The Complete Plays
Page 52
Pope, excommunicate, Philip, depose
The wicked branch of cursed Valois his line.
Vive la messe! Perish Huguenots!
Thus Caesar did go forth, and thus he died.
He dies.
Enter CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD.
CAPTAIN What, have you done? Then stay a while, and I’ll go call the king. But see where he comes.
[Enter the KING, EPERNOUN, and ATTENDANTS.]
My lord, see where the Guise is slain.
HENRY
90 Ah, this sweet sight is physic to my soul.
Go fetch his son for to behold his death.
[Exit an ATTENDANT.]
Surcharged with guilt of thousand massacres,
Monsieur of Lorraine, sink away to hell!
And in remembrance of those bloody broils
To which thou didst allure me, being alive,
And here in presence of you all, I swear
I ne’er was King of France until this hour.
This is the traitor that hath spent my gold
In making foreign wars and civil broils.
100 Did he not draw a sort of English priests
From Douai to the seminary at Rheims
To hatch forth treason ’gainst their natural queen?
Did he not cause the King of Spain’s huge fleet
To threaten England and to menace me?
Did he not injure monsieur that’s deceased?
Hath he not made me in the Pope’s defence
To spend the treasure that should strength my land
In civil broils between Navarre and me?
Tush, to be short, he meant to make me monk,
110 Or else to murder me, and so be king.
Let Christian princes that shall hear of this
(As all the world shall know our Guise is dead)
Rest satisfied with this: that here I swear,
Ne’er was there king of France so yoked as I.
EPERNOUN
My lord, here is his son.
Enter the GUISE’S SON.
HENRY
Boy, look where your father lies.
GUISE’S SON
My father slain! Who hath done this deed?
HENRY
Sirrah, ’twas I that slew him, and will slay
Thee too an thou prove such a traitor.
GUISE’S SON
120 Art thou king and hast done this bloody deed?
I’ll be revenged!
He offereth to throw his dagger.
HENRY
Away to prison with him! I’ll clip his wings
Or e’er he pass my hands. Away with him!
Exit BOY [guarded].
But what availeth that this traitor’s dead,
When Duke Dumaine, his brother, is alive,
And that young cardinal that is grown so proud?
[To the CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD]
Go to the Governor of Orleans,
And will him, in my name, to kill the duke.
[Exit CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD.]
[To the MURDERERS]
Get you away, and strangle the Cardinal.
[Exeunt the MURDERERS.]
130 These two will make one entire duke of Guise,
Especially with our old mother’s help.
EPERNOUN
My lord, see where she comes, as if she drooped
To hear these news.
Enter [CATHERINE the] QUEEN-MOTHER.
HENRY
And let her droop, my heart is light enough.
Mother, how like you this device of mine?
I slew the Guise because I would be king.
CATHERINE
King? Why, so thou wert before;
Pray God thou be a king now this is done!
HENRY
Nay, he was king and countermanded me,
140 But now I will be king and rule myself
And make the Guisians stoop that are alive.
CATHERINE
I cannot speak for grief. When thou wast born,
I would that I had murdered thee, my son!
My son? Thou art a changeling, not my son.
I curse thee and exclaim thee miscreant,
Traitor to God and to the realm of France!
HENRY
Cry out, exclaim, howl till thy throat be hoarse.
The Guise is slain and I rejoice therefore!
And now will I to arms; come, Epernoun,
150 And let her grieve her heart out, if she will.
Exeunt the KING and EPERNOUN.
CATHERINE Away, leave me alone to meditate.
[Exeunt ATTENDANTS with the body of the GUISE.]
Sweet Guise, would he had died, so thou wert here!
To whom shall I bewray my secrets now,
Or who will help to build religion?
The Protestants will glory and insult,
Wicked Navarre will get the crown of France,
The popedom cannot stand, all goes to wrack,
And all for thee, my Guise! What may I do?
But sorrow seize upon my toiling soul,
160 For since the Guise is dead, I will not live.
Exit.
[Scene 22]
Enter two [MURDERERS] dragging in the CARDINAL.
CARDINAL Murder me not, I am a cardinal.
FIRST MURDERER Wert thou the Pope, thou mightst not ’scape from us.
CARDINAL What, will you file your hands with churchmen’s blood?
SECOND MURDERER Shed your blood? O lord, no, for we intend to strangle you.
CARDINAL Then there is no remedy but I must die?
FIRST MURDERER No remedy, therefore prepare yourself.
CARDINAL
10 Yet lives my brother Duke Dumaine, and many moe
To revenge our deaths upon that cursed king,
Upon whose heart may all the Furies gripe,
And with their paws drench his black soul in hell!
FIRST MURDERER Yours, my Lord Cardinal, you should have said.
Now they strangle him.
So, pluck amain; he is hard-hearted, therefore pull with violence. Come, take him away.
Exeunt [with the body].
[Scene 23]
Enter DUKE DUMAINE, reading of a letter, with others.
DUMAINE
My noble brother murdered by the king!
O, what may I do for to revenge thy death?
The king’s alone, it cannot satisfy.
Sweet duke of Guise, our prop to lean upon,
Now thou art dead, here is no stay for us.
I am thy brother, and I’ll revenge thy death,
And root Valois his line from forth of France,
And beat proud Bourbon to his native home,
That basely seeks to join with such a king,
10 Whose murderous thoughts will be his overthrow.
He willed the Governor of Orleans, in his name,
That I with speed should have been put to death;
But that’s prevented, for to end his life,
And all those traitors to the Church of Rome
That durst attempt to murder noble Guise.
Enter the FRIAR.
FRIAR My lord, I come to bring you news that your brother, the Cardinal of Lorraine, by the king’s consent is lately strangled unto death.
DUMAINE
My brother Cardinal slain, and I alive?
20 O words of power to kill a thousand men!
Come, let us away and levy men;
’Tis war that must assuage this tyrant’s pride.
FRIAR My lord, hear me but speak. I am a friar of the order of the Jacobins, that for my conscience sake will kill the king.
DUMAINE But what doth move thee above the rest to do the deed?
FRIAR O my lord, I have been a great sinner in my days, and the deed is meritorious.
DUMAINE But how wilt thou get opportunity?
30 FRIAR Tush, my lord, let me alone for that.
D
UMAINE Friar, come with me, we will go talk more of this within.
Exeunt.
[Scene 24]
Sound drum and trumpets, and enter the KING OF FRANCE,
and NAVARRE, EPERNOUN, BARTUS, PLESHÉ [and
ATTENDANTS] and SOLDIERS.
HENRY
Brother of Navarre, I sorrow much
That ever I was proved your enemy,
And that the sweet and princely mind you bear
Was ever troubled with injurious wars.
I vow, as I am lawful King of France,
To recompense your reconcilèd love
With all the honours and affections
That ever I vouchsafed my dearest friends.
NAVARRE
It is enough if that Navarre may be
10 Esteemèd faithful to the King of France,
Whose service he may still command till death.
HENRY
Thanks to my kingly brother of Navarre.
Then here we’ll lie before Lutetia walls,
Girting this strumpet city with our siege,
Till, surfeiting with our afflicting arms,
She cast her hateful stomach to the earth.
Enter a MESSENGER.
MESSENGER An it please your majesty, here is a friar of the order of the Jacobins sent from the President of Paris, that craves access unto your grace.
HENRY
20 Let him come in.
[Exit MESSENGER.]
Enter FRIAR, with a letter.
EPERNOUN [aside to KING HENRY]
I like not this friar’s look,
’Twere not amiss, my lord, if he were searched.
HENRY
Sweet Epernoun, our friars are holy men
And will not offer violence to their king
For all the wealth and treasure of the world.
Friar, thou dost acknowledge me thy king?
FRIAR
Ay, my good lord, and will die therein.
HENRY
Then come thou near, and tell what news thou bring’st.
FRIAR My lord, the President of Paris greets your grace, and
30 sends his duty by these speedy lines, humbly craving your
gracious reply.
[Gives letter.]
HENRY
I’ll read them, friar, and then I’ll answer thee.
FRIAR Sancte Jacobus, now have mercy upon me!
He stabs the KING with a knife as he readeth the letter, and then the KING getteth the knife and kills him.
EPERNOUN O my lord, let him live a while!
HENRY
No, let the villain die, and feel in hell
Just torments for his treachery.
NAVARRE What, is your highness hurt?
HENRY
Yes, Navarre, but not to death I hope.
NAVARRE
God shield your grace from such a sudden death!
40 Go call a surgeon hither straight.
[Exit an ATTENDANT.]
HENRY
What irreligious pagans’ parts be these
Of such as hold them of the holy church?
Take hence that damnèd villain from my sight.
[SOLDIERS remove the FRIAR’S body.]
EPERNOUN
Ah, had your highness let him live,
We might have punished him to his deserts!
HENRY
Sweet Epernoun, all rebels under heaven
Shall take example by his punishment
How they bear arms against their sovereign.
Go call the English agent hither straight.
[Exit SOLDIER.]
50 I’ll send my sister England news of this,
And give her warning of her treacherous foes.
[Enter a SURGEON.]
NAVARRE
Pleaseth your grace to let the surgeon search your wound?
HENRY
The wound, I warrant ye, is deep, my lord.
Search, surgeon, and resolve me what thou see’st.
The SURGEON searcheth [the wound].
Enter the ENGLISH AGENT.
Agent for England, send thy mistress word
What this detested Jacobin hath done.
Tell her, for all this, that I hope to live;
Which if I do, the papal monarch goes
To wrack and antichristian kingdom falls.
60 These bloody hands shall tear his triple crown,
And fire accursèd Rome about his ears.
I’ll fire his crazèd buildings and incense
The papal towers to kiss the holy earth.
Navarre, give me thy hand: I here do swear
To ruinate that wicked church of Rome
That hatcheth up such bloody practices,
And here protest eternal love to thee,
And to the Queen of England specially,
Whom God hath blessed for hating papistry.
NAVARRE
70 These words revive my thoughts, and comforts me
To see your highness in this virtuous mind.
HENRY Tell me, surgeon, shall I live?
SURGEON
Alas, my lord, the wound is dangerous,
For you are stricken with a poisoned knife.
HENRY
A poisoned knife! What, shall the French king die
Wounded and poisoned both at once?
EPERNOUN
O that that damned villain were alive again,
That we might torture him with some new-found death!
BARTUS He died a death too good; the devil of hell torture his
80 wicked soul!
HENRY
Ah, curse him not sith he is dead.
O, the fatal poison works within my breast.
Tell me, surgeon, and flatter not, may I live?
SURGEON
Alas, my lord, your highness cannot live.
NAVARRE
Surgeon, why say’st thou so? The king may live.
HENRY
O no, Navarre, thou must be King of France.
NAVARRE
Long may you live, and still be King of France.
EPERNOUN Or else die Epernoun.
HENRY
Sweet Epernoun, thy king must die.
90 My lords, fight in the quarrel of this valiant prince,
For he is your lawful king and my next heir;
Valois’ line ends in my tragedy.
Now let the house of Bourbon wear the crown,
And may it never end in blood, as mine hath done!
Weep not, sweet Navarre, but revenge my death.
Ah, Epernoun, is this thy love to me?
Henry thy king wipes off these childish tears,
And bids thee whet thy sword on Sixtus’ bones,
That it may keenly slice the Catholics.
100 He loves me not that sheds most tears,
But he that makes most lavish of his blood.
Fire Paris, where these treacherous rebels lurk.
I die, Navarre, come bear me to my sepulchre.
Salute the Queen of England in my name,
And tell her, Henry dies her faithful friend.
He dies.
NAVARRE
Come, lords, take up the body of the king,
That we may see it honourably interred.
And then I vow for to revenge his death
As Rome and all those popish prelates there
110 Shall curse the time that e’er Navarre was king,
And ruled in France by Henry’s fatal death!
They march out, with the body of the KINGlying on
four men’s shoulders, with a dead march,
drawing weapons on the ground.
Appendix: The Massacre at Paris, Scene 19 (Folger MS.J.b.8)
Enter A souldier wth a Muskett
Now ser to you yt dares make a dvke a Cuckolde
and vse a Counterfeyt key to his privye Chamber
SOULDIER
thoughe you take out none but yo
r owne treasure
yett you putt in yt displeases him / And fill vp his rome yt
he shold occupie. Herein ser you forestalle the markett
and sett vpe yor standinge where you shold not: But you will
saye you leave him rome enoughe besides: thats no answere
hes to have the Choyce of his owne freeland / yf it be
not to free theres the questione / now ser where he is
your landlorde. you take vpon you to be his / and will needs
enter by defaulte / whatt thoughe you were once in possession
yett Comminge vpon you once vnawares he frayde you
out againe. therefore your entrye is mere Intrvsione
this is againste the lawe ser: And thoughe I Come not
to keep possessione as I wold I mighte yet I come to
keepe you out ser. yow are wellcome ser have at you
Enter minion
He Kills him
MINION
Trayterouse guise ah thow hast mvrthered me
Enter guise
GUISE
Hold thee tale soldier take the this and flye
Exit
thus fall Imperfett exhalatione
wch our great sonn of fraunce Cold not effecte
a fyery meteor in the fermament
lye there the Kinges delyght and guises scorne
revenge it henry yf thow liste or darst
I did it onely in dispight of thee
fondlie hast thow in Censte the guises sowle
yt of it self was hote enoughe to worke
GUISE
thy lust degestione wt extreamest shame
the armye I have gathered now shall ayme
more at thie end then exterpatione
and when thow thinkst I have foregotten this
and yt thow most reposest one my faythe
then will I wake thee from thie folishe dreame
and lett thee see thie self my prysoner
Exeunt
Notes
ABBREVIATIONS
A A-text (Doctor Faustus, 1604)
A2, second quarto (Doctor Faustus, 1609)
B B-text (Doctor Faustus, 1616)
G Glossary
N List of Mythological, Historical and Geographical Names
O octavo
OED Oxford English Dictionary
Q quarto
Q2 second quarto (Edward the Second, 1598)
SD stage direction
SP speech prefix
Tilley M. P. Tilley, A Dictionary of the Proverbs in England in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries (Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1950)
Biblical references are to the Geneva Bible (1560), except when the Latin text of the Vulgate is cited. Translations are by Frank Romany unless otherwise stated. Bibliographic references are by author/date where full details are given in the Further Reading.
DIDO, QUEEN OF CARTHAGE