Christopher Marlowe

“ My Lord of Guise, we understand that you have gathered a power of men, 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. ”

“ 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 their soveraign loves. ”

“ Knightes and Gentlemen, should for their conscience taste such rutheles ends.
Anjoy.
Though gentle mindes should pittie others paines,
Yet will the wisest note their proper greefes:
And rather seeke to scourge their enemies,
Then be themselves base subjects to the whip.
Guise.
Me thinkes my Lord, Anjoy hath well advisde,
Your highnes to consider of the thing,
And rather chuse to seek your countries good,
Then pittie or releeve these upstart hereticks.
Queene.
I hope these reasons may serve my princely Sonne,
To have some care for feare of enemies:
King. ”

“ Enter the Captaine of the guarde, and three murtherers.
Captaine.
Come on sirs, what, are you resolutely bent,
Hating the life and honour of the Guise?
What, will you not feare when you see him come? ”

“ Murder me not, I am a Cardenall.
1.
Wert thou the Pope thou mightst not scape from us.
Car.
What will you fyle your handes with Churchmens bloud?
2.
Shed your bloud, O Lord no: for we entend to strangle you. ”

“ That all the protestants that are in Paris,
Should have been murdered the other night?
Ad.
My Lord I mervaile that th'aspiring Guise,
Dares once adventure without the Kings consent,
To meddle or attempt such dangerous things. ”

“ Beyond the reach of my desertes:
For Poland is as I have been enformde,
A martiall people, worthy such a King,
As hath sufficient counsaile in himselfe,
To lighten doubts and frustrate subtile foes. ”

“ And disperse themselves throughout the Realme of France,
It will be hard for us to worke their deaths.
Be gone, delay no time sweet Guise.
Guise.
Madam, I goe as whirl-windes rage before a storme. Exit Guise. ”

“ But God that alwaies doth defend the right,
Will shew his mercy and preserve us still.
Pleshe.
The vertues of our true Religion,
Cannot but march with many graces more:
Whose army shall discomfort all your foes,
And at the length in Pampelonia crowne,
In spite of Spaine and all the popish power,
That holdes it from your highnesse wrongfully:
Your Majestie her rightfull Lord and Soveraigne.
Navarre.
Truth Pleshe, and God so prosper me in all,
As I entend to labour for the truth,
And true profession of his holy word:
Come Pleshe, lets away while time doth serve.Exeunt. ”

“ Least thou perceive the Kiug of France be mov'd.
Guise.
Why? I am a Prince of the Valoyses line,
Therfore an enemy to the Burbonites.
I am a juror in the holy league,
And therfore hated of the Protestants.
What should I doe but stand upon my guarde?
And being able, Ile keep an hoast in pay.
Epernoune.
Thou able to maintaine an hoast in pay,
That livest by forraine exhibition.
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. ”

“ Shall curse the time that ere Navarre was King,
And rulde in France by Henries fatall death.
They march out with the body of the King, lying
on foure mens shoulders with a dead
march, drawing weapons
on the ground. ”

“ That change their coulour when the winter comes,
When I shall vaunt as victor in revenge.
Enter a Messenger.
How now sirra, what newes?
Mes.
My Lord, as by our scoutes we understande,
A mighty army comes from France with speed:
Which is already mustered in the land,
And meanes to meet your highnes in the field. ”

“ Enter one of the Murtherers.
Villaine, why dost thou look so gastly? speake.
Mur.
O pardon me my Lord of Guise.
Guise.
Pardon thee, why what hast thou done?
Mur.
O my Lord, I am one of them that is set to murder you.
Guise.
To murder me villaine.
Mur.
I my Lord, the rest have taine their standings in the next roome, therefore good my Lord goe not foorth.
Guise.
Yet Cæsar shall goe forth, let mean consaits, and baser men feare death: tut they are pesants, I am Duke of Guise: and princes with their lookes, ingender feare. ”

“ Enter Charles the French King, the Queene Mother, the King of Navarre, the Prince of Condye, the Lord high Admirall, and the Queene of Navarre, with others.
Charles.
Rince of Navarre my honourable brother,
Prince Condy, and my good Lord Admirall,
I wishe this union and religious league,
Knit in these hands, thus joyn'd in nuptiall rites,
May not desolve, till death desolve our lives,
And that the native sparkes of princely love,
That kindled first this motion in our hearts:
May still be feweld in our progenye. ”

“ This is the traitor that hath spent my golde,
In making forraine warres and civile broiles.
Did he not draw a sorte of English priestes,
From Doway to the Seminary at Remes,
To hatch forth treason gainst their naturall Queene? ”

“ Goe out all, but the Queene and the Cardinall.
Queene.
My Lord Cardinall of Loraine, tell me,
How likes your grace my sonnes pleasantnes?
His minde 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,
as not a man may live without our leaves. ”

“ My Lord, the President of Paris greetes your grace, and send his dutie by these speedye lines, humblye craving your gracious reply.
King.
Ile read them Frier, and then Ile answere thee.
Frier.
Sancte Jacobus, now have mercye upon me.
He stabs the King with a knife as he readeth the letter, and then the King getteth the knife and killes him.
Epernoune.
O my Lord, let him live a while.
King.
No, let the villaine dye, and feele in hell, just torments for his trechery. ”

“ Queene, Cardinall, Duke of Guise, Epernoone, the kings Minions, with others, and the Cutpurse.
All.
Vive la Roy, vive la Roy. Sound Trumpets.
Qu.
Welcome from Poland Henry once agayne,
Welcome to France thy fathers royall seate,
Heere hast thou a country voide of feares,
A warlike people to maintaine thy right,
A watchfull Senate for ordaining lawes,
A loving mother to preserve thy state,
And all things that a King may wish besides:
All this and more hath Henry with his crowne. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Anjoy.
Nere was there Colliars sonne so full of pride. kill him.
Guise.
My Lord of Anjoy, there are a hundred Protestants,
Which we have chaste into the river Rene,
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 dartes to shoot at them they see,
And sinke them in the river as they swim. ”

“ Bartus, it shall be so, poast then to Fraunce,
And there salute his highnesse in our name,
Assure him all the aide we can provide,
Against the Guisians and their complices.
Bartus be gone, commend me to his grace,
And tell him ere it be long, Ile visite him.
Bar.
I will my Lord.Exit.
Enter Pleshe.
Navarre.
Pleshe.
Pleshe.
My Lord.
Na.
Pleshe, goe muster up our men with speed,
And let them march away to France amaine:
For we must aide the King against the Guise. ”

“ Sweet Guise, would he had died so thou wert heere:
To whom shall I bewray my secrets now,
Or who will helpe to builde Religion?
The Protestants will glory and insulte,
Wicked Navarre will get the crowne of France,
The Popedome cannot stand, all goes to wrack,
And all for thee my Guise, what may I doe?
But sorrow seaze upon my toyling soule,
For since the Guise is dead, I will not live.Exit. ”

“ And although
you take out nothing but your owne, yet you put in that which displeaseth him, and so forestall his market, and set up your standing where you should not: and whereas hee is your Landlord, you will take upon you to be his, and tyll the ground that he himself should occupy, which is his own free land. ”

“ A hand, that with a graspe may gripe the world,
An eare, to heare what my detractors say,
A royall seate, a scepter and a crowne:
That those which doe beholde, them may become
As men that stand and gase against the Sunne. ”

“ My Lord, I come to bring you newes, that your brother the Cardinall of Loraine by the Kings consent is lately strangled unto death.
Dumaine.
My brother Cardenall slaine and I alive?
O wordes of power to kill a thousand men. ”

“ O wicked sexe, perjured and unjust,
Now doe I see that from the very first,
Her eyes and lookes sow'd seeds of perjury,
But villaine he to whom these lines should goe,
Shall buy her love even with his dearest bloud.Exit. ”

“ Husband come down, heer's one would speak with you from the Duke of Guise.
Enter Seroune.
Seroune.
To speek with me from such a man as he?
Mount.
I, I, for this Seroune, and thou shalt hate. shewing his dagger. ”

“ And then beset his house that not a man may live.
Anjoy.
That charge is mine, Swizers keepe you the streetes,
And at ech corner shall the Kings garde stand.
Gonzago.
Come sirs follow me. Exit Gonzago and others with him.
Anjoy.
Cosin, the Captaine of the Admirals guarde,
Plac'd by my brother, will betray his Lord:
Now Guise shall catholiques flourish once againe,
The head being of, the members cannot stand.
Retes.
But look my Lord, ther's some in the Admirals house. Enter into the Admirals house, and he in his bed. ”

“ We are betraide, come my Lords, and let us goe tell the King of this.
Admi.
These are the cursed Guisians that doe seeke our death.
Oh fatall was this mariage to us all.
They beare away the Queene and goe out. ”

“ Then to misdoe the welfare of their King:
God graunt my neerest freends may prove no worse.
O holde me up, my sight begins to faile,
My sinnewes shrinke, my braines turne upside downe,
My heart doth break I faint and dye. He dies. ”

“ Because his wife beares thee such kindely love.
Muge.
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. ”