himselfe good much lesse vs But he that hath the fauour of a king May with one word aduaunce vs while we liue The liberall earle of Cornewall is the man On whose good fortune Spencers hope depends Bald. What meane you then to be his follower Spen. No his companion for he loues me well And would haue once preferd me to the king Bald. But he is banisht there 's small hope of him Spen. I for a while but Baldock marke the end A friend of mine told me in secrecie That hee s repeald and sent for back againe And euen now a poast came from the court With letters to our ladie from the King And as she red she smild which makes me thinke It is about her louer Gaueston Bald. T is like enough for since he was exild She neither walkes abroad nor comes in sight But I had thought the match had beene broke off And that his banishment had changd her minde Spen. Our Ladies first loue is not wauering My life for thine she will haue Gaueston Bald. Then hope I by her meanes to be preferd Hauing read vnto her since she was a childe Spen. Then Balduck you must cast the scholler off And learne to court it like a Gentleman T is not a black coate and a little band A Veluet cap'de cloake fac'st before with Serge And smelling to a Nosegay all the day Or holding of a napkin in your hand Or saying a long grace at a tables end Or making lowe legs to a noble man Or looking downeward with your eye lids close And saying trulie an t may please your honor Can get you any fauour with great men You must be proud bold pleasant resolute And now and then stab as occasion serues Bald. Spencer thou knowest I hate such formall toies And vse them but of meere hypocrisie Mine old lord whiles he liude was so precise That he would take exceptions at my buttons And being like pins heads blame me for the bignesse Which made me curate-like in mine attire Though inwardly licentious enough And apt for any kinde of villanie I am none of these common pendants I That cannot speake without propterea quod Spen. But one of those that saith quandoquidem And hath a speciall gift to forme a verbe Bald. Leaue of this iesting here my lady comes Enter the Ladie Lady The greefe for his exile was not so much As is the ioy of his returning home This letter came from my sweete Gaueston VVhat needst thou loue thus to excuse thy selfe I know thou couldst not come and visit me I will not long be from thee though I die This argues the entire loue of my Lord VVhen I forsake thee death seaze on my heart But rest thee here where Gaueston shall sleepe Now to the letter of my Lord the King He wils me to repaire vnto the court And meete my Gaueston why do I stay Seeing that he talkes thus of my mariage day VVhos 's there Balduck See that my coache be readie I must hence Bald. It shall be done madam Exit Lad. And meete me at the parke pale presentlie Spencer stay you and beare me companie For I haue ioyfull newes to tell thee of My lord of Cornewall is a comming ouer And will be at the court as soone as we Spen. I knew the King would haue him home againe Lad. If all things sort out as I hope they will Thy seruice Spencer shal be thought vpon Spen. I humbly thanke your Ladieship Lad. Come lead the way I long till I am there Enter Edward the Queene Lancaster Mortimer Warwicke Penbrooke Kent attendants Edw. The winde is good I wonder why he stayes I feare me he is wrackt vpon the sea Queen Looke Lancaster how passionate he is And still his minde runs on his minion Lan. My Lord Edw. How now what newes is Gaueston arriude Mor. i. Nothing but Gaueston what means your grace You haue matters of more waight to thinke vpon The King of Fraunce sets foote in Normandie Edw. A triflle wee le expell him when we please But tell me Mortimer what 's thy deuise Against the stately triumph we decreed Mor. A homely one my lord not worth the telling Edw. Prethee let me know it Mor. iu. But seeing you are so desirous thus it is A loftie Cedar tree faire flourishing On whose top-branches Kinglie Eagles pearch And by the barke a canker creepes me vp And gets vnto the highest bough of all The motto Aeque tandem Edw. And what is yours my lord of Lancaster Lan. My lord mines more obscure then Mortimers Plinie reports there is a flying Fish Which all the other fishes deadly hate And therefore being pursued it takes the aire No sooner is it vp but ther 's a foule That seaseth it this fish my lord I beare The motto this Vndique mors est Edw. Proud Mortimer vngentle Lancaster Is this the loue you beare your soueraigne Is this the fruite your reconcilement beares Can you in words make showe of amitie And in your shields display your rancorous minds What call you this but priuate libelling Against the Earle of Cornewall and my brother Qu. Sweete husband be content they all loue you Edw. They loue me not that hate my Gaueston I am that Cedar shake me not too much And you the Eagles sore ye nere so high I haue the gresses that will pull you downe And Aeque tandem shall that canker crie Vnto the proudest peere of Britanie Though thou comparst him to a flying Fish And threatenest death whether he rise or fall T is not the hugest monster of the sea Nor fowlest Harpie that shall swallow him Mor. iu. If in his absence thus he fauors him What will he do when as he shall be present Lan. That shall wee see looke where his lordship comes Enter Gaueston Edw. My Gaueston welcome to Tinmouth welcome to thy friend Thy absence made me droope and pine away For as the louers of faire Danae When she was lockt vp in a brasen tower Desirde her more and waxt outragious So did it sure with me and now thy sight Is sweeter farre then was thy parting hence Bitter and irkesome to my sobbing heart Gau. Sweet Lord and King your speech preuenteth mine Yet haue I words left to expresse my ioy The sheepeherd nipt with biting winters rage Frolicks not more to see the paynted springe Then I doe to behold your Maiestie Edw. Will none of you salute my Gaueston Lan. Salute him yes welcome Lord Chamberlaine Mor. iu. Welcome is the good Earle of Cornewall War Welcome Lord gouernour of the I le of man Pen. Welcome maister secretarie Edw. Brother doe you heare them Edw. Stil wil these Earles and Barrons vse me thus Gau. My Lord I cannot brooke these iniuries Qu. Aye me poore soule when these begin to iarre Edw. Returne it to their throtes I le be thy warrant Gau. Base leaden Earles that glorie in your birth Goe sit at home and eate your tenants beefe And come not here to scoffe at
by no other names I arrest you of high treason here Stand not on titles but obay th' arrest T is in the name of Isabell the Queene My lord why droope you thus Edw. O day the last of all my blisse on earth Center of all misfortune O my starres Why do you lowre vnkindly on a king Comes Leister then in Isabellas name To take my life my companie from me Here man rip vp this panting brest of mine And take my heart in reskew of my friends Rice Away with them Spen. iu. It may be come thee yet To let vs take our farewell of his grace Abb. My heart with pittie earnes to see this sight A king to beare these words and proud commaunds Edw. Spencer a sweet Spencer thus then must we part Spen. iu. We must my lord so will the angry heauens Edw. Nay so will hell and cruell Mortimer The gentle heauens haue not to do in this Bald. My lord it is in vaine to greeue or storme Here humblie of your grace we take our leaues Our lots are cast I feare me so is thine Edwa. In heauen wee may in earth neuer shall wee meete And Leister say what shall become of vs Leist. Your maiestie must go to Killingworth Edw. Must t is somwhat hard when kings must go Leist. Here is a Litter readie for your grace That waites your pleasure and the day growes old Rice As good be gon as stay and be benighted Edw. A litter hast thou lay me in a hearse And to the gates of hell conuay me hence Let Plutos bels ring out my fatall knell And hags howle for my death at Charons shore For friends hath Edward none but these and these And these must die vnder a tyrants sword Rice My lord be going care not for these For we shall see them shorter by the heads Edw. Well that shal be shal be part we must Sweete Spencer gentle Baldocke part we must Hence fained weeds vnfained are my woes Father farewell Leister thou staist for me And go I must life farewell with my friends Exeunt Edward and Leicester Spen. iu. O is he gone is noble Edward gone Parted from hence neuer to see vs more Rent sphere of heauen and fier forsake thy orbe Earth melt to ayre gone is my soueraigne Gone gone alas neuer to make returne Bald. Spencer I see our soules are fleeted hence We are depriude the sun-shine of our life Make for a new life man throw vp thy eyes And hart and hand to heauens immortall throne Pay natures debt with cheerefull countenance Reduce we all our lessons vnto this To die sweet Spencer therefore liue wee all Spencer all liue to die and rise to fall Rice Come come keepe these preachments till you come to the place appointed You and such as you are haue made wise worke in England Will your Lordships away Mower Your worship I trust will remember me Rice Remember thee fellow what else Follow me to the towne Enter the king Leicester with a Bishop for the crowne Lei. Be patient good my lord cease to lament Imagine Killingworth castell were your court And that you lay for pleasure here a space Not of compulsion or neceissitie Edw. Leister if gentle words might comfort me Thy speeches long agoe had easde my sorrowes For kinde and louing hast thou alwaies beene The greefes of priuate men are soone allayde But not of kings the forrest Deare being strucke Runnes to an herbe that closeth vp the wounds But when the imperiall Lions flesh is gorde He rends and teares it with his wrathfull pawe Highly scorning that the lowly earth Should drinke his bloud mounts vp into the ayre And so it fares with me whose dauntlesse minde The ambitious Mortimer would seeke to curbe And that vnnaturall Queene false Isabell That thus hath pent and mu'd me in a prison For such outragious passions cloye my soule As with the wings of rancor and disdaine Full often am I sowring vp to heauen To plaine me to the gods against them both But when I call to minde I am a king Me thinkes I should reuenge me of the wronges That Mortimer and Isabell haue done But what are kings when regiment is gone But perfect shadowes in a sun-shine day My nobles rule I beare the name of king I weare the crowne but am contrould by them By Mortimer and my vnconstant Queene Who spots my nuptiall bed with infamie Whilst I am lodgd within this caue of care Where sorrow at my elbow still attends To companie my hart with sad laments That bleedes within me for this strange exchange But tell me must I now resigne my crowne To make vsurping Mortimer a king Bish. Your grace mistakes it is for Englands good And princely Edwards right we craue the crowne Edw. No t is for Mortimer not Edwards head For hee s a lambe encompassed by Woolues Which in a moment will abridge his life But if proud Mortimer do weare this crowne Heauens turne it to a blaze of quenchelesse fier Or like the snakie wreathe of Tisiphon Engirt the temples of his hatefull head So shall not Englands Vines be perished But Edwards name suruiues though Edward dies Lei. My lord why waste you thus the time away They stay your answer will you yeeld your crowne Edw. Ah Leister way how hardly I can brooke To loose my crowne and kingdome without cause To giue ambitious Mortimer my right That like a mountaine ouerwhelmes my blisse In which extreame my minde here murthered is But what the heauens appoint I must obaye Here take my crowne the life of Edward too Two kings in England cannot raigne at once But stay a while let me be king till night That I may gaze vpon this glittering crowne So shall my eyes receiue their last content My head the latest honor dew to it And ioyntly both yeeld vp their wished right Continue euer thou celestiall sunne Let neuer silent night possesse this clime Stand still you watches of the element All times and seasons rest you at a stay That Edward may be still faire Englands king But dayes bright beames dooth vanish fast away And needes I must resigne my wished crowne In humaine creatures nurst with Tigers milke Why gape you for your soueraignes ouerthrow My diadem I meane and guiltlesse life See monsters see I le weare my crowne againe What feare you not the furie of your king But haplesse Edward thou art fondly led They passe not for thy frownes as late they did But seekes to make a new elected king Which fils my mind with strange despairing thoughts Which thoughts are martyred with endles torments And in this torment comfort finde I none But that I feele the crowne vpon my head And therefore let me weare it yet a while Tru. My Lorde the parlement must haue present newes And therefore say will you resigne or no The king rageth Edw. I le not resigne but whilst I liue Traitors be gon and ioine you with Mortimer Elect conspire install do what you
Mor. iu. Madam farewell Qu. Farewell sweet Mortimer and for my sake Forbeare to leuie armes against the king Mor. iu. I if words will serue if not I must Enter Gaueston and the earle of Kent Gau. Edmund the mightie prince of Lancaster That hath more earldomes then an asse can beare And both the Mortimers two goodly men VVith Guie of VVarwick that redoubted knight Are gone towards Lambeth there let them remaine Exeunt Enter Nobiles Lan. Here is the forme of Gauestons exile May it please your lordship to subscribe your name Bish. Giue me the paper Lan. Quick quick my lorde I long to write my name War But I long more to see him banisht hence Mor. iu. The name of Mortimer shall fright the king Vnlesse he be declinde from that base pesant Enter the King and Gaueston Edw. VVhat are you mou'd that Gaueston sits heere It is our pleasure we will haue it so Lan. Your grace doth wel to place him by your side For no where else the new earle is so safe Mor. se. VVhat man of noble birth can brooke this sight Quam male conueniunt See what a scornfull looke the pesant casts Penb. Can kinglie Lions fawne on creeping Ants War Ignoble vassaile that like Phaeton Aspir'st vnto the guidance of the sunne Mor. iu. Their downfall is at hand their forces downe VVe will not thus be facst and ouerpeerd Edw. Lay hands on that traitor Mortimer Mor. se. Lay hands on that traitor Gaueston Kent Is this the dutie that you owe your king War VVe know our duties let him know his peeres Edw. Whether will you beare him stay or ye shall die Mor. se. VVe are no traitors therefore threaten not Gau. No threaten not my lord but pay them home VVere I a king Mor. iu. Thou villaine wherfore talkes thou of a king That hardly art a gentleman by birth Edw. VVere he a peasant being my minion I le make the prowdest of you stoope to him Lan. My lord you may not thus disparage vs Away I say with hatefull Gaueston Mort. se. And with the earle of Kent that fauors him Edw. Nay then lay violent hands vpon your king Here Mortimer sit thou in Edwards throne Warwicke and Lancaster weare you my crowne VVas euer king thus ouer rulde as I Lan. Learne then to rule vs better and the realme Mor. iu. VVhat we haue done our hart bloud shall maintaine War Think you that we can brooke this vpstart pride Edw. Anger and wrathfull furie stops my speech Bish. VVhy are you moou'd be patient my lord And see what we your councellers haue done Mor. iu. My lords now let vs all be resolute And either haue our wils or lose our liues Edw. Meete you for this proud ouerdaring peeres Ere my sweete Gaueston shall part from me This I le shall fleete vpon the Ocean And wander to the vnfrequented Inde Bish. You know that I am legate to the Pope On your allegeance to the sea of Rome Subscribe as we haue done to his exile Mor. iu. Curse him if he refuse and then may we Depose him and elect an other king Edw. I there it goes but yet I will not yeeld Curse me depose me doe the worst you can Lan. Then linger not my lord but do it straight Bish. Remember how the Bishop was abusde Either banish him that was the cause thereof Or I will presentlie discharge these lords Of dutie and allegeance due to thee Edw. It bootes me not to threat I must speake faire The Legate of the Pope will be obayd My lord you shal be Chauncellor of the realme Thou Lancaster high admirall of our fleete Yong Mortimer and his vnckle shal be earles And you lord VVarwick president of the North And thou of VVales if this content you not Make seuerall kingdomes of this monarchie And share it equally amongst you all So I may haue some nooke or corner left To frolike with my deerest Gaueston Bish. Nothing shall alter vs wee are resolu'd Lan. Come come subscribe Mor. iu. VVhy should you loue him whome the world hates so Edw. Because he loues me more then all the world Ah none but rude and sauage minded men VVould seeke the ruine of my Gaueston You that be noble borne should pitie him Warwicke You that are princely borne should shake him off For shame subscribe and let the lowne depart Mor. se. Vrge him my lord Bish. Are you content to banish him the realme Edw. I see I must and therefore am content In steede of inke I le write it with my teares Mor. iu. The king is loue-sick for his minion Edw. T is done and now accursed hand fall off Lan. Giue it me I le haue it published in the streetes Mor. in I le see him presently dispatched away Bish. Now is my heart at ease Warw. And so is mine Penb. This will be good newes to the common sort Mor. se. Be it or no he shall not linger here Exeunt Nobiles Edw. How fast they run to banish him I loue They would not stir were it to do me good Why should a king be subiect to a priest Proud Rome that hatchest such imperiall groomes For these thy superstitious taperlights Wherewith thy antichristian churches blaze I le fire thy crased buildings and enforce The papall towers to kisse the lowlie ground With slaughtered priests may Tibers channell swell And bankes raisd higher with their sepulchers As for the peeres that backe the cleargie thus If I be king not one of them shall liue Enter Gaueston Gau. My lord I heare it whispered euery where That I am banishd and must flie the land Edw. T is true sweete Gaueston oh were it false The Legate of the Pope will haue it so And thou must hence or I shall be deposd But I will raigne to be reueng'd of them And therefore sweete friend take it patiently Liue where thou wilt I le send thee gould enough And long thou shalt not stay or if thou doost I le come to thee my loue shall neare decline Gaue. Is all my hope turnd to this hell of greefe Edw. Rend not my hart with thy too piercing words Thou from this land I from my selfe am banisht Gau. To go from hence greeues not poore Gaueston But to forsake you in whose gratious lookes The blessednes of Gaueston remaines For no where else seekes he felicitie Edw. And onely this torments my wretched soule That whether I will or no thou must depart Be gouernour of Ireland in my stead And there abide till fortune call thee home Here take my picture and let me weare thine O might I keepe thee heere as I doe this Happie were I but now most miserable Gauest. T is something to be pitied of a king Edw. Thou shalt not hence I le hide thee Gaueston Gau. I shal be found and then t wil greeue me more Edwa. Kinde wordes and mutuall talke makes our greefe greater Therefore with dum imbracement let vs part Stay Gaueston I cannot leaue thee thus Gau. For euery