THE LIFE AND DEATH OF
KING RICHARD II.
King RICHARD the SECOND.
EDMUND of Langley, D. of York; uncles to
JOHN of Gaunt, D. of Lancaster; the King.
HENRY, surnamed Bolingbroke, Duke of
Hereford, son to John of Gaunt; after-
wards King Henry IV.
Duke of AUMERLE, Son to the Duke of York.
MOWBRAY, Duke of Norfolk.
Duke of Surrey.
Earl of Salisbury. Earl BERKLEY.
BUSHY,
BAGOT, creatures to King Richard.
GREEN,
Lords, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, two
Earl of Northumberland.
HENRY PERCY, his son.
Lord Ross. Lord WILLOUGHBY. Lord
FITZWATER.
Bishop of Carlisle. Abbot of Westminster.
Lord Marshal; and another Lord.
Sir PIERCE of Exton. Sir STEPHEN SCROOP.
Captain of a band of Welshmen.
Queen to King Richard.
Duchess of Gloster.
Duchess of York.
Lady attending on the Queen. Gardeners, Keeper, Messenger, Groom, and other Attendants. Scene,-dispersedly in England and Wales.
SCENE I. London. A Room in the Palace. Enter King RICHARD; attended: JOHN of GAUNT, and other Nobles, with him.
K. Rich. 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 boisterons late appeal,
Which then our leisure would not let us hear,
Against the duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mow-
Gaunt. I have, my liege.
[bray?
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 danger seen in him,
Aim'd at your highness, no inveterate malice.
K. Rich. Then call them to our presence;
face to face,
And frowning brow to brow, ourselves will hear
The accuser, and the accused, freely speak :-
[Exeunt some Attendants.
High-stomach'd are they both, and full of ire,
In rage deaf as the sea, hasty as fire.
Re-enter Attendants, with BOLINGBROKE
and NORFOLK.
Boling. May many years of happy days befal My gracions sovereign, my most loving liege! Nor. Each day still better 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
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?
Boling. First, (heaven be the record of my In the devotion of a subject's love, [speech!) Tendering 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 answer it in heaven. Thou art a traitor, and a miscreant; 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; And wish, (so please my sovereign,)ere I move, What my tongue speaks, my right-drawn sword [zeal:
Nor. Let not my cold words here accuse my '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: [me |
First, the fair reverence of your highness curbs
From giving reins and spars to my free speech;
Which else would post, until it had return'd
These terms oftreason 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*
Where ever Englishman durst set his foot,
Mean time, let this defend my loya ty,-
By all my hopes, most falsely doth he lie.
Boling. Pale trembling coward, there
throw my gage,
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Were he my brother, nay, my kingdom's heir, (As he is but my father's brother's son,) Now by my se ptre's awe I make a vow, | Such neighbour hearn ss to our sacred blood 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. Nor. Then, Bolingbroke, as low as to thy heart,
[liest! Through the false passage of thy throat, thou 1Three parts of that receipt I had for Calais, Disbursed Iduly to his highness' soldiers: The other part reserved 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,
Disclaiming here the kindred of a king;
And lay aside my high blood's royalty, [cept:
Which fear, not revere. ce, makes thee to ex-
If guilty dread hath 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 arin,
What I have spoke, or thou canst worse devise.
Nor. I take it up; and, by that sword I swear,
Which gently lay'd my knighthcod on my
I'll answer thee in any fair degree, [shoulder,
Or chivalrous design of knightly_trial:
And, when I mount, a ive may I not light,
If I be traitor, or unjustly fight!
K. Rich. What doth our cousin lay to Mow-
bray's charge?
I slew him not; but to my own disgrace, Neglected my sworn duty in that case.For you, my noble lord of Lancaster, The honourable father to my foe, Once did I lay in ambush for your life, A trespass that doth vex my grieved soul: But, ere I last received the sacrament, I did confess it; and exactly begged Your grace's pardon, and, I hope, I had it. This is my fault: As for the rest appeal'd¶, It must be great, that can inherit+ ns It issues from the rancour of a villain, So much as of a thought of ill in him. A recreant and most degenerate traitor : Boling. Look, what I speak my life shall Which in myself I boldly will defend; [nobles,And interchangeably hurl down my gage That Mowbray hath received eight thousandUpon this overweening** traitor's foot, In name of lendings for your highness sol- l'o prove myself a loyal gentleman [ments, Even in the best blood chamber'd in his bosom The which he hath detain❜d for lewd employ-In haste whereof, most heartily I pray Like a false traitor, and inju ious 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,That all the treasons, for these eighteen years Complotted and contrived in this land, [spring. Fetch from false Mowbray their first head and Further I say, and further will maintain Upon his bad life, to make all this good,That he did plot the duke of Gloster's death; Suggest his soon believing adversarics; And, consequently, like a traitor coward, Sluiced out his innocent soul through streams of blood:
Which 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
Your highness to assign our trial day. [by me;
K. Rich. Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be ruled
Let's purge this choler without letting blood :
This we prescribe though no physician;
Deep malice makes too deep incision:
Forget, forgive; conclude, and be agreed;
Our doctors say, this is no time to bleed.-
Good uncle, let this end where it begun; [son.
We'll calm the duke of Norfolk, you your
Gaunt. To be a make-peace shall become
[gage. Throw down, my son, the duke of Norfolk's K. Rich. And, Norfolk, throw down his. Gaunt. When, Harry? when? Obedience bids, I should not bid again. K. Rich. Norfolk, throw down; we bid; there is no boot tt. [foot: Nor. Myself I throw, dread sovereign,at thy 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,) To dark dishonour's use thou shalt not have. I am disgraced, impeach'd, and baffled here; i Wicked. ** Arrogant.
Thomas of Norfolk, what say'st thou to this?
Nor. O, let my sovereign turn away his face,
§ Prompt. Reproach to No advantage in delay.
Pierced to the soul with slander's venomed
spear;
[blood
The which no balm can cure, but his heart-
Which breathed this poison.
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,
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;
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.
K. Rich. Cousin, throw down your gage; do you begin. [foul sin! Boling. O, God defend my soul from such Shall I seem crest-fallen in my father's sight? Or with pale beggar-fear impeach my height Before this out-dar'd dastard! Ere my tongue Shall wound mine 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 even in Mowbray's
face. [Exit GAUNT. [command:
K. Rich. We were not born to sue, but to
Which since we cannot do to make you friends,
Be ready, as your lives shall answer it,
At Coventry, upon St. Lambert's day;
There shall your swords and lances arbitrate
The swelling difference of your settled hate;
Since we cannot atone you, we shall see
Justice design+ the victor's chivalry.-
Marshal, command our officers at arms
Be ready to direct these home-alarms.[Exeunt.
SCENE II. The same. A Room in the
Duke of Lancaster's Paluce.
Enter GAUNT, and Duchess of Gloster.
Gaunt. Alas! the part I had in Gloster's
Doth more solicit me, than your exclaims,
To stir against the butchers of his life,
But since correction lieth in those hands,
Which made the fault that we cannot correct,
Put we our quarrrel to the will of heaven;
Who when he sees the hours ripe on earth,
Will rain hot vengeance on offenders' heads.
Duch. Finds brotherhood in thee no sharper
Hath love in thy old blood no living fire? [spur
Edward's seven sons, whereof thyself art one,
Were as seven phials of his sacred blood,
Or seven fair branches springing from one
[course,
Some of those seven are dried by nature's
Some of those branches by the destinies cut:
But Thomas, my dear lord, my life, my Glos-
One phial full of Edward's sacred blood, (ter,
One flourishing branch of his most royal root-
+ Shew.
¶ Cowardly..
Is crack'd, and all the precious liquor spilt ;
Is hacked down, and his summer leaves all fad-
By envy's hand, and murder's bloody axe. [ed,
Ah, Gaunt! his blood was thine; that bed,
that womb,
That metal, that self-mould, that fashioned
thee,
[breath'st,
Made him a man; and though thou livest and
Yet art thou slain in him: thou dost consent
In some large measure to thy father's death,
In that thou seest thy wretched brother die,
Who was the model of thy father's life.
Call it not patience, Gaunt, it is despair:
In suffering thus thy brother to be slaughter'd,
Thou show'st the naked pathway to thy life,
Teaching stern murder how to butcher thee:
That which in mean men we entitle-patience,
Is pale cold cowardice in noble breasts.
What shall I say? to safeguard thine own life,
The best way is-to 'venge my Gloster's death.
Gaunt. Heaven's is the quarrel; for hea
His deputy anointed in his sight,
Hath caused 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? [and defence. Gaunt. To heaven, the widow's champion Duch, Why then, I will. Farewell, old Thou go'st to Coventry, there to behold [Gaunt, 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 sometime brother's
wife,
With her companion grief must end her life.
Gaunt. Sister,farewell; I must to Coventry:
As much good stay with thee, as go with me!
Duch. Yetone word more;-Griefboundeth
Not with the empty hollowness, but weight:
I take my leave before I have begun:
For sorrow ends not when it seemeth done.
Commend me to my brother, Edmund York.
Lo, this is all:-Nay, yet depart not so;
Though this be all, do not so quickly go;
I shall remember more. Bid him-0, what?
With all good speed at Plashy ** visit me.
Alack, and what shall good old York there see,
But empty lodgings and unfurnish'd walls,
Unpeopled offices, untrodden stones?
And what cheer there for welcome, but my
groans?
[there,
Therefore commend me; let him not come
To seek out sorrow that dwells every where:
Desolate, desolate, will I hence and die;
The last leave of thee takes my weeping eye.
[Exeunt.
6 Assent. Her house in Essex.
SCENE III. Gosford Green, near Coventry. Lists set out, and a Throne. Heralds, &c.
Enter the Lord Marshal, and AUMERLE. Mar. My lord Aumerle, is Harry Hereford arm'd? [in.
Aum. Yea, at all points; and longs to enter Mar. The duke of Norfolk, sprightfully and bold, [trumpet. Stays but the summons of the appellant's Aum. Why then, the champions are prepared, 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, preci ded by a Herald.
K. Rich. Marshal, demand of yonder cham. The cause of his arrival here in arms: [pion 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 thon art, [arms; And why thon com'st, thus knightly clad in 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!)
Both to defend my loyalty and truth,
To God, my king, and my succeeding issue,
Against the duke of Hereford that appeals me;
And, by the grace of God, and this mine arm,
To prove him, in defending of myself,
A traitor to my God, my king, and me:
And, as I truly fight, defend me heaven!
[He takes his seat.
Trumpet sounds. Enter BOLING BROKE,
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? [quarrel?
Against whom comest thou; and what's thy
Speak like a true knight, so defend thee heaven!
Boling. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and
Am I; who ready here do stand in arms, [Dei by,
To prove, by heaven's grace, and my body's
valour,
[folk,
In lists, on Thomas Mowbray duke of Nor-
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
Or daring-hardy, as to touch the lists; [bold,
+ Brighten up.
Except the marsh 1, and such officers
Appointed to direct these fair designs.
Boling. Lord marshal, let me kiss my so-
vereign's hand,
And bow my knee before his majesty:
For Mowbray, and myself, are like two men
That vow a long and weary pilgrimage;
Then let us take a ceremonious leave,
And loving farewell, of our several friends.
Mar. The appellant in all duty greets your
highness,
[leave.
And craves to kiss your hand, and take his
K. Rich. We will desceud, and fold him
in our arms.
Cousin of Hereford, as thy cause is right,
So be thy fortune in this royal fight!
Farewell, my blood; which if to-day thou shed,
Lament we may, but not revenge thee dead.
boling. O, let no noble eye profane a tear For me, if I be gored with Mowbray's spear; As contident, as is the fa con's flight Against a bird, do I with Mowbray fight.My loving lord, [To Lord Marshal.] I take my leave of you ;—
Of you, my noble consin, lord Aumerle :-
Not sick, although I have to do with death;
But lusty, yenng, and cheerly drawing breath.
Lo, as at English feasts, so I regreet
The daintiest last, to make the end most sweet:
O thou, the earthly author of my blood,-
[To GAUNT.
Whose youthful spirit in me regenerate,
Doth with a two fold vigour lift me up
To reach at victory above my head,-
Add proofunto mine armour with thy prayers;
And with thy blessings steel my lance's point,
That it may enter Mowbray's waxen coat,
And furbisht new the name of John of Gaunt,
Even in the lusty 'haviour of his son.
Gaunt. He ven in thy good cause make
thee prosperous!
Be swift like lightning in the execution;
And let thy blows, doubly redoubled,
Fall like amazing thunder on the casque
Of thy adverse pernicious enemy:
Rouse up thy youthrul blood, be valiant and
Bol ng. Mine innocency, and Saint George
to thrive!
[He takes his seat.
Nor. [Rising.] However heaven, or fortune,
east my lot,
There lives or dies, true to king Richard's
A loyal, just, and upright gentleman: [throne,
Never did captive with a freer heart
Cast off his chains of bondage, and embrace
His golden uncontrol'd entranchisement,
More than my dancing soul doth celebrate
This feast of battle with mine adversary.—
Most mighty liege, and my companion peers,
Take from my mouth the wish of happy years:
As gentle and as jocund, as to jest,
Go I to fight; Truth hath a quiet breast.
K Rich, Farewell, my lord: securely I espy Virtue with valour conched in thine eye. Order the trial, marshal, aud tegin. [The King and the Lords return to their
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. [Derby, 1 Her. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Stands here for God, his sovereign, and himOn pain to be found false and recreant, [self, To prove the duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray,
A traitor to his God, his king, and him,
And dares him to set forward to the fight.
2 Her. Here standeth Thomas Mowbray,
duke of Norfolk,
On pain to be found false and recreant,
Both to defend himself, and to approve
Henry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Derby,
To God, his sovereign, and to him, disloyal;
Courageously, and with a free desire,
Attending but the signal to begin.
Mar. Sound, trumpets; and set forward,
combatants, [A Charge sounded.
Stay, The king hath thrown his warder * down.
K. Rich. Let them lay by their helmets and
And both return back to their chairs again:-
Withdraw with us; and let the trumpets sound,
While we return these dukes what we de-
[A long Flourish.
Draw near.
[To the Combatants.
And list, what with our council we have done.
For that ourkingdom's earth should not be soil'd
With that dear blood which it hath fostered +;
And for our eyes do hate the dire aspect
Of civil wounds plough'd up with neighbours'
swords;
[And for we think the eagle-winged pride
Of sky-aspiring and ambitious thoughts,
With rival-hating envy, set you on [cradle
To wake our peace, which in our country's
Draws the sweet infant breath of gentle sleep;]
Which so roused up with boisterous untuned
drums,
With harsh resounding trumpets' dreadful bray,
And grating shock of wrathful iron arms,
Might from our quiet confiues fright fair peace,
And make us wade even in our kindred's blood;
Therefore we banish you our territories :—~
You, cousin Hereford, upon pain of death,
Till twice five summers have enrich'd our fields,
Shall not regreet our fair dominions,
But tread the stranger paths of banishment.
Boling. Your will be done: this must my
comfort be,--
[me;
That sun, that warms you here, shall shine on
And those his golden beams, to you here lent,
Shall point on me, and gild my banishment.
K. Rich. Norfolk, for thee remains a heavier doom,
Which I with some unwillingness pronounce: The fly-slow hours shall not determinate The dateless limit of thy dear exfle;The hopeless word of-never to return Breathe I against thee, upon pain of life. • Truncheon. + Nursed.
Nor. A heavy sentence, my most sovereign [mouth: And all unlook'd for from your highness' A dearer merit, not so deep a maim As to be east forth in the common air, Have I deserved at your highness' hand. The language I have learn'd these forty years, My native English, now I must forego: And now my tongue's use is to me no more, Than an unstring'd viol or a harp; Or like a cunning instrument cased up, Or, being open, put into his hands
That knows no touch to tune the harmony. Within my mouth you have engaol'd my
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Lay on our royal sword your banish'd hands;
Swear by the duty that you owe to heaven,
(Our part therein we banish witl. yourselves,)
To keep the oath that we administer:-
You never shall (so help you truth and heaven!)
Embrace each other's love în banishment;
Nor never look upon each other's face;
Nor never write, regreet, nor reconcile
This lowering tempest of your home-bred hate;
Nor never by advised purpose meet,
To plot, contrive, or complot any ill,
'Gainst us, our state, our subjects, or our land.
Boling. I swear.
Nor. And I, to keep all this.
Boling. Norfolk, so far as to mine enemy;By this time, had the king permitted us, One of our souls had wander'd in the air, Banish'd this frail sepulchre of our flesh, As now our flesh is banish'd from this land: Confess thy treasons, ere thou fly the realm; Since thou hast far to go, bear not along The clogging burden of a guilty soul.
Nor. No, Bolingbroke, if ever I were traitor,
My name he blotted from the book of life, And I from heaven banish'd, as from hence! But what thou art, Leaven, thou, and I do
And all too soon, I fear, the king shall Farewell, my liege:-Now no way can I stray; Save back to England, all the world's my [Exit.
K. Rich. Uncle, even in the glasses of thine
|