Massacre at Paris

[Scene ix]

Enter two with the Admirals body.

   1. Now sirra, what shall we doe with the Admirall?   2. Why let us burne him for a heretick.   1. O no, his bodye will infect the fire, and the fire the aire, and   so we shall be poysoned with him.   2. What shall we doe then?   1. Lets throw him into the river.   2. Oh twill corrupt the water, and the water the fish, and the   fish our selves when we eate them.   1. Then throw him into the ditch.   2. No, no, to decide all doubts, be rulde by me, lets hang him   upon this tree.   1. Agreede.        They hang him.

Enter the Duke of Guise, and Queene Mother, and the Cardinall [of Loraine].

   GUISE. Now Madame, how like you our lusty Admirall?   QUEENE MOTHER. Beleeve me Guise he becomes the place so well,   That I could long ere this have wisht him there.   But come lets walke aside, th'airs not very sweet.   GUISE. No by my faith Madam.   Sirs, take him away and throw him in some ditch.        Carry away the dead body.   And now Madam as I understand,   There anre a hundred Hugonets and more,   Which in the woods doe horde their synagogue:   And dayly meet about this time of day,   thither will I to put them to the sword.   QUEENE MOTHER. Doe so sweet Guise, let us delay no time,   For if these straglers gather head againe,   And disperse themselves throughout the Realme of France,   It will be hard for us to worke their deaths.   GUISE. Madam,   I goe as whirl-winces rage before a storme.

Exit Guise.

   QUEENE MOTHER. My Lord of Loraine have you marks of late,   How Charles our sonne begins for to lament   For the late nights worke which my Lord of Guise   Did make in Paris amongst the Hugonites?   CARDINALL. Madam, I have heard him solemnly vow,   With the rebellious King of Navarre,   For to revenge their deaths upon us all.   QUEENE MOTHER. I, but my Lord, let me alone for that,   For Katherine must have her will in France:   As I doe live, so surely shall he dye,   And Henry then shall weare the diadem.   And if he grudge or crosse his Mothers will,   Ile disinherite him and all the rest:   For Ile rule France, but they shall weare the crowne:   And if they storme, I then may pull them downe.   Come my Lord let's goe.Exeunt

[Scene x]

Enter five or sixe Protestants with bookes, and kneele together.

Enter also the Guise [and others].

   GUISE. Downe with the Hugonites, murder them.   PROTESTANT. O Mounser de Guise, heare me but speake.   GUISE. No villain, no that toung of thine,   That hath blasphemde the holy Church of Rome,   Shall drive no plaintes into the Guises eares,   To make the justice of my heart relent:   Tue, tue, tue, let none escape:        Kill them.   So, dragge them away.Exeunt

[Scene xi]

Enter [Charles] the King of France, Navar and Epernoune staying him: enter Queene Mother, and the Cardinall [of Loraine, and Pleshe].

   CHARLES. O let me stay and rest me heer a while,   A griping paine hath ceasde upon my heart:   A sodaine pang, the messenger of death.   QUEENE MOTHER. O say not so, thou kill'st thy mothers heart.   CHARLES. I must say so, paine forceth me to complain.   NAVARRE. Comfort your selfe my Lord I have no doubt,   But God will sure restore you to your health.   CHARLES. O no, my loving brother of Navarre.   I have deserv'd a scourge I must confesse,   Yet is there pacience of another sort,   Then to misdoe the welfare of their King:   God graunt my neerest freends may prove no worse.   O horde me up, my sight begins to faire,   My sinnewes shrinke, my brain turns upside downe,   My heart doth break, I faint and dye.        He dies.   QUEENE MOTHER. What art thou dead, sweet sonne? speak to thy Mother.   O no, his soule is fled from out his breast,   And he nor heares, nor sees us what we doe:   My Lords, what resteth now for to be done?   But that we presently despatch Embassadours   To Poland, to call Henry back againe,   To weare his brothers crowne and dignity.   Epernoune, goe see it presently be done,   And bid him come without delay to us.   Epernoune  Madam, I will.

Exit Epernoune.

   QUEENE MOTHER. And now my Lords after these funerals be done,   We will with all the speed we can, provide   For Henries coronation from Polonia:   Come let us take his body hence.        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.   PLESHE. The vertues of our poor 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 hordes 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

[Scene xii]

        Sound Trumpets within, and then all crye vive le Roy two or three times.

Enter Henry crowned: Queene [Mother], Cardinall [of Loraine], Duke of Guise, Epernoone, [Mugeroun,] the kings Minions, with others, and the Cutpurse.

   ALL. Vive le Roy, vive le Roy.        Sound Trumpets.   QUEENE MOTHER. Welcome from Poland Henry once agayne,   Welcome to France thy fathers royall seate,   Heere hast thou a country voice 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.   CARDINALL. And long may Henry enjoy all this and more.   ALL. Vive le Roy, vive le Roy.        Sound trumpets.   KING. Thanks to you al. The guider of all crownes,   Graunt that our deeds may wel deserve your loves:   And so they shall, if fortune speed my will,   And yeeld our thoughts to height of my desertes.   What say our Minions, think they Henries heart   Will not both harbour love and Majestie?   Put of that feare, they are already joynde,   No person, place, or time, or circumstance,   Shall slacke my loves affection from his bent.   As now you are, so shall you still persist,   Remooveles from the favours of your King.   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.   GUISE. Sirra, take him away.   KING. Hands of good fellow, I will be his baile   For this offence: goe sirra, worke no more,   Till this our Coronation day be past:   And now,   Our rites of Coronation done,   What now remaines, but for a while to feast,   And spend some daies in barriers, tourny, tylte,   And like disportes, such as doe fit the Coutr?   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.   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.   QUEENE MOTHER. Tush man, let me alone with him,   To work the way to bring this thing to passe:   And if he doe deny what I doe say,   Ile dispatch him with his brother presently.   And then shall Mounser weare the diadem.   Tush, all shall dye unles I have my will:   For while she lives Katherine will be Queene.   Come my Lord, let us goe to seek the Guise,And then determine of this enterprise.Exeunt

[Scene xiii]

Enter the Duchesse of Guise, and her Maide.

   DUCHESSE. Goe fetch me pen and inke.   MAID. I will Madam.

Exit Maid.

   DUCHESSE. That I may write unto my dearest Lord.   Sweet Mugeroune, tis he that hath my heart,   And Guise usurpes it, cause I am his wife:   Faine would I finde some means to speak with him   But cannot, and therfore am enforst to write,   That he may come and meet me in some place,   Where we may one injoy the others sight.

Enter the Maid with Inke and Paper.

   So, set it down and leave me to my selfe.   O would to God this quill that heere doth write,        She writes.   Had late been plucks from out faire Cupids wing:   That it might print these lines within his heart.

Enter the Guise.

   GUISE. What, all alone my love, and writing too:   I prethee say to whome thou writes?   DUCHESSE. To such a one, as when she reads my lines,   Will laugh I feare me at their good aray.   GUISE. I pray thee let me see.   DUCHESSE. O no my Lord, a woman only must   Partake the secrets of my heart.   GUISE. But Madam I must see.        He takes it.   Are these your secrets that no man must know?   DUCHESSE. O pardon me my Lord.   GUISE. Thou trothles and unjust, what lines are these?   Am I growne olde, or is thy lust growne yong,   Or hath my love been so obscurde in thee,   That others need to comment on my text?   Is all my love forgot which helde thee deare?   I, dearer then the apple of mine eye?   Is Guises glory but a clowdy mist,   In sight and judgement of thy lustfull eye?   Mor du, were not the fruit within thy wombe,   On whose encrease I set some longing hope:   This wrathfull hand should strike thee to the hart   Hence strumpet, hide thy head for shame,   And fly my presence if thou look'st to live.

Exit [Duchesse].

   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

[Scene xiv]

Enter the King of Navarre, Pleshe and Bartus, and their train, with drums and trumpets.

   NAVARRE. Now Lords, since in a quarrell just and right,   We undertake to mannage these our warres   Against the proud disturbers of the faith,   I meane the Guise, the Pope, and King of Spaine,   Who set themselves to tread us under foot,   And rend our true religion from this land:   But for you know our quarrell is no more,   But to defend their strange inventions,   Which they will put us to with sword and fire:   We must with resolute minces resolve to fight,   In honor of our God and countries good.   Spaine is the counsell chamber of the pope,   Spaine is the place where he makes peace and warre,   And Guise for Spaine hath now incenst the King,   To send his power to meet us in the field.   BARTUS. Then in this bloudy brunt they may beholde,   The sole endevour of your princely care,   To plant the true succession of the faith,   In spite of Spaine and all his heresies.   NAVARRE. The power of vengeance now implants it selfe,   Upon the hauty mountains of my brest:   Plaies with her goary coulours of revenge,   Whom I respect as leaves of boasting greene,   That change their coulour when the winter comes,   When I shall vaunt as victor in revenge.

Enter a Messenger.

   How now sirra, what newes?   MESSENGER. My Lord, as by our scoutes we understande,   A mighty army comes from France with speed:   Which is already mustered in the land,   And meanesto meet your highnes in the field.   NAVARRE. In Gods name, let them come.   This is the Guise that hath incenst the King,   To leavy armes and make these civill broyles:   But canst thou tell me who is their generall?   MESSENGER. Not yet my Lord, for thereon doe they stay:   But as report doth goe, the Duke of Joyeux   Hath made great sute unto the King therfore.   NAVARRE. It will not countervaile his paines I hope,   I would the Guise in his steed might have come,   But he doth lurke within his drousie couch,   And makes his footstoole on securitie:   So he be safe he cares not what becomes,   Of King or Country, no not for them both.   But come my Lords, let us away with speed,   And place our selves in order for the fight.Exeunt

[Scene xv]

Enter [Henry] the King of France, Duke of Guise, Epernoune, and Duke Joyeux.

   KING. My sweet Joyeux, I make thee Generall,   Of all my army now in readines,   To march against the rebellious King Navarre:   At thy request I am content thou go'st,   Although my love to thee can hardly suffer't,   Regarding still the danger of thy life.   JOYEUX. Thanks to your Majestie, and so I take my leave.   Farwell my Lord of Guise and Epernoune.   GUISE. Health and harty farwell to my Lord Joyeux.

Exit Joyeux.

   KING. How kindely Cosin of Guise you and your wife   Doe both salute our lovely Minions.        He makes hornes at the Guise.   Remember you the letter gentle sir,   Which your wife writ to my deare Minion,   And her chosen freend?   GUISE. How now my Lord, faith this is more then need,   Am I to be thus jested at and scornde?   Tis more then kingly or Emperious.   And sure if all the proudest kings beside   In Christendome, should beare me such derision,   They should know I scornde them and their mockes.   I love your Minions? dote on them your selfe,   I know none els but hordes them in disgrace:   And heer by all the Saints in heaven I sweare,   That villain for whom I beare this deep disgrace,   Even for your words that have incenst me so,   Shall buy that strumpets favour with his blood,   Whether he have dishonoured me or no.   Par la mor du, Il mora.

Exit.

   KING. Beleeve me, Epernoune this jest bites sore.   EPERNOUNE. My Lord, twere good to make them frends,   For his othes are seldome spent in vaine.

Enter Mugeroun.

   KING. How now Mugeroun, metst thou not the Guise at the doore?   MUGEROUN. Not I my Lord, what if I had?   KING. Marry if thou hadst, thou mightst have had the stab,   For he hath solemnely sworne thy death.   MUGEROUN. I may be stabd, and live till he be dead,   But wherfore beares he me such deadly hate?   KING. Because his wife beares thee such kindely love.   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.   BARTUS. The terrour of this happy victory,   I hope will make the King surcease his hate:   And either never mannage army more,   Or else employ them in some better cause.   NAVARRE. How many noble men have lost their lives,   In prosecution of these quell armes,   Is ruth and almost death to call to mince:   Put God we know will alwaies put them downe,   That lift themselves against the perfect truth,   Which Ile maintaine as long as life doth last:   And with the Queene of England joyne my force,   To beat the papall Monarck from our lands,   And keep those relicks from our countries coastes.   Come my Lords, now that the storme is overpass,   Let us away with triumph to our tents.Exeunt

[Scene xvii]

Enter a Souldier.

   SOULDIER. Sir, to you sir, that dare make the Duke a cuckolde,   and use a counterfeite key to his privie Chamber doore: 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 tree is your   Landlord, you would take upon you to be his, and tyll the ground   that he himself should occupy, which is his own free land. If it be   not too free there's the question: and though I come not to take   possession (as I would I might) yet I meane to keepe you out,   which I will if this geare horde: what are ye come so soone?   have at ye sir.

Enter Mugeroun.

        He shootes at him and killes him.

Enter the Guise [attended].

   GUISE. Holde thee tall Souldier, take thou this and flye.

Exit Souldier.

   Lye there the Kings delight, and Guises scorne.   Revenge it Henry as thou list'st or dar'st,   I did it only in despite of thee.        Take him away.

Enter the King and Epernoune.

   KING. 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.   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 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.   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.   Navarre that cloakes them underneath his wings,   Shall feele the house of Lorayne is his foe:   Your highnes need not feare mine armies force,   Tis for your safetie and your enemies wrack.   KING. Guise, weare our crowne, and be thou King of France,   And as Dictator make or warre or peace,   Whilste I cry placet like a Senator.   I cannot brook thy hauty insolence,   Dismisse thy campe or else by our Edict,   Be thou proclaimde a traitor throughout France.   GUISE. The choyse is hard, I must dissemble.

        [Aside.]

   My Lord, in token of my true humilitie,   And simple meaning to your Majestie,   I kisse your graces hand, and take my leave,   Intending to dislodge my campe with speed.   KING. Then farwell Guise, the King and thou art freends.

Exit Guise.

   EPERNOUNE. But trust him not my Lord,   For had your highnesse seene with what a pompe   He entred Paris, and how the Citizens   With gifts and shewes did entertaine him   And promised to be at his commaund:   Nay, they fear'd not to speak in the streetes,   That Guise ch, durst stand in armes against the King,   For not effecting of his holines will.   KING. Did they of Paris entertaine him so?   Then meanes he present treason to our state.   Well, let me alone, whose within there?

Enter one with e pen and inke.

   Make a discharge of all my counsell straite,   And Ile subscribe my name and seale it straight.   My head shall be my counsell, they are false:   And Epernoune I will be rulde by thee.   EPERNOUNE. My Lord,   I think for safety of your person,   It would be good the Guise were made away,   And so to quite your grace of all suspect.   KING. First let us set our hand and seale to this,   And then Ile tell thee what I meane to doe.        He writes.   So, convey this to the counsell presently.

Exit one.

   And Epernoune though I seeme milde and calme,   Thinke not but I am tragicall within:   Ile secretly convey me unto Bloyse,   For now that Paris takes the Guises parse,   Heere is not staying for the King of France,   Unles he means to be betraide and dye:   But as I live, so sure the Guise shall dye.Exeunt

[Scene xviii]

Enter the King of Navarre reading of a letter, and Bartus.

   NAVARRE. My Lord, I am advertised from France,   That the Guise hath taken armes against the King,   And that Paris is revolted from his grace.   BARTUS. Then hath your grace fit oportunitie,   To shew your love unto the King of France:   Offering him aide against his enemies,   Which cannot but be thankfully receiv'd.   NAVARRE. 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.   BARTUS. I will my Lord.

Exit.

   NAVARRE. Pleshe.

Enter Pleshe.

   PLESHE. My Lord.   NAVARRE. 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.   Be gone I say, tis time that we were there.   PLESHE. I goe my Lord.

[Exit.]

   NAVARRE. That wicked Guise I feare me much will be,   The wine of that famous Realme of France:   For his aspiring thoughts aime at the crowne,   He takes his vantage on Religion,   To plant the Pope and popelings in the Realme,   And binde it wholy to the Sea of Rome:   But if that God doe prosper mine attempts,   And send us safely to arrive in France:   Wee'l beat him back, and drive him to his death,   That basely seekes the wine of his Realme.Exit

[Scene xix]

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?   1. Feare him said you? tush, were he heere, we would kill him   presently.   2. O that his heart were leaping in my hand.   31. But when will he come that we may murther him?   CAPTAINE. Well then, I see you are resolute.   1. Let us alone, I warrant you.   CAPTAINE. Then sirs take your standings within this Chamber,   For anon the Guise will come.   ALL. You will give us our money?   CAPTAINE. I, I, feare not: stand close, be resolute:

        [The murtherers go aside as if in the next room.]

   Now fals the star whose influence governes France,   Whose light was deadly to the Protestants:   Now must he fall and perish in his height.

Enter the King and Epernoune.

   KING. Now Captain of my guarde, are these murtherers ready?   CAPTAINE. They be my good Lord.   KING. But are they resolute and armde to kill,   Hating the life and honour of the Guise?   CAPTAINE. I warrant you my Lord.

[Exit.]

   KING. Then come proud Guise and heere disgordge thy brest,   Surchargde with surfet of ambitious thoughts:   Breath out that life wherein my death was hid,   And end thy endles treasons with thy death.

Enter the Guise [within] and knocketh.

   GUISE. Holla varlet, hey: Epernoune, where is the King?   EPERNOUNE. Mounted his royall Cabonet.   GUISE. I prethee tell him that the Guise is heere.   EPERNOUNE. And please your grace the Duke of Guise doth crave   Accesse unto your highnes.   KING. Let him come in.   Come Guise and see thy traiterous guile outreacht,   And perish in the pit thou mad'st for me.        The Guise comes to the King.   GUISE. Good morrow to your Majestie.   KING. Good morrow to my loving Cousin of Guise.   How fares it this morning with your excellence?   GUISE. I heard your Majestie was scarcely pleasde,   That in the Court I bear so great a traine.   KING. They were to blame that said I was displeasde,   And you good Cosin to imagine it.   Twere hard with me if I should doubt my kinne,   Or be suspicious of my deerest freends:   Cousin, assure you I am resolute,   Whatever any whisper in mine eares,   Not to suspect disloyaltye in thee,   And so sweet Cuz farwell.

Exit King [and Epernoune].