(1) The LIFE and DEATH of

KING RICHARD II.

A C T I.

SCENE, the COURT.

Enter King Richard, John of Gaunt, with other Nobles and Attendants.

King RICHAR D.

LD John of Gaunt, time-honour'd Lan

cafter,

Haft thou, according to thy oath and bond,

Brought hither Henry Hereford thy bold fon,

(1) The Life and Death of King Richard II.] But this Hiftory comprizes little more than the Two laft Years of this unfortunate Prince. The Action of the Drama begins with Bolingbroke's appealing the Duke of Norfolk, on an Accufation of high Treafon, which fell out in the Year 1398; and it clofes with the Murder of King Richard at Pomfret-Castle towards the End of the Year 1400, or the Beginning of the enfuing Year.

A 3

Here

Here to make good the boift'rous late Appeal,
Which then our leifure would not let us hear,
Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray ?
Gaunt. I have, my liege.

K. Rich. Tell me moreover, haft thou founded him, If he appeal the Duke on ancient malice,

Or worthily, as a good Subject should,

On fome known ground of treachery in him?

Gaunt. As near as I could fift him on that argument, On fome apparent Danger feen in him

Aim'd at your Highness; no invet'rate malice.

K. Rich. Then call them to our prefence; face to face, And frowning brow to brow, Our felves will hear Th' accufer, and th' accufed freely speak: High-ftomach'd are they Both, and full of ire; In rage, deaf as the fea; hafty as fire.

Enter Bolingbroke and Mowbray.

Boling. May many years of happy days befal My gracious Sovereign, my moft loving Liege! Mowb. Each day ftill 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 flatters u,
As well appeareth by the cause you come;
Namely, t'appeal each other of high Treafon.
Coufin of Hereford, what doft thou object
Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray?
Boling. First (Heaven be the record to my speech!)
In the devotion of a Subject's love,

Tend'ring the precious fafety of my Prince,
And free from other mif-begotten 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 foul answer it in heav'n.
Thou art a traitor and a mifcreant ;
Too good to be fo, and too bad to live;
Since, the more fair and cryftal is the Sky,

The

The uglier feem the Clouds, that in it fly.
Once more, the more to aggravate the Note,
With a foul Traytor's Name ftuff I thy throat;
And wifh, fo please my Sov'reign, ere I move,
What my Tongue fpeaks, my Right-drawn Sword may

prove.

Mowb. Let not my cold words here accuse my zeal; "Tis not the tryal 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 fuch tame patience boast,
As to be husht, and nought at all to fay.

Firft, the fair Rev'rence of your Highness curbs me,
From giving reins and fpurs to my free speech;
Which elfe would poft, until it had return'd

Thefe terms of Treafon doubled down his throat..
Setting afide his high blood's Royalty,

And let him be no kinfman to my Liege,
I do defie him, and I fpit at him;

Call him a fland'rous coward, and a villain;
Which to maintain, I would allow him odds,
And meet him, were I ty'd to run a-foot
Even to the frozen ridges of the Alps,
Or any other ground unhabitable, (2)
Where never Englishman durft fet his foot..
Mean time, let this defend my Loyalty;
By all my hopes, moft falfly doth he lie.

Boling. Pale trembling Coward, there I throw my
Gage,

Difclaiming here the kindred of a King,,
And lay afide my high blood's Royalty:

(2) Or any other Ground inhabitable.] I don't know that this Word, (like the French Term, inhabitable,) will admit the two different Acceptations of a Place to be dwelt in, and not to be dwelt in: (or that it may be taken in the latter Senfe, as inbabitabilis (among the Latines) fignifies uninbabitable; tho' inbabitare fignifies only to inhabit :) and therefore I have ventur'd to read,

Or any

other Ground unhabitable.

Here to make good the boift'rous late Appeal,
Which then our leifure would not let us hear,
Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray ?
Gaunt. I have, my liege.

K. Rich. Tell me moreover, haft thou founded him, If he appeal the Duke on ancient malice,

Or worthily, as a good Subject should,

On fome known ground of treachery in him?

Gaunt. As near as I could fift him on that argument, On fome apparent Danger seen in him

Aim'd at your Highness; no invet'rate malice.

K. Rich. Then call them to our prefence; face to face, And frowning brow to brow, Our felves will hear Th' accufer, and th' accufed freely speak: High-ftomach'd are they Both, and full of ire; In rage, deaf as the fea; hafty as fire.

Enter Bolingbroke and Mowbray.

Boling, May many years of happy days befal My gracious Sovereign, my moft loving Liege! Mowb. Each day ftill 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 flatters u, As well appeareth by the cause you come;

Namely, t'appeal each other of high Treafon.

Coufin of Hereford, what doft thou object
Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas_Mowbray ?
Boling. First (Heaven be the record to my fpeech!)
In the devotion of a Subject's love,

Tend'ring the precious fafety of my Prince,
And free from other mif-begotten hate,
Come I Appellant to this princely prefence.
Now, Thomas Mowbray, do I turn to thee,
And mark my Greeting well; for what I speak,
My body fhall make good upon this earth,
Or my divine foul answer it in heav'n.
Thou art a traitor and a mifcreant ;
Too good to be fo, and too bad to live;
Since, the more fair and cryftal is the Sky,

The

The uglier feem the Clouds, that in it fly.
Once more, the more to aggravate the Note,
With a foul Traytor's Name ftuff I thy throat;
And wifh, fo please my Sov'reign, ere I move,
What my Tongue fpeaks, my Right-drawn Sword may
prove.

Mowb. Let not my cold words here accufe my zeal; "Tis not the tryal of a woman's war,

The bitter clamour of two eager tongues,
Can arbitrate this caufe betwixt us twain;

The blood is hot, that must be cool'd for this.
Yet can I not of fuch tame patience boast,
As to be husht, and nought at all to fay.

Firft, the fair Rev'rence of your Highness curbs me,
From giving reins and fpurs to my free speech;
Which elfe would poft, until it had return'd
These terms of Treafon doubled down his throat..
Setting afide his high blood's Royalty,
And let him be no kinfman to my Liege,
I do defie him, and I fpit at him;

Call him a fland'rous coward, and a villain;
Which to maintain, I would allow him odds,
And meet him, were I ty'd to run a foot
Even to the frozen ridges of the Alps,
Or any other ground unhabitable, (2)
Where never Englishman durft fet his foot..
Mean time, let this defend my Loyalty;
By all my hopes, moft falfly doth he lie.

Boling. Pale trembling Coward, there I throw my
Gage,

Difclaiming here the kindred of a King,
And lay afide my high blood's Royalty:

(2) Or any other Ground inhabitable.] I don't know that this Word, (like the French Term, inhabitable,) will admit the two different Acceptations of a Place to be dwelt in, and not to be dwelt in: (or that it may be taken in the latter Senfe, as inbabitabilis (among the Latines) fignifies uninbabitable; tho' inbabitare fignifies only to inhabit :) and therefore I have ventur'd to read,

Or

any other Ground unhabitable.

A 4

(Which