Chapter: Scoena Tertia.

Enter Bullingbrooke, Percie, and other Lords.

  Bul. Can no man tell of my vnthriftie Sonne?
'Tis full three monthes since I did see him last.
If any plague hang ouer vs, 'tis he,
I would to heauen (my Lords) he might be found:
Enquire at London, 'mongst the Tauernes there:
For there (they say) he dayly doth frequent,
With vnrestrained loose Companions,
Euen such (they say) as stand in narrow Lanes,
And rob our Watch, and beate our passengers,
Which he, yong wanton, and effeminate Boy
Takes on the point of Honor, to support
So dissolute a crew

   Per. My Lord, some two dayes since I saw the Prince,
And told him of these Triumphes held at Oxford

   Bul. And what said the Gallant?
  Per. His answer was: he would vnto the Stewes,
And from the common'st creature plucke a Gloue
And weare it as a fauour, and with that
He would vnhorse the lustiest Challenger

   Bul. As dissolute as desp'rate, yet through both,
I see some sparkes of better hope: which elder dayes
May happily bring forth. But who comes heere?
Enter Aumerle.

  Aum. Where is the King?
  Bul. What meanes our Cosin, that hee stares
And lookes so wildely?
  Aum. God saue your Grace. I do beseech your Maiesty
To haue some conference with your Grace alone

   Bul. Withdraw your selues, and leaue vs here alone:
What is the matter with our Cosin now?
  Aum. For euer may my knees grow to the earth,
My tongue cleaue to my roofe within my mouth,
Vnlesse a Pardon, ere I rise, or speake

   Bul. Intended, or committed was this fault?
If on the first, how heynous ere it bee,
To win thy after loue, I pardon thee

   Aum. Then giue me leaue, that I may turne the key,
That no man enter, till my tale be done

   Bul. Haue thy desire.

Yorke within.

  Yor. My Liege beware, looke to thy selfe,
Thou hast a Traitor in thy presence there

   Bul. Villaine, Ile make thee safe

   Aum. Stay thy reuengefull hand, thou hast no cause
to feare

   Yorke. Open the doore, secure foole-hardy King:
Shall I for loue speake treason to thy face?
Open the doore, or I will breake it open.
Enter Yorke.

  Bul. What is the matter (Vnkle) speak, recouer breath,
Tell vs how neere is danger,
That we may arme vs to encounter it

   Yor. Peruse this writing heere, and thou shalt know
The reason that my haste forbids me show

   Aum. Remember as thou read'st, thy promise past:
I do repent me, reade not my name there,
My heart is not confederate with my hand

   Yor. It was (villaine) ere thy hand did set it downe.
I tore it from the Traitors bosome, King.
Feare, and not Loue, begets his penitence;
Forget to pitty him, least thy pitty proue
A Serpent, that will sting thee to the heart

   Bul. Oh heinous, strong, and bold Conspiracie,
O loyall Father of a treacherous Sonne:
Thou sheere, immaculate, and siluer fountaine,
From whence this streame, through muddy passages
Hath had his current, and defil'd himselfe.
Thy ouerflow of good, conuerts to bad,
And thy abundant goodnesse shall excuse
This deadly blot, in thy digressing sonne

   Yorke. So shall my Vertue be his Vices bawd,
And he shall spend mine Honour, with his Shame;
As thriftlesse Sonnes, their scraping Fathers Gold.
Mine honor liues, when his dishonor dies,
Or my sham'd life, in his dishonor lies:
Thou kill'st me in his life, giuing him breath,
The Traitor liues, the true man's put to death.

Dutchesse within.

  Dut. What hoa (my Liege) for heauens sake let me in

   Bul. What shrill-voic'd Suppliant, makes this eager cry?
  Dut. A woman, and thine Aunt (great King) 'tis I.
Speake with me, pitty me, open the dore,
A Begger begs, that neuer begg'd before

   Bul. Our Scene is alter'd from a serious thing,
And now chang'd to the Begger, and the King.
My dangerous Cosin, let your Mother in,
I know she's come, to pray for your foule sin

   Yorke. If thou do pardon, whosoeuer pray,
More sinnes for this forgiuenesse, prosper may.
This fester'd ioynt cut off, the rest rests sound,
This let alone, will all the rest confound.
Enter Dutchesse.

  Dut. O King, beleeue not this hard-hearted man,
Loue, louing not it selfe, none other can

   Yor. Thou franticke woman, what dost y make here,
Shall thy old dugges, once more a Traitor reare?
  Dut. Sweet Yorke be patient, heare me gentle Liege

   Bul. Rise vp good Aunt

   Dut. Not yet, I thee beseech.
For euer will I kneele vpon my knees,
And neuer see day, that the happy sees,
Till thou giue ioy: vntill thou bid me ioy,
By pardoning Rutland, my transgressing Boy

   Aum. Vnto my mothers prayres, I bend my knee

   Yorke. Against them both, my true ioynts bended be

   Dut. Pleades he in earnest? Looke vpon his Face,
His eyes do drop no teares: his prayres are in iest:
His words come from his mouth, ours from our brest.
He prayes but faintly, and would be denide,
We pray with heart, and soule, and all beside:
His weary ioynts would gladly rise, I know,
Our knees shall kneele, till to the ground they grow:
His prayers are full of false hypocrisie,
Ours of true zeale, and deepe integritie:
Our prayers do out-pray his, then let them haue
That mercy, which true prayers ought to haue

   Bul. Good Aunt stand vp

   Dut. Nay, do not say stand vp.
But Pardon first, and afterwards stand vp.
And if I were thy Nurse, thy tongue to teach,
Pardon should be the first word of thy speach.
I neuer long'd to heare a word till now:
Say Pardon (King,) let pitty teach thee how.
The word is short: but not so short as sweet,
No word like Pardon, for Kings mouth's so meet

   Yorke. Speake it in French (King) say Pardon'ne moy

   Dut. Dost thou teach pardon, Pardon to destroy?
Ah my sowre husband, my hard-hearted Lord,
That set's the word it selfe, against the word.
Speake Pardon, as 'tis currant in our Land,
The chopping French we do not vnderstand.
Thine eye begins to speake, set thy tongue there,
Or in thy pitteous heart, plant thou thine eare,
That hearing how our plaints and prayres do pearce,
Pitty may moue thee, Pardon to rehearse

   Bul. Good Aunt, stand vp

   Dut. I do not sue to stand,
Pardon is all the suite I haue in hand

   Bul. I pardon him, as heauen shall pardon mee

   Dut. O happy vantage of a kneeling knee?
Yet am I sicke for feare: Speake it againe,
Twice saying Pardon, doth not pardon twaine,
But makes one pardon strong

   Bul. I pardon him with all my hart

   Dut. A God on earth thou art

   Bul. But for our trusty brother-in-Law, the Abbot,
With all the rest of that consorted crew,
Destruction straight shall dogge them at the heeles:
Good Vnckle helpe to order seuerall powres
To Oxford, or where ere these Traitors are:
They shall not liue within this world I sweare,
But I will haue them, if I once know where.
Vnckle farewell, and Cosin adieu:
Your mother well hath praid, and proue you true

   Dut. Come my old son, I pray heauen make thee new.

Exeunt.

Enter Exton and Seruants.

  Ext. Didst thou not marke the King what words hee
spake?
Haue I no friend will rid me of this liuing feare:
Was it not so?
  Ser. Those were his very words.

Ex.

Haue I no Friend? (quoth he:) he spake it twice,
And vrg'd it twice together, did he not?
  Ser. He did.

Ex.

And speaking it, he wistly look'd on me,
As who should say, I would thou wer't the man
That would diuorce this terror from my heart,
Meaning the King at Pomfret: Come, let's goe;
I am the Kings Friend, and will rid his Foe.
Enter.

 Scene 3 shifts to Windsor Castle where Bolingbroke, who has assumed the throne as Henry IV, is complaining to Harry Percy about his truant son and heir to the throne, Prince Hal. He has not seen Prince Hal for three months. He asks Harry Percy to inquire for him at the London taverns, which he frequents with his "unrestrained loose companions." Aumerle enters while Bolingbroke is discussing his son with Harry Percy. Seeing that Aumerle is agitated, Bolingbroke orders everyone present to leave him alone with Aumerle. Kneeling on the ground, Aumerle begs forgiveness of Bolingbroke. When Bolingbroke pardons him, Aumerle locks the door to ensure that no one enters while he confesses his involvement in the Abbot of Westminster's plot to murder Bolingbroke in Oxford. After Aumerle locks the door, York arrives and warns the king to beware: "Thou hast a traitor in thy presence there." As Bolingbroke reaches for his sword, Aumerle assures him that he has nothing to fear from him. York insists on being let inside and hands Bolingbroke the document which reveals Aumerle's treachery. Aumerle urges Bolingbroke to remember that he has already granted him pardon as the king reads the document. Bolingbroke is enraged and exclaims, "O heinous, strong, bold conspiracy! / O loyal father of a treacherous son!" He tells York that his "abundant goodness shall excuse / This deadly blot in thy digressing son. " The duchess of York arrives and begs to be let in to entreat Bolingbroke to forgive her son saying, "A beggar begs, that ne'er begg'd before." Bolingbroke is exasperated and sardonically comments, "Our scene is alter'd from a serious thing, / And now changed to 'The Beggar and the King'. " York persists in his opinion that Bolingbroke should not pardon Aumerle and warns him that if he does so, it will engender more sins and conspiracies. The duchess is shocked at York's hard-heartedness, and a family quarrel is played out before Bolingbroke's eyes. The duchess kneels before the king and begs forgiveness for Aumerle. She refuses to rise up unless the king grants pardon to Aumerle. The duchess is successful in saving Aumerle from Bolingbroke's wrath, but Bolingbroke's clemency does not extend to the conspirators in the plot to murder him. The scene ends with the duchess vowing to pray to God for Aumerle's transformation.

