Dramatis Perfonæ.

KING Richard the Second.

Duke of York,

John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, Uncles to the King.
Bolingbroke, Son to John of Gaunt, afterwards King
Henry the Fourth.

Aumerle, Son to the Duke of York.
Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk.
Earl of Salisbury.
Lord Berkley.
Bushy,

Bagot,
Green,

Servants to King Richard.

Earl of Northumberland,

Percy, Son to Northumberland,

Rofs,
Willoughby,

Bishop of Carlifle,

Sir Stephen Scroop, Friends to King Richard.

}

Fitzwater,

Lords in the Parliament.

Surry,

Abbot of Weftminster,
Sir Pierce of Exton,

Queen to King Richard.
Dutchess of Gloucefter.
Dutchess of York.

Ladies, attending on the Queen.

Friends to Boling-.
broke..

Heralds, two Gardiners, Keeper, Messenger, Groom, and other Attendants.

SCENE, difperfedly, in feveral Parts of England.

THE

ACT Í. SCENE I.

The

COURT.

Enter King Richard, John of Gaunt, with other Nobles and Attendants.

King RICHARD.

LD John of Gaunt, time-honour'd Lancafter,

Haft thou, according to thy oath and bond,

Brought hither Henry Hereford thy bold fon,

Here to make good the boift'rous late Appeal,
Which then our leifure would not let us hear,
Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray ?
Gaunt. I have, my liege.

K. Rich. Tell me moreover, haft thou founded him, 'If he appeal the Duke on ancient malice,

1 If he appeal the Duke ;] Appeal, i. e. call, demand, challenge, from appello. Mr. Pope.

Or worthily, as a good Subject fhould,
On fome known ground of treachery in him?
Gaunt. As near as I could fift him on that
ment,

argu

On fome apparent Danger feen in him
Aim'd at your Highnefs; no invet'rate malice.
K. Rich. Then call them to our prefence; face to
face,

And frowning brow to brow, Our felves will hear
Th' accufer, and th' accufed freely speak:
High-ftomach'd are they Both, and full of ire;
In rage, deaf as the fea; hafty as fire.

SCENE

II.
Enter Bolingbroke and Mowbray.

Boling. May many years of happy days befal
My gracious Sovereign, my most loving Liege!

Mowb. Each day ftill 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 caufe you come; Namely, t'appeal each other of high Treason. Coufin of Hereford, what doft thou object Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray?

Boling. Firft (Heaven be the record to my speech!) In the devotion of a Subject's love, Tend'ring the precious fafety of my Prince, And free from other mif-begotten hate, Come I Appellant to this princely presence. Now, Thomas Mcwbray, do I turn to thee, And mark my Greeting well; for what I speak, My body shall make good upon this earth, Or my divine foul answer it in heav'n. Thou art a traitor and a mifcreant ; Too good to be fo, and too bad to live; Since, the more fair and cryftal is the Sky,

The

The uglier seem the Clouds, that in it fly.
Once more, the more to aggravate the Note,
With a foul Traytor's Name stuff I thy throat;
And wish, so please my Sov'reign, ere I move,
What my Tongue fpeaks, my Right-drawn Sword
may prove.

Mowb. Let not my cold words here accufe my zeal;
'Tis not the tryal of a woman's war,
The bitter clamour of two eager tongues,
Can arbitrate this caufe 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 husht, and nought at all to say.
First, the fair Rev'rence of your Highness curbs me,
From giving reins and fpurs to my free speech;
Which elfe would poft, until it had return'd
These terms of Treafon doubled down his throat.
Setting afide his high blood's Royalty,
And let him be no kinfman to my Liege,
I do defie him, and I fpit at him;

Call him a fland'rous coward, and a villain;
Which to maintain, I would allow him odds,
And meet him, were I ty'd to run a-foot
Even to the frozen ridges of the Alps,
Or any other ground inhabitable,
Where never Englishman durft fet his foot.
Mean time, let this defend my Loyalty;
By all my hopes, moft falfly 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 rev'rence, makes thee to except :)
If guilty Dread hath left thee fo much strength,
As to take up mine Honour's pawn, then stoop.
By that, and all the rights of Knighthood elfe,
Will I make good against thee, arm to arm,

B 3

What

What I have spoken, or thou canst devise.

Mcwb. I take it up, and by that Sword I fwear, Which gently laid my Knighthood on my fhoulder, I'll answer thee in any fair degree, Or chivalrous defign of knightly tryal; And when I mount, alive may I not light, If I be traitor, or unjustly fight!

K. Rich. What doth our Coufin lay to Mowbray's charge?

It must be great, that can inhabit us
So much as of a thought of Ill in him.

Boling. Look, what I faid, my life fhall prove it true;
That Mowbray hath receiv'd eight thousand nobles,
In name of lendings for your Highness' foldiers,
The which he hath detain'd for lewd imployments;
Like a falfe traitor and injurious villain.
Befides, I fay, and will in battel prove,
Or here, or elsewhere, to the furtheft verge,
That ever was furvey'd by English eye;
That all the treafons for thefe eighteen years,
Complotted and contrived in this Land,
Fetch from falfe Mowbray their firft head and spring.
Further, I fay, and further will maintain
Upon his bad Life to make all This good,
That he did plot the Duke of Gloucester's death;
Suggest his foon-believing adverfaries;
And confequently, like a traitor-coward,
Sluic'd out his inn'cent foul through ftreams of blood;
Which blood, like facrificing Abel's, cries
Even from the tonguelefs caverns of the earth,
To me, for juftice, and rough chastisement.
And by the glorious Worth of my Defcent,
This arm fhall do it, or this life be spent.

2

K. Rich. How high a pitch his refolution foars! Thomas of Norfolk, what fay'ft thou to this?

that can INHERIT ] We fhould read, INHABIT.

Mowb.