Let them not unreveng'd murder your friends:
Advance your standard, Edward, in the field,
And march to fire them from their starting-holes.
EDW. [kneeling.] By earth, the common mother
of us all,

By heaven, and all the moving orbs thereof,
By this right hand, and by my father's sword,
And all the honours 'longing to my crown,
I will have heads and lives for him as many
As I have manors, castles, towns, and towers !-

[Rises.

Treacherous Warwick! traitorous Mortimer!
If I be England's king, in lakes of gore
Your headless trunks, your bodies will I trail,
That you may drink your fill, and quaff in blood,
And stain my royal standard with the same,
That so my bloody colours may suggest
Remembrance of revenge immortally
On your accursed traitorous progeny,
You villains that have slain my Gaveston!
And in this place of honour and of trust,
Spenser, sweet Spenser, I adopt thee here;
And merely of our love we do create thee
Earl of Glocester, and Lord Chamberlain,
Despite of times, despite of enemies.

Y.SPEN. My lord, here is* a messenger from the barons Desires access unto your majesty.

Epw. Admit him near.

+ here is] 2to 1598 "heres is."-2tos 1612, 1622, "heers" and "heer's."

Enter HERALD with his coat of arms.

HER. Long live King Edward, England's lawful lord!

EDW. So wish not they, I wis, that sent thee hither: Thou com'st from Mortimer and his 'complices: A ranker root of rebels never was.

Well, say thy message.

HER. The barons, up in arms, by me salute
Your highness with long life and happiness;
And bid me say, as plainer to your grace,
That if without effusion of blood

You will this grief have ease and remedy,
That from your princely person you remove
This Spenser, as a putrifying branch

That deads the royal vine, whose golden leaves*
Empale your princely head, your diadem;
Whose brightness such pernicious upstarts dim,
Say they, and lovingly advise your grace
To cherish virtue and nobility,

And have old servitors in high esteem,

And shake off smooth dissembling flatterers:
This granted, they, their honours, and their lives,
Are to your highness vow'd and consecrate.

Y. SPEN. Ah, traitors, will they still display their pride?

EDW. Away! tarry no answer, but begone!Rebels, will they appoint their sovereign

* leaves] So 4tos 1612, 1622.-2to 1598 "leaue."

His sports, his pleasures, and his company?—
Yet, ere thou go, see how I do divorce

[Embraces Y. SPENSER. Spenser from me. Now get thee to thy lords, And tell them I will come to chastise them For murdering Gaveston: hie thee, get thee gone! Edward, with fire and sword, follows at thy heels. [Exit HERALD.

My lord[s], perceive you how these rebels swell?Soldiers, good hearts! defend your sovereign's right, For, now, even now, we march to make them stoop. Away!

[Exeunt. Alarums, excursions, a great fight, and a retreat sounded, within.

Re-enter KING EDWARD, the elder SPENSER, the younger SPENSER, BALDOCK, and Noblemen of the king's side.

EDW. Why do we sound retreat? upon them,
lords!

This day I shall pour vengeance with my sword
On those proud rebels that are up in arms,
And do confront and countermand their king.

Y. SPEN. I doubt it not, my lord; right will prevail.
E. SPEN. 'Tis not amiss, my liege, for either part
To breathe a while; our men, with sweat and dust
All chok'd well near, begin to faint for heat;
And this retire refresheth horse and man.

Y. SPEN. Here come the rebels.

Enter the younger MORTIMER, LANCASTER, WARWICK, PEMBROKE, and others.

Y. MOR. Look, Lancaster, yonder is Edward Among his flatterers.

LAN. And there let him be,

Till he pay dearly for their company.

WAR. And shall, or Warwick's sword shall smite

in vain.

EDW. What, rebels, do you shrink and sound

retreat?

Y. MOR. No, Edward, no; thy flatterers faint and fly.

LAN. They'd best betimes forsake thee and their trains*,

For they'll betray thee, traitors as they are.

Y. SPEN. Traitor on thy face, rebellious Lancaster! PEM. Away, base upstart! brav'st thou nobles thus? E. SPEN. A noble attempt and honourable deed, Is it not, trow ye, to assemble aid

And levy arms against your lawful king?

T'

Edw. For which, ere long, their heads shall satisfy appease the wrath of their offended king.

Y. MOR. Then, Edward, thou wilt fight it to the

last,

And rather bathe thy sword in, subjects' blood,
Than banish that pernicious company?

EDW. Ay, traitors all, rather than thus be brav'd,

* trains] i. e. stratagems.

+ Is it] So 4tos 1612, 1622.-2to 1598 "It is."

Make England's civil towns huge heaps of stones, And ploughs to go about our palace-gates.

WAR. A desperate and unnatural resolution !— Alarum to the fight!

Saint George for England, and the barons' right! EDW. Saint George for England, and King Edward's right!

[Alarums. Exeunt the two parties severally.

Enter KING EDWARD* and his followers, with the BARONS captive.

EDW. Now, lusty lords, now not by chance of war, But justice of the quarrel and the cause,

Vail'd + is your pride: methinks you hang the heads;
But we'll advance them, traitors: now 'tis time
To be aveng'd on you for all your braves,
And for the murder of my dearest friend,

To whom right well you knew our soul was knit,
Good Pierce of Gaveston, my sweet favourite.
Ah, rebels, recreants, you made him away!

KENT. Brother, in regard of thee and of thy land, Did they remove that flatterer from thy throne. EDW. So, sir, you have spoke: away, avoid our presence! [Exit Kent. Accursed wretches, was't in regard of us,

When we had sent our messenger to request

*Enter King Edward, &c.] Another part of the field. + Vail'd] i. e. lowered.

messenger] So 4to 1598.-2tos 1612, 1622, "messengers."