Languages & literature > Shakespeare's Richard II

4
Scene III.]
KING RICHARD II.
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Than an unstringed viol, or a harp ;
Or like a cuiming iastrpinent cas’d up,
Or, being open, put into his hands
That knows no touch to tune the harmony.
Within my mouth you have engaol’d my tongue,
Doubly portcullis’d with my teeth and lips;
And dull, unfeeling, barren ignorance
Is made my gaoler to attend on me.
I am too old to fawn upon a nurse,
Too far in years to be a pupil now;
a *
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i^\
What is thy sentence^ then, but speechless death,
WhicS robs my~tongue from breathing native breath ?
K. Rich. It boots thee not to be ^compassionate: J-t
Aftejvour sentence, plaining comes too late., ~juZ L^C, (.
Nor.' Then thus I tm-n me from my country’s light,
To dwell in solemn shades of endless night.
[Retiring.
. K. Rich. Return again, and take an oath with thee.
f-. Lay on our rovaLsword your banish’d hands ;
Swear by the duty that you owe to heaven .. ISO ' < A- ■■■'
(Our partJdierQin we banish with yourselves), ... , L * * e ’
To keep the oath that we administer ' 1
You never shall (so help you truth and heaven !)
Embrace each other’s love in banishment^
Nor ever look upon each other’s face ; "
Nor ever write, regreet, or reconcile^
This lowering tempest of your home-hged hate ;
Nor ever by advised purpose meet i ^ - r
To plot, contrive, or complot any ill"
’Gainst us, our state, our subjects, or our land.,
Boling. I swear. ,
Nor. And I, to keep all this. . ^ ^ U &
Boling. Norfolk—so far asio mine enemy1
By this time, had the king permitted us,
One of our souls had wander’d in the air,
Banish’d this frail sepulchre of our flesh,
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