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
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.

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,
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 Gloster's death,—
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 grievèd 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 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 :

150 In haste whereof, most heartily I pray

160

Your highness to assign our trial day.

K. Rich. Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be ruled by me :

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 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 again.

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 :
but my fair name,

The one my duty owes ;

Despite of death, that lives upon my grave,

To dark dishonour's use thou shalt not have. 170 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.

K. Rich. Rage must be withstood:

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.
180 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 ḍie.

K. Rich. Cousin, throw up your gage ; do
you begin.
Boling. O, God defend my soul from such deep sin!
Shall I seem crest-fallen in my father's sight?
Or with pale beggar-fear impeach my height

190 Before this outdared 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.

K. Rich. We were not born to sue, but to command :
Which since we cannot do to make you friends,

Be ready, as your lives shall answer it,
At Coventry upon Saint Lambert's day;
200 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.—
Lord marshal, command our officers at arms
Be ready to direct these home-alarms.

[Exeunt.

30 In suffering thus thy brother to be slaughter'd.Faiq A
Thou shew'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. God's is the quarrel; for God's substitute,
His deputy anointed in His sight,
Hath caused his death: the which, if wrongfully,
40 Let Heaven revenge; for I may never lift"

An angry arm against His minister.

Duch. Where then, alas! may I complain myself?
Gaunt To God. the widow's champion and defence.

3. Henry Hereford; Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, eldest son of John of Gaunt, and afterwards Henry IV. He was called Bolingbroke from the name of the castle in Lincolnshire where he was born.

4. boisterous late appeal; the loud accusation which he lately made. 12. sift him on that argument; examine or scrutinize him on that subject.

13. apparent; appearing, manifest. So we speak of the "heir apparent." Compare Julius Caesar, Act II. Sc. 1, "these apparent prodigies."

18. high stomach'd; "stomach" is "pride." So in Henry VIII., Act IV. Scene 2, Wolsey is described as being "of an unbounded stomach."

"

20. befal; infinitive mood, gov. by "may" understood.

22. Each day, etc.; may each day's happiness exceed that of every other which has gone before it.

23. hap; fortune, luck-that which happens. Compare Ruth ii. 3, "Her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz."

26. the cause you come; the cause (for which) you come; or, the cause you come (on).

28. object; to offer in opposition, oppose. (Lat. jacio, I throw.)

30. record; register, witness.

32. Tendering; esteeming, heeding, regarding.

38. divine; godlike, immortal, immaterial, partaking of the essence of the deity.

39. miscreant; (Lat. credo, I believe), properly, an unbeliever; then, an infidel, a vile, wicked wretch.

43. aggravate the note; (Lat. gravis, heavy) to render heavier, make more distinct and emphatic the note or mark (Lat. nota) of infamy with which I brand thee.

45. so please my sovereign; adv. sent. (condition) to "and wish." (If it may) so please my sovereign.

46. right-drawn; drawn in a rightful cause.

47. accuse; charge with insincerity or indifference, blame my (want of)

zeal.

49. eager; sharp, keen (Lat. acer; Fr. aigre).

66

It is a nipping and an eager air.'

Comp. Hamlet, I. 4,

56. post; to travel post, or with great speed. Comp. Milton, Sonnet 19,

"And post o'er land and ocean without rest.”

59. let him be; the more regular construction would be," and letting him be,"-i.e., supposing him to be.

63. tied; bound, obliged.

65. inhabitable; not habitable, uninhabitable.

67. this; this defiance (contained in the next line).

69. gage; a pledge or pawn, a challenge to combat represented by a glove, cap, or some other article, thrown down by the challenger, and picked up by the person who accepts the trial by arms.

72. except; to take out, not to include (Lat. capio, I take).

77. or thou canst worse devise; if I do not make it good against thee, then thou canst devise worse things (than thou hast already devised). Ɛo. fair degree; fair mode of trial.