 | The Queen-Mother |  |
Scene II.
The Admiral's House.Enter La Noue, Teligny, and La Rochefoucauld.
La N.
I fear me he can scantly bear this out.
Tel.
Nay, fear him not; there goes more nerve to him
Than to some lesser scores. His competence
Is like that virtue in his mind which fills
The shallowness of thin occasions up,
And makes him better than the season is
That serves his worth to work in. He shall not live
And bear himself beyond the fear of time,
Where other men made firm in goodness drop
And are the food of peril.
La R.
Doubtless he is most wise;
But I misdoubt he doth too much regard
Each trick and shift of bastard circumstance;
It is the custom and grey note of age
To turn consideration wrong way out
Until it show like fear.
Tel.
I pray, sir, tell me
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Since time began on him? or in what fashion
Hath he worn fear? The man is absolute,
Perfectly tempered; that I a little speak him,
Your less observance of him shall excuse
And so my praise allow itself. He hath been
In all hard points of war the best that ever
Did take success by the hand; the first that wore
Peace as the double coronet of time,
The costly stone set in red gold of war,
So wise to mix reverse with sufferance,
Use fortune with a liberal gravity
And discipline calamitous things with grace,
That failure more approved him, being so shaped
And worn to purpose in his wisdom's worth,
Than men are praised for hazard, though it leaves
Their heads embraced with wealth. His nobleness of speech
Hath made true grace and temperate reserve
But usual names for his; he is too pure,
Too perfect in all means of exercise
That are best men's best pearl, to be esteemed
At single value of some separate man
That the thin season can oppose to him.
La R.
I say not else.
Tel.
So would I have you say.
La R.
Had I dispraised the admiral, it had shown
My love to him that I did prick your speech
To such fair estimate of his fair worth.
The man is come.
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Co.
Good morrow, noble friends.
Fair son, it is a loving bound that doth
Limit your custom thus.
Tel.
I am best pleased
When I may use you thus familiarly.
Co.
(To La R.)
My lord, you told me of a way you had
To bring the matter clear we spoke upon.
La R.
Yea, by a woman's means.
Co.
I think it was.
La R.
I saw her yesternight.
La N.
You did not say
Where our hopes went? I would not trust you far.
La R.
Nay, I did strain discretion out of wear;
I told her nothing.
Co.
What did you get of her?
I think you called the woman—umph—Yolande.
La R.
That's your demand, what I did get of her?
Why, such fair time as women keep for us;
What better should I get?
Tel.
(To La N.)
I fear him greatly;
It is the unwound and ravelled sort of man
That the proof uses worst; so large of lip
Was never yet secure in spirit.
Co.
Sir,
We have looked for more of you.
La R.
This is pure truth;
I had such usage as made room for talk,
And in the vantage of occasion put
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Was moved in temper towards us; did she say thus,
Or thus: you see I spoke not as of purpose
To get this out, but just in some loose way;
As did she put new colour in her hair,
Or what sweet kind of water did she take
To smooth her neck, what powder blanch it with;
And twenty such blown matters out of joint;
Then at the last felt underhand on this,
What were her state-words, her talk's policy;
Which way she bowed; or should the Polish king
Weigh dearer than the duke of Alençon
Or either than this Charles; and thus, and thus;
Being so, you see, bosomed and gathered up
Towards the close and dearest time of all
She could keep nothing safer than her mouth
Would let it out for me; and I as quick
To catch her talk for food as 'twere a kiss
The last I thought to find about her lips.
Co.
But, to the point she told you of—if thus
You got one clear.
Tel.
Ay, that, sir, show us that.
La R.
Give me the breath to come to it, my lords;
Thus was it; I must hide her foolishness
Deep as trust lies in man; whereon I swore
Ten such sweet oaths as love doth take to wind
His windy weaving up; then she begins
The matter of her fear, thus quakes thereon—
Tel.
This will outlive all patience.
La N.
Bear with it.
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The queen she said was kind, not given to put
Her care of things outside her talk, but kind,
And would say somewhat—something one might know—
As this; the queen was graciously disposed
And all sick humour of old policies
By this blown out; she would not do men wrong;
We should have music in the month would play
All harsher-throated measures out, and make
Even in the noisy and sick pulse of war
Continual quiet.
Co.
Did she take such words?
La R.
Even these I tell you.
Co.
I thank you for their use;
This trouble hath borne fruit to us of yours.
La R.
To please a lesser friend than you are, sir,
I'll undergo worse labour, stretch myself
To a much keener service. Sirs, farewell:
I have a business waits upon the king
That narrows half my leisure seasons in.
[Exit.
Co.
What do you say of this?
Tel.
May we believe
The Florentine would with so light a key
Lock such deep matter? I do not trust the man.
Co.
Sir, what say you?
La N.
I rule not by such levels.
Co.
I hold with both of you; and I am glad
The time hath rid him hence.
Tel.
True, it is fit.
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He weighs much lighter than our counsel may.
By this I doubt not, if his whore spake truth
(As commonly such have repute to trip
At unawares on it, and escape lies
By disesteem of truth)—I say I doubt not
The queen doth something cover in her speech
That has more danger in its likelihood
Than a snake poison.
La N.
Will you take it so?
Co.
Nay, so I know it. Therefore as we prefer
Before the deadly-coloured face of war
The cold assurance of a sober peace,
And esteem life beyond death's violence
For all dear friends who hang their weight on us,
It so imports us to make use of time
As never was more need.
Tel.
What must we do for you?
Co.
I would send letters to the province towns
For witness how impaired a state we have
In this loose Paris; how like beleaguered men
That are at edge of hunger and begin
To slacken their more temperate advice
And heat the blood of counsel, we are bound
To the service of this danger; informing further
Of this my hurt, caught unawares at hand
(As proof doth drive beyond the guess) of one
Who wears the gold of Guise at his point's edge
And hath allowance for the use of him
Rightly received. This being set down, with more
That is but half a hazardous as it
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So shall their keener service overcome
The providence of these.
La N.
They shall have news;
Myself am charged to be from hence this week;
The office that I have must be my means
To steal upon our friends that lie abroad
And work them to our way.
Tel.
Have you no more?
Co.
This only, that you warn our Paris men
To keep waked eyes this month; for as I think
(And partly this is gathered of report
Which our late evidence hath put sinew to)
There moves between the Guisards and the queen
Some certain question whose performance will
Bruise us past use. Nay, I am sure of it;
If proof may give security large heart
And things endured be held believable,
Then I am sure. Therefore be wise and swift;
Put iron on your lips, fire in your feet,
And turn trust out of service. I have no more;
For me, this maimed and barren piece I am
May bear the time out, and sufficient roof
Is in the patient cover of a grave
To keep hard weathers off; but for the cause
And for my friends therein I take this care
To counsel you. Farewell.
Tel., La N.
Farewell, great lord.
[Exeunt severally.
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