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SCENE III.

Gosford Green, near Coventry.

Lifts fet out, and a Throne. Heralds, &c. attending.

Enter the Lord Marshal, and AUMERLE.9

MAR. My lord Aumerle, is Harry Hereford arm'd?

AUM. Yea, at all points; and longs to enter in. MAR. The duke of Norfolk, sprightfully and

bold,

Stays but the summons of the appellant's trumpet. AUM. Why then, the champions are prepar'd, and stay

For nothing but his majesty's approach.

8

- Lord Marshal,] Shakspeare has here committed a flight mistake. The office of Lord Marshal was executed on this occafion by Thomas Holland, Duke of Surrey. Our author has inadvertently introduced that nobleman as a distinct person from the Marshal, in the present drama.

Mowbray Duke of Norfolk was Earl Marshal of England; but being himself one of the combatants, the Duke of Surrey officiated as Earl Marshal for the day. MALONE.

9 Aumerle.] Edward Duke of Aumerle, so created by his cousin german, King Richard II. in 1397. He was the eldest son of Edward of Langley Duke of York, fifth son of King Edward the Third, and was killed in 1415, at the battle of Agincourt. He officiated at the lifts of Coventry, as High Conftable of England. MALONE.

Flourish of Trumpets. Enter King RICHARD, who takes his feat on his Throne; GAUNT, and feveral Noblemen, who take their places. A Trumpet is Sounded, and answered by another Trumpet within. Then enter NORFOLK in armour, preceded by a Herald.

K. RICH. Marshal, demand of yonder champion The cause of his arrival here in arms: Ask him his name; and orderly proceed To swear him in the justice of his cause.

MAR. In God's name, and the king's, say who

thou art, And why thou com'st, thus knightly clad in arms : Againft what man thou com'st, and what thy quar

rel :

Speak truly, on thy knighthood, and thy oath;
And so defend thee heaven, and thy valour!

NOR. My name is Thomas Mowbray, duke of

Norfolk;

Who hither come engaged by my oath, (Which, heaven defend, a knight should violate !) Both to defend my loyalty and truth,

To God, my king, and my fucceeding issue,3

* Ando-] The old copies read-Asso-. STEEVENS. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. MALONE.

2

Norfolk.] Mr. Edwards, in his MS. notes, observes, from Holinfhed, that the Duke of Hereford, appellant, entered the lifts first; and this, indeed, must have been the regular method of the combat; for the natural order of things requires, that the accufer or challenger should be at the place of appointment first. STEEVENS.

3

-my fucceeding issue,] His is the reading of the first folio; other editions read my issue. Mowbray's issue, was by this accufation, in danger of an attainder, and therefore he

Against the duke of Hereford that appeals me,
And, by the grace of God, and this mine arm,
To prove him, in defending of myself,
A traitor to my God, my king, and me :
And, as I truly fight, defend me heaven!

[He takes his feat.

Trumpet founds. Enter BOLINGBROKE, in armour; preceded by a Herald.

K. RICH. Marshal, ask yonder knight in arms,4 Both who he is, and why he cometh hither Thus plated in habiliments of war; And formally according to our law

Depose him in the justice of his cause.

MAR. What is thy name? and wherefore com'st thou hither,

Before King Richard, in his royal lists ?

might come, among other reasons, for their fake: but the reading of the folio is more just and grammatical. JOHNSON.

The three oldest quartos read my, which Mr. M. Mason prefers, because, says he, Mowbray subjoins

"To prove him, in defending of myself,

"A traitor to my God, my king, and me." STEEVENS.

- and my fucceeding issue,] Thus the first quarto. The folio reads his fucceeding issue. The first quarto copy of this play, in 1597, being in general much more correct than the folio, and the quartos of 1608, and 1615, from the latter of which the folio appears to have been printed, I have preferred the elder reading. MALONE.

* Marshal, ask yonder knight in arms,] Why not, as before: Marshal, demand of yonder knight in arms.

The player, who varied the expreffion, was probably ignorant that he injured the metre. The insertion, however, of two little words would answer the fame purpose :

Marshal, go ask of yonder knight in arms. RITSON.

Against whom comest thou ? and what's thy quar

rel?

Speak like a true knight, so defend thee heaven!

BOLING. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and

Derby,

Am I; who ready here do stand in arms,
To prove, by heaven's grace, and my body's valour,
In lifts, on Thomas Mowbray duke of Norfolk,
That he's a traitor, foul and dangerous,
To God of heaven, king Richard, and to me;
And, as I truly fight, defend me heaven!

MAR. On pain of death, no person be so bold,
Or daring-hardy, as to touch the lifts;
Except the marshal, and such officers
Appointed to direct these fair designs.

BOLING. Lord marshal, let me kiss my fovereign's

hand,

And bow my knee before his majesty :
For Mowbray, and myself, are like two men
That vow a long and weary pilgrimage;
Then let us take a ceremonious leave,

And loving farewell, of our several friends.

MAR. The appellant in all duty greets your high

ness,

And craves to kiss your hand, and take his leave.
K. RICH. We will descend, and fold him in

arms.

Coufin of Hereford, as thy cause is right,
So be thy fortune in this royal fight!
Farewell, my blood; which if to-day thou shed,
Lament we may, but not revenge thee dead.

BOLING. O, let no noble eye profane a tear
For me, if I be gor'd with Mowbray's spear;

our

As confident, as is the falcon's flight
Against a bird, do I with Mowbray fight.

My loving lord, [To Lord Marshal.] I take my leave

of you ;

Of you, my noble coufin, lord Aumerle :-
Not fick, although I have to do with death;
But lusty, young, and cheerly drawing breath.-
Lo, as at English feafts, so I regreet
The daintiest last, to make the end most sweet :
O thou, the earthly author of my blood,-

[TO GAUNT.

Whose youthful spirit, in me regenerate,
Doth with a two-fold vigour lift me up
To reach at victory above my head, -
Add proof unto mine armour with thy prayers;
And with thy blessings steel my lance's point,
That it may enter Mowbray's waxen coat,5
And furbish new the name of John of Gaunt,
Even in the lufty 'haviour of his fon.

GAUNT. Heaven in thy good cause make thee
profperous!

Be swift like lightning in the execution;

5

waxen coat,] Waxen may mean soft, and consequently penetrable, or flexible. The brigandines or coats of mail, then in use, were composed of small pieces of steel quilted over one another, and yet fo flexible as to accommodate the dress they form to every motion of the body. Of these many are still to be seen in the Tower of London. STEEVENS.

The object of Bolingbroke's request is, that the temper of his lance's point might as much exceed the mail of his adversary, as the iron of that mail was harder than wax. HENLEY.

And furbish -) Thus the quartos, 1608 and 1615. The folio reads-furnish. Either word will do, as to furnish in the time of Shakspeare fignified to dress. So, twice in As you like it: "furnished like a huntsman."-"- furnished like a beggar." STEEVENS.

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