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Richard II

ACT I SCENE I London. KING RICHARD II's palace. 
 Enter KING RICHARD II, JOHN OF GAUNT, with other Nobles and Attendants 
KING RICHARD II Old John of Gaunt, time-honour'd Lancaster, 
 Hast thou, according to thy oath and band, 
 Brought hither Henry Hereford thy bold son, 
 Here to make good the boisterous late appeal, 5
 Which then our leisure would not let us hear, 
 Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray? 
JOHN OF GAUNT I have, my liege. 
KING RICHARD II Tell me, moreover, hast thou sounded him, 
 If he appeal the duke on ancient malice; 10
 Or worthily, as a good subject should, 
 On some known ground of treachery in him? 
JOHN OF 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. 15
KING RICHARD II 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. 20
 Enter HENRY BOLINGBROKE and THOMAS MOWBRAY. 
HENRY BOLINGBROKE Many years of happy days befal 
 My gracious sovereign, my most loving liege! 
THOMAS MOWBRAY Each day still better other's happiness; 
 Until the heavens, envying earth's good hap, 
 Add an immortal title to your crown! 25
KING RICHARD II We thank you both: yet one but flatters us, 
 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 Mowbray? 30
HENRY BOLINGBROKE 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. 35
 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, 40
 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, 
 With a foul traitor's name stuff I thy throat; 45
 And wish, so please my sovereign, ere I move, 
 What my tongue speaks my right drawn sword may prove. 
THOMAS MOWBRAY 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, 50
 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 55
 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, 60
 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 afoot 
 Even to the frozen ridges of the Alps, 65
 Or any other ground inhabitable, 
 Where ever Englishman durst set his foot. 
 Mean time let this defend my loyalty, 
 By all my hopes, most falsely doth he lie. 
HENRY BOLINGBROKE Pale trembling coward, there I throw my gage, 70
 Disclaiming here the kindred of the king, 
 And lay aside my high blood's royalty, 
 Which fear, not reverence, makes thee to except. 
 If guilty dread have left thee so much strength 
 As to take up mine honour's pawn, then stoop: 75
 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. 
THOMAS MOWBRAY I take it up; and by that sword I swear 
 Which gently laid my knighthood on my shoulder, 80
 I'll answer thee in any fair degree, 
 



Or chivalrous design of knightly trial:
 
 And when I mount, alive may I not light, 
 If I be traitor or unjustly fight! 
KING RICHARD II What doth our cousin lay to Mowbray's charge? 85
 It must be great that can inherit us 
 So much as of a thought of ill in him. 
HENRY BOLINGBROKE Look, what I speak, my life shall prove it true; 
 That Mowbray hath received eight thousand nobles 
 In name of lendings for your highness' soldiers, 90
 The which he hath detain'd for lewd employments, 
 Like a false traitor and injurious villain. 
 Besides I say and will in battle prove, 
 Or here or elsewhere to the furthest verge 
 That ever was survey'd by English eye, 95
 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 
 Upon his bad life to make all this good, 100
 That he did plot the Duke of Gloucester's death, 
 Suggest his soon-believing adversaries, 
 And consequently, like a traitor coward, 
 Sluiced out his innocent soul through streams of blood: 
 Which blood, like sacrificing Abel's, cries, 105
 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. 
KING RICHARD II How high a pitch his resolution soars! 110
 Thomas of Norfolk, what say'st thou to this? 
THOMAS MOWBRAY 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. 115
KING RICHARD II 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 120
 Should nothing privilege him, nor partialize 
 The unstooping firmness of my upright soul: 
 He is our subject, Mowbray; so art thou: 
 Free speech and fearless I to thee allow. 
THOMAS MOWBRAY Then, Bolingbroke, as low as to thy heart, 125
 Through the false passage of thy throat, thou liest. 
 Three parts of that receipt I had for Calais 
 Disbursed I duly to his highness' soldiers; 
 The other part reserved I by consent, 
 For that my sovereign liege was in my debt 130
 Upon remainder of a dear account, 
 Since last I went to France to fetch his queen: 
 Now swallow down that lie. For Gloucester's death, 
 I slew him not; but to my own disgrace 
 Neglected my sworn duty in that case. 135
 For you, my noble Lord of Lancaster, 
 The honourable father to my foe 
 Once did I lay an ambush for your life, 
 A trespass that doth vex my grieved soul 
 But ere I last received the sacrament 140
 I did confess it, and exactly begg'd 
 Your grace's pardon, and I hope I had it. 
 This is my fault: as for the rest appeall'd, 
 It issues from the rancour of a villain, 
 A recreant and most degenerate traitor 145
 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. 150
 In haste whereof, most heartily I pray 
 Your highness to assign our trial day. 
KING RICHARD II Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be ruled by me; 
 Let's purge this choler without letting blood: 
 This we prescribe, though no physician; 155
 Deep malice makes too deep incision; 
 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. 160
JOHN OF GAUNT To be a make-peace shall become my age: 
 Throw down, my son, the Duke of Norfolk's gage. 
KING RICHARD II And, Norfolk, throw down his. 
JOHN OF GAUNT When, Harry, when? 
 Obedience bids I should not bid again. 165
KING RICHARD II Norfolk, throw down, we bid; there is no boot. 
THOMAS MOWBRAY Myself I throw, dread sovereign, at thy foot. 
 My life thou shalt command, but not my shame: 
 The one my duty owes; but my fair name, 
 Despite of death that lives upon my grave, 170
 To dark dishonour's use thou shalt not have. 
 I am disgraced, impeach'd and baffled here, 
 Pierced to the soul with slander's venom'd spear, 
 The which no balm can cure but his heart-blood 
 Which breathed this poison. 175
KING RICHARD II Rage must be withstood: 
 Give me his gage: lions make leopards tame. 
THOMAS MOWBRAY 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 180
 Is spotless reputation: that away, 
 Men are but gilded loam or painted clay. 
 A jewel in a ten-times-barr'd-up chest 
 Is a bold spirit in a loyal breast. 
 Mine honour is my life; both grow in one: 185
 Take honour from me, and my life is done: 
 Then, dear my liege, mine honour let me try; 
 In that I live and for that will I die. 
KING RICHARD II Cousin, throw up your gage; do you begin. 
HENRY BOLINGBROKE O, God defend my soul from such deep sin! 190
 Shall I seem crest-fall'n in my father's sight? 
 Or with pale beggar-fear impeach my height 
 Before this out-dared dastard? Ere my tongue 
 Shall wound my honour with such feeble wrong, 
 Or sound so base a parle, my teeth shall tear 195
 The slavish motive of recanting fear, 
 And spit it bleeding in his high disgrace, 
 Where shame doth harbour, even in Mowbray's face. 
 Exit JOHN OF GAUNT. 
KING RICHARD II We were not born to sue, but to command; 
 Which since we cannot do to make you friends, 200
 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: 
 Since we can not atone you, we shall see 205
 Justice design the victor's chivalry. 
 Lord marshal, command our officers at arms 
 Be ready to direct these home alarms. 
 Exeunt 

Richard II, Act 1, Scene 2

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