Act 1 — Scene I. London. King Richard's palace.

K. Rich. Old John of Gaunt, time-honour'd Lancaster, Hast thou, according to thy oath and band,[693] Brought hither Henry Hereford thy bold son,[694] Here to make good the boisterous late appeal, Which then our leisure would not let us hear,[695]5 Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray?[696] Gaunt. I have, my liege. K. Rich. Tell me, moreover, hast thou sounded him, If he appeal the duke on ancient malice;[697] Or worthily, as a good subject should,10 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,[698]15 And frowning brow to brow, ourselves will hear The accuser and the accused freely speak:[699] High-stomach'd are they both, and full of ire, In rage deaf as the sea, hasty as fire.

Boling. Many years of happy days befal[701]20 My gracious sovereign, my most loving liege! Mow. Each day still better other's happiness; Until the heavens, envying earth's good hap, Add an immortal title to your crown![702] K. Rich. We thank you both: yet one but flatters us,25 As well appeareth by the cause you come;[703] Namely, to appeal each other of high treason.[704] Cousin of Hereford, what dost thou object Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray? Boling. First, heaven be the record to my speech!30 In the devotion of a subject's love,[705] Tendering the precious safety of my prince, And free from other misbegotten hate,[706] Come I appellant to this princely presence.[707] Now, Thomas Mowbray, do I turn to thee,35 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.[708] Thou art a traitor and a miscreant, Too good to be so and too bad to live,[709]40 Since the more fair and crystal is the sky,[709] The uglier seem the clouds that in it fly.[709] Once more, the more to aggravate the note,[709][710] With a foul traitor's name stuff I thy throat;[709] And wish, so please my sovereign, ere I move,[709]45 What my tongue speaks my right drawn sword may prove.[709] Mow. Let not my cold words here accuse my zeal:[711] 'Tis not the trial of a woman's war, The bitter clamour of two eager tongues, Can arbitrate this cause betwixt us twain;50 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:[712] First, the fair reverence of your highness curbs me From giving reins and spurs to my free speech;55 Which else would post until it had return'd[713] These terms of treason doubled down his throat.[714] Setting aside his high blood's royalty, And let him be no kinsman to my liege,[715] I do defy him, and I spit at him;[716]60 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[717] Even to the frozen ridges of the Alps, Or any other ground inhabitable,[718]65 Where ever Englishman durst set his foot.[719] Mean time let this defend my loyalty,[720] By all my hopes, most falsely doth he lie. Boling. Pale trembling coward, there I throw my gage, Disclaiming here the kindred of the king;[721]70 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[722] As to take up mine honour's pawn, then stoop: By that and all the rites of knighthood else,[723]75 Will I make good against thee, arm to arm, What I have spoke, or thou canst worse devise.[724] Mow. I take it up; and by that sword I swear, Which gently laid my knighthood on my shoulder, I'll answer thee in any fair degree,80 Or chivalrous design of knightly trial:[725] And when I mount, alive may I not light,[726] If I be traitor or unjustly fight! K. Rich. What doth our cousin lay to Mowbray's charge? It must be great that can inherit us[727]85 So much as of a thought of ill in him. Boling. Look, what I speak, my life shall prove it true;[728] That Mowbray hath received eight thousand nobles In name of lendings for your highness' soldiers, The which he hath detain'd for lewd employments,90 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, That all the treasons for these eighteen years[729]95 Complotted and contrived in this land Fetch from false Mowbray their first head and spring.[730] Further I say and further will maintain Upon his bad life to make all this good,[731] That he did plot the Duke of Gloucester's death,[732]100 Suggest his soon-believing adversaries, And consequently, like a traitor coward,[733] Sluiced out his innocent soul through streams of blood: Which blood, like sacrificing Abel's, cries, Even from the tongueless caverns of the earth,105 To me for justice and rough chastisement; And, by the glorious worth of my descent,[734] This arm shall do it, or this life be spent. K. Rich. How high a pitch his resolution soars! Thomas of Norfolk, what say'st thou to this?[735]110 Mow. 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,[736] How God and good men hate so foul a liar. K. Rich. Mowbray, impartial are our eyes and ears:115 Were he my brother, nay, my kingdom's heir,[737] As he is but my father's brother's son,[738] Now, by my sceptre's awe, I make a vow,[739] Such neighbour nearness to our sacred blood Should nothing privilege him, nor partialize120 The unstooping firmness of my upright soul:[738] He is our subject, Mowbray; so art thou: Free speech and fearless I to thee allow. Mow. Then, Bolingbroke, as low as to thy heart, Through the false passage of thy throat, thou liest.125 Three parts of that receipt I had for Calais[740] Disbursed I duly to his highness' soldiers;[741] The other part reserved I by consent, For that my sovereign liege was in my debt Upon remainder of a dear account,[742]130 Since last I went to France to fetch his queen: Now swallow down that lie. For Gloucester's death,[732] I slew him not; but to my own disgrace[743] Neglected my sworn duty in that case. For you, my noble Lord of Lancaster,135 The honourable father to my foe, Once did I lay an ambush for your life,[744] A trespass that doth vex my grieved soul; But ere I last received the sacrament[745] I did confess it, and exactly begg'd140 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:145 And interchangeably hurl down my gage[746] Upon this overweening traitor's foot,[747] To prove myself a loyal gentleman Even in the best blood chamber'd in his bosom.[748] In haste whereof, most heartily I pray150 Your highness to assign our trial day. K. Rich. Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be ruled by me;[749] Let's purge this choler without letting blood: This we prescribe, though no physician;[750][751] Deep malice makes too deep incision:[750]155 Forget, forgive; conclude and be agreed;[750] Our doctors say this is no month to bleed.[750][752] 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:160 Throw down, my son, the Duke of Norfolk's gage. K. Rich. And, Norfolk, throw down his. Gaunt. When, Harry, when?[753] Obedience bids I should not bid again. K. Rich. Norfolk, throw down, we bid; there is no boot. Mow. Myself I throw, dread sovereign, at thy foot.165 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,[754] To dark dishonour's use thou shalt not have. I am disgraced, impeach'd and baffled here;170 Pierced to the soul with slander's venom'd spear, The which no balm can cure but his heart-blood[755] Which breathed this poison. K. Rich. Rage must be withstood: Give me his gage: lions make leopards tame.[756] Mow. Yea, but not change his spots: take but my shame,[757]175 And I resign my gage. My dear dear lord,[758] The purest treasure mortal times afford Is spotless reputation: that away, Men are but gilded loam or painted clay.[759] A jewel in a ten-times-barr'd-up chest[760] Is a bold spirit in a loyal breast.180 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.185 K. Rich. Cousin, throw up your gage; do you begin.[761] Boling. O, God defend my soul from such deep sin![762] Shall I seem crest-fallen in my father's sight? Or with pale beggar-fear impeach my height[763] Before this out-dared dastard? Ere my tongue[764]190 Shall wound my honour with such feeble wrong,[765] Or sound so base a parle, my teeth shall tear[766] The slavish motive of recanting fear, And spit it bleeding in his high disgrace, Where shame doth harbour, even in Mowbray's face.[767]195

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,[768] At Coventry, upon Saint Lambert's day:[769] There shall your swords and lances arbitrate200 The swelling difference of your settled hate: Since we can not atone you, we shall see[770] Justice design the victor's chivalry.[771] Lord marshal, command our officers at arms[772] Be ready to direct these home alarms. [Exeunt.[773]205