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, And if they send me not my Gaveston,

We'll steel it on their crest, and poll their tops.

BALD. This haught resolve becomes your majesty Not to be tied to their affection,

As though your highness were a school-boy still,
And must be aw'd and govern'd like a child.
Enter HUGH SPENCER, an old man, father to the
Young Spencer, with his truncheon and Soldiers.
O.SPEN. Long live my sovereign, the noble Edward-
In peace triumphant, fortunate in wars!

EDW. Welcome, old man ; com'st thou in Edward's aid?

Then tell the prince of whence, and what thou art.

O. SPEN. Lo, with a band of bow-men and of pikes, Brown bills and targeteers, four hundred strong, Sworn to defend king Edward's royal right,

I come in person to your majesty,

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, and it 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.
Besides, 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 t'outbid the barons :
And, Spencer, spare them not, lay it on.
Soldiers, a largess, and thrice welcome all.

Y. SPEN. My lord, here comes the queen.

Enter the QUEEN and her son, and LEVUNE, a
Frenchman.

EDW. Madam, what news?

QUEEN. News of dishonour, lord, and discontent. Our friend Levune, faithful and full of trust, Informeth us, by letters and by words,

That 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.

EDW. Welcome, Levune. Tush, Sib, if this be all,

Valois and I will soon be friends again.
But to my Gaveston: shall I never see,
Never behold thee more? Madam, in this matter
We will employ you and your little son;

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.

PRINCE. Commit not to my youth things of more weight

Than suits a prince so young as I to bear,

And fear not, lord and father, heaven's great beams On Atlas' shoulder shall not lie more safe,

Than shall your charge committed to my trust. QUEEN. Ah, boy! this towardness makes thy mother fear

Thou art not mark'd to many days on earth.

EDW. Madam, we will that you with speed be shipp'd,

And this our son; Levune shall follow you
With all the haste we can dispatch him hence.
Chuse of our lords to bear you company,

And go in peace, leave us in wars at home.

QUEEN. Unnatural wars, where subjects brave their king;

God end them once. My lord, I take my leave,
To make my preparation for France.

Enter MATREVIS.

EDW. What, lord Matrevis, dost thou come alone?
MAT. Yea, my good lord, for Gaveston is dead.
EDW. Ah, traitors! have they put my friend to
death?

Tell me, Matrevis, died he e'er thou cam'st,
Or didst thou see my friend to take his death?
MAT. Neither, my lord; for as he was surpriz'd;
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.

MAT. I found them at first inexorable;
The earl of Warwick would not bide the hearing,
Mortimer hardly, Pembroke and Lancaster
Spake least: and when they flatly had deny'd,
Refusing to receive me pledge for him,
The earl of Pembroke mildly thus bespake;
My lords, because our sovereign sends for him,
And promiseth he shall be safe return'd,
I will this undertake to have him hence,
And see him re- deliver'd to your hands.

EDW. Well, and how fortunes that he came not?
Y. SPEN. Some treason, or some villany was the

cause.

MAT. The earl of Warwick seiz'd him on his way. For being deliver'd 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 Struck off his head, and march'd unto the camp.

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 unreveng'd 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 this place of honour and of trust,
Spencer, sweet Spencer, I adopt thee here:
And merely out of our love we do create thee
Earl of Glou'ster, and lord chamberlain,
Despite of time, despite of enemies.

Y. SPEN. Mylord here's a messenger from the barons Desires access unto your majesty.

EDW. Admit him near.