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The troublesome raigne and lamentable death of Edward the Second, king of England: with the tragical fall of proud Mortimer and also the life and death of Piers Gaveston, the great Earle of Cornewall, and mighty favourite of King Edward the Second. As it was publickly acted by the Right Honorable the Earle of Pembroke his servauntes. Written by Chri. Marlow, Gent. Imprinted at London, by Richard Bradocke, for William Jones, dwelling neere Holbourne Conduit, at the signe of the Gunne, 1598, 4to.

This tragedy was entered on the book of the Stationers' Company in July, 1593, and was printed in 1598; again in 1612, 4to. and a third time in 1622, 4to. It is not in the former editions divided into acts.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

EDWARD II.

EDWARD III.

GAVESTON.

OLD SPENCER.

YOUNG SPENCER.

EARL MORTIMER.

YOUNG MORTIMER.

LANCASTER.

LEICESTER.

EDMUND, EARL of Kent.
ARUNDEL.

WARWICK.

PEMBROKE.

ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY.

BISHOP of WINCHESTER.

BISHOP of COVENTRY.

BEAUMONT.

SIR JOHN HAINAULT.

LEVUNE.

BALDOCK.

MATREVIS.

GURNEY.

RICE AP HOWEL.

LIGHTBORN.

Аввот.

MESSENGERS, &c.

QUEEN ISABELLA.

EDWARD THE SECOND.

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE I.

Enter GAVESTON, reading a letter from the king.

6

GAV. My father is deceas'd! 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 enforc'd me to have swam from France, And like Leander, gasp'd upon the sand,

So thou wouldst smile, and take me in thine arms.
The sight of London to my exil'd 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 arctick people love star-light,
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.

From the parliament. I'll stand aside.

Enter the KING, LANCASTER, MORTIMER, senior, MORTIMER, junior, EDMUND EARL of KENT, GUY EARL of WARWICK, &c.

EDW. Lancaster!

LAN. My lord.

GAV. That earl of Lancaster do I abhor. [Aside.
EDW. Will you not grant me this? In spite of

them

I'll have my will; and these two Mortimers,
That cross me thus, shall know I am displeas'd.

E. MOR. If you love us, my lord, hate Gaveston.
GAV. That villain Mortimer, I'll be his death !

[Aside. Y. MOR. Mine uncle here, this earl, and I myself, Were sworn unto your father at his death,

That he should ne'er return into the realm:

And know, my lord, e'er I will break my oath,
This sword of mine, that should offend your foes,
Shall sleep within the scabbard at thy need,
And underneath thy banners march who will,
For Mortimer will hang his armour up.

GAV. Mort dieu !

[Aside.

EDW. Well, Mortimer, I'll make thee rue these

words.

Beseems it thee to contradict thy king?

Frown'st thou thereat, aspiring Lancaster?

The sword shall plane the furrows of thy brows,
And hew these knees that now are grown so stiff.
I will have Gaveston; and you shall know

What danger 'tis to stand against your king.

GAV. Well done, Ned!

[Aside.

LAN. My lord, why do you thus incense your peers,

That naturally would love and honour you

But for that base and obscure Gaveston?
Four earldoms have I, besides Lancaster-
Derby, Salisbury, Lincoln, Leicester,
These will I sell, to give my soldiers pay,
Ere Gaveston shall stay within the realm;
Therefore, if he be come, expel him straight.

EDW. Barons and earls, your pride hath made me

mute;

But now I'll speak, and to the proof, I hope.

I do remember, in my father's days,

Lord Piercy of the North, being highly mov'd,
Brav'd Mowbery in presence of the king;
For which, had not his highness lov'd him well,
He should have lost his head; but with his look
Th' undaunted spirit of Piercy was appeas'd,
And Mowbery and he were reconcil'd.
Yet dare you brave the king unto his face;
Brother, revenge it, and let these their heads,
Preach upon poles, for trespass of their tongues.
WAR. Oh, our heads!

EDW. Aye, yours; aud therefore I would wish you grant.

WAR. Bridle thy anger, gentle Mortimer.

Y. MOR. I cannot, nor I will not; I must speak. Cousin, our hands I hope shall fence our heads, And strike off his that makes you threaten us.

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