is most eloquent Your Empire is so amply absolute That euen your Theaters show more comely rule True noblesse royaltie and happinesse Then others courts you make all state before Vtterly obsolete all to come twice sod And therefore doth my royall Soueraigne wish Your yeares may proue as vitall as your virtues That standing on his Turrets this way turn'd Ordring and fixing his affaires by yours He may at last on firme grounds passe your Seas And see that Maiden-sea of Maiestie In whose chaste armes so many kingdomes lye D' Au. When came she to her touch of his ambition Cre. In this speech following which I thus remember If I hold any merit worth his presence Or any part of that your Courtship giues me My subiects haue bestowd it some in counsaile In action some and in obedience all For none knowes with such proofe as you my Lord How much a subiect may renowne his Prince And how much Princes of their subiects hold In all the seruices that euer subiect Did for his Soueraigne he that best deseru'd Must in comparison except Byron And to winne this prise cleere without the maimes Commonly giuen men by ambition When all their parts lye open to his view Showes continence past their other excellence But for a subiect to affect a kingdome Is like the Cammell that of Ioue begd hornes And such mad-hungrie men as well may eate Hote coles of fire to feede their naturall heate For to aspire to competence with your king What subiect is so grose and Gyantly He hauing now a Daulphine borne to him Whose birth ten dayes before was dreadfully Vsherd with Earth-quakes in most parts of Europe And that giues all men cause enough to feare All thought of competition with him Commend vs good my Lord and tell our Brother How much we ioy in that his royall issue And in what prayers we raise our heart to heauen That in more terror to his foes and wonder He may drinke Earthquakes and deuoure the thunder So we admire your valure and your vertues And euer will contend to winne their honor Then spake she to Crequie and Prince D' Auergne And gaue all gracious farewels when Byron Was thus encountred by a Councellor Of great and eminent name and matchlesse merit I thinke my Lord your princely Daulphin beares Arion in his Cradle through your kingdome In the sweete Musique ioy strikes from his birth He answerd and good right the cause commands it But said the other had we a fift Henry To claime his ould right and one man to friend Whom you well know my Lord that for his friendship Were promist the Vice-royaltie of France We would not doubt of conquest in despight Of all those windy Earth-quakes He replyed Treason was neuer guide to English conquests And therefore that doubt shall not fright our Daulphine Nor would I be the friend to such a foe For all the royalties in Christendome Fix there your foote sayd he I onely giue False fire and would be lothe to shoote you of He that winnes Empire with the losse of faith Out-buies it and will banck-route you haue layde A braue foundation by the hand of victorie Put not the roofe to fortune foolish statuaries That vnder little Saints suppose great bases Make lesse to sence the Saints and so where fortune Aduanceth vile mindes to states great and noble She much more exposeth them to shame Not able to make good and fill their bases With a conformed structure I haue found Thankes to the blesser of my searche that counsailes Held to the lyne of Iustice still produce The surest states and greatest being sure Without which fit assurance in the greatest As you may see a mighty promontorie More digd and vnder-eaten then may warrant A safe supportance to his hanging browes All passengers auoide him shunne all ground That lyes within his shadow and beare still A flying eye vpon him so great men Corrupted in their ground and building out Too swelling fronts for their foundations When most they should be propt are most forsaken And men will rather thrust into the stormes Of better grounded States then take a shelter Beneath their ruinous and fearefull weight Yet they so ouersee their faultie bases That they remaine securer in conceipt And that securitie doth worse presage Their nere distructions then their eaten grounds And therefore heauen it selfe is made to vs A perfect Hierogliphick to expresse The Idlenesse of such securitie And the graue labour of a wise distrust In both sorts of the all-enclying starres Where all men note this difference in their shyning As plaine as they distinguish either hand The fixt starres mauer and the erring stand D' Aum. How tooke he this so worthy admonition Cre. Grauely applied said he and like the man Whome all the world saies ouerrules the starres Which are diuine bookes to vs and are read By vnderstanders onely the true obiects And chiefe companions of the truest men And though I need it not I thanke your counsaile That neuer yet was idle But spherelike Still mooues about and is the continent To this blest I le ACT. 5. SCEN. 1. Enter Byron D' Auergne Laffin Byr. The Circkle of this ambassie is closde For which I long haue long'd for mine owne ends To see my faithfull and leaue courtly friends To whom I came me thought with such a spirit As you haue seene a lusty courser showe That hath beene longe time at his manger tied High fead alone and when his headstall broken Hee runnes his prison like a trumpet neighs Cuts ayre in high curuets and shakes his head With wanton stopings twixt his forelegs mocking The heauy center spreds his flying crest Like to an Ensigne hedge and ditches leaping Till in the fresh meate at his naturall foode He sees free fellowes and hath met them free And now good friend I would be faine inform'd What our right Princely Lord the duke of Sauoy Hath thought on to employ my comming home Laf. To try the Kings trust in you and withall How hot he trailes on our conspiracie He first would haue you begge the gouernment Of the important Citadell of Bourg Or to place in it any you shall name VVhich wil be wondrous fit to march before His other purposes and is a fort Hee rates in loue aboue his patrimonie To make which fortresse worthie of your suite He vowes if you obtaine it to bestowe His third faire daughter on your excellence And hopes the King will not deny it you Byr. Denie it me deny me such a suite VVho will he grant if he deny it me Laf. He 'le finde some politique shift to do 't I feare Bir. VVhat shift or what euasion can he finde VVhat one patch is there in all policies shop That botcher vp of Kingdomes that can mend The brack betwixt vs any way denying D' Au. That 's at your perill Byr. Come he dares not do 't D' Au. Dares not presume not so you know good duke That all things hee
lose theyr lookes Whose hearts so soone are melted D'Au: But me thinks Being Courtiers they should cast best looks on men When they thought worst of them Byr: O no my Lord They n'ere dissemble but for some aduantage They sell theyr looks and shadowes which they rate After theyr markets kept beneath the State Lord what foule weather theyr aspects do threaten See in how graue a Brake he sets his vizard Passion of nothing See an excellent Iesture Now Courtship goes a ditching in theyr fore-heads And we are falne into those dismall ditches Why euen thus dreadfully would they be rapt If the Kings butterd egges were onely spilt Enter Henry Hen: Lord Chancellor Cha: I my Lord Hen: And lord Vidame Exit Byr: And not Byron here 's a prodigious change D'Au: He cast no Beame on you Byr: Why now you see From whence theyr countenances were copyed Enter the captaine of Byrons guard with a letter D'Au. See here comes some newes I beleeue my Lord Byr. VVhat saies the honest captaine of my guard Cap. I bring a letter from a friend of yours Byr. T is welcome then D'Au. Haue we yet any friends Cap. More then yee would I thinke I neuer saw Men in their right mindes so vnrighteous In their owne causes Byr. See what thou hast brought Hee wills vs to retire our selues my Lord And makes as if it were almost too late What saies my captaine shall we goe or no Cap. I would your daggers point had kist my heart When you resolu'd to come Byr. I pray the why Cap. Yet doth that sencelesse Apopelxy dull you The diuell or your wicked angell blinds you Bereauing all your reason of a man And leaues you but the spirit of a horse In your brute nostrills onely powre to dare Byr. VVhy dost thou think my comming here hath brought me To such an vnrecouerable danger Cap. Iudge by the strange Ostents that haue succeeded Since your arriuall the kinde fowle the wilde duck That came into your cabinet so beyond The sight of all your seruants or your selfe That flew about and on your shoulder sat And which you had so fed and so attended For that dum loue she shew'd you iust as soone As you were parted on the sodaine died And to make this no lesse then an Ostent Another that hath fortun'd since confirmes it Your goodly horse Pastrana which the Archduke Gaue you at Bruxells in the very houre You left your strength fel-mad and kild himselfe â—â—e like chanc't to the horse the great duke sent you and with both these the horse the duke of Lorraine Sent you at Vinsie made a third presage Of some Ineuitable fate that toucht you Who like the other pin'd away and died Byr. All these together are indeed oftentfull Which by another like I can confirme The matchlesse Earle of Essex who some make In their most sure diuinings of my death A parallel with me in life and fortune Had one horse like-wise that the very howre He sufferd death being well the night before Died in his pasture Noble happy beasts That die not hauing to their wills to liue They vse no deprecations nor complaints Nor sute for mercy amongst them the Lion Serues not the Lion nor the horse the horse As man serues man when men shew most their spirrits In valure and their vtmost dares to do They are compard to Lions Woolues and Bores But by conuersion None will say a Lyon Fights as he had the Spirrit of a man Let me then in my danger now giue cause For all men to begin that Simile For all my huge engagement I prouide me This short sword onely which if I haue time To show my apprehendor he shall vse Power of tenne Lions if I get not loose Enter Henry Chancellor Vidame Ianin Vitry Pralin Hen. What shall we doe with this vnthankefull man Would he of one thing but reueale the truth Which I haue proofe of vnderneath his hand He should not tast my Iustice I would giue Two hundred thousand crownes that he would yeeld But such meanes for my pardon as he should I neuer lou'd man like him would haue trusted My Sonne in his protection and my Realme He hath deseru'd my loue with worthy seruice Yet can he not deny but I haue thrice Sau'd him from death I drew him of the foe At Fountaine Francoise where he was engag'd So wounded and so much amazd with blowes That as I playd the souldier in his rescue I was enforc't to play the Marshall To order the retreat because he said He was not fit to do it nor to serue me Cha. Your maiesty hath vsd your vtmost meanes Both by your owne perswasions and his friends To bring him to submission and confesse With some signe of repentance his foule fault Yet still he stands prefract and insolent You haue in loue and care of his recouery Beene halfe in labour to produce a course And resolution what were fit for him And since so amply it concernes your crowne You must by law cut of what by your grace You cannot bring into the state of safety Ian. Begin at th' end my Lord and execute Like Alexander with Parmenio Princes you knowe are Maisters of their lawes And may resolue them to what forms they please So all conclude in iustice in whose stroke There is one sort of manadge for the Great Another for inferiour The great Mother Of all productions graue Necessity Commands the variation And the profit So certenly fore-seene commends the example Hen. I like not executions so informall For which my predecessors haue beene blam'd My Subiects and the world shall knowe my powre And my authority by lawes vsuall course Dares punish not the deuilish heads of treason But there confederates be they nere so dreadfull The decent ceremonies of my lawes And their solemnities shall be obserued With all their Sternenes and Seueritie Vit: Where will your highnes haue him apprehended Hen: Not in the Castle as some haue aduis'd But in his chamber Pral: Rather in your owne Or comming out of it for t is assur'd That any other place of apprehension Will make the hard performance end in blood Vit: To shun this likely-hood my Lord t is best To make the apprehension neere your chamber For all respect and reuerence giuen the place More then is needfull to chastice the person And saue the opening of to many veines Is vain and dangerous Hen: Gather you your guard And I will finde fit time to giue the word When you shall seaze on him and on D'Avuergne Vit: Wee will be readie to the death my Lord Exeunt Hen: O thou that gouernst the keene swords of Kings Direct my arme in this important stroke Or hold it being aduanc't the weight of blood Euen in the basest subiect doth exact Deepe consultation in the highest King For in one subiect deaths vniust affrights Passions and paines though he be n'ere so poore Aske more remorse then the voluptuous spleenes Of all Kings
in the world deserue respect Hee should be borne grey-headed that will beare The sword of Empire Iudgement of the life Free state and reputation of a man If it be iust and worthy dwells so darke That it denies accesse to Sunne and Moone The soules eye sharpned with that sacred light Of whome the Sunne it selfe is but a beame Must onely giue that iudgement O how much Erre those Kings then that play with life and death And nothing put into their serious States But humor and their lusts For which alone Men long for kingdomes whose huge counterpoise In cares and dangers could a foole comprise He would not be a King but would be wise Enter Byron talking with the Queene Esp D' Entragues D' Av: with another Lady others attending Hen: Heere comes the man with whose ambitious head Cast in the way of Treason we must stay His full chace of our ruine and our Realme This houre shall take vpon her shady winges His latest liberty and life to Hell D'Av: We are vndone Queene What 's that Byr: I heard him not Hen: Madam y' are honord much that Duke Byron Is so obseruant Some to cardes with him You foure as now you come sit to Primero And I will fight a battayle at the Chesse Byr. A good safe fight beleeue me Other warre Thirsts blood and wounds and his thirst quencht is thankles Esp: Lift and then cut Byr: T is right the end of lifting When men are lifted to their highest pitch They cut of those that lifted them so high Qu Apply you all these sports so seriously Byr: They first were from our serious acts deuis'd The best of which are to the best but sports I meane by best the greatest for their ends In men that serue them best are their owne pleasures Qu So in those best mens seruices their ends Are their owne pleasures passe Byr: I vy't Hen: I see 't And wonder at his frontles impudence Exit Hen Chan How speedes your Maiestie Qu Well the Duke instructs me With such graue lessons of mortallitie Forc't out of our light sport that if I loose I cannot but speed well Byr. Some idle talke For Courtship sake you know does not amisse Chan. Would we might heare some of it Byr. That you shall I cast away a card now makes me thinke Of the deceased worthy King of Spaine Chan. What card was that Byr. The King of hearts my Lord Whose name yeelds well the memorie of that King Who was indeed the worthy King of hearts And had both of his subiects hearts and strangers Much more then all the Kings of Christendome Chan. He wun them with his gold Byr. He wun them chiefely With his so generall Pietie and Iustice And as the little yet great Macedon Was sayd with his humane philosophy To teach the rapefull Hyrcans mariage And bring the barbarous Sogdians to nourish Not kill their aged Parents as before Th' incestuous Persians to reuerence Their mothers not to vse them as their wiues The Indians to adore the Grecian Gods The Scythians to inter not eate their Parents So he with his diuine Philosophy Which I may call his since he chiefely vsd it In Turky India and through all the world Expell'd prophane idolatry and from earth Raisd temples to the highest whom with the word He could not winne he iustly put to sword Chan. He sought for gold and Empire Byr. T was Religion And her full propagation that he sought If gold had beene his end it had beene hoorded When he had fetcht it in so many fleetes Which he spent not on Median Luxurie Banquets and women Calidonian wine Nor deare Hyrcanian fishes but emploid it To propagate his Empire and his Empire Desird t' extend so that he might withall Extend Religion through it and all nations Reduce to one firme constitution Of Pietie Iustice and one publique weale To which end he made all his matchles subiects Make tents their castles and their garisons True Catholikes contrimen and their allies Heretikes strangers and their enemies There was in him the magnanimity Montig. To temper your extreame applause my Lord Shorten and answere all things in a word The greatest commendation we can giue To the remembrance of that King deceast Is that he spar'd not his owne eldest sonne But put him iustly to a violent death Because hee sought to trouble his estates Byr. I st so Chan. That bit my Lord vpon my life T was bitterly replied and doth amaze him The King sodainely enters hauing determined what to doe Hen. It is resolud A worke shall now be done Which while learnd Atlas shall with starres be crownd While th' Ocean walkes in stormes his wauy round While Moones at full repaire their broken rings While Lucifer fore-shewes Auroras springs And Arctos stickes aboue the Earth vnmou'd Shall make my realme be blest and me beloued Call in the count D' Auuergne Enter D'Au A word my Lord Will you become as wilfull as your friend And draw a mortall iustice on your heads That hangs so blacke and is so loth to strike If you would vtter what I knowe you knowe Of his inhumaine treason on Stronge Barre Betwixt his will and duty were dissolud For then I know he would submit himselfe Thinke you it not as stronge a point of faith To rectifie your loyalties to me As to be trusty in ech others wrong Trust that deceiues our selues in treachery And Truth that truth conceales an open lie D'Au. My Lord if I could vtter any thought Instructed with disloyalty to you And might light any safty to my friend Though mine owne heart came after it should out Hen. I knowe you may and that your faith 's affected To one another are so vaine and faulce That your owne Strengths will ruine you ye contend To cast vp rampiers to you in the sea And striue to stop the waues that runne before you D'Au. All this my Lord to me is misery Hen. It is I le make it plaine enouge Beleeue me Come my Lord Chancellor let vs end our mate Enter Varennes whispering to Byron Var. You are vndone my Lord Exit Byr: Is it possible Que. Play good my Lord whom looke you for Esp. Your mind Is not vpon your Game Byr. Play pray you play Hen. Enough t is late and time to leaue our play On all hands all forbeare the roome my Lord Stay you with me yet is your will resolued To dewty and the maine bond of your life I sweare of all th' Intrusions I haue made Vpon your owne good and continew'd fortunes This is the last informe me yet the truth And here I vow to you by all my loue By all meanes showne you euen to this extreame When all men else forsake you you are safe What passages haue slipt twixt count Fuentes You and the Duke of Sauoye Byr. Good my Lord This nayle is driuen already past the head You much haue ouerchargd an honest man And I beseech you yeeld my Inocence iustice But