Hie thee, get thee gone!
Edward with fire and sword follows at thy heels.
Exit Herald.
My lord, perceive you how these rebels swell?
Soldiers, good hearts, defend your sovereign's right,
For now, even now, we march to make them stoop.
Away!
Exeunt.
ACT THREE, SCENE THREE
Alarums, excursions, a great fight, and a retreat.
Enter the King, Spencer the father, Spencer the son,
and the noblemen of the King's side.
EDWARD. Why do we sound retreat? Upon them, lords!
This day I shall pour vengeance with my sword
On those proud rebels that are up in arms,
And do confront and countermand their king.
SPENCER. I doubt it not, my lord; right will prevail.
SPENCER THE FATHER. 'Tis not amiss, my liege, for either part
To breathe a while. Our men, with sweat and dust
All choked well near, begin to faint for heat;
And this retire refresheth horse and man.
SPENCER. Here come the rebels.
Enter the barons, Mortimer, Lancaster, Warwick, Pembroke, etc.
MORTIMER. Look, Lancaster, yonder is Edward
Among his flatterers.
LANCASTER. And there let him be,
Till he pay dearly for their company.
WARWICK. And shall, or Warwick's sword shall smite in vain.
EDWARD. What, rebels, do you shrink and sound retreat?
MORTIMER. No, Edward, no; thy flatterers faint and fly.
LANCASTER. Thou'd best betimes forsake them and their trains,
For they'll betray thee, traitors as they are.
SPENCER. Traitor on thy face, rebellious Lancaster.
PEMBROKE. Away, base upstart! Brav'st thou nobles thus?
SPENCER THE FATHER. A noble attempt and honourable deed,
Is it not, trow ye, to assemble aid
And levy arms against your lawful king?
EDWARD. For which, ere long, their heads shall satisfy
T' appease the wrath of their offended king.
MORTIMER. Then, Edward, thou wilt fight it to the last
And rather bathe thy sword in subjects' blood
Than banish that pernicious company.
EDWARD. Ay, traitors all, rather than thus be braved,
Make England's civil towns huge heaps of stones
And plows to go about our palace gates.
WARWICK. A desperate and unnatural resolution.
Alarum to the fight!
Saint George for England, and the barons' right!
EDWARD. Saint George for England, and King Edward's right!
Exeunt both parties different ways
Alarums.
Re-enter Edward with the Barons captives.
EDWARD. Now, lusty lords, now not by chance of war,
But justice of the quarrel and the cause,
Vailed is your pride. Methinks you hang the heads,
But we'll advance them, traitors. Now 'tis time
To be avenged on you for all your braves,
And for the murder of my dearest friend,
To whom right well you knew our soul was knit,
Good Piers of Gaveston, my sweet favourite.
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.
EDWARD. So, sir, you have spoke. Away, avoid our presence!
Exit Kent.
Accursed wretches, was't in regard of us,
When he had sent our messenger to request
He might be spared to come to speak with us,
And Pembroke undertook for his return,
That thou, proud Warwick, watched the prisoner,
Poor Piers, and headed him against law of arms?
For which thy head shall overlook the rest
As much as thou in rage outwent'st the rest.
WARWICK. Tyrant, I scorn thy threats and menaces;
'Tis but temporal that thou canst inflict.
LANCASTER. The worst is death; and better die to live
Than live in infamy under such a king.
EDWARD. Away with them, my lord of Winchester!
These lusty leaders, Warwick and Lancaster,
I charge you roundly, off with both their heads!
Away!
WARWICK. Farewell, vain world!
LANCASTER.