5OLd Iohn of Gaunt, time honoured Lancaster,

6Hast thou according to thy oath and band

7Brought hither Henry Herford thy bold son:

8Heere to make good y^e boistrous late appeale,

9Which then our leysure would not let vs heare,

10Against the Duke of Norfolke, Thomas Mowbray?

11Gaunt. I haue my Liege.

12King. Tell me moreouer, hast thou sounded him,

13If he appeale the Duke on ancient malice,

14Or worthily as a good subiect should

15On some knowne ground of treacherie in him.

16Gaunt. As neere as I could sift him on that argument,

17On some apparant danger seene in him,

18Aym'd at your Highnesse, no inueterate malice.

19Kin. Then call them to our presence face to face,

20And frowning brow to brow, our selues will heare

21Th' accuser, and the accused, freely speake;

22High stomackd are they both, and full of ire,

23In rage, deafe as the sea; hastie as fire.

25Bul. Many yeares of happy dayes befall

26My gracious Soueraigne, my most louing Liege.

27Mow. Each day still better others happinesse,

28Vntill the heauens enuying earths good hap,

29Adde an immortall title to your Crowne.

30King. We thanke you both, yet one but flatters vs,

31As well appeareth by the cause you come,

32Namely, to appeale each other of high treason.

33Coosin of Hereford, what dost thou obiect

34Against the Duke of Norfolke, Thomas Mowbray?

35Bul. First, heauen be the record to my speech,

36In the deuotion of a subiects loue,

37Tendering the precious safetie of my Prince,

38And free from other misbegotten hate,

39Come I appealant to rhis Princely presence.

40Now Thomas Mowbray do I turne to thee,

41And marke my greeting well: for what I speake,

42My body shall make good vpon this earth,

43Or my diuine soule answer it in heauen.

44Thou art a Traitor, and a Miscreant;

45Too good to be so, and too bad to liue,

46Since the more faire and christall is the skie,

47The vglier seeme the cloudes that in it flye:

48Once more, the more to aggrauate the note,

49With a foule Traitors name stuffe I thy throte,

50And wish (so please my Soueraigne) ere I moue,

51What my tong speaks, my right drawn sword may proue

52Mow. Let not my cold words heere accuse my zeale:

53'Tis not the triall of a Womans warre,

54The bitter clamour of two eager tongues,

55Can arbitrate this cause betwixt vs twaine:

56The blood is hot that must be cooI'dfor this.

57Yet can I not of such tame patience boast,

58As to be husht, and nought at all to say.

59First the faire reuerence of your Highnesse curbes mee,

60From giuing reines and spurres to my free speech,

61Which else would post, vntill it had return'd

62These tearmes of treason, doubly downe his throat.

63Setting aside his high bloods royalty,

64And let him be no Kinsman to my Liege,

65I do defie him, and I spit at him,

66Call him a slanderous Coward, and a Villaine:

67Which to maintaine, I would allow him oddes,

68And meete him, were I tide to runne afoote,

69Euen to the frozen ridges of the Alpes,

70Or any other ground inhabitable,

71Where euer Englishman durst set his foote.

72Meane time, let this defend my loyaltie,

73By all my hopes most falsely doth he lie.

74Bul. Pale trembling Coward, there I throw my gage,

75Disclaiming heere the kindred of a King,

76And lay aside my high bloods Royalty,

77Which feare, not reuerence makes thee to except.

78If guilty dread hath left thee so much strength,

79As to take vp mine Honors pawne, then stoope.

80By that, and all the rites of Knight-hood else,

81Will I make good against thee arme to arme,

82What I haue spoken, or thou canst deuise.

83Mow. I take it vp, and by that sword I sweare,

84Which gently laid my Knight-hood on my shoulder,

85lIe answer thee in any faire degree,

86Or Chiualrous designe of knightly triall:

87And when I mount, aliue may I not light,

88If I be Traitor, or vniustly fight.

89King. What doth our Cosin lay to Mowbraies charge?

90It must be great that can inherite vs,

91So much as of a thought of ill in him.

92Bul. Looke what I said, my life shall proue it true,

93That Mowbray hath receiu'd eight thousand Nobles,