King RICHARD the Second.

Edmund of Langley, duke of York, uncles to the king.. John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster,

Bolingbroke, fon to John of Gaunt, afterwards king
Henry the Fourth.

Duke of Aumerle, fon to the duke of York.
Mowbray, duke of Norfolk.

Duke of Surrey.

Earl of Salisbury.

Earl Berkley.

Bufhy,

Bagot, fervants to king Richard.
Green,

Earl of Northumberland.

Percy, fon to Northumberland.
Lord Rofs.

Lord Willoughby.

Lord Fitzwater.

Bishop of Carlisle.

Sir Stephen Scroop.

Lord marshal, and another lord.
Abbot of Westminster.

Sir Pierce of Exton.

Captain of a band of Welchmen.

Queen to king Richard.

Dutchefs of Gloucefter.

Dutchefs of York.

Ladies attending on the queen.

Heralds, two gardiners, keeper, messenger, groom, and other attendants.

SCENE, difperfedly, in feveral parts of England.

ΤΗΣ

KING RICHARD II.

ACT I. SCENE I.

The court.

Enter king Richard, John of Gaunt, with other nobles and attendants.

K. RICHARD.

LD John of Gaunt, time-honour'd Lancaster, Haft thou, according to thy oath and bond, Brought hither Henry Hereford, thy bold fon, Here to make good the boisterous 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,

The Life and Death of King Richard II.] But this history comprifes little more than the two last years of this 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-caftle towards the end of the year 1400, or the beginning of the enfuing year. THEOBALD.

It is evident from a paffage in Camden's Annals, that there was an old play on the fubject of Richard the Second; but I know not in what language. Sir Gelley Merrick, who was concerned in the håre-brained bufinefs of the earl of Effex, and was hanged for it, with the ingenious Cuffe, in 1601, is accused, amongst other things, " quod exoletam tragoediam de tragicâ "abdicatione regis Ricardi Secundi in publico theatro coram "conjuratis datâ pecuniâ agi curaffet." FARMER.

If he appeal the duke on ancient malice;
Or worthily, as a good fubject should,

On fome known ground of treachery in him?
Gaunt. As near as I could fift him on that argu-

ment,

On fome apparent danger feen in him.

Aim'd at your highnefs; no inveterate malice.

K. Rich. Then call them to our presence; face to face,

And frowning brow to brow. Ourselves will hear
The accufer, and the 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. Many years of happy days befal
My gracious fovereign, 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

us,

As well appeareth by the caufe you come;

Namely, to appeal each other of high treafon.-
Coufin of Hereford, what doft thou object
Against the duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray?
Boling. Firft (heaven be the record to my fpeech!)
In the devotion of a fubject's love,

Tendering the precious fafety of my prince,
And free from other mifbegotten hate,
Come I appellant to this princely presence.
-Now, Thomas Mowbray, do I turn to thee,
And mark my greeting well; for what I fpeak,
My body fhall make good upon this earth,
Or my divine foul anfwer it in heaven.
Thou art a traitor, and a mifcreant;
Too good to be fo, and too bad to live;
Since, the more fair and crystal is the fky,
The uglier feem the clouds that in it fly.

Once

Once more, the more to aggravate the note,
With a foul traitor's name ftuff I thy throat;
And wish (so please my fovereign) ere I move,
What my tongue fpeaks, my 2 right-drawn fword may

prove.

Mowb. Let not my cold words here accufe my zeal: 'Tis not the trial 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 hufh'd, and nought at all to fay.
First, the fair reverence 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 defy him, and I fpit at him;

Call him a flanderous 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 3 inhabitable,

Where ever Englishman durft fet his foot.
Mean time, let this defend my loyalty-
By all my hopes, most 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,
Which fear, not reverence, makes thee to except.
If guilty dread hath left thee fo much strength,

2-right drawn-] Drawn in a right or just caufe. JOHNS. inhabitable,] That is, not habitable, uninhabitable.

3

JOHNSON.

Ben Jonfon ufes the word in the fame fenfe in his Catiline. And pour'd on fome inhabitable place." STEFVENS.

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