Part 52

{ Bussy. { Monsieur. The ghost of { Guise. { Card. Guise. { Shattilion.

Countesse of Cambray. Tamyra, wife to Montsureau. Charlotte [D'Ambois], wife to Baligny. Riova, a Servant [to the Countesse].

The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois

A Tragedie

ACTUS PRIMI SCAENA PRIMA.

A Room at the Court in Paris.]

Enter Baligny, Renel.

Baligny. To what will this declining kingdome turne, Swindging in every license, as in this Stupide permission of brave D'Ambois Murther? Murther made paralell with Law! Murther us'd To serve the kingdome, given by sute to men 5 For their advancement! suffered scarcrow-like To fright adulterie! what will policie At length bring under his capacitie?

Renel. All things; for as, when the high births of Kings, Deliverances, and coronations, 10 We celebrate with all the cities bels Jangling together in untun'd confusion, All order'd clockes are tyed up; so, when glory, Flatterie, and smooth applauses of things ill, Uphold th'inordinate swindge of downe-right power, 15 Justice, and truth that tell the bounded use, Vertuous and well distinguisht formes of time, Are gag'd and tongue-tide. But wee have observ'd Rule in more regular motion: things most lawfull Were once most royall; Kings sought common good, 20 Mens manly liberties, though ne'er so meane, And had their owne swindge so more free, and more. But when pride enter'd them, and rule by power, All browes that smil'd beneath them, frown'd; hearts griev'd By imitation; vertue quite was vanisht, 25 And all men studi'd selfe-love, fraud, and vice. Then no man could be good but he was punisht. Tyrants, being still more fearefull of the good Then of the bad, their subjects vertues ever Manag'd with curbs and dangers, and esteem'd 30 As shadowes and detractions to their owne.

Bal. Now all is peace, no danger, now what followes? Idlenesse rusts us, since no vertuous labour Ends ought rewarded; ease, securitie, Now all the palme weares. Wee made warre before 35 So to prevent warre; men with giving gifts, More then receiving, made our countrey strong; Our matchlesse race of souldiers then would spend In publike warres, not private brawles, their spirits; In daring enemies, arm'd with meanest armes, 40 Not courting strumpets, and consuming birth-rights In apishnesse and envy of attire. No labour then was harsh, no way so deepe, No rocke so steepe, but if a bird could scale it, Up would our youth flie to. A foe in armes 45 Stirr'd up a much more lust of his encounter Then of a mistresse never so be-painted. Ambition then was onely scaling walles, And over-topping turrets; fame was wealth; Best parts, best deedes, were best nobilitie; 50 Honour with worth, and wealth well got or none. Countries we wonne with as few men as countries: Vertue subdu'd all.

Ren. Just: and then our nobles Lov'd vertue so, they prais'd and us'd it to; Had rather doe then say; their owne deedes hearing 55 By others glorified, then be so barraine That their parts onely stood in praising others.

Bal. Who could not doe, yet prais'd, and envi'd not; Civile behaviour flourisht; bountie flow'd; Avarice to upland boores, slaves, hang-men banisht. 60

Ren. Tis now quite otherwise. But to note the cause Of all these foule digressions and revolts From our first natures, this tis in a word: Since good arts faile, crafts and deceits are us'd: Men ignorant are idle; idle men 65 Most practise what they most may doe with ease, Fashion and favour; all their studies ayming At getting money, which no wise man ever Fed his desires with.

Bal. Yet now none are wise That thinke not heavens true foolish, weigh'd with that. 70 Well, thou most worthy to be greatest Guise, Make with thy greatnesse a new world arise. Such deprest nobles (followers of his) As you, my selfe, my lord, will finde a time When to revenge your wrongs.

Ren. I make no doubt: 75 In meane time, I could wish the wrong were righted Of your slaine brother in law, brave Bussy D'Ambois.

Bal. That one accident was made my charge. My brother Bussy's sister (now my wife) By no suite would consent to satisfie 80 My love of her with marriage, till I vow'd To use my utmost to revenge my brother: But Clermont D'Ambois (Bussy's second brother) Had, since, his apparition, and excitement To suffer none but his hand in his wreake; 85 Which hee hath vow'd, and so will needes acquite Me of my vow made to my wife, his sister, And undertake himselfe Bussy's revenge. Yet loathing any way to give it act, But in the noblest and most manly course, 90 If th'Earle dares take it, he resolves to send A challenge to him, and my selfe must beare it; To which deliverie I can use no meanes, He is so barricado'd in his house, And arm'd with guard still.

Ren. That meanes lay on mee, 95 Which I can strangely make. My last lands sale, By his great suite, stands now on price with him, And hee (as you know) passing covetous, With that blinde greedinesse that followes gaine, Will cast no danger where her sweete feete tread. 100 Besides, you know, his lady, by his suite (Wooing as freshly as when first love shot His faultlesse arrowes from her rosie eyes) Now lives with him againe, and shee, I know, Will joyne with all helps in her friends revenge. 105

Bal. No doubt, my lord, and therefore let me pray you To use all speede; for so on needels points My wifes heart stands with haste of the revenge, Being (as you know) full of her brothers fire, That shee imagines I neglect my vow; 110 Keepes off her kinde embraces, and still askes, "When, when, will this revenge come? when perform'd Will this dull vow be?" And, I vow to heaven, So sternely, and so past her sexe she urges My vowes performance, that I almost feare 115 To see her, when I have a while beene absent, Not showing her, before I speake, the bloud She so much thirsts for, freckling hands and face.

Ren. Get you the challenge writ, and looke from me To heare your passage clear'd no long time after. Exit Ren. 120

Bal. All restitution to your worthiest lordship! Whose errand I must carrie to the King, As having sworne my service in the search Of all such malecontents and their designes, By seeming one affected with their faction 125 And discontented humours gainst the state: Nor doth my brother Clermont scape my counsaile Given to the King about his Guisean greatnesse, Which (as I spice it) hath possest the King, Knowing his daring spirit, of much danger 130 Charg'd in it to his person; though my conscience Dare sweare him cleare of any power to be Infected with the least dishonestie: Yet that sinceritie, wee politicians Must say, growes out of envie since it cannot 135 Aspire to policies greatnesse; and the more We worke on all respects of kinde and vertue, The more our service to the King seemes great, In sparing no good that seemes bad to him: And the more bad we make the most of good, 140 The more our policie searcheth, and our service Is wonder'd at for wisedome and sincerenesse. Tis easie to make good suspected still, Where good, and God, are made but cloakes for ill.

See Monsieur taking now his leave for Brabant; 145 The Guise & his deare minion, Clermont D'Ambois, Whispering together, not of state affaires, I durst lay wagers, (though the Guise be now In chiefe heate of his faction) but of some thing Savouring of that which all men else despise, 150 How to be truely noble, truely wise.

Monsieur. See how hee hangs upon the eare of Guise, Like to his jewell!

Epernon. Hee's now whisp'ring in Some doctrine of stabilitie and freedome, Contempt of outward greatnesse, and the guises 155 That vulgar great ones make their pride and zeale, Being onely servile traines, and sumptuous houses, High places, offices.

Mons. Contempt of these Does he read to the Guise? Tis passing needfull, And hee, I thinke, makes show t'affect his doctrine. 160

Ep. Commends, admires it--

Mons. And pursues another. Tis fine hypocrisie, and cheape, and vulgar, Knowne for a covert practise, yet beleev'd By those abus'd soules that they teach and governe No more then wives adulteries by their husbands, 165 They bearing it with so unmov'd aspects, Hot comming from it, as twere not all, Or made by custome nothing. This same D'Ambois Hath gotten such opinion of his vertues, Holding all learning but an art to live well, 170 And showing hee hath learn'd it in his life, Being thereby strong in his perswading others, That this ambitious Guise, embracing him, Is thought t'embrace his vertues.

Ep. Yet in some His vertues are held false for th'others vices: 175 For tis more cunning held, and much more common, To suspect truth then falshood: and of both Truth still fares worse, as hardly being beleev'd, As tis unusuall and rarely knowne.

Mons. Ile part engendring vertue. Men affirme, 180 Though this same Clermont hath a D'Ambois spirit, And breathes his brothers valour, yet his temper Is so much past his that you cannot move him: Ile try that temper in him.--Come, you two Devoure each other with your vertues zeale, 185 And leave for other friends no fragment of yee: I wonder, Guise, you will thus ravish him Out of my bosome, that first gave the life His manhood breathes spirit, and meanes, and luster. What doe men thinke of me, I pray thee, Clermont? 190 Once give me leave (for tryall of that love That from thy brother Bussy thou inherit'st) T'unclaspe thy bosome.