THE TRAGEDY OF

KING RICHARD II

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

KING RICHARD the Second

JOHN OF GAUNT, Duke of Lancaster,
EDMUND OF LANGLEY, Duke of York,

uncles to the King

HENRY, surnamed BOLINGBROKE, Duke of Hereford, son to John of

Gaunt; afterwards KING HENRY IV

DUKE OF AUMERLE, son to the Duke of York

THOMAS MOWBRAY, Duke of Norfolk

Lords, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, two Gardeners, Keeper, Messenger,
Groom, and other Attendants

SCENE: England and Wales

.

THE TRAGEDY OF

KING RICHARD II

ACT FIRST

SCENE I

London. King Richard's palace.

Ag Richard, John of Gaunt, with other
Nobles and Attendants.

B. Old John of Gaunt, time-honor'd Lanaster,

hou, according to thy oath and band, Bought hither Henry Hereford thy bold son, There to make good the boisterous late appeal, We then our leisure would not let us hear, Agest the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas MowMay?

& John of Gaunt"; Gaunt was only fifty-eight years old at n the play opens, but Shakespeare refers to him throughiman.-I. G.

and bond were anciently used in the same sense, both Ang from the verb to bind.-Of course Lancaster had on a tion pledged himself, had given his oath and bond, that Id appear for combat at the time and place appointed. accordance with ancient custom.-H. N. H.

Gaunt. I have, my liege.

K. Rich. Tell me, moreover, hast thou sounded him,

If he appeal the duke on ancient malice;
Or worthily, as a good subject should,

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On some known ground of treachery in him? Gaunt. As near as I could sift him on that argument,

On some apparent danger seen in him

Aim'd at your highness, no inveterate malice. K. Rich. Then call them to our presence; face to face,

And frowning brow to brow, ourselves will
hear

The accuser and the accused freely speak:
High-stomach'd are they both, and full of ire,
In rage deaf as the sea, hasty as fire.

Enter Bolingbroke and Mowbray.

Boling. Many years of happy days befal

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My gracious sovereign, my most loving liege! Mow. 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 flatters

us,

20. "Bolingbroke"; Henry Plantagenet, eldest son of John of Gaunt, was surnamed Bolingbroke from having been born at the town of that name in Lincolnshire.-H. N. H.

"Many years of happy days befal"; Pope suggested "May, nany”; Tate, "Now many"; Collier, "Full many"; others suggest that "years" is to be read as a dissyllable. No change is necessary; the emphatic monosyllabic foot at the beginning of the speech is not very remarkable, and may easily be paralleled.-I. G.

As well appeareth by the cause you come;
Namely, to appeal each other of high treason.
Cousin of Hereford, what dost thou object
Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mow-
bray?

31

Boling. First, heaven be the record to my speech!
In the devotion of a subject's love,
Tendering the precious safety of my prince,
And free from other misbegotten hate,
Come I appellant to this princely presence.
Now, Thomas Mowbray, 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 soul answer it in heaven.
Thou art a traitor and a miscreant,
Too good to be so, and too bad to live,
Since the more fair and crystal is the sky,
The uglier seem the clouds that in it fly.

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Once more, the more to aggravate the note,
With a foul traitor's name stuff I thy throat;
And wish, so please my sovereign, ere I move,
What my tongue speaks my right drawn sword
may prove.

zeal:

Mow. Let not my cold words here accuse my
"Tis not the trial of a woman's war,
The bitter clamor of two eager tongues,
Can arbitrate this cause betwixt us twain;
The blood is hot that must be cool'd for this:

50

26. That is, by the cause you come on. Shakespeare often omits the preposition in such cases.-H. N. H.

46. "My right drawn sword," that is, my sword drawn in a right or just cause.-H. N. H.