Boling. O, God defend my soul from such foul sin! And spit it bleeding in his high disgrace, SCENE II. [Exeunt. The same. A Room in the Duke of LANCASTER's PalEnter GAUNT, and Duchess of GLOSTER.2 ace. Gaunt. Alas! the part I had in Gloster's blood 3 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. MAL. [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. HANM. One phial full of Edward's sacred blood, One flourishing branch of his most royal root,- Is hack'd down, and his sunmer leaves all faded, By envy's hand, and murder's bloody axe. Ah, Gaunt his blood was thine; that bed, that womb, Made him a man; and though thou liv'st, and breath'st, What shall I say? to safeguard thine own life, His deputy anointed in his sight, : Hath caus'd his death the which if wrongfully, An angry arm against his minister. Duch. Where then, alas! may I complain myself? Gaunt. To heaven,the widow's champion and defence Duch. Why then, I will. Farewell, old Gaunt. Thou go'st to Coventry, there to behold Our cousin Hereford and fell Mowbray fight: O, sit my husband's wrongs on Hereford's spear, That it may enter butcher Mowbray's breast! Or, if misfortune miss the first career, Be Mowbray's sins so heavy in his bosom, That they may break his foaming courser's back, And throw the rider headlong in the lists, A caitiff recreant4 to my cousin Hereford! Farewell, old Gaunt; thy sometimes brother's wife, [4] Caitiff originally signified a Prisoner; next a Slave, from the condition of prisoners; then a Scoundrel, from the qualities of a slave. In this passage it partakes of all these significations. JOHNS. I I do not believe that Caitiff in our language ever signified a Prisoner. take it to be derived, not from captiff, but from chetiff, Fr. poor, miserable. TYRWHITT. With her companion grief must end her life. Not with the empty hollowness, but weight: For sorrow ends not when it seemeth done. And what cheer there for welcome, but my groans? The last leave of thee takes my weeping eye. [Exeunt. SCENE III. Gosford Green, near Coventry. Lists set out, and a Throne. Heralds, &c. attending. Enter the Lord Marshal, and Av 5 Mar. My lord Aumerle, is Harry Hereford arm'd ? Aum. Yea, at all points; and longs to enter in. Mar. The duke of Norfolk, sprightfully and bold, Stays but the summons of the appellant's trumpet. Aum Why then, the champions are prepar'd,and stay For nothing but his majesty's approach, Flourish of Trumpets. Enter King RICHARD, who takes his seat on his throne; GAUNT, and several Noblemen, who take their places. A Trumpet is sounded, and answered by another Trumpet within. Then enter NORFOLK in armour, preceded by a Herald. [5] Mowbray Duke of Norfolk was Earl Marshal of England; but being himself one of the combatants, the Duke of Surrey officiated as Earl Marshal for the day. MAL. [6] Edward Duke of Aumerle, so created by his cousin german, King Richard 11. in 1397. He was the eldest son of Edmund of Langley Duke of York, fifth on of Edward the Third, and was killed in 1415, at the battle of Agincourt. He officiated at the lists of Coventry, as High Constable of Eugland. MAL. K. Rich. Marshal, demand of yonder champion Mar. In God's name, and the king's, say who thou art, 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 thy oath ; And 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 defend, a knight should violate !) To God, my king, and my succeeding issue, A traitor to my God, my king, and me : [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 in the justice of his cause. Mar. What is thy name? and wherefore com'st thou hither, Before king Richard, in his royal lists ? 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, [7] Mr. Edwards, in his MS. notes, observes, both from Matthew Paris and Holinshed, that the duke of Hereford, appellant, entered the lists first; and this indeed must have been the regular method of the combat; for the natural order of things requires, that the accuser or challenger should be at the place of appointment first. STEEV. Mar. On pain of death, no person be so bold, Boling. Lord marshal, let me kiss my sovereign's hand, And bow my knee before his majesty : 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, 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; Lo, as at English feasts, so I regreet The daintiest last, to make the end most sweet: O thou, the earthly author of my blood, [To GAUNT. Whose youthful spirit, in me regenerate, Doth with a two-fold vigour lift me up To reach at victory above my head, Add proof unto mine armour with thy prayers; Gaunt. Heaven in thy good cause make thee prosperous ! Be swift like lightning in the execution ; [8] Waxen may mean soft, and consequently penetrable or flexible. The brigandines or coats of mail, then in use, were composed of small pieces of steel quilted over one another, and yet so flexible as to accommodate the dress they form to every motion of the body. Of these many are still to he seen in the Tower of London. STEEV. |