This Play has been collated with the first Edition printed in 1598 for Andrew Wife, and with another in 1634 for John Norton: There is an intermediate Edition in 1608 W. W. for Matthew Law, but I have not been fo lucky as to meet with it.

The Divifion of the Acts and Scenes is taken entirely from the Edition in 1634, before which time none appears to have been made.

King RICHARD the Second.

Enter King Richard, Iohn of Gaunt, with other nobles and attendants*.

King Richard.

LDE John of Gaunt, time honoured Lancaster,

Haft thou according to thy oth and band,

Brought hither Henry Herford thy bold fon,

Here to make good the boiftrous late appeal
Which then our leisure would not let vs here,

Against the duke of Norfolke, Tho: Mow +.
Gaunt. I haue my liege.

King. Tell me moreouer haft thou founded him
If he appeale the duke on ancient malice,

Or worthily, as a good fubiect should,
On fome knowne ground of treacherie in him?

Gaunt. As neare as I could fift him on that argument,
On fome apparant danger feene in him,

Aimde at your highneffe; no inueterate malice.

King. Then call them to our presence face to face,
And frowning brow to brow our felues will heare
The accufer, and the accufed freely speake:
Hie ftomackt are they both, and full of ire,
In rage, deafe as the fea, haftie as fire.

Enter Bullingbroke, and Mowbray.
Bulling. Many yeares of happie daies befall
My gracious foueraigne, my most louing liege,

• Altus primus. Scena prima. ↑ Thomas Mowbray?

.

Mow. Each day still better others happinesse,
Vntill the heauens enuying earths good happe,
Adde in † immortall title to your crownę.

King. We thanke you both: yet one but flatters vs,
As well appeareth by the cause you come ;
Namely, to appeale each other of high treason.
Coofin of Hereford, what doft thou obiect
Against the duke of Norfolke Thomas Mowbray ?
Bul. Firft (heauen be the record to § my speech)
In the deuotion of a fubiects loue,

Tendring the precious fafety of my prince,
And free from other mifbegotten hate,
Come I appeallant to this princely prefence.
Now Thomas Mowbray, do I turne to thee;
And marke my greeting well: for what I fpeake,
My body shall make good vpon this earth,
Or my diuine foule anfwere it in heauen.
Thou art a traitour, and a miscreant;
Too good to be fo, and too bad to liue:
Since the more faire and christall is the skie,
The vglier feeme the clouds that in it flie.
Once more, the more to agrauate the note,
With a foule traitors name stuffe I thy throate.

And wish (so please my foucraigne) ere I moue,

What my tong speaks, my right drawne fword may proue.
Mow. Let not my cold words here accufe my zeale,
Tis not the triall of a womans warre,

The bitter clamor of two eager tongues,
Can arbitrate this caufe betwixt vs twaine :
The blood is hot that must be coold for this,
Yet can I not of fuch tame patience boast,
As to be husht and nought at all to fay.

+ an

§ of || biş

coole

First

First the faire reuerence of your highneffe curbs me,
From giuing reynes and fpurs to my free speech,
Which elfe would poft vntill it had returnd
These tearmes of treafon doubled downe his throat;
Setting afide his high bloods royalty:

And let him be no kinfman to my liege,

I doe defie him, and spit at him;

Call him a flaunderous coward and a villaine :
Which to maintaine, I would allow him ods,
And meete him, were I tide to runne a foote,
Euen to the frozen ridges of the Alpes,
Or any other ground inhabitable,

Where euer English man durft fet his foote.
Meanetime, let this defend my loyaltie‡,
By all my hopes, moft falfely doth he lie.

Bul. Pale trembling coward, there I throw my gage,
Disclaiming here the kindred of a king,

And lay afide my high bloods royaltie;

Which feare, not reuerence makes thee § to except.
If guiltie dread haue left thee so much strength,
As to take vp mine honors pawne, then stoope:
By that, and all the rites of knighthood elfe,
Will I make good against thee arme to arme,
What I haue spoke, or what thou †† canst deuise.

Mow. I take it vp, and by that fword I sweare,
Which gently laid my knighthood on my shoulder,
Ile anfwere thee in any faire degree:

Or chivalrous designe of knightly triall.

And when I mount aliue §§, aliue may I not light,
If I be traitour, or vniustly fight.

+ once doubly reyalty§ me

rights tt Spoken or thou §§ aliue omitted U 3

King.

King. What doth our coofin lay to Mowbraies charge? It must be great that can inherit vs,

So much as of a thought of ill in him.

Bul. Looke what I faid, my life fhall prooue it true, That Mowbray hath receiud eight thousand nobles, In name of lendings, for your highneffe fouldiours: The which he hath detaind for leawd imployments, Like a falfe traitour and iniurious villaine. Befides I fay, and will in battaile prooue, Or heere, or else where, to the furtheft verge That euer was furueyed by English eye,

That all the treafons for * these eighteene yeares,

Complotted and contriued in this land,

Fetcht from falfe Mowbray, their first head and spring:

Further I fay, and further will maintaine,

Vpon his bad life to make all this good,

That he did plotte the duke of Glofters death,

Suggest his foone beleeuing aduerfaries,

And confequently like a traitour coward,

Sluc'te out his innocent foule through streames of blood.

Which blood, like facrificing Abels, cries,
Euen from the tongueleffe cauerns of the earth,
To me for iuftice, and rough chastisement :
And by the glorious worth of my discent,
This arme shall do it, or this life be spent.
King. How high a pitch his resolution foares :
Thomas of Norfolke, what fayft thou to this?

Mow. Oh let my foueraigne turne away his face,

And bid his eares a little while be deafe,
Till I haue told. this flaunder of his blood,
How God, and good men, hate fo foule a lyer.

* of