then Be not more rude than the wild seed of vapor To her that is more gentle than it rude In whom kind nature sufferd one offence But to set of her other excellence Mont. Good father leaue vs interrupt no more The course I must run for mine honour sake Relie on my loue to her which her fault Cannot extinguish will she but disclose Who was the hatefull minister of her loue And through what maze he seru'd it we are friends Com. It is a damn'd worke to pursue those secrets That would ope more sinne and prooue springs of slaughter Nor is 't a path for Christian feete to touch But out of all way to the health of soules A sinne impossible to be forgiuen Which he that dares commit Mont. Good father cease Tempt not a man distracted I am apt To outrages that I shall euer rue I will not passe the verge that boundes a Christian Nor breake the limits of a man nor husband Com. Then God inspire ye both with thoughts and deedes Worthie his high respect and your owne soules Exit Com. Mont. Who shall remooue the mountaine from my heart Ope the seuentimes-heat furnace of my thoughts And set fit outcries for a soule in hell Mont. turnes a key O now it nothing fits my cares to speake But thunder or to take into my throat The trumpe of Heauen with whose determinate blasts The windes shall burst and the enraged seas Be drunke vp in his soundes that my hot woes Vented enough I might conuert to vapour Ascending from my infamie vnseene Shorten the world preuenting the last breath That kils the liuing and regenerates death Tamy. My Lord my fault as you may censure it With too strong arguments is past your pardon But how the circumstances may excuse mee God knowes and your more temperate minde heereafter May let my penitent miseries make you know Mont. Heereafter T is a suppos'd infinite That from this point will rise eternally Fame growes in going in the scapes of vertue Excuses damne her They be fires in Cities Enrag'd with those windes that lesse lights extinguish Come Syren sing and dash against my rockes Thy ruffin Gallie laden for thy lust Sing and put all the nets into thy voice With which thou drew'st into thy strumpets lappe The spawne of Venus and in which ye danc'd That in thy laps steede I may digge his toombe And quit his manhoode with a womans sleight Who neuer is deceiu'd in her deceit Sing that is write and then take from mine eies The mists that hide the most inscrutable Pandar That euer lapt vp an adulterous vomit That I may see the diuell and suruiue To be a diuell and then learne to wiue That I may hang him and then cut him downe Then cut him vp and with my soules beams search The crankes and cauernes of his braine and studie The errant wildernesse of a womans face Where men cannot get out for all the Comets That haue beene lighted at it though they know That Adders lie a sunning in their smiles That Basilisks drinke their poison from their eies And no way there to coast out to their hearts Yet still they wander there and are not stai'd Till they be fetter'd nor secure before All cares distract them nor in humane state Till they embrace within their wiues two breasts All Pelion and Cythaeron with their beasts Why write you not Tam. O good my Lord forbeare In wreake of great sins to engender greater And make my loues corruption generate murther Mont. It followes needefully as childe and parent The chaine-shot of thy lust is yet aloft And it must murther t is thine owne deare twinne No man can adde height to a womans sinne Vice neuer doth her iust hate so prouoke As when she rageth vnder vertues cloake Write For it must be by this ruthlesse steele By this impartiall torture and the death Thy tyrannies haue inuented in my entrailes To quicken life in dying and hold vp The spirits in fainting teaching to preserue Torments in ashes that will euer last Speake Will you write Tam. Sweete Lord enioine my sinne Some other penance than what makes it worse Hide in some gloomie dungeon my loth'd face And let condemned murtherers let me downe Stopping their noses my abhorred foode Hang me in chaines and let me eat these armes That haue offended Binde me face to face To some dead woman taken from the Cart Of Execution till death and time In graines of dust dissolue me I le endure Or any torture that your wraths inuention Can fright all pittie from the world withall But to betray a friend with shew of friendship That is too common for the rare reuenge Your rage affecteth heere then are my breasts Last night your pillowes heere my wretched armes As late the wished confines of your life Now breake them as you please and all the boundes Of manhoode noblesse and religion Mont. Where all these haue beene broken they are kept In doing their iustice there Thine armes haue lost Their priuiledge in lust and in their torture Thus they must pay it Tam. O Lord Mont. Till thou writ'st I le write in wounds my wrongs fit characters Thy right of sufferance Write Tam. O kill me kill me Deare husband be not crueller than death You haue beheld some Gorgon Feele ô feele How you are turn'd to stone with my heart blood Dissolue your selfe againe or you will grow Into the image of all Tyrannie Mont. As thou art of adulterie I will still Prooue thee my like in ill being most a monster Thus I expresse thee yet Tam. And yet I liue Mont. I for thy monstrous idoll is not done yet This toole hath wrought enough now Torture vse This other engine on th' habituate powers Of her thrice damn'd and whorish fortitude Vse the most madding paines in her that euer Thy venoms sok'd through making most of death That she may weigh her wrongs with them and then Stand vengeance on thy steepest rocke a victor Tamy. O who is turn'd into my Lord and husband Husband My Lord None but my Lord and husband Heauen I aske thee remission of my sinnes Not of my paines husband ô helpe me husband Com. What rape of honour and religion O wracke of nature Tam. Poore man ô my father Father looke vp ô let me downe my Lord And I will write Mont. Author of prodigies What new flame breakes out of the firmament That turnes vp counsels neuer knowne before Now is it true earth mooues and heauen stands still Euen Heauen it selfe must see and suffer ill The too huge bias of the world hath swai'd Her backe-part vpwards and with that she braues This Hemisphere that long her mouth hath mockt The grauitie of her religious face Now growne too waighty with her sacriledge And here discernd sophisticate enough Turnes to th' Antipodes and all the formes That her illusions haue imprest in her Haue eaten through her backe and now all see How she is riueted with hypocrisie
vertue Doe that you could not doe not being a King Henr. Brother I know your suit these wilfull murthers Are euer past our pardon Mons. Manly slaughter Should neuer beare th account of wilfull murther It being a spice of iustice where with life Offending past law equall life is laid In equall ballance to scourge that offence By law of reputation which to men Exceedes all positiue law and what that leaues To true mens valours not prefixing rights Of satisfaction suited to their wrongs A free mans eminence may supplie and take Henr. This would make euerie man that thinks him wrongd Or is offended or in wrong or right Lay on this violence and all vaunt themselues Law-menders and suppliers though meere Butchers Should this fact though of iustice be forgiuen Mons. O no my Lord it would make Cowards feare To touch the reputations of full men When only they are left to impe the law Iustice will soone distinguish murtherous mindes From iust reuengers Had my friend beene slaine His enemie suruiuing he should die Since he had added to a murther'd fame Which was in his intent a murthered man And this had worthily beene wilfull murther But my friend only sau'd his fames deare life Which is aboue life taking th'vnder value Which in the wrong it did was forfeit to him And in this fact only preserues a man In his vprightnesse worthie to suruiue Millions of such as murther men aliue Henr. Well brother rise and raise your friend withall From death to life and D'Ambois let your life Refin'd by passing through this merited death Be purg'd from more such foule pollution Nor on your scape nor valour more presuming To be againe so violent Buss. My Lord I loth as much a deede of vniust death As law it selfe doth and to Tyrannise Because I haue a little spirit to date And power to doe as to be Tyranniz'd This is a grace that on my knees redoubled I craue to double this my short lifes gift And shall your royall bountie Centuple That I may so make good what God and nature Haue giuen mee for my good since I am free Offending no iust law let no law make By any wrong it does my life her slaue When I am wrong'd and that law failes to right me Let me be King my selfe as man was made And doe a iustice that exceedes the law If my wrong passe the power of single valour To right and expiate then be you my King And doe a Right exceeding Law and Nature Who to himselfe is law no law doth neede Offends no King and is a King indeede Henr. Enioy what thou intreat'st we giue but ours Buss. What you haue giuen my Lord is euer yours Exit Rex cum Beau. Gui. Mort dieu who would haue pardon'd such a murther Mons. Now vanish horrors into Court attractions Exit For which let this balme make thee fresh and faire Buss. How shall I quite your loue Mons. Be true to the end I haue obtain'd a Kingdome with my friend Exit Montsur Tamyra Beaupre Pero Charlotte Pyrha Mont. He will haue pardon sure Tam. T were pittie else For though his great spirit something ouerflow All faults are still borne that from greatnesse grow But such a sudden Courtier saw I neuer Beau. He was too sudden which indeede was rudenesse Tam. True for it argued his no due conceit Both of the place and greatnesse of the persons Nor of our sex all which we all being strangers To his encounter should haue made more maners Deserue more welcome Mont. All this fault is found Because he lou'd the Dutchesse and left you Tam. Ahlas loue giue her ioy I am so farre From Enuie of her honour that I sweare Had he encounterd me with such proud sleight I would haue put that proiect face of his To a more test than did her Dutchesship Be. Why by your leaue my Lord I le speake it heere Although she be my ante she scarce was modest When she perceiued the Duke her husband take Those late exceptions to her seruants Courtship To entertaine him Tam. I and stand him still Letting her husband giue her seruant place Though he did manly she should be a woman Enter Guise D'Ambois is pardond wher 's a king where law See how it runnes much like a turbulent sea Heere high and glorious as it did contend To wash the heauens and make the stars more pure And heere so low it leaues the mud of hell To euery common view come count Montsurry We must consult of this Tam. Stay not sweet Lord Mont. Be pleased I le strait returne Exit cum Guise Tamy. Would that would please me Beau. I le leaue you Madam to your passions I see ther 's change of weather in your lookes Exit cum suis Tamy. I cannot cloake it but as when a fume Hot drie and grosse within the wombe of earth Or in her superficies begot When extreame cold hath stroke it to her heart The more it is comprest the more it rageth Exceeds his prisons strength that should containe it And then it tosseth Temples in the aire All barres made engines to his insolent fury So of a sudden my licentious fancy Riots within me not my name and house Nor my religion to this houre obseru'd Can stand aboue it I must vtter that That will in parting breake more strings in me Than death when life parts and that holy man That from my cradle counseld for my soule I now must make an agent for my bloud Enter Monsieur Mons. Yet is my Mistresse gratious Tamy. Yet vnanswered Mons. Pray thee regard thine owne good if not mine And cheere my Loue for that you do not know What you may be by me nor what without me I may haue power t' aduance and pull downe any Tamy. That 's not my study one way I am sure You shall not pull downe me my husbands height Is crowne to all my hopes and his retiring To any meane state shal be my aspiring Mine honour 's in mine owne hands spite of kings Mons. Honour what 's that your second maidenhead And what is that a word the word is gone The thing remaines the rose is pluckt the stalke Abides an easie losse where no lack 's found Beleeue it ther 's as small lacke in the losse As there is paine i th losing archers euer Haue two strings to a bow and shall great Cupid Archer of archers both in men and women Be worse prouided than a common archer A husband and a friend all wise wiues haue Tamy. Wise wiues they are that on such strings depend With a firme husband weighing a dissolute friend Mons. Still you stand on your husband so doe all The common sex of you when y are encounterd With one ye cannot fancie all men know You liue in court heere by your owne election Frequenting all our solemne sports and triumphs All the most youthfull companie of men And wherefore doe you this To please your husband T is grosse and
Beaumond Nuncius Henr. THis desperate quarrell sprung out of their enuies To D'Ambois sudden brauerie and great spirit Gui. Neither is worth their enuie Henr. Lesse then either Will make the Gall of Enuie ouerflow She feedes on outcast entrailes like a Kite In which foule heape if any ill lies hid She sticks her beake into it shakes it vp And hurl's it all abroad that all may view it Corruption is her Nutriment but touch her With any precious ointment and you kill her When she findes any filth in men she feasts And with her blacke throat bruits it through the world Being sound and healthfull But if she but taste The slenderest pittance of commended vertue She surfets of it and is like a flie That passes all the bodies soundest parts And dwels vpon the sores or if her squint eie Haue power to finde none there she forges some She makes that crooked euer which is strait Call's valour giddinesse Iustice Tyrannie A wise man may shun her she not her selfe Whither soeuer she flies from her Harmes She beares her Foe still claspt in her owne Armes And therefore cousen Guise let vs auoid her Enter Nuncius What Atlas or Olympus lifts his head So farre past Couert that with aire enough My words may be inform'd And from his height I may be seene and heard through all the world A tale so worthie and so fraught with wonder Sticks in my iawes and labours with euent Henr. Com'st thou from D'Ambois Nun. From him and the rest His friends and enemies whose sterne fight I saw And heard their words before and in the fray Henr. Relate at large what thou hast seene and heard Nun. I saw fierce D'Ambois and his two braue friends Enter the Field and at their heeles their foes Which were the famous souldiers Barrisor L'Anou and Pyrrhot great in deedes of Armes All which arriu'd at the euenest peece of earth The field affoorded The three Challengers Turn'd head drew all their rapiers and stoode ranckt When face to face the three Defendants met them Alike prepar'd and resolute alike Like bonfires of Contributorie wood Euerie mans looke shew'd Fed with eithers spirit As one had beene a mirror to another Like formes of life and death each tooke from other And so were life and death mixt at their heights That you could see no feare of death for life Nor loue of life for death But in their browes Pyrrho's Opinion in great letters shone That life and death in all respects are one Henr. Past there no sort of words at their encounter Nun. As Hector twixt the Hosts of Greece and Troy When Paris and the Spartane King should end The nine yeeres warre held vp his brasen launce For signall that both Hosts should cease from Armes And heare him speake So Barrisor aduis'd Aduanc'd his Naked Rapier twixt both sides Ript vp the Quarrell and compar'd six liues Then laid in ballance with six idle words Offer'd remission and contrition too Or else that he and D'Ambois might conclude The others dangers D'Ambois lik'd the last But Barrisors friends being equally engag'd In the maine Quarrell neuer would expose His life alone to that they all deseru'd And for the other offer of remission D'Ambois that like a Lawrell put in fire Sparkl'd and spit did much much more than scorne That his wrong should incense him so like chaffe To goe so soone out and like lighted paper Approoue his spirit at once both fire and ashes So drew they lots and in them Fates appointed That Barrisor should fight with firie D'Ambois Pyrhot with Melynell with Brisac L'Anou And then like flame and Powder they commixt So spritely that I wisht they had beene spirits That the ne're shutting wounds they needes must open Might as they open'd shut and neuer kill But D'Ambois sword that lightned as it flew Shot like a pointed Comet at the face Of manly Barrisor and there it stucke Thrice pluckt he at it and thrice drew on thrusts From him that of himselfe was free as fire Who thrust still as he pluckt yet past beliefe He with his subtle eie hand bodie scap't At last the deadly bitten point tuggd'd off On fell his yet vndaunted Foe so fiercely That only made more horrid with his wound Great D'Ambois shrunke and gaue a little ground But soone return'd redoubled in his danger And at the heart of Barrisor seal'd his anger Then as in Arden I haue seene an Oke Long shooke with tempests and his loftie toppe Bent to his roote which being at length made loose Euen groaning with his weight he gan to Nodde This way and that as loth his curled Browes Which he had oft wrapt in the skie with stormes Should stoope and yet his radicall fiuer 's burst Storme-like he fell and hid the feare-cold Earth So fell stout Barrisor that had stoode the shockes Often set Battles in your Highnesse warre Gainst the sole souldier of the world Nauarre Gui. O pitious and horrid murther Beau. Such a life Me thinkes had mettall in it to suruiue An age of men Henr. Such often soonest end Thy felt report cals on wee long to know On what euents the other haue arriu'd Nun. Sorrow and furie like two opposite fumes Met in the vpper Region of a Cloud At the report made by this worthies fall Brake from the earth and with them rose Reuenge Entring with fresh powers his two noble friends And vnder that ods fell surcharg'd Brisac The friend of D'Ambois before fierce L'Anou Which D'Ambois seeing as I once did see In my yoong trauels through Armenia An angrie Vnicorne in his full carier Charge with too quicke an eie a Ieweller That watcht him for the Treasure of his browe And ere he could get shelter of a tree Naile him with his rich Antler to the Earth So D'Ambois ranne vpon reueng'd L'Anou Who eying th' eager point borne in his face And giuing backe fell backe and in his fall His foes vncurbed sword stopt in his heart By which time all the life strings of the tw'other Were cut and both fell as their spirits flew Vpwards and still hunt Honour at the view And now of all the six sole D'Ambois stood Vntoucht saue only with the others blood Henr. All slaine outright Nun. All slaine outright but he Who kneeling in the warme life of his friends All feebled with the blood his Rapier raind He kist their pale cheekes and bade both farewell And see the brauest man the French earth beares Enter Monsieur D'Amb. bare Buss. Now is the time y' are Princely vow'd my friend Performe it Princely and obtaine my pardon Mons. Else Heauen forgiue not me Come on braue friend If euer Nature held herselfe her owne When the great Triall of a King and subiect Met in one blood both from one bellie springing Now prooue her vertue and her greatnesse One Or make the t'one the greater with the t'other As true Kings should and for your brothers loue Which is a speciall species of true
alone If she dissemble she thinkes t is not done If not dissemble nor a little chide Giue her her wish she is not satisfi'd To haue a man thinke that she neuer seekes Does her more good than to haue all she likes This frailtie sticks in them beyond their sex Which to reforme reason is too perplex Vrge reason to them it will doe no good Humour that is the charriot of our foode In euerie bodie must in them be fed To carrie their affections by it bred Stand close Enter Tamyra Tam. Alas I feare my strangenesse will retire him If he goe backe I die I must preuent it And cheare his onset with my sight at least And that 's the most though euerie step he takes Goes to my heart I le rather die than seeme Not to be strange to that I most esteeme Com. Madam Tamy. Ah Com. You will pardon me I hope That so beyond your expectation And at a time for visitants so vnfit I with my noble friend heere visit you You know that my accesse at any time Hath euer beene admitted and that friend That my care will presume to bring with mee Shall haue all circumstance of worth in him To merit as free welcome as my selfe Tamy. O father but at this suspicious houre You know how apt best men are to suspect vs In any cause that makes suspicious shadow No greater than the shadow of a haire And y' are to blame what though my Lord and husband Lie foorth to night and since I cannot sleepe When he is absent I sit vp to night Though all the doores are sure all our seruants As sure bound with their sleepes yet there is one That sits aboue whose eie no sleepe can binde He sees through doores and darkenesse and our thoughts And therefore as we should auoid with feare To thinke amisse our selues before his search So should we be as curious to shunne All cause that other thinke not ill of vs D'Amb. Madam t is farre from that I only heard By this my honour'd father that your conscience Was something troubled with a false report That Barrisors blood should something touch your hand Since he imagin'd I was courting you When I was bold to change words with the Duchesse And therefore made his quarrell which my presence Presum'd on with my father at this season For the more care of your so curious honour Can well resolue your Conscience is most false Tam. And is it therefore that you come good sir Then craue I now your pardon and my fathers And sweare your presence does me so much comfort That all I haue it bindes to your requitall Indeede sir t is most true that a report Is spread alleaging that his loue to mee Was reason of your quarrell and because You shall not thinke I faine it for my glorie That he importun'd me for his Court seruice I le shew you his owne hand set downe in blood To that vaine purpose Good Sir then come in Father I thanke you now a thousand fold Com. May it be worth it to you honour'd daughter Finis Actus secundi Actus Tertij Scena Prima Bucy Tamyra Tam. O My deare seruant in thy close embraces I haue set open all the dores of danger To my encompast honor and my life Before I was secure against death and hell But now am subiect to the hartlesse feare Of euery shadow and of euery breath And would change firmnesse with an aspen leafe So confident a spotlesse conscience is So weake a guilty O the daugerous siege Sin laies about vs and the tyranny He exercises when he hath expugn'd Like to the horror of a winters thunder Mixt with a gushing storme that suffer nothing To stirre abroad on earth but their own rages Is sin when it hath gathered head aboue vs No roofe no shelter can secure vs so But he will drowne our cheeks in feare or woe Buc. Sin is a coward Madam and insults But on our weaknesse in his truest valour And so our ignorance tames vs that we let His shadowes fright vs and like empty clouds In which our faulty apprehensions fordge The formes of Dragons Lions Elephants When they hold no proportion the slie charmes Of the witch policy makes him like a monster Kept onely to shew men for Goddesse money That false hagge often paints him in her cloth Ten times more monstrous than he is in troth In three of vs the secret of our meeting Is onely guarded and three friends as one Haue euer beene esteem'd as our three powers That in our one soule are as one vnited Why should we feare then for my truth I sweare Sooner shall torture be the Sire to pleasure And health be grieuous to men long time sicke Than the deare iewell of your fame in me Be made an outcast to your infamy Nor shall my value sacred to your vertues Onely giue free course to it from my selfe But make it flie out of the mouths of kings In golden vapours and with awfull wings Tam. It rests as all kings seales were set in thee Exit D' Amb. Manet Tamy. Ta. It is not I but vrgent destiny That as great states men for their generall end In politique iustice make poore men offend Enforceth my offence to make it iust What shall weake Dames doe when t'whole worke of Nature Hath a strong finger in each one of vs Needs must that sweep away the silly cobweb Of our still-vndone labours that laies still Our powers to it as to the line the stone Not to the stone the line should be oppos'd We cannot keepe our constant course in vertue What is alike at all parts euery day Differs from other euery houre and minute I euery thought in our false clock of life Oft times inuerts the whole circumference We must be sometimes one sometimes another Our bodies are but thicke clouds to our soules Through which they cannnot shine when they desire When all the starres and euen the sunne himselfe Must stay the vapors times that he exhales Before he can make good his beames to vs O how can we that are but motes to him VVandring at randon in his orderd rayes Disperse our passions fumes with our weake labors That are more thick black than all earths vapors Enter Mont. Mon. Good day my loue what vp and ready too Tam. Both my deare Lord not all this night made I My selfe vnready or could sleepe a winke Mont. Ahlasse what troubled my true loue my peace From being at peace within her better selfe Or how could sleepe forbeare to sease thy beauties VVhen he might challenge them as his iust prise Tam. I am in no powre earthly but in yours To what end should I goe to bed my Lord That wholly mist the comfort of my bed Or how should sleepe possesse my faculties VVanting the proper closer of mine eies Mont. Then will I neuer more sleepe night from thee All mine owne Businesse all the Kings affaires Shall take the day to serue them
in a boule Defil'd and croun'd with vertues forced soule And lastly which I must for Gratitude Euer remember That of all my height And dearest life you are the onlie spring Only in royall hope to kill the king Mons. Why now I see thou lou'st mee come to the banquet Finis Actus terty Actus Quarti Scena Prima Henry Monsieur Guise Montsurry Bussy Elynor Tamyra Beaupre Pero Charlotte Anable Pyrha with foure Pages Henr. LAdies ye haue not done our banquet right Nor lookt vpon it with those cheerefull raies That lately turnd your breaths to flouds of gold Your looks me thinks are not drawne out with thoughts So cleere and free as heeretofore but fare As if the thicke complexions of men Gouernd within them Buss. T is not like my Lord That men in women rule but contrary For as the Moone of all things God created Not only is the most appropriate image Or glasse to shew them how they wax and wane But in her light and motion likewise beares Imperiall influences that command In all their powers and make them wax wane So women that of all things made of nothing Are the most perfect images of the Moone Or still-vnweand sweet Moon-calues with white faces Not only are paternes of change to men But as the tender Moon-shine of their beauties Cleeres or is cloudy make men glad or sad Mons. But heere the Moones are chang'd as the King notes And either men rule in them or some power Beyond their voluntary motions For nothing can recouer their lost faces Buss. None can be alwaies one our griefes and ioies Hold seuerall scepters in vs and haue times For their predominance which griefe now in them Doth claime as proper to his diademe And grief 's a naturall sicknesse of the bloud That time to part asks as his comming had Onely sleight fooles grieu'd suddenly are glad A man may say t' a dead man be reuiu'd As well as to one sorrowfull be not grieu'd And therefore Princely mistresse in all warres Against these base foes that insult on weaknesse And still fight hous'd behinde the shield of Nature Of tyrannous law treachery or beastly need Your seruant cannot helpe authority heere Goes with corruption something like some States That back woorst men valure to them must creepe That to themselues left would feare him asleepe Ely Ye all take that for granted that doth rest Yet to be prou'd we all are as we were As merry and as free in thought as euer Gui. And why then can ye not disclose your thoughts Tamy. Me thinks the man hath answerd for vs well Mons. The man why Madam d' ee not know his name Tamy. Man is a name of honour for a King Additions take away from each chiefe thing The Schoole of Modesty not to learne learnes Dames They sit in high formes there that know mens names Mons. Harke sweet heart hee'r 's a bound set to your valure It cannot enter heere no not to notice Of what your name is your great Eagles beake Should you flie at her had as good encounter An Albion cliffe as her more craggy liuer Buc. I le not attempt her Sir her sight and name By which I only know her doth deter me Henr. So do they all men else Mons. You would say so If you knew all Tamy. Knew all my Lord what meane you Mons. All that I know Madam Tamy. That you know speake it Mons. No t is enough I feele it Henr. But me thinkes Her Courtship is more pure than heeretofore True Courtiers should be modest but not nice Bold but not impudent pleasure loue not vice Mons. Sweet heart come hither what if one should make Horns at Mountsurry would it strike him iealous Through all the proofes of his chaste Ladies vertues Buc. No I thinke not Mons. Not if I nam'd the man With whom I would make him suspicious His wife hath armd his forehead Buc. So you might Haue your great nose made lesse indeed and slit Your eies thrust out Mons. Peace peace I pray thee peace Who dares doe that the brother of his King Buc. Were your King brother in you all your powers Stretcht in the armes of great men and their bawds Set close downe by you all your stormie lawes Spouted with Lawyers mouths and gushing bloud Like to so many Torrents all your glories Making you terrible like enchaunted flames Fed with bare cockescombes and with crooked hammes All your prerogatiues your shames and tortures All daring heauen and opening hell about you Were I the man ye wrong'd so and prouok'd Though ne're so much beneath you like a box tree I would out of the toughnesse of my root Ramme hardnesse in my lownesse and like death Mounted on earthquakes I would trot through all Honors and horrors through fowle and faire And from your whole strength tosse you into aire Mons. Goe th' art a diuell such another spirit Could not be stild from all Th' Armenian dragons O my Loues glory heire to all I haue That 's all I can say and that all I sweare If thou outliue me as I know thou must Or else hath nature no proportiond end To her great labors she hath breath'd a spirit Into thy entrailes of effect to swell Into another great Augustus Caesar Organes and faculties fitted to her greatnesse And should that perish like a common spirit Nature 's a Courtier and regards no merit Henr. Heer 's nought but whispering with vs like a calme Before a tempest when the silent aire Laies her soft eare close to the earth to hearken For that she feares is comming to afflict her Some fate doth ioine our eares to heare it comming Come my braue eagle let 's to Couert flie I see Almighty Aether in the smoake Of all his clowds descending and the skie Hid in the dimme ostents of Tragedy Exit Hen with D'Amb. Guis. Now stirre the humour and begin the brawle Mont. The King and D'Ambois now are growen all one Mons. Nay they are two my Lord Mont. How 's that Mons. No more Mont. I must haue more my Lord Mons. What more than two Mont. How monstrous is this Mons. Why Mont. You make me Horns Mons. Not I it is a worke without my power Married mens ensignes are not made with fingers Of diuine Fabrique they are Not mens hands Your wife you know is a Meere Cynthia And she must fashion hornes out of her Nature Mont. But doth she dare you charge her speak false Prince Mons. I must not speake my Lord but if yow 'le vse The learning of a noble man and read Heer 's something to those points soft you must pawne Your honour hauing read it to returne it Mont. Not I I pawne mine Honour for a paper Mons. You must not buie it vnder Ent. Tamy. Pero Mont. Keepe it then And keepe fire in your bosome Tam. What saies he Mont. You must make good the rest Tam. How fares my Lord Takes my Loue any thing to heart he saies Mont. Come y' are
Was this the way was he the meane betwixt you Tam. He was he was kind innocent man he was Mont. Write write a word or two Tamy. I will I will I le write but in my bloud that he may see These lines come from my wounds and not from me Mont. Well might he die for thought me thinkes the frame And shaken ioints of the whole world should crack To see her parts so disproportionate And that his generall beauty cannot stand Without these staines in the particular man Why wander I so farre heere heere was she That was a whole world without spot to me Though now a world of spots oh what a lightning Is mans delight in women what a bubble He builds his state fame life on when he marries Since all earths pleasures are so short and small The way t' nioy it is t' abiure it all Enough I must be messenger my selfe Disguis'd like this strange creature in I le after To see what guilty light giues this caue eies And to the world sing new impieties D' Ambois with two Pages D' Amb. Sit vp to night and watch I le speake with none But the old frier who bring to me Pa. We will Sir Exit D' Amb. What violent heat is this me thinks the fire Of twenty liues doth on a sudden flash Through all my faculties the aire goes high In this close chamber and the frighted earth Trembles and shrinkes beneath me the whole house Crackes with his shaken burthen blesse me heauen Enter Vmb. Comol Vmb. Note what I want my sonne and be forewarnd O there are bloudy deeds past and to come I cannot stay a fate doth rauish me I le meet thee in the chamber of thy loue Exit D' Amb. What dismall change is heere the good old Frier Is murtherd being made knowne to serue my loue Note what he wants he wants his vtmost weed He wants his life and body which of these Should be the want he meanes and may supplie me With any fit forewarning this strange vision Together with the darke prediction Vs'd by the Prince of darknesse that was raisd By this embodied shadowe stir my thoughts With reminiscion of the Spirits promise Who told me that by any inuocation I should haue power to raise him though it wanted The powerfull words and decent rites of art Neuer had my set braine such need of spirit T' instruct and cheere it now then I will claime Performance of his free and gentle vow T' appeare in greater light and make more plain His rugged oracle I long to know How my deare mistresse fares and be informd What hand she now holds on the troubled bloud Of her incensed Lord me thought the Spirit When he had vtterd his perplext presage Threw his chang'd countenance headlong into clowdes His forehead bent as it would hide his face He knockt his chin against his darkned breast And strooke a churlish silence through his powrs Terror of darknesse O thou King of flames That with thy Musique-footed horse dost strike The cleere light out of chrystall on darke earth And hurlst instructiue fire about the world Wake wake the drowsie and enchanted night That sleepes with dead eies in this heauy riddle Or thou great Prince of shades where neuer sunne Stickes his far-darted beames whose eies are made To see in darknesse and see euer best Where sense is blindest open now the heart Of thy abashed oracle that for feare Of some ill it includes would faine lie hid And rise thou with it in thy greater light Surgit Spiritus cum suis Sp. Thus to obserue my vow of apparition In greater light and explicate thy fate I come and tell thee that if thou obay The summons that thy mistresse next wil send thee Her hand shal be thy death D' Amb. When will she send Sp. Soone as I set againe where late I rose D' Amb. Is the old Frier slaine Sp. No and yet liues not D' Amb. Died he a naturall death Sp. He did D' Amb. Who then Will my deare mistresse send Sp. I must not tell thee D' Amb. Who lets thee Sp. Fate D' Am. Who are fates ministers Sp. The Guise and Monsieur D' Amb. A fit paire of sheeres To cut the threds of kings and kingly spirits And consorts fit to sound forth harmony Set to the fals of kingdomes shall the hand Of my kinde Mistresse kill me Sp. If thou yeeld To her next summons y' are faire warnd farewell Exit D' Amb. I must fare well how euer though I die My death consenting with his augurie Should not my powers obay when she commands My motion must be rebell to my will My will to life If when I haue obaid Her hand should so reward me they must arme it Binde me and force it or I lay my soule She rather would conuert it many times On her owne bosome euen to many deaths But were there danger of such violence I know t is far from her intent to send And who she should send is as far from thought Since he is dead whose only meane she vsde Whos 's there looke to the dore and let him in Though politicke Monsieur or the violent Guise Enter Montsurry like the Frier Mont. Haile to my worthy sonne D'Amb. O lying Spirit welcome loued father How fares my dearest mistresse Mont. Well as euer Being well as euer thought on by her Lord Whereof she sends this witnesse in her hand And praies for vrgent cause your speediest presence D'Amb. What writ in bloud Mont. I t is the inke of louers D'Amb. O t is a sacred witnesse of her loue So much elixer of her bloud as this Dropt in the lightest dame would make her firme As heat to fire and like to all the signes Commands the life confinde in all my vaines O how it multiplies my bloud with spirit And makes me apt t' encounter death and hell But come kinde Father you fetch me to heauen And to that end your holy weed was giuen Exit Enter Monsieur Guise aboue Mons. Now shall we see that nature hath no end In her great workes responsiue to their worths That she who makes so many eies and soules To see and foresee is starke blinde herselfe And as illiterate men say Latine praiers By roote of heart and daily iteration In whose hot zeale a man would thinke they knew What they ranne so away with and were sure To haue rewards proportion'd to their labours Yet may implore their owne confusions For any thing they know which oftentimes It fals out they incurre So nature laies A masse of stuffe together and by vse Or by the meere necessitie of matter Ends such a worke fils it or leaues it emptie Of strength or vertue error or cleere truth Not knowing what she does but vsually Giues that which wee call merit to a man And beleeue should arriue him on huge riches Honour and happinesse that effects his ruine Right as in ships of warre whole lasts of powder Are laid men thinke
to make them last and gard them When a disorder'd sparke that powder taking Blowes vp with sudden violence and horror Ships that kept emptie had sail'd long with terror Gui. He that obserues but like a worldly man That which doth oft succeede and by th' euents Values the worth of things will thinke it true That nature workes at randome iust with you But with as much decorum she may make A thing that from the feete vp to the throat Hath all the wondrous fabrike man should haue And leaue it headlesse for an absolute man As giue a whole man valour vertue learning Without an end more excellent than those On whom she no such worthie part bestowes Mons. Why you shall see it here here will be one Yoong learned valiant vertuous and full mand One on whom Nature spent so rich a hand That with an ominous eie she wept to see So much consum'd her vertuous treasurie Yet as the windes sing through a hollow tree And since it lets them passe through let it stand But a tree solid since it giues no way To their wilde rages they rend vp by th' roote So this full creature now shall reele and fall Before the franticke pufs of purblinde chance That pipes thorow emptie men and makes them dance Not so the Sea raues on the Lybian sandes Tumbling her billowes in each others necke Not so the surges of the euxine Sea Neere to the frostie Pole where free Bootes From those darke-deepe waues turns his radiant Teame Swell being enrag'd euen from their inmost drop As Fortune swings about the restlesse state Of vertue now throwne into all mens hate Intrat vmbra Comolet to the Countesse wrapt in a Canapie Reuiue those stupid thoughts and sit not thus Gathering the horrors of your seruants slaughter So vrg'd by your hand and so imminent Into an idle fancie but deuise How to preuent it watch when he shall rise And with a sudden outcrie of his murther Blow his retreat before he be engag'd Count O father haue my dumbe woes wak'd your death When will our humane griefes be at their height Man is a tree that hath no toppe in cares No roote in comforts all his power to liue Is giuen to no end but t' haue power to grieue Vmb. T is the iust curse of our abus'd creation Which wee must suffer heere and scape heereafter He hath the great mind that submits to all He sees ineuitable he the small That carps at earth and her foundation shaker And rather than himselfe will mend his maker D'Amb. at the gulfe Count Away my loue away thou wilt be murther'd Buss. Murther'd I know not what that Hebrew meanes That word had ne're beene nam'd had all beene D'Ambois Murther'd By heauen he is my murtherer That shewes me not a murtherer what such bugge Abhorreth not the very sleepe of D'Ambois Murther'd Who dares giue all the roome I see To D'Ambois reach or looke with any oddes His fight i th' face vpon whose hand sits death Whose sword hath wings and euerie feather pierceth Let in my politique visitants let them in Though entring like so many mouing armours Fate is more strong than arms and slie than treason And I at all parts buckl'd in my Fate Dare they not come Tam. They come 1. Come all at once Vmb. Backe coward murtherers backe Omn. Defend vs heauen Exeunt 1. Come ye not on Buss. No slaue nor goest thou off Stand you so firme Will it not enter heere You haue a face yet so in thy lifes flame I burne the first rites to my mistresse fame Vmb. Breath thee braue sonne against the other charge Buss. O is it true then that my sense first told mee Is my kinde father dead Tam. He is my loue T was the Earle my husband in his weede that brought thee Buss. That was a speeding sleight and well resembled Where is that angrie Earle my Lord Come forth And shew your owne face in your owne affaire Take not into your noble veines the blood Of these base villans nor the light reports Of blister'd tongues for cleere and weightie truth But me against the world in pure defence Of your rare Ladie to whose spotlesse name I stand heere as a bulwarke and proiect A life to her renowne that euer yet Hath beene vntainted euen in enuies eie And where it would protect a sanctuarie Braue Earle come forth and keepe your scandall in T is not our fault if you enforce the spot Nor the wreake yours if you performe it not Enter Mont with others Mont. Cowards a fiend or spirit beat ye off They are your owne faint spirits that haue forg'd The fearefull shadowes that your eies deluded The fiend was in you cast him out then thus Tam. Fauour my Lord my loue ô fauour him Buss. I will not touch him Take your life my Lord And be appeas'd O then the coward fates Haue maim'd themselues and euer lost their honour Vmb. What haue ye done slaues irreligious Lord Buss. Forbeare them father t is enough for me That Guise and Monsieur death and destinie Come behinde D'Ambois is my bodie then But penetrable flesh And must my minde Follow my blood Can my diuine part adde No aide to th' earthly in extremitie Then these diuines are but for forme not fact Man is of two sweet Courtly friends compact A mistresse and a seruant let my death Define life nothing but a Courtiers breath Nothing is made of nought of all things made Their abstract being a dreame but of a shade I le not complaine to earth yet but to heauen And like a man looke vpwards euen in death Proppe me true sword as thou hast euer done The equall thought I beare of life and death Shall make me faint on no side I am vp Heere like a Roman Statue I will stand Till death hath made me marble ô my fame Liue in despight of murther take thy wings And haste thee where the gray-eyd morne perfines Her Rosie chariot with Sabaean spices Flie where the euening from th' Iberean vales Takes on her swarthy shoulders Heccate Cround with a groue of oakes flie where men feele The burning axeltree and those that suffer Beneath the chariot of the Snowy Beare And tell them all that D'Ambois now is hasting To the eternall dwellers that a thunder Of all their sighes together for their frailties Beheld in me may quit my worthlesse fall With a fit volley for my funerall Vmb. Forgiue thy murtherers Buss. I forgiue them all And you my Lord their fautor for true signe Of which vnfain'd remission take my sword Take it and only giue it motion And it shall finde the way to victorie By his owne brightnesse and th' inherent valour My fight hath still'd into 't with charmes of spirit Bus. And let me pray you that my weighty bloud Laid in one skale of your impertiall splene May sway the forfeit of my worthy loue Waid in the other and be reconcilde With all forgiuenesse to your
matchlesse wife Tam. Forgiue thou me deare seruant and this hand That lead thy life to this vnworthy end Forgiue it for the bloud with which t is staind In which I writ the summons of thy death The forced summons by this bleeding wound By this heere in my bosome and by this That makes me hold vp both my hands embrewd For thy deare pardon Bus. O my heart is broken Fate nor these murtherers Monsieur nor the Guise Haue any glorie in my death but this This killing spectacle this prodigie My sunne is turnd to blood gainst whose red beams Pindas and Ossa hid in endlesse snow Laid on my heart and liuer from their vains Melt like two hungrie torrents eating rockes Into the Ocean of all humane life And make it bitter only with my bloud O fraile condition of strength valure vertue In me like warning fire vpon the top Of some steepe Beakon on a steeper hill Made to expresse it like a falling starre Silently glanc't that like a thunderbolt Lookt to haue stucke and shooke the firmament Vmb. Son of the earth whom my vnrested soule Rues t' haue begotten in the faith of heauen Since thy reuengefull Spirit hath reiected The charitie it commands and the remission To serue and worship the blind rage of bloud Assay to gratulate and pacifie The soule fled from this worthy by performing The Christian reconcilement he besought Betwixt thee and thy Lady let her wounds Manlesly digd in her be easd and cur'd With balme of thine owne teares or be assur'd Neuer to rest free from my haunt and horror Mont. See how she merits this still sitting by And mourning his fall more than her owne fault Vmb. Remoue deare daughter and content thy husband So piety wils thee and thy seruants peace Tamy. O wretched piety that art so distract In thine owne constancy and in thy right Must be vnrighteous if I right my friend I wrong my husband if his wrong I shunne The duty of my friend I leaue vndone Ill plays on both sides heere and there it riseth No place no good so good but ill compriseth My soule more scruple breeds than my bloud sinne Vertue imposeth more than any stepdame O had I neuer married but for forme Neuer vowd faith but purposd to deceiue Neuer made conscience of any sinne But clok't it priuately and made it common Nor neuer honord beene in blood or mind Happy had I beene then as others are Of the like licence I had then beene honord Liu'd without enuy custome had benumbd All sense of scruple and all note of frailty My fame had beene vntoucht my heart vnbroken But shunning all I strike on all offence O husband deare friend O my conscience Mont. I must not yeeld to pity nor to loue So seruile and so traiterous cease my bloud To wrastle with my honour fame and iudgement Away forsake my house forbeare complaints Where thou hast bred them heere all things full Of their owne shame and sorrow leaue my house Tam. Sweet Lord forgiue me and I will be gone And till these wounds that neuer balme shall close Till death hath enterd at them so I loue them Being opened by your hands by death be cur'd I neuer more will grieue you with my sight Neuer endure that any roofe shall part Mine eies and heauen but to the open deserts Like to hunted Tygres I will flie Eating my heart shunning the steps of men And looke on no side till I be arriu'd Mont. I do forgiue thee and vpon my knees With hands held vp to heauen wish that mine honor Would suffer reconcilement to my loue But since it will not honor neuer serue My Loue with flourishing obiect till it sterue And as this Taper though it vpwards looke Downwards must needs consume so let our loue As hauing lost his hony the sweet taste Runs into sauor and will needs retaine A spice of his first parents till like life It sees and dies so let our loue and lastly As when the flame is sufferd to looke vp It keepes his luster but being thus turnd downe His naturall course of vsefull light inuerted His owne stuffe puts it out so let our loue Now turne from me as heere I turne from thee And may both points of heauens strait axeltree Conioine in one before thy selfe and me Vmb. My terrors are strook inward and no more My pennance will allow they shall enforce Earthly afflictions but vpon my selfe Farewell braue relicts of a compleat man Looke vp and see thy spirit made a star Ioine flames with Hercules and when thou setst Thy radiant forhead in the firmament Make the vast continent cracke with thy receit Spred to a world of fire and th' aged skie Chere with new sparkes of old humanity Finis Actus Quinti vltimi Thunder Ascendit Comolet