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And on their knees salute your majesty.

EDW. Courageous Lancaster, embrace thy king; And as gross vapours perish by the sun, Even so let hatred with thy sovereign's smile. Live thou with me as my companion.

LAN. This salutation overjoys my heart.

EDW. Warwick shall be my chiefest counsellor : These silver hairs will more adorn my court,

Than gaudy silks, or rich embroidery.
Chide me, sweet Warwick, if I go astray.

WAR. Slay me, my lord, when I offend your grace.

Edw. In solemn triumphs, and in publick shows, Pembroke shall bear the sword before the king. PEM. And with this sword Pembroke will fight

for you.

EDW. But wherefore walks young Mortimer aside? Be thou commander of our royal fleet;

Or if that lofty office like thee not,

I make thee here lord marshal of the realm.

Y. MOR. My lord, I'll marshal so your enemies, As England shall be quiet, and you safe.

EDW. And as for you, lord Mortimer of Chirke, Whose great achievements in our foreign war Deserve no common place, nor mean reward; Be you the general of the levied troops,

That now are ready to assail the Scots.

E. MOR. In this your grace hath highly honour'd

me,

For with my nature war doth best agree.

QUEEN. Now is the king of England rich and

strong,

Having the love of his renowned peers.

EDW. Aye, Isabel, ne'er was my heart so light.
Clerk of the crown direct our warrant forth,
For Gaveston to Ireland: Beamont, fly,

As fast as Iris, or Jove's Mercury.

BEA. It shall be done, my gracious lord.

EDW. Lord Mortimer, we leave you to your charge.

Now let us in, and feast it royally.

Against our friend the earl of Cornwall comes,
We'll have a general tilt and tournament;
And then his marriage shall be solemniz'd.
For wot you not that I have made him sure
Unto our cousin, the earl of Glouster's heir?
LAN. Such news we hear, my lord.

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.

EDW. Thanks, gentle Warwick: come let's in
and revel. [Exeunt. Manent the Mortimers.
E. MOR. Nephew, I must to Scotland; thou
stay'st here.

Leave now t' oppose thyself against the king,
Thou seest by nature he is mild and calm,

And seeing his mind so doats on Gaveston,

Let him without controulment have his will.
The mightiest kings have had their minions:
Great Alexander lov'd Hephestion;
The conquering Herc'les for his Hilas 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 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.
I have not seen a dapper jack so brisk;
He wears a short Italian hooded cloak,
Larded with pearl, and, in his Tuscan cap,
A jewel of more value than the crown.
While others walk below, the king and he,
From out a window, laugh at such as we,
And flout our train, and jest at our attire.

Uncle, 'tis this that makes me impatient.

E. MOR. But, nephew, now you see the king is chang'd.

Y. MOR. Then so am I, and live to do him ser

vice:

But whilst I have a sword, a hand, a heart,

I will not yield to any such upstart.

You know my mind; come, uncle, let's away.

[Exeunt.

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I.

Enter Young SPENCER and BALDOCK.
BALD. Spencer, seeing that our lord the earl of
Glou'ster'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 factions 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 Spencer's hope depends.
BALD. What, mean you then to be his follower?
Y. SPEN. No, his companion; for he loves me

well,

VOL. II.

3

And would have once preferr'd me to the king. BALD.But he is banish'd, there's small hope of him. Y. SPEN. Aye, for a while; but, Baldock, mark the end.

A friend of mine told me in secresy,

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 exil'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.

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 :

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