GUISE

Nay: stay my Lord and hear him answer you. No more: Ill f tune. I would have given a million to have herd His scoffs retorted: and the insolence Of his high birth and greatness (which were never Effects of his deserts, but of his fortune) Made show to his dull eyes, beneath the worth That men aspire to by their knowing virtues, Without which Greatness is a shade, a bubble. True as truth: And therefore they had rather drown their substance In superfluities of bricks and stones; (Like Sysiphus, advancing of them ever, And ever pulling down) then lay the cost Of any sluttish corner, on a man, Built with Gods finger, and enstil'd his Temple. I would have these things Brought upon Stages, to let mighty Misers See all their graven and serious Misery's, played, As once they were in Athens, and old Room. And might right well (my Clermont) and for this Virtuous digression, we will thank the scoffs Of vicious Monsieur. But now for the main point Of your late resolution for revenge Of your slain friend. About it then, my worthy Baligny, And bring us the success. My sure Friend Baligny! How stands the State of Cambray? That Clermont is my love; France never bred a nobler Gentleman For all parts: he exceeds his Brother Bussy. Far: because (beside his valour) He hath the crown of man, and all his parts, Which Learning is; and that so true and virtuous, That it gives power to do, as well as say What ever fits a most accomplished man; Which Bussy, for his valours season, lacked; And so was rapt with outrage oftentimes Beyond Decorum; where this absolute Clermont, Though (only for his natural zeal to right) He will be fiery, when he sees it crossed; And in defence of it; yet when he lists He can contain that fire, as hid in Embers. He is as true as Tides, or any Star Is in his motion: And for his rare learning, He is not (as all else are that seek knowledge) Of taste so much depraved, that they had rather Delight, and satisfy themselves to drink Of the stream troubled, wandering never so far From the clear fount, then of the fount it self. In all; Rome's Brutus is revived in him, Whom he of industry does imitate. Or rather, as great Troys Euphorbus was After Pithagoras; so is Brutus, Clermont. And (were not Brutus a Conspirator) Well, let us leave these vain disputings what Is to be done, and fallen to doing something. When are you for your Government in Cambray? Nay, that's not fit. Continue your designments with the King, With all your service; only if I send Respect me as your friend, and love my Clermont. I, 'tis enough. Now sir, I hope you're much abused Eyes see In my word for my Clermont, what a villain He was that whispered in your jealous ear His own black treason in suggesting Clermonts: Coloured with nothing but being great with me, Sign then this writ for his delivery, Your hand was never urged with worthier boldness: Come, pray sir, sign it: why should Kings be prayed To acts of Justice? 'tis a reverence Makes them despised, and shows they stick and Tyre In what their free powers should be hight as fire. These are your Machevilian Villains, Your bastard Teucers, that their mischiefs done, Run to your shield for shelter: Caucusses, That cut their too large murderous theueries, To their dens length still: woe be to that state Where treachery guards, and ruin makes men grea . By no means. Be what it will, it a presage of something Weighty and secret, which advertisements I have received from all parts, both without, And in this Kingdom, as from Room and Spain Soccaine and Savoy, gives me cause to think, All writing that our plots Catastrophe, For propagation of the Catholic cause, Will bloody prove, dissolving all our counsels I must not do so. The Archbishop of Lyons tells me plain I shall be said then to abandon France In so important and occasion: And that mine enemies (their profit making Of my faint absence) soon would let that fallen, That all my pains did to this height exhale. Why standest thou still thus, and applyest thine ears, And eyes to nothing? Thou dreamest, awake now; what was here to see? Thy Brother's spirit! pray thee mock me not. Would he rise, And not be thundering threats against the Guise? Oh Baligny, who would believe there were A man, that (only since his looks are raised Upwards, and have but sacred heaven in sighed) Could bear a mind so more then devilish? As for the painted glory of the countenance, Flitting in Kings, does good for nought esteem, And the more ill he does, the better seem. But this thy brother's spirit startles me, These spirits seld or never haunting men, But some mishap ensues. Welcome Aumall. What events are these? How strangely thou art loved of both the sexes; Yet thou lovest neither, but the good of both. Thy love being judgement then, and of the mind, Marry thy worthiest mistress now being blind. Thou shalt my Mistress be; me thinks my blood Is taken up to all love with thy virtues. And howsoever other men despise These Paradoxes strange, and too precise, Since they hold on the right way of our reason, I could attend them ever. Come, away; Perform thy brother's thus importuned wreak; And I will see what great affairs the King Hath to employ my counsel, which he seems Much to desire, and more and more esteems. Who says that death is natural, when natur Is with the only thought of it, dismayed? I have had Lotteries set up for my death, And I have drawn beneath my trencher one, Knit in my handkerchief another lot, The word being; You're a dead man if you enter, And these words, this imperfect blood and flesh, Shrink at in spite of me; their solidest partly Melting Like snow within me, with cold fire: I hate my self, that seeking to rule Kings, I cannot curb my slave. Would any spirit F ee, manly, Princely, wish to live to be Commanded by this mass of slavery, Since Reason, Judgement, Resolution, And scorn of what we fear, will yield to fear? While this same sink of sensuality swells, Who would live sinking in it? and not spring Up to the Stars, and leave this carrion here, For Wolves, and Vultures, and for Dogs to tear? Oh Clermont D'Ambois, Wertenberg thou here to chide This softness from my flesh, far as my reason, Far as my resolution, not to stir One foot out of the way, for death and hell. Let my also man by falsehood perish here, There's no way else to set my true man clear. I come. It cannot be: he will not dare To touch me with a treachery so profane. Would Clermont now were here, to try how he Would lay about him, if this plot should be: Here would be tossing souls into the sky. Who ever knew blood saved by treachery? Well, I must on, and will; what should I fear? Not against two, Alcides? against two And Hercules to friend, the Guise will go. Hold murderers. So then, this is confidence In greatness, not in goodness: where is the king? Let him appear to justify his deed. In spite of my betrayed wounds; ere my soul Take her flight through them, and my tongue hath strength To urge his tyranny. That's your white pretext, But you will find one drop of blood shed lawless, Will be the fountain to a purple sea: The present lust, and shift made for Kings lives Against the pure form, and joust power of Law, Will thrive Like shifters purchases; there hangs A black Star in the skies, to which the Sun Gives yet no light, will rain a poisoned shower Into your entrails, that will make you feel How little safety lies in treacherous steel. So sir, your full swinge take; mine, death hath curbed. Clermont, farewell: Oh didst thou see but this: But it is better, see by this the Ice Broke to thine own blood, which thou wilt despise, When thou hearest mine shed. Is there no friend here Will bear my love to him? Thanks with my last breath: recommend e then To the most worthy of the raze of men. In his most gentle, and unwearied mind, Rightly to virtue framed; in very nature; In his most firm inexorable spirit, To be removed from any thing he chooseth For worthiness; or bear the lest persuasion To what is base, or fits not his object; In his contempt of riches and of greatness; In stimation of th'Idolatrous vulgar; His scorn of all things servile and ignoble, Though they could gain him never such advancement; His liberal kind of speaking what is truth, In spite of temporising; the great rising, and learning of his soul, so much the more Against ill fortune, as she set her self Sharp against him, or would present most hard, To shun the malice of her deadliest charge; His detestation of his special friends, When he perceived their tyrannous will to do, Or their abjection basely to sustain Any injustice that they could revenge; The flexibility of his most anger, Even in the main career and fury of it, When any object of desertful pity Offers it self to him; his sweet disposure As much abhorring to behold, as do Any unnatural and bloody Actium; His joust ontempt of esters, Parasites, Servile observers, and polluted tongues: In sho , this Senecall man is found in him, He may with heavens immortal powers compare, the day and fortune equal are, Come fair or foul, what ever chance can fallen, Fix himself, he still is one to all. Thus (friend) thou seest how all good men would thrive, Did not the good thou promptest me with prevent, The jealous ill pursuing them in others. But now thy dangers are dispatch to, note mine: Hast thou not herd of that admired voice, That at the Barricadoes spoke to me, (No person seen) Let's lead (my Lord) to Reimes?