Pardon is all the suit I have in hand.

BOLINGBROKE.

I pardon him, as God shall pardon me.

DUCHESS.

O happy vantage of a kneeling knee!

Yet am I sick for fear. Speak it again.

Twice saying 'pardon' doth not pardon twain,

But makes one pardon strong.

BOLINGBROKE.

With all my heart

I pardon him.

DUCHESS.

A god on earth thou art.

BOLINGBROKE.

But for our trusty brother-in-law and the Abbot,

With all the rest of that consorted crew,

Destruction straight shall dog them at the heels.

Good uncle, help to order several powers

To Oxford, or where'er these traitors are.

They shall not live within this world, I swear,

But I will have them, if I once know where.

Uncle, farewell; and, cousin, adieu;

Your mother well hath pray'd, and prove you true.

DUCHESS.

Come, my old son; I pray God make thee new.

Exeunt

SCENE 4. Windsor Castle

Enter SIR PIERCE OF EXTON and a servant

EXTON. Didst thou not mark the King, what words he spake?

'Have I no friend will rid me of this living fear?'

Was it not so?

SERVANT.

These were his very words.

EXTON.

'Have I no friend?' quoth he. He spake it twice

And urg'd it twice together, did he not?

SERVANT.

He did.

EXTON.

And, speaking it, he wishtly look'd on me,

As who should say 'I would thou wert the man

That would divorce this terror from my heart';

Meaning the King at Pomfret. Come, let's go.

I am the King's friend, and will rid his foe. Exeunt

SCENE 5. Pomfret Castle. The dungeon of the Castle

Enter KING RICHARD

KING RICHARD. I have been studying how I may compare

This prison where I live unto the world

And, for because the world is populous

And here is not a creature but myself,

I cannot do it. Yet I'll hammer it out.

My brain I'll prove the female to my soul,

My soul the father; and these two beget

A generation of still-breeding thoughts,

And these same thoughts people this little world,

In humours like