Nav. It will not countervail his pains, I hope. I would the Guise in his stead might have come ! But he doth lurk within his drowsy couch, And makes his footstool on security: 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 ourselves in order for the fight. [Exeunt. Enter KING HENRY,* Guise, EPERNOUN, and JOYEUX. Henry. My sweet Joyeux, I make thee general Of all my army, now in readiness To march 'gainst the rebellious King Navarre; At thy request I am content thou go, Although my love to thee can hardly suffer't,t Regarding still the danger of thy life. Joyeux. Thanks to your majesty: and so, I take my leave. Farewell to my Lord of Guise, and Epernoun. Henry. So kindly, cousin of Guise, you and your wife Do both salute our lovely minions. To my dear minion, and her chosen friend? [Makes horns at GUISE. Guise. How now, my lord! faith, this is more than need. Am I thus to be jested at and scorn'd? "Tis more than kingly or emperious: § And, sure, if all the proudest kings In Christendom should bear me such derision, They should know how I scorn'd them and their mocks. I love your minions! dote on them yourself; [Exit. Enter MUGEROUN. Henry. How now, Mugeroun! mett'st thou not the Guise at the door? Mug. Not I, my lord; what if I had? Henry. Marry, if thou hadst, thou mightst have had the stab, For he hath solemnly sworn thy death. Mug. I may be stabb'd, and live till he be dead: But wherefore bears he me such deadly hate? Henry. Because his wife bears thee such kindly love. Mug. If that be all, the next time that I meet her, I'll make her shake off love with her heels. But which way is he gone? I'll go take a walk On purpose from the court to meet with him. [Exit. Henry. I like not this. Come, Epernoun, Let us go seek the duke, and make them friends. [Breunt. Alarums, within, and a cry—“ The DUKE JOYEUX is slain." Enter the KING OF NAVARRE,† BARTUS, and train. Nav. The duke is slain, and all his power dispers'd, And we are grac'd with wreaths of victory. Bar. The terror of this happy victory, I hope, will make the king surcease his hate, In prosecution of these cruel arms, Is ruth, and almost death, to call to mind. Come, my lords; now that this storm is overpast, Let us away with triumph to our tents. [Exeunt. *take] Old ed. "make" (the compositor's eye having caught that word from the preceding line). ↑ Enter the King of Navarre, &c.] Scene, near Coutras. surcease] i. e. ccase. Enter a Soldier." 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 mean to keep you out; which I will, if this gear hold. Sold. Sir, to you, sir, that dares make the duke a cuckold, and use a counterfeit key to his privy-chamber-door; and although you take out nothing but your own, yet you put in that which displeaseth him, and so forestall his market, and set up your standing where you should not; and whereas he is your landlord, you will take What, are ye come so soon? have at ye, sir! upon you to be his, and till the ground that * Enter a Soldier] Scene, before the Louvre.-This por tion of the play, as preserved in a fragment of what was most probably a prompter's copy, is given by Mr. Collier in his Hist. of Eng. Dram. Poet., iii. 134, from which it is now subjoined,-affording a remarkable proof (if any had been required) that the printed copy of The Massacre at Paris is wretchedly mutilated. "Enter a Souldier with a muskett. Souldier. Now, sir, to you that dares make a duke a cuckolde, and use a counterfeyt key to his privye chamber: though you take out none but your owne treasure, yett you put in that displeases him, and fill up his rome that he shold occupye. Herein, sir, you forestalle the markett, and sett up your standinge where you shold not. But you will saye you leave him rome enoghe besides that's no answere; he's to have the choyce of his owne freeland; yf it be not too free, there's the questione. Nowe, for where he is your landlorde, you take upon you to be his, and will needs enter by defaulte whatt though you were once in possession, yett comminge upon you once unawares, he frayde you out againe; therefore your entrye is mere intrusione: this is against the law, sir: and though I come not to keepe possessione (as I wolde I might !), yet I come to keope you out, sir. Enter Minion. You are wellcome, sir: have at you! [He kills him. me! Enter Guise. Guise. Hold the[e], tall soldier: take the[e] this, and Thus fall, imperfett exhalatione, Which our great sonn of France cold not effecte; A fyery meteor in the fermament: Lye there, the kinge's delyght and Guise's scorne! I did it onely in dispight of thee. That of it selfe was hote enough to worke Exeunt." Mr. Collier (ubi supra) observes that "even the names of the characters [in the printed copy] were mistaken, and he who is called Mugeron in the old edition was, in fact [as in the above extract], called Minion, consistently with his situation and habits." But both names are right: Mageroun (Maugiron) is the name of one of the king's minions. Enter MUGEROUN. [Shoots at MUGEROUN and kills him.* Enter GUISE and Attendants. Guise. [Giving a purse] Hold thee, tall+ soldier, take thee this, and fly. [Exit Soldier. Lie there, the king's delight, and Guise's scorn! Revenge it, Henry, as thou list or dare; I did it only in despite of thee. [Attendants bear off ↑ MUGEROUN's body. Enter KING HENRY and EPERNOUN. France; What I have done, 'tis for the Gospel' sake. benefit. What peer in France but thou, aspiring Guise, Guise. Ah, base Epernoun! were not his high- Thou shouldst perceive the Duke of Guise is mov'd. Henry. Be patient, Guise, and threat not Eper noun, Lest thou perceive the king of France be mov'd. Shoots at Mugeroun and kills him] Mugeroun (Maugiron) fell in a duel: Anquetil, Hist. de France, t. v. 344, ed. 1817: but Saint-Mégrin, the gallant of the Duchess of Guise (see note §, p. 236), was assassinated. "Ils dressèrent une embuscade à la porte du Louvre. Comme Saint-Mégrin en sortoit la nuit, des assassins apostés se jetèrent sur lui, et l'étendirent sur le pavé, percé de trente-cinq coups. Il vécut cependant jusqu'au lendemain." Anquetil, ibid. p. 347. t tall] i. e. bold, brave. ↑ Attendants bear off, &c.] Old ed. "Take him away." Yet Guise has just said "Lie there, the king's delight," &c. From the fragment given in the note in the preceding col., we find that this speech was originally much longer, and that Guise made his exit at the close of it; and we may therefore be sure that Guise's conference with King Henry and Epernoun, which in the printed copy so awkwardly follows the murder of Mugeroun without any change of scene, took place originally in a new scene. Guise. Why, I'm a prince of the Valois line, Therefore an enemy to the Bourbonites; I am a juror in the holy league, And therefore hated of the Protestants: Eper. Thou able to maintain an host in pay, To countermand our will, and check our friends. Guise. My lord, to speak more plainly, thus it is. Being animated by religious zeal, I mean to muster all the power I can, To overthrow those factious+ Puritans: And know, my lord, the Pope will sell his triple crown, Ay, and the Catholic Philip, king of Spain, And, as dictator, make or war or peace, My lord, in token of my true humility, And simple meaning to your majesty, [Aside. I kiss your grace's hand, and take my leave, Intending to dislodge my camp with speed. Henry. Then farewell, Guise; the king and thou are friends. [Exit GUISE. Eper. But trust him not, my lord; for, had your highness Seen with what a pomp he enter'd Paris, And promised to be at his command- exhibition] i. e. allowance, pension. factious] Old ed. "sexious."-I adopt the correction proposed by Mr. Collier in his Preface to Coleridge's Seven Lectures on Shakespeare and Milton, p. xcviii. Enter the KING OF NAVARRE, reading a letter, and Nav. My lord, I am advertisèd from France That the Guise hath taken arms against the king, And that Paris is revolted from his grace. Bar. Then hath your grace fit opportunity Nav. Bartus, it shall be so: post, then, to And there salute his highness in our name; * Enter an Attendant] Old ed. "Enter one with a pen and inke." t quite] i. e. quit, acquit, free. Enter the King of Navarre, &c.] Here again (as in p 237, sec. col.) I must leave the reader to determine where this scene takes place. Nav. That wicked Guise, I fear me much, will be The ruin of that famous realm of France; To plant the Pope and Popelings in the realm, Enter the Captain of the Guard, † and three Murderers. Cap. Come on, sirs. What, are you resolutely bent, Hating the life and honour of the Guise? Sec. Murd. O, that his heart were leaping in my hand! Third Murd. But when will he come, that we may murder him? Cap. Well, then, I see you are resolute. First Murd. Let us alone; I warrant you. Cap. Then, sirs, take your standings within this chamber; For anon the Guise will come. All three Murderers. You will give us our money? Cap. Ay, ay, fear not: stand close: so; be Now falls the star whose influence governs France, Enter KING HENRY and EPERNOUN. Henry. Now, captain of my guard, are these murderers ready? Cap. They be, my good lord. * 'A] i. e. He.-Old ed. "And." Enter the Captain of the Guard, &c.] Scene, an apartment in the residence of King Henry at Blois. Henry. Then come, proud Guise, and here disgorge thy breast, Surcharg'd with surfeit of ambitious thoughts; Breathe out that life wherein my death was hid, And end thy endless treasons with thy death. [Knocking within. Guise. [within] Holà, varlet, hé -Epernoun, where is the king? Eper. Mounted his royal cabinet. Guise. [within] I prithee, tell him that the Guise is here. Eper. An please your grace, the Duke of Guise doth crave Access unto your highness. Henry. Let him come in. Come, Guise, and see thy traitorous guile outreach'd, And perish in the pit thou mad'st for me. Now sues the king for favour to the Guise, For in thee is the Duke of Guise's hope. Third Murd. O, pardon me, my Lord of Guise! Henry. Ah, this sweet sight is physic to my Guise. To murder me, villain! Third Murd. Ay, my lord: the rest have ta'en their standings in the next room; therefore, good my lord, go not forth. Guise. Yet Cæsar shall go forth. [Bzit an Attendant. Surcharg'd with guilt of thousand massacres, Monsieur of Lorraine, sink away to hell! And, in remembrance of those bloody broils, To which thou didst allure me, being alive, And here, in presence of you all, I swear, I ne'er was king of France until this hour. This is the traitor that hath spent my gold In making foreign wars and civil broils. Did he not draw a sort* of English priests From Douay to the seminary at Rheims, Guise. As pale as ashes!* nay, then, it is time To hatch forth treason 'gainst their natural To look about. Let mean conceits and baser men fear death: Enter First and Second Murderers. First and Sec. Murderers. Down with him, [They stab GUISE. down with him! Guise. O, I have my death's wound! give me leave to speak. Sec. Murd. Then pray to God, and ask forgiveness of the king. Guise. Trouble me not; I ne'er offended him, Thus Cæsar did go forth, and thus he died. [Dies. Enter the Captain of the Guard. Cap. What, have you done? Then stay a while, and I'll go call the king. Enter KING HENRY, EPERNOUN, and Attendants. My lord, see, where the Guise is slain. *As pale as ashes!] A little above, Guise has said to the Third Murderer, "Why dost thou look so ghastly?" but, most probably, he is now speaking of his own appearance, which we may suppose he sees in a mirror. "A peine il [Guise] fut entré, que, soit indisposition naturelle, soit frayeur, fruit de la réflexion, il devint pále, et se plaignit d'un mal de cœur. Quelques confortatifs le remirent," &c. Anquetil,-Hist. de France, t. v. 463, ed. 1817. + Enter First, &c.] Here (as is evident from what precedes and follows) the scene is supposed to be changed to the adjoining room. queen? Did he not cause the king of Spain's huge fleet In civil broils between Navarre and me! Let Christian princes, that shall hear of this, Enter GUISE's Son. Henry. Boy, look, where your father lies. Henry. Sirrah, 'twas I that slew him; and will Thee too, an thou prove such a traitor. G's Son. Art thou king, and hast done this bloody deed? I'll be reveng'd. [Offers to throw his dagger. Or e'er he pass my hands. Away with him! And will+ him, in my name, to kill the duke. sort] i. e. set. twill] i. e. desire. |