Part 73

Gui. Thy brothers spirit! pray thee mocke me not.

Cler. No, by my love and service.

Gui. Would he rise, 105 And not be thundring threates against the Guise?

Cler. You make amends for enmitie to him, With tenne parts more love and desert of mee; And as you make your hate to him no let Of any love to mee, no more beares hee 110 (Since you to me supply it) hate to you. Which reason and which justice is perform'd In spirits tenne parts more then fleshy men; To whose fore-sights our acts and thoughts lie open: And therefore, since hee saw the treacherie 115 Late practis'd by my brother Baligny, Hee would not honor his hand with the justice (As hee esteemes it) of his blouds revenge, To which my sister needes would have him sworne, Before she would consent to marry him. 120

Gui. O Baligny!--who would beleeve there were A man that (onely since his lookes are rais'd Upwards, and have but sacred heaven in sight) Could beare a minde so more then divellish? As for the painted glory of the countenance, 125 Flitting in Kings, doth good for nought esteeme, And the more ill hee does, the better seeme.

Cler. Wee easily may beleeve it, since we see In this worlds practise few men better be. Justice to live doth nought but justice neede, 130 But policie must still on mischiefe feede. Untruth, for all his ends, truths name doth sue in; None safely live but those that study ruine. A good man happy is a common good; Ill men advanc'd live of the common bloud. 135

Gui. But this thy brothers spirit startles mee, These spirits seld or never hanting men But some mishap ensues.

Cler. Ensue what can; Tyrants may kill but never hurt a man; All to his good makes, spight of death and hell. 140

Enter Aumall.

Aumale. All the desert of good renowne your Highnesse!

Gui. Welcome, Aumall!

Cler. My good friend, friendly welcome! How tooke my noblest mistresse the chang'd newes?

Aum. It came too late sir, for those loveliest eyes (Through which a soule look't so divinely loving, 145 Teares nothing uttering her distresse enough) She wept quite out, and, like two falling starres, Their dearest sights quite vanisht with her teares.

Cler. All good forbid it!

Gui. What events are these!

Cler. All must be borne, my lord; and yet this chance 150 Would willingly enforce a man to cast off All power to beare with comfort, since hee sees In this our comforts made our miseries.

Gui. How strangely thou art lov'd of both the sexes; Yet thou lov'st neyther, but the good of both. 155

Cler. In love of women my affection first Takes fire out of the fraile parts of my bloud; Which, till I have enjoy'd, is passionate Like other lovers; but, fruition past, I then love out of judgement, the desert 160 Of her I love still sticking in my heart, Though the desire and the delight be gone, Which must chance still, since the comparison Made upon tryall twixt what reason loves, And what affection, makes in mee the best 165 Ever preferd, what most love, valuing lest.

Gui. Thy love being judgement then, and of the minde, Marry thy worthiest mistresse now being blinde.

Cler. If there were love in mariage, so I would; But I denie that any man doth love, 170 Affecting wives, maides, widowes, any women: For neither flyes love milke, although they drowne In greedy search thereof; nor doth the bee Love honey, though the labour of her life Is spent in gathering it; nor those that fat 175 On beasts, or fowles, doe any thing therein For any love: for as when onely nature Moves men to meate, as farre as her power rules, Shee doth it with a temperate appetite, The too much men devoure abhorring nature, 180 And in our most health is our most disease: So, when humanitie rules men and women, Tis for societie confinde in reason. But what excites the beds desire in bloud, By no meanes justly can be construed love; 185 For when love kindles any knowing spirit, It ends in vertue and effects divine, And is in friendship chaste and masculine.

Gui. Thou shalt my mistresse be; me thinkes my bloud Is taken up to all love with thy vertues. 190 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; Performe thy brothers thus importun'd wreake; 195 And I will see what great affaires the King Hath to employ my counsell which he seemes Much to desire, and more and more esteemes. Exeunt.

LINENOTES:

53 doth oft like. Emended by ed.; Q, doth of like.

58 Lorraine. Emended by ed.; Q, Soccaine; see note on 55-61.

90 Repunctuated by ed.; Q has (;) at the end of the line.

141 All . . . renowne. Q, All the desert of good, renowne your Highnesse.

176 On. Shepherd, Phelps; Q, Or.

A Room at the Court.]