K. Edw. But that grief keeps me waking, I should sleep;
For not these ten days have these eye-lids clos'd.
Now, as I speak, they fall; and yet with fear
Open again. O, wherefore sitt'st thou here?
Light. If you mistrust me, I'll be gone, my lord.
K. Edw. No, no; for, if thou mean'st to murder me,
Thou wilt return again; and therefore stay.

Light. He sleeps.

[Sleeps.

K. Edw. [waking] O, let me not die yet! O, stay a while!
Light. How now, my lord!

K. Edw. Something still buzzeth in mine ears,
And tells me, if I sleep, I never wake:

This fear is that which makes me tremble thus;
And therefore tell me, wherefore art thou come?
Light. To rid thee of thy life.-Matrevis, come!

Enter MATREVIS and GURNEY.

K. Edw. I am too weak and feeble to resist.-
Assist me, sweet God, and receive my soul!
Light. Run for the table.

K. Edw. O, spare me, or despatch me in a trice!

[Matrevis brings in a table. King Edward is murdered by holding him down on the bed with the table, and stamping on it.

Light. So, lay the table down, and stamp on it,

But not too hard, lest that you bruise his body. Mat. I fear me that this will raise the town,

And therefore let us take horse and away. Light. Tell me, sirs, was it not bravely done? Gur. Excellent well: take this for thy reward.

[Stabs Lightborn, who dies.

Come, let us cast the body in the moat,
And bear the king's to Mortimer our lord:
Away!

[Exeunt with the bodies.

Enter the younger MORTIMER and MATREVIS.

Y. Mor. Is't done, Matrevis, and the murderer dead?
Mat. Ay, my good lord: I would it were undone!
Y. Mor. Matrevis, if thou now grow'st penitent,
I'll be thy ghostly father; therefore choose,
Whether thou wilt be secret in this,

Or else die by the hand of Mortimer.
Mat. Gurney, my lord, is fled, and will, I fear,

Betray us both; therefore let me fly.

Y. Mor. Fly to the savages!

Mat. I humbly thank your honour.

Y. Mor. As for myself, I stand as Jove's huge tree,
And others are but shrubs compar'd to me:
All tremble at my name, and I fear none:
Let's see who dare impeach me for his death!

Enter QUEEN ISABELLA.

[Exit.

Q. Isab. Ah, Mortimer, the king my son hath news,
His father's dead, and we have murder'd him!
Y. Mor. What if he have? the king is yet a child.
Q. Isab. Ay, but he tears his hair, and wrings his hands,
And vows to be reveng'd upon us both.

Into the council-chamber he is gone,

To crave the aid and succour of his

peers.

Ay me, see where he comes, and they with him!
Now, Mortimer, begins our tragedy.

Enter KING EDWARD THE THIRD, Lords, and Attendants.

First Lord. Fear not, my lord; know that you are a king. K. Edw. Third. Villain!

Y. Mor. Ho, now, my lord!

K. Edw. Third. Think not that I am frighted with thy words:

My father's murder'd through thy treachery;

And thou shalt die, and on his mournful hearse

Thy hateful and accursed head shall lie,

To witness to the world that by thy means

His kingly body was too soon interr'd.

Q. Isab. Weep not, sweet son.

K. Edw. Third. Forbid not me to weep; he was my father;
And had you lov'd him half so well as I,

You could not bear his death thus patiently:
But you, I fear, conspir'd with Mortimer.

First Lord. Why speak you not unto my lord the king?
Y. Mor. Because I think scorn to be accus'd.

Who is the man dares say I murder'd him?

K. Edw. Third. Traitor, in me my loving father speaks,
And plainly saith, 'twas thou that murder'dst him.
Y. Mor. But hath your grace no other proof than this?
K. Edw. Third. Yes, if this be the hand of Mortimer.

[Showing letter.

Y. Mor. False Gurney hath betray'd me and himself.
[Aside to Queen Isabella.
Q. Isab. I fear'd as much: murder can not be hid.
Y. Mor. It is my hand; what gather you by this?
K. Edw. Third. That thither thou didst send a murderer.
Y. Mor. What murderer? bring forth the man I sent.
K. Edw. Third. Ah, Mortimer, thou know'st that he is slain !
And so shalt thou be too.-Why stays he here?
Bring him unto a hurdle, drag him forth;
Hang him, I say, and set his quarters up:
And bring his head back presently to me.
Q. Isab. For my sake, sweet son, pity Mortimer!
Y. Mor. Madam, entreat not: I will rather die
Than sue for life unto a paltry boy.

K. Edw. Third. Hence with the traitor, with the murderer!
Y. Mor. Base Fortune, now I see, that in thy wheel
There is a point, to which when men aspire,

They tumble headlong down: that point I touch'd,
And, seeing there was no place to mount up higher,
Why should I grieve at my declining fall?—
Farewell, fair queen: weep not for Mortimer,
That scorns the world, and, as a traveller,
Goes to discover countries yet unknown.

K. Edw. Third. What, suffer you the traitor to delay?
[Exit the younger Mortimer with First Lord and
some of the Attendants.

Q. Isab. As thou receivest thy life from me,

Spill not the blood of gentle Mortimer!

K. Edw. Third. This argues that you spilt my father's blood, Else would you not entreat for Mortimer.

Q. Isab. I spill his blood! no.

K. Edw. Third. Ay, madam, you; for so the rumour runs. Q. Isab. That rumour is untrue: for loving thee,

Is this report rais'd on poor Isabel.

K. Edw. Third. I do not think her so unnatural.

Sec. Lord. My lord, I fear me it will prove too true.

K. Edw. Third. Mother, you are suspected for his death
And therefore we commit you to the Tower,

Till further trial may be made thereof.
If you be guilty, though I be your son,
Think not to find me slack or pitiful.

Q. Isab. Nay, to my death; for too long have I liv'd,
Whenas my son thinks to abridge my days.

K. Edw. Third. Away with her! her words enforce these

tears,

And I shall pity her, if she speak again.

Q. Isab. Shall I not mourn for my beloved lord?
And with the rest accompany him to his

grave.
Sec. Lord. Thus, madam, 'tis the king's will you shall hence.
Q. Isab. He hath forgotten me: stay; I am his mother.
Sec. Lord. That boots not; therefore, gentle madam, go.
Q. Isab. Then come, sweet death, and rid me of this grief!
[Exit with Second Lord and some of the Attendants.
Re-enter First Lord, with the head of the younger
MORTIMER.

First Lord. My lord, here is the head of Mortimer.

K. Edw. Third. Go fetch my father's hearse, where it shall

lie;

And bring my funeral robes.

[Exeunt Attendants.

Accursed head,

Could I have rul'd thee then, as I do now,

Thou hadst not hatch'd this monstrous treachery!—
Here comes the hearse: help me to mourn, my lords.

Re-enter Attendants, with the hearse and funeral robes.
Sweet father, here unto thy murder'd ghost
I offer up the wicked traitor's head;

And let these tears, distilling from mine eyes,
Be witness of my grief and innocency.

[Exeunt.

Enter CHARLES, the French king; CATHERINE, the Queen-
Mother; the King of NAVARRE; MARGARET, Queen of
Navarre; the PRINCE OF CONDÉ; the LORD HIGH
ADMIRAL; the OLD QUEEN OF NAVARRE; with others.

Char. Prince of Navarre, my honourable brother,
Prince Condé, and my good Lord Admiral,

I wish this union and religious league,
Knit in these hands, thus join'd in nuptial rites,
May not dissolve till death dissolve our lives;
And that the native sparks of princely love,
That kindled first this motion in our hearts,
May still be fuell'd in our progeny.

Nav. The many favours which your grace hath shown,
From time to time, but specially in this,

Shall bind me ever to your highness' will,

In what Queen-Mother or your grace commands.