55O Vld Iohn of Gaunt time honoured Lancaster,

66 Hast thou according to thy oath and bande

77 Brought hither Henrie Herford thy bolde sonne,

88 Here to make good the boistrous late appeale,

99Which then our leysure would not let vs heare

1010Against the Duke of Norfolke, Thomas Moubray ?

1111Gaunt. I haue my Leige.

1212King. Tell me moreouer hast thou sounded him,

1313If he appeale the Duke on ancient malice,

1414Or worthily as a good subiect should

1515On some knowne ground of treacherie in him.

1616Gaunt. As neere as I could sift him on that argument,

1717On some apparent daunger seene in him,

1818Aimde at your highnes, no inueterate malice.

1919King. Then call them to our presence face to face,

2020And frowning brow to brow our selues will heare,

2121The accuser and the accused freely speake:

2222High stomackt are they both and full of ire,

2323In rage, deafe as the sea, hastie as fire.

2525Bulling. Manie yeares of happie daies befall,

2626My gratious soueraigne my most louing liege.

2727Mowb. Each day still better others happines,

2828Vntill the heauens enuying earths good hap,

2929Adde an immortall title to your Crowne.

3030King. We thanke you both, yet one but flatters vs,

3131As well appeareth by the cause you come,

3232Namely to appeale each other of high treason:

3333Coosin of Herford, what dost thou obiect

3434Against the Duke of Norffolke Thomas Mowbray?

3535Bull. First, heauen be the record to my speech,

3636In the deuotion of a subiects loue,

3737Tendring the pretious safetie of my Prince,

3838And free from other misbegotten hate,

3939Come I appellant to this princely presence.

4040Now Thomas Mowbray do I turne to thee,

4141And marke my greeting well: for what I speake

4242My body shall make good vpon this earth,

4343Or my diuine soule answer it in heauen:

4444Thou art a traitour and a miscreant,

4545Too good to be so, and too bad to liue,

4646Since the more faire and cristall is the skie,

4747The vglier seeme the cloudes that in it flie:

4848Once more, the more to aggrauate the note,

4949With a foule traitors name stuffe I thy throte,

5050And wish (so please my Soueraigne) ere I moue,

5151What my tong speaks, my right drawen sword may proue.

5252Mow. Let not my cold wordes here accuse my zeale,

5353Tis not the triall of a womans warre,

5454The bitter clamour of two eger tongues

5555Can arbitrate this cause betwixt vs twaine,

5656The bloud is hote that must be coold for this,

5757Yet can I not of such tame patience boast,

5858As to be huisht, and naught at all to say.

5959First the faire reuerence of your Highnesse curbs me,

6060From giuing reines and spurres to my free speech,

6161Which else would post vntill it had returnd,

6262These termes of treason doubled downe his throat:

6363Setting aside his high blouds royaltie,

6464And let him be no kinsman to my Liege,

6565I do defie him, and I spit at him,

6666Call him a slaunderous coward, and a villaine,

6767Which to maintaine, I would allow him ods,

6868And meete him were I tied to runne afoote,

6969Euen to the frozen ridges of the Alpes,

7070Or any other ground inhabitable,

7171Where euer Englishman durst set his foote,

7272Meane time, let this defend my loyaltie,

7373By all my hopes most falsly doth he lie.

7474Bull. Pale trembling coward there I throw my gage,

7575Disclaiming here the kinred of the King,

7676And lay aside my high bloudes royaltie,

7777Which Feare, not Reuerence makes thee to except.

7878If guilty dread haue left thee so much strength,

7979As to take vp mine honours pawne, then stowpe,

8080By that, and all the rites of Knighthoode else,

8181Will I make good against thee arme to arme,

8282What I haue spoke, or thou canst worse deuise.

8383Mow. I take it vp, and by that sword I sweare,

8484Which gently laid my Knighthood on my shoulder,

8585Ile answer thee in any faire degree,

8686Or chiualrous designe of knightly triall:

8787And when I mount, aliue may I not light,

8888If I be traitor or vniustly fight.

8989King. What doth our cousin lay to Mowbraies charge?

9090It must be great that can inherit vs,

9191So much as of a thought of ill in him.

9292Bul. Looke what I speake, my life shall proue it true,

9393That Mowbray hath receiude eight thousand nobles

9494In name of Lendings for your Highnes souldiours,

9595The which he hath detaind for lewd imployments,

9696Like a false traitour, and iniurious villaine:

9797Besides I say, and will in battle proue,

9898Or here, or elsewhere to the furthest Verge:

9999That euer was surueyed by English eye,

100100That all the treasons for these eighteene yeares,

101101Complotted and contriued in this land:

102102Fetch from false Mowbray their first head and spring,

103103Further I say and further will maintaine

104104Vpon his bad life to make all this good,

105105That he did plotte the Duke of Glocesters death,

106106Suggest his soone beleeuing aduersaries,

107107And eonsequently like a taitour coward,

108108Slucte out his innocent soule through streames of bloud,

109109Which bloud, like sacrificing Abels cries,

110110Euen from the tounglesse Cauernes of the earth,

111111To me for iustice and rough chastisement:

112112And, by the glorious worth of my descent,

113113This arme shall do it, or this life be spent.

114114King. How high a pitch his resolution soares,

115115Thomas of Norfolke what saist thou to this ?

116116Mowb. Oh let my soueraigne turne awaie his face,

117117And bid his eares a little while be deafe.

118118Till I haue tolde this slaunder of his bloud,

119119How God and good men hate so foule a lier.

120120King. Mowbray impartiall are our eies and eares,

121121Were he my brother, nay, my kingdomes heire,

122122As he is but my fathers brothers sonne,

123123Now by scepters awe I make a vowe,

124124Such neighbour neerenes to our sacred bloud

125125Should nothing priuiledge him nor partialize

126126The vnstooping firmenesse of my vpright soule,

127127He is our subiect Mowbray so art thou,

128128Free speech and fearelesse I to thee allowe.

129129Mowb. Then Bullingbrooke as lowe as to thy heart

130130Through the false passage of thy throate thou liest.

131131Three partes of that receipte I had for Callice,

132132Disburst I duely to his highnesse souldiers,

133133The other part reserude I by consent,

134134For that my soueraigne liege was in my debt.

135135Vpon remainder of a deare account:

136136Since last I went to France to fetch his Queene:

137137Now swallow downe that lie. For Glocesters death,

138138I slewe him not but to my own disgrace,

139139Neglected my sworne duety in that case:

140140For you my noble Lord of Lancaster,

141141The honourable father to my foe,

142142Once did I lay an ambushe for your life,

143143A trespasse that doth vex my grieued soule:

144144Ah but ere I last receiude the Sacrament,

145145I did confesse it, and exactly begd

146146Your graces pardon, and I hope I had it.

147147This is my fault, as for the rest appeald

148148It issues from the rancour of a villaine,

149149A recreant and most degenerate traitour,

150150Which in my selfe I boldly will defende,

151151And enterchangeably hurle downe my gage

152152Vpon this ouerweening traitors foote,

153153To proue my selfe a loyal Gentleman,

154154Euen in the best bloud chamberd in his bosome,

155155In haste wherof most hartily I pray

156156Your highnes to assigne our triall day.

157157King. Wrath kindled gentleman be ruled by me,

158158Lets purge this choler without letting bloud,

159159This we prescribe though no Phisition,

160160Deepe malice makes too deepe incision,

161161Forget, forgiue, conclude and be agreed,

162162Our doctors say, this is no month to bleede:

163163Good Vnckle let this ende where it begonne,

164164Weele calme the Duke of Norfolke, you your sonne.

165165Gaunt. To be a make-peace shal become my age,

166166Throw downe (my sonne) the Duke of Norfolkes gage.

167167King. And Norfolke throw downe his.

168168Gaunt. When Harry? when obedience bids,

169169Obedience bids I should not bid againe.

170170King. Norfolke throw downe we bid, there is no boote.

172171Mow. My selfe I throw dread soueraigne at thy foote,

173172My life thou shalt command, but not my shame,

174173The one my duety owes, but my faire name

175174Despight of death that liues vpon my graue,

176175To darke dishonours vse thou shalt not haue:

177176I am disgraste, impeacht, and baffuld heere,

178177Pierst to the soule with Slaunders venomd speare,

179178The which no balme can cure but his heart bloud

180179Which breathde this poyson.

181180King. Rage must be withstoode,

182181Giue me his gage; Lions make Leopards tame.

183182Mowb. Yea but not change his spots : take but my shame,

184183And I resigne my gage, my deare deare Lord,

185184The purest treasure mortall times afford,

186185Is spotlesse Reputation that away

187186Men are but guilded loame, or painted clay,

188187A iewell in a ten times bard vp chest,

189188Is a bold spirit in a loyall breast:

190189Mine honour is my life, both grow in one,

191190Take honour from me, and my life is done :

192191Then (deare my Liege) mine honour let me trie,

193192In that I liue, and for that will I die.

194193King. Coosin, throw vp your gage, do you beginne.

196194Bull. O God defend my soule from such deepe sinne,

197195Shall I seeme Crest-fallen in my fathers fight?

198196Or with pale beggar-feare impeach my height,

199197Before this out-darde Dastard? ere my tong

200198Shall wound my honour with such feeble wrong,

201199Or sound so base a parlee, my teeth shall teare

202200The slauish motiue of recanting feare,

203201And spit it bleeding in his high disgrace,

204202Where Shame doth harbour euen in Mowbraies face.

206203King. We were not borne to sue, but to commaund,

207204Which since we cannot do, to make you friends,

208205Be ready as your liues shall answere it,

209206At Couentry vpon saint Lamberts day,

210207There shall your swords and launces arbitrate

211208The swelling difference of your setled hate,

212209Since we cannot atone you, we shall see

213210Iustice designe the Victors chiualrie,

214211Lord Marshal, commaund our Officers at Armes,

215212Be ready to direct these home all armes. Exit.