The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 5 of 9] · William Shakespeare
SCENE I. _A forest in the north of England_.
_Enter two_ Keepers, _with cross-bows in their hands_. _First Keep._ Under this thick-grown brake we’ll shroud ourselves; [cca001] For through this laund anon the deer will come; [cca002] And in this covert will we make our stand, [cca003] Culling the principal of all the deer. _Sec. Keep._ I’ll stay above the hill, so both may shoot. [cca005] _First Keep._ That cannot be; the noise of thy cross-bow Will scare the herd, and so my shoot is lost. [cca007] Here stand we both, and aim we at the best: And, for the time shall not seem tedious, I’ll tell thee what befel me on a day ·cca010· In this self-place where now we mean to stand. _Sec. Keep._ Here comes a man; let’s stay till he be past. [cca012] _Enter_ KING HENRY, _disguised, with a prayer-book_. _K. Hen._ From Scotland am I stol’n, even of pure love, To greet mine own land with my wishful sight. [cca014] No, Harry, Harry, ’tis no land of thine; ·cca015· Thy place is fill’d, thy sceptre wrung from thee, Thy balm wash’d off wherewith thou wast anointed: [cca017] No bending knee will call thee Cæsar now, No humble suitors press to speak for right, [cca019] No, not a man comes for redress of thee; [cca020] For how can I help them, and not myself? _First Keep._ Ay, here’s a deer whose skin ’s a keeper’s fee: This is the quondam king; let’s seize upon him.
_K. Hen._ Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, [cca024] For wise men say it is the wisest course. ·cca025· _Sec. Keep._ Why linger we? let us lay hands upon him. _First Keep._ Forbear awhile; we’ll hear a little more. _K. Hen._ My queen and son are gone to France for aid; And, as I hear, the great commanding Warwick [cca029] Is thither gone, to crave the French king’s sister ·cca030· To wife for Edward: if this news be true, Poor queen and son, your labour is but lost; For Warwick is a subtle orator, And Lewis a prince soon won with moving words. By this account then Margaret may win him; ·cca035· For she’s a woman to be pitied much: Her sighs will make a battery in his breast; Her tears will pierce into a marble heart; The tiger will be mild whiles she doth mourn; [cca039] And Nero will be tainted with remorse, [cca040] To hear and see her plaints, her brinish tears. Ay, but she’s come to beg, Warwick, to give; She, on his left side, craving aid for Henry, He, on his right, asking a wife for Edward. She weeps, and says her Henry is deposed; ·cca045· He smiles, and says his Edward is install’d; That she, poor wretch, for grief can speak no more; Whiles Warwick tells his title, smooths the wrong, [cca048] Inferreth arguments of mighty strength, And in conclusion wins the king from her, ·cca050· With promise of his sister, and what else, [cca051] To strengthen and support King Edward’s place. O Margaret, thus ’twill be; and thou, poor soul, [cca053] Art then forsaken, as thou went’st forlorn!
_Sec. Keep._ Say, what art thou that talk’st of kings and queens? [cca055] _K. Hen._ More than I seem, and less than I was born to: A man at least, for less I should not be; And men may talk of kings, and why not I? _Sec. Keep._ Ay, but thou talk’st as if thou wert a king. _K. Hen._ Why, so I am, in mind; and that’s enough. [cca060] _Sec. Keep._ But, if thou be a king, where is thy crown? _K. Hen._ My crown is in my heart, not on my head; Not deck’d with diamonds and Indian stones, [cca063] Nor to be seen: my crown is call’d content: [cca064] A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy. ·cca065· _Sec. Keep._ Well, if you be a king crown’d with content, Your crown content and you must be contented To go along with us; for, as we think, You are the king King Edward hath deposed; And we his subjects sworn in all allegiance ·cca070· Will apprehend you as his enemy. _K. Hen._ But did you never swear, and break an oath? _Sec. Keep._ No, never such an oath; nor will not now. [cca073] _K. Hen._ Where did you dwell when I was King of England? [cca074] _Sec. Keep._ Here in this country, where we now remain. ·cca075· _K. Hen._ I was anointed king at nine months old; My father and my grandfather were kings, And you were sworn true subjects unto me: And tell me, then, have you not broke your oaths?
_First Keep._ No; [cca080] For we were subjects but while you were king. [cca081] _K. Hen._ Why, am I dead? do I not breathe a man? Ah, simple men, you know not what you swear! [cca083] Look, as I blow this feather from my face, And as the air blows it to me again, ·cca085· Obeying with my wind when I do blow, And yielding to another when it blows, Commanded always by the greater gust; Such is the lightness of you common men. But do not break your oaths; for of that sin [cca090] My mild entreaty shall not make you guilty. Go where you will, the king shall be commanded; And be you kings, command, and I’ll obey. _First Keep._ We are true subjects to the king, King Edward. [cca094] _K. Hen._ So would you be again to Henry, ·cca095· If he were seated as King Edward is. _First Keep._ We charge you, in God’s name, and the king’s, [cca097] To go with us unto the officers. _K. Hen._ In God’s name, lead; your king’s name be obey’d: And what God will, that let your king perform; [cca100] And what he will, I humbly yield unto. [_Exeunt._
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.