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Since we can not 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.

SCENE II.-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 blood
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 quarrel to the will of heaven;
Who, when they see the hours ripe on earth,
Will rain hot vengeance on offenders' heads.

Duch. Finds brotherhood in thee no sharper spur?
Hath love in thy old blood no living fire?
Edward's seven sons, whereof thyself art one,
Were as seven vials of his sacred blood,

Or seven fair branches springing from one root:
Some of those seven are dried by nature's course,
Some of those branches by the Destinies cut;
But Thomas, my dear lord, my life, my Gloster,-
One vial full of Edward's sacred blood,
One flourishing branch of his most royal root,
Is crack'd, and all the precious liquor spilt;

Is hack'd down, and his summer-leaves all faded,

By envy's hand and murder's bloody axe.

Ah, Gaunt, his blood was thine! that bed, that womb,
That mettle, that self-mould, that fashion'd thee,

Made him a man; and though thou liv'st and breath'st,
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. God's is the quarrel; for God's substitute,
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 God, 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
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. Yet one word more :-grief boundeth where it falls, 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 hear there for welcome, but my groans?
Therefore commend me; let him not come there
To seek out sorrow that dwells everywhere.
Desolate, desolate, will I hence and die:

The last leave of thee takes my weeping eye!

SCENE III.-Gosford Green, near Coventry.

[Exeunt.

Lists set out, and a throne; Heralds, &c., attending.
Enter the Lord Marshal, and AUMERLE.

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.

K. Rich. Marshal, demand of yonder champion
The cause of his arrival here in arms:
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 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 thine oath;

As so defend thee heaven and thy valour!

Nor. My name is Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk; Who hither come engaged by my oath,

Which God defend a knight should violate!

Both to defend my loyalty and truth

To God, my king, and his 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!

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,

Am I; who ready here do stand in arms,

To prove, by God's grace and my body's valour,
In lists, on Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk,

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 bold
Or daring-hardy as to touch the lists,
Except the marshal and such officers
Appointed to direct these fair designs.

Boling. Lord marshal, let me kiss my sovereign'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,

And craves to kiss your hand and take his leave.

K. Rich. We will descend 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 gor'd with Mowbray's spear:
As confident as is the falcon's flight
Against a bird, do I with Mowbray fight.—
My loving lord, I take my leave of you;-
Of you, my noble cousin, Lord Aumerle;
Not sick, although I have to do with death,
But lusty, young, and cheerly drawing breath.—
Lo, as at English feasts, so I regreet

[TO GAUNT.

The daintiest last, to make the end more sweet:-
O thou, the earthly author of my blood,-
Whose youthful spirit, in me regenerate,
Doth with a twofold vigour lift me up
To reach at victory above my head,

Add proof unto mine armour with thy prayers;
And with thy blessings steel my lance's point,
That it may enter Mowbray's waxen coat,

And furbish new the name of John o' Gaunt,

Even in the lusty 'haviour of his son.

Gaunt. God 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

O thy adverse pernicious enemy:

Rouse up thy youthful blood, be valiant and live.

Boling. Mine innocency and Saint George to thrive!

Nor. However God or fortune cast my lot,
There lives or dies, true to King Richard's throne,
A loyal, just, and upright gentleman:
Never did captive with a freer heart

Cast off his chains of bondage, and embrace
His golden uncontroll'd enfranchisement,
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 couched in thine eye.Order the trial, marshal, and begin.

Mar. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Derby, Receive thy lance; and God defend the right!

Boling. Strong as a tower in hope, I cry amen.

Mar. Go bear this lance [to an Officer] to Thomas, Duke of Norfolk.

1 Her. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Derby,

Stands here for God, his sovereign, and himself,

On pain to be found false and recreant,

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 their spears, And both return back to their chairs again:Withdraw with us:-and let the trumpets sound While we return these dukes what we decree.

[A long flourish. [To the combatants.

Draw near,
And list what with our council we have done.
For that our kingdom's earth should not be soil'd
With that dear blood which it hath fostered;
And for our eyes do hate the dire aspéct

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