But doats upon the love of Gaveston.

He claps his cheeks, and hangs about his neck,
Smiles in his face, and whispers in his ears;

And when I come he frowns, as who should say,

66

Go whither thou wilt, seeing I have Gaveston."

E. MOR. Is it not strange that he is thus bewitch'd?
Y. MOR. Madam, return unto the court again.
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 reveng'd at full.

Q. ISAB. But yet lift not your swords against the king.
LAN. No; but we will lift Gaveston from hence.

WAR. And war must be the means, or he'll stay still. Q. ISAB. Then let him stay; for rather than my lord Shall be oppress'd with civil mutinies,

I will endure a melancholy life,

And let him frolic with his minion.

A. OF CANT. My lords, to ease all this, but hear me speak:

We and the rest, that are his counsellors,

Will meet, and with a general consent

Confirm his banishment with our hands and seals.
LAN. What we confirm the king will frustrate.

Y. MOR. Then may we lawfully revolt from him.
WAR. But say, my lord, where shall this meeting be?
A. OF CANT. At the New Temple.

Y. MOR. Content.

A. of Cant. And, in the meantime, I'll entreat you all To cross to Lambeth, and there stay with me.

LAN. Come then, let's away.

Y. MOR. Madam, farewell!

Q. ISAB. Farewell, sweet Mortimer; and, for my sake, Forbear to levy arms against the king.

Y. MOR. Ay, if words will serve; if not, I must.

[Exeunt.]

[SCENE III]

Enter GAVESTON and KENT

GAV. Edmund, the mighty Prince of Lancaster,
That hath more earldoms than an ass can bear,
And both the Mortimers, two goodly men,

With Guy of Warwick, that redoubted knight,
Are gone toward Lambeth-there let them remain!

Exeunt.

[SCENE IV]

Enter [LANCASTER, WARWICK, PEMBROKE, the Elder MORTIMER, Young MORTIMER, the ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY and Attendants]

LAN. Here is the form of Gaveston's exile:

May it please your lordship to subscribe your name.

A. OF CANT. Give me the paper.

[He subscribes, as do the others after him.] LAN. Quick, quick, my lord; I long to write my name. WAR. But I long more to see him banish'd hence. Y. MOR. The name of Mortimer shall fright the king, Unless he be declin'd from that base peasant.

Enter KING EDWARD, GAVESTON, [and KENT]

K. Edw. What, are you mov'd that Gaveston sits here? It is our pleasure; we will have it so.

LAN. Your grace doth well to place him by your side, For nowhere else the new earl is so safe.

E. MOR. What man of noble birth can brook this sight? Quam male conveniunt!1

See what a scornful look the peasant casts!

PEM. Can kingly lions fawn on creeping ants?

WAR. Ignoble vassal, that like Phaeton

Aspir'st unto the guidance of the sun!

Y. MOR. Their downfall is at hand, their forces down; We will not thus be fac'd and over-peer'd.

K. EDW. Lay hands on that traitor Mortimer!

E. MOR. Lay hands on that traitor Gaveston !

1 How ill they agree!

KENT. Is this the duty that you owe your king?

WAR. We know our duties-let him know his peers. K. EDW. Whither will you bear him? Stay, or ye shall die. E. MOR. We are no traitors; therefore threaten not. GAV. No, threaten not, my lord, but pay them home! Were I a king

Y. MOR. Thou villain, wherefore talk'st thou of a king, That hardly art a gentleman by birth?

K. EDW. Were he a peasant, being my minion,

I'll make the proudest of you stoop to him.

LAN. My lord, you may not thus disparage us.— Away, I say, with hateful Gaveston!

E. MOR. And with the Earl of Kent that favours him. [Attendants remove KENT and GAVESTON.] K. EDW. Nay, then, lay violent hands upon your king. Here, Mortimer, sit thou in Edward's throne; Warwick and Lancaster, wear you my crown. Was ever king thus over-rul'd as I?

LAN. Learn then to rule us better, and the realm.

Y. MOR. What we have done, our heart-blood shall maintain.

WAR. Think you that we can brook this upstart pride? K. EDW. Anger and wrathful fury stops my speech. A. OF CANT. Why are you mov'd? Be patient, my lord, And see what we your counsellors have done.

Y. MOR. My lords, now let us all be resolute,

And either have our wills, or lose our lives.

K. EDW. Meet you for this, proud overbearing peers? Ere my sweet Gaveston shall part from me,

This isle shall fleet2 upon the ocean,

And wander to the unfrequented Inde.

A. of Cant. You know that I am legate to the Pope. On your allegiance to the see of Rome,

Subscribe, as we have done, to his exile.

Y. MOR. Curse him, if he refuse; and then may we Depose him and elect another king.

K. EDW. Ay, there it goes! but yet I will not yield.

Curse me, depose me, do the worst you can.

LAN. Then linger not, my lord, but do it straight.

2 Float.

A. OF CANT. Remember how the bishop was abus'd! Either banish him that was the cause thereof,

Or I will presently discharge these lords

Of duty and allegiance due to thee.

K. EDW. [Aside.] It boots me not to threat; I must speak fair.The legate of the Pope will be obey'd.

My lord, you shall be Chancellor of the realm;

Thou, Lancaster, High Admiral of our fleet;
Young Mortimer and his uncle shall be earls;
And you, Lord Warwick, President of the North;
And thou, of Wales. If this content you not,
Make several kingdoms of this monarchy,
And share it equally amongst you all,

So I may have some nook or corner left,

To frolic with my dearest Gaveston.

A. OF CANT. Nothing shall alter us, we are resolv'd.
LAN. Come, come, subscribe.

Y. MOR. Why should you love him whom the world hates so?

K. EDW. Because he loves me more than all the world.

Ah, none but rude and savage-minded men

Would seek the ruin of my Gaveston;

You that be noble-born should pity him.

WAR. You that are princely-born should shake him off. For shame subscribe, and let the lown3 depart.

E. MOR. Urge him, my lord.

A. OF CANT. Are you content to banish him the realm? K. Edw. I see I must, and therefore am content.

Instead of ink, I'll write it with my tears.

[Subscribes.]

Y. MOR. The king is love-sick for his minion.
K. Edw. 'Tis done; and now, accursed hand, fall off!
LAN. Give it me; I'll have it publish'd in the streets.
Y. MOR. I'll see him presently despatch'd away.

And so is mine.

A. of Cant. Now is my heart at ease.
WAR.
PEM. This will be good news to the common sort.
E. MOR. Be it or no, he shall not linger here.

Exeunt all except KING EDWARD.

K. EDW. How fast they run to banish him I love!

They would not stir, were it to do me good.
Why should a king be subject to a priest?
Proud Rome! that hatchest such imperial grooms,
For these thy superstitious taper-lights,
Wherewith thy antichristian churches blaze,
I'll fire thy crazed buildings, and enforce
The papal towers to kiss the lowly ground!

With slaughtered priests make Tiber's channel swell,
And banks rais'd higher with their sepulchres!

As for the peers, that back the clergy thus,

If I be king, not one of them shall live.

Re-enter GAVESTON

GAV. My lord, I hear it whispered everywhere, That I am banish'd, and must fly the land.

K. EDW. 'Tis true, sweet Gaveston-O! were it false ! The legate of the Pope will have it so,

And thou must hence, or I shall be depos'd.

But I will reign to be reveng'd of them;

And therefore, sweet friend, take it patiently.

Live where thou wilt, I'll send thee gold enough;
And long thou shalt not stay, or if thou dost,

I'll come to thee; my love shall ne'er decline.

GAV. Is all my hope turn'd to this hell of grief?

K. Edw. Rend not my heart with thy too-piercing words: Thou from this land, I from myself am banish'd.

GAV. To go from hence grieves not poor Gaveston;

But to forsake you, in whose gracious looks
The blessedness of Gaveston remains,

For nowhere else seeks he felicity.

K. EDW. And only this torments my wretched soul
That, whether I will or no, thou must depart.
Be governor of Ireland in my stead,

And there abide till fortune call thee home.
Here take my picture, and let me wear thine;

[They exchange pictures.]

O, might I keep thee here as I do this,

Happy were I! but now most miserable!

GAV. 'Tis something to be pitied of a king.

K. EDW. Thou shalt not hence-I'll hide thee, Gaveston.