Ah, countrymen! if when you make your prayers,
God should be so obdurate as yourselves,
How would it fare with your departed souls?
And therefore yet relent, and save my life.

Tell me wherein have I offended most?
Have I affected wealth or honour? speak.
Are my chests fill'd up with extorted gold?
Is my apparel sumptuous to behold?
Whom have I injured, that ye seek my death?
These hands are free from guiltless bloodshedding,
This breast from harbouring foul ...

The palsy, and not fear, provokes me.

Long sitting to determine poor men's causes
Hath made me full of sickness and diseases.

These cheeks are pale for watching for your good.

Great men have reaching hands: oft have I struck
Those that I never saw and struck them dead.

Hear me but speak, and bear me where you will.
Kent, in the Commentaries Caesar writ,
Is term'd the civil'st place of this isle:
Sweet is the country, because full of riches;
The people liberal, valiant, active, wealthy;
Which makes me hope you are not void of pity ...

Nothing but this; 'tis 'bona terra, mala gens.'

You men of Kent,--

What of that?

The trust I have is in mine innocence,
And therefore am I bold and resolute.

So might your grace's person be in danger.
The sight of me is odious in their eyes;
And therefore in this city will I stay
And live alone as secret as I may.

Ay, but I hope your highness shall have his.