William Shakespeare: King Henry IV Part II

ACT V. 2. SCENE II. Westminster. The palace.

[Enter Warwick and the Lord Chief-Justice, meeting.]

WARWICK.
How now, my lord chief-justice! whither away?

CHIEF JUSTICE.
How doth the king?

WARWICK.
Exceeding well; his cares are now all ended.

CHIEF JUSTICE.
I hope, not dead.

WARWICK.
He 's walk'd the way of nature;
And to our purposes he lives no more.

CHIEF JUSTICE.
I would his Majesty had call'd me with him:
The service that I truly did his life
Hath left me open to all injuries.

WARWICK.
Indeed I think the young king loves you not.

CHIEF JUSTICE.
I know he doth not, and do arm myself
To welcome the condition of the time,
Which cannot look more hideously upon me
Than I have drawn it in my fantasy.

[Enter Lancaster, Clarence, Gloucester, Westmoreland, and
others.]

WARWICK.
Here comes the heavy issue of dead Harry:
O that the living Harry had the temper
Of him, the worst of these three gentlemen!
How many nobles then should hold their places,
That must strike sail to spirits of vile sort!

CHIEF JUSTICE.
O God, I fear all will be overturn'd!

LANCASTER.
Good morrow, cousin Warwick, good morrow.

GLOUCESTER & CLARENCE.
Good morrow, cousin.

LANCASTER.
We meet like men that had forgot to speak.

WARWICK.
We do remember; but our argument
Is all too heavy to admit much talk.

LANCASTER.
Well, peace be with him that hath made us heavy!

CHIEF JUSTICE.
Peace be with us, lest we be heavier!