KING RICHARD. How now? what means death in this rude assault? Villain, thine own hand yields thy death's instrument. (Snatching a weapon and killing one.) Go thou, and fill another room in hell. (He kills another, then Exton strikes him down.) That hand shall burn in never-quenching fire That staggers thus my person. Exton, thy fierce hand Hath with the king's blood stain'd the king's own land. Mount, mount, my soul! thy seat is up on high; Whilst my gross flesh sinks downward, here to die, [Dies. EXTON. As full of valour as of royal blood: Both have I spilt: oh, would the deed were good! This dead king to the living king I'll bear ;- [Exeunt. Windsor. A room in the castle. Flourish. Enter Bolingbroke and York, with Lords and Attendants. BOLINGBROKE. Kind uncle York, the latest news we hear Welcome, my lord; what is the news? NORTHUMBERLAND. First, to thy sacred state wish I all happiness, (Presenting a paper.) BOLINGBROKE. We thank thee, gentle Percy, for thy pains; Enter FITZWATER. My lord, I have from Oxford sent to London Cirencester. BOLINGBROKE. Thy pains, Fitzwater, shall not be forgot; Enter Percy with the Bishop of Carlisle. PERCY. The grand conspirator, Abbot of Westminster, Thy kingly doom, and sentence of his pride. BOLINGBROKE. Carlisle, this is your doom : Choose out some secret place, some reverend room, Exton enters with Attendants bearing a coffin. EXTON. Great king, within this coffin I present Thy buried fear: herein all breathless lies Richard of Bordeaux, by me hither brought. BOLINGBROKE. Exton, I thank thee not: for thou has wrought EXTON. From your own mouth, my lord, did I this deed. BOLINGBROKE. They love not poison that do poison need, That blood should sprinkle me, to make me grow. I'll make a voyage to the Holy Land, To wash this blood off from my guilty hand;- SHAKESPEARE, "King Richard II" THE CHARGE AT HOMILDON HILL. 1402. The battle of Homildon Hill was fought between the Scots under Murdoch, Duke of Albany, and Regent of Scotland, during the captivity of James I, and the Earl of Douglas, and the English under Sir Harry Percy, called Hotspur. The Scots were drawn up on the hill, and the Regent chose to forget the counsel left by Bruce, that a body of horsemen should always be ready to pour down on the English archers. An old knight, Sir Alan Swinton, reminded him, but in vain. Feuds with the Gordon family had reduced Swinton's following to a very small number, and no one attended to him, except the young head of the Gordon family, whose father Swinton had slain; but who was so struck by his bravery and wisdom that, forgetting all ancient enmity, he fell on his knees before the old man, declaring that he would receive knighthood from no other hand. There was no real discipline among the Scots in those days, and these two brave and forgiving men gathering their own followers, rushed down the hill on the archers. The charge dispersed them at first, but the rest of the army were slow to support them, and they were both slain, with all their men, before the Regent and Douglas charged, when the English had had time to rally. The Scots were routed, and Murdoch and Douglas both made prisoners. We shall hear of Douglas again from Shakespeare. The noble scene between Swinton and Gordon is here given. The Regent, Murdoch, has just come out of his tent, where he has found that not one of the Scottish nobles will agree to give up the foremost place. REGENT. Thus shall it be then, since we may no better, |