Page:Richard II (1921) Yale.djvu/81

King Richard the Second, III. iv

And never borrow any tear of thee.

But stay, here come the gardeners:

Let's step into the shadow of these trees.

My wretchedness unto a row of pins,

They'll talk of state; for every one doth so

Against a change: woe is forerun with woe.

[Queen and Ladies retire.]

Gard. Go, bind thou up yon dangling apricocks,

Which, like unruly children, make their sire

Stoop with oppression of their prodigal weight:

Give some supportance to the bending twigs.

Go thou, and like an executioner,

Cut off the heads of too fast growing sprays,

That look too lofty in our commonwealth:

All must be even in our government.

You thus employ'd, I will go root away

The noisome weeds, that without profit suck

The soil's fertility from wholesome flowers.

First Serv. Why should we in the compass of a pale

Keep law and form and due proportion,

Showing, as in a model, our firm estate,

When our sea-walled garden, the whole land,

Is full of weeds, her fairest flowers chok'd up,

Her fruit-trees all unprun'd, her hedges ruin'd,

Her knots disorder'd, and her wholesome herbs

Swarming with caterpillars?

Gard. Hold thy peace:

 26 unto: staked against

28 Against: in expectation of

forerun: announced as by a harbinger

31 oppression: burden

36 even: uniform

government: domain under our control

40 pale: fence

42 model: plan on a small scale

estate: condition

46 knots: parterres, flower-beds

