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PERCY.

There stands the castle, by yon tuft of trees,

Mann'd with three hundred men, as I have heard;

And in it are the Lords of York, Berkeley, and Seymour-

None else of name and noble estimate.

Enter Ross and WILLOUGHBY

NORTHUMBERLAND.

Here come the Lords of Ross and Willoughby,

Bloody with spurring, fiery-red with haste.

BOLINGBROKE.

Welcome, my lords. I wot your love pursues

A banish'd traitor. All my treasury

Is yet but unfelt thanks, which, more enrich'd,

Shall be your love and labour's recompense.

ROSS.

Your presence makes us rich, most noble lord.

WILLOUGHBY.

And far surmounts our labour to attain it.

BOLINGBROKE.

Evermore thanks, the exchequer of the poor;

Which, till my infant fortune comes to years,

Stands for my bounty. But who comes here?

Enter BERKELEY

NORTHUMBERLAND.

It is my Lord of Berkeley, as I guess.

BERKELEY.

My Lord of Hereford, my message is to you.

BOLINGBROKE.

My lord, my answer is-'to Lancaster';

And I am come to seek that name in England;

And I must find that title in your tongue

Before I make reply to aught you say.

BERKELEY.

Mistake me not, my lord; 'tis not my meaning

To raze one title of your honour out.

To you, my lord, I come-what lord you will-

From the most gracious regent of this land,

The Duke of York, to know what pricks you on

To take advantage of the absent time,

And fright our native peace with self-borne arms.

Enter YORK, attended

BOLINGBROKE.

I shall not need transport my words by you;

Here comes his Grace in person. My noble uncle!

[Kneels]

YORK.

Show me thy humble heart, and not thy knee,

Whose duty is deceivable and false.

BOLINGBROKE.

My gracious uncle!-

YORK.

Tut, tut!

Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle.

I am no traitor's uncle; and that word 'grace'

In an ungracious mouth is but profane.

Why have those banish'd and forbidden legs

Dar'd once to touch a dust of England's ground?

But then more 'why?'-why have they dar'd to march

So many miles upon her peaceful bosom,

Frighting her pale-fac'd villages with war

And ostentation of despised arms?

Com'st thou because the anointed King is hence?

Why, foolish boy, the King is left behind,

And in my loyal bosom lies his power.

Were I but now lord of such hot youth

As when brave Gaunt, thy father, and myself

Rescued the Black Prince, that young Mars of men,

From forth the ranks of many thousand French,

O, then how quickly should this arm of mine,

Now prisoner to the palsy, chastise the

And minister correction to thy fault!

BOLINGBROKE My gracious uncle, let me know my fault;

On what condition stands it and wherein?

YORK.

Even in condition of the worst degree-

In gross rebellion and detested treason.

Thou art a banish'd man, and here art come

Before the expiration of thy time,

In braving arms against thy sovereign.

BOLINGBROKE.

As I was banish'd, I was banish'd Hereford;

But as I come, I come for Lancaster.

And, noble uncle, I beseech your Grace

Look on my wrongs with an indifferent eye.

You are my father, for methinks in you

I see old Gaunt alive. O, then, my father,

Will you permit that I shall stand condemn'd

A wandering vagabond; my rights and royalties

Pluck'd from my arms perforce, and given away

To upstart unthrifts? Wherefore was I born?

If that my cousin king be King in England,

It must be granted I am Duke of Lancaster.

You have a son, Aumerle, my noble cousin;

Had you first died, and he been thus trod down,

He should have found his uncle Gaunt a father

To rouse his wrongs and chase them to the bay.

I am denied to sue my livery here,

And yet my letters patents give me leave.

My father's goods are all distrain'd and sold;

And these and all are all amiss employ'd.

What would you have me do? I am a subject,

And I challenge law-attorneys are denied me;

And therefore personally I lay my claim

To my inheritance of free descent.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

The noble Duke hath been too much abused.

ROSS.

It stands your Grace upon to do him right.

WILLOUGHBY.

Base men