ACT IV. SCENE I.—The Louvre.

A Chair of State placed; the King appears sitting in it; a Table by him, on which he leans; Attendants on each Side of him; amongst the rest, Abbot, Grillon, and Bellieure. The Queen-Mother enters, led by the Duke of Guise, who makes his Approach with three Reverences to the King's Chair; after the third, the King rises, and coming forward, speaks.

King. I sent you word, you should not come.

Gui. Sir, that I came—

067 King. Why, that you came, I see. Once more, I sent you word, you should not come.

Gui. Not come to throw myself, with all submission, Beneath your royal feet! to put my cause And person in the hands of sovereign justice!

King. Now 'tis with all submission,—that's the preface,— Yet still you came against my strict command; You disobeyed me, duke, with all submission.

068 Gui. Sir, 'twas the last necessity that drove me, To clear myself of calumnies, and slanders, Much urged, but never proved, against my innocence; Yet had I known 'twas your express command, I should not have approached.

King. 'Twas as express, as words could signify;— Stand forth, Bellieure,—it shall be proved you knew it,— Stand forth, and to this false man's face declare Your message, word for word.

Bel. Sir, thus it was. I met him on the way, And plain as I could speak, I gave your orders, Just in these following words:—

King. Enough, I know you told him; But he has used me long to be contemned, And I can still be patient, and forgive.

Gui. And I can ask forgiveness, when I err; But let my gracious master please to know The true intent of my misconstrued faith. Should I not come to vindicate my fame From wrong constructions? And—

King. Come, duke, you were not wronged; your conscience knows You were not wronged; were you not plainly told, That, if you dared to set your foot in Paris, 069 You should be held the cause of all commotions That should from thence ensue? and yet you came.

Gui. Sir, will you please with patience but to hear me?

King. I will; and would be glad, my lord of Guise, To clear you to myself.

Gui. I had been told, There were in agitation here at court, Things of the highest note against religion, Against the common properties of subjects, And lives of honest well-affected men; I therefore judged,—

King. Then you, it seems, are judge Betwixt the prince and people? judge for them, And champion against me?

Gui. I feared it might be represented so, And came resolved,—

King. To head the factious crowd.

Gui. To clear my innocence.

King. The means for that, Had been your absence from this hot-brained town, Where you, not I, are king!— I feel my blood kindling within my veins; The genius of the throne knocks at my heart: Come what may come, he dies.

Qu. M. [Stopping the king.] What mean you, sir? You tremble and look pale; for heaven's sake think, 'Tis your own life you venture, if you kill him.

King. Had I ten thousand lives, I'll venture all. Give me way, madam!

Qu. M. Not to your destruction. The whole Parisian herd is at your gates; A crowd's a name too small, they are a nation, Numberless, armed, enraged, one soul informs them.

King. And that one soul's the Guise. I'll rend it out, 070 And damn the rabble all at once in him.

Gui. My fate is now in the balance; fool within, I thank thee for thy foresight.[Aside.

Qu. M. Your guards oppose them!

King. Why not? a multitude's a bulky coward.

Qu. M. By heaven, there are not limbs in all your guards, For every one a morsel.

King. Cæsar quelled them, But with a look and word.

Qu. M. So Galba thought.

King. But Galba was not Cæsar.

Gui. I must not give them time for resolution.—[Aside. My journey, sir, has discomposed my health,[To the king. I humbly beg your leave, I may retire, Till your commands recall me to your service.[Exit[14].

King. So, you have counselled well; the traitor's gone, To mock the meekness of an injured king.[To Qu. M. 071 Why did not you, who gave me part of life, Infuse my father stronger in my veins? But when you kept me cooped within your womb, You palled his generous blood with the dull mixture Of your Italian food, and milked slow arts Of womanish tameness in my infant mouth. Why stood I stupid else, and missed a blow, Which heaven and daring folly made so fair?

Qu. M. I still maintain, 'twas wisely done to spare him.

072 Gril. A pox on this unseasonable wisdom! He was a fool to come; if so, then they, Who let him go, were somewhat.

King. The event, the event will shew us what we were; For, like a blazing meteor hence he shot, And drew a sweeping fiery train along.— O Paris, Paris, once my seat of triumph, But now the scene of all thy king's misfortunes; Ungrateful, perjured, and disloyal town, Which by my royal presence I have warmed So long, that now the serpent hisses out, And shakes his forked tongue at majesty, While I—

Qu. M. While you lose time in idle talk, And use no means for safety and prevention.

King. What can I do? O mother, Abbot, Grillon! All dumb! nay, then 'tis plain, my cause is desperate. Such an overwhelming ill makes grief a fool, As if redress were past.

Gril. I'll go to the next sheriff, And beg the first reversion of a rope: Dispatch is all my business; I'll hang for you.

Abb. 'Tis not so bad, as vainly you surmise; Some space there is, some little space, some steps Betwixt our fate and us: our foes are powerful, But yet not armed, nor marshalled into order; Believe it, sir, the Guise will not attempt, Till he have rolled his snow-ball to a heap.

King. So then, my lord, we're a day off from death: What shall to-morrow do?

Abb. To-morrow, sir, If hours between slide not too idly by, You may be master of their destiny, Who now dispose so loftily of yours. Not far without the suburbs there are quartered 073 Three thousand Swiss, and two French regiments.

King. Would they were here, and I were at their head!

Qu. M. Send Mareschal Byron to lead them up.

King. It shall be so: by heaven there's life in this! The wrack of clouds is driving on the winds, And shews a break of sunshine— Go Grillon, give my orders to Byron, And see your soldiers well disposed within, For safeguard of the Louvre.

Qu. M. One thing more: The Guise (his business yet not fully ripe,) Will treat, at least, for shew of loyalty; Let him be met with the same arts he brings.

King. I know, he'll make exorbitant demands, But here your part of me will come in play; The Italian soul shall teach me how to sooth: Even Jove must flatter with an empty hand, 'Tis time to thunder, when he gripes the brand.[Exeunt.