Part 74

Enter Henry, Baligny, with sixe of the guard.

Henry. Saw you his sawcie forcing of my hand To D'Ambois freedome?

Baligny. Saw, and through mine eyes Let fire into my heart, that burn'd to beare An insolence so giantly austere.

Hen. The more Kings beare at subjects hands, the more 5 Their lingring justice gathers; that resembles The waightie and the goodly-bodied eagle, Who (being on earth) before her shady wings Can raise her into ayre, a mightie way Close by the ground she runnes; but being aloft, 10 All shee commands, she flyes at; and the more Death in her seres beares, the more time shee stayes Her thundry stoope from that on which shee preyes.

Bal. You must be then more secret in the waight Of these your shadie counsels, who will else 15 Beare (where such sparkes flye as the Guise and D'Ambois) Pouder about them. Counsels (as your entrailes) Should be unpierst and sound kept; for not those Whom you discover you neglect; but ope A ruinous passage to your owne best hope. 20

Hen. Wee have spies set on us, as we on others; And therefore they that serve us must excuse us, If what wee most hold in our hearts take winde; Deceit hath eyes that see into the minde. But this plot shall be quicker then their twinckling, 25 On whose lids Fate with her dead waight shall lie, And confidence that lightens ere she die. Friends of my Guard, as yee gave othe to be True to your Soveraigne, keepe it manfully. Your eyes have witnest oft th'ambition 30 That never made accesse to me in Guise But treason ever sparkled in his eyes; Which if you free us of, our safetie shall You not our subjects but our patrons call.

Omnes. Our duties binde us; hee is now but dead. 35

Hen. Wee trust in it, and thanke ye. Baligny, Goe lodge their ambush, and thou God, that art Fautor of princes, thunder from the skies Beneath his hill of pride this gyant Guise. Exeunt.

A Room in Montsurry's House.]

Enter Tamyra with a letter, Charlotte in mans attire.

Tamyra. I see y'are servant, sir, to my deare sister, The lady of her loved Baligny.

Charlotte. Madame, I am bound to her vertuous bounties For that life which I offer, in her service, To the revenge of her renowned brother. 5

Tam. She writes to mee as much, and much desires That you may be the man, whose spirit shee knowes Will cut short off these long and dull delayes Hitherto bribing the eternall Justice: Which I beleeve, since her unmatched spirit 10 Can judge of spirits that have her sulphure in them. But I must tell you that I make no doubt Her living brother will revenge her dead, On whom the dead impos'd the taske, and hee, I know, will come t'effect it instantly. 15

Char. They are but words in him; beleeve them not.

Tam. See; this is the vault where he must enter; Where now I thinke hee is.

Enter Renel at the vault, with the Countesse being blinde.

Renel. God save you, lady! What gentleman is this, with whom you trust The deadly waightie secret of this houre? 20

Tam. One that your selfe will say I well may trust.

Ren. Then come up, madame. He helps the Countesse up. See here, honour'd lady, A Countesse that in loves mishap doth equall At all parts your wrong'd selfe, and is the mistresse Of your slaine servants brother; in whose love, 25 For his late treachrous apprehension, She wept her faire eyes from her ivory browes, And would have wept her soule out, had not I Promist to bring her to this mortall quarrie, That by her lost eyes for her servants love 30 She might conjure him from this sterne attempt, In which (by a most ominous dreame shee had) Shee knowes his death fixt, and that never more Out of this place the sunne shall see him live.

Char. I am provided, then, to take his place 35 And undertaking on me.

Ren. You sir, why?

Char. Since I am charg'd so by my mistresse, His mournfull sister.

Tam. See her letter, sir. Hee reades. Good madame, I rue your fate more then mine, And know not how to order these affaires, 40 They stand on such occurrents.

Ren. This, indeede, I know to be your lady mistresse hand; And know besides, his brother will and must Indure no hand in this revenge but his.

Enter Umbr Bussy.

Umbra. Away, dispute no more; get up, and see! 45 Clermont must auchthor this just tragedie.

Coun. Who's that?

Ren. The spirit of Bussy.