40

Gau. I thank you all, my lords: then I perceive,
That heading's one, and hanging is the other,
And death is all.

Enter EARL OF ARUNDEL.
Lan. How now, m’ lord of Arundel ?

30 Arun. My lords, King Edward greets you all by me. War. Arundel, say your message.

Arun. His majesty,
Hearing that you had taken Gaueston,
Intreateth you by me, yet but he may
See him before he dies; for why, he says,

35
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?

Gau. Renowmèd Edward, how thy name
Revives poor Gauston !

War. No, it needeth not;
Arundel, we will gratify the king
In other matters; he must pardon us in this.
Soldiers, away wi' him !

Gau. Why? My lord of Warwick
Will not [that] these delays beget my hopes.
I know it, lords, it is this life you aim at,

45 Yet grant King Edward this.

Y. Mor. Shalt thou appoint
What we shall grant? Soldiers, away with him:
Thus [far] we will gratify the king,

[To ARUNDEL. We'll send his head by thee; let him bestow His tears on that, for that is all he gets

50 Of Gaueston, or else his senseless trunk.

Lan. Not so, my lords, lest he bestow more cost In burying him, than he hath ever earn’d.

Arun. My lords, it is his majesty's request, And in the honour of a king he swears,

55 He will but talk with him, and send him back.

War. When, can you tell? Arundel, no; we wot,
He that the care of [kingly] realm remits,
And drives his nobles to these exigents
For Gaueston, will, if he seize him

once, Violate any promise to possess him.

Arun. Then if you will not trust his grace in keep, My lords, I will be pledge for his return.

Y. Mor. 'Tis honourable in thee to offer this;

60 70

But for we know thou art a noble gentleman,

65 We will not wrong thee so, to make away A true man for a thief.

Gau. How mean'st thou, Mortimer? this is over-base.

Y. Mor. Away, base groom, robber of king's renown,
Question with thy companions and mates.

Pem. M' Lord Mortimer, and you, my lords, each one,
To gratify the king's request therein,
Touching the sending of this Gaueston,
Because his majesty so earnestly
Desires to see the man before his death,

75
I will upon mine honour undertake
To carry him, and bring him back again;
Provided this, that you, m’ lord of Arundel,
Will join with me.

War. Pembroke, what wilt thou do? Cause yet more bloodshed ? is it not enough

80 That we have taken him, but must we now Leave him on 'had I wist,' and let him go?

Pem. My lords, I will not over-woo your honours, But if you dare trust Pembroke with the prisoner, Upon mine oath, I will return him back.

85 Arun. M' lord of Lancaster, what say you in this ? Lan. Why I say, let him go on Pembroke's word. 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. Gau. Sweet sovereign, yet I come

90 To see thee ere I die.

War. Yet not perhaps,
If Warwick’s wit and policy prevail.

[Aside. Y. Mor. My lord of Pembroke, we deli’er him you; Return him on your honour. Sound, away. [Exeunt all but PEMBROKE, ARUNDEL, GAUESTON,

and PEMBROKE's Men; four Soldiers. Pem. M' 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, m’ lord. Come hither, James:

95

I do commit this Gaueston to thee,
Be thou this night his keeper, in the morning
We will discharge thee of thy charge; be gone.

105 Gau. Unhappy Gaueston, whi’er goest thou now?

[Exit PEMBROKE, with his Men. Horse-boy. My lord, we shall quickly be at Cobham.

[Exeunt ambo.

SCENE VI.-Open Country. 1311.
Enter GAUESTON mourning, and the EARL

OF PEMBROKE'S Men.
Gau. O treacherous Warwick ! thus to wrong thy friend.
James. I see it is your life these arms pursue.
Gau. Weaponless must I fall, and die in bands?
Oh! must this day be period of my life?
Centre of all my bliss! An ye be men,

5 Speed to the king.

Enter WARWICK and his Company.
War. My lord of Pembroke's men,
Strive you no longer-I will have that Gaueston.

James. Your lordship doth dishonour to yourself,
And wrong our lord, your honourable friend.

War. No, James, it is my country's cause I follow.
Go, take the villain; soldiers, come away,
We'll make quick work. Commend me to your master,
My friend, and tell him that I watcht it welí.
Come, let thy shadow parley with King Edward.

Gau. Treacherous earl, shall not I see the king ? 15

War. The King of heaven perhaps, no other king. Away! [Exeunt WARWICK and his Men with GAUESTON.

James. Come, fellows, 't booted not for us to strive, We will in haste go certify our lord.

[Exeunt.

IO

ACT III.

SCENE I (a). - Yorkshire. 1311. Enter KING EDWARD and YOUNG SPENCER, and BALDOCK,

with drums and fifes. Edw. I long to hear an answer from the barons,

F

Touching my friend, my dearest Gaueston.
Ah! Spencer, not the riches of my realm
Can ransom him! ah, he is markt to die!
I know the malice of the younger Mortimer,

5
Warwick I know is rough, and Lancaster
Inexorable, and I shall never see
My lovely Pierce of Gaueston again!
The barons overbear me with their pride.

Y. Spen. Were I King Edward, England's sovereign, 10
Son to the lovely Eleanor of Spain,
Great Edward Longshanks' issue, would I bear
These braves, this rage, and suffer uncontrol'd
These barons thus to beard me in my land,
In mine own realm? My lord, pardon my speech, 15
retain your

father's magnanimity,
Did you regard the honour of your name,
You would not suffer thus your majesty
Be counterbuft of your nobility.
Strike off their heads, and let them preach on poles !
No doubt, such lessons they will teach the rest,
As by their preachments they will profit much,
And learn obedience to their lawful king.

Edw. Yea, gentle Spencer, we have been too mild,
Too kind to them; but now have drawn our sword, 25
And if they send me not my Gaueston,
We'll steel it on their crest, and pole their tops.

Bald. This haught resolve becomes your majesty
Not to be tied to their affection,
As though your highness were a schoolboy still,

30 And must be awed and govern'd like a child.

Did you

20

SCENE I (6).— Yorkshire. 1320. Enter HUGH SPENCER, an old man, father to the YOUNG

SPENCER, with his truncheon and Soldiers. 0. Spen. Long live my sovereign, the noble EdwardIn peace triumphant, fortunate in wars !

Edw. Welcome, old man, com’st thou in Edward's aid? Then tell thy prince of whence, and what thou art. 35

0. Spen. Lo, with a band of bowmen and of pikes,
Brown bills and targetiers, four hundred strong,
Sworn to defend King Edward's royal right,
I come in person to your majesty,

40

45

Spencer, the father of Hugh Spencer there,
Bound to your highness everlastingly,
For favour done, in him, unto us all.

Edw. Thy father, Spencer ?

Y. Spen. True, an 't like your grace,
That pours, in lieu of all your goodness shown,
His life, my lord, before your princely feet.

Edw. Welcome ten thousand times, old man, again.
Spencer, this love, this kindness to thy king,
Argues thy noble mind and disposition.
Spencer, I here create thee Earl of Wiltshire,
And daily will enrich thee with our favour,
That, as the sunshine, shall reflect o'er thee.
Beside, the more to manifest our love,
Because we hear Lord Bruce doth sell his land,
And that the Mortimers are in hand withal,
Thou shalt have crowns of us toutbid the barons :
And, Spencer, spare them not, [but] lay it on.
Soldiers, a largess, and thrice welcome all !

SCENE I (c).—Yorkshire. 1325.
Enter the QUEEN and her Son, and LEVUNE, a Frenchman.

Y. Spen. My lord, here comes the queen.
Edw. Madam, what news?

Queen. News of dishonour, lord, and discontent.
Our friend Levune, faithful and full of trust,

60 Informeth us, by letters and by words, That Lord Valois our brother, King of France, Because your highness hath been slack in homage, Hath seized Normandy into his hands. These be the letters, this the messenger.

65 Edw. Welcome, Levune. Tush, Sib, if this be all, Valois and I will soon be friends again. But to my Gauston: shall I never see, Never behold thee more? Madam, in this matter, We will employ you and your little son;

70 You shall go parley with the King of France. Boy, see you bear you bravely to the king, And do your message with a majesty.

Princé. Commit not to my youth things of more weight Than fits a prince so young as I to bear,

75 And fear not, lord and father, heaven's great beams