Enter[322]Young Mortimer.Y. Mor.The king must die, or Mortimer goes down.The commons now begin to pity him.Yet he that is the cause of Edward's death,Is sure to pay for it when his son's of age;And therefore will I do it cunningly.This letter, written by a friend of ours,Contains his death, yet bids them save his life. [Reads.Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum estFear not to kill the king 'tis good he die.But read it thus, and that's another sense:10Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum estKill not the king 'tis good to fear the worst.Unpointed as it is, thus shall it go,That, being dead, if it chance to be found,Matrevis and the rest may bear the blame,And we be quit that caused it to be done.Within this room is locked the messenger,That shall convey it, and perform the rest:And by a secret token that he bears,Shall he be murdered when the deed is done.—20Lightborn, come forth!EnterLightborn.Art thou so resolute as thou wast?Light.What else, my lord? and far more resolute.Y. Mor.And hast thou cast how to accomplish it?Light.I, I, and none shall know which way he died.Y. Mor.But at his looks, Lightborn, thou wilt relent.Light.Relent! ha, ha! I use much to relent.Y. Mor.Well, do it bravely, and be secret.Light.You shall not need to give instructions;'Tis not the first time I have killed a man.30I learned in Naples how to poison flowers;To strangle with a lawn thrust through[323]the throat;To pierce the windpipe with the needle's point;Or whilst one is asleep, to take a quillAnd blow a little powder in his ears:Or open his mouth and pour quicksilver down.And yet I have a braver way than these.Y. Mor.What's that?Light.Nay, you shall pardon me; none shall know my tricks.Y. Mor.I care not how it is, so it be not spied.40Deliver this to Gurney and Matrevis.At every ten mile end thou hast a horse.Take this, away, and never see me more.Light.No!Y. Mor.No;Unless thou bring me news of Edward's death.Light.That will I quickly do; farewell, my lord. [Exit.Y. Mor.The prince I rule, the queen do I command,And with a lowly congé to the ground,The proudest lords salute me as I pass:50I seal, I cancel, I do what I will:Feared am I more than loved—let me be feared;And when I frown, make all the court look pale.I view the prince with Aristarchus' eyes,Whose looks were as a breeching to a boy.They thrust upon me the protectorship,And sue to me for that that I desire.While at the council-table, grave enough,And not unlike a bashful puritan,First I complain of imbecility,60Saying it isonus quam gravissimum;Till being interrupted by my friends,Suscepithatprovinciamas they term it;And to conclude, I am Protector now.Now is all sure, the queen and MortimerShall rule the realm, the king; and none rules us.Mine enemies will I plague, my friends advance;And what I list command who dare control?Major sum quam cui possit fortuna nocere.[324]And that this be the coronation-day,70It pleaseth me, and Isabel the queen. [Trumpets within.The trumpets sound, I must go take my place.Enter[325]theYoung King,Archbishop,[326]Champion, Nobles,Queen.Archbishop.Long live King Edward, by the grace of God,King of England, and Lord of Ireland!Cham.If any Christian, Heathen, Turk, or Jew,Dare but affirm that Edward's not true king,And will avouch his saying with the sword,I am the champion that will combat with him.Y. Mor.None comes, sound trumpets.King.Champion, here's to thee. [Gives a purse.Queen.Lord Mortimer, now take him to your charge.80EnterSoldiers,with theEarl of Kentprisoner.Y. Mor.What traitor have we there with blades and bills?Sol.Edmund, the Earl of Kent.King.What hath he done?Sol.'A would have taken the king away perforce,As we were bringing him to Killingworth.Y. Mor.Did you attempt his rescue, Edmund? speak.Kent.Mortimer, I did; he is our king,And thou compell'st this prince to wear the crown.Y. Mor.Strike off his head, he shall have martial law.Kent.Strike off my head! base traitor, I defy thee.King.My lord, he is my uncle, and shall live.90Y. Mor.My lord, he is your enemy, and shall die.Kent.Stay, villains!King.Sweet mother, if I cannot pardon him,Entreat my Lord Protector for his life.Queen.Son, be content; I dare not speak a word.King.Nor I, and yet methinks I should command;But, seeing I cannot, I'll entreat for him,—My lord, if you will let my uncle live,I will requite it when I come to age.Y. Mor.Tis for your highness' good, and for the realm's.—100How often shall I bid you bear him hence?Kent.Art thou king? must I die at thy command?Y. Mor.At our command! once more away with him.Kent.Let me but stay and speak; I will not go.Either my brother or my son is king,And none of both them thirst for Edmund's blood.And therefore, soldiers, whither will you hale me?[They haleKentaway, and carry him to be beheaded.King.What safety may I look for at his hands,If that my uncle shall be murdered thus?Queen.Fear not, sweet boy, I'll guard thee from thy foes;110Had Edmund lived, he would have sought thy death.Come, son, we'll ride a hunting in the park.King.And shall my uncle Edmund ride with us?Queen.He is a traitor; think not on him; come.[Exeunt omnes.
Enter[322]Young Mortimer.
Y. Mor.The king must die, or Mortimer goes down.The commons now begin to pity him.Yet he that is the cause of Edward's death,Is sure to pay for it when his son's of age;And therefore will I do it cunningly.This letter, written by a friend of ours,Contains his death, yet bids them save his life. [Reads.Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum estFear not to kill the king 'tis good he die.But read it thus, and that's another sense:10Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum estKill not the king 'tis good to fear the worst.Unpointed as it is, thus shall it go,That, being dead, if it chance to be found,Matrevis and the rest may bear the blame,And we be quit that caused it to be done.Within this room is locked the messenger,That shall convey it, and perform the rest:And by a secret token that he bears,Shall he be murdered when the deed is done.—20Lightborn, come forth!
EnterLightborn.
Art thou so resolute as thou wast?
Light.What else, my lord? and far more resolute.
Y. Mor.And hast thou cast how to accomplish it?
Light.I, I, and none shall know which way he died.
Y. Mor.But at his looks, Lightborn, thou wilt relent.
Light.Relent! ha, ha! I use much to relent.
Y. Mor.Well, do it bravely, and be secret.
Light.You shall not need to give instructions;'Tis not the first time I have killed a man.30I learned in Naples how to poison flowers;To strangle with a lawn thrust through[323]the throat;To pierce the windpipe with the needle's point;Or whilst one is asleep, to take a quillAnd blow a little powder in his ears:Or open his mouth and pour quicksilver down.And yet I have a braver way than these.
Y. Mor.What's that?
Light.Nay, you shall pardon me; none shall know my tricks.
Y. Mor.I care not how it is, so it be not spied.40Deliver this to Gurney and Matrevis.At every ten mile end thou hast a horse.Take this, away, and never see me more.
Light.No!
Y. Mor.No;Unless thou bring me news of Edward's death.
Light.That will I quickly do; farewell, my lord. [Exit.
Y. Mor.The prince I rule, the queen do I command,And with a lowly congé to the ground,The proudest lords salute me as I pass:50I seal, I cancel, I do what I will:Feared am I more than loved—let me be feared;And when I frown, make all the court look pale.I view the prince with Aristarchus' eyes,Whose looks were as a breeching to a boy.They thrust upon me the protectorship,And sue to me for that that I desire.While at the council-table, grave enough,And not unlike a bashful puritan,First I complain of imbecility,60Saying it isonus quam gravissimum;Till being interrupted by my friends,Suscepithatprovinciamas they term it;And to conclude, I am Protector now.Now is all sure, the queen and MortimerShall rule the realm, the king; and none rules us.Mine enemies will I plague, my friends advance;And what I list command who dare control?Major sum quam cui possit fortuna nocere.[324]And that this be the coronation-day,70It pleaseth me, and Isabel the queen. [Trumpets within.The trumpets sound, I must go take my place.
Enter[325]theYoung King,Archbishop,[326]Champion, Nobles,Queen.
Archbishop.Long live King Edward, by the grace of God,King of England, and Lord of Ireland!
Cham.If any Christian, Heathen, Turk, or Jew,Dare but affirm that Edward's not true king,And will avouch his saying with the sword,I am the champion that will combat with him.
Y. Mor.None comes, sound trumpets.
King.Champion, here's to thee. [Gives a purse.
Queen.Lord Mortimer, now take him to your charge.80
EnterSoldiers,with theEarl of Kentprisoner.
Y. Mor.What traitor have we there with blades and bills?
Sol.Edmund, the Earl of Kent.
King.What hath he done?
Sol.'A would have taken the king away perforce,As we were bringing him to Killingworth.
Y. Mor.Did you attempt his rescue, Edmund? speak.
Kent.Mortimer, I did; he is our king,And thou compell'st this prince to wear the crown.
Y. Mor.Strike off his head, he shall have martial law.
Kent.Strike off my head! base traitor, I defy thee.
King.My lord, he is my uncle, and shall live.90
Y. Mor.My lord, he is your enemy, and shall die.
Kent.Stay, villains!
King.Sweet mother, if I cannot pardon him,Entreat my Lord Protector for his life.
Queen.Son, be content; I dare not speak a word.
King.Nor I, and yet methinks I should command;But, seeing I cannot, I'll entreat for him,—My lord, if you will let my uncle live,I will requite it when I come to age.
Y. Mor.Tis for your highness' good, and for the realm's.—100How often shall I bid you bear him hence?
Kent.Art thou king? must I die at thy command?
Y. Mor.At our command! once more away with him.
Kent.Let me but stay and speak; I will not go.Either my brother or my son is king,And none of both them thirst for Edmund's blood.And therefore, soldiers, whither will you hale me?[They haleKentaway, and carry him to be beheaded.
King.What safety may I look for at his hands,If that my uncle shall be murdered thus?
Queen.Fear not, sweet boy, I'll guard thee from thy foes;110Had Edmund lived, he would have sought thy death.Come, son, we'll ride a hunting in the park.
King.And shall my uncle Edmund ride with us?
Queen.He is a traitor; think not on him; come.[Exeunt omnes.
Enter[327]MatrevisandGurney.Mat.Gurney, I wonder the king dies not,Being in a vault up to the knees in water,To which the channels of the castle run,From whence a damp continually ariseth,That were enough to poison any man,Much more a king brought up so tenderly.Gur.And so do I, Matrevis: yesternightI opened but the door to throw him meat,And I was almost stifled with the savour.Mat.He hath a body able to endure10More than we can inflict: and therefore nowLet us assail his mind another while.Gur.Send for him out thence, and I will anger him.Mat.But stay, who's this?EnterLightborn.Light.My Lord Protector greets you.Gur.What's here? I know not how to construe it.Mat.Gurney, it was left unpointed for the nonce;Edwardum occidere nolite timere,That's his meaning.Light.Know ye this token? I must have the king.Mat.I, stay awhile, thou shalt have answer straight.20This villain's sent to make away the king. [Aside.Gur.I thought as much. [Aside.Mat.And when the murder's done,See how he must be handled for his labour.Pereat iste!Let him have the king. [Aside.What else? here is the keys, this is the lake,[328]Do as you are commanded by my lord.Light.I know what I must do; get you away.Yet be not far off, I shall need your help;See that in the next room I have a fire,And get me a spit, and let it be red-hot.30Mat.Very well.Gur.Need you anything besides?Light.What else? A table and a feather-bed.Gur.That's all?Light.I, I; so, when I call you, bringIt in.Mat.Fear not thou that.Gur.Here's a light,To go into the dungeon. [Gives light, and exit withMatrevis.Light. So[329]nowMust I about this gear;[330]ne'er was there anySo finely handled as this king shall be.Foh, here's a place indeed, with all my heart!Edw. Who's there? what light is that? wherefore com'st thou?Light.To comfort you, and bring you joyful news.40Edw.Small comfort finds poor Edward in thy looks.Villain, I know thou com'st to murder me.Light.To murder you, my most gracious lord!Far is it from my heart to do you harm.The queen sent me to see how you were used,For she relents at this your misery:And what eyes can refrain from shedding tears,To see a king in this most piteous state?Edw.Weep'st thou already? list awhile to me.And then thy heart, were it as Gurney's is,50Or as Matrevis', hewn from the Caucasus,Yet will it melt, ere I have done my tale.This dungeon where they keep me is the sinkWherein the filth of all the castle falls.Light.O villains!Edw.And there in mire and puddle have I stoodThis ten days' space; and, lest that I should sleep,One plays continually upon a drum.They give me bread and water, being a king;So that, for want of sleep and sustenance,60My mind's distempered, and my body's numbed,And whether I have limbs or no I know not.O, would my blood dropped out from every vein,As doth this water from my tattered[331]robes.Tell Isabel, the queen, I looked not thus,When for her sake I ran at tilt in France,And there unhorsed the Duke of Cleremont.Light.O speak no more, my lord! this breaks my heart.Lie on this bed,[332]and rest yourself awhile.Edw.These looks of thine can harbour nought but death:70I see my tragedy written in thy brows.Yet stay; awhile forbear thy bloody hand,And let me see the stroke before it comes,That[333]even then when I shall lose my life,My mind may be more steadfast on my God.Light.What means your highness to mistrust me thus?Edw.What mean'st thou to dissemble with me thus?Light.These hands were never stained with innocent blood,Nor shall they now be tainted with a king's.79Edw.Forgive my thought[334]for having such a thought.One jewel have I left, receive thou this. [Giving jewel.Still fear I, and I know not what's the cause,But every joint shakes as I give it thee.O, if thou harbour'st murder in thy heart,Let this gift change thy mind, and save thy soul!Know that I am a king: O! at that nameI feel a hell of grief; where is my crown?Gone, gone; and do I remain alive?[335]Light.You're overwatched, my lord; lie down and rest.Edw.But that grief keeps me waking, I should sleep,90For not these ten days have these eyes' lids[336]closed.Now as I speak they fall, and yet with fearOpen again. O wherefore sitt'st thou here?Light.If you mistrust me, I'll begone, my lord.Edw.No, no, for if thou mean'st to murder me,Thou wilt return again, and therefore stay. [Sleeps.Light.He sleeps.Edw.[awakes.] O let me not die yet;[337]stay, O stay a while!Light.How now, my lord?Edw.Something still buzzeth in mine ears,100And tells me if I sleep I never wake;This fear is that which makes me tremble thus.And therefore tell me, wherefore art thou come.Light.To rid thee of thy life; Matrevis, come.EnterMatrevisandGurney.Edw.I am too weak and feeble to resist:Assist me, sweet God, and receive my soul.Light.Run for the table.Edw.O spare me, or despatch me in a trice.Light.So, lay the table down, and stamp on it,But not too hard, lest that you bruise his body. [King Edwardis murdered.110Mat.I fear me that this cry will raise the town,And therefore, let us take horse and away.Light.Tell me, sirs, was it not bravely done?Gur.Excellent well: take this for thy reward. [GurneystabsLightborn.Come, let us cast the body in the moat,And bear the king's to Mortimer our lord:Away![Exeunt with the bodies.
Enter[327]MatrevisandGurney.
Mat.Gurney, I wonder the king dies not,Being in a vault up to the knees in water,To which the channels of the castle run,From whence a damp continually ariseth,That were enough to poison any man,Much more a king brought up so tenderly.
Gur.And so do I, Matrevis: yesternightI opened but the door to throw him meat,And I was almost stifled with the savour.
Mat.He hath a body able to endure10More than we can inflict: and therefore nowLet us assail his mind another while.
Gur.Send for him out thence, and I will anger him.
Mat.But stay, who's this?
EnterLightborn.
Light.My Lord Protector greets you.
Gur.What's here? I know not how to construe it.
Mat.Gurney, it was left unpointed for the nonce;Edwardum occidere nolite timere,That's his meaning.
Light.Know ye this token? I must have the king.
Mat.I, stay awhile, thou shalt have answer straight.20This villain's sent to make away the king. [Aside.
Gur.I thought as much. [Aside.
Mat.And when the murder's done,See how he must be handled for his labour.Pereat iste!Let him have the king. [Aside.What else? here is the keys, this is the lake,[328]Do as you are commanded by my lord.
Light.I know what I must do; get you away.Yet be not far off, I shall need your help;See that in the next room I have a fire,And get me a spit, and let it be red-hot.30
Mat.Very well.
Gur.Need you anything besides?
Light.What else? A table and a feather-bed.
Gur.That's all?
Light.I, I; so, when I call you, bringIt in.
Mat.Fear not thou that.
Gur.Here's a light,To go into the dungeon. [Gives light, and exit withMatrevis.
Light. So[329]nowMust I about this gear;[330]ne'er was there anySo finely handled as this king shall be.Foh, here's a place indeed, with all my heart!
Edw. Who's there? what light is that? wherefore com'st thou?
Light.To comfort you, and bring you joyful news.40
Edw.Small comfort finds poor Edward in thy looks.Villain, I know thou com'st to murder me.
Light.To murder you, my most gracious lord!Far is it from my heart to do you harm.The queen sent me to see how you were used,For she relents at this your misery:And what eyes can refrain from shedding tears,To see a king in this most piteous state?
Edw.Weep'st thou already? list awhile to me.And then thy heart, were it as Gurney's is,50Or as Matrevis', hewn from the Caucasus,Yet will it melt, ere I have done my tale.This dungeon where they keep me is the sinkWherein the filth of all the castle falls.
Light.O villains!
Edw.And there in mire and puddle have I stoodThis ten days' space; and, lest that I should sleep,One plays continually upon a drum.They give me bread and water, being a king;So that, for want of sleep and sustenance,60My mind's distempered, and my body's numbed,And whether I have limbs or no I know not.O, would my blood dropped out from every vein,As doth this water from my tattered[331]robes.Tell Isabel, the queen, I looked not thus,When for her sake I ran at tilt in France,And there unhorsed the Duke of Cleremont.
Light.O speak no more, my lord! this breaks my heart.Lie on this bed,[332]and rest yourself awhile.
Edw.These looks of thine can harbour nought but death:70I see my tragedy written in thy brows.Yet stay; awhile forbear thy bloody hand,And let me see the stroke before it comes,That[333]even then when I shall lose my life,My mind may be more steadfast on my God.
Light.What means your highness to mistrust me thus?
Edw.What mean'st thou to dissemble with me thus?
Light.These hands were never stained with innocent blood,Nor shall they now be tainted with a king's.79
Edw.Forgive my thought[334]for having such a thought.One jewel have I left, receive thou this. [Giving jewel.Still fear I, and I know not what's the cause,But every joint shakes as I give it thee.O, if thou harbour'st murder in thy heart,Let this gift change thy mind, and save thy soul!Know that I am a king: O! at that nameI feel a hell of grief; where is my crown?Gone, gone; and do I remain alive?[335]
Light.You're overwatched, my lord; lie down and rest.
Edw.But that grief keeps me waking, I should sleep,90For not these ten days have these eyes' lids[336]closed.Now as I speak they fall, and yet with fearOpen again. O wherefore sitt'st thou here?
Light.If you mistrust me, I'll begone, my lord.
Edw.No, no, for if thou mean'st to murder me,Thou wilt return again, and therefore stay. [Sleeps.
Light.He sleeps.
Edw.[awakes.] O let me not die yet;[337]stay, O stay a while!
Light.How now, my lord?
Edw.Something still buzzeth in mine ears,100And tells me if I sleep I never wake;This fear is that which makes me tremble thus.And therefore tell me, wherefore art thou come.
Light.To rid thee of thy life; Matrevis, come.
EnterMatrevisandGurney.
Edw.I am too weak and feeble to resist:Assist me, sweet God, and receive my soul.
Light.Run for the table.
Edw.O spare me, or despatch me in a trice.
Light.So, lay the table down, and stamp on it,But not too hard, lest that you bruise his body. [King Edwardis murdered.110
Mat.I fear me that this cry will raise the town,And therefore, let us take horse and away.
Light.Tell me, sirs, was it not bravely done?
Gur.Excellent well: take this for thy reward. [GurneystabsLightborn.Come, let us cast the body in the moat,And bear the king's to Mortimer our lord:Away![Exeunt with the bodies.
Enter[338]MortimerandMatrevis.Y. Mor.Is't done, Matrevis, and the murderer dead?Mat.I, my good lord; I would it were undone.Y. Mor.Matrevis, if thou now[339]growest penitentI'll be thy ghostly father; therefore chuse,Whether thou wilt be secret in this,Or else die by the hand of Mortimer.Mat.Gurney, my lord, is fled, and will, I fear,Betray us both, therefore let me fly.Y. Mor.Fly to the savages.Mat.I humbly thank your honour.10Y. Mor.As for myself, I stand as Jove's huge tree;And others are but shrubs compared to me.All tremble at my name, and I fear none;Let's see who dare impeach me for his death.Enter theQueen.Queen.Ah, Mortimer, the king my son hath newsHis father's dead, and we have murdered him.Y. Mor.What if he have? the king is yet a child.Queen.I,[340]but he tears his hair, and wrings his hands,And vows to be revenged upon us both.Into the council-chamber he is gone,20To crave the aid and succour of his peers.Aye me! see where he comes, and they with him;Now, Mortimer, begins our tragedy.Enter theKing,with theLords.First[341]Lord.Fear not, my lord, know that you are a king.King.Villain!Y. Mor.Ho,[342]now, my lord!King.Think not that I am frighted with thy words!My father's murdered through thy treachery;And thou shalt die, and on his mournful hearseThy hateful and accursèd head shall lie,To witness to the world, that by thy means30His kingly body was too soon interred.Queen.Weep not, sweet son!King.Forbid me not to weep, he was my father;And, had you loved him half so well as I,You could not bear his death thus patiently.But you, I fear, conspired with Mortimer.First[343]Lord.Why speak you not unto my lord the king?Y. Mor.Because I think scorn to be accused.Who is the man dares say I murdered him?King.Traitor! in me my loving father speaks,40And plainly saith, 'twas thou that murder'dst him.Y. Mor.But has your grace no other proof than this?King.Yes, if this be the hand of Mortimer.Y. Mor.False Gurney hath betrayed me and himself. [Aside.Queen.I feared as much; murder cannot be hid. [Aside.Y. Mor.It is my hand; what gather you by this?King.That thither thou didst send a murderer.Y. Mor.What murderer? Bring forth the man I sent.King.I, Mortimer, thou knowest that he is slain;And so shalt thou be too. Why stays he here?50Bring him unto a hurdle, drag him forth,Hang him, I say, and set his quarters up,But bring his head back presently to me.Queen.For my sake, sweet son, pity Mortimer.Y. Mor.Madam, entreat not, I will rather die,Than sue for life unto a paltry boy.King.Hence with the traitor! with the murderer!Y. Mor.Base Fortune, now I see, that in thy wheelThere is a point, to which when men aspire,They tumble headlong down: that point I touched,60And, seeing there was no place to mount up higher,Why should I grieve at my declining fall?Farewell, fair queen; weep not for Mortimer,That scorns the world, and, as a traveller,Goes to discover countries yet unknown.King.What! suffer you the traitor to delay? [Mortimeris taken away.Queen.As thou receivedst thy life from me,Spill not the blood of gentle Mortimer.King.This argues that you spilt my father's blood,Else would you not entreat for Mortimer.70Queen.I spill his blood? no.[344]King.I, madam, you; for so the rumour runs.Queen.That rumour is untrue; for loving thee,Is this report raised on poor Isabel.King.I do not think her so unnatural.Second[345]Lord.My lord, I fear me it will prove too true.King.Mother, you are suspected for his death,And therefore we commit you to the TowerTill farther trial may be made thereof;If you be guilty, though I be your son,80Think not to find me slack or pitiful.Queen.Nay, to my death, for too long have I lived,Whenas my son thinks to abridge my days.King.Away with her, her words enforce these tears,And I shall pity her if she speak again.Queen.Shall I not mourn for my beloved lord,And with the rest accompany him to his[346]grave?Second Lord.Thus, madam, 'tis the king's will you shall hence.Queen.He hath forgotten me; stay, I am his mother.Second[347]Lord.That boots not; therefore, gentle madam, go.Queen.Then come, sweet death, and rid me of this grief. [Exit.90Re-enter aLord,with the head ofMortimer.Lord.My lord, here is the head of Mortimer.King.Go fetch my father's hearse, where it shall lie;And bring my funeral robes. Accursèd head,Could I have ruled thee then, as I do now,Thou had'st not hatched this monstrous treachery.Here comes the hearse; help me to mourn, my lords.Sweet father, here unto thy murdered ghostI offer up this wicked traitor's head;And let these tears, distilling from mine eyes,Be witness of my grief and innocency.[Exeunt.100
Enter[338]MortimerandMatrevis.
Y. Mor.Is't done, Matrevis, and the murderer dead?
Mat.I, my good lord; I would it were undone.
Y. Mor.Matrevis, if thou now[339]growest penitentI'll be thy ghostly father; therefore chuse,Whether thou wilt be secret in this,Or else die by the hand of Mortimer.
Mat.Gurney, my lord, is fled, and will, I fear,Betray us both, therefore let me fly.
Y. Mor.Fly to the savages.
Mat.I humbly thank your honour.10
Y. Mor.As for myself, I stand as Jove's huge tree;And others are but shrubs compared to me.All tremble at my name, and I fear none;Let's see who dare impeach me for his death.
Enter theQueen.
Queen.Ah, Mortimer, the king my son hath newsHis father's dead, and we have murdered him.
Y. Mor.What if he have? the king is yet a child.
Queen.I,[340]but he tears his hair, and wrings his hands,And vows to be revenged upon us both.Into the council-chamber he is gone,20To crave the aid and succour of his peers.Aye me! see where he comes, and they with him;Now, Mortimer, begins our tragedy.
Enter theKing,with theLords.
First[341]Lord.Fear not, my lord, know that you are a king.
King.Villain!
Y. Mor.Ho,[342]now, my lord!
King.Think not that I am frighted with thy words!My father's murdered through thy treachery;And thou shalt die, and on his mournful hearseThy hateful and accursèd head shall lie,To witness to the world, that by thy means30His kingly body was too soon interred.
Queen.Weep not, sweet son!
King.Forbid me not to weep, he was my father;And, had you loved him half so well as I,You could not bear his death thus patiently.But you, I fear, conspired with Mortimer.
First[343]Lord.Why speak you not unto my lord the king?
Y. Mor.Because I think scorn to be accused.Who is the man dares say I murdered him?
King.Traitor! in me my loving father speaks,40And plainly saith, 'twas thou that murder'dst him.
Y. Mor.But has your grace no other proof than this?
King.Yes, if this be the hand of Mortimer.
Y. Mor.False Gurney hath betrayed me and himself. [Aside.
Queen.I feared as much; murder cannot be hid. [Aside.
Y. Mor.It is my hand; what gather you by this?
King.That thither thou didst send a murderer.
Y. Mor.What murderer? Bring forth the man I sent.
King.I, Mortimer, thou knowest that he is slain;And so shalt thou be too. Why stays he here?50Bring him unto a hurdle, drag him forth,Hang him, I say, and set his quarters up,But bring his head back presently to me.
Queen.For my sake, sweet son, pity Mortimer.
Y. Mor.Madam, entreat not, I will rather die,Than sue for life unto a paltry boy.
King.Hence with the traitor! with the murderer!
Y. Mor.Base Fortune, now I see, that in thy wheelThere is a point, to which when men aspire,They tumble headlong down: that point I touched,60And, seeing there was no place to mount up higher,Why should I grieve at my declining fall?Farewell, fair queen; weep not for Mortimer,That scorns the world, and, as a traveller,Goes to discover countries yet unknown.
King.What! suffer you the traitor to delay? [Mortimeris taken away.
Queen.As thou receivedst thy life from me,Spill not the blood of gentle Mortimer.
King.This argues that you spilt my father's blood,Else would you not entreat for Mortimer.70
Queen.I spill his blood? no.[344]
King.I, madam, you; for so the rumour runs.
Queen.That rumour is untrue; for loving thee,Is this report raised on poor Isabel.
King.I do not think her so unnatural.
Second[345]Lord.My lord, I fear me it will prove too true.
King.Mother, you are suspected for his death,And therefore we commit you to the TowerTill farther trial may be made thereof;If you be guilty, though I be your son,80Think not to find me slack or pitiful.
Queen.Nay, to my death, for too long have I lived,Whenas my son thinks to abridge my days.
King.Away with her, her words enforce these tears,And I shall pity her if she speak again.
Queen.Shall I not mourn for my beloved lord,And with the rest accompany him to his[346]grave?
Second Lord.Thus, madam, 'tis the king's will you shall hence.
Queen.He hath forgotten me; stay, I am his mother.
Second[347]Lord.That boots not; therefore, gentle madam, go.
Queen.Then come, sweet death, and rid me of this grief. [Exit.90
Re-enter aLord,with the head ofMortimer.
Lord.My lord, here is the head of Mortimer.
King.Go fetch my father's hearse, where it shall lie;And bring my funeral robes. Accursèd head,Could I have ruled thee then, as I do now,Thou had'st not hatched this monstrous treachery.Here comes the hearse; help me to mourn, my lords.Sweet father, here unto thy murdered ghostI offer up this wicked traitor's head;And let these tears, distilling from mine eyes,Be witness of my grief and innocency.[Exeunt.100
OfThe Massacre at Paristhere is only one early edition, an undated 8vo. (printedcirc.1596?) The title is:—
The Massacre at Paris: With the death of the Duke of Guise. As it was plaide by the right honourable the Lord high Admirall his Seruants. Written by Christopher Marlowe. At London Printed by E. A. for Edward White, dwelling neere the little North doore of S. Paules Church at the signe of the Gun.
PERSONS REPRESENTED.
Charles the Ninth,king of France.Duke of Anjou,his Brother, afterwardsKing Henry the Third.King of Navarre.Prince of Condé,his Cousin.Duke of Guise, }Cardinal of Lorraine, }Brothers.Duke Dumaine, }Son to theDuke of Guise,a Boy.The Lord High Admiral.Duke Joyeux.Epernoun.Pleshè.Bartus.Two Lords of Poland.Gonzago.Retes.Mountsorrell.Mugeroun.Loreine,a Preacher.Seroune.Ramus.Talæus.Friar.Surgeon.English Agent.Apothecary.Cutpurse.Captain of the Guard, Protestants, Schoolmasters, Soldiers,Murderers, Attendants, &c.Catherine, the Queen-Mother of France.Margaret,her Daughter, wife to theKing of Navarre.The Old Queen of Navarre.Duchess of Guise.Wife toSeroune.Maid to theDuchess of Guise.
EnterCharles,[348]the French king;Catherine,the Queen-Mother; theKing of Navarre;Margaret,Queen of Navarre;thePrince of Condé;theLord HighAdmiral;theOld Queen of Navarre;with others.Char.Prince of Navarre, my honourable brother,Prince Condé, and my good Lord Admiral,I wish this union and religious league,Knit in these hands, thus joined in nuptial rites,May not dissolve till death dissolve our lives;And that the native sparks of princely love,That kindled first this motion in our hearts,May still be fuelled in our progeny.Nav.The many favours which your grace hath shown,From time to time, but specially in this,10Shall bind me ever to your highness' will,In what Queen-Mother or your grace commands.Cath.Thanks, son Navarre. You see we love you well,That link you in marriage with our daughter here;And, as you know, our difference in religionMight be a means to cross you in your love,—Char.Well, madam, let that rest.—And now, my lords, the marriage rites performed,We think it good to go and cònsummateThe rest with hearing of a holy mass.—20Sister, I think yourself will bear us company.Mar.I will, my good lord.Char.The rest that will not go, my lords, may stay.—Come, mother,Let us go to honour this solemnity.Cath.Which I'll dissolve with blood and cruelty. [Aside.[Exeunt all except theKing of Navarre,Condé,and theAdmiral.Nav.Prince Condé, and my good Lord Admiral,Now Guise may storm, but do us little hurt,Having the king, Queen-Mother on our sides,To stop the malice of his envious heart,30That seeks to murder all the Protestants.Have you not heard of late how he decreed(If that the king had given consent thereto)That all the Protestants that are in ParisShould have been murderèd the other night?Adm.My lord, I marvel that th' aspiring GuiseDares once adventure, without the king's consent,To meddle or attempt such dangerous things.Con.My lord, you need not marvel at the Guise,For what he doth, the Pope will ratify,40In murder, mischief, or in tyranny.Nav.But he that sits and rules above the cloudsDoth hear and see the prayers of the just,And will revenge the blood of innocents,That Guise hath slain by treason of his heart,And brought by murder to their timeless[349]ends.Adm.My lord, but did you mark the Cardinal,The Guise's brother, and the Duke Dumaine,How they did storm at these your nuptial rites,Because the house of Bourbon now comes in,50And joins your lineage to the crown of France?Nav.And that's the cause that Guise so frowns at us,And beats his brains to catch us in his trap,Which he hath pitched within his deadly toil.Come, my lords, let's go to the church, and prayThat God may still defend the right of France,And make his Gospel flourish in this land.[Exeunt.
EnterCharles,[348]the French king;Catherine,the Queen-Mother; theKing of Navarre;Margaret,Queen of Navarre;thePrince of Condé;theLord HighAdmiral;theOld Queen of Navarre;with others.
Char.Prince of Navarre, my honourable brother,Prince Condé, and my good Lord Admiral,I wish this union and religious league,Knit in these hands, thus joined in nuptial rites,May not dissolve till death dissolve our lives;And that the native sparks of princely love,That kindled first this motion in our hearts,May still be fuelled in our progeny.
Nav.The many favours which your grace hath shown,From time to time, but specially in this,10Shall bind me ever to your highness' will,In what Queen-Mother or your grace commands.
Cath.Thanks, son Navarre. You see we love you well,That link you in marriage with our daughter here;And, as you know, our difference in religionMight be a means to cross you in your love,—
Char.Well, madam, let that rest.—And now, my lords, the marriage rites performed,We think it good to go and cònsummateThe rest with hearing of a holy mass.—20Sister, I think yourself will bear us company.
Mar.I will, my good lord.
Char.The rest that will not go, my lords, may stay.—Come, mother,Let us go to honour this solemnity.
Cath.Which I'll dissolve with blood and cruelty. [Aside.[Exeunt all except theKing of Navarre,Condé,and theAdmiral.
Nav.Prince Condé, and my good Lord Admiral,Now Guise may storm, but do us little hurt,Having the king, Queen-Mother on our sides,To stop the malice of his envious heart,30That seeks to murder all the Protestants.Have you not heard of late how he decreed(If that the king had given consent thereto)That all the Protestants that are in ParisShould have been murderèd the other night?
Adm.My lord, I marvel that th' aspiring GuiseDares once adventure, without the king's consent,To meddle or attempt such dangerous things.
Con.My lord, you need not marvel at the Guise,For what he doth, the Pope will ratify,40In murder, mischief, or in tyranny.
Nav.But he that sits and rules above the cloudsDoth hear and see the prayers of the just,And will revenge the blood of innocents,That Guise hath slain by treason of his heart,And brought by murder to their timeless[349]ends.
Adm.My lord, but did you mark the Cardinal,The Guise's brother, and the Duke Dumaine,How they did storm at these your nuptial rites,Because the house of Bourbon now comes in,50And joins your lineage to the crown of France?
Nav.And that's the cause that Guise so frowns at us,And beats his brains to catch us in his trap,Which he hath pitched within his deadly toil.Come, my lords, let's go to the church, and prayThat God may still defend the right of France,And make his Gospel flourish in this land.[Exeunt.
EnterGuise.[350]Guise.If ever Hymen lour'd at marriage rites,And had his altars decked with dusky lights;If ever sun stained heaven with bloody clouds,And made it look with terror on the world;If ever day were turned to ugly night,And night made semblance of the hue of hell;This day, this hour, this fatal night,Shall fully show the fury of them all.—Apothecary!EnterApothecary.Apoth.My lord?10Guise.Now shall I prove, and guerdon to the full,The love thou bear'st unto the house of Guise.Where are those perfumed gloves which [late] I sentTo be poisoned? hast thou done them? speak;Will every savour breed a pang of death?Apoth.See where they be, my good lord; and he that smellsBut to them, dies.Guise.Then thou remainest resolute?Apoth.I am, my lord, in what your grace commands,Till death.Guise.Thanks, my good friend: I will requite thy love.Go, then, present them to the Queen Navarre;20For she is that huge blemish in our eye,That makes these upstart heresies in France:Be gone, my friend, present them to her straight. [ExitApothecary.Soldier!Enter aSoldier.Sold.My lord?Guise.Now come thou forth and play thy tragic part:Stand in some window,[351]opening near the street,And when thou see'st the Admiral ride by,Discharge thy musket, and perform his death;And then I'll guerdon thee with store of crowns.30Sold.I will, my lord. [Exit.Guise.Now, Guise, begin those deep-engendered thoughtsTo burst abroad those never-dying flamesWhich cannot be extinguished but by blood.Oft have I levelled, and at last have learn'dThat peril is the cheapest way to happiness,And resolution honour's fairest aim.What glory is there in a common good,That hangs for every peasant to achieve?That like I best that flies beyond my reach.40Set me to scale the high Pyramides,And thereon set the diadem of France;I'll either rend it with my nails to naught,Or mount the top with my aspiring wings,Although my downfall be the deepest hell.For this I wake, when others think I sleep;For this I wait, that scorn attendance else;For this, my quenchless thirst, whereon I build,Hath often pleaded kindred to the king;For this, this head, this heart, this hand, and sword,50Contrives, imagines, and fully executes,Matters of import aimèd at by many,Yet understood by none;For this, hath heaven engendered me of earth;For this, this earth sustains my body's weight,And with this weight I'll counterpoise a crown,Or with seditions weary all the world;For this, from Spain the stately CatholicsSend Indian gold to coin me French ecues;[352]For this, have I a largess from the Pope,60A pension, and a dispensation too;And by that privilege to work upon,My policy hath fram'd religion.Religion!O Diabole!Fie, I am asham'd, however that I seem,To think a word of such a simple sound,Of so great matter should be made the ground!The gentle king, whose pleasure uncontroll'dWeakeneth his body, and will waste his realm,If I repair not what he ruinates,[353]—70Him, as a child, I daily win with words,So that for proof he barely bears the name;I execute, and he sustains the blame.The Mother-Queen works wonders for my sake,And in my love entombs the hope of France,Rifling the bowels of her treasury,To supply my wants and necessity.Paris hath full five hundred colleges,As monasteries, priories, abbeys, and halls,Wherein are thirty thousand able men,80Besides a thousand sturdy student Catholics:And more,—of my knowledge, in one cloister keep[354]Five hundred fat Franciscan friars and priests:All this, and more, if more may be comprised,To bring the will of our desires to end.Then, Guise,Since thou hast all the cards within thy hands,To shuffle or cut, take this as surest thing,That, right or wrong, thou deal thyself a king.—I, but, Navarre,[355]—'tis but a nook of France,90Sufficient yet for such a petty king,That, with a rabblement of his heretics,Blinds Europe's eyes, and troubleth our estate.Him will we— [Pointing to his sword]but first let's follow those in FranceThat hinder our possession to the crown.As Cæsar to his soldiers, so say I,—Those that hate me will I learn to loathe.Give me a look, that, when I bend the brows,Pale death may walk in furrows of my face;A hand, that with a grasp may gripe the world;100An ear to hear what my detractors say;A royal seat, a sceptre, and a crown;That those which do behold, they[356]may becomeAs men that stand and gaze against the sun.The plot is laid, and things shall come to passWhere resolution strives for victory.[Exit.
EnterGuise.[350]
Guise.If ever Hymen lour'd at marriage rites,And had his altars decked with dusky lights;If ever sun stained heaven with bloody clouds,And made it look with terror on the world;If ever day were turned to ugly night,And night made semblance of the hue of hell;This day, this hour, this fatal night,Shall fully show the fury of them all.—Apothecary!
EnterApothecary.
Apoth.My lord?10
Guise.Now shall I prove, and guerdon to the full,The love thou bear'st unto the house of Guise.Where are those perfumed gloves which [late] I sentTo be poisoned? hast thou done them? speak;Will every savour breed a pang of death?
Apoth.See where they be, my good lord; and he that smellsBut to them, dies.
Guise.Then thou remainest resolute?
Apoth.I am, my lord, in what your grace commands,Till death.
Guise.Thanks, my good friend: I will requite thy love.Go, then, present them to the Queen Navarre;20For she is that huge blemish in our eye,That makes these upstart heresies in France:Be gone, my friend, present them to her straight. [ExitApothecary.Soldier!
Enter aSoldier.
Sold.My lord?
Guise.Now come thou forth and play thy tragic part:Stand in some window,[351]opening near the street,And when thou see'st the Admiral ride by,Discharge thy musket, and perform his death;And then I'll guerdon thee with store of crowns.30
Sold.I will, my lord. [Exit.
Guise.Now, Guise, begin those deep-engendered thoughtsTo burst abroad those never-dying flamesWhich cannot be extinguished but by blood.Oft have I levelled, and at last have learn'dThat peril is the cheapest way to happiness,And resolution honour's fairest aim.What glory is there in a common good,That hangs for every peasant to achieve?That like I best that flies beyond my reach.40Set me to scale the high Pyramides,And thereon set the diadem of France;I'll either rend it with my nails to naught,Or mount the top with my aspiring wings,Although my downfall be the deepest hell.For this I wake, when others think I sleep;For this I wait, that scorn attendance else;For this, my quenchless thirst, whereon I build,Hath often pleaded kindred to the king;For this, this head, this heart, this hand, and sword,50Contrives, imagines, and fully executes,Matters of import aimèd at by many,Yet understood by none;For this, hath heaven engendered me of earth;For this, this earth sustains my body's weight,And with this weight I'll counterpoise a crown,Or with seditions weary all the world;For this, from Spain the stately CatholicsSend Indian gold to coin me French ecues;[352]For this, have I a largess from the Pope,60A pension, and a dispensation too;And by that privilege to work upon,My policy hath fram'd religion.Religion!O Diabole!Fie, I am asham'd, however that I seem,To think a word of such a simple sound,Of so great matter should be made the ground!The gentle king, whose pleasure uncontroll'dWeakeneth his body, and will waste his realm,If I repair not what he ruinates,[353]—70Him, as a child, I daily win with words,So that for proof he barely bears the name;I execute, and he sustains the blame.The Mother-Queen works wonders for my sake,And in my love entombs the hope of France,Rifling the bowels of her treasury,To supply my wants and necessity.Paris hath full five hundred colleges,As monasteries, priories, abbeys, and halls,Wherein are thirty thousand able men,80Besides a thousand sturdy student Catholics:And more,—of my knowledge, in one cloister keep[354]Five hundred fat Franciscan friars and priests:All this, and more, if more may be comprised,To bring the will of our desires to end.Then, Guise,Since thou hast all the cards within thy hands,To shuffle or cut, take this as surest thing,That, right or wrong, thou deal thyself a king.—I, but, Navarre,[355]—'tis but a nook of France,90Sufficient yet for such a petty king,That, with a rabblement of his heretics,Blinds Europe's eyes, and troubleth our estate.Him will we— [Pointing to his sword]but first let's follow those in FranceThat hinder our possession to the crown.As Cæsar to his soldiers, so say I,—Those that hate me will I learn to loathe.Give me a look, that, when I bend the brows,Pale death may walk in furrows of my face;A hand, that with a grasp may gripe the world;100An ear to hear what my detractors say;A royal seat, a sceptre, and a crown;That those which do behold, they[356]may becomeAs men that stand and gaze against the sun.The plot is laid, and things shall come to passWhere resolution strives for victory.[Exit.