SCENE I.-A Street before the Court of Justice. Enter CHARALOIS with a paper, ROMONT, and CHARMI.

Char. Sir, I may move the court to serve your will;

But therein shall both wrong you and myself.

Rom. Why think you so, sir?
Char. 'Cause I am familiar

With what will be their answer: they will say,
'Tis against law; and argue me of ignorance,
For offering them the motion.

Rom. You know not, sir,

How, in this cause, they may dispense with law; And therefore frame not you their answer for them, But do your parts.

Char. I love the cause so well,

As I could run the hazard of a check for't.

Char. I shall deserve this better yet, in giving

My lord some counsel, if he please to hear it,

Than I shall do with pleading.

Rom. What may it be, sir?

To your good purpose:-this such a dullness,

So foolish and untimely, as

Du Croy. You know him?

Roch. I do; and much lament the sudden fall

Of his brave house. It is young Charalois,
Son to the marshal, from whom he inherits
His fame and virtues only.

Rom. Ha! they name you.

Du Croy. His father died in prison two days

since.

presidents

And counsellors of court come by, to stand

Here, and but shew himself, and to some one
Or two, make his request:-there is a minute,
When a man's presence speaks in his own cause,
More than the tongues of twenty advocates.

Rom. I have urged that.

So noble, and so highly meriting

From this forgetful country, should, for want
Of means to satisfy his creditors

The sums he took up for the general good,
Meet with an end so infamous.

Rom. Dare you ever

Hope for like opportunity?

To what you would: for those that had no eyes
To see the great acts of your father, will not,
From any fashion sorrow can put on,
Be taught to know their duties.

Charal. If they will not,

They are too old to learn, and I too young
To give them counsel; since, if they partake
The understanding and the hearts of men,
They will prevent my words and tears: if not,
What can persuasion, though made eloquent

With grief, work upon such as have changed

natures

With the most savage beast? Blest, blest be ever
The memory of that happy age, when justice
Had no guards to keep off wrong'd innocence
Froin flying to her succours, and, in that,
Assurance of redress! where now, Romont,
The damn'd with more ease may ascend from hell,
Than we arrive at her. One Cerberus there
Forbids the passage, in our courts a thousand,
As loud and fertile-headed; and the client
That wants the sops to fill their ravenous throats,
Must hope for no access: why should I, then,
Attempt impossibilities; you, friend, being
Too well acquainted with my dearth of means
To make my entrance that way?

Rom. Would I were not!

But, sir, you have a cause, a cause so just,
Of such necessity, not to be deferr'd,

As would compel a maid, whose foot was never
Set o'er her father's threshold, nor within

The house where she was born, ever spake word Which was not usher'd with pure virgin blushes, To drown the tempest of a pleader's tongue, And force corruption to give back the hire

It took against her. Let examples move you.
You see men great in birth, esteem, and fortune,
Rather than lose a scruple of their right,

Fawn basely upon such, whose gowns put off,
They would disdain for servants.

Creditors.

[Tenders his petition.] Not look on me!
Rom. You must have patience--
Offer it again.

Charal. And be again contemn'd!
Nov. sen. I know what's to be done.

1 Cred. And, that your lordship

Will please to do your knowledge, we offer first Our thankful hearts here, as a bounteous earnest To what we will add.

Nov. sen. One word more of this,

I am your enemy. Am I a man
Your bribes can work on? ha?

[Aside to Cred.

Lilad. Friends, you mistake The way to win my lord; he must not hear this, But I, as one in favour, in his sight May hearken to you for my profit. Sir!

Pray hear them.

Nov. sen. It is well.

Lilad. Observe him now.

Nov. sen. Your cause being good, and your

That talks of nothing but of guns and armour,
And swears he'll be a soldier; 'tis an humour
I would divert him from; and I am told,
That if I minister to him, in his drink,
Powder made of this bankrupt marshal's bones,
Provided that the carcass rot above ground,
'Twill cure his foolish frenzy.

Nov. sen. You shew in it

A father's care. I have a son myself,
A fashionable gentleman, and a peaceful;
And, but I am assured he's not so given,

He should take of it too.

Charal. Sir!

Nov. sen. What are you ? Charal. A gentleman.

[Tenders his petition.

Nov. sen. So are many that rake dunghills.

If you have any suit, move it in court:
I take no papers in corners.

Rom. Yes,

[Exit.

As the matter may be carried-and whereby-
To manage the conveyance Follow him.

Lilad. You are rude: I say he shall not pass.

[Exeunt CHARALOIS and Advocates.

Rom. You say so!

On what assurance ?

For the well cutting of his lordship's corns, Picking his toes, or any office else

Nearer to baseness!

Lilad. Look upon me better ;

Are these the ensigns of so coarse a fellow ?
Be well advised.

Rom. Out, rogue! do not I know

These glorious weeds spring from the sordid dung

hill

Of thy officious baseness? wert thou worthy

Of any thing from me, but my contempt,

I would do more than this, -[Beats him.] -more,

you court-spider!

The worst of spirits, that strive to rob the tombs Of what is their inheritance, the dead:

For usurers, bred by a riotous peace,

That hold the charter of your wealth and freedom
By being knaves and cuckolds; that ne'er pray,
But when you fear the rich heirs will grow wise,
To keep their lands out of your parchment toils;
And then, the devil your father's call'd upon,
To invent some ways of luxury ne'er thought on.
Be gone, and quickly, or I'll leave no room
Upon your foreheads for your horns to sprout on-
Without a murmur, or I will undo you;
For I will beat you honest.

So it remains to those that shall succeed him, A precedent they may imitate, but not equal. Roch. I may not sit to hear this.

Du Croy. Let the love

And thankfulness we are bound to pay to goodness, In this o'ercome your modesty.

Roch. My thanks

For this great favour shall prevent your trouble.
The honourable trust that was imposed
Upon my weakness, since you witness for me
It was not ill discharged, I will not mention;
Nor now, if age had not deprived me of
The little strength I had to govern well
The province that I undertook, forsake it.

Nov. sen. That we could lend you of our years!
Du Croy. Or strength !

Nov. sen. Or, as you are, persuade you to continue

[Exeunt Creditors.

To what vain purpose do I make my sorrow
Wait on the triumph of their cruelty?

Or teach their pride, from my humility,

To think it has o'ercome? They are determined What they will do; and it may well become me,

To rob them of the glory they expect

From my submiss entreaties.

Rom. Think not so, sir:

The difficulties that you encounter with

you weep :

Will crown the undertaking-heaven!
And I could do so too, but that I know
There's more expected from the son and friend
Of him whose fatal loss now shakes our natures,
Than sighs or tears, in which a village nurse,
Or cunning strumpet, when her knave is hang'd,
May overcome us. We are men, young lord,

Let us not do like women. To the court,

And there speak like your birth: wake sleeping
Or dare the axe. This is a way will sort [justice,
With what you are: I call you not to that
I will shrink from myself; I will deserve
Your thanks, or suffer with you-O how bravely
That sudden fire of anger shews in you!
Give fuel to it. Since you are on a shelf
Of extreme danger, suffer like yourself.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-The Court of Justice.

Enter ROCHEORT, NOVALL senior, Presidents, CHARMI, DU CROY, BEAUMONT, Advocates, three Creditors, and Officers.

With the honours and estate I now possess :
And, that I may have liberty to use
What heaven, still blessing my poor industry,
Hath made me master of, I pray the court
To ease me of my burthen, that I may
Employ the small remainder of my life
In living well, and learning how to die so.

Enter ROMONT and CHARALOIS.

Rom. See, sir, our advocate.
Du Croy. The court entreats

Your lordship will be pleased to name the man,
Which you would have your successor, and, in me,
All promise to confirm it.

Roch. I embrace it

As an assurance of their favour to me,

And name my lord Novall.

Du Croy. The court allows it.

Roch. But there are suitors wait here, and their

May be of more necessity to be heard;

I therefore wish that mine may be deferr'd,
And theirs have hearing.

[causes

Du Croy. If your lordship please [To Nov. sen.

To take the place, we will proceed.

Char. The cause

We come to offer to your lordships' censure, Is in itself so noble, that it needs not

Or rhetoric in me that plead, or favour

meeting prove

Prosperous to us, and to the general good

Of Burgundy!

Nov. sen. Speak to the point.