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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Edward II

Act: 3 Scene: 1<<

Enter king Edward and Spencer, [Baldock,] with Drummes and Fifes.

Edward

I long to heare an answer from the Barons

Touching my friend, my deerest Gaveston.

Ah Spencer, not the riches of my realme

Can ransome him, ah he is markt to die,

I know the malice of the yonger Mortimer,

Warwick I know is roughe, and Lancaster

Inexorable, and I shall never see

My lovely Pierce , my Gaveston againe,

The Barons overbeare me with their pride.

Spencer

Were I king Edward, Englands soveraigne,

Sonne to the lovelie Elenor of Spaine,

Great Edward Longshankes issue: would I beare

These braves, this rage, and suffer uncontrowld

These Barons thus to beard me in my land,

In mine owne realme? my lord pardon my speeche,

Did you retaine your fathers magnanimitie,

Did you regard the honor of your name,

You would not suffer thus your majestie

Be counterbuft of your nobilitie.

Strike off their heads, and let them preach on poles,

No doubt, such lessons they will teach the rest,

As by their preachments they will profit much,

And learne obedience to their lawfull king.

Edward

Yea gentle Spencer, we have beene too milde,

Too kinde to them, but now have drawne our sword,

And if they send me not my Gaveston,

Weele steele it on their crest, and powle their tops.

Baldock

This haught resolve becomes your majestie,

Not to be tied to their affection,

As though your highnes were a schoole boy still,

And must be awde and governd like a child.

Enter Hugh Spencer an old man, father to the yong Spencer, with his trunchion, and soldiers.

Spencer pater

Long live my soveraigne the noble Edward,

In peace triumphant, fortunate in warres.

Edward

Welcome old man, comst thou in Edwards aide?

Then tell thy prince, of whence, and what thou art.

Spencer pater

Loe, with a band of bowmen and of pikes,

Browne bils, and targetiers, foure hundred strong,

Sworne to defend king Edwards royall right,

I come in person to your majestie,

Spencer, the father of Hugh Spencer there,

Bound to your highnes everlastinglie,

For favors done in him, unto us all.

Edward

Thy father Spencer?

Spencer

True, and it like your grace,

That powres in lieu of all your goodnes showne,

His life, my lord, before your princely feete.

Edward

Welcome ten thousand times, old man againe.

Spencer, this love, this kindnes to thy King,

Argues thy noble minde and disposition:

Spencer, I heere create thee earle of Wilshire ,

And daily will enrich thee with our favour,

That as the sun-shine shall reflect ore thee:

Beside, the more to manifest our love,

Because we heare Lord Bruse dooth sell his land,

And that the Mortimers are in hand withall,

Thou shalt have crownes of us, t'out bid the Barons,

And Spencer, spare them not, but lay it on.

Souldiers a largis, and thrice welcome all.

Spencer

My lord, here comes the Queene.

Enter the Queene and her sonne, and Levune a Frenchman.

Edward

Madam, what newes?

Queene

Newes of dishonor lord, and discontent,

Our friend Levune, faithfull and full of trust,

Informeth us, by letters and by words,

That lord Valoyes our brother, king of Fraunce,

Because your highnesse hath beene slack in homage,

Hath seazed Normandie into his hands.

These be the letters, this the messenger.

Edward

Welcome Levune, tush Sib, if this be all,

Valoys and I will soone be friends againe.

But to my Gaveston: shall I never see,

Never behold thee now? Madam in this matter

We will employ you and your little sonne,

You shall go parley with the king of Fraunce.

Boye, see you beare you bravelie to the king,

And do your message with a majestie.

Prince

Commit not to my youth things of more waight

Then fits a prince so yong as I to beare,

And feare not lord and father, heavens great beames

On Atlas shoulder, shall not lie more safe,

Then shall your charge committed to my trust.

Queene

A boye, this towardnes makes thy mother feare

Thou art not markt to many daies on earth.

Edward

Madam, we will that you with speed be shipt,

And this our sonne, Levune shall follow you,

With all the hast we can dispatch him hence.

Choose of our lords to beare you companie,

And go in peace, leave us in warres at home.

Queene

Unnatural wars, where subjects brave their king,

God end them once, my lord I take my leave,

To make my preparation for Fraunce.

Enter lord Arundell.

Edward

What lord Arundell, dost thou come alone?

Arundell

Yea my good lord, for Gaveston is dead.

Edward

Ah traitors, have they put my friend to death?

Tell me Arundell, died he ere thou camst,

Or didst thou see my friend to take his death?

Arundell. Neither my lord, for as he was surprizd,

Begirt with weapons, and with enemies round,

I did your highnes message to them all,

Demanding him of them, entreating rather,

And said, upon the honour of my name,

That I would undertake to carrie him

Unto your highnes, and to bring him back.

Edward

And tell me, would the rebels denie me that?

Spencer

Proud recreants.

Edward

Yea Spencer, traitors all.

Arundell

I found them at the first inexorable,

The earle of Warwick would not bide the hearing,

Mortimer hardly, Penbrooke and Lancaster

Spake least: and when they flatly had denyed,

Refusing to receive me pledge for him,

The earle of Penbrooke mildlie thus bespake.

My lords, because our soveraigne sends for him,

And promiseth he shall be safe returnd,

I will this undertake, to have him hence,

And see him redelivered to your hands.

Edward

Well, and how fortunes that he came not?

Spencer

Some treason, or some villanie was cause.

Arundell

The earle of Warwick seazde him on his way,

For being delivered unto Penbrookes men,

Their lord rode home, thinking his prisoner safe,

But ere he came, Warwick in ambush laie,

And bare him to his death, and in a trenche

Strake off his head, and marcht unto the campe.

Spencer

A bloudie part, flatly against law of armes.

Edward

O shall I speake, or shall I sigh and die!

Spencer

My lord, referre your vengeance to the sword,

Upon these Barons, harten up your men,

Let them not unrevengd murther your friends,

Advaunce your standard Edward in the field,

And marche to fire them from their starting holes.

Edward kneeles, and saith.

By earth, the common mother of us all,

By heaven, and all the mooving orbes thereof,

By this right hand, and by my fathers sword,

And all the honors longing to my crowne,

I will have heads, and lives, for him as many,

As I have manors, castels, townes, and towers:

Tretcherous Warwicke, traiterous Mortimer,

If I be Englands king, in lakes of gore

Your headles trunkes, your bodies will I traile,

That you may drinke your fill, and quaffe in bloud,

And staine my roiall standard with the same,

That so my bloudie colours may suggest

Remembrance of revenge immortallie,

On your accursed traiterous progenie,

You villaines that have slaine my Gaveston:

And in this place of honor and of trust, [Rises.]

Spencer, sweet Spencer, I adopt thee heere,

And meerely of our love we do create thee

Earle of Gloster, and lord Chamberlaine,

Despite of times, despite of enemies.

Spencer

My lord, here is a messenger from the Barons,

Desires accesse unto your majestie.

Edward

Admit him neere.

Enter the Herald from the Barons, with his coate of armes.

Herald

Long live king Edward, Englands lawful lord.

Edward

So wish not they Iwis that sent thee hither,

Thou comst from Mortimer and his complices,

A ranker route of rebels never was:

Well, say thy message.

Herald

The Barons up in armes, by me salute

Your highnes, with long life and happines,

And bid me say as plainer to your grace,

That if without effusion of bloud,

You will this greefe have ease and remedie,

That from your princely person you remoove

This Spencer, as a putrifying branche,

That deads the royall vine, whose golden leaves

Empale your princelie head, your diadem,

Whose brightnes such pernitious upstarts dim,

Say they, and lovinglie advise your grace,

To cherish vertue and nobilitie,

And have old servitors in high esteeme,

And shake off smooth dissembling flatterers:

This graunted, they, their honors, and their lives,

Are to your highnesse vowd and consecrate.

Spencer

A traitors, will they still display their pride?

Edward

Away, tarrie no answer, but be gon.

Rebels, will they appoint their soveraigne

His sports, his pleasures, and his companie:

Yet ere thou go, see how I do devorce Embrace Spencer.

Spencer from me: now get thee to thy lords,

And tell them I will come to chastise them,

For murthering Gaveston: hie thee, get thee gone,

Edward with fire and sword, followes at thy heeles.

[Exit Herald.]

My lords, perceive you how these rebels swell:

Souldiers, good harts, defend your soveraignes right,

For now, even now, we marche to make them stoope,

Away.

Exeunt.

Alarums, excursions, a great fight, and a retreate.

Enter the King, Spencer the father, Spencer the sonne, and the noblemen of the kings side.

Edward

Why do we sound retreat? upon them lords,

This day I shall powre vengeance with my sword

On those proud rebels that are up in armes,

And do confront and countermaund their king.

Spencer

I doubt it not my lord, right will prevaile.

Spencer pater

Tis not amisse my liege for eyther part,

To breathe a while, our men with sweat and dust

All chockt well neare, begin to faint for heate,

And this retire refresheth horse and man.

Spencer

Heere come the rebels.

Enter the Barons, Mortimer, Lancaster, Warwick, Penbrooke, cum caeteris.

Mortimer

Looke Lancaster,

Yonder is Edward among his flatterers.

Lancaster

And there let him bee,

Till hee pay deerely for their companie.

Warwicke

And shall or Warwicks sword shal smite in vaine.

Edward

What rebels, do you shrinke, and sound retreat ?

Mortimer

No Edward, no, thy flatterers faint and flie.

Lancaster

Th'ad best betimes forsake them and their trains,

For theile betray thee, traitors as they are.

Spencer

Traitor on thy face, rebellious Lancaster.

Penbrooke

Away base upstart, brav'st thou nobles thus?

Spenser pater

A noble attempt, and honourable deed,

Is it not, trowe ye, to assemble aide,

And levie armes against your lawfull king?

Edward

For which ere long, their heads shall satisfie,

T'appeaze the wrath of their offended king.

Mortimer

Then Edward, thou wilt fight it to the last,

And rather bathe thy sword in subjects bloud,

Then banish that pernicious companie?

Edward

I traitors all, rather then thus be bravde,

Make Englands civill townes huge heapes of stones,

And plowes to go about our pallace gates.

Warwicke

A desperate and unnaturall resolution,

Alarum to the fight,

Saint George for England, and the Barons right.

Edward

Saint George for England, and king Edwards right.

[Exeunt severally. Alarums.]

Enter Edward, with the Barons [and Kent] captives.

Edward

Now lustie lords, now not by chance of warre,

But justice of the quarrell and the cause,

Vaild is your pride: me thinkes you hang the heads,

But weele advance them traitors, now tis time

To be avengd on you for all your braves,

And for the murther of my deerest friend,

To whome right well you knew our soule was knit,

Good Pierce of Gaveston my sweet favoret,

A rebels, recreants, you made him away.

Kent

Brother, in regard of thee and of thy land,

Did they remoove that flatterer from thy throne.

Edward

So sir, you have spoke, away, avoid our presence.

[Exit Kent.]

Accursed wretches, wast in regard of us,

When we had sent our messenger to request

He might be spared to come to speake with us,

And Penbrooke undertooke for his returne,

That thou proud Warwicke watcht the prisoner,

Poore Pierce, and headed him against lawe of armes?

For which thy head shall over looke the rest,

As much as thou in rage out wentst the rest.

Warwicke

Tyrant, I scorne thy threats and menaces,

Tis but temporall that thou canst inflict.

Lancaster

The worst is death, and better die to live,

Then live in infamie under such a king.

Edward

Away with them: my lord of Winchester,

These lustie leaders Warwicke and Lancaster,

I charge you roundly off with both their heads,

Away.

Warwicke

Farewell vaine worlde.

Lancaster

Sweete Mortimer farewell.

[Barons led off by Spencer pater.]

Mortimer.

England, unkinde to thy nobilitie,

Grone for this greefe, behold how thou art maimed.

Edward

Go take that haughtie Mortimer to the tower,

There see him safe bestowed, and for the rest,

Do speedie execution on them all,

Be gon.

Mortimer

What Mortimer? can ragged stonie walles

Immure thy vertue that aspires to heaven?

No Edward, Englands scourge, it may not be,

Mortimers hope surmounts his fortune farre.

[Exit guarded.]

Edward

Sound drums and trumpets, marche with me my friends,

Edward this day hath crownd him king a new. Exit [attended].

Manent Spencer filius, Levune and Baldock.

Spencer.

Levune, the trust that we repose in thee,

Begets the quiet of king Edwards land,

Therefore be gon in hast, and with advice,

Bestowe that treasure on the lords of Fraunce,

That therewith all enchaunted like the guarde,

That suffered Jove to passe in showers of golde

To Danae, all aide may be denied

To Isabell the Queene, that now in France

Makes friends, to crosse the seas with her yong sonne,

And step into his fathers regiment.

Levune.

Thats it these Barons and the subtill Queene,

Long leveld at.

Baldock

Yea, but Levune thou seest,

These Barons lay their heads on blocks together,

What they intend, the hangman frustrates cleane.

Levune

Have you no doubts my lords, ile clap so close,

Among the lords of France with Englands golde,

That Isabell shall make her plaints in vaine,

And Fraunce shall be obdurat with her teares.

Spencer

Then make for Fraunce amaine, Levune away,

Proclaime king Edwards warres and victories.

Exeunt omnes.

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