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THE

LIFE and DEATH

OF

RICHARD II.

KING RICHARD the Second.

Duke of YORK,

JOHN of Gaunt, Duke of Lancafter,

Uncles to the King.

BOLINGBROKE, Earl of Hereford, Son to John of Gaunt, afterwards King Henry the Fourth.

AUMERLE, Son to the Duke of York.

MOWBRAY, Duke of Norfolk,

Earl of SALISBURY.

Earl of BARKLEY,

BUSHY,

BAGOT,

GREEN,

}

Servants to King Richard.

Friends to Bolingbroke,

Earl of NORTHUMBERLAND,

PERCY, Sonto Northumberland,

Ross,

WILLOUGHBY,

Bishop of CARLISLE,

Sir STEPHEN SCROOP, Friends to King Richard.

FITZWATER,

SURREY,

Abbot of WESTMINSTER,

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Sir PIERCE of Exton, one of Bolingbroke's Creatures. A Captain of a band of Welshmen.

QUEEN to King Richard.

Duchefs of GLOUCESTER.

Dutchess of YORK.

Ladies attending on the Queen.

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

SCENE, ENGLAND.

THE

THE

LIFE and DEATH

OF

King RICHARD II.

ACT I. SCENE I.

The COURT.

Enter King Richard, John of Gaunt, with other Nobles

K. Rich.

O

and Attendants.

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

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,

Or worthily, as a good fubject should,

On fome known ground of treachery in him?

Gaunt. As near as I could fift him on that argument,

On fome apparent danger feen in him

Aim'd at your Highness; no invet'rate malice.

K, Ricbe

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 fpeak: High-ftomach'd are they both, and full of ire: In rage, deaf as the fea; hafty as fire.

SCENE X. Enter Bolingbroke and Mowbray. Boling. May many years of happy days befal My gracious Sovereign, my moft loving Liege! Mob. Each day ftill better others 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 cause you come for;
Namely t' appeal each other of high treason.
Coufin of Hereford, what doft thou object
Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray?
Boling. First, (Heaven be the record to my speech!)
In the devotion of a fubject's love,

Tend'ring the precious fafety of my Prince,
And free from other mil-begotten hate,
Come I Appellant to this princely prefence.
Now, Thomas Mowbray, do I turn to thee,
And mark my greeting well; for what I speak,
My body fhall make good upon this earth,
Or my divine foul anfwer it in heaven.

Thou art a traitor and a mifcreant. *

Mowb. Let not my cold words here accuse my zeal; 'Tis not the tryal 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 husht, and nought at all to say.

...a mifcreant.

Too good to be fo, and too bad to live.
Since the more fair and crystal is the sky,
The uglier feem the clouds that in it fly;
Once more, the more to aggravate the Note,
With a foul traitor's name stuff 1 thy throat,
And with, fo please my Sovereign, ere I move,

What my tongue fpeaks, my right drawn fword may prove
Mob. Let not, &c.

Firk

Firft 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,
Let him but be no kinfman to my Liege,
And I defie him, and I fpit at him,

Call him a flanderous 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 unhabitable,
Where never Englishman durft fet his foot."
Mean time, let this defend my loyalty;
By all my hopes, most faisly doth he lie.

Boling. Pale trembling coward, there I throw my gage, Difclaiming here the kindred of a King,

And lay afide 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 rites of knighthood elfe,
Will I make good against thee, arm to arm,
What I have spoken, as what thou haft devised.
Mowb. I take it up, and by that fword I swear,
Which gently laid my knighthood on my shoulder,
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 inherit 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 VOL. IV.

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