which a soule look't so diuinely louing Teares nothing vttering her distresse enough She wept quite out and like two falling Starres Their dearest sights quite vanisht with her teares Cler. All good forbid it Guise What euents are these Cler. All must be borne my Lord and yet this chance Would willingly enforce a man to cast off All power to beare with comfort since hee sees In this our comforts made our miseries Guise How strangely thou art lou'd of both the sexes Yet thou lou'st neyther but the good of both Cler. In loue of women my affection first Takes fire out of the fraile parts of my bloud Which till I haue enioy'd is passionate Like other louers but fruition past I then loue out of iudgement the desert Of her I loue still sticking in my heart Though the desire and the delight be gone Which must chance still since the comparison Made vpon tryall twixt what reason loues And what affection makes in mee the best Euer preferd what most loue valuing lest Guise Thy loue being iudgement then and of the minde Marry thy worthiest mistresse now being blinde Cler. If there were loue in mariage so I would But I denie that any man doth loue Affecting vviues maides widowes any women For neither Flyes loue milke although they drowne In greedy search thereof nor doth the Bee Loue honey though the labour of her life Is spent in gathering it nor those that fat Or beasts or fowles doe any thing therein For any loue for as when onely nature Moues men to meate as farre as her power rules Shee doth it with a temperate appetite The too much men deuoure abhorring nature And in our most health is our most disease So when humanitie rules men and vvomen T is for societie confinde in reason But what excites the beds desire in bloud By no meanes iustly can be construed loue For when loue kindles any knowing spirit It ends in vertue and effects diuine And is in friendship chaste and masculine Guise Thou shalt my Mistresse be me thinkes my bloud Is taken vp to all loue vvith thy vertues And howsoeuer other men despise These Paradoxes strange and too precise Since they hold on the right way of our reason I could attend them euer Come away Performe thy brothers thus importun'd wreake And I will see what great affaires the King Hath to employ my counsell which he seemes Much to desire and more and more esteemes Exit Enter Henry Baligny with sixe of the guard Hen. Saw you his sawcie forcing of my hand To D'Ambois freedome Bal. Saw and through mine eyes Let fire into my heart that burn'd to beare An insolence so Giantly austere Hen. The more Kings beare at Subiects hands the more Their lingring Iustice gathers that resembles The waightie and the goodly-bodied Eagle Who being on earth before her shady wings Can raise her into ayre a mightie way Close by the ground she runnes but being aloft All shee commands she flyes at and the more Death in her Seres beares the more time shee stayes Her thundry stoope from that on which shee preyes Bal. You must be then more secret in the waight Of these your shadie counsels who will else Beare where such sparkes flye as the Guise and D'Ambois Pouder about them Counsels as your entrailes Should be vnpierst and sound kept for not those Whom you discouer you neglect but ope A ruinous passage to your owne best hope Hen. Wee haue Spies set on vs as we on others And therefore they that serue vs must excuse vs If what wee most hold in our hearts take winde Deceit hath eyes that see into the minde But this plot shall be quicker then their twinckling On whose lids Fate with her dead waight shall lie And Confidence that lightens ere she die Friends of my Guard as yee gaue othe to be True to your Soueraigne keepe it manfully Your eyes haue witnest oft th' Ambition That neuer made accesse to me in Guise But Treason euer sparkled in his eyes Which if you free vs of our safetie shall You not our Subiects but our Patrons call Omnes Our duties binde vs hee is now but dead Hen. Wee trust in it and thanke ye Baligny Goe lodge their ambush and thou God that art Fautor of Princes thunder from the skies Beneath his hill of pride this Gyant Guise Exeunt Enter Tamyra with a Letter Charlotte in mans attire Tam. I see y' are Seruant sir to my deare sister The Lady of her lou'd Baligny Char. Madame I am bound to her vertuous bounties For that life which I offer in her vertuous seruice To the reuenge of her renowned brother Tam. She writes to mee as much and much desires That you may be the man whose spirit shee knowes Will cut short off these long and dull delayes Hitherto to bribing the eternall Iustice Which I beleeue since her vnmatched spirit Can iudge of spirits that haue her sulphure in them But I must tell you that I make no doubt Her liuing brother will reuenge her dead On whom the dead impos'd the taske and hee I know will come t' effect it instantly Char. They are but words in him beleeue them not Tam. See this is the vault where he must enter Where now I thinke hee is Enter Renel at the vault with the Countesse being blinde Ren. God saue you Lady What Gentleman is this with whom you trust The deadly waightie secret of this houre Tam. One that your selfe will say I well may trust Ren. Then come vp Madame He helps the Countesse vp See here honour'd Lady A Countesse that in loues mishap doth equall At all parts your wrong'd selfe and is the mistresse Of your slaine seruants brother in whose loue For his late treachrous apprehension She wept her faire eyes from her luory browes And would haue wept her soule out had not I Promist to bring her to this mortall quarrie That by her lost eyes for her seruants loue She might coniure him from this sterne attempt In which by a most ominous dreame shee had Shee knowes his death fixt and that neuer more Out of this place the Sunne shall see him liue Char. I am prouided then to take his place And vndertaking on me Ren. You sir why Char. Since I am charg'd so by my mistresse His mournfull sister Tam. See her Letter sir Hee reades Good Madame I rue your fate more then mine And know not how to order these affaires They stand on such occurrents Ren. This indeede I know to be your Lady mistresse hand And know besides his brother will and must Indure no hand in this reuenge but his Enter Vmbr. Bussy Vmb. Away dispute no more get vp and see Clermont must author this iust Tragedie Coun. Who 's that Ren. The spirit of Bussy Tam. O my seruant let vs embrace Vmb. Forbeare The ayre in which My figures liknesse is imprest will blast Let my reuenge for all loues satisfie In vvhich dame feare not Clermont shall not dye No word
not bountie The Merchant for his wealth is swolne in minde When yet the chiefe Lord of it is the Winde Bal. That may so chance to our State-Merchants too Something performed that hath not farre to goe Ren. That 's the maine point my Lord insist on that Bal. But doth this fire rage further hath it taken The tender tynder of my wifes sere bloud Is shee so passionate Ren. So wilde so mad Shee cannot liue and this vnwreakt sustaine The woes are bloudy that in women raigne The Sicile gulfe keepes feare in lesse degree There is no Tyger not more tame then shee Bal. There is no looking home then Ren. Home Medea With all her hearbs charmes thunders lightning Made not her presence and blacke hants more dreadfull Bal. Come to the King if he reforme not all Marke the euent none stand where that must fall Exeunt Enter Countesse Rioua and an Vsher Vsh. Madame a Captaine come from Clermont D'Ambois Desires accesse to you Count. And not himselfe Vsh. No Madame Coun. That 's not vvell Attend him in Exit Vsh. The last houre of his promise now runne out And hee breake some brack in the frame of nature That forceth his breach Enter Vsher and Aumal Aum. Saue your Ladiship Coun. All welcome Come you from my worthy seruant Aum. I Madame and conferre such newes from him Coun. Such newes vvhat newes Aum. Newes that I wish some other had had the charge of Coun. O vvhat charge vvhat newes Aum. Your Ladiship must vse some patience Or else I cannot doe him that desire He vrg'd vvith such affection to your Graces Coun. Doe it for heauens loue doe it if you serue His kinde desires I vvill haue patience Is hee in health Aum. He is Count. Why that 's the ground Of all the good estate wee hold in earth All our ill built vpon that is no more Then wee may beare and should expresse it all Aum. Madame t is onely this his libertie Coun. His libertie Without that health is nothing Why liue I but to aske in doubt of that Is that bereft him Aum. You 'll againe preuent me Coun. No more I sweare I must heare and together Come all my miserie I le hold though I burst Aum. Then madame thus it fares he was enuited By vvay of honour to him to take view Of all the Powers his brother Baligny Hath in his gouernment vvhich rang'd in battailes Maillard Lieutenant to the Gouernour Hauing receiu'd strickt Letters from the King To traine him to the musters and betray him To their supprise which with Chalon in chiefe And other Captaines all the field put hard By his incredible valour for his scape They haplesly and guiltlesly perform'd And to Bastile hee 's now led prisoner Coun. What change is here how are my hopes preuented O my most faithfull seruant thou betraid Will Kings make treason lawfull Is Societie To keepe which onely Kings vvere first ordain'd Lesse broke in breaking faith twixt friend and friend Then twixt the King and Subiect let them feare Kings Presidents in licence lacke no danger Kings are compar'd to Gods and should be like them Full in all right in nought superfluous Nor nothing straining past right for their right Raigne iustly and raigne safely Policie Is but a Guard corrupted and a way Venter'd in Desarts vvithout guide or path Kings punish Subiects errors vvith their owne Kings are like Archers and their Subiects shafts For as when Archers let their arrowes flye They call to them and bid them flye or fall As if t were in the free power of the shaft To flye or fall when onely t is the strength Straight shooting compasse giuen it by the Archer That makes it hit or misse and doing eyther Hee 's to be prais'd or blam'd and not the shaft So Kings to Subiects crying doe doe not this Must to them by their owne examples strength The straightnesse of their acts and equall compasse Giue Subiects power t' obey them in the like Not shoote them forth with faultie ayme and strength And lay the fault in them for flying amisse Aum. But for your seruant I dare sweare him guiltlesse Count. Hee would not for his Kingdome traitor be His Lawes are not so true to him as he O knew I how to free him by way forc'd Through all their armie I would flye and doe it And had I of my courage and resolue But tenne such more they should not all retaine him But I will neuer die before I giue Maillard an hundred slashes with a sword Chalon an hundred breaches with a Pistoll They could not all haue taken Clermont D'Ambois Without their treacherie he had bought his bands out With their slaue blouds but he was credulous Hee would beleeue since he would be beleeu'd Your noblest natures are most credulous Who giues no trust all trust is apt to breake Hate like hell mouth who thinke not what they speake Aum. Well Madame I must tender my attendance On him againe Will 't please you to returne No seruice to him by me Count. Fetch me straight My little Cabinet Exit Ancil T is little tell him And much too little for his matchlesse loue But as in him the worths of many men Are close contracted Intr. Ancil so in this are Iewels Worth many Cabinets Here with this good sir Commend my kindest seruice to my seruant Thanke him with all my comforts and in them With all my life for them all sent from him In his remembrance of mee and true loue And looke you tell him tell him how I lye She kneeles downe at his feete Prostrate at feet of his accurst misfortune Pouring my teares out which shall euer fall Till I haue pour'd for him out eyes and all Aum. O Madame this will kill him comfort you With full assurance of his quicke acquitall Be not so passionate rise cease your teares Coun. Then must my life cease Teares are all the vent My life hath to scape death Teares please me better Then all lifes comforts being the naturall seede Of heartie sorrow As a tree fruit beares Hee raises her and leades her out Exe. So doth an vndissembled sorrow teares Vsh. This might haue beene before and sau'd much charge Exit Enter Henry Guise Baligny Esp. Soisson Pericot with pen inke and paper Guise Now sir I hope you 're much abus'd Eyes see In my word for my Clermont what a villaine Hee was that whisper'd in your iealous eare His owne blacke treason in suggesting Clermonts Colour'd with nothing but being great with mee Signe then this writ for his deliuerie Your hand was neuer vrg'd with worthier boldnesse Come pray sir signe it why should Kings be praid To acts of Iustice t is a reuerence Makes them despis'd and showes they sticke and tyre In what their free powers should be hot as fire Hen. Well take your will sir I le haue mine ere long But wherein is this Clermont such a rare one Guise In his most gentle and vnwearied minde
Rightly to vertue fram'd in very nature In his most firme inexorable spirit To be remou'd from any thing hee chuseth For worthinesse or beare the lest perswasion To what is base or fitteth not his obiect In his contempt of riches and of greatnesse In estimation of th' Idolatrous vulgar His scorne of all things seruile and ignoble Though they could gaine him neuer such aduancement His liberall kinde of speaking what is truth In spight of temporising the great rising and learning of his soule so much the more Against ill fortune as shee set her selfe Sharpe against him or would present most hard To shunne the malice of her deadliest charge His detestation of his speciall friends When he perceiu'd their tyrannous will to doe Or their abiection basely to sustaine Any iniustice that they could reuenge The flexibilitie of his most anger Euen in the maine careere and fury of it When any obiect of desertfull pittie Offers it selfe to him his sweet disposure As much abhorring to behold as doe Any vnnaturall and bloudy action His iust contempt of Iesters Parasites Seruile obseruers and polluted tongues In short this Senecall man is found in him Hee may with heauens immortall powers compare To whom the day and fortune equall are Come faire or foule what euer chance can fall Fixt in himselfe hee still is one to all Hen. Showes he to others thus Omnes To all that know him Hen. And apprehend I this man for a traitor Guise These are your Macheuilian Villaines Your bastard Teucers that their mischiefes done Runne to your shield for shelter Caucusses That cut their too large murtherous theueries To their dens length still woe be to that state Where treacherie guards and ruine makes men great Hen. Goe take my Letters for him and release him Om. Thankes to your Highnesse euer liue your Highnesse Exeunt Bal. Better a man were buried quicke then liue A propertie for state and spoile to thriue Exit Enter Clermont Mail. Chal. with Souldiers Mail. Wee ioy you take a chance so ill so well Cler. Who euer saw me differ in acceptance Of eyther fortune Chal. What loue bad like good How should one learne that Cler. To loue nothing outward Or not within our owne powers to command And so being sure of euery thing we loue Who cares to lose the rest if any man Would neyther liue nor dye in his free choise But as hee sees necessitie will haue it Which if hee would resist hee striues in vaine What can come neere him that hee doth not well And if in worst euents his will be done How can the best be better all is one Mail. Me thinkes t is prettie Cler. Put no difference If you haue this or not this but as children Playing at coites euer regard their game And care not for their coites so let a man The things themselues that touch him not esteeme But his free power in well disposing them Chal. Prettie from toyes Cler. Me thinkes this double disticke Seemes prettily too to stay superfluous longings Not to haue want what riches doth exceede Not to be subiect what superiour thing He that to nought aspires doth nothing neede Who breakes no Law is subiect to no King Mail. This goes to mine eare well I promise you Chal. O but t is passing hard to stay one thus Cler. T is so rancke custome raps men so beyond it And as t is hard so well mens dores to barre To keepe the cat out and th' adulterer So t is as hard to curbe affections so Wee let in nought to make them ouer-flow And as of Homers verses many Critickes On those stand of which times old moth hath eaten The first or last feete and the perfect parts of his vnmatched Poeme sinke beneath With vpright gasping and sloath dull as death So the vnprofitable things of life And those we cannot compasse we affect All that doth profit and wee haue neglect Like couetous and basely getting men That gathering much vse neuer vvhat they keepe But for the least they loose extreamely vveepe Mail. This prettie talking and our horses walking Downe this steepe hill spends time with equall profit Cler. T is well bestow'd on ye meate and men sicke Agree like this and you and yet euen this Is th' end of all skill power wealth all that is Chal. I long to heare sir how your Mistresse takes this Enter Aumal with a Cabinet Mail. Wee soone shall know it see Aumall return'd Aum. Ease to your bands sir Cler. Welcome worthy friend Chal. How tooke his noblest Mistresse your sad message Aum. As great rich men take sodaine pouertie I neuer witness'd a more noble loue Nor a more ruthfull sorrow I well wisht Some other had beene master of my message Mail. Y' are happy sir in all things but this one Of your vnhappy apprehension Cler. This is to mee compar'd with her much mone As one teare is to her whole passion Aum. Sir shee commends her kindest seruice to you And this rich Cabinet Chal. O happy man This may enough hold to redeeme your bands Cler. These clouds I doubt not will be soone blowne ouer Enter Baligny with his discharge Renel and others Aum. Your hope is iust and happy see sir both In both the looks of these Bal. Here 's a discharge For this your prisoner my good Lord Lieutenant Mail Alas sir I vsurpe that stile enforc't And hope you know it was not my aspiring Bal. Well sir my wrong aspir'd past all mens hopes Mail. I sorrow for it sir Ren. You see sir there Your prisoners discharge autenticall Mail. It is sir and I yeeld it him with gladnesse Bal. Brother I brought you downe to much good purpose Cler. Repeate not that sir the amends makes all Ren. I ioy in it my best and worthiest friend O y'haue a princely fautor of the Guise Bal. I thinke I did my part to Ren. Well sir all Is in the issue vvell and vvorthiest Friend Here 's from your friend the Guise here from the Countesse Your Brothers Mistresse the contents vvhereof I know and must prepare you now to please Th' vnrested spirit of your slaughtered brother If it be true as you imagin'd once His apparition show'd it the complot Is now laid sure betwixt vs therefore haste Both to your great friend vvho hath some vse vvaightie For your repaire to him and to the Countesse Whose satisfaction is no lesse important Cler. I see all and vvill haste as it importeth And good friend since I must delay a little My wisht attendance on my noblest Mistresse Excuse me to her with returne of this And endlesse protestation of my seruice And now become as glad a messenger As you vvere late a vvofull Aum. Happy change I euer vvill salute thee with my seruice Exit Bal. Yet more newes Brother the late iesting Monsieur Makes now your Brothers dying prophesie equall At all parts being dead as he presag'd Ren. Heauen shield the Guise from seconding that truth With what he likewise prophesied on him