SCENE V. Enter1 GAVESTON, pursued. Gav. Yet, lusty lords, I have escaped your hands, Enter the Nobles. War. Upon him, soldiers, take away his weapons. Corrupter of thy king; cause of these broils, Base flatterer, yield! and were it not for shame, Upon my weapons point here should'st thou fall, Lan. Monster of men! That, like the Greekish strumpet, trained to arms War. Lancaster, why talk'st thou to the slave? 10 1 "There is such uncertainty about the location of this scene that I can only mark it—an open country."-Dyce. 2 The Italian form of “ maugre. 3 So ed. 1612.-Ed. 1598 "these." Go, soldiers, take him hence, for by my sword Upon thy person: hang him at a bough. Gav. My lords !— War. Soldiers, have him away;— But for thou wert the favourite of a king, Thou shalt have so much honour at our hands 1— Enter Earl of Arundel. Lan. How now, my lord of Arundel? Arun. My lords, King Edward greets you all by me. War. Arundel, say your message. Arun. His majesty, Hearing that you had taken Gaveston, See him before he dies; for why, he says, And sends you word, he knows that die he shall; And if you gratify his grace so far, He will be mindful of the courtesy. War. How now? Gav. Renowmèd Edward, how thy name Revives poor Gaveston! War. No, it needeth not; 20 30 40 1 A line, as Dyce remarks, in which Warwick says that Gaveston shall be beheaded, has dropped out. Arundel, we will gratify the king In other matters; he must pardon us in this. Gav. Why, my lord of Warwick, Will not these delays beget my hopes ? 1 I know it, lords, it is this life you aim at, Y. Mor. Shalt thou appoint What we shall grant? Soldiers, away with him: We'll send his head by thee; let him bestow His tears on that, for that is all he gets Of Gaveston, or else his senseless trunk. Lan. Not so, my lords, lest he bestow more cost In burying him than he hath ever earned. Arun. My lords, it is his Majesty's request, And in the honour of a king he swears, He will but talk with him, and send him back. 50 War. When? can you tell? 2 Arundel, no; we wot, He that the care of his 3 realm remits, And drives his nobles to these exigents For Gaveston, will, if he seize 4 him once, Violate any promise to possess him. 60 1 The passage is corrupt: I have followed the reading of the old Dyce gives eds. " Will now these short delays beget my hopes?" 2 "When? can you tell?"-a sort of proverbial expression. See Dyce's Shakespeare Glossary. 3 So Dyce.-Ed. 1598 omits "his." Eds. 1612, 1622, read :-" He that hath the care of Realme-remits." ("Care" must be pronounced as a' dissyllable.) • Cunningham reads “sees.” Arun. Then if you will not trust his grace in keep, Y. Mor. 'Tis honourable in thee to offer this; A true man for a thief. Gav. How mean'st thou, Mortimer? that is over-base. Y. Mor. Away, base groom, robber of king's renown, Question with thy companions and mates. 70 Pem. My Lord Mortimer, and you, my lords, each one, To gratify the king's request therein. Touching the sending of this Gaveston, To carry him, and bring him back again; War. Pembroke, what wilt thou do? Pem. My lords, I will not over-woo your honours, Arun. My lord of Lancaster, what say you in this? 1 Old eds. "It is." 80 24 'The exclamation of those who repent what they have rashly done."-Dyce. Pem. And you, Lord Mortimer ? Y. Mor. How say you, my lord of Warwick? War. Nay, do your pleasures, I know how 'twill prove. Pem. Then give him me. Gav. Sweet sovereign, yet I come To see thee ere I die. War. Yet not perhaps, If Warwick's wit and policy prevail. 90 [Aside. Y. Mor. My lord of Pembroke, we deliver him you; Return him on your honour. Sound, away! 1 [Exeunt all but PEMBROKE, ARUNDEL,1 GAVESTON, and PEMBROKE'S men. Pem. My lord [of Arundel], you shall go with me. My house is not far hence; out of the way A little, but our men shall go along. We that have pretty wenches to our wives, Sir, must not come so near to baulk their lips. Arun. 'Tis very kindly spoke, my lord of Pembroke; 100 Your honour hath an adamant of power To draw a prince. Pem. So, my lord. Come hither, James: I do commit this Gaveston to thee, Be thou this night his keeper, in the morning We will discharge thee of thy charge: be gone. [Exeunt. 1 Here and throughout iii. 11, the 4tos give "Mat "and "Matreuis " for "Arundel." The mistake arose, as Dyce pointed out, by the parts of Arundel and Matrevis having been taken by the same actor. |