prince Our plots and stratagems will soone be dasht Queen Vse Edmund friendly as if all were well Mor. iu. How fares my honorable lord of Kent Edmun. In health sweete Mortimer how fares your grace Queene Well if my Lorde your brother were enlargde Edm. I heare of late he hath deposde himselfe Queen The more my greefe Mortim. iu. And mine Edmun. Ah they do dissemble Queen Sweete sonne come hither I must talke with thee Mortim. iu. Thou being his vnckle and the next of bloud Doe looke to be protector ouer the prince Edm. Not I my lord who should protect the sonne But she that gaue him life I meane the Queene Prin. Mother perswade me not to weare the crowne Let him be king I am too yong to raigne Queene But bee content seeing it his highnesse pleasure Prin. Let me but see him first and then I will Edmund I do sweete Nephew Quee. Brother you know it is impossible Prince Why is he dead Queen No God forbid Edmun. I would these wordes proceeded from your heart Mort. iu. Inconstant Edmund doost thou fauor him That wast a cause of his imprisonment Edm. The more cause haue I now to make amends Mort. iu. I tell thee t is not meet that one so false Should come about the person of a prince My lord he hath betraied the king his brother And therefore trust him not Prince But hee repents and sorrowes for it now Queen Come sonne and go with this gentle Lorde and me Prin. With you I will but not with Mortimer Mort. iu. Why yongling sodainst thou so of Mortimer Then I will carrie thee by force away Prin. Helpe vnckle Kent Mortimer will wrong me Quee. Brother Edmund striue not we are his friends Isabell is neerer then the earle of Kent Edm. Sister Edward is my charge redeeme him Queen Edward is my sonne and I will keepe him Edmu. Mortimer shall know that he hath wrongd mee Hence will I haste to Killingworth castle And rescue aged Edward from his foes To be reuengde on Mortimer and thee Exeunt omnes Enter Matreuis and Gurney with the king Matr. My lord be not pensiue we are your friends Men are ordaind to liue in miserie Therefore come dalliance dangereth our liues Edw. Friends whither must vnhappie Edward go Will hatefull Mortimer appoint no rest Must I be vexed like the nightly birde Whose sight is loathsome to all winged fowles When will the furie of his minde asswage When will his hart be satisfied with bloud If mine will serue vnbowell straight this brest And giue my heart to Isabell and him It is the chiefest marke they leuell at Gurney Not so my liege the Queene hath giuen this charge To keepe your grace in safetie Your passions make your dolours to increase Edw. This vsage makes my miserie increase But can my ayre of life continue long When all my sences are annoy with stenche Within a dungeon Englands king is kept Where I am staru'd for want of sustenance My daily diet is heart breaking sobs That almost rents the closet of my heart Thus liues old Edward not relieu'd by any And so must die though pitied by many O water gentle friends to coole my thirst And cleare my bodie from foule excrements Matr. Heere 's channell water as our charge is giuen Sit downe for wee le be Barbars to your grace Edw. Traitors away what will you murther me Or choake your soueraigne with puddle water Gurn. No but wash your face and shaue away your beard Least you be knowne and so be rescued Matr. Why striue you thus your labour is in vaine Edward The Wrenne may striue against the Lions strength But all in vaine so vainely do I striue To seeke for mercie at a tyrants hand They wash him with puddle water and shaue his beard away Immortall powers that knowes the painfull cares That waites vpon my poore distressed soule O leuell all your lookes vpon these daring men That wronges their liege and soueraigne Englands king O Gaueston it is for thee that I am wrongd For me both thou and both the Spencers died And for your sakes a thousand wronges I le take The Spencers ghostes where euer they remaine Wish well to mine then tush for them I le die Matr. Twixt theirs and yours shall be no enmitie Come come away now put the torches out Wee le enter in by darkenes to Killingworth Enter Edmund Gurn. How now who comes there Matr. Guarde the king sure it is the earle of Kent Edw. O gentle brother helpe to rescue me Matr. Keepe them a sunder thrust in the king Edm. Souldiers let me but talke to him one worde Gur. Lay hands vpon the earle for this assault Edmu. Lay downe your weapons traitors yeeld the king Matr. Edmund yeeld thou thy self or thou shalt die Edmu. Base villaines wherefore doe you gripe mee thus Gurney Binde him and so conuey him to the court Edm. Where is the court but heere heere is the king And I will visit him why stay you me Matr. The court is where lord Mortimer remaines Thither shall your honour go and so farewell Exeunt Matr. and Gurney with the king Manent Edmund and the souldiers Edm. O miserable is that commonweale where lords Keepe courts and kings are lockt in prison Sould. Wherefore stay we on sirs to the court Edm. I load me whether you will euen to my death Seeing that my brother cannot be releast Exeunt omnes Enter Mortimer alone Mort. iu. The king must die or Mortimer goes downe The commons now begin to pitie him Yet he that is the cause of Edwards death Is sure to pay for it when his sonne is of age And therefore will I do it cunninglie This letter written by a friend of ours Containes his death yet bids them saue his life Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum est Feare not to kill the king t is good he die But read it thus and that 's an other sence Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum est Kill not the king t is good to feare the worst Vnpointed as it is thus shall it goe That being dead if it chaunce to be found Matreuis and the rest may beare the blame And we be quit that causde it to be done Within this roome is lockt the messenger That shall conueie it and performe the rest And by a secret token that he beares Shall he be murdered when the deed is done Lightborn come forth art thou as resolute as thou wast Light What else my lord and farre more resolute Mort. iu. And hast thou cast how to accomplish it Light I I and none shall know which way he died Mortim. iu. But at his lookes Lightborne thou wilt relent Light Relent ha ha I vse much to relent Mort. iu. Well do it brauely and be secret Light You shall not need to giue instructions T is not the first time I haue killed a man I learnde in Naples how to poison flowers To strangle with a lawne thrust through the
throte To pierce the wind-pipe with a needles point Or whilst one is a sleepe to take a quill And blowe a little powder in his eares Or open his mouth and powre quick siluer downe But yet I haue a brauer way then these Mort. iu. What 's that Light Nay you shall pardon me none shall knowe my trickes Mort. iu. I care not how it is so it be not spide Deliuer this to Gurney and Matreuis At euery ten miles end thou hast a horse Take this away and neuer see me more Lightborne No Mort. iu. No vnlesse thou bring me newes of Edwards death Light That will I quicklie do farewell my lord Mor. The prince I rule the queene do I commaund And with a lowly conge to the ground The proudest lords salute me as I passe I seale I cancell I do what I will Feard am I more then lou'd let me be feard And when I frowne make all the court looke pale I view the prince with Aristorchus eyes Whose lookes were as a breeching to a boye They thrust vpon me the Protectorship And sue to me for that that I desire While at the councell table graue enough And not vnlike a bashfull paretaine First I complaine of imbecilitie Saying it is onus quam grauissimum Till being interrupted by my friends Suscepi that prouinciam as they terme it And to conclude I am Protector now Now is all sure the Queene and Mortimer Shall rule the realme the king and none rule vs Mine enemies will I plague my friends aduance And what I list commaund who dare controwle Maior sum quam cui possit fortuna nocere And that this be the coronation day It pleaseth me and Isabell the Queene The trumpets sound I must go take my place Enter the yong King Bishop Champion Nobles Queene Bish. Long liue king Edward by the grace of God King of England and lorde of Ireland Cham. If any Christian Heathen Turke or Iew Dares but affirme that Edwards not true king And will auouche his saying with the sworde I am the Champion that will combate him Mort. iu. None comes sound trumpets King Champion heere 's to thee Qu. Lord Mortimer now take him to your charge Enter Souldiers with the Earle of Kent prisoner Mor. iu. What traitor haue wee there with blades and billes Sould. Edmund the Earle of Kent King What hath he done Sould. A would haue taken the king away perforce As we were bringing him to Killingworth Mortimer iu. Did you attempt his rescue Edmund speake Edm. Mortimer I did he is our king And thou compelst this prince to weare the crowne Mort. iu. Strike off his head he shall haue marshall lawe Edm. Strike of my head base traitor I defie thee King My lord he is my vnckle and shall liue Mor. iu. My lord he is your enemie and shall die Edmund Staie villaines King Sweete mother if I cannot pardon him Intreate my lord Protector for his life Qu. Sonne be content I dare not speake a worde King Nor I and yet me thinkes I should commaund But seeing I cannot I le entreate for him My lord if you will let my vnckle liue I will requite it when I come to age Mort. iu. T is for your highnesse good and for the realmes How often shall I bid you beare him hence Edm. Art thou king must I die at thy commaund Mort. iu. At our commaund once more away with him Edm. Let me but stay and speake I will not go Either my brother or his sonne is king And none of both then thirst for Edmunds bloud And therefore soldiers whether will you hale me They hale Edmund away and carie him to be beheaded King What safetie may I looke for at his hands If that my Vnckle shall be murthered thus Queen Feare not sweete boye I le garde thee from thy foes Had Edmund liu'de he would haue sought thy death Come sonne wee le ride a hunting in the parke King And shall my Vnckle Edmund ride with vs Queene He is a traitor thinke not on him come Exeunt omnes Enter Matr. and Gurney Matr. Gurney I wonder the king dies not Being in a vault vp to the knees in water To which the channels of the castell runne From whence a dampe continually ariseth That were enough to poison any man Much more a king brought vp so tenderlie Gurn. And so do I Matreuis yesternight I opened but the doore to throw him meate And I was almost stifeled with the sauor Matr. He hath a body able to endure More then we can enflict and therefore now Let vs assaile his minde another while Gurn. Send for him out thence and I will anger him Matr. But stay whos 's this Enter Lightborne Light My lord protector greetes you Gurn. What 's heere I know not how to conster it Matr. Gurney it was left vnpointed for the nonce Edwardum occidere nolite timere That 's his meaning Light Know you this token I must haue the king Matr. I stay a while thou shalt haue answer straight This villain 's sent to make away the king Gurney I thought as much Matr. And when the murders done See how he must be handled for his labour Pereat iste let him haue the king What else heere is the keyes this is the lake Doe as you are commaunded by my lord Light I know what I must do get you away Yet be not farre off I shall need your helpe See that in the next roome I haue a fier And get me a spit and let it be red hote Matre. Very well Gurn. Neede you any thing besides Light What else a table and a fetherbed Gurn. That 's all Light I I so when I call you bring it in Matre. Feare not you that Gurn. Heere 's a light to go into the dungeon Lightbor. So now must I about this geare nere was there any So finely handled as this king shal be Foh heere 's a place in deed with all my hart Edward VVhos 's there what light is that wherefore comes thou Light To comfort you and bring you ioyfull newes Edward Small comfort findes poore Edward in thy lookes Villaine I know thou comst to murther me Light To murther you my most gratious lorde Farre is it from my hart to do you harme The Queene sent me to see how you were vsed For she relents at this your miserie And what eyes can refraine from shedding teares To see a king in this most pittious state Edw. VVeepst thou already list a while to me And then thy heart were it as Gurneys is Or as Matreuis hewne from the Caucasus Yet will it melt ere I haue done my tale This dungeon where they keepe me is the sincke Wherein the filthe of all the castell falles Light O villaines Edw. And there in mire and puddle haue I stood This ten dayes space and least that I should sleepe One plaies continually vpon a Drum They giue me bread and water being a king So that for want of sleepe and sustenance My
mindes distempered and my bodies numde And whether I haue limmes or no I know not O would my bloud dropt out from euery vaine As doth this water from my tattered robes Tell Isabell the Queene I lookt not thus VVhen for her sake I ran at tilt in Fraunce And there vnhorste the duke of Cleremont Light O speake no more my lorde this breakes my heart Lie on this bed and rest your selfe a while Edw. These lookes of thine can harbor nought but death I see my tragedie written in thy browes Yet stay a while forbeare thy bloudie hande And let me see the stroke before it comes That and euen then when I shall lose my life My minde may be more stedfast on my God Light VVhat meanes your highnesse to mistrust me thus Edwa. What meanes thou to dissemble with me thus Light These handes were neuer stainde with innocent bloud Nor shall they now be tainted with a kings Edward Forgiue my thought for hauing such a thought One iewell haue I left receiue thou this Still feare I and I know not what 's the cause But euerie iointe shakes as I giue it thee O if thou harborst murther in thy hart Let this gift change thy minde and saue thy soule Know that I am a king oh at that name I feele a hell of greefe where is my crowne Gone gone and doe I remaine aliue Light Your ouer watchde my lord lie downe and rest Edw. But that greefe keepes me waking I shoulde sleepe For not these ten daies haue these eye lids closd Now as I speake they fall and yet with feare Open againe O wherefore sits thou heare Light If you mistrust me I le be gon my lord Edw. No no for if thou meanst to murther me Thou wilt returne againe and therefore stay Light He sleepes Edw. O let me not die yet stay O stay a while Light How now my Lorde Edw. Something still busseth in mine eares And tels me if I sleepe I neuer wake This feare is that which makes me tremble thus And therefore tell me wherefore art thou come Light To rid thee of thy life Matreuis come Edw. I am too weake and feeble to resist Assist me sweete God and receiue my soule Light Runne for the table Edw. O spare me or dispatche me in a trice Light So lay the table downe and stampe his body But not too hard least that you bruse his body Matreuis I feare mee that this crie will raise the towne And therefore let vs take horse and away Light Tell me sirs was it not braue lie done Gurn. Excellent well take this for thy rewarde Then Gurney stabs Lightborne Come let vs cast the body in the more And beare the kings to Mortimer our lord away Exeunt omnes Enter Mortimer and Matreuis Mortim. iu. I st done Matreuis and the murtherer dead Matr. I my good Lord I would it were vndone Mort. iu. Matreuis if thou now growest penitent I le be thy ghostly father therefore choose Whether thou wilt be secret in this Or else die by the hand of Mortimer Matr. Gurney my lord is fled and will I feare Betray vs both therefore let me slie Mort. iu. Flie to the Sauages Matr. I humblie thanke your honour Mor. iu. As for my selfe I stand as Ioues huge tree And others are but shrubs compard to me All tremble at my name and I feare none Le ts see who dare impeache me for his death Enter the Queene Queen A Mortimer the king my sonne hath news His father 's dead and we haue murdered him Mor. iu. What if he haue the king is yet a childe Queene I I but he teares his haire and wrings his handes And vowes to be reuengd vpon vs both Into the councell chamber he is gone To craue the aide and succour of his peeres Aye me see where he comes and they with him Now Mortimer begins our tragedie Enter the king with the lords Lords Feare not my lord know that you are a king King Villaine Mort. iu. How now my lord King Thinke not that I am frighted with thy words My father 's murdered through thy treacherie And thou shalt die and on his mournefull hearse Thy hatefull and accursed head shall lie To witnesse to the world that by thy meanes His kingly body was too soone interrde Qu. Weepe not sweete sonne King Forbid not me to weepe he was my father And had you lou'de him halfe so well as I You could not beare his death thus patiently But you I feare conspirde with Mortimer Lords Why speake you not vnto my lord the king Mor. iu. Because I thinke scorne to be accusde Who is the man dare say I murderedd him King Traitor in me my louing father speakes And plainely saith t was thou that murdredst him Mort. iu. But hath your grace no other proofe then this King Yes if this be the hand of Mortimer Mortim. iu. False Gurney hath betraide me and himselfe Queen I feard as much murther cannot be hid Mort. iu. T is my hand what gather you by this King That thither thou didst send a murtherer Mort. iu. What murtherer bring foorth the man I sent King A Mortimer thou knowest that he is slaine And so shalt thou be too why staies he heere Bring him vnto a hurdle drag him foorth Hang him I say and set his quarters vp But bring his head back presently to me Queen For my sake sweete sonne pittie Mortimer Mort. iu. Madam intreat not I will rather die Then sue for life vnto a paltrie boye King Hence with the traitor with the murderer Mort. iu. Base fortune now I see that in thy wheele There is a point to which when men aspire They tumble hedlong downe that point I touchte And seeing there was no place to mount vp higher Why should I greeue at my declining fall Farewell faire Queene weepe not for Mortimer That scornes the world and as a traueller Goes to discouer countries yet vnknowne King What suffer you the traitor to delay Queen As thou receiuedst thy life from me Spill not the bloud of gentle Mortimer King This argues that you spilt my fathers bloud Els would you not intreate for Mortimer Queen I spill his bloud no King I madam you for so the rumor runnes Queen That rumor is vntrue for louing thee Is this report raisde on poore Isabell King I doe not thinke her so vnnaturall Lords My lord I feare me it will prooue too true King Mother you are suspected for his death And therefore we commit you to the Tower Till further triall may be made thereof If you be guiltie though I be your sonne Thinke not to finde me slack or pitifull Qu Nay to my death for too long haue I liued When as my sonne thinkes to abridge my daies King Awaye with her her wordes inforce these teares And I shall pitie her if she speake againe Queen Shall I not moorne for my beloued lord And with the rest accompanie him to his graue Lords Thus madam t is the kings will you shall hence Quee. He hath forgotten me stay I am his mother Lords That bootes not therefore gentle madam goe Queen Then come sweete death and rid me of this greefe Lords My lord here is the head of Mortimer King Goe fetche my fathers hearse where it shall lie And bring my funerall robes accursed head Could I haue rulde thee then as I do now Thou hadst not hatcht this monstrous treacherie Heere comes the hearse helpe me to moorne my lords Sweete father heere vnto thy murdered ghost I offer vp this wicked traitors head And let these teares distilling from mine eyes Be witnesse of my greefe and innocencie FINIS Imprinted at London for William Ihones and are to be solde at his shop neere vnto Houlburne Conduit 1694
will Their bloud and yours shall seale these treacheries Bish. This answer wee le returne and so farewell Leist. Call them againe my lorde and speake them faire For if they goe the prince shall lose his right Edward Call thou them back I haue no power to speake Lei. My lord the king is willing to resigne Bish. If he be not let him choose Edw. O would I might but heauens earth conspire To make me miserable heere receiue my crowne Receiue it no these innocent hands of mine Shall not be guiltie of so foule a crime He of you all that most desires my bloud And will be called the murtherer of a king Take it what are you mooude pitie you me Then send for vnrelenting Mortimer And Isabell whose eyes beene turnd to steele Will sooner sparkle fire then shed a teare Yet stay for rather then I will looke on them Heere heere now sweete God of heauen Make me despise this transitorie pompe And sit for aye inthronized in heauen Come death and with thy fingers close my eyes Or if I liue let me forget my selfe Enter Bartley Bartley My lorde Edw. Call me not lorde Away out of my sight ah pardon me Greefe makes me lunatick Let not that Mortimer protect my sonne More safetie is there in a Tigers iawes This his imbrasements beare this to the queene Wet with my teares and dried againe with sighes If with the sight thereof she be not mooued Returne it backe and dip it in my bloud Commend me to my sonne and bid him rule Better then I yet how haue I transgrest Vnlesse it be with too much clemencie Tru. And thus most humbly do we take our leaue Edward Farewell I know the next newes that they bring Will be my death and welcome shall it be To wretched men death is felicitie Leist. An other poast what newes bringes he Edw. Such newes as I expect come Bartley come And tell thy message to my naked brest Bart. My lord thinke not a thought so villanous Can harbor in a man of noble birth To do your highnes seruice and deuoire And saue you from your foes Bartley would die Leist. My lorde the counsell of the Queene commaunds That I resigne my charge Edw. And who must keepe mee now must you my lorde Bart. I my most gratious lord so t is decreed Edw. By Mortimer whose name is written here Well may I rent his name that rends my hart This poore reuenge hath something easd my minde So may his limmes be torne as is this paper Heare me immortall loue and graunt it too Bart. Your grace must hence with mee to Bartley straight Edw. Whether you will all places are alike And euery earth is fit for buriall Leist. Fauor him my lord as much as lieth in you Bart. Euen so betide my soule as I vse him Edw. Mine enemie hath pitied my estate And that 's the cause that I am now remooude Bartley And thinkes your grace that Bartley will bee cruell Edw. 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 lorde I le beare you on your waye Exeunt omnes Enter Mortimer and Queene Isabell Mor. iu. Faire Isabell now haue we our desire The proud corrupters of the light-brainde king Haue done their homage to the loftie gallowes And he himselfe lies in captiuitie Be rulde by me and we will rule the realme In any case take heed of childish feare For now we hould an old Wolfe by the eares That if he flip will seaze vpon vs both And gripe the sorer being gript himselfe Thinke therefore madam that imports as much To erect your sonne withall the speed we may And that I be protector ouer him For our behoofe will beare the greater sway When as a kings name shall be vnder writ Qu. Sweet Mortimer the life of Isabell Be thou perswaded that I loue thee well And therefore so the prince my sonne be safe Whome I esteeme as deare as these mine eyes Conclude against his father what thou wilt And I my selfe will willinglie subscribe Mort. iu. First would I heare newes that hee were deposde And then let me alone to handle him Enter Messenger Mor. iu. Letters from whence Messen. From Killing worth my lorde Qu. How fares my lord the king Messen. In health madam but full of pensiuenes Queene Alas poore soule would I could ease his greefe Thankes gentle Winchester sirra be gon Winchester The king hath willingly resignde his crowne Qu. O happie newes send for the prince my sonne Bish. Further or this letter was sealed Lord Bartley came So that he now is gone from Killingworth And we haue heard that Edmund laid a plot To set his brother free no more but so The lord of Bartley is so pitifull As Leicester that had charge of him before Qu. Then let some other be his guardian Mor. iu. Let me alone here is the priuie seale Whos 's there call hither Gurney and Matreuis To dash the heauie headed Edmunds drift Bartley shall be dischargd the king remooude And none but we shall know where he lieth Qu. But Mortimer as long as he suruiues What safetie rests for vs or for my sonne Mort. iu. Speake shall he presently be dispatch'd and die Queene I would hee were so it were not by my meanes Enter Matreuis and Guruey Mortim. iu. Inough Matreuis write a letter presently Vnto the Lord of Bartley from our selfe That he resigne the king to thee and Gurney And when t is done we will subscribe our name Matr. It shall be done my lord Mort. iu. Gurney Gurn. My Lorde Mort. iu. As thou intendest to rise by Mortimer Who now makes Fortunes wheele turne as he please Seeke all the meanes thou canst to make him droope And neither giue him kinde word nor good looke Gurn. I warrant you my lord Mort. iu. And this aboue the rest because we heare That Edmund casts to worke his libertie Remooue him still from place to place by night And at the last he come to Killingworth And then from thence to Bartley back againe And by the way to make him fret the more Speake curstlie to him and in any case Let no man comfort him if he chaunce to weepe But amplifie his greefe with bitter words Matre. Feare not my Lord wee le do as you commaund Mor. iu. So now away post thither wards amaine Qu. Whither goes this letter to my lord the king Commend me humblie to his Maiestie And tell him that I labour all in vaine To ease his greefe and worke his libertie And beare him this as witnesse of my loue Matre. I will madam Exeunt Matreuis and Gurney Manent Isabell and Mortimer Enter the yong Prince and the Earle of Kent talking with him Mor. iu. Finely dissembled do so still sweet Queene Heere comes the yong prince with the Earle of Kent Qu. Some thing he whispers in his childish eares Mort. iu. If he haue such accesse vnto the