Page 768 - Shakespeare - Vol. 2

It rained down fortune show’ring on your head,
And such a flood of greatness fell on you −
What with our help, what with the absent king,
What with the injuries of a wanton time, [50]

The seeming sufferances that you had borne,
And the contrarious winds that held the king
So long in his unlucky Irish wars
That all in England did repute him dead −

And from this swarm of fair advantages [55]
You took occasion to be quickly wooed
To gripe the general sway into your hand;
Forgot your oath to us at Doncaster;

And, being fed by us, you used us so
As that ungentle gull, the cuckoo’s bird, [60]
Useth the sparrow − did oppress our nest;
Grew by our feeding to so great a bulk

That even our love durst not come near your sight
For fear of swallowing; but with nimble wing
We were enforced for safety sake to fly [65]
Out of your sight and raise this present head;

Whereby we stand opposèd by such means
As you yourself have forged against yourself
By unkind usage, dangerous countenance,
And violation of all faith and troth [70]

Sworn to us in your younger enterprise.

KING
These things, indeed, you have articulate,
Proclaimed at market crosses, read in churches,
To face the garment of rebellion
With some fine colour that may please the eye [75]

Of fickle changelings and poor discontents,
Which gape and rub the elbow at the news
Of hurlyburly innovation.

And never yet did insurrection want
Such water colours to impaint his cause, [80]
Nor moody beggars, starving for a time
Of pell-mell havoc and confusion.