Messenger, Rowe's omiseditors, who, ors in preced SCENE I.-London. King Richard's palace. Enter KING RICHARD, JOHN OF GAUNT, with other Nobles K. Rich. Old John of Gaunt, time-honour'd Lancaster, 5 The Tragedy] So called in the first four Quartos; The Life and Death in ACT I. SCENE 1. The divisions followed are those of Ff and Q 5 except when otherwise noted. SCENE I. 1. Old John of Gaunt] See Introduction. 2. band] bond. These two forms were interchangeable. Compare Two Gentlemen of Verona, 11. vii. 75: "His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles"; and 1 Henry IV. III. ii. 157: "The end of life cancels all bands." Traces of the M.E. phonetic interchangeability of words of this kind remain in Shakespeare; see "stronds afar remote" in 1 Henry IV. 1. iv. In v. ii. 65, infra, we have "band," and two lines further on "bond." 3. Hereford] Scan always Her'ford. Spelt Hereford only in F 4, Q5, Herford in all other copies. See Introduction. 4. appeal] An accusation which the accuser was prepared to maintain in the 3 lists. This "appeal" had taken place 66 appealed [him] in field of batell, for a traitor, false and disloiall to the King, and enimie unto the realme (Holinshed). The matter was referred to a Commission at Oswestry, February 23, and upon Norfolk's solemn denial, both lords were placed under arrest, but while Hereford was allowed to give "pledges "-his father, John of Gaunt, being one-Norfolk was not allowed this clemency and was kept prisoner at Windsor until the date of this scene, April 28. 5. Which... hear] Which want of leisure prevented our hearing. 6. Duke of Norfolk] See Introduction. Come I appellant to this princely presence. 35 My body shall make good upon this earth, 40 45 Mow. Let not my cold words here accuse my zeal : 36. greeting] in its older and simpler 38. divine] in the sense of immortal. Compare (with Shakespearian transference of adjective) All's Well that Ends Well, III. vi. 33: "With the divine forfeit of his soul upon oath." 39. miscreant] O.F. mescreant, misbeliever; Lat. minus credentem; a term of utter contempt, having a less definite meaning than its derivation suggests; perhaps equivalent to wretch plus knave. Compare recreant, line 144, infra (Lat. re-credentem apostate), which implies cowardice in addition to baseness. 50 55 stigma of disgrace still more pro- Would from my forehead wipe a perjured note." The Latin nota meant the official censure of the Senate. 44. stuff... throat] This phrase and its variants formed one of the commonest weapons in a war of tongues. Compare Hamlet, II. ii. 601: "Who gives me the lie the throat," and Henry V. 11. i. 51: "The 'solus' in thy teeth, and in thy throat." 47. Let ... zeal] Let not the coldness of my words accuse me of want of zeal. 49. eager] sharp, piercing. Compare Hamlet, 1. iv. 2: "It is a nipping and an eager air." 40. Too ... live] This and the following rhymed lines are characteristic of "early" Shakespearian luxuriance. Pope would have none of them and marked them as spurious: line 40 55-6. reins spurs... post] means that Mowbray was by birth too Note the keeping up of the metaphor, good material from which to make a characteristic of Shakespeare's earlier traitor and, at the same time, too bad a methods of tricking out his thoughts traitor to be allowed to live. somewhat artificially. See also lines 43. aggravate the note] to make the 11-21 in the next scene. |