KING RICHARD II. ACT I. SCENE 1.-London. A Room in the Palace. Enter King RICHARD, attended; JOHN of GAUNT, and other Nobles, with him. King Richard. OLD John of Gaunt, time-honour'd Lancaster, K. Rich. Tell me moreover, hast thou sounded him, If he appeal the duke on ancient malice; Or worthily as a good subject should, On some known ground of treachery in him? Gaunt. As near as I could sift him on that argument, On some apparent danger seen in him, Aim'd at your highness, no inveterate malice. K. Rich. Then call them to our presence; face to face, And frowning brow to brow, ourselves will hear The accuser, and the accused, freely speak : [Exeunt some Attendants.. -High-stomach'd are they both, and full of ire, In rage deaf as the sea, hasty as fire. Re-enter Attendants with BOLINGBROKE and NORFOLK. Boling. May many years of happy days befal My gracious sovereign, my most loving liege! Nor. Each day still better other's happiness ; Until the heavens, envying earth's good hap, Add an immortal title to your crown! K. Rich. We thank you both: yet one but flatters us, As well appeareth by the cause you come ; [1]When these public challenges were accepted, each combatant found a pledge for his appearance at the time and place appointed. Band and bond were formerly synonymous. STEEV. Namely, to appeal each other of high treason.- Against the duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray ? Tendering the precious fafety of my prince, Come I appellant to this princely presence.- And mark my greeting well; for what I speak, And wish, (so please my sovereign,) ere I move, What my tongue speaks, my right-drawn2 sword may prove. Nor. Let not my cold words here accuse my zeal: 'Tis not the trial of a woman's war, The bitter clamour of two eager tongues, Can arbitrate this cause betwixt us twain: First, the fair reverence of your highness curbs me And let him be no kinsman to my liege, I do defy him, and I spit at him; Call him-a slanderous coward, and a villain : [2] Drawn in a right or just cause. JOHNS. JOHNS. By all my hopes, most falsely doth he lie. And lay aside my high blood's royalty, Which fear, not reverence, makes thee to except : Or chivalrous design 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 toMowbray's charge? It must be great, that can inherit us So much as of a thought of ill in him. Boling. Look, what I speak my life shall prove it true; That Mowbray hath receiv'd eight thousand nobles, Fetch from false Mowbray their first head and spring. Upon his bad life, to make all this good, That he did plot the duke of Gloster's death; Suggest his soon-believing adversaries; And, consequently, like a traitor coward, Sluic'd out his innocent soul through streams of blood : [4] Lewd here signifies wicked. It is so used in many of our old sta tutes. MAL.It sometimes signifies idle. STEEV. K. Rich. How high a pitch his resolution soars !— Thomas of Norfolk, what say't thou to this? Nor. O, let my sovereign turn away his face, And bid his ears a little while be deaf, Till I have told this slander of his blood, " How God, and good men, hate so foul a liar. K. Rich. Mowbray, impartial are our eyes, and ears: Nor. Then, Bolingbroke, as low as to thy heart, Upon remainder of a dear account, Since last I went to France to fetch his queen: Now swallow down that lie.-For Gloster's death,- Even in the best blood chamber'd in his bosom : i. e. this reproach to his ancestry. STEEV. JOHNS. Your highness to assign 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 say, this is no time to bleed.— Good uncle, let this end where it begun : We'll calm the duke of Norfolk, you your son. Gaunt. To be a make-peace shall become my age :Throw down, my son, the duke of Norfolk's gage. K. Rich. And, Norfolk, throw down his. Gaunt. When, Harry?" when? Obedience bids, I should not bid again. K. Rich. Norfolk, throw down; we bid; there is no boot. 8 Nor. Myself I throw, dread sovereign, at thy foot: K. Rich. Rage must be withstood: take but my shame, Mine honour is my life; both grow in one; K.Rich. Cousin, throw down your gage; do you begin. [7] This obsolete exclamation of impatience is likewise found in Heywood's Silver Age, 1613. STEEV. [8] That is, no advantage, no use in delay or refusal. JOHNS. [9] That is, my name that lives on my grave in despite of death. JOHN. |