1    How far is it, my lord, to Berkeley now?

2    Believe me, noble lord,
3    I am a stranger here in Gloucestershire:
4    These high wild hills and rough uneven ways
5    Draws out our miles, and makes them wearisome,
6    And yet your fair discourse hath been as sugar,
7    Making the hard way sweet and delectable.
8    But I bethink me what a weary way
9    From Ravenspurgh to Cotswold will be found
10   In Ross and Willoughby, wanting your company,
11   Which, I protest, hath very much beguiled
12   The tediousness and process of my travel:
13   But theirs is sweetened with the hope to have
14   The present benefit which I possess;
15   And hope to joy is little less in joy
16   Than hope enjoy'd: by this the weary lords
17   Shall make their way seem short, as mine hath done
18   By sight of what I have, your noble company.

19   Of much less value is my company
20   Than your good words. But who comes here?

21   It is my son, young Harry Percy,
22   Sent from my brother Worcester, whencesoever.
23   Harry, how fares your uncle?

24   I had thought, my lord, to have learn'd his health of you.

25   Why, is he not with the queen?

26   No, my good Lord; he hath forsook the court,
27   Broken his staff of office and dispersed
28   The household of the king.

29   What was his reason?
30   He was not so resolved when last we spake together.

31   Because your lordship was proclaimed traitor.
32   But he, my lord, is gone to Ravenspurgh,
33   To offer service to the Duke of Hereford,
34   And sent me over by Berkeley, to discover
35   What power the Duke of York had levied there;
36   Then with directions to repair to Ravenspurgh.

37   Have you forgot the Duke of Hereford, boy?

38   No, my good lord, for that is not forgot
39   Which ne'er I did remember: to my knowledge,
40   I never in my life did look on him.

41   Then learn to know him now; this is the duke.

42   My gracious lord, I tender you my service,
43   Such as it is, being tender, raw and young:
44   Which elder days shall ripen and confirm
45   To more approved service and desert.

46   I thank thee, gentle Percy; and be sure
47   I count myself in nothing else so happy
48   As in a soul remembering my good friends;
49   And, as my fortune ripens with thy love,
50   It shall be still thy true love's recompense:
51   My heart this covenant makes, my hand thus seals it.

52   How far is it to Berkeley? and what stir
53   Keeps good old York there with his men of war?

54   There stands the castle, by yon tuft of trees,
55   Mann'd with three hundred men, as I have heard;
56   And in it are the Lords of York, Berkeley, and Seymour;
57   None else of name and noble estimate.

58   Here come the Lords of Ross and Willoughby,
59   Bloody with spurring, fiery-red with haste.

60   Welcome, my lords. I wot your love pursues
61   A banish'd traitor: all my treasury
62   Is yet but unfelt thanks, which more enrich'd
63   Shall be your love and labour's recompense.

64   Your presence makes us rich, most noble lord.

65   And far surmounts our labour to attain it.

66   Evermore thanks, the exchequer of the poor;
67   Which, till my infant fortune comes to years,
68   Stands for my bounty. But who comes here?

69   It is my Lord of Berkeley, as I guess.

70   My Lord of Hereford, my message is to you.

71   My lord, my answer is--to Lancaster;
72   And I am come to seek that name in England;
73   And I must find that title in your tongue,
74   Before I make reply to aught you say.

75   Mistake me not, my lord; 'tis not my meaning
76   To raze one title of your honour out:
77   To you, my lord, I come, what lord you will,
78   From the most gracious regent of this land,
79   The Duke of York, to know what pricks you on
80   To take advantage of the absent time
81   And fright our native peace with self-born arms.

82   I shall not need transport my words by you;
83   Here comes his grace in person. My noble uncle!

84   Show me thy humble heart, and not thy knee,
85   Whose duty is deceiveable and false.

86   My gracious uncle--

87   Tut, tut!
88   Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle:
89   I am no traitor's uncle; and that word 'grace.'
90   In an ungracious mouth is but profane.
91   Why have those banish'd and forbidden legs
92   Dared once to touch a dust of England's ground?
93   But then more 'why?' why have they dared to march
94   So many miles upon her peaceful bosom,
95   Frighting her pale-faced villages with war
96   And ostentation of despised arms?
97   Comest thou because the anointed king is hence?
98   Why, foolish boy, the king is left behind,
99   And in my loyal bosom lies his power.
100  Were I but now the lord of such hot youth
101  As when brave Gaunt, thy father, and myself
102  Rescued the Black Prince, that young Mars of men,
103  From forth the ranks of many thousand French,
104  O, then how quickly should this arm of mine.
105  Now prisoner to the palsy, chastise thee
106  And minister correction to thy fault!

107  My gracious uncle, let me know my fault:
108  On what condition stands it and wherein?

109  Even in condition of the worst degree,
110  In gross rebellion and detested treason:
111  Thou art a banish'd man, and here art come
112  Before the expiration of thy time,
113  In braving arms against thy sovereign.

114  As I was banish'd, I was banish'd Hereford;
115  But as I come, I come for Lancaster.
116  And, noble uncle, I beseech your grace
117  Look on my wrongs with an indifferent eye:
118  You are my father, for methinks in you
119  I see old Gaunt alive; O, then, my father,
120  Will you permit that I shall stand condemn'd
121  A wandering vagabond; my rights and royalties
122  Pluck'd from my arms perforce and given away
123  To upstart unthrifts? Wherefore was I born?
124  If that my cousin king be King of England,
125  It must be granted I am Duke of Lancaster.
126  You have a son, Aumerle, my noble cousin;
127  Had you first died, and he been thus trod down,
128  He should have found his uncle Gaunt a father,
129  To rouse his wrongs and chase them to the bay.
130  I am denied to sue my livery here,
131  And yet my letters-patents give me leave:
132  My father's goods are all distrain'd and sold,
133  And these and all are all amiss employ'd.
134  What would you have me do? I am a subject,
135  And I challenge law: attorneys are denied me;
136  And therefore, personally I lay my claim
137  To my inheritance of free descent.

138  The noble duke hath been too much abused.

139  It stands your grace upon to do him right.

140  Base men by his endowments are made great.

141  My lords of England, let me tell you this:
142  I have had feeling of my cousin's wrongs
143  And laboured all I could to do him right;
144  But in this kind to come, in braving arms,
145  Be his own carver and cut out his way,
146  To find out right with wrong, it may not be;
147  And you that do abet him in this kind
148  Cherish rebellion and are rebels all.

149  The noble duke hath sworn his coming is
150  But for his own; and for the right of that
151  We all have strongly sworn to give him aid;
152  And let him ne'er see joy that breaks that oath!

153  Well, well, I see the issue of these arms:
154  I cannot mend it, I must needs confess,
155  Because my power is weak and all ill left:
156  But if I could, by Him that gave me life,
157  I would attach you all and make you stoop
158  Unto the sovereign mercy of the king;
159  But since I cannot, be it known to you
160  I do remain as neuter. So, fare you well;
161  Unless you please to enter in the castle
162  And there repose you for this night.

163  An offer, uncle, that we will accept:
164  But we must win your grace to go with us
165  To Bristol castle, which they say is held
166  By Bushy, Bagot and their complices,
167  The caterpillars of the commonwealth,
168  Which I have sworn to weed and pluck away.

169  It may be I will go with you: but yet I'll pause;
170  For I am loath to break our country's laws.
171  Nor friends nor foes, to me welcome you are:
172  Things past redress are now with me past care.