SAVOY

I Would not for half Savoy, but have bound France to some favour, by my personal presence More than your self, (my Lord Ambassador) Could have obtained; for all Ambassadors (You know) have chiefly these instructions; To note the State and chief sway of the Court, To which they are employde; to penetrate The heart, and marrow of the Kings designs, And to observe the countenances and spirits, Of such as are impatient of rest; And wring beneath, some private discontent: But, passed all these, there are a number more Of these State Critiscismes: That our personal view May profitably make, which cannot fallen Within the powers of our instruction, To make you comprehend; I will do more With my mere shadow, than you with your persons. All you can say against my coming here, Is that, which I confess, may for the time, Breed strange affections in my brother Spain ; But when I shall have time to make my Cannans, The long-tong'd Heralds of my hidden drifts, Our reconcilement will be made with triumphs. My hope in France you know not, though my counsel, And for my lose of Spain, it is agreed, That I should sleight it, ofttimes Princes rules Are Like the Chemical Philosophers; Leave me then to mine own projection, In this our thrifty Alchemy of state, Yet help me thus far, you that have been here Our Lord Ambassador; and, in short inform me, What Spirits here are fit for our designs. He is the man (my Lord) I come to win; And that supreme intention of my presence Saw never light till now, which yet I fear, The politic king, suspecting, is the cause That he hath sent him so far from my reach, And made him chief in the Commission, Of his ambassage to my brother Archduke, With whom he is now; and (as I am told) So entertained and fitted in his humour, That ere I partly, I hope he will return Prepared, and made the more fit for the physic That I intend to minister. You tell me true, And him I think you have prepared for me. Perhaps the battery will be brought before him, In this ambassage, for I am assured They set high price of him, and are informde Of all the passages, and means for mines That may be thought on, to his taking in: The King comes, and Laffin : the Kings aspect Folded in clouds. Now by my dearest Marquisate of Salusses, Your Majesty hath with the greatest life Described a wicked man; or rather thrust Your arm down through him to his very feet, And plucked his inside out, that ever yet, Mine ears did witness; or turned ears to Eyes; And those strange Characters, writ in his face, which' at first sighed, were hard for me to read, The Doctrine of your speech, hath made so plain, That I run through them Like my natural language: Nor do I Like that men Aspect, me thinks, Of all looks where the Beams of Stars have carved Their powerful influences; And (Oh rare) What and heroic, more than royal Spirit Bewrayed you in your first speech, that defies Protection of vile drones, that eat the honey Sweat from laborious virtue, and denies To give those of Navarre, though bred with you, The benefits and dignities of France. When little Rivers by their greedy currants, (Far far extended from their mother springs) Drink up the foreign brooks still as they run, And force their greatness, when they come to Sea, And justle with the Ocean for a room, Oh how he roars, and takes them in his mouth, Digesting them so to his proper streams, That they are no more seen, he nothing raised Above his usual bounds, yet they devoured, That of themselves were pleasant, goodly floods. Else may their whole estates fly, rooted up To Ignominy and Oblivion: And (being your neighbour servant, and poor kinsman) I wish your mighty Raze might multiply, Even to the Perjod of all Empery. It shall be to my heart the happiest day Of all my life, and that life all employed, To celebrate the honour of that day. Exeunt. I told him so, I swear, in other terms And not with too much note of our close loves Least so he might have smokt our practises. So I told him And more then that, which now I will not tell you: It rests now then, Noble, and worthy friend, That to our friendship, we draw Duke Byron, To whose attraction there is no such chain, As you can fordge, and shake out of your brain. But undertake it, and I rest assured: You are reported to have skill in Magic, And the events of things, at which they reach That are in nature apt to overreach: Whom the whole circle of the present time, In present pleasures, Fortune's, knowledges, Can not contain: those men (as broken lose From human limits) in all violent ends Would feign aspire the faculties of fiends, And in such air breathe his unbounded spirits, Which therefore well will fit such conjurations, Attempt him then by flying; close with him, And bring him home to us, and take my dukedom. Thanks to my deer friend; and the French Ulysses. I'll found him for Byron ; and what I find, In the Kings depth; isle draw up, and inform, In excitations to the Dukes revolt, When next I meet with him. I know it (politic friend:) and 'tis my purpose, Exit Laf. Your Majesty hath missed a royal sighed, The Duke Byron on his brave beast Pastrana, Who sits him Like a full-sailed Argosea, Danced with a lofty billow, and as S ug Plies to his bearer, both their motions mixed; And being considered in their site together, They do the best present the state of man, In his first royalty ruling; and of beasts In their first loyalty serving; one commanding, And no way being moved; the other serving, And no way being compelled; of all the sights That ever my eyes witnest; and they make A doctrinal and witty Hieroglyphic, Oh a blessed kingdom: to express and teach, Kings to command as they could serve, and subjects To serve as if they had pour to command. So brave a subject as the Duke, no king Seated on earth, can vante of but your Highness, So valiant, loyal, and so great in service. Fortune? to him was Juno, to Alcides, For when, or where did she but open way, To any act of his? what stone took he With her help or without his own lost blood? What sort won he by her? or was not forced? What victory but gainstods? on what Commander Sleepy or negligent, did he ever cham ge? What Summer ever made she fai e to him? What winter, not of one continued storm? Fortune is so far from his Creditresse, That she owes him much; for in him, her looks Are lovely, modest, and magnanimous, Constant, victorious; and in his Achievements, Her cheeks are drawn out with a virtuous redness, Out of his eager spirit to victory, And chased contention to convince with honour; And (I have herd) his spirits have flowed so high, In all his conflicts against any odds, That (in his charge) his lips have bled with teruor: How served he at your famous siege of Dreux? Where the enemy (assured of victory) Drew out a body of four thousand horse, And twice six thousand foot, and Like a Crescent, Stood for the signal, you: (that showed your self A found old soldier) thinking it not fit To give your enemy the ods, and honour Of the first stroke, commanded de la Guiche, To let f e all his cannans, that did Pierce The adum rse thickest squadrons, and had shot Nine volleys ere the foe had once given fire: Your troop was charged, and when your dukes old father, Met with th'affailants, and their Grove of Reiters Repulsed so fiercely, made them turn their beards And rally up themselves behind their troops; Fresh forces seeing your troops a little severed, From that partly first assaulted, gave it charge, Which then, this duke made good, seconds his father, Beats through and through the enemies greatest strength, And breaks the rest Like Billows gainst a rock And there the heart of that huge battle broke. How did he take in, Beaune in view of that invincible army Led by the Lord great Constable of Castille? Autun, and Nuis : in Burgundy chased away, Viscount l'auannes troops before Dijon, And puts himself in, and there that was wone. A league from Fountain Francois, when you sent him, To make discovery of the Castille army, When he discerned it it (with wondrous wisdom Joined to his spirit) he seemed to make retreat, But when they pressed him, and the Barron of Lux, Set on their charge so hotly, that his horse, Was slain, and he most dangerously engaged, Then turned your brave duke head, and (with such ease As does and Echo beat back violent sounds, With their own forces) he, (as if a wall Start suddenly before them) pashed them all Flat, as the earth, and there was that field won. Oh, I ask you pardon, The strength of that field yet lay in his back, Upon the foes partly; and what is to come. Of this your Marshal, now your worthy Duke Is much beyond the rest: for now he sees A sort of horse troops, issue from the woods, In number never twelve hundred: and retiring To tell you that the entire army followed, Before he could relate it, he was forc to To turn head, and receive the main assault Of five horse troops: only with twenty horse: The first he met, he tumbled to the earth, And brake through all, not daunted with two wounds, One on his head, another on his breast, The blood of which, drowned all the field in doubt: Your majesty himself was then engaged, Your pour not yet arrived, and up you brought The little strength you had: a cloud of foes, Ready to burst in storms about your ears: Three squadrons rushed against you, and the first, You took so fiercely, that, you beat their thoughts Out of their bosoms, from the urged fight: The second, all amazed you overthrew, The third dispersed, with five and twenty horse Left of the fourscore that pursued the chase: And this brave conquest, now your Marshal seconds Against two squadrons, but with fifty horse, One after other he defeats them both, And made them run, Like men whose heals were trip, And pitch their heads, in their great generals lap: And him he sets on, as he had been shot Out of a Cannan: beats him into rout, And as a little brook being overrun With a black torrent; that bears all things down, His fury overtakes, his foamy back, Loaded with Cattail, and with stacks of Corn, And makes the miserable Plowman mourn; So was du Main surchardgd, and so Byron Flow worser over all his forces; every drop Of his lost blood, bought with a worthy man; And, only with a hundred Gentlemen He won the place, from fifteen hundred horse; On my word, so 'tis said: I only tell your highness what I herd, I was not there; and though I have been rude, With wonder of his vallor, and presum worser, To keep his merit in his full carire, Not hearing you, when yours made such a thunder; Pardon my fault, since it extol your servant; But, is it not most true, that betwixt ye both, So few achiu'd, the conquest of so many? He's the capital soldier, That lives this day in holy Christendom, Except your highness, always except Plato. All this shall to the duke, I fished for this. Exeunt. La Fin, is in the right; and will obtain; He draws with his weight; and Like a plummet That sways a door, with falling of, pulls after, But is my Painter warned to take his picture. When he shall see me, and present Laffin ? 'Twill inflame him. Such tricks the Archduke used to extol his greatness, Which compliments though plain men hold absurd, And a mere remedy for desire of Greatness. Yet great men use them; as they eat Potatoes, High Coollises, and potions to excite The lust of their ambition: and this Duke; You know is noted in his natural garb Extremely glorious; who will therefore bring And appetite expecting such a bait; He comes, go instantly, and fetch the Painter. 'Tis most true All honours flow to me, in you their Ocean; As welcome worthiest duke, as if my marquisate, Were circle with you in these amorous arms; Had the king sent me by you half his kingdom, It were not half so welcome; Your name I pray you Sir. Laffin? Is this the man, That you so recommended to my Love? You're next my Lord the duke, The most desired of all men. Oh my Lord, The King and I, have had a mighty conflict, About your conflicts, and your matchless worth, In military virtues; which I put In Balance with the continent of France, In all the peace and fasty it enjoys. And made even weight with all he could put in Of all men's else; and of their own deserts, I upon my life, The English General, the Mylor' Norris, That served amongst you here, he paralleled With you, at all parts, and in some preferred him, And Colonel Williams (a Welch Colonel) He made a man, that at your most contained you: Which the Welch Herald of their praise, the Cucko. Would scarce have put, in his monology, In jest, and said with reverence to his merits, Nay nay, we must have no such gall my Lord, Overflow our friendly live S: my relation, Only delivers my inflamed zeal To your religious merits; which me thinks, Should make your highness canonizd, a Saint. It cannot be denied, 'tis all so true, That what seems arogance, is desert in you, Well let these contradictions pass (my lord,) Till they be reconciled, or put in form, By power given to your will, and you present, The fashion of a prefect government; In mean space but a word, we have small time, To spend in private, which I wish may be With all advantage taken; Lord Laffin. I my Lord. Oh that your statuary could express you, With any nearness to your own instructions; That statue would I prize passed all the jewels Within my cabinet of Beatrice, The memory of my Grandame Portugal; Most royal duke: we can not long endure To be thus private, let us then conclude, With this great resolution: that your wisdom, Will not forget to cast a pleasing veil Over your anger; that may hide each glance, Of any notice taken of your wrong, And show your self the more obsequious. 'Tis but the virtue of a little patience, There are so oft attempts made gainst his person, That sometime they may speed, for they are palnts That spring the more for cutting, and at last Will cast their wished shadow; mark ere long, See who comes here my Lord, as now no more, Now must we turn out stream another way; My Lord, I humbly thank his majesty, That he would grace my idle time spent here With entertainment of your princely person; Which, worthily, he keeps for his own bosom. My Lord, the duke Nemours ? and Count Soisson ? Your honours have been bountifully done me In often visitation: let me pray you, To see some jewels now, and help my choice: In making up a present for the King. I am doubtful That I have much incensed the duke Byron, With praising the Kings worthiness in arms So much passed all men. As the King is, and hath been, a most admired, and the most unmatchable soldier, so hath he been, and is, a sole excellent, and vnp ralelld Courtier. You are cruel, and will not vouchsafe me audience to any conclusion. It is said, the king will bring and army into Savoy. Nay but vouchsafe me. Let the king bring and army into Savoy, and I'll find him sport for forty years. I am not he that can set my Squadrons overnight, by midnight leap my horse, curry seven miles, and by three, leap my mistress; return to mine army again, and direct as I were infatigable, I am no such tough soldier. Well, I have said nothing that may offend. I'll take my leave. After the tedious stay my love hath made, (Most worthy to command our earthly zeal) I come for pardon, and to take my leave; Affirming though I reap no other good, By this my voyage; but to have seen a Prince Of greatness, in all grace so passed report; I nothing should repent me, and to show, Some token of my gratitude, I have sent, Into your treasury, the greatest Jewels, In all my Cabinet of Beatrice. And of my late-deceased wife, infanta. Which are two Basigus, and their Ewrs of crystal, Never yet vallewd for their workmanship, Nor the exceeding riches of their matter And to your stable, (worthy duke of Byron, I have sent in two of my fairest horses. Then have I lost nought but my poor good will, At all parts spoke Like the most christian king, I take my humblest leave, and pray your Highness, To hold me a your servant, and poor kinsman, Who wishes no supreamer happiness Than to be yours: To you (right worthy Princes) I wish for all your favours poured on me The love of all these Ladies mutually, And (so they please their Lords) that they may please Themselves by all means. And be you assure (Most lovely Princesses) as of your lives, You cannot be true women, if true wives. Exit. Admit no entry, I will speak with none, Good signior de Laffin, your worth shall find, That I will make a jewel for my cabinet, Of that the King (in surfeit of his store) Hath cast out, as the sweepings of his hall; I told him, having threatened you away, That I did wonder, this small time of peace, Could make him cast his armour so securely In such as you, and as it set the head Of one so great in counsels, on his foot, And pitch him from him with such guardlike strength. Excuse me, excuse me; The King has you all; Nay your excuse, your excuse, intend me for affec cion? you are all bearer of his favours; and deny him not your opposition by night. You take me still in flat misc instruction, and conceive not by me.