Enter King Richard, John of Gaunt, with other Nobles
and Attendants.KING RICHARD Old John of Gaunt, time-honored Lancaster, Hast thou, according to thy oath and band, Brought hither Henry Hereford, thy bold son, Here to make good the boist’rous late appeal,5 Which then our leisure would not let us hear, Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray?GAUNT I have, my liege.KING RICHARD Tell me, moreover, hast thou sounded him If he appeal the Duke on ancient malice10 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 Aimed at your Highness, no inveterate malice.KING RICHARD 15 Then call them to our presence.⌜An Attendant exits.⌝ Face to face And frowning brow to brow, ourselves will hear
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The accuser and the accusèd freely speak. High stomached are they both and full of ire,20 In rage deaf as the sea, hasty as fire.Enter Bolingbroke and Mowbray.BOLINGBROKE Many years of happy days befall My gracious sovereign, my most loving liege.MOWBRAY Each day still better other’s happiness Until the heavens, envying earth’s good hap,25 Add an immortal title to your crown.KING RICHARD We thank you both. Yet one but flatters us, As well appeareth by the cause you come: Namely, to appeal each other of high treason. Cousin of Hereford, what dost thou object30 Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray?BOLINGBROKE First—heaven be the record to my speech!— In the devotion of a subject’s love, Tend’ring the precious safety of my prince And free from other misbegotten hate,35 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 soul answer it in heaven.40 Thou art a traitor and a miscreant, Too good to be so and too bad to live, Since the more fair and crystal is the sky, The uglier seem the clouds that in it fly. Once more, the more to aggravate the note,45 With a foul traitor’s name stuff I thy throat, And wish, so please my sovereign, ere I move,
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What my tongue speaks my right-drawn sword may prove.MOWBRAY Let not my cold words here accuse my zeal.50 ’Tis not the trial of a woman’s war, The bitter clamor of two eager tongues, Can arbitrate this cause betwixt us twain. The blood is hot that must be cooled for this. Yet can I not of such tame patience boast55 As to be hushed and naught at all to say. First, the fair reverence of your Highness curbs me From giving reins and spurs to my free speech, Which else would post until it had returned These terms of treason doubled down his throat.60 Setting aside his high blood’s royalty, 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, Which to maintain I would allow him odds65 And meet him, were I tied to run afoot Even to the frozen ridges of the Alps Or any other ground inhabitable Wherever Englishman durst set his foot. Meantime let this defend my loyalty:70 By all my hopes, most falsely doth he lie.BOLINGBROKE, ⌜throwing down a gage⌝ Pale trembling coward, there I throw my gage, Disclaiming here the kindred of the King, And lay aside my high blood’s royalty, Which fear, not reverence, makes thee to except.75 If guilty dread have left thee so much strength As to take up mine honor’s pawn, then stoop. By that and all the rites of knighthood else Will I make good against thee, arm to arm, What I have spoke or thou canst worse devise.
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MOWBRAY, ⌜picking up the gage⌝ 80 I take it up, and by that sword I swear Which gently laid my knighthood on my shoulder, I’ll answer thee in any fair degree Or chivalrous design of knightly trial; And when I mount, alive may I not light85 If I be traitor or unjustly fight.KING RICHARD What doth our cousin lay to Mowbray’s charge? It must be great that can inherit us So much as of a thought of ill in him.BOLINGBROKE Look what I speak, my life shall prove it true:90 That Mowbray hath received eight thousand nobles In name of lendings for your Highness’ soldiers, The which he hath detained for lewd employments, Like a false traitor and injurious villain. Besides I say, and will in battle prove,95 Or here or elsewhere to the furthest verge That ever was surveyed by English eye, That all the treasons for these eighteen years Complotted and contrivèd in this land Fetch from false Mowbray their first head and100 spring. Further I say, and further will maintain Upon his bad life to make all this good, That he did plot the Duke of Gloucester’s death, Suggest his soon-believing adversaries,105 And consequently, like a traitor coward, Sluiced out his innocent soul through streams of blood, Which blood, like sacrificing Abel’s, cries Even from the tongueless caverns of the earth110 To me for justice and rough chastisement. And, by the glorious worth of my descent, This arm shall do it, or this life be spent.
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KING RICHARD How high a pitch his resolution soars!— Thomas of Norfolk, what sayst thou to this?MOWBRAY 115 O, let my sovereign turn away his face And bid his ears a little while be deaf, Till I have told this slander of his blood How God and good men hate so foul a liar.KING RICHARD Mowbray, impartial are our eyes and ears.120 Were he my brother, nay, my kingdom’s heir, As he is but my father’s brother’s son, Now by ⌜my⌝ scepter’s awe I make a vow: Such neighbor nearness to our sacred blood Should nothing privilege him nor partialize125 The unstooping firmness of my upright soul. He is our subject, Mowbray; so art thou. Free speech and fearless I to thee allow.MOWBRAY Then, Bolingbroke, as low as to thy heart, Through the false passage of thy throat, thou liest.130 Three parts of that receipt I had for Calais Disbursed I duly to his Highness’ soldiers; The other part reserved I by consent, For that my sovereign liege was in my debt Upon remainder of a dear account135 Since last I went to France to fetch his queen. Now swallow down that lie. For Gloucester’s death, I slew him not, but to my own disgrace Neglected my sworn duty in that case.— For you, my noble Lord of Lancaster,140 The honorable father to my foe, Once did I lay an ambush for your life, A trespass that doth vex my grievèd soul. But ere I last received the sacrament, I did confess it and exactly begged
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145 Your Grace’s pardon, and I hope I had it.— This is my fault. As for the rest appealed, It issues from the rancor of a villain, A recreant and most degenerate traitor, Which in myself I boldly will defend,150 And interchangeably hurl down my gage Upon this overweening traitor’s foot,⌜He throws down a gage.⌝ To prove myself a loyal gentleman, Even in the best blood chambered in his bosom; In haste whereof most heartily I pray155 Your Highness to assign our trial day.⌜Bolingbroke picks up the gage.⌝KING RICHARD Wrath-kindled ⌜gentlemen,⌝ be ruled by me. Let’s purge this choler without letting blood. This we prescribe, though no physician. Deep malice makes too deep incision.160 Forget, forgive; conclude and be agreed. Our doctors say this is no month to bleed.— Good uncle, let this end where it begun; We’ll calm the Duke of Norfolk, you your son.GAUNT To be a make-peace shall become my age.—165 Throw down, my son, the Duke of Norfolk’s gage.KING RICHARD And, Norfolk, throw down his.GAUNT When, Harry, when? Obedience bids I should not bid again.KING RICHARD Norfolk, throw down, we bid; there is no boot.MOWBRAY 170 Myself I throw, dread sovereign, at thy foot.⌜Mowbray kneels.⌝ My life thou shalt command, but not my shame. The one my duty owes, but my fair name,
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Despite of death that lives upon my grave, To dark dishonor’s use thou shalt not have.175 I am disgraced, impeached, and baffled here, Pierced to the soul with slander’s venomed spear, The which no balm can cure but his heart-blood Which breathed this poison.KING RICHARD Rage must be withstood.180 Give me his gage. Lions make leopards tame.MOWBRAY, ⌜standing⌝ Yea, but not change his spots. Take but my shame And I resign my gage. My dear dear lord, The purest treasure mortal times afford Is spotless reputation; that away,185 Men are but gilded loam or painted clay. A jewel in a ten-times-barred-up chest Is a bold spirit in a loyal breast. Mine honor is my life; both grow in one. Take honor from me and my life is done.190 Then, dear my liege, mine honor let me try. In that I live, and for that will I die.KING RICHARD, ⌜to Bolingbroke⌝ Cousin, throw up your gage. Do you begin.BOLINGBROKE O, God defend my soul from such deep sin! Shall I seem crestfallen in my father’s sight?195 Or with pale beggar-fear impeach my height Before this out-dared dastard? Ere my tongue Shall wound my honor with such feeble wrong Or sound so base a ⌜parle,⌝ my teeth shall tear The slavish motive of recanting fear200 And spit it bleeding in his high disgrace, Where shame doth harbor, even in Mowbray’s face.KING RICHARD We were not born to sue, but to command, Which, since we cannot do, to make you friends, Be ready, as your lives shall answer it,
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205 At Coventry upon Saint Lambert’s day. There shall your swords and lances arbitrate The swelling difference of your settled hate. Since we cannot atone you, we shall see Justice design the victor’s chivalry.—210 Lord Marshal, command our officers-at-arms Be ready to direct these home alarms.⌜They⌝ exit.
Richard II: 
