Act IIIScene I
Bristol. Bolingbroke’s camp
Enter Bolingbroke, York, Northumberland, Harry Percy, Willoughby, Ross; Officers behind, with Bushy and Green, prisoners.
Bolingbroke
Bring forth these men.Bushy and Green, I will not vex your souls—Since presently your souls must part your bodies—With too much urging your pernicious lives,For ’twere no charity; yet to wash your bloodFrom off my hands, here in the view of menI will unfold some causes of your deaths:You have misled a prince, a royal king,A happy gentleman in blood and lineaments,By you unhappied and disfigured clean.You have in manner with your sinful hoursMade a divorce betwixt his queen and him,Broke the possession of a royal bed,And stained the beauty of a fair queen’s cheeksWith tears drawn from her eyes by your foul wrongs.Myself, a prince by fortune of my birth,Near to the King in blood, and near in loveTill you did make him misinterpret me,Have stooped my neck under your injuriesAnd sighed my English breath in foreign clouds,Eating the bitter bread of banishment,Whilst you have fed upon my signories,Disparked my parks and felled my forest woods,From my own windows torn my household coat,Rased out my imprese, leaving me no signSave men’s opinions and my living bloodTo show the world I am a gentleman.This and much more, much more than twice all this,Condemns you to the death. See them delivered overTo execution and the hand of death.
Bushy
More welcome is the stroke of death to meThan Bolingbroke to England. Lords, farewell.
Green
My comfort is that heaven will take our soulsAnd plague injustice with the pains of hell.
Bolingbroke
My Lord Northumberland, see them dispatched.
Exeunt Northumberland and Others, with Bushy and Green.
Uncle, you say the Queen is at your house;For God’s sake, fairly let her be entreated.Tell her I send to her my kind commends;Take special care my greetings be delivered.
York
A gentleman of mine I have dispatchedWith letters of your love to her at large.
Bolingbroke
Thanks, gentle uncle. Come, lords, away,To fight with Glendower and his complices.A while to work, and after holiday.
Exeunt.