| Original text | Modern text | Key line |
| Findes brotherhood in thee no sharper spurre? | Finds brotherhood in thee no sharper spur? | R2 I.ii.9 |
| Hath loue in thy old blood no liuing fire? | Hath love in thy old blood no living fire? | R2 I.ii.10 |
| Edwards seuen sonnes (whereof thy selfe art one) | Edward's seven sons, whereof thyself art one, | R2 I.ii.11 |
| Were as seuen violles of his Sacred blood, | Were as seven vials of his sacred blood, | R2 I.ii.12 |
| Or seuen faire branches springing from one roote: | Or seven fair branches springing from one root. | R2 I.ii.13 |
| Some of those seuen are dride by natures course, | Some of those seven are dried by nature's course, | R2 I.ii.14 |
| Some of those branches by the destinies cut: | Some of those branches by the Destinies cut. | R2 I.ii.15 |
| But Thomas, my deere Lord, my life, my Glouster, | But Thomas, my dear lord, my life, my Gloucester, | R2 I.ii.16 |
| One Violl full of Edwards Sacred blood, | One vial full of Edward's sacred blood, | R2 I.ii.17 |
| One flourishing branch of his most Royall roote | One flourishing branch of his most royal root, | R2 I.ii.18 |
| Is crack'd, and all the precious liquor spilt; | Is cracked, and all the precious liquor spilt; | R2 I.ii.19 |
| Is hackt downe, and his summer leafes all vaded | Is hacked down, and his summer leaves all faded, | R2 I.ii.20 |
| By Enuies hand, and Murders bloody Axe. | By envy's hand, and murder's bloody axe. | R2 I.ii.21 |
| Ah Gaunt! His blood was thine, that bed, that wombe, | Ah, Gaunt, his blood was thine! That bed, that womb, | R2 I.ii.22 |
| That mettle, that selfe-mould that fashion'd thee, | That mettle, that self-mould, that fashioned thee | R2 I.ii.23 |
| Made him a man: and though thou liu'st, and breath'st, | Made him a man; and though thou livest and breathest | R2 I.ii.24 |
| Yet art thou slaine in him: thou dost consent | Yet art thou slain in him. Thou dost consent | R2 I.ii.25 |
| In some large measure to thy Fathers death, | In some large measure to thy father's death | R2 I.ii.26 |
| In that thou seest thy wretched brother dye, | In that thou seest thy wretched brother die, | R2 I.ii.27 |
| Who was the modell of thy Fathers life. | Who was the model of thy father's life. | R2 I.ii.28 |
| Call it not patience (Gaunt) it is dispaire, | Call it not patience, Gaunt. It is despair. | R2 I.ii.29 |
| In suffring thus thy brother to be slaughter'd, | In suffering thus thy brother to be slaughtered | R2 I.ii.30 |
| Thou shew'st the naked pathway to thy life, | Thou showest the naked pathway to thy life, | R2 I.ii.31 |
| Teaching sterne murther how to butcher thee: | Teaching stern murder how to butcher thee. | R2 I.ii.32 |
| That which in meane men we intitle patience | That which in mean men we entitle patience | R2 I.ii.33 |
| Is pale cold cowardice in noble brests: | Is pale cold cowardice in noble breasts. | R2 I.ii.34 |
| What shall I say, to safegard thine owne life, | What shall I say? To safeguard thine own life | R2 I.ii.35 |
| The best way is to venge my Glousters death. | The best way is to venge my Gloucester's death. | R2 I.ii.36 |
| | | |
| Where then (alas may I) complaint my selfe? ? | Where then, alas, may I complain myself? | R2 I.ii.42 |
| | | |
| Why then I will: farewell old Gaunt. | Why then, I will. Farewell, old Gaunt. | R2 I.ii.44 |
| Thou go'st to Couentrie, there to behold | Thou goest to Coventry, there to behold | R2 I.ii.45 |
| Our Cosine Herford, and fell Mowbray fight: | Our cousin Hereford and fell Mowbray fight. | R2 I.ii.46 |
| O sit my husbands wrongs on Herfords speare, | O, sit my husband's wrongs on Hereford's spear | R2 I.ii.47 |
| That it may enter butcher Mowbrayes brest: | That it may enter butcher Mowbray's breast! | R2 I.ii.48 |
| Or if misfortune misse the first carreere, | Or if misfortune miss the first career, | R2 I.ii.49 |
| Be Mowbrayes sinnes so heauy in his bosome, | Be Mowbray's sins so heavy in his bosom | R2 I.ii.50 |
| That they may breake his foaming Coursers backe, | They may break his foaming courser's back | R2 I.ii.51 |
| And throw the Rider headlong in the Lists, | And throw the rider headlong in the lists, | R2 I.ii.52 |
| A Caytiffe recreant to my Cosine Herford: | A caitiff recreant to my cousin Hereford! | R2 I.ii.53 |
| Farewell old Gaunt, thy sometimes brothers wife | Farewell, old Gaunt! Thy sometimes brother's wife | R2 I.ii.54 |
| With her companion Greefe, must end her life. | With her companion, grief, must end her life. | R2 I.ii.55 |
| | | |
| Yet one wotd more: Greefe boundeth where it falls, | Yet one word more. Grief boundeth where it falls, | R2 I.ii.58 |
| Not with the emptie hollownes, but weight: | Not with the empty hollowness, but weight. | R2 I.ii.59 |
| I take my leaue, before I haue begun, | I take my leave before I have begun; | R2 I.ii.60 |
| For sorrow ends not, when it seemeth done. | For sorrow ends not when it seemeth done. | R2 I.ii.61 |
| Commend me to my brother Edmund Yorke. | Commend me to thy brother, Edmund York. | R2 I.ii.62 |
| Loe, this is all: nay, yet depart not so, | Lo, this is all. – Nay, yet depart not so. | R2 I.ii.63 |
| Though this be all, do not so quickly go, | Though this be all, do not so quickly go. | R2 I.ii.64 |
| I shall remember more. Bid him, Oh, what? | I shall remember more. Bid him – ah, what? – | R2 I.ii.65 |
| With all good speed at Plashie visit mee. | With all good speed at Pleshey visit me. | R2 I.ii.66 |
| Alacke, and what shall good old Yorke there see | Alack, and what shall good old York there see | R2 I.ii.67 |
| But empty lodgings, and vnfurnish'd walles, | But empty lodgings and unfurnished walls, | R2 I.ii.68 |
| Vn-peopel'd Offices, vntroden stones? | Unpeopled offices, untrodden stones, | R2 I.ii.69 |
| And what heare there for welcome, but my grones? | And what hear there for welcome but my groans? | R2 I.ii.70 |
| Therefore commend me, let him not come there, | Therefore commend me. Let him not come there | R2 I.ii.71 |
| To seeke out sorrow, that dwels euery where: | To seek out sorrow that dwells everywhere. | R2 I.ii.72 |
| Desolate, desolate will I hence, and dye, | Desolate, desolate will I hence and die. | R2 I.ii.73 |
| The last leaue of thee, takes my weeping eye. | The last leave of thee takes my weeping eye. | R2 I.ii.74 |