THE LIFE AND DEATH OF KING RICHARD II. ACT I. SCENE I.-London. A room in the palace. Enter King Richard, attended; John of Gaunt, and other nobles, with him. King Richard. OLD John of Guant, time-honour'd Lancaster, Hast thou, according to thy oath and band,1 Brought hither Henry Hereford thy bold son; Here to make good the boisterous late appeal, Which then our leisure would not let us hear, Against the duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray? Gaunt. I have, my liege. K. Rich. Tell me moreover, hast thou sounded him, If he appeal the duke on ancient malice ; On some known ground of treachery in him? Gaunt. As near as I could sift him on that ar gument. (1) Bond. On some apparent danger seen in him, K. Rich. Then call them to our presence; face to face, And frowning brow to brow, ourselves will hear High-stomach'd are they both, and full of ire, Boling. May many years of happy days befall 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 flat ters us, As well appeareth by the cause you come; Namely, to appeall each other of high treason.--Cousin of Hereford, what dost thou object Against the duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray Boling. First (heaven be the record of my speech!) In the devotion of a subject's love, (1) Charge. And wish (so please my sovereign,) ere I move, 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: The blood is hot, that must be cool'd for this, Yet can I not of such tame patience boast, As to be hush'd, and nought at all to say: First, the fair reverence of your highness curbs me From giving reins and spurs to my free speech; Which else would post, until it had return'd These terms of treason doubled down his throat. Setting aside his high blood's royalty, And let him be no kinsman to my liege, I do defy him, and í spit at him; Call him a slanderous coward, and a villain : Which to maintain, I would allow him odds; And meet him, were I tied to run a-foot Even to the frozen ridges of the Alps, Or any other ground inhabitable! Where ever Englishman durst set his foot. Mean time, let this defend my loyalty,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: If guilty dread hath left thee so much strength, As to take up mine honour's pawn, then stoop; By that, and all the rites of knighthood else, Will I make good against thee, arm to arm, What I have spoke, or thou canst worse devise. Nor. I take it up; and, by that sword I swear, Which gently lay'd my knighthood on my shoulder, (1) Uninhabitable. I'll answer thee in any fair degree, K. Rich. What doth our cousin lay to Mow bray's charge? It must be great, that can inherit1 us Boling. Look, what I speak my life shall prove it true; That Mowbray hath receiv'd eight thousand nobles, spring. Further I say, and further will maintain blood: Which blood, like sacrificing Abel's, cries, soars! Thomas of Norfolk, what say'st thou to this? Nor. O, let my sovereign turn away his face, And bid his ears a little while be deaf, (1) Possess. (2) Wicked. (3) Prompt. Till I have told this slander of his blood,1 K. Rich. Mowbray, impartial are our eyes, and ears: Were he my brother, nay, my kingdom's heir, Nor. Then, Bolingbroke, as low as to thy heart, death, For Gloster's I slew him not; but to my own disgrace, (1) Reproach to his ancestry. (2) Charged. |