HENRY

BYron sallue in so tratrous a relapse, Aleadgd for our ingratitude: what offices, Titles of honour, and what admiration, Could France afford him that it poured not on? When he was scarce arrived at forty years, He ran through all chief dignities of France. At fourteen years of age he was made Colonel To all the Suisses serving then in Flanders; Soon after he was marshal of the camp. And shortly after, marshal General: He was received high Admiral of France In that our Parliament we held at Tours ; Marshal of France in that we held at Paris. And at the Siege of Amiens he acknowledged, None his Superior but our self, the King; Though I had there, the Princes of the blood I made him my Lieutenant General, Declared him Jointly the prime Peer of France, And raised his Barony into a Duchy, I must believe, That without treason bred in our own breasts, Spain's, affairs are not in so good estate, To aim at any Actium against France : And if Byron should be their instrument, His altered disposition could not grow, So far wide in and instant; Nor resign, His valour to these lawless resolutions Upon the sudden; nor without some charms, Of foreign Hope's and flatteries sung to him: But far it flies my thoughts, that such a spirrit, So active, valiant, and vigilant; Can see it self transformed with such wild furies. And Like a dream it shows to my conceits, That he who by himself hath won such honour: And he to whom his father left so much, He that still daily reaps so much from me, And knows he may increase it to more proof From me, then any other foreign King; Should quite against the stream of all religion, Honour, and reason, take a course so foul, And neither keep his Oath, nor save his Soul. Can the poor keeping of a Citadel Which I denied, to be at his disposure, Make him forgo the whole strength of his honours? It is impossible, though the violence, Of his hight spirtit made him make attempt Upon our person for denying him; Yet well I found his loyal judgement served, To keep it from effect: beside being offered, Two hundred thousand crowns in yearly pension, And to be General of all the forces The Spaniards had in France ; they found him still, As and unmatched Achilles in the wars, So a most wise Ulysses to their words, Stopping his ears at their enchanted sounds; And plain he told them that although his blood (Being moved) by Nature, were a very fire And boiled in apprehension of a wrong; Yet should his mind hold such a sceptre there, As would contain it from all act and thought Of treachery or ingratitude to his Prince. Yet do I long, me thinks, to see La Fin, Who hath his heart in keeping; since his state, (Grown to decay and he to discontent) Comes near the ambitious plighted of Duke Byron, My Lord Vidame, when does your Lordship think, Your uncle of La Fin will be arrived. In him, as in a crystal that is charmed, I shall discern by whom and what designs, My rule is threatened and that sacred power That hath enabled this defensive arm, (When I enjoyed but in and unequal Nook, Of that I now possess) to front a King Far my Superior: And from twelve set battles, March home a victor: ten of them obtained, Without my personal service; will not see A traitorous subject foil me, and so end What his hand hath with such success begun. My royal blessing, and the King of heaven, Make thee and aged, and a happy King: Help Nurse to put my sword into his hand; Hold Boy, by this; and with it may thy arm Cut from thy tree of rule, all traitorous branches, That strive to shadow and eclipse thy glories; Have thy old father's angel for thy guide, Redoubled be his spirit in thy breast; Who when this State ran Like a turbulent sea, In civil hates and bloody enmity, Their wraths and envies, Like so many winds, Settled and burst: and Like the Halcions birth, Be thine to bring a calm upon the shore, In which the eyes of war may ever sleep, As ouermacht with former massacres, When guilty, made Noblesse, feed on Noblesse; All the sweet plenty of the realm exhausted; When the naked merchant, was pursued for spoil, When the poor Peasants frighted neediest thieves With their pale lea enesse; nothing left on them But meager carcases sustained with air, Wandering Like Ghosts affrighted from their graves, When with the often and incessant sounds The very beasts knew the alarm bell, And (hearing it) ran bellowing to their home: From which unchristian broils and homicides, Let the religious sword of justice free Thee and thy kingdoms governed after me. Oh heaven! or if unsettled blood of France, With ease, and wealth, renew he iuill furies: Let all my powers be emptied in my Son To curb, and end them all, as I have done. Let him by virtue, quite out of from fortune, Her fetherd shoulders, and her winged shoes, And thrust from her light feet, her turning stone That she may ever tarry by his throne. And of his worth, let after ages say, (He fighting for the land; and bringing home Just conquests, laden with his enemies spoils) His father passed all France in martial deeds, But he, his father twenty times exceeds. Are these proofs of that purely Chatholike zeal That made him wish no other glorious title, Then to be called the scourge of Huguenots? My good Lord Chancellor, of many Pieces, More then is here, of his conspiracies Presented to us, by our friend, Laffin ; You, only, shall reserve these seven and twenty, Which are not those that must conclude against him; But mention only him: since I am loath, To have the rest of the conspirators, known. You shall do well my Lord, they are of weight; But I am doubtful; that his conscience Will make him so suspicious of the worst, That he will hardly be induced to come. I yet conceive; His practises are turned to no bade end, And good Laffin, I pray you wright to him, To hasten his repair: and make him sure, That you have satisfied me to the full. For all his actions, and have uttered nought, But what might serve to banish bade impressions. Conua e your letters; By some choice friend of his: or by his brother: And for a third excitement to his presence; Janin, your self shall go, and with the pour That both the rest employ to make him come, Use you the strength of your persuasions. Room my Lords, stand close. That holds well 'Tis very substantial, This show hath pleased me well, for that it figures. The reconcilement of my Queen and Mistress: Come Let us in and thank them and prepare, To entertain our trusty friend Byron. Exeunt. He will not come; I must both grieve and wonder, That all my care to win my subjects love And in one cup of friendship to comix, Our lives and Fortune's: should leave out so many As give a man (comtemptuous of my love, And of his own good, in the Kingdoms Peace) Hope, in a continuance so ungrateful, To bear out his designs in spite of me; How should I better please all, then I do? When they supposed, I would have given some, Insolent garrisons; others Citadels, And to all sorts, increase of Misery's; Province by Province, I did visit all Whom those injurious rumours had diswaide; And showed them how, I never sought to built, More forts for me, then were within their hearts; Nor use more stern constraints then their good wills, To succour the necessities of my crown, That I desired to and to their contents By all occasions, rather then subtract; Nor wished I, that my treasury should flow, With gold that swum in, in my subjects tears; And then I found no man, that did not bless, My few years reign, and their triumphant peace, And do they now so soon, complain of ease? He will not come? Enter Byron, D' Av ergne; brother, with others O Sir, y are welcome, And fitly, to conduct me to my house; I you conceal my enemies you are one, And then my pardon shall be worth your asking, Or else your head be worth my cutting of. Have you maintained your truth of loyalty? When since I pardoned foul intentions, Resolving to forget eternally, What they apperd in, And had welcomed you as the kind father does his riotous son. I can approve facts fouler then the intents, Of deep disloyalty and highest treason; You're grossly and vain gloriously abused, There is no way in Savoy nor in Spain, To give a fool that hope of your escape, And had you not (even when you did) arrived. (With horror to the proudest hope you had) I would have fetched you. Come 'tis a match. Exit. What shall we do with this unthankful man? Would he (of one thing) but reveal the truth, Which I have proof of, underneath his hand, He should not taste my Justice. I would give, Two hundred thousand crowns, that he would yield, But such means for my pardon, as he should; I never loved man Like him: would have trusted, My Son in his protection, and my Realm: He hath deserved my love with worthy service, Yet can he not deny, but I have thrice, Saved him from death: I drew him of the foe. At Fountain Francoise where he was engaged, So wounded and so much amazed with blows, That (as I played the soldier in his rescue,) I was enforced to play the Marshal, To order the retreat: because he said, He was not fit to do it nor to serve me, I Like not executions so informal, For which my predecessors have been blamed: My Subjects and the world shall know; my pour, And my authority by laws usual course Dares punish; not the devilish heads of treason, But there confederates be they never so dreadful The decent ceremonies of my laws, And their solemnities shall be observed, With all their St menes and Severity. It is resolved, A work shall now be done, Which, (while learned Atlas shall with stars be crowned, While the Ocean walks in storms his wavy round, While Moons at full, repair they broken rings: While Lucifer foreshows Aurora's springs, And Ar tos sticks above the Earth unmoved, Shall make my realm be blessed, and me beloved; Call in the count D' Auvergne. Enter D'Au. A word my Lord. Will you become as wilful as your friend? And draw a mortal justice on your heads, That hangs so black and is so loath to strike? If you would utter what I know you know, Of his inhuman treason; on Strong Bar, Betwixt his will, and duty were dissolved. For then I know he would submit himself; Think you it not as strong a point of faith, To rectify your loyalties to me, As to be trusty in each others wrong? Trust that deceives our selves in treachery, And Truth that truth conceals and open lie; I know you may, and that your faith's affected To one another, are so vain and faulce, That your own Strengths will ruin you: you contend, To cast up rampiers to you in the sea, And strive to stop the waves that run before you, It is; I'll make it plain enouge. Believe me. Come my Lord Chancellor let us end our mate. Enough, 'tis late, and time to leave our play, On all hands; all forbear the room, my Lord? Stay you with me; yet is your will resolved, To duty, and the main bound of your life? I swear (of all the Intrusions I have made, Upon your own good, and continued Fortune's) This is the last; inform me yet the truth, And here I vow to you, (by all my love; By all means shown you, even to this extreme, When all men else forsake you) you are safe. What passages have slipped betwixt count Fuentes, You, and the Duke of Savoy ? Would it true. And that your thoughts and deeds, had fell no fouler. But you disdain submission, not remembering, That (in intentes vrdgd for the common good) He that shall hold his peace being chardgd to speak: Does all the peace and nerves of Empire break Which on your conscience lie, adieu, good night. Exit. Are our dispatches made to all the kings, Princes, and Potentates, of Christendom? Ambassadors and Province governors, T'enforme the truth of this conspiracy? Such shut their eyes to truth, we can but set His lights before them, and his trumpet found Close to their ears; their partial wilfulness, In resting blind, and deaf, or in perverting, What the r most certain senses apprehend, Shall nought discomfort our impartial Justice. Nor clear the desperate fault that does enforce it. Enter Vyt. The Court may yet proceed; and so command it, It's not their slackness to appear shall serve, To let my will appear in any fact. Wherein the bouldest of them tempts my justice. I am resolved, and will no more endure, To have my subjects make what I command, The subject of their oppositions, Who evermore slack their allegiance, As kings forbear their penance; how sustain Your prisoners their strange durance? Let others learn by him to curb their spleens, Before they be curbed; and to cease their grudges: Now I am settled in my Sun of height, The circula e splendour, and full Sphere of State. Take all place up from envy: as the sun, At height, and passive over the crowns of men, His beams diffused, and downright poured on them, Cast but a little or no shade at all, So he that is advanced above the heads, Of all his Emulators, with high light, Prevents their envies, and deprives them quite, Exeunt. When he knows And sees Laffin, accuse him to his face, The Court I think will shake with his distemper. Are not his treasons heinous? Good De'Laffin ; you were our golden plummet, To found this gulphe of all ingratitude; In which you have with excellent desert Of loyalty and policy, expressed Your name in Actium; and with such appearance Have proved the parts of his ingrateful creasons, That I must credit, more then I desired, I am extremely discontent to see, This most vnaturall conspiracy; And would not have the Marshal of Byron, The first example or my forced Justice; Nor that his death should be the worthy cause, That my calm reign, (which hitherto hath held A clea e and cheerful sky above the heads Of my deer subjects) should so suddenly Be overcast with clouds of fire, and thunder; Yet on submission, I vow still his pardon. That vow shall stand; and we will now address, Some messengers to call him home to Court; Without the slenderest intimation, Of any ill we know; we will restrain (Withal forgiveness, if he will confess) His headlong course to ruin; and his taste, From the sweet poison of h S friendlike foes: Treason hath blisterd h eles, dishonest Things Have bitter Rive S, though delicious Springs; Descures haste you unto him, and inform, That having herd by sure intelligence, Of the great levies made in Italy, Of Arms and soldiers; I am resolute, Upon my frontiers to maintain and Army; The charge whereof I will impose on him; And to that end, expressly have commanded, De Vic, our Lord Ambassador in Suisse, To demand levy of six thousand men: Appointing them to march where Duke Byron Shall have directions; wherein I have followed. The counsel of my Constable his Gossip; Whose liked advice, I made him him know by letters, Wishing to hear his own; from his own mouth, And by all means conjure, his speediest presence; Do this with utmost hast. The faithfu'l servant right in holy wri ; That said he would not come and yet he came: But come you hither; I must tell you now, Not the contempt you stood to in your stay, But the bade ground that boar up your contempt, Makes you arrive at no port, but repentance, Despair, and ruin; Lord Chancellor; And lord Vidame : Exit. Not in the Castle (as some have advised) But in his chamber; Gather you your guard, And I will find fit time to give the word, When you shall seize on him and on D'Avuergne ; Oh thou that governest the keen swords of Kings, Direct my arm in this important stroke, Or hold it being advanced; the weight of blood, Even in the basest subject, does exact Deep consultation, in the highest King; For in one subject, death's unjust affrights, Passion, and pains, (though he be never so poor) Ask more remorse, then the voluptuous spleens Of all Kings in the world, deserve respect; He should be born grey-headed that will bear The sword of Empire; Judgement of the life, Free state, and reputation of a man, (If it be joust and worthy) dwells so dark That it denies access to Sun and Moon; The souls eye sharpened with that sacred light, Of whom the Sun it self is but a beam, Must only give that judgement; Oh how much Err those Kings then, that play with life and death, And nothing put into their serious States, But humour and their lustest! For which alone Men long for kingdoms; whose huge counterpoise In cares and dangers, could a fool comprise, He would not be a King but would be wise; Here comes the man, with whose ambitious head (Cast in the way of Treason ) we must stay His full chase of our ruin and our Realm; This hour shall take upon her shady wings His latest liberty and life to Hell. Madam you're honoured much, that Duke Byron Is so observant; Some, to cards with him, You four, as now you come, fit to Primero ; And I will fight a battle at the Chess ; I see't; And wonder at his frontles impudence; Exit Hen: Come, you are and Atheist Byron, and a Traitor, Both foul and damnable; Thy innocent self? No Leper is so buried quick in ulcers As thy corrupted soul: Thou end the war? And settle peace in France? what war hath raged, Into whose fury I have not expos worser, My person which is as free a spirit as thine? Thy worthy Father, and thy self, combined, And arm worser in all the merits of your valours; (Your bodies thrust amid the thickest fight ) Never were bristeld with so many battles Nor on the foe have broke such woods of Lances As grew upon my thigh; and I have Marshalled; I am asham worser to brag thus; where envy And arrogance, their opposite Bulwark raise; Men are allowed to use their proper praise; Away with him; Exit Henry What shall we think (my Lords) of these new forces That (from the King of Spain) hath passed the Alps? For which (I think) his Lord Ambassador, Is come to Court, to get their pass for Flanders? I have be advertised, That Contentedly Fuentes (by whose means this army Was lately levied; And whose hand was strong, In thrusting on Byrons conspiracy) Hath caused these cunning forces to advance, With coullor only to set down in Flanders; But hath intentional respect to favour And countenance his false Partisans in Bresse, And friends in Burgundy; to give them heart For the full taking of their hearts from me; Be as it will; we shall prevent their worst, And therefore call in Spain's Ambassador, What would the Lord Ambassador of Spain? My Lord my frontiers shall not be disarmed, Till, by arraignment of the Duke of Byron, My scruples are resolved; and I may know In what account to hold your Masters faith, For his observance of the League betwixt us; You wish me to believe that he is clear From all the projects caused by Contentedly Fuentes, His special Agent; But where, deeds, pull down, Words, may repair, no faith; I scarce can think That his gold was so bounteously employed, Without his special counsel, and command: These faint proceedings in our Royal faiths, Make subjects prove so faithless: If because, We fit above the danger of the laws, We likewise lift our Arms above their justice; And that our heavenly Sovereign, bounds not us In those religious confines; out of which Our justice and our true laws are informed; In vain have we expectance that our subjects, Should not as well presume to offend their Earthly, As we our Heavenly Sovereign? And this breach Made in the Forts of all Society; Of all celestial, and humane respects, Makes no strengths of our bounties, counsels arms, Hold out against their treasons; and the rapes Made of humanity, and religion, In all men's more then Pagan liberties, Atheismes, and sla eries, will derive their springs From their base Presidents, copied out of kings. But all this, shall not make me break the commerce, Authorised by our treaties; let your Army Take the directest pass, it shall go safe. 'Tis well my Lord, I thought I could have frighted Your firmest confidence: some other time, We will (as now in private) sift your actions. And pour more then you think into the si e, Always reserving clemency and pardon Upon confession, be you never so foul, Come lets clear up our brows shall we to tennis.