circumstances, just. And the fact that Richard's life thus holds Bolingbroke in constant peril of assassination amplyexplains why the latter should wish the ground and motive for such plots removed, though it may nowise excuse the means used for stopping off that peril. But in truth the head and spring of all these evils lies in the usurpation; and for this Richard is quite as much to blame as Bolingbroke.

Lords, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Gardeners, Keeper, Messenger, Groom,

and other Attendants.

SCENE, dispersedly in England and Wales.

ACT I.

SCENE I.- London. A Room in the Palace. Enter KING RICHARD, attended, GAUNT, and other Nobles. K. Rich. Old John of Gaunt,' time-honour'd Lancaster,

1 The Duke of Lancaster was born in 1340, in the city of Ghent, Flanders, and thence called John of Gaunt. At the time referred to in the text, 1398, he was only fifty-eight years old. The language here applied to him is such as we should hardly use of a man under eighty. At that time men were

37

Hast thou, according to thy oath and band,2
Brought hither Henry Hereford, thy bold son,
Here to make good the boisterous late appeal,3
Which then our leisure 4 would not let us hear,
Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray?
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,

On some known ground of treachery in him?

Gaunt. As near as I could sift him on that argument, On some apparent 5 danger seen in him,

K. Rich. Then call them to our presence: face to face, And frowning brow to brow, ourselves will hear

Th' accuser and th' accusèd freely speak.

[Exeunt some Attendants. High stomach'd are they both, and full of ire, In rage deaf as the sea, hasty as fire.

often married at fifteen, and were commonly reckoned old at fifty; and to reach the age of sixty was as uncommon as it is now to reach fourscore.

2 Band and bond were used indifferently for obligation, both of them being from the verb to bind. Some six weeks before the time of this scene, in a Parliament held at Shrewsbury, Lancaster had pledged himself, given his oath and bond, that his son should appear for combat at the time and place appointed. This was in accordance with ancient custom.

3 To appeal was constantly used for to accuse or impeach.

4 Leisure is here put for want of leisure. A frequent usage both in Shakespeare and other old writers. So in As You Like It, iii. 2: "He that hath learned no wit by nature nor art may complain of good breeding." Also, in Jonson's Sad Shepherd, Lionel says of Amie, "She's sick of the young shepherd that bekist her"; sick for want of him.

5 Here, as often, apparent is manifest.— Argument is theme or matter. 6 Stomach was used for pride, and also for resentment. Here it may have either of these senses, or, perhaps, both.

Enter Attendants, with BOLINGBROKE7 and NORFOLK.

Boling. May many years of happy days befall My gracious sovereign, my most loving liege ! Norf. Each day still better 8 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 cause you come ; 9

Namely, t' appeal each other of high treason.—
Cousin of Hereford, what dost thou object

Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray?

Boling. First, Heaven be the record to my speech!In the devotion of a subject's love,

Tendering 10 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 11 answer it in Heaven.
Thou art a traitor and a miscreant;

7 Henry Plantagenet, the eldest son of Lancaster, was surnamed Bolingbroke from his having been born at the castle of that name in Lincolnshire.

8 To better for to surpass. A frequent usage. iv. 3: "What you do still betters what is done." still is always, or continually.

9 Meaning, of course, come for, or come on. ellipses, especially of prepositions.

So in The Winter's Tale,
Both here and in the text,

The Poet has many such

10 To tender a thing is to be careful or tender of it; to hold it dear. See Hamlet, page 73, note 27.

11" Divine soul" for immortal soul; or, perhaps, in the sense of Wordsworth's well-known passage: "Not in utter nakedness, but trailing clouds of glory do we come from God, who is our home."

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.

Once more, the more to aggravate the note,12
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 13 may prove.

Norf. Let not my cold words here accuse my zeal :

'Tis not the trial 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 hush'd, and nought at all to say:
First, the fair reverence of your Highness curbs me
From giving reins and spurs to my free speech;
Which else would post 14 until it had return'd
These terms of treason doubled down his throat.
Setting aside his high blood's royalty,

And let him be no kinsman to my liege,

I do defy him, and I spit at him;

Call him a slanderous coward and a villain :
Which to maintain, I would allow him odds,
And meet him, were I tied 15 to run afoot
Even to the frozen ridges of the Alps,

12 Note for mark or stigma.-This was the usual way of aggravating words of accusation, contumely, or reproach. "You lie in your teeth," "You lie in your throat," "You lie as low as to the heart," were the three degrees; the last being the ne plus ultra of insult. See Hamlet, page 122, note 91. 13 That is, a sword drawn in a righteous or just cause.

14 To post is to hasten; to go with the speed of a postman.

15 Tied in the sense of bound or obliged.