William Shakespeare: The Tragedy of King Richard the Second

ACT 5 5. SCENE V. Pomfret. The dungeon of the Castle. (continued)

[Enter a Groom of the stable.]

GROOM.
Hail, royal Prince!

KING RICHARD.
Thanks, noble peer;
The cheapest of us is ten groats too dear.
What art thou? and how comest thou hither, man,
Where no man never comes but that sad dog
That brings me food to make misfortune live?

GROOM.
I was a poor groom of thy stable, king,
When thou wert king; who, travelling towards York,
With much ado at length have gotten leave
To look upon my sometimes royal master's face.
O! how it yearn'd my heart when I beheld,
In London streets, that coronation day,
When Bolingbroke rode on roan Barbary,
That horse that thou so often hast bestrid,
That horse that I so carefully have dress'd.

KING RICHARD.
Rode he on Barbary? Tell me, gentle friend,
How went he under him?

GROOM.
So proudly as if he disdain'd the ground.

KING RICHARD.
So proud that Bolingbroke was on his back!
That jade hath eat bread from my royal hand;
This hand hath made him proud with clapping him.
Would he not stumble? would he not fall down,--
Since pride must have a fall,--and break the neck
Of that proud man that did usurp his back?
Forgiveness, horse! Why do I rail on thee,
Since thou, created to be aw'd by man,
Wast born to bear? I was not made a horse;
And yet I bear a burden like an ass,
Spur-gall'd and tir'd by jauncing Bolingbroke.

[Enter Keeper, with a dish.]

KEEPER. [To the Groom.]
Fellow, give place; here is no longer stay.

KING RICHARD.
If thou love me, 'tis time thou wert away.

GROOM.
My tongue dares not, that my heart shall say.

[Exit.]

KEEPER.
My lord, will't please you to fall to?

KING RICHARD.
Taste of it first as thou art wont to do.