From giving reins and spurs to my free speech;
Which else would post 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 to run a-foot
Even to the frozen ridges of the Alps,
Or any other ground inhabitable,
Wherever Englishman durst set his foot.

Boling. Pale trembling coward, there I throw my

gage,

Disclaiming here the kindred of the king.

If guilty dread have left thee so much strength
As to take up mine honour's pawn, then stoop:
By that and all the rites of knighthood else,
Will I make good against thee, arm to arm,
What I have spoke, or thou canst worse devise.
Nor. I take it up; and by that sword I swear,
Which gently laid my knighthood on my shoulder,
I'll answer thee in any fair degree,

Or chivalrous design of knightly trial.

K. Rich. What doth our cousin lay to Mowbray's charge?

Boling. Look, what I speak, my life shall prove it

true;

That Mowbray hath receiv'd eight thousand nobles
In name of lendings for your highness' soldiers.
Besides, I say, and will in battle prove,-

That all the treasons for these eighteen years
Complotted and contrived in this land

Fetch from false Mowbray their first head and spring.
Further, I say,—and further will maintain,-
That he did plot the Duke of Gloster's death,
Whose blood, like sacrificing Abel's, cries,
Even from the tongueless caverns of the earth,
To me for justice and rough chastisement;

And, by the glorious worth of my descent,
This arm shall do it, or this life be spent.

K. Rich. How high a pitch his resolution soars !— Thomas of Norfolk, what say'st thou to this?

Nor. O, let my sovereign turn away his face,
And bid his ears a little while be deaf,
Till I have told this slander of his blood,

How God and good men hate so foul a liar!

K. Rich. Mowbray, impartial are our eyes and

ears:

Were he my brother, nay, my kingdom's heir,-
As he is but my father's brother's son,-
Now, by my sceptre's awe, I make a vow,
Such neighbour-nearness to our sacred blood
Should nothing privilege him, nor partialize
Th' unstooping firmness of my upright soul:
He is our subject, Mowbray, so art thou;
Free speech and fearless I to thee allow.

Nor. Then, Bolingbroke, as low as to thy heart,
Through the false passage of thy throat, thou liest !
Three parts of that receipt I had for Calais
Disburs'd I duly to his highness' soldiers;
The other part reserv'd I by consent,

For that my sovereign liege was in my debt

Upon remainder of a dear account,

Since last I went to France to fetch his queen :

Now swallow down that lie.-For Gloster's death,I slew him not; but, to my own disgrace,

Neglected my sworn duty in that case.

As for the rest appeal'd,

It issues from the rancour of a villain,
A recreant and most degenerate traitor :
Which in myself I boldly will defend ;
And interchangeably hurl down my gage
Upon this overweening traitor's foot,

To prove myself a loyal gentleman

Even in the best blood chamber'd in his bosom.

K. Rich. Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be rul'd by

me;

Let's purge this choler without letting blood:
Forget, forgive; conclude and be agreed;
Our doctors say this is no month to bleed.—
Good uncle, let this end where it begun ;

We'll calm the Duke of Norfolk, you your son.

Gaunt. To be a make-peace shall become my

age :

Throw down, my son, the Duke of Norfolk's gage.
K. Rich. And, Norfolk, throw down his.

Gaunt.

When, Harry? when?

Obedience bids I should not bid agen.

K. Rich. Norfolk, throw down; we bid; there is no boot.

Nor. Myself I throw, dread sovereign, at thy foot. My life thou shalt command, but not my shame : I am disgrac'd, impeach'd, and baffled here; Pierc'd to the soul with slander's venom'd spear.

K. Rich. Give me his gage: lions make leopards

tame.

Nor. Yea, but not change his spots: take but my shame,

And I resign my gage. My dear dear lord,

The purest treasure mortal times afford

Is spotless reputation; that away,

Men are but gilded loam or painted clay.
Mine honour is my life; both grow in one;
Take honour from me, and my life is done.

K. Rich. Cousin, throw down your gage; do you begin.

Boling. O, God defend my soul from such foul sin! Shall I seem crest-fall'n in my father's sight? Or with pale beggar-fear impeach my height Before this outdar'd dastard? Ere my tongue Shall wound my honour with such feeble wrong, Or sound so base a parle, my teeth shall tear The slavish motive of recanting fear,

And spit it bleeding in his high disgrace,

Where shame doth harbour, e'en in Mowbray's face. [Exit GAUNT.

K. Rich. We were not born to sue, but to com

mand ;

Which since we cannot do to make you friends,
Be ready, as your lives shall answer it,
At Coventry, upon Saint Lambert's day :
There shall your swords and lances arbitrate
The swelling difference of your settled hate.
Marshal, command our officers-at-arms
Be ready to direct these home-alarms.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-The Lists at Coventry.

Enter the Lord Marshal and AUMErle.

Marshal.

Y Lord Aumerle, is Harry Hereford arm'd?
Aum. Yea, at all points; and longs to

enter in.

Mar. The Duke of Norfolk, sprightfully and bold, Stays but the summons of th' appellant's trumpet. Aum. Why, then, the champions are prepar'd, and

stay

For nothing but his majesty's approach.

[Flourish of trumpets.

Enter KING RICHARD, who takes his seat on his throne; GAUNT, BUSHY, BAGOT, GREEN, and others, who take their places. A trumpet is sounded, and answered by another trumpet within. Then enter NORFOLK in armour, preceded by a Herald.

K. Rich. Marshal, demand of yonder champion The cause of his arrival here in arms:

Ask him his name; and orderly proceed

To swear him in the justice of his cause.

Mar. In God's name and the king's, say who thou

art,

And why thou com'st thus knightly clad in arms.
Speak truly, on thy knighthood and thy oath;
As so defend thee heaven and thy valour!

Nor. My name is Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk;

Who hither come engagèd by my oath,

Both to defend my loyalty and truth

Against the Duke of Hereford that appeals me;

And as I truly fight, defend me heaven!

[Trumpet sounds.

Enter BOLINGBROKE in armour, preceded by a Herald. K. Rich. Marshal, demand of yonder knight in

arms,

Both who he is, and why he cometh hither

Thus plated in habiliments of war;
And formally, according to our law,

Depose him in the justice of his cause.

Mar. What is thy name? and wherefore com'st thou hither,

Before King Richard in his royal lists?

Against whom comest thou? and what's thy quarrel? Speak like a true knight, so defend thee heaven!

Boling. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Derby, Am I; who ready here do stand in arms,

To prove, by God's grace and my body's valour,
In lists, on Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk,
That he's a traitor, foul and dangerous,

To God of heaven, King Richard, and to me:
And as I truly fight, defend me heaven!

Mar. On pain of death, no person be so bold
Or daring-hardy as to touch the lists,

Except the marshal and such officers

Appointed to direct these fair designs.

Boling. Lord Marshal, let me kiss my sovereign's hand,

And bow my knee before his majesty:

For Mowbray and myself are like two men