For wot you not that I have made him sure + Unto our cousin, the Earl of Glocester's heir? Lan. Such news we hear, my lord.

K. Edw. That day, if not for him, yet for my sake,

Who in the § triumph will be challenger,
Spare for no cost; we will requite your love.
War. In this or aught your highness shall
command us.

K. Edw. Thanks, gentle Warwick. Come, let's in and revel.

[Exeunt all except the elder MORTIMER and the younger MORTIMER.

E. Mor. Nephew, I must to Scotland; thou stay'st here.

Leave now to oppose thyself against the king:
Thou seest by nature he is mild and calm;
And, seeing his mind so dotes on Gaveston,
Let him without controlment have his will.
The mightiest kings have had their minions;
Great Alexander lov'd Hephæstion,

The conquering Hercules for Hylas wept,||
And for Patroclus stern Achilles droop'd:
And not kings only, but the wisest men;
The Roman Tully lov'd Octavius,
Grave Socrates wild Alcibiades.

Then let his grace, whose youth is flexible,
And promiseth as much as we can wish,
Freely enjoy that vain light-headed earl;
For riper years will wean him from such toys.
Y. Mor. Uncle, his wanton humour grieves

not me;

But this I scorn, that one so basely-born
Should by his sovereign's favour grow so pert,
And riot it with the treasure of the realm,
While soldiers mutiny for want of pay.
He wears a lord's revenue on his back,¶
And, Midas-like, he jets** it in the court,
With base outlandish cullions ++ at his heels,
Whose proud fantastic liveries make such show
As if that Proteus, god of shapes, appear'd.

wot] So 4tos 1598, 1612.-2to 1622 "wrote." † made him sure] i. e. affianced him.

cousin] Equivalent here to niece. (So in Shakespeare's Hamlet, the King calls his nephew Hamlet "cousin").

the] So 4to 1598.-Not in 4tos 1612, 1622.

The conquering Hercules for Hylas wept] 2tos 1598, 1612, "The conquering Hector, for Hilas wept."-2to 1622, "The conquering Hector did for Hilas weepe."

He wears a lord's revenue on his back] So in Shakespeare's Sec. Part of King Henry VI, act 1. sc. 3,"She bears a duke's revenues on her back,"

"

a line, be it observed, which Shakespeare did not find in the original, The First Part of the Contention, &c.

** jets] i. e. struts.

tt cullions] i. e. abject fellows,-scoundrels.

193

Seeing that our lord the Earl of Glocester's dead, Which of the nobles dost thou mean to serve?

Y. Spen. Not Mortimer, nor any of his side, Because the king and he are enemies. Baldock, learn this of me: a factious lord Shall hardly do himself good, much less us; But he that hath the favour of a king May with one word advance us while we live. The liberal Earl of Cornwall is the man On whose good fortune Spenser's hope depends. Bald. What, mean you, then, to be his follower?

Y. Spen. No, his companion; for he loves me

well,

And would have once preferr'd me to the king. Bald. But he is banish'd; there's small hope

of him.

Y. Spen. Ay, for a while; but, Baldock, mark the end.

A friend of mine told me in secrecy
That he's repeal'd and sent for back again;
And even now a post came from the court
With letters to our lady from the king;
And, as she read, she smil'd; which makes me
think

It is about her lover Gaveston.

Bald. 'Tis like enough; for, since he was exll'd, She neither walks abroad nor comes in sight. But I had thought the match had been broke off, And that his banishment had chang'd her mind. Y. Spen. Our lady's first love is not wavering; My life for thine, she will have Gaveston.

*others] So 4tos 1612, 1622.-2to 1598 "other." Enter the younger Spenser, &c.] Scene, a hall in the mansion of the Duke of Glocester.

Bald. Then hope I by her means to be preferr'd,

Having read unto her since she was a child.

Y. Spen. Then, Baldock, you must cast the scholar off,

And learn to court it like a gentleman.
'Tis not a black coat and a little band,

A velvet-cap'd cloak, fac'd before with serge,
And smelling to a nosegay all the day,
Or holding of a napkin in your hand,
Or saying a long grace at a table's end,
Or making low legs to a nobleman,

Or looking downward, with your eye-lids close, And saying, "Truly, an't may please your honour,"

Can get you any favour with great men :
You must be proud, bold, pleasant, resolute,
And now and then stab, as occasion serves.
Bald. Spenser, thou know'st I hate such

formal + toys,

And use them but of mere hypocrisy.
Mine old lord, whiles he liv'd, was so precise,
That he would take exceptions at my buttons,
And, being like pins' heads, blame me for the
bigness;

Which made me curate-like in mine attire,
Though inwardly licentious enough,
And apt for any kind of villany.

I am none of these common pedants, I,
That cannot speak without propterea quod.

Y. Spen. But one of those that saith quandoquidem,

And hath a special gift to form a verb.

Bald. Leave off this jesting; here my lady

He wills me to repair unto the court,
And meet my Gaveston: why do I stay,
Seeing that he talks thus of my marriage-day?—
Who's there? Baldock!

See that my coach* be ready; I must hence.
Bald. It shall be done, madam.

Niece. And meet me at the park-pale presently. [Brit BALDOCK.

Spenser, stay you, and bear me company,
For I have joyful news to tell thee of;
My Lord of Cornwall is a-coming over,
And will be at the court as soon as we.

Y. Spen. I knew the king would have him home again.

Niece. If all things sort out, as I hope they will,

Thy service, Spenser, shall be thought upon. Y. Spen. I humbly thank your ladyship. Niece. Come, lead the way: I long till I am there. [Exeunt.

Enter KING EDWARD, QUEEN Isabella, KENT, LANCAS TER, the younger MORTIMER, WARWICK, PEMBROKE, and Attendants.

K. Edw. The wind is good; I wonder why he stays:

I fear me he is wreck'd upon the sea.

Q. Isab. Look, Lancaster, how passionate § he is,

And still his mind runs on his minion!

Lan. My lord,—

K. Edw. How now! what news? is Gaveston arriv'd?

Y. Mor. Nothing but Gaveston! what means your grace?

You have matters of more weight to think upon: The king of France sets foot in Normandy.

K. Edw. A trifle! we'll expel him when we please.

But tell me, Mortimer, what's thy device
Against the stately triumph we decreed?
Y. Mor. A homely one, my lord, not worth
the telling.

* coach] "The reign of Elizabeth is generally cited as the period when coaches were introduced into England, and under that term carriages of every kind have been considered as included; but long anterior to that reign vehicles with wheels under the denomination of chairs, cars, chariots, caroches, and whirlicotes were used in England. Mr. Markland on Carriages in England. See Archæologia, vol. xx." COLLIER (apud Dodsley's 0. P.). t sort out] "i. e. succeed, or take effect. Sortir effect. Cotgrave." REED (apud Dodsley's 0. P.).

Enter King Edward, &c.] Scene, before Tynmouth Castle.

§ passionate] i. e. sorrowful

K. Edw. Pray thee, let me know it.

Y. Mor. But, seeing you are so desirous, thus it is;

A lofty cedar-tree, fair flourishing,

On whose top-branches kingly eagles perch,
And by the bark a canker creeps me up,
And gets unto the highest bough of all;
The motto, que tandem.

Enter GAVESTON.

K. Edw. My Gaveston!

Welcome to Tynmouth! welcome to thy friend !
Thy absence made me droop and pine away;
For, as the lovers of fair Danaë,

When she was lock'd up in a brazen tower,
Desir'd her more, and wax'd outrageous,
So did it fare* with me: and now thy sight

Mortimer's.

Pliny reports, there is a flying-fish+
Which all the other fishes deadly hate,

And therefore, being pursu'd, it takes the air:
No sooner is it up, but there's a fowl
That seizeth it: this fish, my lord, I bear;
The motto this, Undique mors est.

Kent. Proud Mortimer! ungentle Lancaster!
Is this the love you bear your sovereign?
Is this the fruit your reconcilement bears?
Can you in words make show of amity,

And in your shields display your rancorous minds?

What call you this but private libelling
Against the Earl of Cornwall and my brother?
Q. Isab. Sweet husband, be content; they all

love you.

K. Edw. They love me not that hate my
Gaveston.

I am that cedar; shake me not too much;
And you the eagles; soar ye ne'er so high,
I have the jesses § that will pull you down;
And Eque tandem shall that canker cry
Unto the proudest peer of Britainy.
Though thou compar'st him to a flying-fish,
And threaten'st death whether he rise or fall,
'Tis not the hugest monster of the sea,
Nor foulest harpy, that shall swallow him.

Y. Mor. If in his absence thus he favours him, What will he do whenas || he shall be present? Lan. That shall we see: look, where his lordship comes !

a] So 4tos 1612, 1622.-Not in 4to 1598.

flying fish] "The Exocatus. See Plinii Nat. Hist. lib. ix. 19." REED (apud Dodsley's 0. P.).

Kent] Old eds. "Edw." (a mistake for "Edm.", which is generally the prefix in the old eds. to Kent's speeches). That the present speech belongs to Kent, is proved by the last line of it,-"Against the Earl of Cornwall and my brother."

§ jesses] i. e. the short straps round the legs of the hawk, having small rings (called the varvels), to which was fastened the falconer's leash.-Old eds. "gresses" (a mistake for "gesses").

whenas] i. e. when.

Bitter and irksome to my sobbing heart.

Gav. Sweet lord and king, your speech preventeth + mine;

Yet have I words left to express my joy:
The shepherd, nipt with biting winter's rage,
Frolics not more to see the painted spring
Than I do to behold your majesty.

K. Edw. Will none of you salute my Gaveston?
Lan. Salute him! yes. - Welcome, Lord
Chamberlain !

Y. Mor. Welcome is the good Earl of Cornwall!

War. Welcome, Lord Governor of the Isle of Man!

Pem. Welcome, Master Secretary!

Kent. Brother, do you hear them?

K. Edw. Still will these earls and barons use
me thus ?

Gav. My lord, I cannot brook these injuries.
Q. Isab. Ay me, poor soul, when these begin
[Aside.
to jar!

K. Edw. Return it to their throats; I'll be thy