is most eloquent Your Empire is so amply absolute That euen your Theaters show more comely rule True noblesse royaltie and happinesse Then others courts you make all state before Vtterly obsolete all to come twice sod And therefore doth my royall Soueraigne wish Your yeares may proue as vitall as your virtues That standing on his Turrets this way turn'd Ordring and fixing his affaires by yours He may at last on firme grounds passe your Seas And see that Maiden-sea of Maiestie In whose chaste armes so many kingdomes lye D' Au. When came she to her touch of his ambition Cre. In this speech following which I thus remember If I hold any merit worth his presence Or any part of that your Courtship giues me My subiects haue bestowd it some in counsaile In action some and in obedience all For none knowes with such proofe as you my Lord How much a subiect may renowne his Prince And how much Princes of their subiects hold In all the seruices that euer subiect Did for his Soueraigne he that best deseru'd Must in comparison except Byron And to winne this prise cleere without the maimes Commonly giuen men by ambition When all their parts lye open to his view Showes continence past their other excellence But for a subiect to affect a kingdome Is like the Cammell that of Ioue begd hornes And such mad-hungrie men as well may eate Hote coles of fire to feede their naturall heate For to aspire to competence with your king What subiect is so grose and Gyantly He hauing now a Daulphine borne to him Whose birth ten dayes before was dreadfully Vsherd with Earth-quakes in most parts of Europe And that giues all men cause enough to feare All thought of competition with him Commend vs good my Lord and tell our Brother How much we ioy in that his royall issue And in what prayers we raise our heart to heauen That in more terror to his foes and wonder He may drinke Earthquakes and deuoure the thunder So we admire your valure and your vertues And euer will contend to winne their honor Then spake she to Crequie and Prince D' Auergne And gaue all gracious farewels when Byron Was thus encountred by a Councellor Of great and eminent name and matchlesse merit I thinke my Lord your princely Daulphin beares Arion in his Cradle through your kingdome In the sweete Musique ioy strikes from his birth He answerd and good right the cause commands it But said the other had we a fift Henry To claime his ould right and one man to friend Whom you well know my Lord that for his friendship Were promist the Vice-royaltie of France We would not doubt of conquest in despight Of all those windy Earth-quakes He replyed Treason was neuer guide to English conquests And therefore that doubt shall not fright our Daulphine Nor would I be the friend to such a foe For all the royalties in Christendome Fix there your foote sayd he I onely giue False fire and would be lothe to shoote you of He that winnes Empire with the losse of faith Out-buies it and will banck-route you haue layde A braue foundation by the hand of victorie Put not the roofe to fortune foolish statuaries That vnder little Saints suppose great bases Make lesse to sence the Saints and so where fortune Aduanceth vile mindes to states great and noble She much more exposeth them to shame Not able to make good and fill their bases With a conformed structure I haue found Thankes to the blesser of my searche that counsailes Held to the lyne of Iustice still produce The surest states and greatest being sure Without which fit assurance in the greatest As you may see a mighty promontorie More digd and vnder-eaten then may warrant A safe supportance to his hanging browes All passengers auoide him shunne all ground That lyes within his shadow and beare still A flying eye vpon him so great men Corrupted in their ground and building out Too swelling fronts for their foundations When most they should be propt are most forsaken And men will rather thrust into the stormes Of better grounded States then take a shelter Beneath their ruinous and fearefull weight Yet they so ouersee their faultie bases That they remaine securer in conceipt And that securitie doth worse presage Their nere distructions then their eaten grounds And therefore heauen it selfe is made to vs A perfect Hierogliphick to expresse The Idlenesse of such securitie And the graue labour of a wise distrust In both sorts of the all-enclying starres Where all men note this difference in their shyning As plaine as they distinguish either hand The fixt starres mauer and the erring stand D' Aum. How tooke he this so worthy admonition Cre. Grauely applied said he and like the man Whome all the world saies ouerrules the starres Which are diuine bookes to vs and are read By vnderstanders onely the true obiects And chiefe companions of the truest men And though I need it not I thanke your counsaile That neuer yet was idle But spherelike Still mooues about and is the continent To this blest I le ACT. 5. SCEN. 1. Enter Byron D' Auergne Laffin Byr. The Circkle of this ambassie is closde For which I long haue long'd for mine owne ends To see my faithfull and leaue courtly friends To whom I came me thought with such a spirit As you haue seene a lusty courser showe That hath beene longe time at his manger tied High fead alone and when his headstall broken Hee runnes his prison like a trumpet neighs Cuts ayre in high curuets and shakes his head With wanton stopings twixt his forelegs mocking The heauy center spreds his flying crest Like to an Ensigne hedge and ditches leaping Till in the fresh meate at his naturall foode He sees free fellowes and hath met them free And now good friend I would be faine inform'd What our right Princely Lord the duke of Sauoy Hath thought on to employ my comming home Laf. To try the Kings trust in you and withall How hot he trailes on our conspiracie He first would haue you begge the gouernment Of the important Citadell of Bourg Or to place in it any you shall name VVhich wil be wondrous fit to march before His other purposes and is a fort Hee rates in loue aboue his patrimonie To make which fortresse worthie of your suite He vowes if you obtaine it to bestowe His third faire daughter on your excellence And hopes the King will not deny it you Byr. Denie it me deny me such a suite VVho will he grant if he deny it me Laf. He 'le finde some politique shift to do 't I feare Bir. VVhat shift or what euasion can he finde VVhat one patch is there in all policies shop That botcher vp of Kingdomes that can mend The brack betwixt vs any way denying D' Au. That 's at your perill Byr. Come he dares not do 't D' Au. Dares not presume not so you know good duke That all things hee
finger in the hearts of kings Which whilelome grew into a goodly tree Bright Angels sat and sung vpon the twigs And royall branches for the heads of Kings Were twisted of them but since squint-ey'd enuye And pale suspicion dasht the heads of kingdomes One gainst another two abhorred twins With two foule tayles sterne Warre and Libertie Entred the world The tree that grew from heauen Is ouerrunne with mosse the cheerfull musique That heeretofore hath sounded out of it Beginnes to cease and as she casts her leaues By small degrees the kingdomes of the earth Decline and wither and looke whensoeuer That the pure sap in her is dried vp quite The lamp of all authoritie goes out And all the blaze of Princes is extinkt Thus as the Poet sends a messenger Out to the stage to shew the summe of all That followes after so are Kings reuolts And playing both waies with religion Fore-runners of afflictions imminent Which like a Chorus subiects must lament D' Au. My Lord I stand not on these deepe discourses To settle my course to your fortunes mine Are freely and inseperablie linckt And to your loue my life Byr. Thankes Princely friend And whatsoeuer good shall come of me Pursu'd by al the Catholike Princes aydes With whom I ioyne and whose whole states proposde To winne my valure promise me a throne All shall be equall with my selfe thine owne La Brun. My Lord here is D'escuris sent from the King Desires accesse to you Enter D'escuris Byr. Attend him in Desc. Helth to my Lord the Duke Byr. Welcome D'escuris In what helth rests our royall Soueraigne Desc. In good helth of his bodie but his minde Is something troubled with the gathering stormes Of forreigne powres that as he is inform'd Addresse themselues into his frontier townes And therefore his intent is to maintaine The body of an armie on those parts And yeeld their worthie conduct to your valure Byr. From whence heares he that any stormes are rising D'esc. From Italy and his intelligence No doubt is certaine that in all those partes Leuies are hotly made for which respect He sent to his Ambassador De Vic To make demand in Switzerland for the raising With vtmost dilligence of sixe thousand men All which shall bee commanded to attend On your direction as the Constable Your honord Gossip gaue him in aduice And hee sent you by wrighting of which letters He would haue answere and aduice from you By your most speedie presence Byr. This is strange That when the enimie is t' attempt his frontiers He calls me from the frontiers does he thinke It is an action worthie of my valure To turne my back to an approching foe Desc. The foe is not so nere but you may come And take more strickt directions from his highnesse Then he thinkes fit his letters should containe Without the least attainture of your valure And therefore good my Lord forbeare excuse And beare your selfe on his direction Who well you know hath neuer made designe For your most worthy seruice where he saw That any thing but honour could succede Byr. I will not come I sweare Des. I know your grace Will send no such vnsauorie replie Byr. Tell him that I beseech his Maiesty To pardon my repaire till th' end be knowne Of all these leuies now in Italie Des. My Lord I know that tale will neuer please him And wish you as you loue his loue and pleasure To satisfie his summons speedily And speedily I know he will returne you Byr. By heauen it is not fit if all my seruice Makes me know any thing beseech him therefore To trust my iudgement in these doubtfull charges Since in assur'd assaults it hath not faild him Des. I would your Lordship now would trust his iudgement Byr. Gods precious y' are importunate past measure And I know further then your charge extends I le satisfie his highnesse let that serue For by this flesh and bloud you shall not beare Any replie to him but this from me Des. T is nought to me my Lord I wish your good And for that cause haue beene importunate Exit Desc Brunel By no meanes goe my Lord but with distrust Of all that hath beene said or can be sent Collect your friends and stand vpon your gard The Kings faire letters and his messages Are onely Golden Pills and comprehend Horrible purgatiues Byr. I will not goe For now I see th' instructions lately sent me That something is discouerd are too true And my head rules none of those neighbor Nobles That euery Pursiuant brings beneath the axe If they bring me out they shall see I le hatch Like to the Black-thorne that puts forth his leafe Not with the golden fawnings of the Sunne But sharpest showers of haile and blackest frosts Blowes batteries breaches showers of steele and bloud Must be his doun-right messengers for me And not the misling breath of policie He he himselfe made passage to his Crowne Through no more armies battailes massacres Then I will aske him to arriue at me He takes on him my executions And on the demolitions that this arme Hath shaken out of forts and Citadells Hath he aduanc't the Tropheys of his valor Where I in those assumptions may skorne And speake contemptuously of all the world For any equal yet I euer found And in my rising not the Syrian Starre That in the Lyons mouth vndaunted shines And makes his braue ascension with the Sunne Was of th' Egiptians with more zeale beheld And made a rule to know the circuite And compasse of the yeare then I was held When I appeard from battaile the whole sphere And full sustainer of the state we beare I haue Alcides-like gone vnder th' earth And on these showlders borne the weight of France And for the fortunes of the thankles King My father all know set him in his throne And if he vrge me I may pluck him out Enter Mess: Mes. Here is the president Ianin my Lord Sent from the King and vrgeth quick accesse Byr. Another Pursiuant and one so quick He takes next course with me to make him stay But let him in let 's here what he importunes Enter Ianin Ianin Honor and loyall hopes to Duke Byron Byr. No other tooch me say how fares the King Ian. Farely my Lord the cloud is yet farre off That aimes at his obscuring and his will Would gladly giue the motion to your powers That should disperse it but the meanes himselfe Would personally relate in your direction Byr. Still on that hante Ian. Vpon my life my Lord He much desires to see you and your sight Is now growne necessarie to suppresse As with the glorious splendor of the Sunne The rude windes that report breaths in his eares Endeuoring to blast your loialtie Byr. Sir if my loyaltie stick in him no faster But that the light breath of report may loose it So I rest still vnmoou'd let him be shaken Ian. But these aloofe abodes my Lord bewray That there
we charge you 1. First you conferd with one cald Picote At Orleance borne and into Flanders fled To hold intelligence by him with the Archduke And for two voyages to that effect Bestowd on him fiue hundred fiftie crownes 2. Next you held treaty with the Duke of Sauoy Without the Kings permission offering him All seruice and assistance gainst all men In hope to haue in marriage his third daughter 3. Thirdly you held intelligence with the Duke At taking in of Bourge and other Forts Aduising him with all your preiudice Gainst the Kings armie and his royall person 4. The fourth is that you would haue brought the King Before Saint Katherines Fort to be there slaine And to that end writ to the Gouernor In which you gaue him notes to know his highnesse 5. Fiftly you sent Laffin to treate with Sauoy And with the Count Fuentes of more plots Touching the ruine of the King and realme Byr. All this my Lord I answer and deny And first for Picoté he was my prisoner And therefore I might well conferre with him But that our conference tended to the Arch-duke Is nothing so I onely did employ him To Captaine La Fortune for the reduction Of Seurre to the seruice of the King Who vsd such speedy dilligence therein That shortly 't was assut'd his Maiestie 2. Next for my treaties with the Duke of Sauoy Roncas his Secretarie hauing made A motion to me for the Dukes third daughter I tolde it to the King who hauing since Giuen me the vnderstanding by La Force Of his dislike I neuer dreamd of it 3. Thirdly for my intelligence with the Duke Aduising him against his Highnesse armie Had this beene true I had not vndertaken Th' assault of Bourg against the Kings opinion Hauing assistance but by them about me And hauing wunne it for him had not beene Put out of such a gouernment so easily 4. Fourthly for my aduise to kill the King I would beseech his Highnesse memory Not to let slip that I alone diswaded His viewing of that Fort informing him It had good marke-men and he could not goe But in exceeding danger which aduise Diuerted him the rather since I said That if he had desire to see the place He should receiue from me a Plot of it Offering to take it with fiue hundred men And I my selfe would go to the assault 5. And lastly for intelligences held With Sauoy and Fuentes I confesse That being denyed to keepe the Cytadell Which with incredible perill I had got And seeing another honor'd with my spoiles I grew so desperate that I found my spirit Enrag'd to any act and wisht my selfe Couer'd with bloud Chan. With whose bloud Byr. With mine owne Wishing to liue no longer being denyed With such suspition of me and set will To rack my furious humor into bloud And for two moneths space I did speake and wright More then I ought but haue done euer well And therefore your enformers haue beene false And with intent to tyranize subornd Flen. What if our witnesses come face to face And iustifie much more then we alledge Byr. They must be hyrelings then and men corrupted Pot. What thinke you of La Fin Byr. I hold La Fin An honor'd Gentleman my friend and kinsman Har. If he then aggrauate what we affirme With greater accusations to your face What will you say Byr. I know it cannot be Chan. Call in my Lord La Fin Byr. Is he so neere And kept so close from me can all the world Make him a treacher Enter La Fin Chan. I suppose my Lord You haue not stood within without the eare Of what hath heere beene vrgd against the Duke If you haue heard it and vpon your knowledge Can witnesse all is true vpon your soule Vtter your knowledge Laffi I haue heard my Lord All that hath past here and vpon my soule Being chargd so vrgently in such a Court Vpon my knowledge I affirme all true And so much more as had the prisoner liues As many as his yeares would make all forfaite Byr. O all yee vertuous powers in earth and heauen That haue not put on hellish flesh and blood From whence these monstrous issues are produc'd That cannot beare in execrable concord And one prodigious subiect contraries Nor as the I le that of the world admirde Is seuerd from the world can cut your selues From the consent and sacred hermonie Of life yet liue of honor yet be honord As this extrauagant and errant roge From all your faire Decorums and iust lawes Findes powre to doe and like a lothesome wen Sticks to the face of nature and this Court Thicken this ayre and turne your plaguie rage Into a shape as dismall as his sinne And with some equall horror teare him of From sight and memory let not such a court To whose fame all the Kings of Christendome Now laid their eares so crack her royall Trumpe As to sound through it that here vanted iustice Was got in such an incest is it iustice To tempt and witch a man to breake the law And by that witch condemne him let me draw Poison into me with this cursed ayre If he bewitcht me and transformd me not He bit me by the eare and made me drinke Enchanted waters let me see an Image That vtterd these distinct words Thou shalt dye O wicked King and if the diuill gaue him Such powre vpon an Image vpon me How might he tyrannize that by his vowes And othes so Stygian had my Nerues and will In more awe then his owne what man is he That is so high but he would higher be So roundly sighted but he may be found To haue a blinde side which by craft persude Confederacie and simply trusted treason May wrest him past his Angell and his reason Chan. Witchcraft can neuer taint an honest minde Harl. True gold will any triall stand vntoucht Pot. For coulours that will staine when they are tryed The cloth it selfe is euer cast aside Byr. Some-times the very Glosse in any thing Will seeme a staine the fault not in the light Nor in the guilty obiect but our sight My glosse raisd from the richnesse of my stuffe Had too much splendor for the Owly eye Of politique and thanklesse royaltie I did deserue too much a plurisie Of that blood in me is the cause I dye Vertue in great men must be small and sleight For poore starres rule where she is exquisite T is tyrannous and impious policie To put to death by fraude and trecherie Sleight is then royall when it makes men liue And if it vrge faults vrgeth to forgiue He must be guiltlesse that condemnes the guiltie Like things do nourish like and not destroy them Mindes must be sound that iudge affaires of weight And seeing hands cut corosiues from your sight A Lord intelligencer hangman-like Thrust him from humaine fellowship to the desarts Blowe him with curses shall your iustice call Treacherie her Father would you wish her