PERSONS REPRESENTED. KING RICHARD THE SECond. EDMOND OF LANGLEY, Duke of York; uncles to the JOHN OF GAUNT, Duke of Lancaster; S King. HENRY, surnamed Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford. son to John of Gaunt; afterwards King Henry IV. DUKE OF AUMERLE, son to the Duke of York. MOWBRAY, Duke of Norfolk. DUKE OF SURREY. EARL OF SALISBURY. EARL BERKeley. BAGOT, creatures to King Richard. GREEN, EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND. HENRY PERCY, his son. LORD ROSS. LORD WILLoughby. LORD FITZWATER. BISHOP OF CARLISLE. ABBOT OF WESTMINSTER. Lord Marshal; and another Lord. SIR PIERCE OF EXTON. SIR STEPHEN SCROOP. Captain of a band of Welshmen. QUEEN to King Richard. DUCHESS OF GLOSTER. DUCHESS Of York. Lady attending on the Queen. Lords, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, two Gardeners, Keeper, Messenger, Groom, and other Attendants. SCENE, dispersedly in England and Wales. LIFE AND DEATH OF KING RICHARD II. ACT THE FIRST. SCENE I. London. A Room in the Palace. Enter King RICHARD, attended; JOHN of GAUNT, and other Nobles, with him. K. Rich. OLD John of Gaunt, time-honour'd Lancaster, Hast thou, according to thy oath and band,1 Brought hither Henry Hereford, thy bold son; Here to make good the boisterous late appeal, Which then our leisure would not let us hear, Against the duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray ? Gaunt. I have, my liege. K. Rich. Tell me, moreover, hast thou sounded him, If he appeal the duke on ancient malice; Or worthily as a good subject should, 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, 1 Bond. And frowning brow to brow, ourselves will hear The accuser, and the accused, freely speak:[Exeunt some Attendants. High stomach'd are they both, and full of ire, rage deaf as the sea, hasty as fire. In Re-enter Attendants, with BOLINGBROKE and Boling. May many years of happy days befal K. Rich. We thank you both: yet one but flat ters us, As well appeareth by the cause you come; Tendering the precious safety of my prince, Or my may prove. Nor. Let not my cold words here accuse my zeal: "Tis not the trial of a woman's war, The bitter clamour of two eager tongues, And let him be no kinsman to my liege, I do defy him, and I spit at him; Call him a slanderous coward, and a villain: Disclaiming here the kindred of a king; Which fear, not reverence, makes thee to except : Or chivalrous design of knightly trial: K. Rich. What doth our cousin lay to Mowbray's charge? It must be great, that can inherit us Boling. Look, what I speak my life shall prove it true; That Mowbray hath receiv'd eight thousand nobles, Fetch from false Mowbray their first head and spring. Upon his bad life, to make all this good, That he did plot the duke of Gloster's death; And, consequently, like a traitor coward, Sluic'd out his innocent soul through streams of blood: Which blood, like sacrificing Abel's, cries, K. Rich. How high a pitch his resolution soars!— ears: Were he my brother, nay, my kingdom's heir, |