Enter DUKE OF YORK attended HENRY BOLINGBROKE I shall not need transport my words by you;
Here comes his grace in person. My noble uncle!
Kneels DUKE OF YORK Show me thy humble heart, and not thy knee, Whose duty is deceiveable and false. HENRY BOLINGBROKE My gracious uncle-- DUKE OF YORK Tut, tut!
Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle:
I am no traitor's uncle; and that word 'grace.'
In an ungracious mouth is but profane.
Why have those banish'd and forbidden legs Dared once to touch a dust of England's ground?
But then more 'why?' why have they dared to march So many miles upon her peaceful bosom, Frighting her pale-faced villages with war And ostentation of despised arms?
Comest thou because the anointed king is hence?
Why, foolish boy, the king is left behind, And in my loyal bosom lies his power.
Were I but now the lord of such hot youth As when brave Gaunt, thy father, and myself Rescued the Black Prince, that young Mars of men, From forth the ranks of many thousand French, O, then how quickly should this arm of mine.
Now prisoner to the palsy, chastise thee And minister correction to thy fault! HENRY BOLINGBROKE My gracious uncle, let me know my fault:
On what condition stands it and wherein? DUKE OF YORK Even in condition of the worst degree, In gross rebellion and detested treason:
Thou art a banish'd man, and here art come Before the expiration of thy time, In braving arms against thy sovereign. HENRY BOLINGBROKE As I was banish'd, I was banish'd Hereford;
But as I come, I come for Lancaster.
And, noble uncle, I beseech your grace Look on my wrongs with an indifferent eye:
You are my father, for methinks in you I see old Gaunt alive; O, then, my father, Will you permit that I shall stand condemn'd A wandering vagabond; my rights and royalties Pluck'd from my arms perforce and given away To upstart unthrifts? Wherefore was I born?
If that my cousin king be King of England, It must be granted I am Duke of Lancaster.
You have a son, Aumerle, my noble cousin;
Had you first died, and he been thus trod down, He should have found his uncle Gaunt a father, To rouse his wrongs and chase them to the bay.
I am denied to sue my livery here, And yet my letters-patents give me leave:
My father's goods are all distrain'd and sold, And these and all are all amiss employ'd.
What would you have me do? I am a subject, And I challenge law: attorneys are denied me;
And therefore, personally I lay my claim To my inheritance of free descent. NORTHUMBERLAND The noble duke hath been too much abused. LORD ROSS It stands your grace upon to do him right. LORD WILLOUGHBY Base men by his endowments are made great. DUKE OF YORK My lords of England, let me tell you this:
I have had feeling of my cousin's wrongs And laboured all I could to do him right;
But in this kind to come, in braving arms, Be his own carver and cut out his way, To find out right with wrong, it may not be;
And you that do abet him in this kind Cherish rebellion and are rebels all. NORTHUMBERLAND The noble duke hath sworn his coming is But for his own; and for the right of that We all have strongly sworn to give him aid;
And let him ne'er see joy that breaks that oath! DUKE OF YORK Well, well, I see the issue of these arms:
I cannot mend it, I must needs confess, Because my power is weak and all ill left:
But if I could, by Him that gave me life, I would attach you all and make you stoop Unto the sovereign mercy of the king;
But since I cannot, be it known to you I do remain as neuter. So, fare you well;
Unless you please to enter in the castle And there repose you for this night. HENRY BOLINGBROKE An offer, uncle, that we will accept:
But we must win your grace to go with us To Bristol castle, which they say is held By Bushy, Bagot and their complices, The caterpillars of the commonwealth, Which I have sworn to weed and pluck away. DUKE OF YORK It may be I will go with you: but yet I'll pause;
For I am loath to break our country's laws.
Nor friends nor foes, to me welcome you are:
Things past redress are now with me past care.