Page:Richard II (1921) Yale.djvu/51

King Richard the Second, II. ii  Green. Ah! madam, 'tis too true: and that is worse,

The Lord Northumberland, his son young Henry Percy,

The Lords of Ross, Beaumond, and Willoughby,

With all their powerful friends, are fled to him.

Bushy. Why have you not proclaim'd Northumberland

And all the rest revolted faction traitors?

Green. We have: whereupon the Earl of Worcester

Hath broke his staff, resign'd his stewardship,

And all the household servants fled with him

To Bolingbroke.

Queen. So, Green, thou art the midwife to my woe,

And Bolingbroke my sorrow's dismal heir:

Now hath my soul brought forth her prodigy,

And I, a gasping new-deliver'd mother,

Have woe to woe, sorrow to sorrow join'd.

Bushy. Despair not, madam.

Queen. Who shall hinder me?

I will despair, and be at enmity

With cozening hope: he is a flatterer,

A parasite, a keeper-back of death,

Who gently would dissolve the bands of life,

Which false hope lingers in extremity.

Green. Here comes the Duke of York.

Queen. With signs of war about his aged neck:

O! full of careful business are his looks.

Uncle, for God's sake, speak comfortable words.

York. Should I do so, I should belie my thoughts:

 52 that: what

57 Cf. n.

59 staff: mace of office

69 cozening: cheating

72 lingers: prolongs

75 careful: anxious

