That to their high heads beg’d of Jove hornes higher;
Whose most uncomely and ridiculous pride
When hee had satisfied, they could not use,
But where they went upright before, they stoopt, 180
And bore their heads much lower for their hornes: Simil[iter.]
As these high men doe, low in all true grace,
Their height being priviledge to all things base.
And as the foolish poet that still writ
All his most selfe-lov’d verse in paper royall, 185
Or partchment rul’d with lead, smooth’d with the pumice,
Bound richly up, and strung with crimson strings;
Never so blest as when hee writ and read
The ape-lov’d issue of his braine; and never
But joying in himselfe, admiring ever: 190
Yet in his workes behold him, and hee show’d
Like to a ditcher. So these painted men,
All set on out-side, looke upon within,
And not a pezzants entrailes you shall finde
More foule and mezel’d, nor more sterv’d of minde. 195
Bal. That makes their bodies fat. I faine would know
How many millions of our other Nobles
Would make one Guise. There is a true tenth Worthy,
Who, did not one act onely blemish him —
Cler. One act! what one?
Bal. One that (though yeeres past done) 200
Stickes by him still, and will distaine him ever.
Cler. Good heaven! wherein? what one act can you name
Suppos’d his staine that Ile not prove his luster?
Bal. To satisfie you, twas the Massacre.
Cler. The Massacre! I thought twas some such blemish. 205
Bal. O, it was hainous!
Cler. To a brutish sense,
But not a manly reason. Wee so tender
The vile part in us that the part divine
We see in hell, and shrinke not. Who was first
Head of that Massacre?
Bal. The Guise.
Cler. Tis nothing so. 210
Who was in fault for all the slaughters made
In Ilion, and about it? Were the Greekes?
Was it not Paris ravishing the Queene
Of Lacædemon; breach of shame and faith,
And all the lawes of hospitalitie? 215
This is the beastly slaughter made of men,
When truth is over-throwne, his lawes corrupted;
When soules are smother’d in the flatter’d flesh,
Slaine bodies are no more then oxen slaine.
Bal. Differ not men from oxen?
Cler. Who sayes so? 220
But see wherein; in the understanding rules
Of their opinions, lives, and actions;
In their communities of faith and reason.
Was not the wolfe that nourisht Romulus
More humane then the men that did expose him? 225
Bal. That makes against you.
Cler. Not, sir, if you note
That by that deede, the actions difference make
Twixt men and beasts, and not their names nor formes.
Had faith, nor shame, all hospitable rights
Beene broke by Troy, Greece had not made that slaughter. 230
Had that beene sav’d (sayes a philosopher)
The Iliads and Odysses had beene lost.
Had Faith and true Religion beene prefer’d
Religious Guise had never massacerd.
Bal. Well, sir, I cannot, when I meete with you, 235
But thus digresse a little, for my learning,
From any other businesse I entend.
But now the voyage we resolv’d for Cambray,
I told the Guise, beginnes; and wee must haste.
And till the Lord Renel hath found some meane 240
(Conspiring with the Countesse) to make sure
Your sworne wreake on her husband, though this fail’d,
In my so brave command wee’ll spend the time,
Sometimes in training out in skirmishes
And battailes all our troopes and companies; 245
And sometimes breathe your brave Scotch running horse,
That great Guise gave you, that all th’horse in France
Farre over-runnes at every race and hunting
Both of the hare and deere. You shall be honor’d
Like the great Guise himselfe, above the King. 250
And (can you but appease your great-spleen’d sister
For our delaid wreake of your brothers slaughter)
At all parts you’ll be welcom’d to your wonder.
Cler. Ile see my lord the Guise againe before
Wee take our journey?
Bal. O, sir, by all meanes; 255
You cannot be too carefull of his love,
That ever takes occasion to be raising
Your virtues past the reaches of this age,
And rankes you with the best of th’ancient Romanes.
Cler. That praise at no part moves mee, but the worth 260
Of all hee can give others spher’d in him.
Bal. Hee yet is thought to entertaine strange aymes.
Cler. He may be well; yet not, as you thinke, strange.
His strange aymes are to crosse the common custome
Of servile Nobles; in which hee’s so ravisht, 265
That quite the earth he leaves, and up hee leapes
On Atlas shoulders, and from thence lookes downe,
Viewing how farre off other high ones creepe;
Rich, poore of reason, wander; all pale looking,
And trembling but to thinke of their sure deaths, 270
Their lives so base are, and so rancke their breaths.
Which I teach Guise to heighten, and make sweet
With lifes deare odors, a good minde and name;
For which hee onely loves me, and deserves
My love and life, which through all deaths I vow: 275
Resolving this (what ever change can be)
Thou hast created, thou hast ruinde mee. Exit.
Finis Actus secundi.
ACTUS TERTII.
SCÆNA PRIMA.
[A Parade-Ground near Cambrai.]
A march of Captaines over the Stage.
Maillard, Chalon, Aumall following with Souldiers.
Maillard. These troopes and companies come in with wings:
So many men, so arm’d, so gallant horse,
I thinke no other government in France
So soone could bring together. With such men
Me thinkes a man might passe th’insulting Pillars 5
Of Bacchus and Alcides.
Chalon. I much wonder
Our Lord Lieutenant brought his brother downe
To feast and honour him, and yet now leaves him
At such an instance.
Mail. Twas the Kings command;
For whom he must leave brother, wife, friend, all things. 10
Aumale. The confines of his government, whose view
Is the pretext of his command, hath neede
Of no such sodaine expedition.
Mail. Wee must not argue that. The Kings command
Is neede and right enough: and that he serves, 15
(As all true subjects should) without disputing.
Chal. But knowes not hee of your command to take
His brother Clermont?
Mail. No: the Kings will is
Expressely to conceale his apprehension
From my Lord Governour. Observ’d yee not? 20
Againe peruse the letters. Both you are
Made my assistants, and have right and trust
In all the waightie secrets like my selfe.
Aum. Tis strange a man that had, through his life past,
So sure a foote in vertue and true knowledge 25
As Clermont D’Ambois, should be now found tripping,
<
br /> And taken up thus, so to make his fall
More steepe and head-long.
Mail. It is Vertues fortune,
To keepe her low, and in her proper place;
Height hath no roome for her. But as a man 30
That hath a fruitfull wife, and every yeere
A childe by her, hath every yeere a month
To breathe himselfe, where hee that gets no childe
Hath not a nights rest (if he will doe well);
So, let one marry this same barraine Vertue, 35
She never lets him rest, where fruitfull Vice
Spares her rich drudge, gives him in labour breath,
Feedes him with bane, and makes him fat with death.
Chal. I see that good lives never can secure
Men from bad livers. Worst men will have best 40
As ill as they, or heaven to hell they’ll wrest.
Aum. There was a merit for this, in the fault
That Bussy made, for which he (doing pennance)
Proves that these foule adulterous guilts will runne
Through the whole bloud, which not the cleare can shunne. 45
Mail. Ile therefore take heede of the bastarding
Whole innocent races; tis a fearefull thing.
And as I am true batcheler, I sweare,
To touch no woman (to the coupling ends)
Unlesse it be mine owne wife or my friends; 50
I may make bold with him.
Aum. Tis safe and common.
The more your friend dares trust, the more deceive him.
And as through dewie vapors the sunnes forme
Makes the gay rainebow girdle to a storme,
So in hearts hollow, friendship (even the sunne 55
To all good growing in societie)
Makes his so glorious and divine name hold
Collours for all the ill that can be told. Trumpets within.
Mail. Harke! our last troopes are come.
Chal. (Drums beate.) Harke! our last foote.
Mail. Come, let us put all quickly into battaile, 60
And send for Clermont, in whose honour all
This martiall preparation wee pretend.
Chal. Wee must bethinke us, ere wee apprehend him,
(Besides our maine strength) of some stratageme
To make good our severe command on him, 65
As well to save blood as to make him sure:
For if hee come on his Scotch horse, all France
Put at the heeles of him will faile to take him.
Mail. What thinke you if wee should disguise a brace
Of our best souldiers in faire lackies coates, 70
And send them for him, running by his side,
Till they have brought him in some ambuscado
We close may lodge for him, and sodainely
Lay sure hand on him, plucking him from horse?
Aum. It must be sure and strong hand; for if once 75
Hee feeles the touch of such a stratageme,
Tis not choicest brace of all our bands
Can manacle or quench his fiery hands.
Mail. When they have seaz’d him, the ambush shal make in.
Aum. Doe as you please; his blamelesse spirit deserves 80
(I dare engage my life) of all this, nothing.
Chal. Why should all this stirre be, then?
Aum. Who knowes not
The bumbast politie thrusts into his gyant,
To make his wisedome seeme of size as huge,
And all for sleight encounter of a shade, 85
So hee be toucht, hee would have hainous made?
Mail. It may be once so; but so ever, never.
Ambition is abroad, on foote, on horse;
Faction chokes every corner, streete, the Court;
Whose faction tis you know, and who is held 90
The fautors right hand: how high his aymes reach
Nought but a crowne can measure. This must fall
Past shadowes waights, and is most capitall.
Chal. No question; for since hee is come to Cambray,
The malecontent, decaid Marquesse Renel, 95
Is come, and new arriv’d; and made partaker
Of all the entertaining showes and feasts
That welcom’d Clermont to the brave virago,
His manly sister. Such wee are esteem’d
As are our consorts. Marquesse malecontent 100
Comes where hee knowes his vaine hath safest vent.
Mail. Let him come at his will, and goe as free;
Let us ply Clermont, our whole charge is hee. Exeunt.
SCÆNA SECUNDA.
A Room in the Governor’s Castle at Cambrai.]
Enter a Gentleman Usher before Clermont: Renel, Charlotte,
with two women attendants, with others: showes having past
within.
Charlotte. This for your lordships welcome into Cambray.
Renel. Noblest of ladies, tis beyond all power
(Were my estate at first full) in my meanes
To quit or merit.
Clermont. You come something latter
From Court, my lord, then I: and since newes there 5
Is every day encreasing with th’affaires,
Must I not aske now, what the newes is there?
Where the Court lyes? what stirre? change? what avise
From England, Italie?
Ren. You must doe so,
If you’ll be cald a gentleman well quallified, 10
And weare your time and wits in those discourses.
Cler. The Locrian princes therefore were brave rulers;
For whosoever there came new from countrie,
And in the citie askt, “What newes?” was punisht:
Since commonly such braines are most delighted 15
With innovations, gossips tales, and mischiefes.
But as of lyons it is said and eagles,
That, when they goe, they draw their seeres and tallons
Close up, to shunne rebating of their sharpnesse:
So our wits sharpnesse, which wee should employ 20
In noblest knowledge, wee should never waste
In vile and vulgar admirations.
Ren. Tis right; but who, save onely you, performes it,
And your great brother? Madame, where is he?
Char. Gone, a day since, into the countries confines, 25
To see their strength, and readinesse for service.
Ren. Tis well; his favour with the King hath made him
Most worthily great, and live right royally.
Cler. I: would hee would not doe so! Honour never
Should be esteem’d with wise men as the price 30
And value of their virtuous services,
But as their signe or badge; for that bewrayes
More glory in the outward grace of goodnesse
Then in the good it selfe; and then tis said,
Who more joy takes that men his good advance 35
Then in the good it selfe, does it by chance.
Char. My brother speakes all principle. What man
Is mov’d with your soule? or hath such a thought
In any rate of goodnesse?
Cler. Tis their fault.
We have examples of it, cleare and many. 40
Demetrius Phalerius, an orator,
And (which not oft meete) a philosopher,
So great in Athens grew that he erected
Three hundred statues of him; of all which,
No rust nor length of time corrupted one; 45
But in his life time all were overthrowne.
And Demades (that past Demosthenes
For all extemporall orations)
Erected many statues, which (he living)
Were broke, and melted into chamber-pots. 50
Many such ends have fallen on such proud honours,
No more because the men on whom they fell
Grew insol
ent and left their vertues state,
Then for their hugenesse, that procur’d their hate:
And therefore little pompe in men most great 55
Makes mightily and strongly to the guard
Of what they winne by chance or just reward.
Great and immodest braveries againe,
Like statues much too high made for their bases,
Are overturn’d as soone as given their places. 60
Enter a Messenger with a Letter.
Messenger. Here is a letter, sir, deliver’d mee
Now at the fore-gate by a gentleman.
Cler. What gentleman?
Mess. Hee would not tell his name;
Hee said, hee had not time enough to tell it,
And say the little rest hee had to say. 65
Cler. That was a merry saying; he tooke measure
Of his deare time like a most thriftie husband.
Char. What newes?
Cler. Strange ones, and fit for a novation;
Waightie, unheard of, mischievous enough.
Ren. Heaven shield! what are they?
Cler. Read them, good my lord. 70
Ren. “You are betraid into this countrie.” Monstrous!
Char. How’s that?
Cler. Read on.
Ren. “Maillard, your brothers Lieutenant,
that yesterday invited you to see his musters, 75
hath letters and strickt charge from the King to
apprehend you.”
Char. To apprehend him!
Ren. “Your brother absents himselfe of
purpose.” 80
Cler. That’s a sound one.
Char. That’s a lye.
Ren. “Get on your Scotch horse, and retire
to your strength; you know where it is, and
there it expects you. Beleeve this as your best 85
friend had sworne it. Fare-well if you will.
Anonymos.” What’s that?
Cler. Without a name.
Char. And all his notice, too, without all truth.
Cler. So I conceive it, sister: ile not wrong 90
My well knowne brother for Anonymos.
Char. Some foole hath put this tricke on you, yet more
T’uncover your defect of spirit and valour,
First showne in lingring my deare brothers wreake.
See what it is to give the envious world 95
Advantage to diminish eminent virtue.
Send him a challenge. Take a noble course
To wreake a murther, done so like a villaine.
Cler. Shall we revenge a villanie with villanie.
Char. Is it not equall?
Cler. Shall wee equall be with villaines? 100
Is that your reason?
Char. Cowardise evermore
Flyes to the shield of reason.
The Complete Poetical Works of George Chapman Page 215