Shall bathe him in a spring; and there hard by,
One like Actæon peeping through the grove,
Shall by the angry goddess be transform'd,

And running in the likeness of an hart

65

By yelping hounds pull'd down, and seem to die ;—
Such things as these best please his majesty.

Here comes my lord

The king and th' nobles from the parliament.

I'll stand aside.

Enter the KING, LANCASTER, MORTIMER senior, MORTIMER junior, EDMUND EARL OF KENT, GUY EARL OF WARWICK, etc.

Edw. Lancaster !

Lan. My lord.

Gau. That Earl of Lancaster do I abhor.

70

[Aside.

Edw. Will you not grant me this? In spite of them
I'll have my will; and these two Mortimers,
That cross me thus, shall know I am displeased.

E. Mor. If you love us, my lord, hate Gaueston !
Gau. That villain Mortimer, I'll be his death.
Y. Mor. Mine uncle here, this earl, and I myself,
Were sworn to your father at his death,
That he should ne'er return into the realm:
And know, my lord, ere I will break my oath,
This sword of mine, that should offend your foes,
Shall sleep within the scabbard at thy need,
And underneath thy banners march who will,
For Mortimer will hang his armour up.

Gau. Mort dieu!

75

[Aside.

80

[Aside. 85

Edw. Well, Mortimer, I'll make thee rue these words.

Beseems it thee to contradict thy king?

Frown'st thou thereat, aspiring Lancaster?

The sword shall plane the furrows of thy brows,

And hew these knees that now are grown so stiff.

90

I will have Gaueston; and you shall know
What danger 'tis to stand against your king.

Gau. Well done, Ned!

Lan. My lord, why do you thus incense your peers,
That naturally would love and honour you
But for that base and óbscure Gaueston ?

Four earldoms have I, besides Lancaster-
Derby, Salisbúry, Lincoln, Leicester,
These will I sell, to give my soldiers pay,

[Aside.

95

Ere Gaueston shall stay within the realm;

Therefore, if he be come, expel him straight.

ΙΟΟ

Edw. Barons and earls, your pride hath made me mute; But now I'll speak, and to the proof, I hope.

I do remember, in my father's days,

Lord Peircy of the North, being highly moved,
Braved Moubery in presence of the king;
For which, had not his highness loved him well,
He should have lost his head; but with his look
Th' undaunted sprite of Peircy was appeased,
And Moubery and he were reconciled.
Yet dare you brave the king unto his face;

105

Brother, revenge it, and let these their heads,

Preach upon poles, for trespass of their tongues.

War. Oh, our heads!

Edw. Ay, yours; and therefore I would wish you grant.— War. Bridle thy anger, gentle Mortimer.

Y. Mor. I cannot, nor I will not; I must speak.

Cousin, our hands I hope shall fence our heads,
And strike off his that makes you threaten us.
Come, uncle, let us leave the brainsick king,
And henceforth parley with our naked swords.

E. Mor. Wiltshire hath men enough to save our heads.
War. All Warwickshire will love him for my sake.
Lan. And northward Gaueston hath many friends.
Adieu, my lord; and either change your mind,
Or look to see the throne, where you should sit,
To float in blood; and at thy wanton head,
The glozing head of thy base minion thrown.

116

120

125

[Exeunt Nobiles.

Edw. I cannot brook these haughty menaces;
Am I a king, and must be over-ruled?
Brother, display my ensigns in the field;
I'll bandy with the barons and the earls,
And either die or live with Gaueston.

Gau. I can no longer keep me from my lord.

130

[Comes forward.

Edw. What, Gaueston! welcóme-Kiss not my hand, 135 Embrace me, Gaueston, as I do thee.

Why should'st thou kneel? know'st thou not who I am?
Thy friend, thyself, another Gaueston !

Not Hylas was more mourn'd of Hercules,

Than thou hast been of me since thy exile.

140

Gau. And since I went from hence, no soul in hell

Hath felt more torment than poor Gaueston.

Edw. I know it. Brother, welcome home my friend.

Now let the treacherous Mortimers conspire,

And that high-minded Earl of Lancaster:

145

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,

150

Earl of Cornwall, King and Lord of Man.

Gau. My lord, these titles far exceed my worth.

Kent. Brother, the least of these may well suffice

For one of greater birth than Gaueston.

Thy worth, sweet friend, is far above my gifts,

Edw. Cease, brother: for I cannot brook these words. 155

Therefore, to equal it, receive my heart;

If for these dignities thou be envíed,

I'll give thee more; for, but to honour thee,

Is Edward pleased with kingly regiment.

160

Fear'st thou thy person? thou shalt have a guard.

Wantest thou gold? go to my treasury.

Wouldst thou be loved and fear'd? receive my seal;

Save or condemn, and in our name command
Whatso thy mind affects, or fancy likes.

165

Gau. 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. Whi'er goes my lord of Coventry so fast?
Bish. To celebrate your father's exequies.

170

But is that wicked Gaueston return'd?

Edw. Ay, priest, and lives to be revenged on thee,

That wert the only cause of his exíle.

Gau. 'Tis true; and but for reverence of these robes, 175

Thou should'st not plod one foot beyond this place.

Bish. I did no more than I was bound to do;

And, Gaueston, unless thou be reclaim'd,

As then I did incense the parliament,

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

180

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

Kent. Ah, brother, lay not violent hands on him,

For he'll complain unto the see of Rome.

185

Gau. Let him complain unto the sea of hell,
I'll be revenged on him for my exíle.

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.

Gau. He shall to prison, and there die in bolts.

Edw. Ay, 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 th' Tower.
Bish. True, true.

Edw. But in the mean time, Gaueston, 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.

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

190

195

200

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Westminster. 1308.

Enter both the MORTIMERS, WARWICK, and LANCASTER. War. It is true: the bishop's in the Tower,

And goods and body given to Gaueston.

Lan. What! will they tyrannise upon the Church?

Ah, wicked king! accursed Gaueston!

This ground, which is corrupted with their steps,
Shall be their timeless sepulchre or mine.

5

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? Lan. That villain Gaueston is made an earl.

E. Mor. An earl!

War. Ay, 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.

ΙΟ

15

20

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 stomach 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'ld 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.

25

3309

Enter the [ARCH]BISHOP 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
Himself imprison'd, and his goods asseized:

36

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 off'red to the Church.

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

Archbish. What else, my lords? for it concerns me near;
The bishopric of Coventry is his.

Enter QUEEN ISABELLA.

Y. Mor. Madam, whi'er walks your majesty so fast?
Queen. 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 Gaueston.

45

50

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 whi'er thou wilt, seeing I have Gaueston."

E. Mor. Is it not strange, that he is thus bewitcht?
Y. Mor. Madam, return unto the court again:

55

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 revenged at full.

60

Archbish. But yet lift not your swords against the king.
Lan. No; but we will lift Gaueston from hence.
War. And war must be the means, or he'll stay still.