DRUMS. Strike up the drums: and let the tongue of war Plead for our interest. An echo with the clamour of thy drum, APPROACH OF DEATH. It is too late; the life of all his blood Is touch'd corruptibly; and his pure brain [house,) (Which some suppose the soul's frail dwellingDoth, by the idle comments that it makes, Foretell the ending of mortality. MADNESS OCCASIONED BY POISON. Ay, marry, now my soul hath elbow room; Poison'd,-ill fare:--dead, forsook, cast off: Nor let my kingdom's rivers take their course ENGLAND INVINCIBLE IF UNANIMOUS. England never did (nor never shall) *Sky. And we shall shock them: Nought shall make us rue, If England to itself do rest but true. KING RICHARD II. ACT I. REPUTATION. · THE purest treasure mortal times afford, COWARDICE. That which in mean men we entitle-patience, Is pale cold cowardice in noble breasts. CONSOLATION UNDER BANISHMENT. All places that the eye of heaven visits, Think not, the king did banish thee; The grass whereon thou tread'st, the presence* strew'd; The flowers, fair ladies; and thy steps, no more For gnarlingt sorrow hath less power to bite The man that mocks at it, and sets it light. *Presence chamber at court. + Growling. And fits the mounting spirits, like myself: That doth not smack of observation. ACT II. DESCRIPTION OF ENGLAND. That pale, that white-fac'd shore, Whose foot spurns back the ocean's roaring tides, DESCRIPTION OF AN ENGLISH ARMY. His marches are expedient* to this town, With ladies' faces, and fierce dragons' spleens,— COURAGE. By how much unexpected, by so much We must awake endeavour for defence: For courage mounteth with occasion. * Immediate, expeditious. ↑ The Goddess of Revenge. + Mischief. A BOASTER. What cracker is this same, that deafs our ears With this abundance of superfluous breath? DESCRIPTION OF VICTORY BY THE FRENCH. You men of Angiers, open wide your gates, And let young Arthur, duke of Bretagne, in; Who, by the hand of France, this day hath made Much work for tears in many an English mother, Whose sons lie scatter'd on the bleeding ground: Many a widow's husband grovelling lies, Coldly embracing the discolour'd earth; And victory, with little loss, doth play Upon the dancing banners of the French; Which are at hand, triumphantly display'd To enter conquerors. VICTORY DESCRIBED BY THE ENGLISH. Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells; Their armours, that march'd hence so silver bright, A COMPLETE LADY. If lusty love should go in quest of beauty, POWERFUL EFFECTS OF SELF-INTEREST. Roundedt in the ear With that same purpose-changer, that sly devil, That broker, that still breaks the pate of faith; But the word maid,-cheats the poor maid of that; That smooth-faced gentleman, tickling commodity, Commodity, the bias of the world: The world, who of itself is peised† well, ACT III. A WOMAN'S FEARS. Thou shalt be punish'd for thus frightening me, For I am sick, and capable‡ of fears; Oppress'd with wrongs, and therefore full of fears; A widow, husbandless, subject to fears; A woman naturally born to fears; And though thou now confess, thou didst but jest, TOKENS OF GRIEF. What dost thou mean by shaking of thy head? Why dost thou look so sadly on my son? What means that hand upon that breast of thine? Why holds thine eye that lamentable rheum, Like a proud river peering§ o'er his bounds? Be these sad signs confirmers of thy words? Then speak again; not all thy former tale, But this one word, whether thy tale be true. *Interest. + Susceptible. † Poised, balanced. |