I have my wish, in that I joy thy sight;
And sooner shall the sea o'erwhelm my land,
Than bear the ship that shall transport thee hence.
I here create thee Lord High Chamberlain,
Chief Secretary to the state and me,
Earl of Cornwall, King and Lord of Man.

Gav. My lord, these titles far exceed my worth.
Kent. Brother, the least of these may well suffice
For one of greater birth than Gaveston.

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Edw. Cease, brother: for I cannot brook these words.
Thy worth, sweet friend, is far above my gifts,
Therefore, to equal it, receive my heart;
If for these dignities thou be envied,

I'll give thee more; for, but to honour thee,
Is Edward pleased with kingly regiment.1
Fear'st thou thy person? thou shalt have a guard.
Wantest thou gold? go to my treasury.

Wouldst thou be loved and feared? receive my seal;
Save or condemn, and in our name command
Whatso thy mind affects, or fancy likes.

Gav. It shall suffice me to enjoy your love,
Which whiles I have, I think myself as great
As Cæsar riding in the Roman street,
With captive kings at his triumphant car.

Enter the BISHOP OF COVENTRY.

Edw. Whither goes my lord of Coventry so fast?

1 Rule. Cf. 1 Tamburlaine, i. 1, l. 119.

150

170

Bish. To celebrate your father's exequies.

But is that wicked Gaveston returned?

Edw. I, priest, and lives to be revenged on thee, That wert the only cause of his exile.

Gav. 'Tis true; and but for reverence of these robes, Thou should'st not plod one foot beyond this place. 180 Bish. I did no more than I was bound to do; And, Gaveston, unless thou be reclaimed, As then I did incense the parliament,

So will I now, and thou shalt back to France.

Gav. Saving your reverence, you must pardon me. Edw. Throw off his golden mitre, rend his stole, And in the channel 1 christen him anew.

Kent. Ah, brother, lay not violent hands on him, For he'll complain unto the see of Rome.

Gav. Let him complain unto the see of hell, I'll be revenged on him for my exile.

Edw. No, spare his life, but seize upon his goods:
Be thou lord bishop and receive his rents,
And make him serve thee as thy chaplain :
I give him thee-here, use him as thou wilt.

Gav. He shall to prison, and there die in bolts.
Edw. I, to the Tower, the Fleet, or where thou wilt.
Bish. For this offence, be thou accurst of God!
Edw. Who's there? Convey this priest to the Tower.
Bish. True, true.2

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200

1 Kennel, gutter. Cf. Jew of Malta, v. 1, l. 91.

2 Dyce proposed to read "Prut prut!" others suppose that the

Edw. But in the meantime, Gaveston, away, And take possession of his house and goods. Come, follow me, and thou shalt have my guard To see it done, and bring thee safe again.

Gav. What should a priest do with so fair a house? A prison may best 1 beseem his holiness.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Enter both the MORTIMERS, WARWICK, and LANCASTER.

War. 'Tis true, the bishop is in the Tower,
And goods and body given to Gaveston.

Lan. What! will they tyrannise upon the church?
Ah, wicked king! accursed Gaveston!
This ground, which is corrupted with their steps,
Shall be their timeless 3 sepulchre or mine.

Y. Mor. Well, let that peevish Frenchman guard him sure;

Unless his breast be sword-proof he shall die.

E. Mor. How now, why droops the Earl of Lancaster? Y. Mor. Wherefore is Guy of Warwick discontent? 10 Lan. That villain Gaveston is made an earl.

E. Mor. An earl!

bishop is playing on the word
"steal." Cf. Richard II. iv. 1, 1. 113-

"Bol. Go, some of you, convey him to the Tower.
King. O good! convey! conveyers are you all."
1 So eds. 1612, 1622.-Ed. 1598 omits "best."
2 Scene: Westminster.
3 Untimely.

convey," which was a cant term for

War. I, and besides Lord Chamberlain of the realm, And Secretary too, and Lord of Man.

E. Mor. We may not, nor we will not suffer this.

Y. Mor. Why post we not from hence to levy men?
Lan. "My Lord of Cornwall," now at every word!
And happy is the man whom he vouchsafes,
For vailing of his bonnet, one good look.

Thus, arm in arm, the king and he doth march:
Nay more, the guard upon his lordship waits;
And all the court begins to flatter him.

War. Thus leaning on the shoulder of the king, He nods and scorns, and smiles at those that pass.

E. Mor. Doth no man take exceptions at the slave? Lan. All stomach1 him, but none dare speak a word. Y. Mor. Ah, that bewrays their baseness, Lancaster. Were all the earls and barons of my mind, We'd 2 hale him from the bosom of the king, And at the court-gate hang the peasant up; Who, swoln with venom of ambitious pride, Will be the ruin of the realm and us.

20

1 Are angry at him. We have the word again later in the play"I know, my lord, many will stomach me."

2 Old eds. "Weele." VOL. II.

Enter the ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY and a
Messenger.

War. Here comes my Lord of Canterbury's grace. Lan. His countenance bewrays he is displeased. Archbish. First were his sacred garments rent and torn, Then laid they violent hands upon him; next

I

30

Himself imprisoned, and his goods asseized:
This certify the pope ;-away, take horse.

[Exit Messenger.

Lan. My lord, will you take arms against the king? Archbish. What need I? God himself is up in arms, 40 When violence is offered to the church.

Y. Mor. Then will you join with us, that be his peers, To banish or behead that Gaveston?

Archbish. What else, my lords? for it concerns me

near ;

The bishoprick of Coventry is his.

Enter QUEEN ISABELLA.

Y. Mor. Madam, whither walks your majesty so fast? Queen. Unto the forest,1 gentle Mortimer,

To live in grief and baleful discontent;

For now, my lord, the king regards me not,
But doats upon the love of Gaveston.
He claps his cheek, and hangs about his neck,
Smiles in his face, and whispers in his ears;
And when I come he frowns, as who should say,
"Go whither thou wilt, seeing I have Gaveston."

E. Mor. Is it not strange, that he is thus bewitched?
Y. Mor. Madam, return unto the court again:
That sly inveigling Frenchman we'll exile,
Or lose our lives; and yet ere that day come

50

1 It is not absolutely necessary to suppose that there is an allusion to any particular forest. What the queen means is that she is seeking solitude.