The Complete Plays (56 page)

For which, had not his highness loved him well,

He should have lost his head; but with his look

The undaunted spirit of Percy was appeased,

And Mowbray and he were reconciled;

Yet dare you brave the king unto his face.

Brother, revenge it, and let these their heads

Preach upon poles
for trespass of their tongues.

WARWICK
O, our heads!

EDWARD

Ay, yours, and therefore I would wish you grant.

WARWICK

120     Bridle thy anger, gentle Mortimer.

MORTIMER

I cannot, nor I will not; I must speak.

Cousin, our hands, I hope, shall fence our heads

And strike off his that makes you threaten us.

Come, uncle, let us leave the brainsick king

And henceforth parley with our naked swords.

MORTIMER SENIOR

Wiltshire
hath men enough to save our heads.

WARWICK

All Warwickshire
will love him for my sake.

LANCASTER

And northward, Gaveston hath many friends.

Adieu, my lord, and either change your mind

Or look to see the throne where you should sit

130   To float in blood, and at thy wanton head

The glozing head of thy base
minion
thrown.

Exeunt
NOBLES. [KENT, KING EDWARD
and
GAVESTON
remain
.]

EDWARD

I cannot brook these haughty menaces!

Am I a king and must be overruled?

Brother, display my ensigns in the field;

I'll bandy with the barons and the earls,

And either die or live with Gaveston.

GAVESTON
[
coming forward
]

I can no longer keep me from my lord.

EDWARD

What, Gaveston, welcome! Kiss not my hand;

140    Embrace me, Gaveston, as I do thee.

[
They embrace.
]

Why shouldst thou kneel? Knowest thou not who I am?

Thy friend, thy self
, another Gaveston.

Not Hylas was more mourned of Hercules

Than thou hast been of me since thy exile.

GAVESTON

And since I went from hence, no soul in hell

Hath felt more torment than poor Gaveston.

EDWARD

I know it. Brother, welcome home my friend.

Now let the treacherous Mortimers conspire,

And that
high-minded
earl of Lancaster;

150    I have my wish, in that I joy thy sight,

And sooner shall the sea O'erwhelm my land

Than bear the ship that shall transport thee hence.

I here create thee Lord High Chamberlain,

Chief Secretary to the state and me,

Earl of Cornwall,
King and Lord of Man
.

GAVESTON

My lord, these titles far exceed my worth.

KENT

Brother, the least of these may well suffice

For one of greater birth than Gaveston.

EDWARD

Cease, brother, for I cannot brook these words.

160    Thy worth, sweet friend, is far above my gifts,

Therefore, to equal it, receive my heart.

If for these dignities thou be envied,

I'll give thee more, for but to honour thee

Is Edward pleased with kingly regiment.

Fear'st thou thy person? Thou shalt have a guard.

Wants thou gold? Go to my treasury.

Wouldst thou be loved and feared? Receive my
seal
,

Save or condemn, and in our name command

Whatso thy mind affects or fancy likes.

GAVESTON

170    It shall suffice me to enjoy your love,

Which whiles I have, I think myself as great

As Caesar riding in the Roman street

With captive kings at his triumphant car.

Enter the
BISHOP OF COVENTRY.

EDWARD

Whither goes my lord of Coventry so fast?

COVENTRY

To celebrate your father's exequies.

But is that wicked Gaveston returned?

EDWARD

Ay, priest, and lives to be revenged on thee

That wert the only cause of his exile.

GAVESTON

'Tis true, and, but for reverence of these robes,

180     Thou shouldst not plod one foot beyond this place.

COVENTRY

I did no more than I was bound to do,

And, Gaveston, unless thou be reclaimed,

As then I did incense the Parliament,

So will I now, and thou shalt back to France.

GAVESTON

Saving your reverence
, you must pardon me.

[
He lays hold of him.
]

EDWARD

Throw off his golden mitre, rend his stole,

And in the channel christen him anew.

KENT

Ah, brother, lay not violent hands on him,

For he'll complain unto the see of Rome.

GAVESTON

Let him complain unto the see of hell,

190   I'll be revenged on him for my exile.

EDWARD

No, spare his life, but seize upon his goods;

Be thou lord bishop, and receive his rents,

And make him serve thee as thy chaplain.

I give him thee; here, use him as thou wilt.

GAVESTON

He shall to prison, and there die in bolts.

EDWARD

Ay, to the
Tower
, the Fleet, or where thou wilt.

COVENTRY

For this offence be thou accurst of God.

EDWARD
[
calling to
ATTENDANTS
]

Who's there? Convey this priest to the Tower.

200   
COVENTRY
True, true
.

[
Exit the
BISHOP OF COVENTRY,
guarded.
]

EDWARD

But in the meantime, Gaveston, away,

And take possession of his house and goods.

Come follow me, and thou shalt have my guard

To see it done and bring thee safe again.

GAVESTON

What should a priest do with so fair a house?

A
prison
may beseem his holiness.

[
Exeunt.
]

Enter both the
MORTIMERS, WARWICK,
and
LANCASTER.

WARWICK

'Tis true, the bishop is in the Tower,

And goods and body given to Gaveston.

LANCASTER

What, will they tyrannize upon the Church?

Ah, wicked king! Accursèd Gaveston!

This ground, which is corrupted with their steps,

Shall be their
timeless sepulchre
or mine.

MORTIMER

Well, let that peevish Frenchman guard him sure;

Unless his breast be sword-proof, he shall die.

MORTIMER SENIOR

How now, why droops the earl of Lancaster?

MORTIMER

10       Wherefore is Guy of Warwick discontent?

LANCASTER

That
villain
Gaveston is made an earl.

MORTIMER SENIOR
An earl!

WARWICK

Ay, and besides, Lord Chamberlain of the realm,

And Secretary too, and Lord of Man.

MORTIMER SENIOR

We may not, nor we will not suffer this.

MORTIMER

Why post we not from hence to levy men?

LANCASTER

‘My lord of Cornwall' now at every word!

And happy is the man whom he vouchsafes,

For vailing of his bonnet, one good look.

Thus, arm in arm, the king and he doth march;

20       Nay more, the guard upon his lordship waits,

And all the court begins to flatter him.

WARWICK

Thus leaning on the shoulder of the king,

He nods, and scorns, and smiles at those that pass.

MORTIMER SENIOR

Doth no man take exceptions at the slave?

LANCASTER

All stomach him, but none dare speak a word.

MORTIMER

Ah, that bewrays their baseness, Lancaster.

Were all the earls and barons of my mind,

We'ld hale him from the bosom of the king,

And at the court-gate hang the peasant up,

30     Who, swoll'n with venom of ambitious pride,

Will be the ruin of the realm and us.

Enter the
[ARCH]BISHOP OF CANTERBURY
[
and an
ATTENDANT
].

WARWICK

Here comes my lord of Canterbury's grace.

LANCASTER

His countenance bewrays he is displeased.

CANTERBURY
[
to his
ATTENDANT
]

First were his sacred garments rent and torn,

Then laid they violent hands upon him, next

Himself imprisoned and his goods asseized.

This certify the Pope. Away, take horse.

[
Exit
ATTENDANT
.]

LANCASTER
[
to
CANTERBURY
]

My lord, will you take arms against the king?

CANTERBURY

40       What need I? God himself is up in arms

When violence is offered to the Church.

MORTIMER

Then will you join with us that be his peers

To banish or behead that Gaveston?

CANTERBURY

What else, my lords? For it concerns me near;

The bishopric of Coventry is his.

Enter the
QUEEN.

MORTIMER

Madam, whither walks your majesty so fast?

QUEEN

Unto the forest, gentle Mortimer,

To live in grief and baleful discontent,

For now my lord the king regards me not,

50     But dotes 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,

‘Go whither thou wilt, seeing I have Gaveston.'

MORTIMER SENIOR

Is it not strange that he is thus bewitched?

MORTIMER

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,

60     And courage too, to be revenged at full.

CANTERBURY

But yet lift not your swords against the king.

LANCASTER

No, but we'll lift Gaveston from hence.

WARWICK

And war must be the means, or he'll stay still.

QUEEN

Then let him stay, for, rather than my lord

Shall be oppressed by civil mutinies,

I will endure a melancholy life,

And let him frolic with his minion.

CANTERBURY

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

70     Confirm his banishment with our hands and seals.

LANCASTER

What we confirm the king will frustrate.

MORTIMER

Then may we lawfully revolt from him.

WARWICK

But say, my lord, where shall this meeting be?

CANTERBURY
At
the New Temple
.

MORTIMER
Content.

CANTERBURY

And in the meantime I'll entreat you all

To cross to
Lambeth
and there stay with me.

LANCASTER
Come then, let's away.

80   
MORTIMER
Madam, farewell.

QUEEN

Farewell, sweet Mortimer, and for my sake

Forbear to levy arms against the king.

MORTIMER

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

[
Exeunt
.]

Enter
GAVESTON
and the
EARL OF KENT.

GAVESTON

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,

5    Are gone towards Lambeth. There let them remain.

Exeunt.

Enter
NOBLES
[
LANCASTER, WARWICK, PEMBROKE, MORTIMER SENIOR, MORTIMER JUNIOR
and the
ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY,
attended by
GUARDS
].

LANCASTER
[
presenting a document
]

Here is the
form
of Gaveston's exile.

May it please your lordship to subscribe your name.

CANTERBURY
Give me the paper.

[
He signs the document.
]

LANCASTER

Quick, quick, my lord, I long to write my name.

WARWICK

But I long more to see him banished hence.

MORTIMER

The name of Mortimer shall fright the king,

Unless he be
declined from
that base peasant.