And why thou com'st thus knightly clad in arms:
Against what man thou com'st, and what thy quarrel :
Speak truly, on thy knighthood, and thine oath,

As so defend thee heaven, and thy valour!

Nor. My name is Thomas Mowbray, duke of Norfolk; Who hither come engaged by my oath,

(Which heaven defend1 a knight should violate!)
Both to defend my loyalty and truth

To God, my king, and his succeeding issue,
Against the duke of Hereford that appeals me;
And, by the grace of God, and this mine arm,
To prove him, in defending of myself,
A traitor to my God, my king, and me:
And, as I truly fight, defend me heaven!

[He takes his seat.

Trumpet sounds. Enter BOLINGBROKE, in armour,
preceded by a Herald.

K. Rich. Marshal, ask yonder knight in arms,
Both who he is, and why he cometh hither

Thus plated in habiliments of war;

And formally according to our law

Depose him 2 in the justice of his cause.

Mar. What is thy name? and wherefore com'st thou hither,

Before king Richard, in his royal lists? 3

Against whom comest thou? and what's thy quarrel?
Speak like a true knight, so defend thee heaven!
Boling. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Derby,
Am I; who ready here do stand in arms,

To prove, by heaven's grace, and my body's valour,

Heaven defend] Heaven prevent or forbid. Fr. défendre. 2 Depose him] Take his deposition, or statement upon oath. Lists] Fenced tilting ground.

3

In lists, on Thomas Mowbray, duke of Norfolk,
That he's a traitor, foul and dangerous,

To God of heaven, king Richard, and to me;
And, as I truly fight, defend me heaven!
Mar. On pain of death, no person be so bold,
Or daring-hardy, as to touch the lists,
Except the marshal, and such officers
Appointed to direct these fair designs.1

Boling. Lord marshal, let me kiss my sovereign's hand, And bow my knee before his majesty: For Mowbray and myself are like to men That vow a long and weary pilgrimage; Then let us take a ceremonious leave,

And loving farewell, of our several friends.

Mar. The appellant in all duty greets your highness, And craves to kiss your hand, and take his leave.

K. Rich. We will descend, and fold him in our arms. Cousin of Hereford, as thy cause is right,

So be thy fortune in this royal fight!

Farewell, my blood; which if to-day thou shed,
Lament we may, but not revenge thee dead.

Boling. O, let no noble eye profane a tear
For me, if I be gored with Mowbray's spear;
As confident as is the falcon's flight

Against a bird, do I with Mowbray fight.

My loving lord [to Lord Marshal], I take my leave of you;
Of you, my noble cousin, lord Aumerle :—
Not sick, although I have to do with death,
But lusty, young, and cheerly drawing breath.
Lo, as at English feasts, so I regreet

The daintiest last,2 to make the end most sweet:

1 Fair designs] Honourable objects and arrangements.

2 The daintiest] This refers to the confections or sweets at the end of a banquet.

O thou, the earthly author of my blood,-
Whose youthful spirit, in me regenerate,
Doth with a two-fold vigour lift me up
To reach at victory above my head,—

2

[To GAUNT.

Add proof1 unto mine armour with thy prayers;
And with thy blessings steel my lance's point,
That it may enter Mowbray's waxen coat,2
And furbish new the name of John of Gaunt,
Even in the lusty 'haviour of his son.

Gaunt. Heaven in thy good cause make thee prosperous!

Be swift like lightning in the execution;
And let thy blows, doubly redoubled,3
Fall like amazing thunder on the casque
Of thy adverse pernicious enemy:

Rouse up thy youthful blood, be valiant and live.1
Boling. My innocency and Saint George to thrive.

[He takes his seat. Nor. [Rising.] However heaven, or fortune, cast my

lot,

There lives, or dies, true to king Richard's throne,

A loyal, just, and upright gentleman:

Never did captive with a freer heart

1 Proof] Power of resistance.

2 Waxen coat] Bolingbroke, we think, means to ridicule Norfolk as a merely nominal knight, as one whose mail is no better defence than the seal of his coat-of-arms in wax.

3 Doubly redoubled] So in Macbeth, i. 2, 'They doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.'

4 Be valiant and live] Let thy valour secure thy life, and thus prove that thou art not the false traitor.

5 My innocency, &c.] I trust to my innocency and to St. George for success. St. George was the patron saint of England. In K. Richard III. v. 3, we have 'God and St. George.' 'This and St. George to boot.' Our ancient word of courage, fair St. George'

Cast off his chains of bondage, and embrace
His golden uncontrolled enfranchisement,
More than my dancing soul doth celebrate
This feast of battle with mine adversary.
Most mighty liege, and my companion peers,
Take from my mouth the wish of happy years:
As gentle and as jocund as to jest,1

Go I to fight: Truth hath a quiet breast.

K. Rich. Farewell, my lord: securely 2 I espy Virtue with valour couched in thine eye.

Order the trial, marshal, and begin.

[The KING and Lords return to their seats. Mar. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Derby, Receive thy lance; and God defend the right!

Boling. [Rising.] Strong as a tower in hope, I cry—

amen.

Mar. Go bear this lance [to an Officer] to Thomas, duke of Norfolk.

1 Her. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Derby, Stands here for God, his sovereign, and himself,

On pain to be found false and recreant,

To prove the duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray,
A traitor to his God, his king, and him,

And dares him to set forward to the fight.

2 Her. Here standeth Thomas Mowbray, duke of Nor

On pain to be found false and recreant,
Both to defend himself, and to approve 3
Henry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Derby,
To God, his sovereign, and to him, disloyal;

1 To jest] To play a part in a geste or acted story.
2 Securely] Without mistrust.

To approve] To prove.

Courageously, and with a free desire,

1

Attending but the signal to begin.

Mar. Sound, trumpets; and set forward, combatants.

[A charge sounded.

Stay, the king hath thrown his warder 2 down.

K. Rich. Let them lay by their helmets and their spears, And both return back to their chairs again :Withdraw with us; and let the trumpets sound, While we return3 these dukes what we decree.

Draw near,

[A long flourish. [To the Combatants.

And list, what with our council we have done.
For that our kingdom's earth should not be soiled
With that dear blood which it hath fostered;

And for our eyes do hate the dire aspect

Of civil wounds ploughed up with neighbours' swords;
And for we think the eagle-winged pride

Of sky-aspiring and ambitious thoughts,
With rival-hating envy, set on you

To wake our peace, which in our country's cradle
Draws the sweet infant breath of gentle sleep;

1 Attending] Awaiting.

2 Warder] The truncheon or staff betokening him the controller of the contest. This incident is referred to in 2 K. Henry IV. iv. 1,

'O, when the king did throw his warder down,

His own life hung upon the staff he threw.'

3 While we return] Till we return. This meaning of while is still in provincial use. So, in Macbeth, iii. 1, 'While then, God be with you!' The long trumpet-flourish here is to fill up the interval during which the king consults with his lords. Holinshed says that Bolingbroke and Norfolk remained in their chairs two hours, awaiting the king's decision. For other instances of while meaning till, see the Editor's Macbeth, p. 50, note 1.

Set on] Incited.