prince Our plots and stratagems will soone be dasht Queen Vse Edmund friendly as if all were well Mor. iu. How fares my honorable lord of Kent Edmun. In health sweete Mortimer how fares your grace Queene Well if my Lorde your brother were enlargde Edm. I heare of late he hath deposde himselfe Queen The more my greefe Mortim. iu. And mine Edmun. Ah they do dissemble Queen Sweete sonne come hither I must talke with thee Mortim. iu. Thou being his vnckle and the next of bloud Doe looke to be protector ouer the prince Edm. Not I my lord who should protect the sonne But she that gaue him life I meane the Queene Prin. Mother perswade me not to weare the crowne Let him be king I am too yong to raigne Queene But bee content seeing it his highnesse pleasure Prin. Let me but see him first and then I will Edmund I do sweete Nephew Quee. Brother you know it is impossible Prince Why is he dead Queen No God forbid Edmun. I would these wordes proceeded from your heart Mort. iu. Inconstant Edmund doost thou fauor him That wast a cause of his imprisonment Edm. The more cause haue I now to make amends Mort. iu. I tell thee t is not meet that one so false Should come about the person of a prince My lord he hath betraied the king his brother And therefore trust him not Prince But hee repents and sorrowes for it now Queen Come sonne and go with this gentle Lorde and me Prin. With you I will but not with Mortimer Mort. iu. Why yongling sodainst thou so of Mortimer Then I will carrie thee by force away Prin. Helpe vnckle Kent Mortimer will wrong me Quee. Brother Edmund striue not we are his friends Isabell is neerer then the earle of Kent Edm. Sister Edward is my charge redeeme him Queen Edward is my sonne and I will keepe him Edmu. Mortimer shall know that he hath wrongd mee Hence will I haste to Killingworth castle And rescue aged Edward from his foes To be reuengde on Mortimer and thee Exeunt omnes Enter Matreuis and Gurney with the king Matr. My lord be not pensiue we are your friends Men are ordaind to liue in miserie Therefore come dalliance dangereth our liues Edw. Friends whither must vnhappie Edward go Will hatefull Mortimer appoint no rest Must I be vexed like the nightly birde Whose sight is loathsome to all winged fowles When will the furie of his minde asswage When will his hart be satisfied with bloud If mine will serue vnbowell straight this brest And giue my heart to Isabell and him It is the chiefest marke they leuell at Gurney Not so my liege the Queene hath giuen this charge To keepe your grace in safetie Your passions make your dolours to increase Edw. This vsage makes my miserie increase But can my ayre of life continue long When all my sences are annoy with stenche Within a dungeon Englands king is kept Where I am staru'd for want of sustenance My daily diet is heart breaking sobs That almost rents the closet of my heart Thus liues old Edward not relieu'd by any And so must die though pitied by many O water gentle friends to coole my thirst And cleare my bodie from foule excrements Matr. Heere 's channell water as our charge is giuen Sit downe for wee le be Barbars to your grace Edw. Traitors away what will you murther me Or choake your soueraigne with puddle water Gurn. No but wash your face and shaue away your beard Least you be knowne and so be rescued Matr. Why striue you thus your labour is in vaine Edward The Wrenne may striue against the Lions strength But all in vaine so vainely do I striue To seeke for mercie at a tyrants hand They wash him with puddle water and shaue his beard away Immortall powers that knowes the painfull cares That waites vpon my poore distressed soule O leuell all your lookes vpon these daring men That wronges their liege and soueraigne Englands king O Gaueston it is for thee that I am wrongd For me both thou and both the Spencers died And for your sakes a thousand wronges I le take The Spencers ghostes where euer they remaine Wish well to mine then tush for them I le die Matr. Twixt theirs and yours shall be no enmitie Come come away now put the torches out Wee le enter in by darkenes to Killingworth Enter Edmund Gurn. How now who comes there Matr. Guarde the king sure it is the earle of Kent Edw. O gentle brother helpe to rescue me Matr. Keepe them a sunder thrust in the king Edm. Souldiers let me but talke to him one worde Gur. Lay hands vpon the earle for this assault Edmu. Lay downe your weapons traitors yeeld the king Matr. Edmund yeeld thou thy self or thou shalt die Edmu. Base villaines wherefore doe you gripe mee thus Gurney Binde him and so conuey him to the court Edm. Where is the court but heere heere is the king And I will visit him why stay you me Matr. The court is where lord Mortimer remaines Thither shall your honour go and so farewell Exeunt Matr. and Gurney with the king Manent Edmund and the souldiers Edm. O miserable is that commonweale where lords Keepe courts and kings are lockt in prison Sould. Wherefore stay we on sirs to the court Edm. I load me whether you will euen to my death Seeing that my brother cannot be releast Exeunt omnes Enter Mortimer alone Mort. iu. The king must die or Mortimer goes downe The commons now begin to pitie him Yet he that is the cause of Edwards death Is sure to pay for it when his sonne is of age And therefore will I do it cunninglie This letter written by a friend of ours Containes his death yet bids them saue his life Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum est Feare not to kill the king t is good he die But read it thus and that 's an other sence Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum est Kill not the king t is good to feare the worst Vnpointed as it is thus shall it goe That being dead if it chaunce to be found Matreuis and the rest may beare the blame And we be quit that causde it to be done Within this roome is lockt the messenger That shall conueie it and performe the rest And by a secret token that he beares Shall he be murdered when the deed is done Lightborn come forth art thou as resolute as thou wast Light What else my lord and farre more resolute Mort. iu. And hast thou cast how to accomplish it Light I I and none shall know which way he died Mortim. iu. But at his lookes Lightborne thou wilt relent Light Relent ha ha I vse much to relent Mort. iu. Well do it brauely and be secret Light You shall not need to giue instructions T is not the first time I haue killed a man I learnde in Naples how to poison flowers To strangle with a lawne thrust through the
The troublesome raigne and lamentable death of Edward the second King of England with the tragicall fall of proud Mortimer As it was sundrie times publiquely acted in the honourable citie of London by the right honourable the Earle of Pembrooke his seruants Written by Chri Marlow Gent. Imprinted at London for William Iones dwelling neere Holbourne conduit at the signe of the Gunne 1594 The troublesome raigne and lamentable death of Edward the second king of England with the tragicall fall of proud Mortimer Enter Gauestone reading on a letter that was brought him from the king MY father is deceast come Gaueston And share the kingdom with thy deerest friend Ah words that make me surfet with delight What greater blisse can hap to Gaueston Then liue and be the fauorit of a king Sweete prince I come these these thy amorous lines Might haue enforst me to haue swum from France And like Leander gaspt vpon the sande So thou wouldst smile and take me in thy armes The sight of London to my exiled eyes Is as Elizium to a new come soule Not that I loue the citie or the men But that it harbors him I hold so deare The king vpon whose bosome let me die And with the world be still at enmitie What neede the artick people loue star-light To whom the sunne shines both by day and night Farewell base stooping to the lordly peeres My knee shall bowe to none but to the king As for the multitude that are but sparkes Rakt vp in embers of their pouertie Tauti I le fanne first on the winde That glaunceth at my lips and flieth away But how now what are these Enter three poore men Poore men Such as desire your worships seruice Gauest. What canst thou doe 1. poore I can ride Gauest. But I haue no horses What art thou 2. poore A traueller Gauest. Let me see thou wouldst do well To waite at my trencher tell me lies at dinner time And as I like your discoursing I le haue you And what art thou 3. poore A souldier that hath seru'd against the Scot Gauest. Why there are hospitals for such as you I haue no warre and therefore sir be gone Seld. Farewell and perish by a souldiers hand That wouldst reward them with an hospitall Gau. I I these wordes of his moue me as much As if a Goose should play the Porpintine And dart her plumes thinking to pierce my brest But yet it is no paine to speake men faire I le flatter these and make them liue in hope You know that I came lately out of France And yet I haue not viewd my Lord the king If I speed well I le entertaine you all Omnes We thanke your worship Gauest. I haue some busines leaue me to my selfe Omnes We will wait heere about the court Exeunt Gauest. Do these are not men for me I must haue wanton Poets pleasant wits Musitians that with touching of a string May draw the pliant king which way I please Musicke and poetrie is his delight Therefore I le haue Italian maskes by night Sweete speeches comedies and pleasing showes And in the day when he shall walke abroad Like Siluian Nimphes my pages shall be clad My men like Satyres grazing on the lawnes Shall with their Goate feete daunce an antick hay Sometime a louelie boye in Dians shape With haire that gilds the water as it glides Crownets of pearle about his naked armes And in his sportfull hands an Oliue tree To hide those parts which men delight to see Shall bathe him in a spring and there hard by One like Actaeon peeping through the groue Shall by the angrie goddesse be transformde And running in the likenes of an Hart By yelping hounds puld downe and seeme to die Such things as these best please his maiestie My lord heere comes the king and the nobles From the parlament I le stand aside Enter the King Lancaster Mortimer senior Mortimer iunior Edmund Earle of Kent Guie Earle of Warwicke c. Edward Lancaster Lancast. My Lorde Gauest. That Earle of Lancaster do I abhorre Edw. Will you not graunt me this in spight of them I le haue my will and these two Mortimers That crosse me thus shall know I am displeasd Mor. se. If you loue vs my lord hate Gaueston Gauest. That villaine Mortimer I le be his death Mor. iu. Mine vnckle heere this Earle I my selfe Were sworne to your father at his death That he should nere returne into the realme And know my lord ere I will breake my oath This sword of mine that should offend your foes Shall sleepe within the scabberd at thy neede And vnderneath thy banners march who will For Mortimer will hang his armor vp Gauest. Mort dieu Edw. Well Mortimer I le make thee rue these words Beseemes it thee to contradict thy king Frownst thou thereat aspiring Lancaster The sworde shall plane the furrowes of thy browes And hew these knees that now are growne so stiffe I will haue Gaueston and you shall know What danger t is to stand against your king Gauest. Well doone Ned Lan. My lord why do you thus incense your peeres That naturally would loue and honour you But for that base and obscure Gaueston Foure Earldomes haue I besides Lancaster Darbie Salsburie Lincolne Leicester These will I sell to giue my souldiers paye Ere Gaueston shall stay within the realme Therefore if he be come expell him straight Edm. Barons Earls your pride hath made me mute But now I le speake and to the proofe I hope I do remember in my fathers dayes Lord Percie of the North being highly mou'd Brau'd Mowberie in presence of the king For which had not his highnes lou'd him well He should haue lost his head but with his looke The vndaunted spirit of Percie was appeasd And Mowberie and he were reconcild Yet dare you braue the king vnto his face Brother reuenge it and let these their heads Preach vpon poles for trespasse of their tongues Warwicke O our heads Edw. I yours and therefore I would wish you graunt Warw. Bridle thy anger gentle Mortimer Mor. iu. I cannot nor I will not I must speake Cosin our hands I hope shall fence our heads And strike off his that makes you threaten vs Come vnckle let vs leaue the brainsick king And henceforth parle with our naked swords Mor. se. Wilshire hath men enough to saue our heads Warw. All Warwickshire will loue him for my sake Lanc. And Northward Gaueston hath many friends Adew my Lord and either change your minde Or looke to see the throne where you should sit To floate in bloud and at thy wanton head The glozing head of thy base minion throwne Exeunt Nobiles Edw. I cannot brooke these hautie menaces Am I a king and must be ouer rulde Brother displaie my ensignes in the field I le bandie with the Barons and the Earles And eyther die or liue with Gaueston Gau. I can no longer keepe me from my lord Edw.
they appoint their soueraigne His sports his pleasures and his companie Yet ere thou go see how I do deuorce Embrace Spencer Spencer from me now get thee to thy lords And tell them I will come to chastise them For murthering Gaueston hie thee get thee gone Edward with fire and sword followes at thy heeles My lord perceiue you how these rebels swell Souldiers good harts defend your soueraignes right For now euen now we marche to make them stoope Away Exeunt Alarums excursions a great fight and a retreate Enter the king Spencer the father Spencer the sonne and the noblemen of the kings side Edw. Why do we sound retreat vpon them lords This day I shall powre vengeance with my sword On those proud rebels that are vp in armes And do confront and countermaund their king Spen. son I doubt it not my lord right will preuaile Spen. fa. T is not amisse my liege for eyther part To breathe a while our men with sweat and dust All chockt well neare begin to faint for heate And this retire refresheth horse and man Spen. son Heere come the rebels Enter the Barons Mortimer Lancaster Warwick Penbrooke cum caeteris Mor. Looke Lancaster yonder is Edward among his flatterers Lan. And there let him bee till hee pay deerely for their companie War And shall or Warwicks sword shal smite in vaine Edw. What rebels do you shrinke and sound retreat Mor. iu. No Edward no thy flatterers faint and flie Lan. Th 'ad best betimes forsake thee and their trains For thei le betray thee traitors as they are Spen. so Traitor on thy face rebellious Lancaster Pen. Away base vpstart brau'st thou nobles thus Spen. fa. A noble attempt and honourable deed Is it not trowe ye to assemble aide And leuie armes against your lawfull king Edw. For which ere long their heads shall satisfie T' appeaze the wrath of their offended king Mor. iu. Then Edward thou wilt fight it to the last And rather bathe thy sword in subiects bloud Then banish that pernicious companie Edw. I traitors all rather then thus be braude Make Englands ciuill townes huge heapes of stones And plowes to go about our pallace gates War A desperate and vnnaturall resolution Alarum to the fight saint George for England And the Barons right Edw. S. George for England and king Edwards right Enter Edward with the Barons captiues Edw. Now lustie lords now not by chance of warre But iustice of the quarrell and the cause Vaild is your pride me thinkes you hang the head But wee le aduance them traitors now t is time To be auengd on you for all your braues And for the murther of my deerest friend To whome right well you knew our soule was knit Good Pierce of Gaueston my sweet fauoret A rebels recreants you made him away Edm. Brother in regard of thee and of thy land Did they remooue that flatterer from thy throne Edw. So sir you haue spoke away auoid our presence Accursed wretches wa st in regard of vs When we had sent our messenger to request He might be spared to come to speake with vs And Penbrooke vndertooke for his returne That thou proud Warwicke watcht the prisoner Poore Pierce and headed him against lawe of armes For which thy head shall ouer looke the rest As much as thou in rage out wentst the rest War Tyrant I scorne thy threats and menaces T is but temporall that thou canst inflict Lan. The worst is death and better die to liue Then liue in infamie vnder such a king Edw. Away with them my lord of Winchester These lustie leaders Warwicke and Lancaster I charge you roundly off with both their heads away War Farewell vaine worlde Lan. Sweete Mortimer farewell Mor. iu. England vnkinde to thy nobilitie Grone for this greefe behold how thou art maimed Edw. Go take that haughtie Mortimer to the tower There see him safe bestowed and for the rest Do speedie execution on them all be gon Mor. iu. What Mortimer can ragged stonie walle ensure thy vertue that aspires to heauen No Edward Englands scourge it may not be Mortimers hope surmounts his fortune farre Edw. Sound drums and trumpets marche with me my friends Edward this day hath crownd him king a new Exit Manent Spencer filius Lewne Baldock Spen. Lewne the trust that we repose in thee Begets the quiet of king Edwards land Therefore be gon in hast and with aduice Bestowe that treasure on the lords of Fraunce That therewith all enchaunted like the guarde That suffered Ioue to passe in showers of golde To Danae all aide may be denied To Isabell the Queene that now in France Makes friends to crosse the seas with her yong sonne And step into his fathers regiment Lew. That 's it these Barons and the subtill Queene Long leuied at Bald. Yea but Lewne thou seest These Barons lay their heads on blocks together What they intend the hangman frustrates cleane Lewn Haue you no doubts my lords I le claps close Among the lords of France with Englands golde That Isabell shall make her plaints in vaine And Fraunce shall be obdurat with her teares Spen. Then make for Fraunce amaine Lewne away Proclaime king Edwards warres and victories Exeunt omnes Enter Edmund Edm. Faire blowes the winde for Fraunce blowe gentle gale Till Edmund be arriude for Englands good Nature yeeld to my countries cause in this A brother no a butcher of thy friends Proud Edward doost thou banish me thy presence But I le to Fraunce and cheere the wronged Queene And certifie what Edwards loosenes is Vnnaturall king to slaughter noble men And cherish flatterers Mortimer I stay Thy sweet escape stand gratious gloomie night to his deuice Enter Mortimer disguised Mor. iu. Holla who walketh there i st you my lord Edm. Mortimer t is I but hath thy potion wrought so happilie Mor. iu. It hath my lord the warders all a sleepe I thanke them gaue me leaue to passe in peace But hath your grace got shipping vnto Fraunce Edm. Feare it not Exeunt Enter the Queene and her sonne Qu. A boye our friends do faile vs all in Fraunce The lords are cruell and the king vnkinde What shall we doe Prince Madam returne to England And please my father well and then a Fig For all my vnckles frienship here in Fraunce I warrant you I le winne his highnes quicklie A loues me better than a thousand Spencers Qu. A boye thou art deceiude at least in this To thinke that we can yet be tun'd together No no we warre too farre vnkinde Valoys Vnhappie Isabell when Fraunce reiects Whether O whether doost thou bend thy steps Enter sir Iohn of Henolt S. Ioh. Madam what cheere Qu. A good sir Iohn of Henolt Neuer so cheereles nor so farre distrest S. Ioh. I heare sweete lady of the kings vnkindenes But droope not madam noble mindes contemne Despaire will your grace with me to Henolt And there stay times aduantage with your sonne How say you my Lord will
you go with your friends And shake off all our fortunes equallie Prin. So pleaseth the Queene my mother me it likes The king of England nor the court of Fraunce Shall haue me from my gratious mothers side Till I be strong enough to breake a staffe And then haue at the proudest Spencers head Sir Iohn Well said my lord Qu. Oh my sweet hart how do I mone thy wrongs Yet triumphe in the hope of thee my ioye Ah sweete sir Iohn euen to the vtmost verge Of Europe or the shore of Tanaise Will we with thee to Henolt so we will The Marques is a noble Gentleman His grace I dare presume will welcome me But who are these Enter Edmund and Mortimer Edm. Madam long may you liue Much happier then your friends in England do Qu. Lord Edmund and lord Mortimer aliue Welcome to Fraunce the newes was heere my lord That you were dead or very neare your death Mor. iu. Lady the last was truest of the twaine But Mortimer reserude for better hap Hath shaken off the thraldome of the tower And liues t' aduance your standard good my lord Prin. How meane you and the king my father liues No my lord Mortimer not I I trow Qu. Not sonne why not I would it were no worse But gentle lords friendles we are in Fraunce Mor. iu. Mounsier le Grand a noble friend of yours Tould vs at our arriuall all the newes How hard the nobles how vnkinde the king Hath shewed himself but madam right makes roome Where weapons want and though a many friends Are made away as Warwick Lancaster And others of our partie and faction Yet haue we friends assure your grace in England Would cast vp cappes and clap their hands for ioy To see vs there appointed for our foes Edm. Would all were well and Edward well reclaimd For Englands honor peace and quietnes Mort. But by the sword my lord it must be deseru'd The king will nere forsake his flatterers S. Ioh. My Lords of England sith the vngentle king Of Fraunce refuseth to giue aide of armes To this distressed Queene his sister heere Go you with her to Henolt doubt yee not We will finde comfort money men and friends Ere long to bid the English king a base How say yong Prince what thinke you of the match Prin. I thinke king Edward will out run vs all Qu. Nay soune not so and you must not discourage Your friends that are so forward in your aide Edm. Sir Iohn of Henolt pardon vs I pray These comforts that you giue our wofull queene Binde vs in kindenes all at your commaund Qu. Yea gentle brother and the God of heauen Prosper your happie motion good sir Iohn Mor. iu. This noble gentleman forward in armes Was borne I see to be our anchor hold Sir Iohn of Henolt be it thy renowne That Englands Queene and nobles in distresse Haue beene by thee restored and comforted S. Iohn Madam along and you my lord with me That Englands peeres may Henolts welcome see Enter the king Matr. the two Spencers with others Edw. Thus after many threats of wrathfull warre Triumpheth Englands Edward with his friends And triumph Edward with his friends vncontrould My lord of Gloster do you heare the newes Spen. iu. What newes my lord Edw. Why man they say there is great execution Done through the realme my lord of Arundell You haue the note haue you not Matr. From the lieutenant of the tower my lord Edw. I pray let vs see it what haue we there Read it Spencer Spencer reads their names Why so they barkt a pace a month a goe Now on my life thei le neither barke nor bite Now sirs the newes from Fraunce Gloster I trowe The lords of Fraunce loue Englands gold so well As Isabell gets no aide from thence What now remaines haue you proclaimed my lord Reward for them can bring in Mortimer Spen. iu. My lord we haue and if he be in England A will be had ere long I doubt it not Edw. If doost thou say Spencer as true as death He is in Englands ground our port-maisters Are not so careles of their kings commaund Enter a Poaste How now what newes with thee from whence come these Post Letters my lord and tidings foorth of Fraunce To you my lord of Gloster from Lewne Edward Reade Spencer reades the letter My dutie to your honor promised c. I haue according to instructions in that behalfe dealt with the king of Fraunce his lords and effected that the Queene all discontented and discomforted is gone whither if you aske with sir Iohn of Henolt brother to the Marquesse into Flaunders with them are gone lord Edmund and the lord Mortimer hauing in their company diuers of your nation and others and as constant report goeth they intend to giue king Edward battell in England sooner then he can looke for them this is all the newes of import Your honors in all seruice Lewne Edw. A villaines hath that Mortimer escapt With him is Edmund gone associate And will sir Iohn of Henolt lead the round Welcome a Gods name Madam and your sonne England shall welcome you and all your route Gallop a pace bright Phoebus through the skie And duskie night in rustie iron carre Betweene you both shorten the time I pray That I may see that most desired day When we may meet these traitors in the field Ah nothing greeues me but my little boye Is thus misled to countenance their ils Come friends to Bristow there to make vs strong And windes as equall be to bring them in As you iniurious were to beare them foorth Enter the Queene her sonne Edmund Mortimer and sir Iohn Qu. Now lords our louing friends and countrimen Welcome to England all with prosperous windes Our kindest friends in Belgia haue we left To cope with friends at home a heauie case When force to force is knit and sword and gleaue In ciuill broiles makes kin and country men Slaughter themselues in others and their sides With their owne weapons gorde but what 's the helpe Misgouerned kings are cause of all this wrack And Edward thou art one among them all Whose loosnes hath betrayed thy land to spoyle And made the channels ouerflow with blood Of thine own people patrō shouldst thou be but thou Mor. iu. Nay madam if you be a warriar Ye must not grow so passionate in speeches Lords sith that we are by sufferance of heauen Arriude and armde in this princes right Heere for our countries cause sweare we to him All homage fealtie and forwardnes And for the open wronges and iniuries Edward hath done to vs his Queene and land We come in armes to wrecke it with the swords That Englands queene in peace may reposesse Her dignities and honors and withall We may remooue these flatterers from the king That hauocks Englands wealth and treasurie S. Io. Sound trūpets my lord forward let vs martch Edward will thinke we come to flatter him Edm. I would he