Cousin of Hereford, what dost thou object Against the duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray ? Boling. First, (heaven be the record to my speech!) In the devotion of a subject's love, Tendering the precious safety of my prince, Come I appellant to this princely presence.- What my tongue speaks, my right-drawn 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. JOHNSON. By all my hopes, most falsely doth he lie. Boling. Pale trembling coward, there I throw my gage, Disclaiming here the kindred of a king ; 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 to Mowbray'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 ;- 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: Even from the tongueless caverns of the earth, [4] Lewd here signifies wicked. It is so used in many of our old statutes. It sometimes signifies idle. STEEVENS. MALONE K. Rich. How high a pitch his resolution soars !- 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 : [5] i. e. this reproach to his ancestry. STEEVENS. 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 Nor. Myself I throw, dread sovereign, at thy foot: K. Rich. Rage must be withstood : Give me his gage :-Lions make leopards tame. Nor. Yea, but not change their spots: take but my shame, And I resign my gage. My dear dear lord, The purest treasure mortal times afford, 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. STEEVENS. [8] That is, no advantage, no use in delay or refusal. JOHNSON. [9] That is, my name that lives on my grave in despite of death. JOHNSON. Boling. O, God defend my soul from such foul sin! Shall I seem crest-fallen in my father's sight? Or with pale beggar-fear impeach my height Before this outdar'd dastard? Ere my tongue Shall wound mine honour with such feeble wrong, Or sound so base a parle, my teeth shall tear The slavish motive of recanting fear; And spit it bleeding in his high disgrace, Where shame doth harbour, even in Mowbray's face. [Exit GAUNT. K. Rich. We were not born to sue, but to command: Which since we cannot do to make you friends, Be ready, as your lives shall answer it, At Coventry, upon Saint Lambert's day; There shall your swords and lances arbitrate The swelling difference of your settled hate; Since we cannot atone you, we shall see Justice design the victor's chivalry.' -Marshal, command our officers at arms Be ready to direct these home-alarms. SCENE II. [Exeunt. The same. A Room in the Duke of LANCASTER's Palace, Enter GAUNT, and Duchess of GLOSTER. 2 Gaunt. Alas! the part I had in Gloster's blood' To stir against the butchers of his life. Duch. Finds brotherhood in thee no sharper spur? Or seven fair branches springing from one root: [1] To design in our author's time signified to mark out. MALONE. [2] The Duchess of Gloster was Eleanor Bohun, widow of Duke Thomas, son of Edward III. WALPOLE. [3] That is, my relation of consanguinity to Gloster. HANMER |