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[Gloucester’s house]
Enter Young SPENCER and BALDOCK
Bald. Spencer, | |
| Seeing that our lord the Earl of Gloucester’s dead, | |
| Which of the nobles dost thou mean to serve? | |
| Y. Spen. Not Mortimer, nor any of his side, | 4 |
| Because the king and he are enemies. | |
| Baldock, learn this of me, a factious lord | |
| Shall hardly do himself good, much less us; | |
| But he that hath the favour of a king, | 8 |
| May with one word advance us while we live. | |
| The liberal Earl of Cornwall is the man | |
| On whose good fortune Spencer’s hopes depends. | |
| Bald. What, mean you then to be his follower? | 12 |
| Y. Spen. No, his companion; for he loves me well, | |
| And would have once preferr’d me to the king. | |
| Bald. But he is banish’d; there’s small hope of him. | |
| Y. Spen. Ay, for a while; but, Baldock, mark the end. | 16 |
| A friend of mine told me in secrecy | |
| That he’s repeal’d, and sent for back again; | |
| And even now a post came from the court | |
| With letters to our lady from the king; | 20 |
| And as she read she smil’d, which makes me think | |
| It is about her lover Gaveston. | |
| Bald. ’Tis like enough; for since he was exil’d | |
| She neither walks abroad, nor comes in sight. | 24 |
| But I had thought the match had been broke off, | |
| And that his banishment had chang’d her mind. | |
| Y. Spen. Our lady’s first love is not wavering; | |
| My life for thine, she will have Gaveston. | 28 |
| Bald. Then hope I by her means to be preferr’d, | |
| Having read unto her since she was a child. | |
| Y. Spen. Then, Baldock, you must cast the scholar off, | |
| And learn to court it like a gentleman. | 32 |
| ’Tis not a black coat and a little band, | |
| A velvet-cap’d coat, fac’d before with serge, | |
| And smelling to a nosegay all the day, | |
| Or holding of a napkin in your hand, | 36 |
| Or saying a long grace at a table’s end, | |
| Or making low legs 1 to a nobleman, | |
| Or looking downward with your eyelids close, | |
| And saying, “Truly, an’t 2 may please your honour,” | 40 |
| Can get you any favour with great men; | |
| You must be proud, bold, pleasant, resolute, | |
| And now and then stab, as occasion serves. | |
| Bald. Spencer, thou know’st I hate such formal toys, | 44 |
| And use them but of mere hypocrisy. | |
| Mine old lord whiles he liv’d was so precise, | |
| That he would take exceptions at my buttons, | |
| And being like pin’s heads, blame me for the bigness; | 48 |
| Which made me curate-like in mine attire, | |
| Though inwardly licentious enough | |
| And apt for any kind of villainy. | |
| I am none of these common pedants, I, | 52 |
| That cannot speak without propterea quod. 3 | |
| Y. Spen. But one of those that saith quandoquidem, 4 | |
| And hath a special gift to form a verb. | |
| Bald. Leave off this jesting, here my lady comes. | 56 |
| |
Enter the Lady [KING EDWARD’S Niece.]
Niece. The grief for his exile was not so much | |
| As is the joy of his returning home. | |
| This letter came from my sweet Gaveston:— | |
| What need’st thou, love, thus to excuse thyself? | 60 |
| I know thou could’st not come and visit me. | |
| [Reads.] “I will not long be from thee, though I die.” | |
| This argues the entire love of my lord; | |
| [Reads.] “When I forsake thee, death seize on my heart:” | 64 |
| But stay thee here where Gaveston shall sleep. | |
| [Puts the letter into her bosom.] | |
| Now to the letter of my lord the king.— | |
| He wills me to repair unto the court, | 68 |
| And meet my Gaveston? Why do I stay, | |
| Seeing that he talks thus of my marriage-day? | |
| Who’s there? Baldock! | |
| See that my coach be ready, I must hence. | 72 |
| Bald. It shall be done, madam. | |
| Niece. And meet me at the park-pale presently. Exit BALDOCK. | |
| Spencer, stay you and bear me company, | |
| For I have joyful news to tell thee of. | 76 |
| My lord of Cornwall is a-coming over, | |
| And will be at the court as soon as we. | |
| Y. Spen. I knew the king would have him home again. | |
| Niece. If all things sort 5 out as I hope they will, | 80 |
| Thy service, Spencer, shall be thought upon. | |
| Y. Spen. I humbly thank your ladyship. | |
| Niece. Come, lead the way; I long till I am there. Exeunt. | |
