Page:Richard II (1921) Yale.djvu/89

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King Richard the Second, IV. i
77

Anointed, crowned, planted many years,
Be judg'd by subject and inferior breath, 128
And he himself not present? O! forfend it, God,
That in a Christian climate souls refin'd
Should show so heinous, black, obscene a deed.
I speak to subjects, and a subject speaks, 132
Stirr'd up by God thus boldly for his king.
My Lord of Hereford here, whom you call king,
Is a foul traitor to proud Hereford's king;
And if you crown him, let me prophesy, 136
The blood of English shall manure the ground
And future ages groan for this foul act;
Peace shall go sleep with Turks and infidels,
And in this seat of peace tumultuous wars 140
Shall kin with kin and kind with kind confound;
Disorder, horror, fear and mutiny
Shall here inhabit, and this land be call'd
The field of Golgotha and dead men's skulls. 144
O! if you raise this house against this house,
It will the woefullest division prove
That ever fell upon this cursed earth.
Prevent it, resist it, let it not be so, 148
Lest child, child's children, cry against you 'woe!'

North. Well have you argu'd, sir; and, for your pains,
Of capital treason we arrest you here.
My Lord of Westminster, be it your charge 152
To keep him safely till his day of trial.
May it please you, lords, to grant the commons' suit?

Boling. Fetch hither Richard, that in common view
He may surrender; so we shall proceed 156
Without suspicion.


127 planted: established
129 forfend: avert
141 kind: family
confound: mingle indistinguishably
149 child, etc.; cf. n.
151 Of: on a charge of
154 suit; cf. n.