Bussy D'Ambois and The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois Part 37

_Ren._ This was a sleight well maskt. O what is man, 140 Unlesse he be a politician! _Exit._

_Finis Actus primi._

LINENOTES:

4 _honours_. Emended by Phelps; Q, humors.

_Enter Montsurry._ Emended by all editors; Q, Monsieur.

28 _dry_. Emended by all editors; Q, dye.

52 _affections_. Q, affectons.

62 _Mont._ Emended here, and in the stage-directions to the end of the Scene, by Shepherd, Phelps; Q, _Mons._

100 _it is_. Ed.; Q, tis.

115-16. Broken in Q at _lords.h.i.+p_, _here_, _I_.

123 _Y'are_. Emended by Shepherd, Phelps; Q, Ye'are.

134-36. Broken in Q at first _challenge_, _then_, _murther_, _get off_.

ACTUS SECUNDI SCaeNA PRIMA.

[_A Room at the Court._]

_Henry, Baligny._

_Henry._ Come, Baligny, we now are private; say, What service bring'st thou? make it short; the Guise (Whose friend thou seem'st) is now in Court, and neare, And may observe us.

_Baligny._ This, sir, then, in short.

The faction of the Guise (with which my policie, 5 For service to your Highnesse, seemes to joyne) Growes ripe, and must be gather'd into hold; Of which my brother Clermont being a part Exceeding capitall, deserves to have A capitall eye on him. And (as you may 10 With best advantage, and your speediest charge) Command his apprehension: which (because The Court, you know, is strong in his defence) Wee must aske country swindge and open fields.

And therefore I have wrought him to goe downe 15 To Cambray with me (of which government Your Highnesse bountie made mee your lieutenant), Where when I have him, I will leave my house, And faine some service out about the confines; When, in the meane time, if you please to give 20 Command to my lieutenant, by your letters, To traine him to some muster, where he may (Much to his honour) see for him your forces Put into battaile, when hee comes, hee may With some close stratageme be apprehended: 25 For otherwise your whole powers there will faile To worke his apprehension: and with that My hand needes never be discern'd therein.

_Hen._ Thankes, honest Baligny.

_Bal._ Your Highnesse knowes I will be honest, and betray for you 30 Brother and father; for I know (my lord) Treacherie for Kings is truest loyaltie, Nor is to beare the name of treacherie, But grave, deepe policie. All acts that seeme Ill in particular respects are good 35 As they respect your universal rule: As in the maine sway of the Universe The supreame Rectors generall decrees, To guard the mightie globes of earth and heaven, Since they make good that guard to preservation 40 Of both those in their order and first end, No mans particular (as hee thinkes) wrong Must hold him wrong'd; no, not though all mens reasons, All law, all conscience, concludes it wrong.

Nor is comparison a flatterer 45 To liken you here to the King of Kings; Nor any mans particular offence Against the worlds sway, to offence at yours In any subject; who as little may Grudge at their particular wrong, if so it seeme 50 For th'universall right of your estate, As, being a subject of the worlds whole sway As well as yours, and being a righteous man To whom heaven promises defence, and blessing, Brought to decay, disgrace, and quite defencelesse, 55 Hee may complaine of heaven for wrong to him.

_Hen._ Tis true: the simile at all parts holds, As all good subjects hold, that love our favour.

_Bal._ Which is our heaven here; and a miserie Incomparable, and most truely h.e.l.lish, 60 To live depriv'd of our Kings grace and countenance, Without which best conditions are most cursed: Life of that nature, howsoever short, Is a most lingering and tedious life; Or rather no life, but a languis.h.i.+ng, 65 And an abuse of life.

_Hen._ Tis well conceited.

_Bal._ I thought it not amisse to yeeld your Highness A reason of my speeches; lest perhaps You might conceive I flatter'd: which (I know) Of all ils under heaven you most abhorre. 70

_Hen._ Still thou art right, my vertuous Baligny, For which I thanke and love thee. Thy advise Ile not forget. Haste to thy government, And carry D'Ambois with thee. So farewell. _Exit._

_Bal._ Your Majestie fare ever like it selfe. 75

_Enter Guise._

_Guise._ My sure friend Baligny!

_Bal._ n.o.blest of princes!

_Gui._ How stands the state of Cambray?

_Bal._ Strong, my lord, And fit for service: for whose readinesse Your creature, Clermont D'Ambois, and my selfe Ride shortly downe.

_Gui._ That Clermont is my love; 80 France never bred a n.o.bler gentleman For all parts; he exceeds his brother Bussy.

_Bal._ I, my lord?

_Gui._ Farre: because (besides his valour) Hee hath the crowne of man and all his parts, Which Learning is; and that so true and vertuous 85 That it gives power to doe as well as say What ever fits a most accomplisht man; Which Bussy, for his valours season, lackt; And so was rapt with outrage oftentimes Beyond decorum; where this absolute Clermont, 90 Though (onely for his naturall zeale to right) Hee will be fiery, when hee sees it crost, And in defence of it, yet when he lists Hee can containe that fire, as hid in embers.

_Bal._ No question, hee's a true, learn'd gentleman. 95

_Gui._ He is as true as tides, or any starre Is in his motion; and for his rare learning, Hee is not (as all else are that seeke knowledge) Of taste so much deprav'd that they had rather Delight and satisfie themselves to drinke 100 Of the streame troubled, wandring ne'er so farre From the cleare fount, then of the fount it selfe.

In all, Romes Brutus is reviv'd in him, Whom hee of industry doth imitate; Or rather, as great Troys Euphorbus was 105 After Pithagoras, so is Brutus, Clermont.

And, were not Brutus a conspirator--

_Bal._ Conspirator, my lord! Doth that empaire him?

Caesar beganne to tyrannize; and when vertue, Nor the religion of the G.o.ds, could serve 110 To curbe the insolence of his proud lawes, Brutus would be the G.o.ds just instrument.

What said the Princesse, sweet Antigone, In the grave Greeke tragedian, when the question Twixt her and Creon is for lawes of Kings? 115 Which when he urges, shee replies on him Though his lawes were a Kings, they were not G.o.ds; Nor would shee value Creons written lawes With G.o.ds unwrit edicts, since they last not This day and the next, but every day and ever, 120 Where Kings lawes alter every day and houre, And in that change imply a bounded power.

_Gui._ Well, let us leave these vaine disputings what Is to be done, and fall to doing something.

When are you for your government in Cambray? 125

_Bal._ When you command, my lord.

_Gui._ Nay, that's not fit.

Continue your designements with the King, With all your service; onely, if I send, Respect me as your friend, and love my Clermont.

_Bal._ Your Highnesse knowes my vowes.

_Gui._ I, tis enough. 130 _Exit Guise. Manet Bal[igny]._

[Sidenote: ???a??? d? pa?t??, &c.

_Impossible est viri cognoscere mentem ac voluntatem, priusquam in Magistratibus apparet._

Sopho. _Antig._]