Shall I seem crest-fall'n in my father's sight, 188
Or with pale beggar-fear impeach my height
Before this out-dar'd dastard? Ere my tongue
Shall wound mine honour with such feeble wrong,
Or sound so base a parle, my teeth shall tear 192
The slavish motive of recanting fear,
And spit it bleeding in his high disgrace,
Where shame doth harbour, even in Mowbray's face.
Exit Gaunt.
K. Rich. We were not born to sue, but to command: 196
Which since we cannot do to make you friends,
Be ready, as your lives shall answer it,
At Coventry, upon Saint Lambert's day:
There shall your swords and lances arbitrate 200
The swelling difference of your settled hate:
Since we cannot atone you, we shall see
Justice design the victor's chivalry.
Marshal, command our officers-at-arms 204
Be ready to direct these home alarms. Exeunt.
Scene Two
[London. A Room in the Duke of Lancaster's Palace]
Enter Gaunt and Duchess of Gloucester.
Gaunt. Alas! the part I had in Woodstock's blood
Doth more solicit me than your exclaims,
To stir against the butchers of his life.
189 height: high rank
192 sound . . . parle; cf. n.
193 motive: moving organ, i.e., tongue
199 Saint Lambert's day: September 17
202 atone: reconcile, make 'at one'
203 design: indicate
204 officers-at-arms; cf. n.
205 alarms: disturbances
1 Woodstock's blood; cf. n. on I. i. and App. F
2 solicit: urge
exclaims: exclamations
