KING EDWARD II

H

VOL. 1

PERSONS REPRESENTED

KING EDWARD II.

PRINCE EDWARD, afterwards EDWARD III.

PIERS GAVESTON, the King's favourite.

HUGH SPENCER, the elder.

HUGH SPENCER, his son, the King's second favourite.

ROBERT BALDOCK, tutor to MARGARET.

LEVUNE, a Frenchman.

EDMUND, Earl of Arundel.

EDMUND OF WOODSTOCK, Earl of Kent, the King's brother.

Opposed to the King.

ROGER MORTIMER of Chirke, Earl of Wiltshire.

ROGER MORTIMER of Wigmore, his nephew.

THOMAS, Earl of Lancaster.

HENRY, Earl of Leicester, his brother.

GUY DE BEAUCHAMP, Earl of Warwick.
AYMER DE VALENCE, Earl of Pembroke.
ROBERT, Archbishop of Canterbury.

JOHN DE STRATFORD, Bishop of Winchester.
WALTER LANGTON, Bishop of Coventry.

SIR THOMAS BERKELEY.

SIR WILLIAM TRUSSEL.

SIR JOHN HAINAULT.

SIR THOMAS GURNEY.
THE ABBOT OF NETH.

RICE AP HOWEL.

LIGHTBORN.

SIR JOHN MATREVIS.

ISABELLA, Queen to EDWARD II.

MARGARET, daughter of the late Earl of Gloster, niece to EDWARD II.

KING EDWARD II

ACT I

SCENE I.-Westminster.

The Palace Garden.

Enter GAVESTON, reading a letter from the KING.

Gav.

My father is deceased! Come, Gaveston,

And share the kingdom with thy dearest friend.
Ah! words that make me surfeit with delight!
What greater bliss can hap to Gaveston,
Than live and be the favourite of a king!

Sweet prince, I come; these, these thy amorous lines
Might have enforced me to have swum from France,
And like Leander, gaspt upon the sand,

So thou would'st smile, and take me in thine arms.
The sight of London to my exiled eyes

Is as Elysium to a new-come soul;
Not that I love the city, or the men,
But that it harbours him I hold so dear--
The king, upon whose bosom let me lie,
And with the world be still at enmity.
What need the arctic people love starlight,
To whom the sun shines both by day and night?
Farewell base stooping to the lordly peers!
My knee shall bow to none but to the king.
As for the multitude, they are but sparks,
Raked up in embers of their poverty,—

So much for them,-I'll fawn first on the wind
That glanceth at my lips, and flieth away.
But how now, what are these?

I Man.

Enter three poor Men.

Your worship's service.

Such as desire

To wait, and tell me lies at dinner-time;

And as I like your díscoursing, I'll have you.

And what art thou?

3 Man. A soldier, that hath served against the Scot.
Gav. Why there are hospitals for such as you;

I have no war; and therefore, sir, be gone.

3 Man. Farewell, and perish by a soldier's hand, That would'st reward them with an hospital.

Gav. Ay, ay, these words of his move me as much
As if a goose should play the porcupine,

And dart her plumes, thinking to pierce my breast.
But yet it is no pain to speak men fair;

I'll flatter these, and make them live in hope.
You know that I came lately out of France,
And yet I have not view'd my lord the king;
If I speed well, I'll entertain you all.
We thank your worship.

I Man.
Gav.

Go, leave me to myself.

2 Man.

About the court.

[Aside.

I have some business.

We will wait here

[Exeunt.

These are not men for me;

Gav.

I must have wanton poets, pleasant wits,
Musicians, that with touching of a string
May draw the pliant king which way I please.
Music and poetry is his delight;

Therefore I'll have Italian masks by night,
Sweet speeches, comedies, and pleasing shows;
And in the day, when he shall walk abroad,
Like sylvan nymphs my pages shall be clad;
My men, like satyrs grazing on the lawns,
Shall with their goat-feet dance the antic hay.
Sometime a lovely boy in Dian's shape,
With hair that gilds the water as it glides,
Crownets of pearl about his naked arms,