Your highness to assign our trial day. K. Rich. Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be rul'd by me; Deep malice makes too deep incision : 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 :- Gaunt. When, Harry ? when? Obedience bids, I should not bid again. K. Rich. Norfolk, throw down; we bid; there is no boot.8 Nor. Myself I throw, dread sovereign, at thy foot: K. Rich. Rage must be withstood : Give me his gage :-Lions make leopards tame. Nor. Yea, but not change their spots take but my shame, And I resign my gage. My dear dear lord, The purest treasure mortal times. afford, my life; in one; Mine honour is In that I live, and for that will I die. K. Rich. Cousin, throw down your gage; do you begin. [7] This obsolete exclamation of impatience is likewise found in Heywood's Silver Age, 1613. STEEVENS. [8] That is, no advantage, no use in delay or refusal. JOHNSON. [9] That is, my name that lives on my grave in despite of death. JOHNSON Boling. O, God defend my soul from such foul sin! And spit it bleeding in his high disgrace, Where shame doth harbour, even in Mowbray's face. SCENE II. [Exeunt. The same. A Room in the Duke of LANCASTER's Palace. Enter GAUNT, and Duchess of GLOSTER.' Gaunt. Alas! the part I had in Gloster's blood3 To stir against the butchers of his life. Duch. Finds brotherhood in thee no sharper spur ? [1] To design in our author's time signified to mark out. MALONE. [3] That is, my relation of consanguinity to Gloster. HANMER One phial full of Edward's sacred blood, One flourishing branch of his most royal root,- Ah, Gaunt! his blood was thine; that bed, that womb, What shall I say? to safeguard thine own life, tute, His deputy anointed in his sight, Hath caus'd his death: the which if wrongfully, Let heaven revenge; for I may never lift An angry arm against his minister. Duch. Where then, alas! may I complain myself? Gaunt. To heaven, the widow's champion and defence. Duch. Why then, I will. Farewell, old Gaunt. Thou go'st to Coventry, there to behold Our cousin Hereford and fell Mowbray fight: O, sit my husband's wrongs on Hereford's spear, That it may enter butcher Mowbray's breast! Or, if misfortune miss the first career, Be Mowbray's sins so heavy in his bosom, That they may break his foaming courser's back, And throw the rider headlong in the lists, A caitiff recreant' to my cousin Hereford ! Farewell, old Gaunt; thy sometimes brother's wife, [4] Caitif originally signified a Prisoner; next a Slave, from the condition of prisoners; then a Scoundrel, from the qualities of a slave. In this passage it parYakes of all these significations. JOHNSON. I do not believe that Caitiff in our language ever signified a Prisoner. I take it to be derived, not from captif, but from chetiff, Fr. poor, miserable. TYRWHITT 7 VOL. V. E With her companion grief must end her life. Duch. Yet one word more ;-Grief boundeth where it falls, Not with the empty hollowness, but weight: For sorrow ends not when it seemeth done. And what cheer there for welcome, but my groans? SCENE III. [Exeunt. Gosford Green, near Coventry. Lists set out, and a Throne. Heralds, &c. attending. Enter the Lord Marshal, and AUMERLE. 6 Mar. My 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 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. [5] Mowbray Duke of Norfolk was Earl Marshal of England; but being himself one of the combatants, the Duke of Surrey officiated as Earl Marshal for the day. MALONE. [6] Edward Duke of Aumerle, so created by his cousin german, King Richard II. in 1397. He was the eldest son of Edmund of Langley Duke of York, fifth son of Edward the Third, and was killed in 1415, at the battle of Agincourt. He officiated at the lists of Coventry, as High Constable of England MALONE. K. Rich. Marshal, demand of yonder champion 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: Against what man thou com'st, and what thy quarrel : Speak truly, on thy knighthood, and thy oath; And so defend thee heaven, and thy valour! Nor. My name is Thomas Mowbray, duke of Norfolk; Who hither come engaged by my oath, (Which, heaven defend, a knight should violate!) To God, my king, and my succeeding issue, [He takes his seat. Trumpet sounds. Enter BOLINGBROKE, in armour; preceded by a Herald. K. Rich. Marshal, ask 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, To prove, by heaven's grace, and my body's valour, To God of Heaven, king Richard, and to me; [7] Mr. Edwards, in his MS. notes, observes, both from Matthew Paris and Holinshed, that the duke of Hereford, appellant, entered the lists first; and this indeed must have been the regular method of the combat; for the natural order of things requires, that the accuser or challenger should be at the place of appointment Arst. STEEVENS. |