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
the end of you how is a womans chastitie neerest a man when t is furthest off Per. Why my Lord when you cannot get it it goes toth ' heart on you and that I thinke comes most neere you and I am sure it shall bee farre enough off and so I leaue you to my mercy Exit Mons. Farewell riddle Gui. Farewell Medlar Mont. Farewell winter plum Mons. Now my Lords what fruit of our inquisition feele you nothing budding yet Speake good my Lord Mountsurry Mont. Nothing but this D'Ambois is negligent in obseruing the Duchesse and therefore she is suspicious that your Neece or my wife closely entertaines him Mons. Your wife my Lord Thinke you that possible Mont. Alas I know she flies him like her last houre Mons. Her last houre why that comes vpon her the more she flies it Does D'Ambois so thinke you Mont. That 's not worth the answering T is horrible to think with what monsters womens imaginations engrosse them when they are once enamour'd and what wonders they will worke for their satisfaction They will make a sheepe valiant a Lion fearefull Mons. And an Asse confident my Lord t is true and more will come forth shortly get you to the banquet Exit Guise cum Mont. O the vnfounded Sea of womens bloods That when t is calmest is most dangerous Not any wrincle creaming in their faces When in their hearts are Scylla and Charibdis Which still are hid in monster-formed cloudes Where neuer day shines nothing euer growes But weeds and poisons that no states-man knowes Not Cerberus euer saw the damned nookes Hid with the vailes of womens vertuous lookes I will conceale all yet and giue more time To D'Ambois triall now vpon my hooke He awes my throat else like Sybillas Caue It should breath oracles I feare him strangely And may resemble his aduanced valour Vnto a spirit rais'd without a circle Endangering him that ignorantly rais'd him And for whose furie he hath learn'd no limit Enter D'Ambois Mons. How now what leap'st thou at D'Amb. O royall obiect Mons. Thou dream'st awake Obiect in th' emptie aire D'Amb. Worthie the head of Titan worth his chaire Mons. Pray thee what mean'st thou D'Amb. See you not a Croune Empale the forehead of the great King Monsieur Mons. O fie vpon thee D'Amb. Sir that is the Subiect Of all these your retir'd and sole discourses Mons. Wilt thou not leaue that wrongfull supposition This still hath made me doubt thou dost not loue me Wilt thou doe one thing for me then syncerelie D'Amb. I any thing but killing of the King Mons. Still in that discord and ill taken note D'Amb. Come doe not doubt me and command mee all things Mons. I will not then and now by all my loue Shewne to thy vertues and by all fruits else Alreadie sprung from that affection I charge thee vtter euen with all the freedome Both of thy noble nature and thy friendship The full and plaine state of me in thy thoughts D'Amb. What vtter plainly what I thinke of you Why this swims quite against the streame of greatnesse Great men would rather heare their flatteries And if they be not made fooles are not wise Mons. I am no such great foole and therefore charge thee Euen from the roote of thy free heart display mee D'Amb. Since you affect it in such serious termes If your selfe first will tell me what you thinke As freely and as heartily of mee I le be as open in my thoughts of you Mons. A bargaine of mine honour and make this That prooue wee in our full dissection Neuer so foule liue still the sounder friends D'Amb. What else Sir come begin and speake me simply Mons. I will I sweare I thinke thee then a man That dares as much as a wilde horse or Tyger As headstrong and as bloodie and to feede The rauenous wolfe of thy most Caniball valour Rather than not employ it thou would'st turne Hackster to any whore slaue to a Iew Or English vsurer to force possessions And cut mens throates of morgaged estates Or thou would'st tire thee like a Tinkers wife And murther market folkes quarrell with sheepe And runne as mad as Aiax serue a Butcher Doe any thing but killing of the King That in thy valour th' art like other naturals That haue strange gifts in nature but no soule Diffus'd quite through to make them of a peece But stoppe at humours that are more absurd Childish and villanous than that hackster whore Slaue cut-throat Tinkers bitch compar'd before And in those humours would'st enuie betray Slander blaspheme change each houre a religion Doe any thing but killing of the King That in that valour which is still my dunghill To which I carrie all filth in thy house Th' art more ridiculous and vaine-glorious Than any Mountibancke and impudent Than any painted bawde which not to sooth And glorifie thee like a Iupiter Hammon Thou eat'st thy heart in vineger and thy gall Turns all thy blood to poison which is cause Of that Tode-poole that stands in thy complexion And makes thee with a cold and earthie moisture Which is the damme of putrifaction As plague to thy damn'd pride rot as thou liu'st To study calumnies and treacheries To thy friends slaughters like a Scrich-owle sing And to all mischiefs but to kill the King D'Amb. So Haue you said Mons. How thinkest thou Doe I flatter Speake I not like a trustie friend to thee D'Amb. That euer any man was blest withall So heere 's for mee I thinke you are at worst No diuell since y' are like to be no king Of which with any friend of yours I le lay This poore Stilladoe heere gainst all the starres I and gainst all your treacheries which are more That you did neuer good but to doe ill But ill of all sorts free and for it selfe That like a murthering peece making lanes in armies The first man of a ranke the whole ranke falling If you haue once wrong'd one man y' are so farre From making him amends that all his race Friends and associates fall into your chace That y' are for periuries the verie prince Of all intelligencers and your voice Is like an Easterne winde that where it flies Knits nets of Catterpillars with which you catch The prime of all the fruits the kingdome yeeldes That your politicall head is the curst fount Of all the violence rapine crueltie Tyrannie Atheisme flowing through the realme That y 'aue a tongue so scandalous t will cut A perfect Crystall and a breath that will Kill to that wall a spider you will iest With God and your soule to the diuell tender For lust kisse horror and with death engender That your foule bodie is a Lernean fenne Of all the maladies breeding in all men That you are vtterlie without a soule And for your life the thred of that was spunne When Clotho slept and let her breathing rocke Fall in the durt and Lachesis still drawes it Dipping her twisting fingers
a. Tam. What my Lord Mont. The plague of Herod Feast in his rotten entrailes Tam. Will you wreake Your angers iust cause giuen by him on mee Mont. By him Tamy. By him my Lord I haue admir'd You could all this time be at concord with him That still hath plaid such discords on your honour Mont. Perhaps t is with some proud string of my wiues Tam. How 's that my Lord Mont. Your tongue will still admire Till my head be the miracle of the world Tam. O woe is mee Pero What does your Lordship meane Madam be comforted my Lord but tries you Madam Helpe good my Lord are you not mou'd Doe your set lookes print in your words your thoughts Sweete Lord cleere vp those eies for shame of Noblesse Mercilesse creature but it is enough You haue shot home your words are in her heart She has not liu'd to beare a triall now Mont. Looke vp my loue and by this kisse receiue My soule amongst thy spirits for supplie To thine chac'd with my furie Tam. O my Lord I haue too long liu'd to heare this from you Mont. T was from my troubled blood and not from mee I know not how I fare a sudden night Flowes through my entrailes and a headlong Chaos Murmurs within mee which I must digest And not drowne her in my confusions That was my liues ioy being best inform'd Sweet you must needes forgiue me that my loue Like to a fire disdaining his suppression Rag'd being discourag'd my whole heart is wounded When any least thought in you is but touch't And shall be till I know your former merits Your name and memorie altogether craue In loth'd obliuion their eternall graue And then you must heare from me ther 's no meane In any passion I shall feele for you Loue is a rasor cleansing being well vs'd But fetcheth blood still being the least abus'd To tell you briefly all The man that left mee When you appear'd did turne me worse than woman And stab'd me to the heart thus with his hand Tamy. O happie woman Comes my staine from him It is my beautie and that innocence prooues That slew Chymaera rescu'd Peleus From all the sauage beasts in Peleon And rais'd the chaste Athenian prince from Hell All suffering with me they for womens lusts I for a mans that the Egean stable Of his foule sinne would emptie in my lappe How his guilt shunn'd me sacred innocence That where thou fear'st art dreadfull and his face Turn'd in flight from thee that had thee in chace Come bring me to him I will tell the serpent Euen to his teeth whence in mine honors soile A pitcht field starts vp twixt my Lord and mee That his throat lies and he shall curse his fingers For being so gouern'd by his filthie soule Mont. I know not if himselfe will vaunt t' haue beene The princely author of the slauish sinne Or any other he would haue resolu'd mee Had you not come not by his word but writing Would I haue sworne to giue it him againe And pawn'd mine honour to him for a paper Tam. See how he flies me still T is a foule heart That feares his owne hand Good my Lord make haste To see the dangerous paper Be not nice For any trifle ieweld with your honour To pawne your honor and with it conferre My neerest woman heere in all she knowes Who if the sunne or Cerberus could haue seene Anie staine in mee might as much as they And Pero heere I charge thee by my loue And all proofes of it which I might call bounties By all that thou hast seeme seeme good in mee And all the ill which thou shouldst spit from thee By pity of the wound my Lord hath giuen mee Not as thy Mistresse now but a poore woman To death giuen ouer rid me of my paines Powre on thy powder cleere thy breast of me My Lord is only heere heere speake thy worst Thy best will doe me mischiefe If thou spar'st mee Neuer shine good thought on thy memorie Resolue my Lord and leaue me desperate Pero My Lord My Lord hath plaid a prodigals part To breake his Stocke for nothing and an insolent To cut a Gordian when he could not loose it What violence is this to put true fire To a false traine To blow vp long crown'd peace With sudden outrage and beleeue a man Sworne to the shame of women gainst a woman Borne to their honours I le attend your Lordship Tam. No I will write for I shall neuer more Speake with the fugitiue where I will defie him Were he ten times the brother of my king Exeunt Musicke and she enters with her maid bearing a letter Tam. Away deliuer it O may my lines Fild with the poison of a womans hate When he shall open them shrinke vp his eies With torturous darkenesse such as stands in hell Stucke full of inward horrors neuer lighted With which are all things to be fear'd affrighted Father Ascendit Bussy with Comolet D' Amb. How is it with my honour'd mistresse Tam. O seruant helpe and saue me from the gripes Of shame and infamie D' Amb. What insensate stocke Or rude inanimate vapour without fashion Durst take into his Epimethean breast A box of such plagues as the danger yeeldes Incurd in this discouerie He had better Ventur'd his breast in the consuming reach Of the hot surfets cast out of the cloudes Or stoode the bullets that to wreake the skie The Cyclops ramme in Ioues artillerie Com. Wee soone will take the darkenesse from his face That did that deede of darkenesse wee will know What now the Monsieur and your husband doe What is contain'd within the secret paper Offerd by Monsieur and your loues euents To which ends honour'd daughter at your motion I haue put on these exorcising Rites And by my power of learned holinesse Vouchsaft me from aboue I will command Our resolution of a raised spirit Tamy. Good father raise him in some beauteous forme That with least terror I may brooke his sight Com. Stand sure together then what ere ye see And stirre not as ye tender all our liues Occidentalium legionum spiritalium imperator magnus ille Behemoth veni veni comitatus cum Asaroth locotenente inuicto Adiuro te per stygis inscrutabilia arcana per ipsos irremeabiles anfractus auerni adesto ô Behemoth tu cui peruia sunt Magnatum scrinia veni per Noctis tenebrarum abdita profundissima per labentia sydera per ipsos motus horarum furtiuos Hecatesque altum silentium Appare in forma spiritali lucente splendida amabili Ascendit Beh. What would the holy Frier Com. I would see What now the Monsieur and Mountsurrie doe And see the secret paper that the Monsieur Offer'd to Count Montsurry longing much To know on what euents the secret loues Of these two honor'd persons shall arriue Beh. Why calledst thou me to this accursed light To these light purposes I am Emperor
Of that inscrutable darkenesse where are hid All deepest truths and secrets neuer seene All which I know and command Legions Of knowing spirits that can doe more than these Any of this my guard that circle mee In these blew fires and out of whose dim fumes Vast murmurs vse to breake and from their soundes Articulat voices can doe ten parts more Than open such sleight truths as you require Com. From the last nights black depth I cald vp one Of the inferior ablest ministers And he could not resolue mee send one then Out of thine owne command to fetch the paper That Monsieur hath to shew to Count Montsurry Beh. I will Cartophylax thou that properly Hast in thy power all papers so inscribde Glide through all barres to it and fetch that paper Car. I will a torch remoues Com. Till he returnes great prince of darknesse Tell me if Monsieur and the Count Montsurry Are yet encounterd Beh. Both them and the Guise Are now together Com. Shew vs all their persons And represent the place with all their actions Beh. The spirit will strait returne and then I le shew thee See he is come why broughtst thou not the paper Cart. He hath preuented me and got a spirit Rais'd by another great in our command To take the guard of it before I came Beh. This is your slacknesse not t' nuoke our powers When first your acts set foorth to their effects Yet shall you see it and themselues behold They come heere the Earle now holds the paper Ent. Mons. Gui. Mont. Bus. May we not heare them Mons. No be still and see Bus. I will go fetch the paper Com. Do not stir Ther 's too much distance and too many lockes Twixt you them how neere so e're they seeme For any man to interrupt their secrets Tam. O honord spirit flie into the fancie Of my offended Lord and do not let him Beleeue what there the wicked man hath written Pre. Perswasion hath already enterd him Beyond reflection peace till their departure Mons. There is a glasse of inke wherein you see How to make ready black fac't Tragedy You now discerne I hope through all her paintings Her gasping wrinkles and fames sepulchres Gui. Thinke you he faines my Lord what hold you now Doe we maligne your wife or honour you Mons. What stricken dumbe nay fie Lord be not danted Your case is common were it ne're so rare Beare it as rarely now to laugh were manly A woorthy man should imitate the weather That sings in tempests and being cleere is silent Gui. Goe home my Lord and force your wife to write Such louing stuffe to D'Ambois as she vsde When she desir'd his presence Mons. Doe my Lord And make her name her conceald messenger That close and most inennerable Pander That passeth all our studies to exquire By whom conuay the letter to her loue And so you shall be sure to haue him come Within the thirsty reach of your reuenge Before which lodge an ambush in her chamber Behind the arras of your stoutest men All close and soundly armd and let them share A spirit amongst them that would serue a thousand Gui. Yet stay a little see she sends for you Mons. Poore louing lady she 'le make all good yet Thinke you not so my Lord Gui. Ahlas poore soule Mons. This was ill done y'faith Exit Mont. Per. T' was nobly done And I forgiue his Lordship from my soule Mons. Then much good doo 't thee Pero hast a letter Per. I hope it be at least if not a volume Of worthy curses for your periury Mons. Now out vpon her Gui. Let me see my Lord Mons. You shall presently how fares my Pero Whos 's there take in this maid sh 'as caught a clap And fetch my surgeon to her come my Lord We 'l now peruse our letter Exeunt Mons. Guise Per. Furies rise Lead her out Out of the blacke lines and torment his soule Tam. Hath my Lord slaine my woman Beh. No she liues Com. What shall become of vs Beh. All I can say Being cald thus late is briefe and darkly this If D'Ambois mistresse stay not her white hand With his forst bloud he shall remaine vntoucht So father shall your selfe but by your selfe To make this Augurie plainer when the voice Of D'Ambois shall inuoke me I will rise Shining in greater light and shew him all That will betide ye all meane time be wise And let him curb his rage with policy Descendit cum suis Buc. Will he appeare to me when I inuoke him Com. He will be sure Buc. It must be shortly then For his darke words haue tied my thoughts on knots Till he dissolue and free them Tam. In meane time Deare seruant till your powerfull voice reuoke him Be sure to vse the policy he aduis'd Lest fury in your too quicke knowledge taken Of our abuse and your defence of me Accuse me more than any enemy And Father you must on my Lord impose Your holiest charges and the churches power To temper his hot spirit and disperse The cruelty and the bloud I know his hand Will showre vpon our heads if you put not Your finger to the storme and hold it vp As my deare seruant heere must do with Monsieur Bus. I le sooth his plots and strow my hate with smiles Till all at once the close mines of my heart Rise at full date and rush into his bloud I le bind his arme in silke and rub his flesh To make the vaine swell that his soule may gush Into some konnell where it longs to lie And policy shal be flanckt with policy Yet shall the feeling center where wee meet Grone with the wait of my approaching feet I le make th' inspired threshals of his Court Sweat with the weather of my horrid steps Before I enter yet will I appeare Like calme security before a ruine A politician must like lightening melt The very marrow and not Print the skin His waies must not be seene the superficies Of the greene center must not taste his feet When hell is plowd vp with his wounding tracts And all his haruest reap't from hellish facts Finis Actus Quarti Actus Quinti Scena Prima Montsurry bare vnbrac't pulling Tamyra in Comolet One bearing light a standish and paper which sets a Table Com. MY Lord remember that your soule must seeke Her peace as well as your reuengefull bloud You euer to this houre haue prou'd your selfe A noble zealous and obedient sonne T' our holy mother be not an apostate Your wiues offence serues not were it the woorst You can imagine without greater proofes To seuer your eternall bonds and harts Much lesse to touch her with a bloudy hand Nor is it manly much lesse husbandly To expiate any frailty in your wife With churlish strokes or beastly ods of strength The stony birth of clowds will touch no lawrell Nor any sleeper your wife is your lawrell And sweetest sleeper do not touch her