Christopher Marlowe

“ CONDY. Come let us goe tell the King. Exeunt [Condy and Navarre] . GUISE. Come sirs, Ile whip you to death with my punniards point. He kils them. ANJOY. Away with them both. Exit Anjoy [and soldiers with bodies] . GUISE. And now sirs for this night let our fury stay. Yet will we not the Massacre shall end: Gonzago posse you to Orleance, Retes to Deep, Mountsorrell unto Roan, and spare not one That you suspect of heresy. And now stay That bel that to the devils mattins rings. Now every man put of his burgonet, And so convey him closely to his bed. ”

“ And will revenge the bloud of innocents, That Guise hath slaine by treason of his heart, And brought by murder to their timeles ends. ADMIRALL. My Lord, but did you mark the Cardinall The Guises brother, and the Duke Dumain: How they did storme at these your nuptiall rites, Because the house of Burbon now comes in, And joynes your lineage to the crowne of France? NAVARRE. And thats the cause that Guise so frowns at us, And beates his braines to catch us in his trap, Which he hath pitcht within his deadly toyle. ”

“ BARTUS. He died a death too good, the devill of hell Torture his wicked soule. KING. Oh curse him not since he is dead. O the fatall poyson workes within my brest, Tell me Surgeon and flatter not, may I live? SURGEON. Alas my Lord, your highnes cannot live. NAVARRE. Surgeon, why saist thou so? the King may live. KING. Oh no Navarre, thou must be King of France. NAVARRE. Long may you live, and still be King of France. EPERNOUNE. Or else dye Epernoune. KING. Sweet Epernoune thy King must dye. ”

“ GUISE. Now Guise, begin those deepe ingendred thoughts To burst abroad, those never dying flames, Which cannot be extinguisht but by bloud. Oft have I leveld, and at last have learnd, That perill is the cheefest way to happines, And resolution honors fairest aime. What glory is there in a common good, That hanges for every peasant to atchive? That like I best that flyes beyond my reach. Set me to scale the high Peramides, And thereon set the Diadem of Fraunce, Ile either rend it with my nayles to naught, Or mount the top with my aspiring winges, Although my downfall be the deepest hell. ”

“ Then Guise, Since thou hast all the Cardes within thy hands To shuffle or to cut, take this as surest thing: That right or wrong, thou deal'st thy selfe a King. I but, Navarre. Tis but a nook of France. Sufficient yet for such a pettie King: That with a rablement of his hereticks, Blindes Europs eyes and troubleth our estate: Him will we— Pointing to his Sworde. But first lets follow those in France. That hinder our possession to the crowne: As Caesar to his souldiers, so say I: Those that hate me, will I learn to loath. ”

“ Cardinall Madam, as I in secresy was tolde, My brother Guise hath gathered a power of men, Which are he saith, to kill the Puritans, But tis the house of Burbon that he meanest Now Madam must you insinuate with the King, And tell him that tis for his Countries good, And common profit of Religion. ”

“ The Pope and King of Spaine are thy good frends, Else all France knowes how poor a Duke thou art. KING. I, those are they that feed him with their golde, To countermaund our will and check our freends. GUISE. My Lord, to speak more plainely, thus it is: Being animated by Religious zeale, I meane to muster all the power I can, To overthrow those factious Puritans: And know, the Pope will sell his triple crowne, I, and the catholick Philip King of Spaine, Ere I shall want, will cause his Indians, To rip the golden bowels of America. ”

“ I slew the Guise, because I would be King. QUEENE MOTHER. King, why so thou wert before. Pray God thou be a King now this is done. KING. Nay he was King and countermanded me, But now I will be King and rule my selfe, And make the Guisians stoup that are alive. QUEENE MOTHER. I cannot speak for greefe: when thou went home, I would that I had murdered thee my sonne. My sonne: thou art a changeling, not my sonne. I curse thee and exclaime thee miscreant, Traitor to God, and to the realme of France. ”

“ MUGEROUN. We know that noble minces change not their thoughts For wearing of a crowne: in that your grace, Hath worne the Poland diadem, before You were withvested in the crowne of France. KING. I tell thee Mugeroun we will be freends, And fellowes to, what ever stormes arise. MUGEROUN. Then may it please your Majestie to give me leave, To punish those that doe prophane this holy feast. He cuts of the Cutpurse eare, for cutting of the golde buttons off his cloake. KING. How meanst thou that? CUTPURSE. O Lord, mine eare. MUGEROUN. Come sir, give me my buttons and heers your eare. ”

“ Enter the Guise and Anjoy [, Dumaine, Mountsorrell, with soldiers] . ANJOY. Whom have you there? RETES. Tis Ramus, the Kings professor of Logick. GUISE. Stab him. RAMUS. O good my Lord, Wherein hath Ramus been so offencious? GUISE. Marry sir, in having a smack in all, And yet didst never sound any thing to the depth. Was it not thou that scoff'dst the Organon, And said it was a heape of vanities? He that will be a flat decotamest, And seen in nothing but Epitomies: Is in your judgment thought a learned man. ”

“ CHARLES. Content, I will goe visite the Admirall. GUISE. And I will goe take order for his death. Exit Guise. Enter the Admirall in his bed. CHARLES. How fares it with my Lord high Admiral, Hath he been hurt with villaines in the street? I vow and sweare as I am King of France, To finde and to repay the man with death: With death delay'd and torments never usde, That durst presume for hope of any gaine, To hurt the noble man his sovereign loves. ADMIRALL. Ah my good Lord, these are the Guisians, That seeke to massacre our guiltles lives. ”

“ He knocketh, and enter the King of Navarre and Prince of Condy, with their scholmaisters. How now my Lords, how fare you? NAVARRE. My Lord, they say That all the protestants are massacred. ANJOY. I, so they are, but yet what remedy: I have done all I could to stay this broile. NAVARRE. But yet my Lord the report doth run, That you were one that made this Massacre. ANJOY. Who I? you are deceived, I rose but now Enter [to them] Guise. GUISE. Murder the Hugonets, take those pedantes hence. NAVARRE. Thou traitor Guise, lay of thy bloudy hands. ”

“ The gentle King whose pleasure uncontrolde, Weakneth his body, and will waste his Realme, If I repaire not what he ruinates: Him as a childe I dayly winne with words, So that for proofe, he barely beares the name: I execute, and he sustaines the blame. The Mother Queene workes wonders for my sake, And in my love entombes the hope of Fraunce: Rifling the bowels of her treasurie, To supply my wants and necessitie. ”

“ GUISE. Why suffer you that peasant to declaime? Stab him I say and send him to his freends in hell. ANJOY. Nere was there Colliars sonne so full of pride. Kill him. [Close the studie.] GUISE. My Lord Anjoy, there are a hundred Protestants, Which we have chaste into the river Sene, That swim about and so preserve their lives: How may we doe? I feare me they will live. DUMAINE. Goe place some men upon the bridge, With bowes and cartes to shoot at them they see, And sinke them in the river as they swim. GUISE. Tis well advisde Dumain, goe see it done. Exit Dumaine. ”

“ What your intent is yet we cannot learn, But we presume it is not for our good. GUISE. Why I am no traitor to the crowne of France. What I have done tis for the Gospel's sake. EPERNOUNE. Nay for the Popes sake, and shine owne benefite. What Peere in France but thou (aspiring Guise) Durst be in armes without the Kings consent? I challenge thee for treason in the cause. GUISE. Oh base Epernoune, were not his highnes heere, Thou shouldst perceive the Duke of Guise is mov'd. KING. Be patient Guise and threat not Epernoune, Least thou perceive the King of France be mov'd. GUISE. Why? ”

“ I feare the Guisians have past the bridge, And meane once more to menace me. Enter Taleus. TALEUS. Flye Ramus flye, if thou wilt save thy life. RAMUS. Tell me Taleus, wherfore should I flye? TALEUS. The Guisians are hard at thy doore, And meane to murder us: Harke, harke they come, Ile leap out at the window. [Runs out from studie.] RAMUS. Sweet Taleus stay. Enter Gonzago and Retes. GONZAGO. Who goes there? RETES. Tis Taleus, Ramus bedfellow. GONZAGO. What art thou? TALEUS. I am as Ramus is, a Christian. RETES. O let him goe, he is a catholick. ”

“ DUMAINE. And so will Dumaine. The ordinance being shot of, the bell tolles. GUISE. Come then, lets away. Exeunt. The Guise enters againe, with all the rest, with their Swords drawne, chasing the Protestants. GUISE. Tue, tue, tue, Let none escape, murder the Hugonets. ANJOY. Kill them, kill them. Exeunt. Enter Loreine running, the Guise and the rest pursuing him. GUISE. Loreine, Loreine, follow Loreine.. Sirra, Are you a preacher of these heresies? LOREINE. I am a preacher of the word of God, And thou a traitor to thy soule and him. GUISE. Dearely beloved brother, thus tis written. ”

“ All goe out, but Navarre and Pleshe. NAVARRE. And now Navarre whilste that these broiles doe last, My opportunity may serve me fit, To steale from France, and hye me to my home. For heers no saftie in the Realme for me, And now that Henry is cal'd from Polland, It is my due by just succession: And therefore as speedily as I can perfourme, Ile muster up an army secretdy, For feare that Guise joyn'd with the King of Spaine, Might seek to crosse me in mine enterprise. But God that alwaies doth defend the right, Will shew his mercy and preserve us still. ”

“ Lets goe my Lords, our dinner staies for us. Goe out all, but the Queene [Mother] and the Cardinall. QUEENE MOTHER. My Lord Cardinall of Loraine, tell me, How likes your grace my sonnes pleasantnes? His mince you see runnes on his minions, And all his heaven is to delight himselfe: And whilste he sleepes securely thus in ease, Thy brother Guise and we may now provide, To plant our selves with such authoritie, That not a man may live without our leaves. Then shall the Catholick faith of Rome, Flourish in France, and none deny the same. ”

“ MUGEROUN. If that be all, the next time that I meet her, Ile make her shake off love with her heeles. But which way is he gone? Ile goe take a walk On purpose from the Court to meet with him. Exit. KING. I like not this, come Epernoune Lets goe seek the Duke and make them freends. Exeunt.
[Scene xvi] Alarums within. The Duke Joyeux slaine. Enter the King of Navarre [, Bartus,] and his traine. NAVARRE. The Duke is slaine and all his power dispearst, And we are grac'd with wreathes of victory: Thus God we see doth ever guide the right, To make his glory great upon the earth. ”

“ Cheefely since under safetie of our word, They justly challenge their protection: Besides my heart relentes that noble men, Onely corrupted in religion, Ladies of honor, Knightes and Gentlemen, Should for their conscience taste such rutheles ends. ”

“ GUISE. Thankes my good freend, I wil requite thy love. Goe then, present them to the Queene Navarre: For she is that huge blemish in our eye, That makes these upstart heresies in Fraunce: Be gone my freend, present them to her straite. Souldyer.— Exit Pothecaier. Enter a Souldier. SOULDIER. My Lord. GUISE. Now come thou forth and play thy tragick part, Stand in some window opening neere the street, And when thou seest the Admirall ride by, Discharge thy musket and perfourme his death: And then Ile guerdon thee with store of crownes. SOULDIER. I will my Lord. ”

“ GUISE. Anjoy, Dumaine, Gonzago, Retes, sweare by The argent crosses on your burgonets, To kill all that you suspect of heresie. DUMAINE. I sweare by this to be unmercifull. ANJOY. I am disguisde and none nows who I am, And therfore meane to murder all I meet. GONZAGO. And so will I. RETES. And I. GUISE. Away then, break into the Admirals house. GETES. I let the Admirall be first dispatcht. GUISE. The Admirall, Cheefe standard bearer to the Lutheranes, Shall in the entrance of this Massacre, Be murdered in his bed. Gonzago conduct them hither, and then Beset his house that not a man may live. ”