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? 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 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* walk On purpose from the court to meet with him. a [Exit. Henry. I like not this. Come, Epernoun, Let us go seek the duke, and make them friends. [Exeunt. 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, Or else employ them in some better cause. Nav. How many noblemen have lost their lives 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. 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 portion 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 keepe you out, sir. Enter Minion. You are wellcome, sir: have at you! [He kills him. Minion. Trayterouse Guise, ah, thou hast morthered 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; Lye there, the kinge's delyght and Guise's scorne! I did it onely in dispight of thee. Exeunt." Mr. Collier (ubi supra) observes that "even the names of the characters [in the printed copy] were mistaken, and he who is called Mugeren 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: Mugeroun (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, tallt soldier, [Attendants bear off MUGEROUN's body. Enter KING HENRY and EPERNOUN. Henry. My Lord of Guise, we understand 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. † 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, And therefore hated of the Protestants: Eper. Thou able to maintain an host in pay, That liv'st by foreign exhibition! * The Pope and King of Spain are thy good friends; Else all France knows how poor a duke thou art. Henry. Ay, those are they that feed him with their gold, 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, 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 BARTUS. 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 resolute. [Exeunt Murderers. Now falls the star whose influence governs France, Whose light was deadly to the Protestants: Now must he fall, and perish in his height. 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 1-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. Re-enter Third Murderer. Villain, why dost thou look so ghastly? speak. R Third Murd. O, pardon me, my Lord of Guise! Guise. Pardon thee! why, what hast thou done? Third Murd. O my lord, I am one of them that is set to murder you! 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. Let mean conceits and baser men fear death: Guise. As pale as ashes!* nay, then, it is time Enter First and Second Murderers. First and Sec. Murderers. Down with him, down with him! [They stab GUISE. Guise. O, I have my death's wound! give me leave to speak. Henry. Ah, this sweet sight is physic to my soul ! Go fetch his son for to behold his death.— [Exit an Attendant. Surcharg'd with guilt of thousand massacres, Did he not cause the king of Spain's huge fleet Sec. Murd. Then pray to God, and ask forgive. In civil broils between Navarre and me? ness 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 pâle, 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. Tush, to be short, he meant to make me monk, 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. |
