was giuen the 22. of this month condemning the said Duke of Byron of heigh treason for his direct conspiracies against the kings person enterprises against his state Byr. That is most false let me for euer be Depriued of heauen as I shall be of earth If it be true knowe worthy country-men These two and twenty moneths I haue bene clere Of all atempts against the king and state Har. Treaties and trecheries with his Enemies being marshall of the Kings army for reparation of which crimes they depriued him of all his estates honors and dignities and condemned him to lose his head vpon a Scaffold at the Greaue Byr. The Greaue had that place stood for my dispatch I had not yeelded all your forces should not Stire me one foote wild horses should haue drawne My body peece-meale eare you all had brought me Har. Declaring all his goods moueable and inmoueable whatsoeuer to be confiscate to the King the Signeury of Byron to loose the title of Duchy and Peere for euer Byr. Now is your forme contented Cha. I my Lord And I must now entreat you to deliuer Your order vp the king demands it of you Byr. And I restore it with my vow of safty In that world where both he and I are one I neuer brake the oth I tooke to take it Cha. We 'l now my Lord wee 'l take our latest leaues Beseeching heauen to take as clere from you All sence of torment in your willing death All loue and thought of what you must leaue here As when you shall aspire heauens highest sphere Byr. Thankes to your Lordship and let me pray to That you will hold good censure of my life By the cleere witnesse of my soule in death That I haue neuer past act gainst the King Which if my faith had let me vndertake They had bene three yeares since amongst the dead Harl: Your soule shall finde his safety in her owne Call the executioner Byr: Good sir I pray Go after and beseech the Chancellor That he will let my body be interrd Amongst my predecessors at Byron Desc: I go my Lord Exit Byr: Go go can all go thus And no man come with comfort farewell world He is at no end of his actions blest Whose ends will make him greatest and not best They tread no ground but ride in ayre on stormes That follow State and hunt their empty formes Who see not that the Valleys of the world Make euen right with the Mountains that they grow Greene and lye warmer and euer peacefull are When Clowdes spit fire as Hilles and burne them bare Not Valleys part but we should imitate Streames That run below the Valleys and do yeeld To euery Mole-hill euery Banke imbrace That checks their Currants and when Torrents come That swell and raise them past their naturall height How madde they are and trubl'd like low straines With Torrents crownd are men with Diademes Vit: My Lord t is late wilt please you to go vp Byr. Vp t is a faire preferment ha ha ha There should go showtes to vp-shots not a breath Of any mercy yet come since we must Whos 's this Pral: The executioner my Lord Byr: Death slaue downe or by the blood that moues me I le plucke thy throat out goe I le call you straight Hold boy and this Hang Soft boy I le barre you that Byr: Take this then yet I pray thee that againe I do not ioy in sight of such a Pageant As presents death Though this life haue a cursse T is better then another that is worse Arch My Lord now you are blinde to this worlds sight Looke vpward to a world of endles light Byr: I I you talke of vpward still to others And downwards looke with headlong eyes your selues Now come you vp sir But not touch me yet Where shall I be now Hang Heere my Lord Byr: Where 's that Hang There there my Lord Byr: And where slaue is that there Thou seest I see not yet I speake as I saw Well now i st fit Hang Kneele I beseech your Grace That I may do mine office with most order Byr: Do it and if at one blow thou art short Giue one and thirty I le indure them all Hold stay a little comes there yet no mercy High Heauen curse these exemplarie proceedings When Iustice failes they sacrifize our example Hang Let me beseech you I may cut your haire Byr: Out vgly Image of my cruell Iustice Yet wilt thou be before me stay my will Or by the will of Heauen I le strangle thee Vit: My Lord you make to much of this your body Which is no more your owne Byr: Nor is it yours I le take my death with all the horride rites And representments of the dread it merits Let tame Nobilitie and nummed fooles That apprehend not what they vndergo Be such exemplarie and formall sheepe I will not haue him touch me till I will If you will needs racke me beyond my reason Hell take me but I le strangle halfe that 's here And force the rest to kill me I le leape downe If but once more they tempt me to dispaire You wish my quiet yet giue cause of fury Thinke you to set rude windes vpon the Sea Yet keepe it calme or cast me in a sleepe With shaking of my chaines about myne eares O honest Soldiers you haue seene me free From any care of many thousand deathes Yet of this one the manner doth amaze me View view this wounded bosome how much bound Should that man make me that would shoote it through Is it not pitty I should lose my life By such a bloody and infamous stroake Soldi Now by thy spirit and thy better Angell If thou wert cleere the Continent of France Would shrinke beneath the burthen of thy death Ere it would beare are it Vit: Whos 's that Soldi I say well And cleere your Iustice here is no ground shrinks If he were cleere it would And I say more Clere or not cleere If he with all his foulenesse Stood here in one Skale and the Kings chiefe Mynion Stood in another here Put here a pardon Here lay a royall gift this this in merit Should hoyse the other Mynion into ayre Vit: Hence with that franticke Byr: This is some poore witnes That my desert might haue out-weighed my forfeyt But danger hauntes desert when he is Greatest His hearty ills are prou'd out of his glaunces And Kings suspicions needes no Ballances So her 's a most decreetall end of me VVhich I desire in me may end my wrongs Commend my loue I charge you to my brothers And by my loue and misery command them To keepe their faiths that bind them to the King And proue no stomakers of my misfortunes Nor come to Court till time hath eaten out The blots and skarres of my opprobrious death And tell the Earle my deare friend of D'Auergne That my death vtterly were free from griefe But for the sad losse of his worthy friendship And if I had beene made for longer life I would haue more deseru'd him in my seruice Beseeching him to know I haue not vsde One word in my arraignement that might touch him Had I no other want then so ill meaning And so farewell for euer neuer more Shall any hope of my reuiuall see mee Such is the endlesse exile of dead men Summer succeeds the spring Autumne the Summer The Frosts of Winter the falne leaues of Autumne All these and all fruites in them yearely fade And euery yeare returne but cursed man Shall neuer more renew his vanisht face Fall on your knees then Statists ere yee fall That you may rise againe knees bent too late Stick you in earth like statues see in me How you are powr'd downe from your cleerest heauens Fall lower yet mixt with th' vnmoued center That your owne shadowes may no longer mocke yee Stricke stricke O stricke Flie flie commanding soule And on thy wings for this thy bodies breath Beare the eternall victory of death FINIS
other forreigne King Should quite against the streame of all religion Honor and reason take a course so foule And neither keepe his Oth nor saue his Soule Can the poore keeping of a Citadell Which I denyed to be at his disposure Make him forgoe the whole strength of his honours It is impossible though the violence Of his hot spirit made him make attempt Vpon our person for denying him Yet well I found his loyall iudgment seru'd To keepe it from effect besides being offer'd Two hundred thousand crownes in yearely pention And to be Generall of all the forces The Spaniards had in France they found him still As an vnmatcht Achilles in the warres So a most wise Vlisses to their words Stopping his eares at their enchanted sounds And plaine he tould them that although his blood Being mou'd by Nature were a very fire And boyld in apprehension of a wrong Yet should his mind hold such a scepter there As would containe it from all act and thought Of treachery or ingratitude to his Prince Yet do I long me thinkes to see La Fin Who hath his heart in keeping since his state Growne to decay and he to discontent Comes neere the ambitious plight of Duke Byron My Lord Vidame when does your Lordship thinke Your vnckle of La Fin will be arriu'd Vid. I thinke my Lord he now is neere ariuing For his particular iourny and deuotion Voud to the holy Lady of Loretto Was long since past and he vpon returne Hen. In him as in a christall that is charm'd I shall descerne by whome and what designes My rule is threatenede and that sacred power That hath enabled this defensiue arme When I enioyd but in an vnequall Nooke Of that I now possesse to front a King Farre my Superiour And from twelue set battailes March home a victor ten of them obtaind VVithout my personall seruice will not see A traitrous subiect foile me and so end VVhat his hand hath with such successe begunne Enter a Ladie and a Nursse bringing the Daulphine Esp. See the yong Daulphin brought to cheere your highnes Hen. My royall blessing and the King of heauen Make thee an aged and a happie King Helpe Nurse to put my sword into his hand Hold Boy by this and with it may thy arme Cut from thy tree of rule all traitrous branches That striue to shadow and eclips thy glories Haue thy old fathers angell for thy guide Redoubled be his spirit in thy brest VVho when this State ranne like a turbulent sea In ciuill hates and bloudy enmity Their wrathes and enuies like so many windes Setled and burst and like the Halcions birth Be thine to bring a calme vpon the shore In which the eyes of warre may euer sleepe As ouermacht with former massacres VVhen gultie made Noblesse feed on Noblesse All the sweete plentie of the realme exhausted VVhen the nak't merchant was pursude for spoile VVhen the pore Pezants frighted neediest theeues VVith their pale leanenesse nothing left on them But meager carcases sustaind with ayre Wandring like Ghosts affrighted from their graues VVhen with the often and incessant sounds The very beasts knew the alarum bell And hearing it ranne bellowing to their home From which vnchristian broiles and homicides Let the religious sword of iustice free Thee and thy kingdomes gouern'd after me O heauen or if th' vnsettled bloud of France VVith ease and welth renew he ciuill furies Let all my powers be emptied in my Sonne To curb and end them all as I haue done Let him by vertue quite out of from fortune Her fetherd shoulders and her winged shooes And thrust from her light feete her turning stone That she may euer tarry by his throne And of his worth let after ages say He fighting for the land and bringing home Iust conquests loden with his enimies spoiles His father past all France in martiall deeds But he his father twenty times exceedes Enter the Duke of Byron D'Avuergne and Laffin Byr. My deare friends D'Avuergne and Laffin We neede no coniurations to conceale Our close intendments to aduance our states Euen with our merits which are now neclected Since Britaine is reduc't and breathlesse warre Hath sheath'd his sword and wrapt his Ensignes vp The King hath now no more vse of my valure And therefore I shall now no more enioy The credite that my seruice held with him My seruice that hath driuen through all extreames Through tempests droughts and through the deepest floods Winters of shot and ouer rockes so high That birds could scarce aspire their ridgy toppes The world is quite inuerted vertue throwne At Vices feete and sensuall peace confounds Valure and cowardise Fame and Infamy The rude and terrible age is turnd againe When the thicke ayre hid heauen and all the starres Were drown'd in humor tough and hard to peirse When the red Sunne held not his fixed place Kept not his certaine course his rise and set Nor yet distinguisht with his definite boundes Nor in his firme conuersions were discernd The fruitfull distances of time and place In the well varyed seasons of the yeare When th' incomposd incursions of floods Wasted and eat the earth and all things shewed Wilde and disordred nought was worse then now Wee must reforme and haue a new creation Of State and gouernment and on our Chaos Will I sit brooding vp another world I who through all the dangers that can siege The life of man haue forcst my glorious way To the repayring of my countries ruines Will ruine it againe to re-aduance it Romaine Camyllus safte the State of Rome With farre lesse merite then Byron hath France And how short of this is my recompence The king shall know I will haue better price Set on my seruices in spight of whome I will proclaime and ring my discontents Into the farthest eare of all the world Laff: How great a spirit he breaths how learnd how wise But worthy Prince you must giue temperate ayre To your vnmatcht and more then humaine winde Else will our plots be frost-bit in the flowre D'Au: Betwixt our selues we may giue liberall vent To all our fiery and displeas'd impressions Which nature could not entertaine with life Without some exhalation A wrongd thought Will breake a rib of steele Byr. My Princely friend Enough of these eruptions our graue Councellor Well knowes that great affaires will not be forg'd But vpon Anuills that are linde with wooll We must ascend to our intentions toppe Like Clowdes that be not seene till they be vp Laff: O you do too much rauish And my soule Offer to Musique in your numerous breath Sententious and so high it wakens death It is for these parts that the Spanish King Hath sworne to winne them to his side At any price or perrill That great Sauoy Offers his princely daughter and a dowry Amounting to fiue hundred thousand crownes With full transport of all the Soueraigne rights Belonging to the State of Burgondie Which marriage will be made the
lose theyr lookes Whose hearts so soone are melted D'Au: But me thinks Being Courtiers they should cast best looks on men When they thought worst of them Byr: O no my Lord They n'ere dissemble but for some aduantage They sell theyr looks and shadowes which they rate After theyr markets kept beneath the State Lord what foule weather theyr aspects do threaten See in how graue a Brake he sets his vizard Passion of nothing See an excellent Iesture Now Courtship goes a ditching in theyr fore-heads And we are falne into those dismall ditches Why euen thus dreadfully would they be rapt If the Kings butterd egges were onely spilt Enter Henry Hen: Lord Chancellor Cha: I my Lord Hen: And lord Vidame Exit Byr: And not Byron here 's a prodigious change D'Au: He cast no Beame on you Byr: Why now you see From whence theyr countenances were copyed Enter the captaine of Byrons guard with a letter D'Au. See here comes some newes I beleeue my Lord Byr. VVhat saies the honest captaine of my guard Cap. I bring a letter from a friend of yours Byr. T is welcome then D'Au. Haue we yet any friends Cap. More then yee would I thinke I neuer saw Men in their right mindes so vnrighteous In their owne causes Byr. See what thou hast brought Hee wills vs to retire our selues my Lord And makes as if it were almost too late What saies my captaine shall we goe or no Cap. I would your daggers point had kist my heart When you resolu'd to come Byr. I pray the why Cap. Yet doth that sencelesse Apopelxy dull you The diuell or your wicked angell blinds you Bereauing all your reason of a man And leaues you but the spirit of a horse In your brute nostrills onely powre to dare Byr. VVhy dost thou think my comming here hath brought me To such an vnrecouerable danger Cap. Iudge by the strange Ostents that haue succeeded Since your arriuall the kinde fowle the wilde duck That came into your cabinet so beyond The sight of all your seruants or your selfe That flew about and on your shoulder sat And which you had so fed and so attended For that dum loue she shew'd you iust as soone As you were parted on the sodaine died And to make this no lesse then an Ostent Another that hath fortun'd since confirmes it Your goodly horse Pastrana which the Archduke Gaue you at Bruxells in the very houre You left your strength fel-mad and kild himselfe â—â—e like chanc't to the horse the great duke sent you and with both these the horse the duke of Lorraine Sent you at Vinsie made a third presage Of some Ineuitable fate that toucht you Who like the other pin'd away and died Byr. All these together are indeed oftentfull Which by another like I can confirme The matchlesse Earle of Essex who some make In their most sure diuinings of my death A parallel with me in life and fortune Had one horse like-wise that the very howre He sufferd death being well the night before Died in his pasture Noble happy beasts That die not hauing to their wills to liue They vse no deprecations nor complaints Nor sute for mercy amongst them the Lion Serues not the Lion nor the horse the horse As man serues man when men shew most their spirrits In valure and their vtmost dares to do They are compard to Lions Woolues and Bores But by conuersion None will say a Lyon Fights as he had the Spirrit of a man Let me then in my danger now giue cause For all men to begin that Simile For all my huge engagement I prouide me This short sword onely which if I haue time To show my apprehendor he shall vse Power of tenne Lions if I get not loose Enter Henry Chancellor Vidame Ianin Vitry Pralin Hen. What shall we doe with this vnthankefull man Would he of one thing but reueale the truth Which I haue proofe of vnderneath his hand He should not tast my Iustice I would giue Two hundred thousand crownes that he would yeeld But such meanes for my pardon as he should I neuer lou'd man like him would haue trusted My Sonne in his protection and my Realme He hath deseru'd my loue with worthy seruice Yet can he not deny but I haue thrice Sau'd him from death I drew him of the foe At Fountaine Francoise where he was engag'd So wounded and so much amazd with blowes That as I playd the souldier in his rescue I was enforc't to play the Marshall To order the retreat because he said He was not fit to do it nor to serue me Cha. Your maiesty hath vsd your vtmost meanes Both by your owne perswasions and his friends To bring him to submission and confesse With some signe of repentance his foule fault Yet still he stands prefract and insolent You haue in loue and care of his recouery Beene halfe in labour to produce a course And resolution what were fit for him And since so amply it concernes your crowne You must by law cut of what by your grace You cannot bring into the state of safety Ian. Begin at th' end my Lord and execute Like Alexander with Parmenio Princes you knowe are Maisters of their lawes And may resolue them to what forms they please So all conclude in iustice in whose stroke There is one sort of manadge for the Great Another for inferiour The great Mother Of all productions graue Necessity Commands the variation And the profit So certenly fore-seene commends the example Hen. I like not executions so informall For which my predecessors haue beene blam'd My Subiects and the world shall knowe my powre And my authority by lawes vsuall course Dares punish not the deuilish heads of treason But there confederates be they nere so dreadfull The decent ceremonies of my lawes And their solemnities shall be obserued With all their Sternenes and Seueritie Vit: Where will your highnes haue him apprehended Hen: Not in the Castle as some haue aduis'd But in his chamber Pral: Rather in your owne Or comming out of it for t is assur'd That any other place of apprehension Will make the hard performance end in blood Vit: To shun this likely-hood my Lord t is best To make the apprehension neere your chamber For all respect and reuerence giuen the place More then is needfull to chastice the person And saue the opening of to many veines Is vain and dangerous Hen: Gather you your guard And I will finde fit time to giue the word When you shall seaze on him and on D'Avuergne Vit: Wee will be readie to the death my Lord Exeunt Hen: O thou that gouernst the keene swords of Kings Direct my arme in this important stroke Or hold it being aduanc't the weight of blood Euen in the basest subiect doth exact Deepe consultation in the highest King For in one subiect deaths vniust affrights Passions and paines though he be n'ere so poore Aske more remorse then the voluptuous spleenes Of all Kings
in the world deserue respect Hee should be borne grey-headed that will beare The sword of Empire Iudgement of the life Free state and reputation of a man If it be iust and worthy dwells so darke That it denies accesse to Sunne and Moone The soules eye sharpned with that sacred light Of whome the Sunne it selfe is but a beame Must onely giue that iudgement O how much Erre those Kings then that play with life and death And nothing put into their serious States But humor and their lusts For which alone Men long for kingdomes whose huge counterpoise In cares and dangers could a foole comprise He would not be a King but would be wise Enter Byron talking with the Queene Esp D' Entragues D' Av: with another Lady others attending Hen: Heere comes the man with whose ambitious head Cast in the way of Treason we must stay His full chace of our ruine and our Realme This houre shall take vpon her shady winges His latest liberty and life to Hell D'Av: We are vndone Queene What 's that Byr: I heard him not Hen: Madam y' are honord much that Duke Byron Is so obseruant Some to cardes with him You foure as now you come sit to Primero And I will fight a battayle at the Chesse Byr. A good safe fight beleeue me Other warre Thirsts blood and wounds and his thirst quencht is thankles Esp: Lift and then cut Byr: T is right the end of lifting When men are lifted to their highest pitch They cut of those that lifted them so high Qu Apply you all these sports so seriously Byr: They first were from our serious acts deuis'd The best of which are to the best but sports I meane by best the greatest for their ends In men that serue them best are their owne pleasures Qu So in those best mens seruices their ends Are their owne pleasures passe Byr: I vy't Hen: I see 't And wonder at his frontles impudence Exit Hen Chan How speedes your Maiestie Qu Well the Duke instructs me With such graue lessons of mortallitie Forc't out of our light sport that if I loose I cannot but speed well Byr. Some idle talke For Courtship sake you know does not amisse Chan. Would we might heare some of it Byr. That you shall I cast away a card now makes me thinke Of the deceased worthy King of Spaine Chan. What card was that Byr. The King of hearts my Lord Whose name yeelds well the memorie of that King Who was indeed the worthy King of hearts And had both of his subiects hearts and strangers Much more then all the Kings of Christendome Chan. He wun them with his gold Byr. He wun them chiefely With his so generall Pietie and Iustice And as the little yet great Macedon Was sayd with his humane philosophy To teach the rapefull Hyrcans mariage And bring the barbarous Sogdians to nourish Not kill their aged Parents as before Th' incestuous Persians to reuerence Their mothers not to vse them as their wiues The Indians to adore the Grecian Gods The Scythians to inter not eate their Parents So he with his diuine Philosophy Which I may call his since he chiefely vsd it In Turky India and through all the world Expell'd prophane idolatry and from earth Raisd temples to the highest whom with the word He could not winne he iustly put to sword Chan. He sought for gold and Empire Byr. T was Religion And her full propagation that he sought If gold had beene his end it had beene hoorded When he had fetcht it in so many fleetes Which he spent not on Median Luxurie Banquets and women Calidonian wine Nor deare Hyrcanian fishes but emploid it To propagate his Empire and his Empire Desird t' extend so that he might withall Extend Religion through it and all nations Reduce to one firme constitution Of Pietie Iustice and one publique weale To which end he made all his matchles subiects Make tents their castles and their garisons True Catholikes contrimen and their allies Heretikes strangers and their enemies There was in him the magnanimity Montig. To temper your extreame applause my Lord Shorten and answere all things in a word The greatest commendation we can giue To the remembrance of that King deceast Is that he spar'd not his owne eldest sonne But put him iustly to a violent death Because hee sought to trouble his estates Byr. I st so Chan. That bit my Lord vpon my life T was bitterly replied and doth amaze him The King sodainely enters hauing determined what to doe Hen. It is resolud A worke shall now be done Which while learnd Atlas shall with starres be crownd While th' Ocean walkes in stormes his wauy round While Moones at full repaire their broken rings While Lucifer fore-shewes Auroras springs And Arctos stickes aboue the Earth vnmou'd Shall make my realme be blest and me beloued Call in the count D' Auuergne Enter D'Au A word my Lord Will you become as wilfull as your friend And draw a mortall iustice on your heads That hangs so blacke and is so loth to strike If you would vtter what I knowe you knowe Of his inhumaine treason on Stronge Barre Betwixt his will and duty were dissolud For then I know he would submit himselfe Thinke you it not as stronge a point of faith To rectifie your loyalties to me As to be trusty in ech others wrong Trust that deceiues our selues in treachery And Truth that truth conceales an open lie D'Au. My Lord if I could vtter any thought Instructed with disloyalty to you And might light any safty to my friend Though mine owne heart came after it should out Hen. I knowe you may and that your faith 's affected To one another are so vaine and faulce That your owne Strengths will ruine you ye contend To cast vp rampiers to you in the sea And striue to stop the waues that runne before you D'Au. All this my Lord to me is misery Hen. It is I le make it plaine enouge Beleeue me Come my Lord Chancellor let vs end our mate Enter Varennes whispering to Byron Var. You are vndone my Lord Exit Byr: Is it possible Que. Play good my Lord whom looke you for Esp. Your mind Is not vpon your Game Byr. Play pray you play Hen. Enough t is late and time to leaue our play On all hands all forbeare the roome my Lord Stay you with me yet is your will resolued To dewty and the maine bond of your life I sweare of all th' Intrusions I haue made Vpon your owne good and continew'd fortunes This is the last informe me yet the truth And here I vow to you by all my loue By all meanes showne you euen to this extreame When all men else forsake you you are safe What passages haue slipt twixt count Fuentes You and the Duke of Sauoye Byr. Good my Lord This nayle is driuen already past the head You much haue ouerchargd an honest man And I beseech you yeeld my Inocence iustice But
with my single valure gainst them all That thus haue poisoned your opinion of me And let me take my vengeance by my sword For I protest I neuer thought an Action More then my tongue hath vtterd Hen. Would t were true And that your thoughts and deeds had fell no fouler But you disdaine submission not remembring That in intentes vrdgd for the common good He that shall hould his peace being chardgd to speake Doth all the peace and nerues of Empire breake Which on your conscience lie adieu good night Exit Byr. Kings hate to heare what they command men speake Aske life and to desert of death ye yeeld Where Medicins loath it yrcks men to be heald Enter Vitry with two or three of the Guard Esper Vidame following Vytry layes hand on Byrons sword Vyt. Resigne your sword my Lord the King commands it Byr. Me to resigne my sword what king is he Hath vsd it better for the realme then I My sword that all the warres within the length Breadth and the whole dimensions of great France Hath sheathd betwixt his hilt and horrid point And fixt ye all in such a florishing Peace My sword that neuer enimie could inforce Bereft me by my friendes Now good my Lord Beseech the King I may resigne my sword To his hand onely Enter Ianin Ianin You must do your office The King commands you Vit: T is in vaine to striue For I must force it Byron Haue I neere a friend That beares another for me All the Guard What will you kill me will you smother here His life that can command and saue in field A hundred thousand liues For man-hood sake Lend something to this poore forsaken hand For all my seruice let me haue the honor To dye defending of my innocent selfe And haue some little space to pray to God Enter Henry Hen: Come you are an Atheist Byron and a Traytor Both foule and damnable Thy innocent selfe No Leper is so buried quicke in vlcers As thy corrupted soule Thou end the war And settle peace in France what war hath rag'd Into whose fury I haue not expos'd My person wich is as free a spirit as thine Thy worthy Father and thy selfe combinde And arm'd in all the merits of your valors Your bodyes thrust amidst the thickest fight Neuer were bristeld with so many battayles Nor on the foe haue broke such woods of Launces As grew vpon my thigh and I haue Marshald I am asham'd to bragge thus where enuy And arrogance their opposit Bulwarke raise Men are allowd to vse their proper praise Away with him Exit Henry Byr: Away with him liue I And here my life thus sleighted cursed man That euer the intelligensing lights Betraid me to mens whorish fellowships To Princes Moorish slaueries To be made The Anuille on which onely blowes and woundes Were made the seed and wombs of others honors A property for a Tyrant to set vp And puffe downe with the vapour of his breath Will you not kill me Vit: No we will not hurt you We are commanded onely to conduct you Into your lodging Byr: To my lodging where Vit: Within the Cabynet of Armes my Lord Byr: What to a prison Death I will not go Vit: Wee le force you then Byr: And take away my sword A proper point of force ye had as good Haue rob'd me of my soule Slaues of my Starrs Partiall and bloody O that in mine eyes Were all the Sorcerous poyson of my woes That I might witch ye headlong from your height And trample ou 't your excrable light Vit: Come will you go my Lord this rage is vaine Byr: And so is all your graue authority And that all France shall feele before I Die Ye see all how they vse good Catholiques Esp. Farewell for euer so haue I deseru'd An exhalation that would be a Starre Fall when the Sunne forsooke it in a sincke Shooes euer ouerthrow that are too large And hugest canons burst with ouercharge D'Avuergne Pralin following with a Guard Pra: My Lord I haue commandment from the King To charge you go with me and aske your sword D' Au: My sword who feares it it was n'ere the death Of any but wilde Bores I prithee take it Hadst thou aduertis'd this when last we met I had bene in my bed and fast asleepe Two houres a goe lead I le go where thou wilt Exit Vid See how he beares his crosse with his small strength On easier shoulders then the other Atlas Esp: Strength to aspire is still accompanied With weakenes to indure All popular gifts Are coullors it will beare no vineger And rather to aduerse affaires betray Thine arme against them his State still his best That hath most inward worth and that 's best tryed That neither glories nor is glorified Actus 5. Scaena 1. Henry Soissons Ianin Descures cum aliis Hen: What shall we thinke my Lords of these new forces That from the King of Spaine hath past the Alps For which I thinke his Lord Ambassador Is come to Court to get their passe for Flanders Ian: I thinke my Lord they haue no end for Flanders Cont Maurice being allready entred Brabant To passe to Flanders to relieue Ostend And th' Arch-duke full prepar'd to hinder him And sure it is that they must measure forces Which ere this new force could haue past the Alps Of force must be incountred Soiss: T is vnlikely That their march hath so large an ayme as Flanders Desc: As these times sort they may haue shorter reaches That would pierce further Hen: I haue bene aduertis'd That Cont Fuentes by whose meanes this army Was lately leuied And whose hand was strong In thrusting on Byrons conspiracie Hath caus'd these cunning forces to aduance With coullor onely to set downe in Flanders But hath intentionall respect to fauor And countnance his false Partizans in Bresse And friendes in Burgondie to giue them hart For the full taking of their hearts from me Be as it will we shall preuent theyr worst And therefore call in Spaines Ambassador Enter Ambassador with others What would the Lord Ambassador of Spaine Amba: First in my maisters name I would beseech Your highnes hearty thought That his true hand Held in your vowd amities hath not toucht At any least point in Byrons offence Nor once had notice of a cryme so foule Whereof since he doubts not you stand resolu'd He prayes your Leagues continuance in this fauor That the army he hath rais'd to march for Flanders May haue safe passage by your frontier townes And finde the Riuer free that runs by Rhone Hen: My Lord my frontiers shall not be disarm'd Till by araignment of the Duke of Byron My scruples are resolu'd and I may know In what account to hold your Maisters faith For his obseruance of the League betwixt vs You wish me to beleeue that he is cleare From all the proiects caus'd by Cont Fuentes His speciall Agent But where deedes pull downe Words may repaire no
lightnesse Againe they are aduanc't and by the Sunne Made fresh and glorious and since clowdes are rapt With these vncertainties now vp now downe Am I to flit so with his smile or froune Esp. I wish your comforts and incoradgments May spring out of your saftie but I heare The King hath reasond so against your life And made your most friends yeeld so to his reasons That your estate is fearefull Byr. Yeeld t' his reasons O how friends reasons and their freedomes stretch When powre sets his wide tenters to their sides How like a cure by mere opinion It workes vpon our bloud like th' antient Gods Are Moderne Kings that liu'd past bounds themselues Yet set a measure downe to wretched men By many Sophismes they made good deceipt And since they past in powre surpast in right When Kings wills passe the starres winck and the Sunne Suffers eclips rude thunder yeelds to them His horrid wings sits smoothe as glasse engazd And lightning sticks twixt heauen and earth amazd Mens faiths are shaken and the pit of truth O'reflowes with darkenesse in which Iustice sits And keepes her vengeance tied to make it fierce And when it comes th' encreased horrors showe Heauens plague is sure though full of state and slowe Sist. O my deare Lord and brother O the Duke Byr. What sounds are these my Lord hark hark me thinks I heare the cries of people Esp. T is for one Wounded in fight here at Saint Anthonies Gate Byr. Sfoote one cried the Duke I pray harken Againe or burst your selues with silence no What contriman 's the common headsman here Soiss. He 's a Bourgonian Byr. The great deuill he is The bitter wizerd told me a Burgonian Should be my headsman strange concurrences S'death whos 's here Enter 4. Vshers bare Chanc Har Pol Fleur Vit Pralin with others O then I am but dead Now now ye come all to pronounce my sentence I am condemn'd vniustly tell my kinsfolkes I die an innocent If any friend pittie the ruine of the States sustainer Proclaime my innocence ah Lord Chancelor Is there no pardon will there come no mercie I put your hat on and let me stand bare Showe your selfe right a Lawier Chan. I am bare What would you haue me do Byr. You haue not done Like a good iustice and one that knew He sat vpon the precious bloud of vertue Y 'aue pleasd the cruell King and haue not borne As great regard to saue as to condemne You haue condemn'd me my Lord Chancelor But God acquites me he will open lay All your close treasons against him to collour Treasons layd to his truest images And you my Lord shall answere this iniustice Before his iudgement seate to which I summon In one yeare and a daie your hot apparanse I goe before by mens corrupted domes But they that caus'd my death shall after come By the imaculate iustice of the highest Chan. Well good my Lord commend your soule to him And to his mercie thinke of that I pray Byr. Sir I haue thought of it and euery howre Since my affliction askt on naked knees Patience to beare your vnbeleeu'd Iniustice But you nor none of you haue thought of him In my euiction y' are come to your benches With plotted iudgements your linckt eares so lowd Sing with preiudicate windes that nought is heard Of all pore prisoners vrge gainst your award Har. Passion my Lord transports your bitternes Beyond all collour and your propper iudgement No man hath knowne your merits more then I And would to God your great misdedes had beene As much vndone as they haue beene concealde The cries of them for iustice in desert Haue beene so lowd and piersing that they deafned The eares of mercie and haue labord more Your Iudges to compresse then to enforce them Pot. We bring you here your sentence will you reade it Byr. For heauens sake shame to vse me with such rigor I know what it imports and will not haue Mine eare blowne into flames with hearing it Haue you beene one of them that haue condemn'd me Flen. My Lord I am your Orator God comfort you Byr. Good Sir my father lou'd you so entirely That if you haue beene one my soule forgiues you It is the King most childish that he is That takes what he hath giuen that iniures me He gaue grace in the first draught of my fault And now restaines it grace againe I aske Let him againe vouchsafe it send to him A post will soone returne the Queene of England Told me that if the wilfull Earle of Essex Had vsd submission and but askt her mercie She would haue giuen it past resumption She like a gratious Princesse did desire To pardon him euen as she praid to God He would let doune a pardon vnto her He yet was guiltie I am innocent He still refusd grace I importune it Chan. This askt in time my Lord while he besought it And ere he had made his seuerity knowne Had with much ioye to him I know beene granted Byr. No no his bountie then was misery To offer when he knew t would be refusde He treads the vulgar pathe of all aduantage And loues men for his vices nor for their vertues My seruice would haue quickn'd gratitude In his owne death had he beene truely royall It would haue stirr'd the image of a King Into perpetuall motion to haue stood Neere the conspiracie restraind at Mantes And in a danger that had then the Woulfe To flie vpon his bosome had I onely held Intelligence with the conspirators Who stuck at no check but my loyaltie Nor kept life in their hopes but in my death The seege of Amiens would haue softned rocks Where couer'd all in showers of shot and fire I seem'd to all mens eyes a fighting flame With bullets cut in fashion of a man A sacrifize to valure impious King Which he will needes extinguish with my bloud Let him beware iustice will fall from heauen In the same forme I serued in that seege And by the light of that he shall decerne What good my ill hath brought him it will nothing Assure his State the same quench he hath cast Vpon my life shall quite put out his fame This day he looseth what he shall not finde By all daies he suruiues so good a seruant Nor Spaine so great a foe with whom ahlas Because I treated am I put to death T is put a politique glose my courage rais'd me For the deare price of fiue and thirtie skarres And that hath ruin'd me I thanke my Starres Come I le goe where yee will yee shall not lead me Chan. I feare his frenzie Neuer saw I man of such a spirit so amaz'd at death Har. He alters euery minute what a vapor The strongest minde is to a storme of crosses Exeunt Manent Esper Soisson Ianin Vidame D'escures Esp: O of what contraries consists a man Of what impossible mixtures vice and vertue Corruption and eternnesse at one time And in
one subiect let together loosse We haue not any strength but weakens vs No greatnes but doth crush vs into ayre Our knowledges do light vs but to erre Our Ornaments are Burthens Our delights Are our tormentors fiendes that raisd in feares At parting shake our Roofes about our eares Soi. O vertue thou art now farre worse then Fortune Her gifts stucke by the Duke when thine are vanisht Thou brau'st thy friend in Neede Necessity That vsd to keepe thy welth contempt thy loue Haue both abandond thee in his extreames Thy powers are shadowes and thy comfort dreames Vid. O reall goodnesse if thou be a power And not a word alone in humaine vses Appere out of this angry conflagration Where this great Captaine thy late Temple burns And turne his vicious fury to thy flame From all earths hopes mere guilded with thy fame Let pietie enter with her willing crosse And take him on it ope his brest and armes To all the Storms Necessity can breath And burst them all with his embraced death Ian, Yet are the ciuille tumults of his spirits Hot and outragiouse not resolued Ahlas Being but one man render the kingdomes dome He doubts stormes threatens rues complains implores Griefe hath brought all his forces to his lookes And nought is left to strengthen him within Nor lasts one habite of those greeu'd aspects Blood expells palenesse palenes Blood doth chace And sorrow errs through all forms in his face Des. So furiouse is he that the Politique law Is much to seeke how to enact her sentence Authority backt with arms though he vnarmd Abhorrs his furie and with doubtfull eyes Views on what ground it should sustaine his ruines And as a Sauadge Bore that hunted longe Assayld and set vp with his onely eyes Swimming in fire keepes of the baying hounds Though suncke himselfe yet houlds his anger vp And snowes it forth in foame houlds firme his stand Of Battalouse Bristles feedes his hate to die And whets his tuskes with wrathfull maiesty So fares the furious Duke and with his lookes Doth teach death horrors makes the hangman learne New habites for his bloody impudence Which now habituall horror from him driues Who for his life shunns death by which he liues Enter Chauncellor Harlay Potier Fleury Vitry Vit. Will not your Lordshippe haue the Duke distinguisht From other prisoners where the order is To giue vp men condemd into the hands Of th' executioner he would be the death Of him that he should die by ere he sufferd Such an abiection Cha. But to bind his hands I hold it passing needefull Har. T is my Lord And very dangerous to bring him loose Pra: You will in all dispaire and fury plunge him If you but offer it Pot. My Lord by this The prisoners Spirit is some-thing pacified And t is a feare that th' offer of those bands Would breed fresh furies in him and disturbe The entry of his soule into her peace Cha. I would not that for any possible danger That can be wrought by his vnarmed hands And therefore in his owne forme bring him in Enter Byron a Bishop or two with all the guards souldiers with muskets Byr. Where shall this weight fall on what rhegion Must this declining prominent poure his lode I le breake my bloods high billows gainst my starrs Before this will be shooke into a flat All France shall feele an earthquake with what murmur This world shrinkes into Chaos Arch. Good my Lord Forgoe it willingly and now resigne Your sensuall powers entirely to your soule Byr. Horror of death let me alone in peace And leaue my soule to me whome it concernes You haue no charge of it I feele her free How she doth rowze and like a Faulcon stretch Her siluer wings as threatening death with death At whom I ioyfully will cast her off I know this bodie but a sinck of folly The ground-work and rais'd frame of woe and frailtie The bond and bundle of corruption A quick corse onely sensible of griefe A walking sepulcher or household thiefe A glasse of ayre broken with lesse then breath A slaue bound face to face to death til death And what sayd all you more I know besides That life is but a darke and stormy night Of sencelesse dreames terrors and broken sleepes A Tyranie deuising paines to plague And make man long in dying racks his death And death is nothing what can you say more I bring a long Globe and a little earth Am seated like earth betwixt both the heauens That if I rise to heauen I rise if fall I likewise fall to heauen what stronger faith Hath any of your soules what say you more Why lose I time in these things talke of knowledge It serues for inward vse I will not die Like to a Clergie man but like the Captaine That prayd on horse-back and with sword in hand Threatend the Sunne commanding it to stand These are but ropes of sand Chan. Desire you then To speake with any man Byr. I would speake with La Force and Saint Blancart Byr. Do they flie me Where is Prouost controwler of my house Pra. Gone to his house i th countrie three daies since Byr. He should haue stayd here he keepes all my blancks O all the world forsakes me wretched world Consisting most of parts that flie each other A firmnesse breeding all inconstancy A bond of all disiunction like a man Long buried is a man that long hath liu'd Touch him he falls to ashes for one fault I forfeite all the fashion of a man Why should I keepe my soule in this dark light Whose black beames lighted me to loose my selfe When I haue lost my armes my fame my winde Friends brother hopes fortunes and euen my furie O happie were the man could liue alone To know no man nor be of any knowne Har. My Lord it is the manner once againe To read the sentence Byr. Yet more sentences How often will yee make me suffer death As yee were proud to heare your powreful domes I know and feele you were the men that gaue it And die most cruellie to heare so often My crimes and bitter condemnation vrdg'd Suffize it I am brought here and obey And that all here are priuie to the crimes Chan. It must be read my Lord no remedie Byr. Reade if it must be then and I must talke Harl. The processe being extraordinarily made and examin'd by the Court and chambers assembled Byr. Condemn'd for depositions of a witch The common deposition and her whoore To all whorish periuries and treacheries Sure he cal'd vp the diuill in my spirits And made him to vsurpe my faculties Shall I be cast away now he 's cast out What Iustice is in this deare countrey-men Take this true euidence betwixt heauen and you And quit me in your hearts Cha. Go on Har. Against Charles Gentalt of Byron knight of both the orders Duke of Byron peere and marshall of France Gouernor of Burgondy accus'd of treason in a sentence