Mowb. I take it up; and, by that fword I fwear, Which gently lay'd my knighthood on my fhoulder, I'll answer thee in any fair degree,

Or chivalrous defign of knightly trial:

And, when I mount, alive may I not light,
If I be traitor, or unjustly fight!

K. Rich. What doth our cousin lay to Mowbray's charge? It must be great, than can 1ìnherit us

So much as of a thought of ill in him.

k

Boling. Look, what I faid, my life shall prove it true;—
That Mowbray hath receiv'd eight thoufand nobles,
'In name of lendings for your highness' foldiers;
The which he hath detain'd for lewd employments,
Like a falfe traitor, and injurious villain.
Befides I fay, and will in battle prove,———
Or here, or elsewhere, to the furtheft verge
That ever was furvey'd by English eye,―
That all the treasons, for these eighteen years
Complotted and contrived in this land,

Fetch from falfe Mowbray their firft head and spring.
Further I fay, and further will maintain

Upon his bad life, to make all this good,

That he did plot the duke of Glofter's death; "Suggest his foon-believing adversaries;

And, confequently, like a traitor coward,

Sluic'd out his innocent foul through ftreams of blood:
Which blood, like facrificing Abel's, cries,
Even from the tongueless caverns of the earth,
To me, for juftice, and rough chastisement;
And, by the glorious worth of my defcent,
This arm fhall do it, or this life be spent.

i inherit us]-poffefs, infpire us with.

k nobles,]-coin rated at 6s. 8d.

1 In name of lendings,]-Granted for the payment of. Suggeft-Stir up by falfe infinuations, tempt, feduce.

K. Rich.

K. Rich. How high a pitch his resolution foars !Thomas of Norfolk, what fay'ft thou to this?

Mowb. O, let my fovereign turn away his face, And bid his ears a little while be deaf,

'Till I have told this flander of his blood, How God, and good men, hate fo foul a liar.

K. Rich. Mowbray, impartial are our eyes, and ears:
Were he my brother, nay, my kingdom's heir,
(As he is but my father's brother's fon).
Now by my scepter's awe I make a vow,
Such neighbour nearness to our facred blood
Should nothing privilege him, nor partialize
The unstooping firmness of my upright foul:
He is our subject, Mowbray, so art thou;
Free speech, and fearless, I to thee allow.

Mowb. Then, Bolingbroke, as low as to thy heart,
Through the false paffage of thy throat, thou lieft!
Three parts of that receipt I had for Calais,
Difburs'd I to his highness' foldiers :
The other part referv'd I by confent;
For that my fovereign liege was in my debt,
Upon remainder of a "dear account,

Since laft I went to France to fetch his queen :

Now swallow down that lie.For Glofter's death,-
I flew him not; but, to mine own difgrace,
Neglected my fworn duty in that cafe.--
For you, my noble lord of Lancaster,
The honourable father to my foe,-
Once did I lay an ambush for your life,
A trespass that doth vex my grieved foul :
But, ere I last receiv'd the facrament,

I did confefs it; and exactly begg'd
Your grace's pardon, and, I hope, I had it.

dear account,]-a confiderable fum. VOL. III.

B b

exa-exprefsly.

This

This is my fault: As for the reft appeal'd,
It iffues from the rancour of a villain,
A recreant and most degenerate traitor :
Which in myself I boldly will defend;
And interchangeably hurl down my gage.
Upon this over-weening traitor's foot,
To prove myself a loyal gentleman

Even in the best blood chamber'd in his bofom:
In hafte whereof, moft heartily I pray

Your highness to affign our trial day.

K. Rich. Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be rul'd by me; Let's purge this choler without letting blood : This we prescribe, though no physician; Deep malice makes too deep incision: Forget, forgive; conclude, and be agreed; Our doctors fay, this is no time to bleed.Good uncle, let this end where it begun; We'll calm the duke of Norfolk, you your fon. Gaunt. To be a make-peace fhall become my age:Throw down, my fon, the duke of Norfolk's gage. K. Rich. And, Norfolk, throw down his.

Gaunt. When, Harry? when

Obedience bids, I fhould not bid again,

R. Rich. Norfolk, throw down; we bid; there is no boot.

Mowb. Myfelf I throw, dread fovereign, at thy foot: My life thou shalt command, but not my shame; The one, my duty owes; but my fair name, (Defpight of death, that lives upon my grave). To dark dishonour's use thou shalt not have. I am difgrac'd, impeach'd, and baffled here; Pierc'd to the foul with flander's venom'd spear;

P the rest appeal'd,]—the remainder of the charge.

there is no boot.]tis in vain to delay, or refufe.

baffled]-contumelioufly treated.

The

The which no balm can cure, but his heart-blood

Which breath'd this poifon.

K. Rich. Rage must be withstood:

Give me his gage :-Lions make leopards tame.
Mowb. Yea, but not change their fpots: take but
fhame,

And I resign my gage. My dear dear lord,
The pureft treasure mortal times afford,
Is-Spotless reputation; that away,

Men are but gilded 'loam, or painted clay.
A jewel in a ten-times-barr'd-up chest
Is-a bold fpirit in a loyal breast.

Mine honour is my life; both grow in one;
Take honour from me, and my life is done :
Then, dear my liege, mine honour let me try;
In that I live, and for that will I die.

my

K. Rich. Coufin, throw down your gage; do you begin. Boling. Oh, heaven defend my foul from fuch foul fin! Shall I feem creft-fallen in my father's fight? Or with pale beggar face impeach my height Before this out-dar'd daftard? Ere my tongue Shall wound mine honour with fuch feeble Or found fo base a parle, my teeth shall tear "The flavish motive of recanting fear

wrong,

And spit it bleeding, in his high difgrace, Where fhame doth harbour, even in Mowbray's face. [Exit Gaunt.

K. Rich. We were not born to fue, but to command: Which fince we cannot do to make you friends,

Be ready, as your lives fhall answer it,

t

• loam,]-plaster.

beggar face impeach my height]-a face of fupplication-beggar-fear -fully my high descent.

"The flavish motive of recanting fear ;]-The member mov'd to speak thus flavishly.

Bb 2

At

a

At Coventry, upon faint Lambert's day;
There fhall your fwords and lances arbitrate
The fwelling difference of your fettled hate;
Since we cannot atone you, you shall see
Juftice decide the victor's chivalry.-

Lord marshal, command our officers at arms
Be ready to direct thefe home-alarms.

SCENE II.

The Duke of Lancaster's Palace.

Enter Gaunt, and Dutchess of Glofter.

[Exeunt.

Gaunt. Alas! the part I had in Glofter's blood
Doth more folicit me, than your exclaims,

To ftir against the butchers of his life.
But, fince correction lieth in those hands,
Which made the fault that we cannot correct,
Put we our quarrel to the will of heaven;
Who, when they fee the hours ripe on earth,
Will rain hot vengeance on offenders' heads.

Dutch. Finds brotherhood in thee no fharper fpur?
Hath love in thy old blood no living fire?
Edward's feven fons, whereof thyself art one,
Were as seven phials of his facred blood,

Or seven fair branches, fpringing from one root:
Some of those seven are dry'd by nature's course,
Some of those branches by the deftinies cut:
But Thomas, my dear lord, my life, my Glofter,—
One phial full of Edward's facred blood,
One flourishing branch of his most royal root,—
Is crack'd, and all the precious liquor spilt;

alone you,]-reconcile you.

* defign-mark out:

Y the part I had in Glofter's blood ]—the relation I bore to Glofter.