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Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror,

But when it first did help to wound itself.

Now these her princes are come home again,
Come the three corners of the world in arms,

And we shall shock them: Nought shall make us rue, If England to itself do rest but true.

[Exeunt.

KING RICHARD II.

OBSERVATIONS.

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF KING RICHARD II.-But this history comprises little more than the two last years of this prince. The action of the drama begins with Bolingbroke's appealing the duke of Norfolk, on an accusation of high treason, which fell out in the year 1398; and it closes with the murder of king Richard at Pomfret-castle towards the end of the year 1400, or the beginning of the ensuing year. THEOBALD.

This play is extracted from the Chronicle of Holinshed, in which many passages may be found which Shakspeare has, with very little alteration, transplanted into his scenes; particularly a speech of the bishop of Carlisle in defence of king Richard's unalienable right, and immunity from human jurisdiction.

Jonson who, in his Cataline and Sejanus, has inserted many speeches from the Roman historians, was perhaps induced to that practice by the example of Shakspeare, who had condescended sometimes to copy more ignoble writers. But Shakspeare had more of his own than Jonson, and, if he sometimes was willing to spare his labour, showed by what he performed at other times, that his extracts were made by choice or idleness rather than necessity.

This play is one of those which Shakspeare has apparently revised; but as success in works of invention is not always proportionate to labour, it is not finished at last with the happy force of some other of his tragedies, nor can be said much to affect the passions, or enlarge the understanding.

JOHNSON.

9

VOL. IV.

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PERSONS REPRESENTED.

King RICHARD the second.

EDMUND OF LANGLEY, duke of York, uncles to the JOHN OF GAUNT, duke of Lancaster, S king. HENRY, surnamed BOLINGBROKE, duke of Hereford, son to John of Gaunt, afterwards king Henry IV. Duke of AUMERLE, son to the duke of York. MOWBRAY, duke of Norfolk.

Duke of SURREY.

Earl of SALISBURY.

Earl BERKLEY.

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Lords, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, two Gardeners, Keeper, Messenger, Groom, and other Attendants.

SCENE-dispersedly in England and Wales.

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