Mar. The duke of Norfolk, sprightfully and bold, Stays but the summons of the 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, and several Noblemen, 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 And why thou com'st, thus knightly clad in arms: Who hither come engaged by my oath, (Which heaven defend, a knight should violate!) Both to defend my loyalty and truth, To God, my king, and my3 succeeding issue, Against the duke of Hereford that appeals me; And, by the grace of God, and this mine arm, Holland) officiated. Shakspeare has made a slight mistake by introducing that nobleman as a distinct person from the marshal in the present drama. Edward duke of Aumerle (so created by his cousin-german Richard II. in 1397,) who was the eldest son of Edward duke of York, fifth son of Edward III. officiated as high constable at the lists of Coventry. He was killed at the battle of Agincourt, in 1415. 2 The duke of Hereford, being the appellant, entered the lists first, according to the historians. 3 His succeeding issue' is the reading of the first folio: the quartos all read my. To prove him, in defending of myself, [He takes his seat. Trumpet sounds. Enter BOLINGBROKE, in armour ; preceded by a Herald. K. Rich. Marshal, ask yonder knight in arms, And formally according to our law 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? And bow my knee before his majesty: ness, And craves to kiss your hand, and take his leave. K. Rich. We will descend, and fold him in our arms. Cousin of Hereford, as thy cause is right, Against a bird, do I with Mowbray fight.-- Of you, my noble cousin, Lord Aumerle;- The daintiest last, to make the end most sweet: [To GAUNT. 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 of Gaunt, Even in the lusty 'haviour of his son. Gaunt. Heaven in thy good cause make thee prosperous! Be swift like lightning in the execution; Rouse up thy youthful blood, be valiant and live. Boling. Mine innocency, and Saint George to [He takes his seat. Nor. [Rising.] However heaven, or fortune, cast my lot, thrive! 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, Go I to fight; Truth hath a quiet breast. [The King and the Lords return to their seats. Mar. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Derby, Receive thy lance; and God defend the right! Boling. [Rising.] Strong as a tower in hope, I cry-amen. Mar. Go bear this lance [To an Officer] to Thomas duke of Norfolk. 1 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, On pain to be found false and recreant, Mar. Sound, trumpets; and set forward, com[A Charge sounded. Stay, the king hath thrown his warders down. batants. 4 To jest, in old language, sometimes signified to play a part in a masque. Thus in Hieronymo : 'He promised us, in honour of our guest, To grace our banquet with some pompous jest.' And accordingly a masque is performed 5 A warder was a kind of truncheon or staff carried by persons who presided at these single combats; the throwing down of 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. [A long flourish. [To the Combatants. Draw near, [And for we think the eagle-winged pride To wake our peace, which in our country's cradle Might from our quiet confines fright fair peace, But tread the stranger paths of banishment. 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. which seems to have been a solemn act of prohibition to stay proceedings A different movement of the warder had an opposite effect. In Drayton's Battle of Agincourt, Erpingham is represented throwing it up as a signal for a charge. 6 Capel's copy of the quarto edition of this play reads 'Of cruel wounds, &c. Malone's copy of the same edition, and all the other editions read 'Of civil wounds,' &c. The five lines in brackets are omitted in the folio. |