Against the duke of Hereford that appeals me; [He takes his feat. Trumpet founds. Enter BOLINGBROKE, in armour ; preceded by a Herald. K. RICH. Marfhal, afk 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 Depofe him in the juftice of his cause. MAR. What is thy name? and wherefore com'ft 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 juft and grammatical. JOHNSON. The three oldeft quartos read my, which Mr. M. Mafon prefers, because, fays he, Mowbray fubjoins "To prove him, in defending of myfelf, "A traitor to my God, my king, and me." STEEVENS. and my fucceeding iffue,] Thus the first quarto. The folio reads-his fucceeding iffue. 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. 4 Marshal, afk 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 infertion, however, of two little words would answer the fame purpose: Marshal, go ask of yonder knight in arms. RITSON. Against whom comeft thou? and what's thy quar rel? Speak like a true knight, fo defend thee heaven! BOLING. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Derby, Am I; who ready here do ftand in arms, grace, and my body's valour, MAR. On pain of death, no perfon be so bold, Or daring-hardy, as to touch the lifts; Except the marfhal, and fuch officers Appointed to direct these fair defigns. BOLING. Lord marshal, let me kifs my fovereign's hand, And bow my knee before his majesty: For Mowbray, and myself, are like two men MAR. The appellant in all duty greets your high nefs, And craves to kifs your hand, and take his leave. K. RICH. We will descend, and fold him in our arms. Coufin of Hereford, as thy cause is right, As confident, as is the falcon's flight My loving lord, [To Lord Marfhal.] I take my leave of you; Of you, my noble coufin, lord Aumerle :— The daintieft laft, to make the end moft fweet: my blood, [To GAUNT. Add proof unto mine armour with thy prayers; 6 And furbish new the name of John of Gaunt, GAUNT. Heaven in thy good cause make thee Be fwift like lightning in the execution; waxen coat,] Waxen may mean foft, and confequently penetrable, or flexible. The brigandines or coats of mail, then in ufe, were compofed of fmall pieces of fteel quilted over one another, and yet fo flexible as to accommodate the drefs 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 requeft 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 drefs. So, twice in As you like it: "furnished like a huntfman."-"-furnished like a beggar." STEEVENS. And let thy blows, doubly redoubled, Roufe up thy youthful blood, be valiant and live. BOLING. Mine innocency, and Saint George to [He takes his feat. thrive! NOR. [Rifing.] However heaven, or fortune, caft my lot, There lives or dies, true to king Richard's throne, Caft off his chains of bondage, and embrace Go I to fight; Truth hath a quiet breast. 7 Fall like amazing thunder on the cafque-] To amaze, in ancient language, fignifies to fun, to confound. Thus, in Arthur Hall's tranflation of the third Iliad, 4to. 1581: 66 And striking him upon the helme, his foe amazed makes." See alfo, King John, Act IV. fc. iii. STEEVENS. 8 Mine innocency,] Old copies-innocence. Corrected by Mr. Steevens. MALONE. 9 This feaft of battle-] "War is death's feast," is a proverbial faying. See Ray's Collection. STEEVENS. As gentle and as jocund, as to jeft,] Not fo neither. We fhould read to just; i. e. to tilt or tourney, which was a kind of fport too. WARBURTON. The sense would perhaps have been better if the author had written what his commentator fubftitutes; but the rhyme, to which fenfe is too often enslaved, obliged Shakspeare to write jest, and obliges us to read it. JOHNSON. The commentators forget that to jeft sometimes fignifies in old language to play a part in a mask. Thus, in Hieronymo : K. RICH. Farewell, my lord: fecurely I efpy [The King and the Lords return to their feats. MAR. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Derby, Receive thy lance; and God defend the right! BOLING. [Rifing.] Strong as a tower in hope, I cry-amen. MAR. Go bear this lance [To an Officer.] to Thomas duke of Norfolk. 1 HER. Harry of Hereford, Lancaster, and Derby, Stands here for God, his fovereign, and himfelf, On pain to be found falfe and recreant, To prove the duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray, 2 HER. Here ftandeth Thomas Mowbray, duke of Norfolk, On pain to be found false and recreant, MAR. Sound, trumpets; and fet forward, com batants. [A Charge founded. Stay, the king hath thrown his warder down." "He promised us in honour of our guest, "To grace our banquet with some pompous jest." and accordingly a mask is performed. FARMER. Dr. Farmer has well explained the force of this word. So, in The Third Part of King Henry VI: as if the tragedy "Were play'd in jeft by counterfeited actors." ToLLET. hath thrown his warder down.] A warder appears to |