Edw. Welcome, old man, com'st thou in Edward's aid ? Then tell thy prince of whence, and what thou art. O. Spen. Lo, with a band of bowmen and of pikes, I come in person to your majesty, Spencer, the father of Hugh Spencer there, For favour done, in him, unto us all. Edw. Thy father, Spencer? Y. Spen. True, an it like your grace, That pours, in lieu of all your goodness shown, His life, my lord, before your princely feet. Edw. Welcome ten thousand times, old man, again. Argues thy noble mind and disposition. Because we hear Lord Bruce doth sell his land, And that the Mortimers are in hand withal, Thou shalt have crowns of us to outbid the barons; Soldiers, a largess, and thrice welcome all! Enter the QUEEN and her SON, and LEVUNE. Madam, what news? Y. Spen. My lord, here comes the queen. Informeth us, by letters and by words That Lord Valois our brother, King of France, Because your highness hath been slack in homage, Hath seized Normandy into his hands. These be the letters, this the messenger. Edw. Welcome, Levune. Tush, Sib, if this be all, Valois and I will soon be friends again. Never behold thee more? Madam, in this, We will employ you and your little son; Prince. Commit not to my youth things of more weight Than fits a prince so young as I to bear, And fear not, lord and father, heaven's great beams On Atlas' shoulder shall not lie more safe, Than shall your charge committed to my trust. Queen. Ah, boy! this towardness makes thy mother fear Thou art not markt to many days on earth. Edw. Madam, we will that you with speed be shipt, With all the haste we can dispatch him hence. And go in peace, leave us in wars at home. Queen. Unnatural wars, where subjects brave their king; God end them once. My lord, I take my leave, To make my preparation for France. Enter ARUNDEL. [Exit with PRince. Edw. What, Lord Arúndel, dost thou come alone? Tell me, Arundel, died he ere thou cam'st, Or didst thou see my friend to take his death? Arun. Neither, my lord; for as he was surprised, I did your highness' message to them all; Unto your highness, and to bring him back. Edw. And tell me, would the rebels deny me that? Edw. Yea, Spencer, traitors all. Arun. I found them at the first inexorable; The Earl of Warwick would not bide the hearing, Mortimer hardly, Lancaster and Pembroke Spake least and when they flatly had denied, The Earl of Pembroke mildly thus bespake; "My lords, because our sovereign sends for him, I will this undertake to have him hence, Edw. Well, and how fortunes that he came not then? For being deliv'red unto Pembroke's men, Their lord rode home thinking his prisoner safe; Y. Spen. A bloody part, flatly 'gainst law of arms. [Exit ARUNDEL. Edw. O shall I speak, or shall I sigh and die? Y. Spen. My lord, refer your vengeance to the sword Upon these barons; hearten up your men ; Let them not unrevenged murder your friends! Advance your standard, Edward, in the field, And march to fire them from their starting holes. Edw. By earth, the common mother of us all! By heaven, and all the moving orbs thereof! By this right hand! and by my father's sword! And all the honours 'longing to my crown! I will have heads and lives for him, as many As I have manors, castles, towns, and towers. Treacherous Warwick! traitorous Mortimer! If I be England's king, in lakes of gore Your headless trunks, your bodies will I trail, That you may drink your fill, and quaff in blood. And stain my royal standard with the same, That so my bloody colours may suggest Remembrance of revenge immortally On your accurséd traitorous progeny, You villains, that have slain my Gaveston! And in his place of honour and of trust, Spencer, sweet Spencer, I adopt thee here: And merely of our love we do create thee Earl of Gloster, and Lord Chamberlain, Despite of times, despite of enemies. Y. Spen. My lord, here is a messenger from the barons Desires accéss unto your majesty. Edw. Admit him near. Enter Herald. Her. Long live King Edward, England's lawful lord! Well, say thy message. Her. The barons up in arms, by me salute You will this grief have ease and remedy, That deads the royal vine, whose golden leaves And have old servitors in high esteem, And shake off smooth dissembling flatterers : Are to your highness vow'd and consecrate. Y. Spen. Ah, traitors! will they still display their pride? Edw. Away, tarry no answer, but be gone! Rebels, will they appoint their sovereign His sports, his pleasures, and his company ? Yet, ere thou go, see how I do divorce [Embraces SPENCER. Spencer from me.-Now get thee to thy lords, And tell them I will come to chástise them For murdering Gaveston; hie thee, get thee gone! And do confront and countermand their king. All. St. George for England, and King Edward's right. [Alarums. Exeunt. ACT III SCENE I. The King's Camp. Enter EDWARD and his Followers, with the BARONS and KENT, captives. Edw. Now, lusty lords, now, not by chance of war, But justice of the quarrel and the cause, Vail'd is your pride; methinks you hang the heads, To be avenged on you for all your braves, To whom right well you knew our soul was knit, Ah, rebels recreants! you made him away. Kent. Brother, in regard of thee, and of thy land, Did they remove that flatterer from thy throne. Edw. So, sir, you have spoke; away, avoid our presence! Accursed wretch, was't in regard of us, When we had sent our messenger to request [Exit KENT. He might be spared to come to speak with us, War. Tyrant, I scorn thy threats and menaces, Lan. The worst is death, and better die to live Than live in infamy under such a king. Edw. Away with them, my lord of Winchester ! |