Enter the HERALD from the Barons, 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 accomplices, 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 Spencer, 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 be gone!
Rebels, will they appoint their sovereign
His sports, his pleasures, and his company?

Yet ere thou go, see how I do divorce

[Embraces Spen.

Spencer from me-Now get thee to thy lords,
And tell them I will come to chastise them
For murthering Gaveston: hie thee! get thee gone!
Edward, with fire and sword, follows at thy heels.
My lord, 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.

SCENE III.

Enter the KING, Old SPENCER, Young SPENCER, and the Noblemen of the King's side.

EDW. Why do we sound retreat?

lords!

upon them,

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.
O. SPEN. 'Tis not amiss, my liege, for either part
To breathe awhile; 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 BARONS, MORTIMER, LANCASTER,
WARWICK, PEMPROKE, &c.

E. MOR. Look, Lancaster, yonder's Edward 'mong 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? 0. SPEN. A noble attempt, and honourable deed, Is it not, trow ye, to assemble aid,

And levy arms against your lawful king!

Τ

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. Aye, traitors all, rather than thus be brav'd,
Make England's civil towns huge heaps of stones,
And ploughs to go about our palace-gates.
WAR. A desperate and unnatural resolution!

VOL. II.

5

Alarum to the fight, St. George for England,

And the barons' right.

EDW. St. George for England, and king Edward's

right.

[Alarums. Exeunt. Re-enter EDWARD and his followers, with the

BARONS, captives.

EDW. Now, lusty lords, not by the 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!

Accursed wretches, was't in regard of us,

When we had sent our messengers to request
He might be spar'd to come to speak with us,
And Pembroke undertook for his return,
That thou, proud Warwick, watch'd the prisoner,
Poor Pierce, and headed him 'gainst law of arms;
For which thy head shall overlook the rest,
As much as thou outwent'st the rest.

WAR. Tyrant, I scorn thy threats and menaces,

It is but temporal that thou canst inflict.

LAN. The worst is death, and better die to live Than live in infamy under such a king.

EDW. Away with them! my lord of Winchester: These lusty leaders, Warwick and Lancaster, I charge you roundly-off with both their heads; away!

WAR. Farewell, vain world!

LAN. Sweet Mortimer, farewell.

Y. MOR. England, unkind to thy nobility,
Groan for this grief, behold how thou art maim'd!
EDW. Go, take that haughty Mortimer to the
Tower,

There see him safe bestow'd; and for the rest,
Do speedy execution on them all. Begone!
Y. MOR. What, Mortimer! can ragged stony walls
Immure thy virtue that aspires to heaven?
No, Edward, England's scourge, it may not be,
Mortimer's hope surmounts his fortune far.

EDW. Sound drums and trumpets, march with me my friends.

Edward this day hath crown'd him king anew.

[Exeunt. Young Spencer, Lecune, and Baldock

remain.

Y. SPEN. Lecune, the trust that we repose in thee, Begets the quiet of king Edward's land. Therefore begone in haste, and with advice Bestow that treasure on the lords of France, That, therewith all enchanted, like the guard That suffer'd Jove to pass in showers of gold