If

Y. Mor. Wigmore shall fly,' to set my uncle free.
Lan. And when 'tis gone, our swords shall purchase more.
ye be moved, revenge it as you can;

Look next to see us with our ensigns spread.

[Exit with Young MORTIMER.
K. Edw. My swelling heart for very anger breaks !
How oft have I been baited by these peers,
And dare not be revenged, for their power is great!
Yet, shall the crowing of these cockerels
Affright a lion? Edward, unfold thy paws,
And let their lives' blood slake thy fury's hunger.
If I be cruel and grow tyrannous,

Now let them thank themselves, and rue too late.
Kent. My lord, I see your love to Gaveston
Will be the ruin of the realm and you,
For now the wrathful nobles threaten wars,
And therefore, brother, banish him for ever.

K. Edw. Art thou an enemy to my Gaveston?
Kent. Ay, and it grieves me that I favoured him.
K. Edw. Traitor, begone! whine thou with Mortimer.
Kent. So will I, rather than with Gaveston.

K. Edw. Out of my sight, and trouble me no more!
Kent. No marvel though thou scorn thy noble peers,
When I thy brother am rejected thus.

K. Edw. Away!

Poor Gaveston, that has no friend but me,

Do what they can, we'll live in Tynemouth here,

And, so I walk with him about the walls,

What care I though the earls begirt us round?
Here cometh she that's cause of all these jars.

[Exit KENT.

Enter QUEEN ISABELLA with KING EDWARD's Niece, two Ladies,
GAVESTON, BALDOCK and Young SPENCER.

Q. Isab. My lord, 'tis thought the earls are up in arms.
K. Edw. Ay, and 'tis likewise thought you favour 'em.
Q. Isab. Thus do you still suspect me without cause?
Niece. Sweet uncle! speak more kindly to the queen.
Gav. My lord, dissemble with her, speak her fair.
K. Edw. Pardon me, sweet, I had forgot myself.
Q. Isab. Your pardon is quickly got of Isabel.
K. Edw. The younger Mortimer is grown so brave,
That to my face he threatens civil wars.

Gav. Why do you not commit him to the Tower?

I Wigmore was the name of young Mortimer's estate.

K. Edw. I dare not, for the people love him well.
Gav. Why, then we'll have him privily made away.
K. Edw. Would Lancaster and he had both caroused
A bowl of poison to each other's health!

But let them go, and tell me what are these.

Niece. Two of my father's servants whilst he liv'd,—

May't please your grace to entertain them now.

K. Edw. Tell me, where wast thou born? what is thine arms?

Bald. My name is Baldock, and my gentry

I fetch from Oxford, not from heraldry.

K. Edw. The fitter art thou, Baldock, for my turn.
Wait on me, and I'll see thou shall not want.
Bald. I humbly thank your majesty.

K. Edw. Knowest thou him, Gaveston?
Gav. Ay, my lord;

His name is Spencer, he is well allied;

For my sake, let him wait upon your grace;

Scarce shall you find a man of more desert.

K. Edw. Then, Spencer, wait upon me; for his sake
I'll grace thee with a higher style ere long.

Y. Spen. No greater titles happen unto me,

Than to be favoured of your majesty !

K. Edw. Cousin, this day shall be your marriage feast.
And, Gaveston, think that I love thee well,

To wed thee to our niece, the only heir

Unto the Earl of Gloucester late deceased.

Gav. I know, my lord, many will stomach me,

But I respect neither their love nor hate.

K. Edw. The headstrong barons shall not limit me ;

He that I list to favour shall be great.

Come, let's away; and when the marriage ends,
Have at the rebels, and their 'complices!

SCENE III.- NEAR TYNEMOUTH CASTLE

[Exeunt.

Enter KENT, LANCASTER, Young MORTIMER, WARWICK, PEMBROKE, and others.

Kent. My lords, of love to this our native land

I come to join with you and leave the king;
And in your quarrel and the realm's behoof
Will be the first that shall adventure life.
Lan. I fear me, you are sent of policy,

To undermine us with a show of love.

War. He is your brother, therefore have we cause

To cast the worst, and doubt of your revolt.

Kent. Mine honour shall be hostage of my truth:
If that will not suffice, farewell, my lords.

Y. Mor. Stay, Edmund; never was Plantagenet
False of his word, and therefore trust we thee.

Pem. But what's the reason you should leave him now?
Kent. I have informed the Earl of Lancaster.

Lan. And it sufficeth.

Now, my lords, know this,

That Gaveston is secretly arrived,

And here in Tynemouth frolics with the king.
Let us with these our followers scale the walls,
And suddenly surprise them unawares,

Y. Mor. I'll give the onset.

War. And I'll follow thee.

Y. Mor. This tottered 2 ensign of my ancestors,
Which swept the desert shore of that dead 3 sea
Whereof we got the name of Mortimer,
Will I advance upon this castle's walls.
Drums, strike alarum, raise them from their sport,
And ring aloud the knell of Gaveston!

Lan. None be so hardy as to touch the king;
But neither spare you Gaveston nor his friends.

SCENE IV.-IN TYNEMOUTH CASTLE

Enter severally KING EDWARD and Young SPENCER.

K. Edw. O tell me, Spencer, where is Gaveston?
Spen. I fear me he is slain, my gracious lord.

[Exeunt.

K. Edw. No, here he comes; now let them spoil and kill. Enter QUEEN ISABELLA, KING EDWARD'S Niece, GAVESTON, and Nobles.

Fly, fly, my lords, the earls have got the hold;
Take shipping and away to Scarborough ;

Spencer and I will post away by land.

Gav. O stay, my lord, they will not injure you.
K. Edw. I will not trust them; Gaveston, away
Gav. Farewell, my lord,

K. Edw. Lady, farewell.

Niece. Farewell, sweet uncle, till we meet again.

!

K. Edw. Farewell, sweet Gaveston; and farewell, niece.
Q. Isab. No farewell to poor Isabel thy queen?

1 Conjecture.

2 Tattered.

* In all Latin deeds the Mortimers are called “de Mortuo mari.”—Cunningham.

K. Edw. Yes, yes, for Mortimer, your lover's sake. Q. Isab. Heaven can witness I love none but you: [Exeunt all but QUEEN ISABELLA. From my embracements thus he breaks away. O that mine arms could close this isle about, That I might pull him to me where I would! Or that these tears, that drizzle from mine eyes,

Had power to mollify his stony heart,

That when I had him we might never part.

Enter LANCASTER, WARWICK, Young MORTIMER, and others.
Alarums within.

Lan. I wonder how he 'scaped!

Y. Mor. Who's this? the queen!

Q. Isab. Ay, Mortimer, the miserable queen,
Whose pining heart her inward sighs have blasted,
And body with continual mourning wasted:
These hands are tired with haling of my lord
From Gaveston, from wicked Gaveston,

And all in vain; for, when I speak him fair,

He turns away, and smiles upon his minion.

Y. Mor. Cease to lament, and tell us where's the king?
Q. Isab. What would you with the king? is't him you seek?
Lan. No, madam, but that cursed Gaveston.

Far be it from the thought of Lancaster

To offer violence to his sovereign.

We would but rid the realm of Gaveston :

Tell us where he remains, and he shall die.

Q. Isab. He's gone by water unto Scarborough ; Pursue him quickly, and he can not 'scape;

The king hath left him, and his train is small.

I

War. Foreslow no time, sweet Lancaster; let's march.
Y. Mor. How comes it that the king and he is parted?
Q. Isab. That thus your army, going several ways,
Might be of lesser force: and with the power
That he intendeth presently to raise,

Be easily suppressed; therefore be gone.

Y. Mor. Here in the river rides a Flemish hoy;

Let's all aboard, and follow him amain.

Lan. The wind that bears him hence will fill our sails :
Come, come aboard, 'tis but an hour's sailing.

Y. Mor. Madam, stay you within this castle here.
Q. Isab. No, Mortimer, I'll to my lord the king.
Y. Mor. Nay, rather sail with us to Scarborough.

I Delay.

Q. Isab. You know the king is so suspicious,
As if he hear I have but talked with you,
Mine honour will be called in question;
And therefore, gentle Mortimer, be gone.

Y. Mor. Madam, I can not stay to answer you,
But think of Mortimer as he deserves.

[Exeunt all except QUEEN ISABELLA

Q. Isab. So well hast thou deserved, sweet Mortimer

As Isabel could live with thee for ever.

In vain I look for love at Edward's hand,
Whose eyes are fixed on none but Gaveston.
Yet once more I'll importune him with prayer:
If he be strange and not regard my words,
My son and I will over into France,
And to the king my brother there complain,
How Gaveston hath robbed me of his love:
But yet I hope my sorrows will have end,
And Gaveston this blessed day be slain.

SCENE V.-THE OPEN COUNTRY

Enter GAVESTON, pursued.

Gav. Yet, lusty lords, I have escaped your hands,
Your threats, your larums, and your hot pursuits;
And though divorced from King Edward's eyes,
Yet liveth Pierce of Gaveston unsurprised,
Breathing, in hope (malgrado all your beards,
That muster rebels thus against your king),
To see his royal sovereign once again.

[Exit.

Enter WARWICK, LANCASTER, PEMBROKE, Young MORTIMER, Soldiers, JAMES, and other Attendants of PEMBROKE.

War. Upon him, soldiers, take away his weapons.

Y. Mor. Thou proud disturber of thy country's peace,
Corrupter of thy king; cause of these broils,

Base flatterer, yield! and were it not for shame,
Shame and dishonour to a soldier's name,

Upon my weapon's point here should'st thou fall,
And welter in thy gore.

Lan. Monster of men!

That, like the Greekish strumpet, 2 trained to arms
And bloody wars so many valiant knights;

Look for no other fortune, wretch, than death!

King Edward is not here to buckler thee.

1 Ital., meaning "in spite of."

2 Helen of Troy.