The Complete Plays (61 page)

MORTIMER

Stay, Edmund. Never was Plantagenet

False of his word, and therefore trust we thee.

PEMBROKE

But what's the reason you should leave him now?

KENT

I have informed the earl of Lancaster.

LANCASTER

And it sufficeth. Now, my lords, know this,

That Gaveston is secretly arrived,

And here in Tynemouth frolics with the king.

Let us with these our followers scale the walls

And suddenly surprise them unawares.

MORTIMER

I'll
give the onset
.

WARWICK
     And I'll follow thee.

20   

MORTIMER

This tattered ensign of my ancestors,

Which swept the desert shore of that Dead Sea

Whereof we got
the name of Mortimer
,

Will I advance upon this castle walls.

Drums, strike alarum! Raise them from their sport,

And ring aloud the knell of Gaveston.

LANCASTER

None be so hardy as to touch the king,

But neither spare you Gaveston nor his friends.

Exeunt
.

[
Alarums
.]
Enter the
KING
and
SPENCER
[
JUNIOR
].

EDWARD

O tell me, Spencer, where is Gaveston?

SPENCER

I fear me he is slain, my gracious lord.

EDWARD

No, here he comes. Now let them spoil and kill.

[
Enter
]
to them
GAVESTON
, [
the
QUEEN
,
the
KING'S NIECE
and
LORDS
].

Fly, fly, my lords! The earls have got the
hold
.

Take shipping and away to Scarborough;

Spencer and I will post away by land.

GAVESTON

O stay, my lord. They will not injure you.

EDWARD

I will not trust them, Gaveston. Away!

GAVESTON
Farewell, my lord.

10    
EDWARD
Lady, farewell.

NIECE

Farewell, sweet uncle, till we meet again.

EDWARD

Farewell, sweet Gaveston, and farewell, niece.

QUEEN

No farewell to poor Isabel, thy queen?

EDWARD

Yes, yes, for Mortimer, your lover's sake.

Exeunt all;
ISABELLA
remains
.

QUEEN

Heavens can witness I love none but you.

From my embracements thus he breaks away.

O, that mine arms could close this isle about,

That I might pull him to me where I would,

Or that these tears that drizzle from mine eyes

20       Had power to mollify his stony heart,

That when I had him we might never part!

Enter the
BARONS
[
LANCASTER, WARWICK, MORTIMER JUNIOR
and others
].
Alarums
.

LANCASTER

I wonder how he 'scaped.

MORTIMER
     Who's this, the queen?

QUEEN

Ay, Mortimer, the miserable queen,

Whose pining heart her inward sighs have blasted,

And body with continual mourning wasted.

These hands are tired with haling of my lord

From Gaveston, from wicked Gaveston,

And all in vain, for when I speak him fair

He turns away and smiles upon his minion.

MORTIMER

30        Cease to lament, and tell us where's the king?

QUEEN

What would you with the king? Is't him you seek?

LANCASTER

No, madam, but that cursèd Gaveston.

Far be it from the thought of Lancaster

To offer violence to his sovereign;

We would but rid the realm of Gaveston.

Tell us where he remains, and he shall die.

QUEEN

He's gone by water unto Scarborough;

Pursue him quickly, and he cannot 'scape.

The king hath left him, and his train is small.

WARWICK

40        Forslow no time, sweet Lancaster, let's march.

MORTIMER

How comes it that the king and he is parted?

QUEEN

That this your army, going several ways,

Might be of lesser force, and, with the power

That he intendeth presently to raise,

Be easily suppressed; and therefore begone.

MORTIMER

Here in the river rides a
Flemish hoy
.

Let's all aboard and follow him amain.

LANCASTER

The wind that bears him hence will fill our sails.

Come, come, aboard. 'Tis but an hour's sailing.

MORTIMER

50       Madam, stay you within this castle here.

QUEEN

No, Mortimer, I'll to my lord the king.

MORTIMER

Nay, rather sail with us to Scarborough.

QUEEN

You know the king is so suspicious

As, if he hear I have but talked with you,

Mine honour will be called in question,

And therefore, gentle Mortimer, begone.

MORTIMER

Madam, I cannot stay to answer you,

But think of Mortimer as he deserves.

[
Exeunt all; the
QUEEN
remains
.]

QUEEN

So well hast thou deserved, sweet Mortimer,

60       As Isabel could live with thee for ever.

In vain I look for love at Edward's hand,

Whose eyes are fixed on none but Gaveston.

Yet once more I'll importune him with prayers.

If he be strange and not regard my words,

My son and I will over into France,

And to the king my brother there complain

How Gaveston hath robbed me of his love;

But yet I hope my sorrows will have end,

And Gaveston this blessèd day be slain.

Exit
.

Enter
GAVESTON
,
pursued
.

GAVESTON

Yet, lusty lords, I have escaped your hands,

Your threats, your 'larums, and your hot pursuits;

And though divorcèd from King Edward's eyes,

Yet liveth Piers of Gaveston
unsurprised
,

Breathing, in hope (
malgrado
all your beards,

That muster rebels thus against your king)

To see his royal sovereign once again.

Enter the
NOBLES
[
WARWICK, LANCASTER, PEMBROKE, MORTIMER JUNIOR
,
with
SOLDIERS, JAMES, HORSEBOY
,
and
ATTENDANTS
].

WARWICK

Upon him, soldiers! Take away his weapons.

MORTIMER

Thou proud disturber of thy country's peace,

Corrupter of thy king, cause of these broils,

10       Base flatterer, yield! And were it not for shame,

Shame and dishonour to a soldier's name,

Upon my weapon's point here shouldst thou fall,

And
welter in thy gore
.

LANCASTER
              Monster of men,

That, like
the Greekish strumpet
, trained to arms

And bloody wars so many valiant knights,

Look for no other fortune, wretch, than death.

Kind Edward is not here to buckler thee.

WARWICK

Lancaster, why talk'st thou to the slave?

Go, soldiers, take him hence, for by my sword,

20       His head shall off. Gaveston, short warning

Shall serve thy turn; it is our country's cause

That here severely we will execute

Upon thy person. Hang him at a bough.

GAVESTON
My lord!

WARWICK

Soldiers, have him away.

But
, for thou wert the favourite of a king,

Thou shalt have so much honour at our hands.

GAVESTON

I thank you all, my lords. Then I perceive

30       That heading is one, and hanging is the other,

And death is all.

Enter
EARL OF ARUNDEL
.

LANCASTER

How now, my lord of Arundel?

ARUNDEL

My lords, King Edward greets you all by me.

WARWICK

Arundel, say your message.

ARUNDEL
      His majesty,

Hearing that you had taken Gaveston,

Entreateth you by me yet but he may

See him before he dies, for why, he says,

And sends you word, he knows that die he shall;

And if you gratify his grace so far,

40       He will be mindful of the courtesy.

WARWICK

How now?

GAVESTON
Renownèd Edward, how thy name

Revives poor Gaveston!

WARWICK
           No, it needeth not.

Arundel, we will gratify the king

In other matters; he must pardon us in this.

Soldiers, away with him.

GAVESTON
              Why, my lord of Warwick,

Will not these delays beget my hopes?

I know it, lords, it is this life you aim at;

Yet grant King Edward this.

MORTIMER
           Shalt thou appoint

What we shall grant? Soldiers, away with him.

50       Thus we'll gratify the king:

We'll send his head by thee. Let him bestow

His tears on that, for that is all he gets

Of Gaveston, or else his senseless trunk.

LANCASTER

Not so, my lord, lest he bestow more cost

In burying him than he hath ever earned.

ARUNDEL

My lords, it is his majesty's request,

And, in the honour of a king, he swears

He will but talk with him and send him back.

WARWICK

When, can you tell? Arundel, no.

We wot, he that the care of realm remits

60       And drives his nobles to these exigents

For Gaveston will, if he
seize
him once,

Violate any promise to possess him.

ARUNDEL

Then if you will not trust his grace
in keep
,

My lords, I will be pledge
for
his return.

MORTIMER

It is honourable in thee to offer this,

But, for we know thou art a noble gentleman,

We will not wrong thee so

To make
away a true man for a thief.

GAVESTON

70        How mean'st thou, Mortimer? That is over-base.

MORTIMER

Away, base groom, robber of king's renown!

Question
with thy companions and thy mates.

PEMBROKE

My lord Mortimer, and you my lords each one,

To gratify the king's request therein

Touching the sending of this Gaveston,

Because his majesty so earnestly

Desires to see the man before his death,

I will upon mine honour undertake

To carry him and bring him back again,

80              Provided this: that you, my lord of Arundel,

Will join with me.

WARWICK
     Pembroke, what wilt thou do?

Cause yet more bloodshed? Is it not enough

That we have taken him, but must we now

Leave him on ‘
had-I-wist
' and let him go?

PEMBROKE

My lords, I will not
over-woo
your honours,

But, if you dare trust Pembroke with the prisoner,

Upon mine oath, I will return him back.

ARUNDEL

My lord of Lancaster, what say you
in this
?

LANCASTER

Why, I say let him go on Pembroke's word.

PEMBROKE

90       And you, lord Mortimer?

MORTIMER

How say you, my lord of Warwick?

WARWICK

Nay, do your pleasures. I know how 'twill prove.

PEMBROKE

Then give him me.

GAVESTON
         Sweet sovereign, yet I come

To see thee ere I die.

WARWICK
[
aside
]         Yet not, perhaps,

If Warwick's wit and policy prevail.

MORTIMER

My lord of Pembroke, we deliver him you;

Return him on your honour. Sound, away!

Exeunt;
PEMBROKE, ARUNDEL, GAVESTON
,
and
PEMBROKE'S MEN
,
four
SOLDIERS
remain
.

PEMBROKE
[
to
ARUNDEL
]

My lord, you shall go with me.

My house is not far hence, out of the way

100  A little, but our men shall go along.

We that have pretty wenches to our wives,

Sir, must not come so near and balk their lips.

ARUNDEL

'Tis very kindly spoke, my lord of Pembroke.

Your honour hath an adamant of power