The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Publisher's Notice
• To My Worthy Friend , Master Thomas Hammon, of Gray's Inn , &c.
• Persons Represented.
• The Jew of Malta.
• Act the First.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Act the Second.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Act the Third.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• Act the Fourth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• Act the Fifth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Edward the Second.
• Act the First.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Act the Second.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Act the Third.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Act the Fourth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• Act the Fifth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• The Massacre At Paris.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• Scene VII.
• Scene VIII.
• Scene IX.
• Scene X.
• Scene XI.
• Scene XII.
• Scene XIII.
• Scene XIV.
• Scene XV.
• Scene XVI.
• Scene XVII.
• Scene XVIII.
• Scene XIX.
• Scene XX.
• Scene XXI.
• Scene XXII.
• Scene XXIII.
• Scene XXIV.
• The Tragedy of Dido, Queen of Carthage.
• Act I.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Act II.
• Scene I.
• Act III.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Act IV.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene Iii
• Scene IV.
• Scene V
• Act V.
• Scene I.

SCENE XXI.

Enter1the Captain of the Guard, and three Murderers.

Cap.

• Come on, sirs. What, are you resolutely bent,
• Hating the life and honour of the Guise?
• What, will you not fear, when you see him come?

First Murd.

• Fear him, said you? tush, were he here,
• we would kill him presently.

Sec. Murd.

• O that his heart were leaping in my hand!

Third Murd.

• But when will he come, that we may murder him?

Cap.

• Well, then, I see you are resolute.

First Murd.

• Let us alone; I warrant you.

Cap.

• Then, sirs, take your standings within this chamber;

  10

• For anon the Guise will come.

All three Murderers.

• You will give us our money?

Cap.

• Ay, ay, fear not: stand close: so; be resolute.
• [Exeunt Murderers.
• Now falls the star whose influence governs France,
• Whose light was deadly to the Protestants:
• Now must he fall, and perish in his height.
• EnterKing HenryandEpernoun.

Henry.

• Now, captain of my guard, are these murderers ready?

Cap.

• They be, my good lord.

Henry.

• But are they resolute, and armed to kill,
• Hating the life and honour of the Guise?

  20

Cap.

• I warrant ye, my lord.
• [Exit.

Henry.

• Then come, proud Guise, and here disgorge thy breast,
• Surcharged with surfeit of ambitious thoughts;
• Breathe out that life wherein my death was hid,
• And end thy endless treasons with thy death.
• [Knocking within.

Guise [within].

• Holà, varlet, hè!—Epernoun, where is the king?

Eper.

• Mounted1 his royal cabinet.

Guise [within].

• I prithee, tell him that the Guise is here.

Eper.

• An please your grace, the Duke of Guise doth crave
• Access unto your highness.

Henry.

• Let him come in.—

  30

• Come, Guise, and see thy traitorous guile outreach'd,
• And perish in the pit thou mad'st for me.
• EnterGuise.

Guise.

• Good morrow to your majesty.

Henry.

• Good morrow to my loving cousin of Guise:
• How fares it this morning with your excellence?

Guise.

• I heard your majesty was scarcely pleased,
• That in the court I bear so great a train.

Henry.

• They were to blame that said I was displeased;
• And you, good cousin, to imagine it.
• 'Twere hard with me, if I should doubt my kin,

  40

• Or be suspicious of my dearest friends.
• Cousin, assure you I am resolute,
• Whatsoever any whisper in mine ears,
• Not to suspect disloyalty in thee:
• And so, sweet coz, farewell.
• [Exit withEpernoun.

Guise.

• So;
• Now sues the king for favour to the Guise,
• And all his minions stoop when I command:
• Why, this 'tis to have an army in the field.
• Now, by the holy sacrament, I swear,

  50

• As ancient Romans o'er their captive lords,
• So will I triumph o'er this wanton king;
• And he shall follow my proud chariot's wheels.
• Now do I but begin to look about,
• And all my former time was spent in vain.
• Hold, sword,
• For in thee is the Duke of Guise's hope.
• Re-enter Third Murderer.
• Villain, why dost thou look so ghastly? speak.

Third Murd.

• O, pardon me, my Lord of Guise!

Guise.

• Pardon thee! why, what hast thou done?

  60

Third Murd.

• O my lord, I am one of them that is set to murder you!

Guise.

• To murder me, villain!

Third Murd.

• Ay, my lord: the rest have ta'en their standings in the next room; therefore, good my lord, go not forth.

Guise.

• Yet Cæsar shall go forth.
• Let mean conceits and baser men fear death:
• Tut, they are peasants; I am Duke of Guise;
• And princes with their looks engender fear.

  70

First Murd.

• [within] Stand close; he is coming; I know him by his voice.

Guise.

• As pale as ashes!1 nay, then, it is time
• To look about.
• Enter First and Second Murderers.

First and Sec. Murderers.

• Down with him, down with him!
• [They stabGuise.

Guise.

• O, I have my death's wound! give me leave to speak.

Sec. Murd.

• Then pray to God, and ask forgiveness of the king.

Guise.

• Trouble me not; I ne'er offended him,
• Nor will I ask forgiveness of the king.
• O, that I have not power to stay my life,
• Nor immortality to be revenged!

  80

• To die by peasants, what a grief is this!
• Ah, Sixtus, be reveng'd upon the king!
• Philip and Parma, I am slain for you!
• Pope, excommunicate, Philip, depose
• The wicked branch of curs'd Valois his line!
• Vive la messe! perish Huguenots!
• Thus Cæsar did go forth, and thus he died.
• [Dies.
• Enter the Captain of the Guard.

Cap.

• What, have you done?
• Then stay a while, and I'll go call the king.
• But see, where he comes.

  90

• EnterKing Henry, Epernoun, and Attendants.
• My lord, see, where the Guise is slain.

Henry.

• Ah, this sweet sight is physic to my soul!
• Go fetch his son for to behold his death.—
• [Exit an Attendant
• Surcharg'd 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

  100

• In making foreign wars and civil broils.
• Did he not draw a sort1 of English priests
• From Douay 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 deceas'd?
• 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?

  110

• Tush, to be short, he meant to make me monk,
• 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,

Eper.

• My lord, here is his son.
• EnterGuise's Son.

Henry.

• Boy, look where your father lies.

G.'s Son.

• My father slain! who hath done this deed?

Henry.

• Sirrah, 'twas I that slew him; and will slay

  120

• Thee too, an thou prove such a traitor.

G.'s Son.

• Art thou king, and hast done this bloody deed?
• I'll be reveng'd.
• [Offers 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!
• [Some of the Attendants bear offGuise's Son.
• But what availeth that this traitor's dead,
• When Duke Dumaine, his brother, is alive,
• And that young cardinal that is grown so proud?
• Go to the governor of Orleans,
• And will1 him, in my name, to kill the duke.

  130

• [To the Captain of the Guard.
• Get you away, and strangle the cardinal.
• [To the Murderers.
• [Exeunt Captain of the Guard and Murderers.
• These two will make one entire Duke of Guise,
• Especially with our old mother's help.

Eper.

• My lord, see, where she comes, as if she droop'd
• To hear these news.

Henry.

• And let her droop, my heart is light enough.
• EnterCatherinethe Queen-Mother.
• Mother, how like you this device of mine?

Cath.

• King! why, so thou wert before.
• Pray God thou be a king now this is done!

  140

Henry.

• Nay, he was king, and countermanded me.
• But now I will be king, and rule myself,

Cath.

• 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,

Henry.

• Cry out, exclaim, howl till thy throat be hoarse!
• The Guise is slain, and I rejoice therefore:

  150

• And now will I to arms.—Come, Epernoun,
• And let her grieve her heart out, if she will.
• [Exit withEpernoun

Cath.

• Away! leave me alone to meditate.
• [Exeunt Attendants.
• 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 wreck;
• And all for thee, my Guise! What may I do?

  160

• But sorrow seize upon my toiling soul!
• For, since the Guise is dead, I will not live.
• [Exit.

[1]Scene: a room in the royal palace at Blois.

[1]Cf. 2 Tamburlaine iv. 3—“Mounted his shining chariot” (for “mounted in“).

[1]Dyce conjectures that Guise must have seen himself in a mirror as he uttered these words.

[1]Set.

[1]Order.