[Exit murtherers.]
These two will make one entire Duke of Guise, Especially with our olde mothers helpe.
EPERNOUNE. My Lord, see where she comes, as if she droupt To heare these newest
Enter Queene Mother [attended].
KING. And let her croup, my heart is light enough.
Mother, how like you this device of mine?
I slew the Guise, because I would be King.
QUEENE MOTHER. King, why so thou wert before.
Pray G.o.d thou be a King now this is done.
KING. Nay he was King and countermanded me, But now I will be King and rule my selfe, And make the Guisians stoup that are alive.
QUEENE MOTHER. I cannot speak for greefe: when thou went home, I would that I had murdered thee my sonne.
My sonne: thou art a changeling, not my sonne.
I curse thee and exclaime thee miscreant, Traitor to G.o.d, and to the realme of France.
KING. Cry out, exclaime, houle till thy throat be h.o.a.rce, The Guise is slaine, and I rejoyce therefore: And now will I to armes, come Epernoune: And let her greeve her heart out if she will.
Exit the King and Epernoune.
QUEENE MOTHER. Away, leave me alone to meditate.
Sweet Guise, would he had died so thou wert heere: To whom shall I bewray my secrets now, Or who will helpe to builde Religion?
The Protestants will glory and insulte, Wicked Navarre will get the crowne of France, The Popedome cannot stand, all goes to wrack, And all for thee my Guise: what may I doe?
But sorrow seaze upon my toyling soule, For since the Guise is dead, I will not live.
Exit [the attendants taking up body of the Guise].
[Scene xx]
Enter two [Murtherers] dragging in the Cardenall [of Loraine].
CARDINALL. Murder me not, I am a Cardenall.
1. Wert thou the Pope thou mightst not scape from us.
CARDINALL. What, will you fyle your handes with Churchmens bloud?
2. Shed your bloud, O Lord no: for we entend to strangle you.
CARDINALL. Then there is no remedye but I must dye?
1. No remedye, therefore prepare your selfe.
CARDINALL. Yet lives My brother Duke Dumaine, and many moe: To revenge our deaths upon that cursed King, Upon whose heart may all the furies gripe, And with their pawes drench his black soule in h.e.l.l.
1. Yours my Lord Cardinall, you should have saide.
Now they strangle him.
So, pluck amaine, He is hard hearted, therfore pull with violence.
Come take him away.
Exeunt.
[Scene xxi]
Enter Duke Dumayn reading of a letter, with others.
DUMAINE. My n.o.ble brother murthered by the King, Oh what may I doe, to revenge thy death?
The Kings alone, it cannot satisfie.
Sweet Duke of Guise our prop to leane upon, Now thou art dead, heere is no stay for us: I am thy brother, and ile revenge thy death, And roote Valois"s line from forth of France, And beate proud Burbon to his native home, That basely seekes to joyne with such a King, Whose murderous thoughts will be his overthrow.
Hee wild the Governour of Orleance in his name, That I with speed should have beene put to death.
But thats prevented, for to end his life, And all those traitors to the Church of Rome, That durst attempt to murder n.o.ble Guise.
Enter the Frier.
FRIER. My Lord, I come to bring you newes, that your brother the Cardinall of Loraine by the Kings consent is lately strangled unto death.
DUMAINE. My brother Cardenall slaine and I alive?
O wordes of power to kill a thousand men.
Come let us away and leavy men, Tis warre that must a.s.swage the tyrantes pride.
FRIER. My Lord, heare me but speak.
I am a Frier of the order of the Jacobyns, that for my conscience sake will kill the King.
DUMAINE. But what doth move thee above the rest to doe the deed?
FRIER. O my Lord, I have beene a great sinner in my dayes, and the deed is meritorious.
DUMAINE. But how wilt thou get opportunitye?
FRIER. Tush my Lord, let me alone for that.
DUMAINE. Frier come with me, We will goe talke more of this within.