90

Arun. Yea, my good lord, for Gaveston is dead.
Edw. Ah, traitors! have they put my friend to death?
Tell me, Arundel, died he ere thou cam'st,

Or didst thou see my friend to take his death?
Arun. Neither, my lord; for as he was surprised,
Begirt with weapons and with enemies round,

I did your highness' message to them all;
Demanding him of them, entreating rather,
And said, upon the honour of my name,
That I would undertake to carry him

Unto your highness, and to bring him back.

Edw. And tell me, would the rebels deny me that? Y. Spen. Proud recreants!

Edw. Yea, Spencer, traitors all.

Arun. I found them at the first inexorable;

The Earl of Warwick would not bide the hearing,
Mortimer hardly, Pembroke and Lancaster
Spake least and when they flatly had denied,
Refusing to receive my pledge for him,
The Earl of Pembroke mildly thus bespake;
"My lord, because our sovereign sends for him,
And promiseth he shall be safe returned,

I will this undertake, to have him hence,
And see him re-delivered to your hands."

110

Edw. Well, and how fortunes [it] that he came not? Y. Spen. Some treason, or some villany, was the cause. Arun. The Earl of Warwick seized him on his way; For being delivered unto Pembroke's men, Their lord rode home thinking his prisoner safe; But ere he came, Warwick in ambush lay,

And bare him to his death; and in a trench
Strake off his head, and marched unto the camp.

120

Y. Spen. A bloody part, flatly 'gainst law of arms. Edw. O shall I speak, or shall I sigh and die! Y. Spen. My lord, refer your vengeance to the sword Upon these barons; hearten up your men ; Let them not unrevenged murder your friends! Advance your standard, Edward, in the field, And march to fire them from their starting holes.

[EDWARD kneels.

Edw. 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!
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 his place of honour and of trust,
Spencer, sweet Spencer, I adopt thee here:
And merely of our love we do create thee
Earl of Gloucester, and Lord Chamberlain,
Despite of times, despite of enemies.

130

[Rises.

140

Y. Spen. My Lord, here is a messenger from the

barons

Desires access unto your majesty.

Edw. Admit him near.

Enter the Herald from the Barons, with his coat of

arms.

150

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 rout 2 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 putrefying branch,

That deads the royal vine, whose golden leaves 3
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:

160

1 Ed. 1598 "heres is."- Ed. 1612, 1622, "heres."
2 So ed. 1622.-Eds. 1598, 1612, "roote."

3 So ed. 1612.-Ed. 1598 “leave."

This granted, they, their honours, and their lives,
Are to your highness vowed and consecrate.

170

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 SPENCER.

180

Spencer 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.
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.

SCENE III.

Enter the KING, OLD SPENCER, YOUNG SPENCER, and the 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. O. Spen. 'Tis not amiss, my liege, for either part To breathe awhile; our men, with sweat and dust

All choked well near, begin to faint for heat;
And this retire refresheth horse and man.

Y. Spen. Here come the rebels.

Enter YOUNG MORTIMER, LANCASTER, WARWICK, PEMBROKE, &c.

E. Mor. Look, Lancaster, yonder is Edward

Among his flatterers.

Lan. And there let him be

Till he pay dearly for their company.

ΙΟ

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,1

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

Y. Spen. Traitor on thy face, rebellious Lancaster ! Pem. Away, base upstart, bravest thou nobles thus ? 20 O. Spen. A noble attempt, and honourable deed, Is it not, trow ye, to assemble aid,

And levy arms against your lawful king!

Edw. For which ere long their heads shall satisfy, To 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. I, traitors all, rather than thus be braved,

1 Schemes.

2 So ed. 1612.-Ed. 1589 "It is."