Who, swoln with venom of ambitious pride,
   Will be the ruin of the realm and us.
War. Here comes my Lord of Canterbury's grace.
Lan. His countenance bewrays he is displeas'd.

    Enter the ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, and an
                     Attendant.

Archb. of Cant. First, were his sacred garments rent and torn;
   Then laid they violent hands upon him; next,
   Himself imprison'd, and his goods asseiz'd:
   This certify the Pope: away, take horse. [Exit Attendant.
Lan. My lord, will you take arms against the king?
Archb. of Cant. What need I? God himself is up in arms
   When violence is offer'd to the church.
Y. Mor. Then will you join with us, that be his peers,
   To banish or behead that Gaveston?
Archb. of Cant. What else, my lords? for it concerns me near;
   The bishoprick of Coventry is his.

Enter QUEEN ISABELLA.

Y. Mor. Madam, whither walks your majesty so fast?
Q. Isab. Unto the forest, gentle Mortimer,
   To live in grief and baleful discontent;
   For now my lord the king regards me not,
   But dotes upon the love of Gaveston:
   He claps his cheeks, and hangs about his neck,
   Smiles in his face, and whispers in his ears;
   And, when I come, he frowns, as who should say,
   "Go whither thou wilt, seeing I have Gaveston."
E. Mor. Is it not strange that he is thus bewitch'd?
Y. Mor. Madam, return unto the court again:
   That sly inveigling Frenchman we'll exile,
   Or lose our lives; and yet, ere that day come,
   The king shall lose his crown; for we have power,
   And courage too, to be reveng'd at full.
Archb. of Cant. But yet lift not your swords against the king.
Lan. No; but we will lift Gaveston from hence.
War. And war must be the means, or he'll stay still.
Q. Isab. Then let him stay; for, rather than my lord
   Shall be oppress'd with civil mutinies,
   I will endure a melancholy life,
   And let him frolic with his minion.
Archb. of Cant. My lords, to ease all this, but hear me speak:
   We and the rest, that are his counsellors,
   Will meet, and with a general consent
   Confirm his banishment with our hands and seals.
Lan. What we confirm the king will frustrate.
Y. Mor. Then may we lawfully revolt from him.
War. But say, my lord, where shall this meeting be?
Archb. of Cant. At the New Temple.
Y. Mor. Content.
Archb. of Cant. And, in the meantime, I'll entreat you all
   To cross to Lambeth, and there stay with me.
Lan. Come, then, let's away.
Y. Mor. Madam, farewell.
Q. Isab. Farewell, sweet Mortimer, and, for my sake,
   Forbear to levy arms against the king.
Y. Mor. Ay, if words will serve; if not, I must. [Exeunt.

Enter GAVESTON and KENT.

Gav. Edmund, the mighty prince of Lancaster,
   That hath more earldoms than an ass can bear,
   And both the Mortimers, two goodly men,
   With Guy of Warwick, that redoubted knight,
   Are gone towards Lambeth: there let them remain. [Exeunt.

Enter LANCASTER, WARWICK, PEMBROKE, the elder
    MORTIMER, the younger MORTIMER, the ARCHBISHOP
    OF CANTERBURY, and Attendants.

Lan. Here is the form of Gaveston's exile; May it please your lordship to subscribe your name. Archb. of Cant. Give me the paper. [He subscribes, as the others do after him. Lan. Quick, quick, my lord; I long to write my name. War. But I long more to see him banish'd hence. Y. Mor. The name of Mortimer shall fright the king, Unless he be declin'd from that base peasant.

Enter KING EDWARD, GAVESTON, and KENT.

K. Edw. What, are you mov'd that Gaveston sits here?
   It is our pleasure; we will have it so.
Lan. Your grace doth well to place him by your side,
   For nowhere else the new earl is so safe.
E. Mor. What man of noble birth can brook this sight?
   Quam male conveniunt!—
   See, what a scornful look the peasant casts!
Pem. Can kingly lions fawn on creeping ants?
War. Ignoble vassal, that, like Phaeton,
   Aspir'st unto the guidance of the sun!
Y. Mor. Their downfall is at hand, their forces down:
   We will not thus be fac'd and over-peer'd.
K. Edw. Lay hands on that traitor Mortimer!
E. Mor. Lay hands on that traitor Gaveston!
Kent. Is this the duty that you owe your king?
War. We know our duties; let him know his peers.
K. Edw. Whither will you bear him? stay, or ye shall die.
E. Mor. We are no traitors; therefore threaten not.
Gav. No, threaten not, my lord, but pay them home.
   Were I a king—
Y. Mor. Thou, villain! wherefore talk'st thou of a king,
   That hardly art a gentleman by birth?
K. Edw. Were he a peasant, being my minion,
   I'll make the proudest of you stoop to him.
Lan. My lord—you may not thus disparage us.—
   Away, I say, with hateful Gaveston!
E. Mor. And with the Earl of Kent that favours him.
                                   [Attendants remove Gaveston and Kent.
K. Edw. Nay, then, lay violent hands upon your king:
   Here, Mortimer, sit thou in Edward's throne;
   Warwick and Lancaster, wear you my crown.
   Was ever king thus over-rul'd as I?
Lan. Learn, then, to rule us better, and the realm.
Y. Mor. What we have done, our heart-blood shall maintain.
War. Think you that we can brook this upstart['s] pride?
K. Edw. Anger and wrathful fury stops my speech.
Archb. of Cant. Why are you not mov'd? be patient, my lord,
   And see what we your counsellors have done.
Y. Mor. My lords, now let us all be resolute,
   And either have our wills, or lose our lives.
K. Edw. Meet you for this, proud over-daring peers!
   Ere my sweet Gaveston shall part from me,
   This isle shall fleet upon the ocean,
   And wander to the unfrequented Inde.
Archb. of Cant. You know that I am legate to the Pope:
   On your allegiance to the see of Rome,
   Subscribe, as we have done, to his exile.
Y. Mor. Curse him, if he refuse; and then may we
   Depose him, and elect another king.
K. Edw. Ay, there it goes! but yet I will not yield:
   Curse me, depose me, do the worst you can.
Lan. Then linger not, my lord, but do it straight.
Archb. of Cant. Remember how the bishop was abus'd:
   Either banish him that was the cause thereof,
   Or I will presently discharge these lords
   Of duty and allegiance due to thee.
K. Edw. It boots me not to threat; I must speak fair:
   The legate of the Pope will be obey'd.— [Aside.
   My lord, you shall be Chancellor of the realm;
   Thou, Lancaster, High-Admiral of