O thou, the earthly author of my blood,
Whose youthful spirit, in me regenerate,
Doth with a twofold vigour lift me up
To reach at victory above my head,

Add proof unto mine armour with thy prayers;
And with thy blessings steel my lance's point,
That it may enter Mowbray's waxen coat,
And furbish new the name of John a Gaunt,
Even in the lusty haviour of his son.

70

75

Gaunt. God in thy good cause make thee prosperous!
Be swift like lightning in the execution;
And let thy blows, doubly redoubled,

Fall like amazing thunder on the casque
Of thy adverse pernicious enemy:

Rouse up thy youthful blood, be valiant and live.

80

Boling. Mine innocency and Saint George to thrive !
Mow. However God or fortune cast my lot,
There lives or dies, true to King Richard's throne,
A loyal, just and upright gentleman:
Never did captive with a freer heart

Cast off his chains of bondage, and embrace
His golden uncontroll'd enfranchisement,

85

90

More than my dancing soul doth celebrate
This feast of battle with mine adversary.
Most mighty liege, and my companion peers,
Take from my mouth the wish of happy years:
As gentle and as jocund as to jest

Go I to fight: truth hath a quiet breast.

K. Rich. Farewell, my lord: securely I Virtue with valour couched in thine eye. Order the trial, marshal, and begin.

espy

Mar. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster and Derby, Receive thy lance; and God defend the right!

95

100

Boling. Strong as a tower in hope, I cry amen. Mar. Go bear this lance to Thomas, Duke of Norfolk. First Her. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster and Derby, Stands here for God, his sovereign and himself,

On pain to be found false and recreant,

To prove the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray,

A traitor to his God, his king and him;

And dares him to set forward to the fight.

105

Sec. Her. Here standeth Thomas Mowbray, Duke of
Norfolk,

On pain to be found false and recreant,
Both to defend himself and to approve
Henry of Hereford, Lancaster and Derby,
To God, his sovereign and to him disloyal;
Courageously and with a free desire

91 More...doth] Than doth my dancing
soul now Seymour conj.

94 mouth] youth Q4.
95 jest] just Warburton.

98 [returning to his Seat, with the

Lords. Capell.

101 the right] Q1 thy right The rest. 102 [rising. Malone.

103 lance] lance [to an Officer.] Capell. Duke] Q1F3F. D. The rest.

110

115

104 First Her.] 1. Har. F1Q5. Herald. Q1Q2Q3Q4 1. F2F3F4

108 his God] God Q1 (Cap. and Huth). 109 forward] Q1F3F4 forwards The

rest.

110 Sec. Her.] Herald 2. Q1. Herald.
Q2. Her. Q3Q4. 2. Har. Ff Q
112 defend] befend Q3.
114 disloyal] disloy F4.

Attending but the signal to begin.

Mar. Sound, trumpets; and set forward, combatants.

[A charge sounded.

Stay, the king hath thrown his warder down.

K. Rich. Let them lay by their helmets and their

spears,

And both return back to their chairs again:
Withdraw with us: and let the trumpets sound
While we return these dukes what we decree.

Draw near,

120

[A long flourish.

And list what with our council we have done.
For that our kingdom's earth should not be soil'd
With that dear blood which it hath fostered;

And for our eyes do hate the dire aspect

Of civil wounds plough'd up with neighbours' sword;
And for we think the eagle-winged pride
Of sky-aspiring and ambitious thoughts,
With rival-hating envy, set on you

To wake our peace, which in our country's cradle

117 forward] Q1 FfQ5. forth Q2. foorth Q3 Q4.

combatants] conbatants Fg.

[A charge sounded.] FfQ (after line 115).

118 Stay] But stay Pope.

Yet stay
Seymour conj. Stay, stay Dyce,
ed. 2 (S. Walker conj.). Stay them
Keightley.

122 [A long flourish.] FfQ (Consult)
Collier MS.

123 Draw near,] Draw near, ye fell in

censed adversaries Seymour conj.
[to the Combatants, advancing.
Capell.
123, 124 Draw near, And...done.] Ar-

ranged as in Theobald: in Qq Ff
the first line ends at list. Omitted

VOL. IV.

by Pope.

125

130

126 which...fostered] with which it hath been foster'd Malone conj.

hath] hath beene Q4.

128 civil] cruell Q1 (Cap. and Huth). See note (IX).

neighbours'] neighbour Theobald. sword] Q1Q2 Q3 Q4 swords Ff Q6 129-133 And for...sleep;] Omitted in Ff Q5. See note (x).

131 rival-hating]riuall-hating Q,(Dev.). riuall hating Q1 (Cap. and Huth).

set on you] set you on Pope. set on both Vaughan conj.

132, 133 To wake...sleep ;] om. Nicholson conj.

132 peace] ease Becket conj. strife Keightley conj.

10

Draws the sweet infant breath of gentle sleep;
Which so roused up with boisterous untuned drums,
With harsh-resounding trumpets' dreadful bray,
And grating shock of wrathful iron arms,
Might from our quiet confines fright fair peace,
And make us wade even in our kindred's blood;
Therefore, we banish you our territories:
You, cousin Hereford, upon pain of life,

Till twice five summers have enrich'd our fields
Shall not regreet our fair dominions,

But tread the stranger paths of banishment.

135

140

145

Boling. Your will be done this must my comfort be, That sun that warms you here shall shine on me; And those his golden beams to you here lent

Shall point on me and gild my banishment.

K. Rich. Norfolk, for thee remains a heavier doom, Which I with some unwillingness pronounce:

The sly slow hours shall not determinate
The dateless limit of thy dear exile;
The hopeless word of 'never to return'

133 Draws] Drawes Q1 (Dev.) Q2Q3Q4•
Draw Q1 (Cap. and Huth). Drew
Anon. conj.

134 Which so] Which thus Pope. But thus Hanmer.

drums] drumme Q2. 134-137 Which......fright fair peace] But...frighted fly Seymour conj. 134-138 Which...blood;] Omitted by Capell.

135 With] And Pope.

136 wrathful iron] harsh resounding Q1 (Cap. and Huth).

137 fright fair peace] be affrighted Hanmer.

138 And make...blood ;] To follow line

133, Herr conj.

kindred's] kinreds QQ.

140 upon] on Pope.

life] Q1Q2Q3Q4
141 fields] Q, Ff Q5.
142 not] nor F,

146 to] unto Q2 Q3 Q4•
148 doom] dombe F1.

death Ff Q
field Q2 Q3 Q4

150

149 some] sore Vaughan conj.
150 The sly slow] The slug-slow or Thy
life's slow Vaughan conj.

sly slow] slie slow Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 slye
slow FQF3F4 flye slow F fly-
slow Pope. sly-slow Malone. slide-
slow Keightley. aye-slow Wetherell
conj. (N. & Q., 1866). lifelong or
livelong Anon. conj. (N. & Q., 1866).
See note (XI).

151 dear] drear Anon. conj. dread

Vaughan conj. decreed Herr conj.

Breathe I against thee, upon pain of life.

Mow. A heavy sentence, my most sovereign liege, And all unlook'd for from your highness' mouth :

A dearer merit, not so deep a maim

As to be cast forth in the common air,

Have I deserved at your highness' hands.
The language I have learn'd these forty years,
My native English, now I must forgo:
And now my tongue's use is to me no more
Than an unstringed viol or a harp;

Or like a cunning instrument cased up,
Or, being open, put into his hands

That knows no touch to tune the harmony:
Within my mouth you have engaol'd my tongue,
Doubly portcullis'd with my teeth and lips;
And dull unfeeling barren ignorance
Is made my gaoler to attend on me.
I am too old to fawn upon a nurse,

Too far in years to be a pupil now:

What is thy sentence then but speechless death,

Which robs my tongue from breathing native breath? K. Rich. It boots thee not to be compassionate:

153 ] om. Q5.

life] death Seymour conj.
156 A dearer merit] Whate'er I merit
Vaughan conj. A decreed merit
Herr conj.

merit, not] mede, and not Johnson
conj.

157 in] of Vaughan conj.

158 Have I Vaughan conj.(withdrawn).
159 learn'd] Ff Q learnt Q1Q2. learnd
Q3 Q4

166-169 Within...on me.] Put in the
margin, as spurious, by Pope.
166 engaoľ'd] F ̧F2Q engaold Q1Q2

155

160

165

170

ingaylde Q3. ingayld Q4. engoal'd F3F4.

167 portcullis'd] portculist Q1 (Cap. and Huth). portcullist Q1 (Dev.) Q2. percullist QQF,F2F3. purcullist Q5. percullis'd F4

169 gaoler] Q1QF1FQ5 Layler Q3 Q4
goaler F3F4.

172 then] FfQ. om. Q1Q2 Q3 Q4
173 robs] bars Vaughan conj.
174 be compassionate] be so passionate
Singer, ed. 2 (Singer conj.). be-
come passionate Grant White (Theo-
bald conj.).