charge Which then this duke made good seconds his father Beates through and through the enemies greatest strength And breakes the rest like Billowes gainst a rock And there the heart of that huge battaile broke Hen. The heart but now came on in that stronge body Of twice two thousand horse lead by Du Maine Which if I would be glorious I could say I first encountred Sau. How did he take in Beaune in view of that inuincible army Lead by the Lord great Constable of Castile Autun and Nuis in Burgundy chast away Vicount l'auannes troopes before Dijon And puts himselfe in and there that was won Hen. If you would onely giue me leaue my Lord I would do right to him yet must not giue Sau. A league from Fountaine Francois when you sent him To make discouerie of the Castile army When he descern'd t was it with wondrous wisdome Ioinde to his spirit he seem'd to make retreate But when they prest him and the Barron of Lux Set on their charge so hotely that his horse Was slaine and he most dangerously engag'd Then turnd your braue duke head and with such ease As doth an Eccho beate backe violent sounds With their owne forces he as if a wall Start sodainely before them pasht them all Flat as the earth and there was that field wonne Hen. Y' are all the field wide Sau. O I aske you pardon The strength of that field yet laie in his backe Vpon the foes part and what is to come Of this your Marshal now your worthie Duke Is much beyond the rest for now he sees A sort of horse troopes issue from the woods In number nere twelue hunderd and retyring To tell you that the entire armie follow'd Before he could relate it he was forct To turne head and receiue the maine assaulte Of fiue horse troopes onely with twenty horse The first he met he tumbled to the earth And brake through all not daunted with two wounds One on his head another on his brest The bloud of which drownd all the field in doubte Your maiesty himselfe was then engag'd Your powre not yet arriu'd and vp you brought The little strength you had a cloud of foes Ready to burst in stormes about your eares Three squadrons rusht against you and the first You tooke so fiercely that you beate their thoughts Out of their bosoms from the vrged fight The second all amazed you ouerthrew The third disperst with fiue and twenty horse Left of the fourescore that persude the chase And this braue conquest now your Marshall seconds Against two squadrons but with fifty horse One after other he defeates them both And made them runne like men whose heeles were tript And pitch their heads in their great generalls lap And him he sets on as he had beene shot Out of a Cannan beates him into route And as a little brooke being ouerrunne With a black torrent that beares all things downe His furie ouertakes his fomy back Loded with Cattaile and with stackes of Corne And makes the miserable Plowman mourne So was du Maine surchardgd and so Byron Flow'd ouer all his forces euery drop Of his lost bloud bought with a worthy man And onely with a hundred Gentlemen He wonne the place from fifteene hundred horse Hen. He won the place Sau. On my word so t is sayd Hen. Fie you haue beene extreamely misinform'd Sau. I onely tell your highnesse what I heard I was not there and though I haue beene rude With wonder of his vallor and presum'd To keepe his merit in his full carire Not hearing you when yours made such a thunder Pardon my fault since t was t' extoll your seruant But is it not most true that twixt yee both So few achiu'd the conquest of so many Henr. It is a truth must make me euer thankefull But not performd by him was not I there Commanded him and in the maine assault Made him but second Sau. Hee 's the capitall souldier That liues this day in holy Christendome Except your highnesse alwaies except Plato Hen. We must not giue to one to take from many For not to praise our countrimen here seru'd The Generall My Lor Norris sent from England As great a captaine as the world affords One fit to leade and fight for Christendome Of more experience and of stronger braine As valiant for abiding In Command On any sodaine vpon any ground And in the forme of all occasions As ready and as profitably dauntles And heare was then another Collonell Williams A worthy Captaine and more like the Duke Because he was lesse temperate then the Generall And being familliar with the man you praise Because he knew him haughty and incapable Of all comparison would compare with him And hold his swelling valour to the marke Iustice had set in him and not his will And as in open vessells filld with water And on mens shoulders borne they put treene cuppes To keepe the wild and slippery element From washing over follow all his Swayes And tickle aptnes to exceed his bounds And at the Brym containe him so this knight Swum in Byron and held him but to right But leaue these hot comparisons hee 's mine owne And then what I possesse I le more be knowne Sau. All this shall to the duke I fisht for this Exeunt FINIS Actus Secundi ACTVS 3. SCAENA I. Enter La Fin Byron following vnseene Laff. A fained passion in his hearing now Which he thinkes I perceaue not making conscience Of the reuolt that he hath vrdgd to me Which now he meanes to prosecute would sound How deepe he stands affected with that scruple As when the Moone hath comforted the Night And set the world in siluer of her light The Planets Asterisims and whole state of Heauen In beames of gold desending all the windes Bound vp in caues chargd not to driue abrode Their cloudy heads an vniuersall peace Proclaimd in scilence of the quiet earth Soone as her hot and dry fumes are let loose Stormes and cloudes mixing sodainely put out The eyes of all those glories The creation Turnd into Chaos and we then desire For all our ioye of life the death of sleepe So when the glories of our liues mens loues Cleere consciences our fames and loyalties That did vs worthy comfort are eclipsd Griefe and disgrace inuade vs and for all Our night of life besides our Miserie craues Darke earth would ope and hide vs in our graues Byr. How Strange is this Laff. What did your highnesse heare Byr. Both heard and wonderd that your wit and spirit And proffit in experience of the slaueries Impos'd on vs in those mere politique termes Of loue fame loyalty can be carried vp To such a height of ignorant conscience Of cowerdise and dissolution In all the free-borne powers of royall man You that haue made way through all the guards Of Ielouse State and seen on both your sides The pikes points chardging heauen to let you passe Will you in flying with
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
ruine seas'd on I confirmed When I left leading all his army reeld One fell on other foule and as the Cyclop That hauing lost his eye strooke euery way His blowes directed to no certaine scope Or as the soule departed from the body The body wants coherence in his parts Can not consist but seuer and dissolue So I remou'd once all his armies shooke Panted and fainted and were euer flying Like wandring pulses sperst through bodies dying Sau. It cannot be denied t is all so true That what seemes arogance is desert in you Byr. What monstrous humors feed a Princes blood Being bad to good men and to bad men good Sau. Well let these contradictions passe my lord Till they be reconcil'd or put in forme By power giuen to your will and you present The fashion of a prefect gouernment In meane space but a word we haue small time To spend in priuate which I wish may be With all aduantage taken Lord Laffin Ron. I st not a face of excellent presentment Though not so amorouse with pure white and red Yet is the whole proportion singular Roch. That euer I beheld Bret It hath good lines And tracts drawne through it The purfle rare Ron. I heard the famous and right learned Earle And Archbishop of Lions Peirse Pinac Who was reported to haue wondrouse Iudgment In mens euents and natures by their lookes Vpon his death bed visited by this duke He told his sister when his grace was gon That he had neuer yet obserud a face Of worse presage then this and I will sweare That something seene in Phisiognomy I do not find in all the rules he giues One slendrest blemish tending to mishap But on the opposite part as we may see On trees late blossomd when all frosts are past How they are taken and what wil be fruit So on this tree of Scepters I discerne How it is loden with apparances Rules answering Rules and glances crownd with glances He snatches away the picture Byr. What does he take my picture Sau. I my Lord Byr. Your Highnesse will excuse me I will giue you My likenesse put in Statue not in picture And by a Statuary of mine owne That can in Brasse expresse the witte of man And in his forme make all men see his vertues Others that with much strictnesse imitate The some-thing stooping carriage of my neck The voluble and milde radiance of mine eyes Neuer obserue my Masculine aspect And Lyon-like instinct it shaddoweth Which Enuie cannot say is flatterie And I will haue my Image promist you Cut in such matter it shall euer last Where it shall stand fixt with eternall rootes And with a most vnmooued grauitie For I will haue the famous mountaine Oros That lookes out of the Dutchy where I gouerne Into your highnesse Dukedome first made yours And then with such inimitable art Exprest and handled chieflie from the place Where most conspicuously he shewes his face That though it keepe the true forme of that hill In all his longitudes and latitudes His height his distances and full proportion Yet shall it cleerely beare my counterfaite Both in my face and all my lineaments And euery man shall say this is Byron Within my left hand I will hold a Cittie Which is the Cittie Amiens at whose siedge I seru'd so memorably from my right I le powre an endlesse flood into a Sea Raging beneath me which shall intimate My ceaselesse seruice drunke vp by the King As th' Ocean drinkes vp riuers and makes all Beare his proude title Iuory Brasse and Goulde That theeues may purchase and be bought and sould Shall not be vsde about me lasting worth Shall onely set the duke of Byron forth Sau. O that your statuary could expresse you With any nerenesse to your owne instructions That statue would I prise past all the iewells Within my cabinet of Beatrice The memorie of my Grandame Portugall Most roiall duke we can not longe endure To be thus priuate let vs then conclude With this great resolution that your wisedome Will not forget to cast a pleasing vaile Ouer your anger that may hide each glance Of any notice taken of your wronge And shew your self the more obsequious T is but the virtue of a little patience There are so oft attempts made gainst his person That sometimes they may speede for they are plants That spring the more for cutting and at last Will cast their wished shadow marke ere long Enter Nemours Soisson See who comes here my Lord as now no more Now must we turne out streame another way My Lord I humbly thanke his maiesty That he would grace my idle time spent here With entertainement of your princely person VVhich worthely he keepes for his owne bosome My Lord the duke Nemours and Count Soisson Your honours haue beene bountifully done me In often visitation let me pray you To see some iewells now and helpe my choice In making vp a present for the King Nem. Your highnesse shall much grace vs Sau. I am doubtfull That I haue much incenst the duke Byron With praising the Kings worthinesse in armes So much past all men Sois. He deserues it highly Exit manet By r Laffin Byr. What wrongs are these laid on me by the King To equall others worths in warre with mine Endure this and be turnd into his Moile To beare his sumptures honord friend be true And we will turne these torrents hence The King Exit Laffi Enter Henry Espe Vitry Ianin Hen. Why suffer you that ill aboding vermine To breede so neere your bosome bee assurde His hants are omenous not the throtes of Rauens Spent on infected houses houles of dogges When no sound stirres at mid-night apparitions And strokes of spirits clad in blackmens shapes Or ougly womens the aduerse decrees Of constellations not securitie In vicious peace are surer fatall vshers Of femall mischiefes and mortallities Then this prodigious feend is where he fawnes La fiend and not Laffin he should be cald Byr. Be what he will men in themselues entire March safe with naked feete on coles of fire I build not outward nor depend on proppes Nor chuse my consort by the common eare Nor by the Moone-shine in the grace of Kings So rare are true deseruers lou'd or knowne That men lou'd vulgarely are euer none Nor men grac't seruilely for being spots In Princes traines though borne euen with their crownes The Stalion powre hath such a beesome taile That it sweepes all from iustice and such filth He beares out in it that men mere exempt Are merely cleerest men will shortly buie Friends from the prison or the pillorie Rather then honors markets I feare none But foule Ingratitude and Detraction In all the brood of villanie Hen. No not treason Be circumspect for to a credulous eye He comes inuisible vail'd with flatterie And flatereis looke like friends as Woolues like Dogges And as a glorious Poeme fronted well With many a goodly Herrald of his praise So farre from hate of praises
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
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
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