Scene + 

IV + 

The Royal Palace, London. + 

Enter the Younger Mortimer. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

The king must die, or Mortimer goes down; + 

The commons now begin to pity him: + 

Yet he that is the cause of Edward’s death, + 

Is sure to pay for it when his son’s of age; + 

And therefore will I do it cunningly. + 

This letter, written by a friend of ours, + 

Contains his death, yet bids then save his life. + 

Reads. “Edwardum occidere nolite timere, bonum est, + 

Fear not to kill the king, ’tis good he die.” + 

But read it thus, and that’s another sense; + 

“Edwardum occidere nolite, timere bonum est, + 

Kill not the king, ’tis good to fear the worst.” + 

Unpointed as it is, thus shall it go. + 

That, being dead, if it chance to be found, + 

Matrevis and the rest may bear the blame, + 

And we be quit that caused it to be done. + 

Within this room is locked the messenger + 

That shall convey it, and perform the rest; + 

And, by a secret token that he bears, + 

Shall he be murdered when the deed is done.⁠— + 

Lightborn, come forth! + 

Enter Lightborn. + 

Art thou so resolute as thou wast? + 

Lightborn + 

What else, my lord? and far more resolute. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

And hast thou cast how to accomplish it? + 

Lightborn + 

Ay, ay; and none shall know which way he died. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

But at his looks, Lightborn, thou wilt relent. + 

Lightborn + 

Relent! ha, ha! I use much to relent. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

Well, do it bravely, and be secret. + 

Lightborn + 

You shall not need to give instructions; + 

’Tis not the first time I have killed a man: + 

I learned in Naples how to poison flowers; + 

To strangle with a lawn thrust down the throat; + 

To pierce the wind pipe with a needle’s point; + 

Or, whilst one is asleep, to take a quill, + 

And blow a little powder in his ears; + 

Or open his mouth, and pour quicksilver down. + 

But yet I have a braver way than these. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

What’s that? + 

Lightborn + 

Nay, you shall pardon me; none shall know my tricks. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

I care not how it is, so it be not spied. + 

Deliver this to Gurney and Matrevis: Gives letter. + 

At every ten-mile end thou hast a horse: + 

Take this: Gives money. away, and never see me more! + 

Lightborn + 

No? + 

Younger Mortimer + 

No; unless thou bring me news of Edward’s death. + 

Lightborn + 

That will I quickly do. Farewell, my lord. Exit. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

The prince I rule, the queen do I command, + 

And with a lowly congé to the ground + 

The proudest lords salute me as I pass; + 

I seal, I cancel, I do what I will. + 

Feared am I more than loved;⁠—let me be feared, + 

And, when I frown, make all the court look pale. + 

I view the prince with Aristarchus’ eyes, + 

Whose looks were as a breeching to a boy. + 

They thrust upon me the protectorship, + 

And sue to me for that that I desire; + 

While at the council-table, grave enough, + 

And not unlike a bashful puritan, + 

First I complain of imbecility, + 

Saying it is onus quam gravissimum; + 

Till, being interrupted by my friends, + 

Suscepi that provinciam, as they term it; + 

And, to conclude, I am Protector now. + 

Now all is sure: the queen and Mortimer + 

Shall rule the realm, the king; and none rule us. + 

Mine enemies will I plague, my friends advance; + 

And what I list command who dare control? + 

Major sum quam cui possit fortuna nocere: + 

And that this be the coronation-day, + 

It pleaseth me and Isabel the queen. Trumpets within. + 

The trumpets sound; I must go take my place. + 

Enter King Edward III, Queen Isabella, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Champion, and Nobles. + 

Archbishop of Canterbury + 

Long live King Edward, by the grace of God + 

King of England and Lord of Ireland! + 

Champion + 

If any Christian, Heathen, Turk, or Jew, + 

Dares but affirm that Edward’s not true king, + 

And will avouch his saying with the sword, + 

I am the Champion that will combat him. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

None comes: sound, trumpets! Trumpets. + 

King Edward III + 

Champion, here’s to thee. Gives purse. + 

Queen Isabella + 

Lord Mortimer, now take him to your charge. + 

Enter Soldiers with Kent prisoner. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

What traitor have we there with blades and bills? + 

First Soldier + 

Edmund, the Earl of Kent. + 

King Edward III + 

What hath he done? + 

First Soldier + 

’A would have taken the king away perforce, + 

As we were bringing him to Killingworth. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

Did you attempt his rescue, Edmund? speak. + 

Kent + 

Mortimer, I did: he is our king, + 

And thou compell’st this prince to wear the crown. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

Strike off his head: he shall have martial law. + 

Kent + 

Strike off my head! base traitor, I defy thee! + 

King Edward III + 

My lord, he is my uncle, and shall live. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

My lord, he is your enemy, and shall die. + 

Kent + 

Stay, villains! + 

King Edward III + 

Sweet mother, if I cannot pardon him, + 

Entreat my Lord Protector for his life. + 

Queen Isabella + 

Son, be content: I dare not speak a word. + 

King Edward III + 

Nor I; and yet methinks I should command: + 

But, seeing I cannot, I’ll entreat for him.⁠— + 

My lord, if you will let my uncle live, + 

I will requite it when I come to age. + 

Younger Mortimer + 

’Tis for your highness’ good and for the realm’s.⁠— + 

How often shall I bid you bear him hence? + 

Kent + 

Art thou king? must I die at thy command? + 

Younger Mortimer + 

At our command.⁠—Once more, away with him! + 

Kent + 

Let me but stay and speak; I will not go: + 

Either my brother or his son is king, + 

And none of both them thirst for Edmund’s blood: + 

And therefore, soldiers, whither will you hale me? + 

Soldiers hale Kent away, and carry him to be beheaded. + 

King Edward III + 

What safety may I look for at his hands, + 

If that my uncle shall be murdered thus? + 

Queen Isabella + 

Fear not, sweet boy; I’ll guard thee from thy foes: + 

Had Edmund lived, he would have sought thy death. + 

Come, son, we’ll ride a-hunting in the park. + 

King Edward III + 

And shall my uncle Edmund ride with us? + 

Queen Isabella + 

He is a traitor; think not on him: come. + 

Exeunt. + 