We'd ¶ 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.

WAR. Here comes my Lord of Canterbury's grace.
LAN. His countenance bewrays he is displeas'd.

Enter the ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY,
and an Attendant.

ARCHB. OF CANT. First, were his sacred garments rent and torn ;

; next,

Then laid they violent hands upon him
Himself imprison'd, and his goods asseiz'd:
This certify the Pope: away, take horse.

[Exit Attendant.

LAN. My lord, will you take arms against the king? ARCHB. OF CANT. What need I? God himself is up in arms

When violence is offer'd to the church.

Y. MOR. Then will you join with us, that be his

peers,

To banish or behead that Gaveston?

ARCHB. OF CANT. What else, my

concerns me near;

The bishoprick of Coventry is his.

¶ We'd] Old eds. "Weele'

lords? for it

Enter QUEEN ISABELLA.

Y. MOR. Madam, whither walks your majesty so
fast?

ISAB. Unto the forest, gentle Mortimer,
To live in grief and baleful discontent;
For now my lord the king regards me not,
But dotes upon the love of Gaveston :

He claps his cheeks, 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 bewitch'd?
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,
The king shall lose his crown; for we have power,
And courage too, to be reveng'd at full.

ARCHB. OF CANT. But yet lift not your swords against the king.

LAN. No; but we'll lift Gaveston from hence. WAR. And war must be the means, or he'll stay still, ISAB. Then let him stay; for, rather than my lord Shall be oppress'd with civil mutinies,

I will endure a melancholy life,

And let him frolic with his minion.

ARCHB. OF CANT. My lords, to ease all this, but

hear me speak:

We and the rest, that are his counsellors,

Will meet, and with a general consent

Confirm his banishment with our hands and seals.
LAN. What we confirm the king will frustrate.
Y. MOR. Then may we lawfully revolt from him.
WAR. But say, my lord, where shall this meeting be?
ARCHB. OF CANT. At the New Temple.

Y. MOR. Content.

ARCHB. OF CANT.* And, in the mean time, I'll entreat you all

To cross to Lambeth, and there stay with me.
LAN. Come, then, let's away.

Y. MOR. Madam, farewell.

ISAB. Farewell, sweet Mortimer; and, for my sake, Forbear to levy arms against the king.

Y. MOR. Ay, if words will serve; if not, I must.

Enter GAVESTON† and KENT.

[Exeunt.

GAV. Edmund, the mighty prince of Lancaster, That hath more earldoms than an ass can bear, And both the Mortimers, two goodly men, With Guy of Warwick, that redoubted knight, Are gone towards Lambeth: there let them remain. [Exeunt.

*Archb. of Cant.] This prefix is wanting in the old eds. + Enter Gaveston, &c.] Scene, a street perhaps.

Enter LANCASTER †, WARWICK, PEMBROKE, the elder MORTIMER, the younger MORTIMER, the ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, and Attendants.

LAN. Here is the form of Gaveston's exile; May it please your lordship to subscribe your name. ARCHB. OF CANT. Give me the paper.

[He subscribes, as the others do after him. LAN. Quick, quick, my lord; I long to write my

name.

WAR. But I long more to see him banish'd hence. Y. MOR. The name of Mortimer shall fright the king,

Unless he be declin'd from ‡ that base peasant.

Enter KING EDWARD, GAVESTON, and KENT. EDW. What, are you mov'd that Gaveston sits here? It is our pleasure; we will have it so.

LAN. Your grace doth well to place him by your

side,

For no where else the new earl is so safe.

E. MOR. What man of noble birth can brook this sight?

+ Enter Lancaster, &c.] Qy. Scene, "the New Temple" (see p. 178), though the king exclaims, "Here, Mortimer, sit thou in Edward's throne" (p. 181)? Perhaps a change of scene is supposed at p. 184.

declin'd from] i. e. turned away from.

Quam male conveniunt§!

See, what a scornful look the peasant casts!
PEM. Can kingly lions fawn on creeping ants?
WAR. Ignoble vassal, that, like Phaeton,
Aspir'st unto the guidance of the sun!

Y. MOR. Their downfall is at hand, their forces down:

We will not thus be fac'd and over-peer'd.
EDW. Lay hands on that traitor Mortimer!
E. MOR. Lay hands on that traitor Gaveston!
KENT. Is this the duty that you owe your king?
WAR. We know our duties: let him know his peers.
EDW. Whither will you bear him? stay, or ye
shall die.

E. MOR. We are no traitors; therefore threaten not. 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?

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.

§ Quam male conveniunt] Was the poet thinking of Ovid,— "Non bene conveniunt," &c, Met. ii. 846.