FITZWATER   How fondly dost thou spur a forward horse! If I dare eat or drink or breathe or live, I dare meet Surrey in a wilderness And spit upon him whilst I say he lies And lies and lies. There is my bond of faith To tie thee to my strong correction. As I intend […]

SURREY          My lord Fitzwater, I do remember well The very time Aumerle and you did talk. FITZWATER   ’Tis very true, you were in presence then And you can witness with me this is true. SURREY          As false, by heaven, as heaven itself is true. FITZWATER   Surrey, thou liest. SURREY                                              Dishonourable boy, That lie shall lie […]

ANOTHER LORD        I task the earth to the like, forsworn Aumerle, And spur thee on with full as many lies As may be halloed in thy treacherous ear From sun to sun: here is my honour’s pawn. Engage it to the trial if thou dar’st. AUMERLE                  Who sets me else? By heaven, I’ll throw at […]

AUMERLE      Thou dar’st not, coward, live to see that day. FITZWATER   Now, by my soul, I would it were this hour. AUMERLE      Fitzwater, thou art damned to hell for this. PERCY            Aumerle, thou liest. His honour is as true In this appeal as thou art all unjust, And that thou art so, there I throw […]

BOLINGBROKE          Bagot, forbear, thou shalt not take it up. AUMERLE                  Excepting one, I would he were the best In all this presence that hath moved me so. FITZWATER               If that thy valour stand on sympathy, There is my gage, Aumerle, in gage to thine. By that fair sun which shows me where thou stand’st, I […]

AUMERLE      Princes and noble lords, What answer shall I make to this base man? Shall I so much dishonour my fair stars On equal terms to give him chastisement? Either I must, or have mine honour soiled With the attainder of his sland’rous lips. There is my gage, the manual seal of death That marks […]

BAGOT            My lord Aumerle, I know your daring tongue Scorns to unsay what once it hath delivered; In that dead time when Gloucester’s death was plotted I heard you say ‘Is not my arm of length That reacheth from the restful English court As far as Calais, to mine uncle’s head?’ Amongst much other talk, […]

Enter as to the Parliament Bolingbroke, Aumerle, Northumberland, Percy, Fitzwater, Surrey, [Bishop of] Carlisle, Abbot of Westminster, [Another Lord,] Herald, Officers and Bagot BOLINGBROKE          Call forth Bagot. Now Bagot, freely speak thy mind What thou dost know of noble Gloucester’s death, Who wrought it with the King and who performed The bloody office of his […]

GARDENER    Poor Queen, so all thy state might be no worse, I would my skill were subject to thy curse. Here did she fall a tear; here in this place I’ll set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace. Rue, even for ruth, here shortly shall be seen In the remembrance of a weeping […]

QUEEN           Nimble mischance that art so light of foot, Doth not thy embassage belong to me And am I last that knows it? O thou think’st To serve me last that I may longest keep Thy sorrow in my breast. Come, ladies, go To meet at London London’s King in woe. What, was I born […]