Gav. No, threaten not, my lord, but pay them home. Were I a king Y. Mor. Thou, villain! wherefore talk'st thou of a king, That hardly art a gentleman by birth? K. Edw. Were he a peasant, being my minion, I'll make the proudest of you stoop to him. Lan. My lord, you may not thus disparage us. Away, I say, with hateful Gaveston ! E. Mor. And with the Earl of Kent that favours him. [Attendants remove GAVESTON and KENT. K. Edw. Nay, then, lay violent hands upon your king: Here, Mortimer, sit thou in Edward's throne; Lan. Learn, then, to rule us better, and the Y. Mor. What we have done, our heart-blood shall maintain. War. Think you that we can brook this upstart['s] pride? K. Edw. Anger and wrathful fury stops my speech. Archb. of Cant. Why are you mov'd? be pa- And see what we your counsellors have done. Or I will presently discharge these lords* K. Edw. It boots me not to threat; I must speak fair: The legate of the Pope will be obey'd.- [Aside. Lan. Come, come, subscribe. Y. Mor. Why should you love him whom the world hates so? K. Edw. Because he loves me more than all Ah, none but rude and savage-minded men For shame, subscribe, and let the lown depart. Archb. of Cant. Are you content to banish K. Edw. I see I must, and therefore am content: K. Edw. Meet you for this, proud over-daring Instead of ink, I'll write it with my tears. peers? Ere my sweet Gaveston shall part from me, Archb. of Cant. You know that I am legate to the Pope: On your allegiance to the see of Rome, Y. Mor. Curse him, if he refuse; and then Depose him, and elect another king. K. Edw. Ay, there it goes! but yet I will not yield: Curse me, depose me, do the worst you can. Lan. Then linger not, my lord, but do it straight. Archb. of Cant. Remember how the bishop was abus'd: Either banish him that was the cause thereof, * fleet] i. e. float. [Subscribes. Y. Mor. The king is love-sick for his minion. K. Edw. "Tis done: and now, accursèd hand, fall off! Lan. Give it me: I'll have it publish'd in the streets. Y. Mor. I'll see him presently despatch'd away. Pem. This will be good news to the common sort. E. Mor. Be it or no, he shall not linger here. They would not stir, were it to do me good. lords] So 4tos 1612, 1622.-2to 1598 "Lord." tbe] So 4to 1598.-2tos 1612, 1622, are." lown] Or loon,-i. e. base low fellow. Proud Rome, that hatchest such imperial grooms, And banks rais'd higher with their sepulchres ! Re-enter GAVESTON. Gav. My lord, I hear it whisper'd every where, That I am banish'd and must fly the land. K. Edw. 'Tis true, sweet Gaveston: O, were it§ false ! The legate of the Pope will have it so, And thou must hence, or I shall be depos'd. But I will reign to be reveng'd of them; And therefore, sweet friend, take it patiently. Live where thou wilt, I'll send thee gold enough; And long thou shalt not stay; or, if thou dost, I'll come to thee: my love shall ne'er decline. Gav. Is all my hope turn'd to this hell of grief? K. Edw. Rend not my heart with thy toopiercing words: Thou from this land, I from myself am banish'd. But to forsake you, in whose gracious looks K. Edw. And only this torments my wretched soul, That, whether I will or no, thou must depart. Gav. 'Tis something to be pitied of a king. *The papal towers, &c.] The modern editors print "Thy papal towers," &c: but, towards the end of The Massacre at Paris, Marlowe has, "I'll fire his crazed buildings, and incense The papal towers to kiss the holy [read "lowly "] earth.” + make] Old eds. "may." Re-enter Gaveston] Qy. "Enter Gaveston,"-a change of place being supposed here? § were it] So 4to 1598.-2tos 1612, 1622, were it were it." Gav. I shall be found, and then 'twill grieve me more. K. Edw. Kind words and mutual talk makes our grief greater: Therefore, with dumb embracement, let us part. Stay, Gaveston; I cannot leave thee thus. Gav. For every look, my love drops* down a tear: Seeing I must go, do not renew my sorrow. K. Edw. The time is little that thou hast to stay, And, therefore, give me leave to look my fill. way. Gav. The peers will frown. K. Edw. I passt not for their anger. Come, let's go : O, that we might as well return as go! Enter QUEEN ISABELLA. Q. Isab. Whither goes my lord? K. Edw. Fawn not on me, French strumpet; get thee gone! Q. Isab. On whom but on my husband should I fawn? Gav. On Mortimer; with whom, ungentle queen, say no more-judge you the rest, my lord. Is't not enough that thou corrupt'st my lord, But thou must call mine honour thus in question? Gav. I mean not so; your grace must pardon me. K. Edw. Thou art too familiar with that Mortimer, And by thy means is Gaveston exil'd: Q. Isab. Your highness knows, it lies not in my power. K. Edw. Away, then! touch me not.-Come, Gaveston. Q. Isab. Villain, 'tis thou that robb'st me of my lord. Gav. Madam, 'tis you that rob me of my lord. * my love drops] Old eds. "my lord drops." t pass] i. e. care. Enter Queen Isabella] Old eds. "Enter Edmund [i. e. Kent) and Queene Isabell"; but the entrance of Kent seems to have been marked here by mistake. K. Edw. Speak not unto her: let her droop and pine. Q. Isab. Wherein, my lord, have I deserv'd these words? Witness the tears that Isabella sheds, K. Edw. And witness heaven how dear thou art to me! There weep; for, till my Gaveston be repeal'd, Assure thyself thou com'st not in my sight. [Exeunt KING EDWARD and GAVESTON. Q. Isab. O miserable and distressèd queen! Would, when I left sweet France, and was embark'd, That charming Circe,* walking on the waves, I had been stifled, and not liv'd to see So much as he on cursèd Gaveston : Re-enter LANCASTER, WARWICK, PEMBROKE, the elder MORTIMER, and the younger MORTIMER. Lan. Look, where the sister of the king of France § Sits wringing of her hands, and beats her breast! War. The king, I fear, hath ill-entreated her. Pem. Hard is the heart that injures such a saint. Y. Mor. I know 'tis 'long of Gaveston she weeps. E. Mor. Why, he is gone. Circe] Old eds. "Circes " (the genitive of proper names being formerly often put for the nominative). + at] So 4to 1598.-2tos 1612, 1622, "that." Re-enter Lancaster, &c.] Perhaps it should be merely "Enter Lancaster," &c: see note, p. 189. $ the sister of the king of France] Gilchrist (apud Dodsley's 0. P.) queries "the daughter of the king of France"? but we find afterwards in this play,"The gentle queen, sole sister to Valois," &c. and, "sith th' ungentle king Of France refuseth to give aid of arms To this distressèd queen, his sister, here," &c. Y. Mor. Madam, how fares your grace? Q. Isab. Ah, Mortimer, now breaks the king's hate forth, And he confesseth that he loves me not! Y. Mor. Cry quittance, madam, then, and love not him. Q. Isab. No, rather will I die a thousand deaths: And yet I love in vain; he'll ne'er love me. Lan. Fear ye not, madam; now his minion's gone, His wanton humour will be quickly left. Q. Isab. O, never, Lancaster! I am enjoin'd To sue unto you all for his repeal : This wills my lord, and this must I perform, Or else be banish'd from his highness' presence. Lan. For his repeal, madam! he comes not back, Unless the sea cast up his shipwreck'd body. War. And to behold so sweet a sight as that, There's none here but would run his horse to death. Y. Mor. But, madam, would you have us call him home? Q. Isab. Ay, Mortimer; for, till he be restor❜d, The angry king hath banish'd me the court; And, therefore, as thou lov'st and tender'st me, Be thou my advocate unto these peers. Y. Mor. What, would you have me plead for Gaveston? E Mor. Plead for him that will, I am resolv'd. Lan. And so am I, my lord: dissuade the queen. Q Isab O, Lancaster, let him dissuade the king! For 'tis against my will he should return. War. Then speak not for him; let the peasant go. Q. Isab. 'Tis for myself I speak, and not for him. Pem. No speaking will prevail; and therefore cease. Y. Mor. Fair queen, forbear to angle for the fish Which, being caught, strikes him that takes it dead; I mean that vile torpedo, Gaveston, hope, floats on the Irish seas. Q. Isab. Sweet Mortimer, sit down by me a while, And I will tell thee reasons of such weight Y. Mor. It is impossible: but speak your mind. Q. Isab. Then thus;-but none shall hear it but ourselves. [Talks to Y. MOR. apart. * prevail] i. e. avail Lan. My lords, albeit the queen win Mortimer, Will you be resolute, and hold with me? E. Mor. Not I, against my nephew. Pem. Fear not; the queen's words cannot alter him. Pem. He saith true. Lan. Ay, but how chance this was not done before? Y. Mor. Because, my lords, it was not thought upon. War. No do but mark how earnestly she Nay, more, when he shall know it lies in us pleads! To banish him, and then to call him home, "Twill make him vail the top-flag of his pride, And fear to offend the meanest nobleman. E. Mor. But how if he do not, nephew? Lan. And see how coldly his looks make denial! War. She smiles: now, for my life, his mind is chang'd! Lan. I'll rather lose his friendship, I, than grant. Y. Mor. Well, of necessity it must be so.My lords, that I abhor base Gaveston I hope your honours make no question, And therefore, though I plead for his repeal, 'Tis not for his sake, but for our avail; Nay, for the realm's behoof, and for the king's. Lan. Fie, Mortimer, dishonour not thyself! Can this be true, 'twas good to banish him? And is this true, to call him home again? Such reasons make white black, and dark night day. Y. Mor. My Lord of Lancaster, mark the respect. Lan. In no respect can contraries be true. Q. Isab. Yet, good my lord, hear what he can allege. War. All that he speaks is nothing; we are resolv'd. Y. Mor. Do you not wish that Gaveston were dead? Pem. I would he were ! Y. Mor. Why, then, my lord, give me but leave to speak. E. Mor. But, nephew, do not play the sophister. Y. Mor. This which I urge is of a burning zeal To mend the king and do our country good. Know you not Gaveston hath store of gold, Which may in Ireland purchase him such friends As he will front the mightiest of us all? And whereas † he shall live and be belov'd, 'Tis hard for us to work his overthrow. War. Mark you but that, my Lord of Lancaster. Y. Mor. But, were he here, detested as he is, How easily might some base slave be suborn'd To greet his lordship with a poniard, And none so much as blame the murderer,‡ But rather praise him for that brave attempt, And in the chronicle enrol his name For purging of the realm of such a plague! * respect] i. e. consideration. whereas] i. e. where. 1 murderer] So 4to 1598.-2tos 1612, 1622, "murther. " Y. Mor. Then may we with some colour rise in arms; For, howsoever we have borne it out, Y. Mor. In this I count me highly gratified, And Mortimer will rest at your command. Q. Isab. And when this favour Isabel forgets, Yet not so much as me; I love him more Q. Isab. Hark, how he harps upon his minion! Lan. Diablo, what passions call you these? news. K. Edw. That you have parled with your Mortimer? Q. Isab. That Gaveston, my lord, shall be repeal'd. K. Edw. Repeal'd! the news is too sweet to be Whose great achievements in our foreign war true. Q. Isab. But will you love me, if you find it so? K. Edw. If it be so, what will not Edward do? Q. Isab. For Gaveston, but not for Isabel. K. Edw. For thee, fair queen, if thou lov'st Gaveston; I'll hang a golden tongue about thy + neck, Seeing thou hast pleaded with so good success. Q. Isab. No other jewels hang about my neck Than these, my lord; nor let me have more wealth Than I may fetch from this rich treasury. K. Edw. Once more receive my hand; and let this be A second marriage 'twixt thyself and me. Q. Isab. And may it prove more happy than the first! My gentle lord, bespeak these nobles fair, K. Edw. Courageous Lancaster, embrace thy king; And, as gross vapours perish by the sun, Lan. This salutation overjoys my heart. These silver hairs will more adorn my court |