For kind and loving hast thou always been.
The griefs of private men are soon allayed,
But not of kings. The forest deer, being struck,
10 Runs to an herb that closeth up the wounds,
But when the imperial lion’s flesh is gored,
He rends and tears it with his wrathful paw,
And, highly scorning that the lowly earth
Should drink his blood, mounts up into the air;
And so it fares with me, whose dauntless mind
The ambitious Mortimer would seek to curb,
And that unnatural queen, false Isabel,
That thus hath pent and mewed me in a prison.
For such outrageous passions cloy my soul
20 As with the wings of rancour and disdain
Full often am I soaring up to heaven,
To plain me to the gods against them both;
But when I call to mind I am a king,
Methinks I should revenge me of the wrongs
That Mortimer and Isabel have done.
But what are kings, when regiment is gone,
But perfect shadows in a sunshine day?
My nobles rule, I bear the name of king;
I wear the crown but am controlled by them,
By Mortimer and my unconstant queen,
30 Who spots my nuptial bed with infamy,
Whilst I am lodged within this cave of care,
Where sorrow at my elbow still attends
To company my heart with sad laments
That bleeds within me for this strange exchange.
But tell me, must I now resign my crown
To make usurping Mortimer a king?
WINCHESTER
Your grace mistakes, it is for England’s good
And princely Edward’s right we crave the crown.
EDWARD
No, ’tis for Mortimer, not Edward’s head,
40 For he’s a lamb encompassèd by wolves
Which in a moment will abridge his life.
But if proud Mortimer do wear this crown,
Heavens turn it to a blaze of quenchless fire,
Or, like the snaky wreath of Tisiphon,
Engirt the temples of his hateful head!
So shall not England’s vine be perishèd,
But Edward’s name survives, though Edward dies.
LEICESTER
My lord, why waste you thus the time away?
50 They stay your answer. Will you yield your crown?
EDWARD
Ah, Leicester, weigh how hardly I can brook
To lose my crown and kingdom without cause,
To give ambitious Mortimer my right,
That like a mountain overwhelms my bliss,
In which extreme my mind here murdered is.
But what the heavens appoint, I must obey.
[He removes the crown.]
Here, take my crown, the life of Edward too!
Two kings in England cannot reign at once.
But stay a while. Let me be king till night,
60 That I may gaze upon this glittering crown;
So shall my eyes receive their last content,
My head the latest honour due to it,
And jointly both yield up their wishèd right.
Continue ever, thou celestial sun;
Let never silent night possess this clime.
Stand still, you watches of the element;
All times and seasons, rest you at a stay,
That Edward may be still fair England’s king.
But day’s bright beams doth vanish fast away,
70 And needs I must resign my wishèd crown.
Inhuman creatures, nursed with tiger’s milk,
Why gape you for your sovereign’s overthrow?
My diadem, I mean, and guiltless life.
[He puts the crown back on.]
See, monsters, see, I’ll wear my crown again.
What, fear you not the fury of your king?
But, hapless Edward, thou art fondly led;
They pass not for thy frowns as late they did,
But seeks to make a new-elected king,
Which fills my mind with strange despairing thoughts,
80 Which thoughts are martyréd with endless torments,
And in this torment comfort find I none
But that I feel the crown upon my head,
And therefore let me wear it yet a while.
TRUSSELL
My lord, the Parliament must have present news,
And therefore say, will you resign or no?
The KING rageth.
EDWARD
I’ll not resign, but whilst I live –
Traitors, begone, and join you with Mortimer!
Elect, conspire, install, do what you will;
Their blood and yours shall seal these treacheries.
WINCHESTER
This answer we’ll return, and so farewell.
90 [WINCHESTER and TRUSSELL move to leave.]
LEICESTER [to EDWARD]
Call them again, my lord, and speak them fair,
For if they go the prince shall lose his right.
EDWARD
Call thou them back. I have no power to speak.
LEICESTER [to WINCHESTER]
My lord, the king is willing to resign.
WINCHESTER If he be not, let him choose.
EDWARD
O, would I might! But heavens and earth conspire
To make me miserable. Here, receive my crown.
[He offers them the crown.]
Receive it? No, these innocent hands of mine
Shall not be guilty of so foul a crime.
He of you all that most desires my blood,
100 And will be called the murderer of a king,
Take it. What, are you moved? Pity you me?
Then send for unrelenting Mortimer,
And Isabel, whose eyes, being turned to steel,
Will sooner sparkle fire than shed a tear.
Yet stay, for rather than I will look on them,
Here, here. [He gives up the crown.]
Now, sweet God of heaven,
Make me despise this transitory pomp
And sit for aye enthronizèd in heaven!
Come, Death, and with thy fingers close my eyes,
110 Or if I live, let me forget myself.
WINCHESTER My lord –
EDWARD
Call me not lord. Away, out of my sight!
Ah, pardon me, grief makes me lunatic.
Let not that Mortimer protect my son;
More safety is there in a tiger’s jaws
Than his embracements. Bear this to the queen,
[he gives a handkerchief]
Wet with my tears and dried again with sighs;
If with the sight thereof she be not moved,
120 Return it back and dip it in my blood.
Commend me to my son, and bid him rule
Better than I. Yet how have I transgressed,
Unless it be with too much clemency?
TRUSSELL
And thus most humbly do we take our leave.
EDWARD
Farewell.
[Exeunt BISHOP OF WINCHESTER and TRUSSELL.]
I know the next news that they bring
Will be my death, and welcome shall it be;
To wretched men death is felicity.
Enter BERKELEY [giving LEICESTER a letter].
LEICESTER
Another post. What news brings he?
[He reads the letter.]
EDWARD
Such news as I expect. Come, Berkeley, come,
130 And tell thy message to my naked breast.
BERKELEY
My lord, think not a thought so villainous
Can harbour in a man of noble birth.
To do your highness service and devoir,
And save you from your foes, Berkeley would die.
LEICESTER
> My lord, the council of the queen commands
That I resign my charge.
EDWARD
And who must keep me now? Must you, my lord?
BERKELEY
Ay, my most gracious lord, so ’tis decreed.
[He hands the letter to the KING.]
EDWARD
By Mortimer, whose name is written here.
140 Well may I rend his name that rends my heart!
[He tears up the letter.]
This poor revenge hath something eased my mind.
So may his limbs be torn, as is this paper!
Hear me, immortal Jove, and grant it too.
BERKELEY
Your grace must hence with me to Berkeley straight.
EDWARD
Whither you will, all places are alike,
And every earth is fit for burial.
LEICESTER [to BERKELEY]
Favour him, my lord, as much as lieth in you.
BERKELEY
Even so betide my soul as I use him.
EDWARD
Mine enemy hath pitied my estate,
150 And that’s the cause that I am now removed.
BERKELEY
And thinks your grace that Berkeley will be cruel?
EDWARD
I know not, but of this am I assured:
That death ends all, and I can die but once.
Leicester, farewell.
LEICESTER
Not yet, my lord. I’ll bear you on your way.
Exeunt.
[Scene 22]
Enter MORTIMER [JUNIOR] and QUEEN ISABEL.
MORTIMER
Fair Isabel, now have we our desire:
The proud corrupters of the light-brained king
Have done their homage to the lofty gallows,
And he himself lies in captivity.
Be ruled by me, and we will rule the realm.
In any case, take heed of childish fear,
For now we hold an old wolf by the ears
That, if he slip, will seize upon us both
And grip the sorer, being gripped himself.
10 Think therefore, madam, that imports us much
To erect your son with all the speed we may
And that I be Protector over him,
For our behoof will bear the greater sway
Whenas a king’s name shall be under writ.
QUEEN
Sweet Mortimer, the life of Isabel,
Be thou persuaded that I love thee well;
And therefore, so the prince my son be safe,
Whom I esteem as dear as these mine eyes,
Conclude against his father what thou wilt
20 And I myself will willingly subscribe.
MORTIMER
First would I hear news that he were deposed,
And then let me alone to handle him.
Enter MESSENGER [with a letter, followed by the BISHOP OF WINCHESTER with the crown].
Letters, from whence?
MESSENGER [presenting the letter]
From Killingworth, my lord.
QUEEN
How fares my lord the king?
MESSENGER
In health, madam, but full of pensiveness.
QUEEN
Alas, poor soul, would I could ease his grief.
Thanks, gentle Winchester.
[To the MESSENGER] Sirrah, begone.
[Exit MESSENGER.]
WINCHESTER
The king hath willingly resigned his crown.
QUEEN
O happy news! Send for the prince my son.
WINCHESTER
30 Further, or this letter was sealed, Lord Berkeley came,
So that he now is gone from Killingworth,
And we have heard that Edmund laid a plot
To set his brother free. No more but so:
The lord of Berkeley is so pitiful
As Leicester that had charge of him before.
QUEEN
Then let some other be his guardian.
MORTIMER
Let me alone. Here is the privy seal.
[Exit the BISHOP OF WINCHESTER.
MORTIMER calls offstage.]
Who’s there? Call hither Gurney and Matrevis.
To dash the heavy-headed Edmund’s drift,
Berkeley shall be discharged, the king removed,
40 And none but we shall know where he lieth.
QUEEN
But, Mortimer, as long as he survives,
What safety rests for us, or for my son?
MORTIMER
Speak, shall he presently be dispatched and die?
QUEEN
I would he were, so it were not by my means.
Enter MATREVIS and GURNEY.
MORTIMER
Enough. Matrevis, write a letter presently
Unto the lord of Berkeley from ourself,
That he resign the king to thee and Gurney,
And when ’tis done we will subscribe our name.
MATREVIS
It shall be done, my lord.
MORTIMER Gurney.
GURNEY My lord.
50
MORTIMER
As thou intendest to rise by Mortimer,
Who now makes Fortune’s wheel turn as he please,
Seek all the means thou canst to make him droop,
And neither give him kind word nor good look.
GURNEY I warrant you, my lord.
MORTIMER
And this above the rest, because we hear
That Edmund casts to work his liberty,
Remove him still from place to place by night
Till at the last he come to Killingworth
60 And then from thence to Berkeley back again;
And by the way, to make him fret the more,
Speak curstly to him, and in any case
Let no man comfort him if he chance to weep,
But amplify his grief with bitter words.
MATREVIS
Fear not, my lord, we’ll do as you command.
MORTIMER
So now away. Post thitherwards amain.
QUEEN
Whither goes this letter? To my lord the king?
Commend me humbly to his majesty,
And tell him that I labour all in vain
70 To ease his grief and work his liberty;
And bear him this as witness of my love.
[She gives MATREVIS a ring.]
MATREVIS I will, madam.
Exeunt MATREVIS and GURNEY.
ISABEL and MORTIMER remain. Enter the young PRINCE [EDWARD], and the EARL OF KENT talking with him. [MORTIMER and the QUEEN speak apart.]
MORTIMER
Finely dissembled. Do so still, sweet queen.
Here comes the young prince, with the Earl of Kent.
QUEEN
Something he whispers in his childish ears.
MORTIMER
If he have such access unto the prince,
Our plots and stratagems will soon be dashed.
QUEEN
Use Edmund friendly, as if all were well.
MORTIMER [aloud to KENT]
How fares my honourable lord of Kent?
KENT
80 In health, sweet Mortimer. How fares your grace?
QUEEN
Well, if my lord your brother were enlarged.
KENT
I hear of late he hath deposed himself.
QUEEN The more my grief.
MORTIMER And mine.
KENT [aside] Ah, they do dissemble.
QUEEN
Sweet son, come hither. I must talk with thee.
[She takes PRINCE EDWARD to one side.]
MORTIMER [to KENT]
Thou being his uncle and the next of blood,
Do look to be Protector over the prince.
KENT
Not I, my lord. Who should protect the son
90 But she that gave him life, I mean the queen?
PRINCE
&nbs
p; Mother, persuade me not to wear the crown.
Let him be king, I am too young to reign.
QUEEN
But be content, seeing it his highness’ pleasure.
PRINCE
Let me but see him first, and then I will.
KENT Ay, do, sweet nephew.
QUEEN Brother, you know it is impossible.
PRINCE Why, is he dead?
QUEEN No, God forbid!
KENT
I would those words proceeded from your heart.
MORTIMER
Inconstant Edmund, dost thou favour him,
100 That wast a cause of his imprisonment?
KENT
The more cause have I now to make amends.
MORTIMER
I tell thee ’tis not meet that one so false
Should come about the person of a prince.
[To PRINCE EDWARD]
My lord, he hath betrayed the king his brother,
And therefore trust him not.
PRINCE
But he repents and sorrows for it now.
QUEEN
Come, son, and go with this gentle lord and me.
PRINCE
With you I will, but not with Mortimer.
MORTIMER
110 Why, youngling, ’sdain’st thou so of Mortimer?
[Seizing him] Then I will carry thee by force away.
PRINCE
Help, uncle Kent! Mortimer will wrong me.
[Exit MORTIMER JUNIOR with the PRINCE.]
QUEEN
Brother Edmund, strive not; we are his friends.
Isabel is nearer than the earl of Kent.
KENT
Sister, Edward is my charge. Redeem him.
QUEEN
Edward is my son, and I will keep him.
[Exit the QUEEN.]
KENT
Mortimer shall know that he hath wronged me.
Hence will I haste to Killingworth Castle,
And rescue agèd Edward from his foes,
120 To be revenged on Mortimer and thee.
Exit.
[Scene 23]
Enter MATREVIS and GURNEY with the KING [and SOLDIERS, with torches].
MATREVIS
My lord, be not pensive, we are your friends.
Men are ordained to live in misery;
Therefore come. Dalliance dangereth our lives.
EDWARD
Friends, whither must unhappy Edward go?
Will hateful Mortimer appoint no rest?
Must I be vexèd like the nightly bird
Whose sight is loathsome to all wingèd fowls?
When will the fury of his mind assuage?
When will his heart be satisfied with blood?
If mine will serve, unbowel straight this breast
10 And give my heart to Isabel and him;
It is the chiefest mark they level at.
GURNEY
Not so, my liege. The queen hath given this charge
To keep your grace in safety.
Your passions make your dolours to increase.
EDWARD
This usage makes my misery increase.
The Complete Plays Page 46