 | The Tragedie of Chabot Admirall of France |  |
Actus Quartus.
Enter King, Queene, and Constable.Kin.
You raise my thoughts to wonder, that you Madam,
And you my Lord, unite your force to pleade
Ith' Admiralls behalfe, this is not that
Language you did expresse, when the torne Bill
Was late pretended to us, it was then
Defiance to our high prerogative,
The act of him whose proud heart would rebell
And arm'd with faction, too soone attempt
To teare my crowne off.
Qu.
I was ignorant
Then of his worth, and heard but the report
Of his accusers, and his enemies,
Who never mention in his character
Shadowes of any vertue in those men,
They would depresse like Crowes, and carrion birds,
They fly ore flowrie Meades, cleare Springs, faire Gardens,
And stoope at carcasses; for your owne honour
King.
Poore and a Colossus?
What could so lately straddle ore a Province,
Can he be fallen so low, and miserable,
To want my pitty, who breakes forth like day,
Takes up all peoples eyes, and admiration?
It cannot be, he hath a Princely wife too.
Qu.
I interpose not often Sir, or presse you
With unbecomming importunitie,
To serve the profitable ends of others
Conscience, and duty to your selfe inforce
My present mediation, you have given
The health of your owne state away, unlesse
Wisedome in time recover him.
King.
If he proove
No adulterate gold, triall confirmes his value.
Qu.
Although it hold in mettle gracious Sir,
Such fiery examination, and the furnace
May wast a heart thats faithfull, and together
With that you call the feces, something of
The precious substance may be hazarded.
King.
Why, you are the chiefe engine rais'd against him,
And in the worlds Creede labour most to sinke him,
That in his fall, and absence every beame
May shine on you, and onely guild your fortune,
Your difference is the ground of his arraignement,
Nor were we unsollicited by you,
To have your bill confirm'd, from that that spring
Came all these mighty and impetuous waves,
With which he now must wrastle if the strength
Of his owne innocence can breake the storme,
Truth wonot lose her servant, her wings cover him,
He must obey his fate.
Con.
I would not have
It lie upon my fame, that I should be
Mentioned in Story his unjust supplanter
For your whole Kingdome, I have beene abused,
And made beleeve my suite was just and necessary,
But some plot has pursued me, by some great ones
Against your noble Admirall, they have frighted
My fancy into my dreames with their close whispers,
How to uncement your affections,
And render him the fable, and the scorne
Of France.
Qu.
Brave Montmorancie.
King.
Are you serious.
Con.
Have I a soule? or gratitude, to acknowledge
My selfe your creature, dignified and honor'd
By your high favours with an equall truth,
I must declare the justice of your Admirall
(In what my thoughts are conscious) and will rather
Give up my claime to birth, title, and offices,
Be throwne from your warme smile, the top and crowne
Of subjects happinesse, then be brib'd with all
Their glories to the guilt of Chabots ruine.
King.
Come, come, you over act this passion,
And if it be not pollicie it tasts
Too greene, and wants some counsell to mature it,
His fall prepares your triumph.
Con.
It confirmes
My shame alive, and buried will corrupt
My very dust, make our house-genious grone,
And fright the honest marble from my ashes:
His fall prepare my triumph? turne me first
A naked exile to the world.
King.
No more,
Take heede you banish not your selfe, be wise,
And let not too much zeale devoure your reason.
Enter Asall.
As.
Your Admirall
Is condemn'd Sir?
King.
Ha? strange! no matter,
Leave us, a great man I see may be
As soone dispatch'd, as a common subject.
Qu.
No mercy then for Chabot.
Wif.
From whence came
That sound of Chabot? then we are all undone:
Oh doe not heare the Queene, she is no friend
To my poore Lord, but made against his life,
Which hath too many enemies already.
Con.
Poore soule, shee thinkes the Queene is still against him,
Who employeth all her powers to preserve him.
Fa.
Say you so my Lord? daughter the Queen's our friend.
Wif.
Why doe you mocke my sorrow! can you flatter
Your owne griefe so, be just, and heare me sir,
And doe not sacrifice a subjects blood
To appease a wrathful Queene, let mercy shine
Vpon your brow, and heaven will pay it backe
Vpon your soule, be deafe to all her prayers.
King.
Poore heart, she knowes not what she has desir'd.
Wif.
I begge my Chabots life, my sorrowes yet
Have not destroid my reason.
King.
He is in the power of my Lawes, not mine.
Wif.
Then you have no power,
And are but the emptie shadow of a King,
To whom is it resign'd? where shall I begge
The forfeit life of one condemn'd by Lawes
To partiall doome?
King.
You heare he is condemn'd then?
Fa.
My sonne is condemn'd sir.
King.
You know for what too.
Fa.
What the Iudges please to call it,
But they have given't a name, Treason they say.
Qu.
I must not be denied.
King.
I must deny you.
Wif.
Be blest for ever fort.
Qu.
Grant then to her.
King.
Chabot condemn'd by law?
Fa.
But you have power
To change the rigor, in your breast there is
A Chancellor above it, I nere had
A suite before, but my knees joyne with hers
And take his cause to your examination,
It cannot wrong your Iudges, if they have
Beene steer'd by conscience.
Con.
It will fame your Iustice.
King.
I cannot be prescrib'd, you kneele in vaine,
You labour to betray me with your teares
To a treason above his, gainst my owne Lawes,
Looke to the Lady—
Exeunt.
Enter Asall.
As.
Sir the Chancellor.
King.
Admit him, leave us all.
Enter Chancellor.
How now my Lord?
You have lost no time, and how thrive the proceedings.
Cha.
Twas sit my gracious Soveraigne, time should leave
His motion made in all affaires beside,
And spend his wings onely in speed of this.
King.
You have shew'd diligence, and whats become
Of our most curious Iusticer, the Admirall?
Cha.
Condemn'd sir utterly, and all hands set
To his conviction.
King.
And for faults most foule?
Cha.
More than most impious, but the applausive issue
Strooke by the concourse of your ravish'd subjects
For joy of your free Iustice, if there were
No other cause to assure the sentence just
Were proofe convincing.
King.
Now then he sees cleerely
That men perceive how vaine his Iustice was,
And scorne him for the foolish net be wore
To hide his nakednesse; ist not a wonder
That mens ambitions should so blinde their reason
To affect shapes of honesty, and take pride
Rather in seeming, then in being just.
Cha.
Seeming has better fortune to attend it
Then being sound at heart, and vertuous.
King.
Professe all? nothing doe, like those that live
Who still are busie taking off their snuffes,
But for their profit sake will adde no oyle;
So these will checke and sentence every fame,
The blaze of riotous blood doth cast in others,
And in themselves leave the fume most offensive,
But he to doe this? more deceives my judgement
Than all the rest whose nature I have sounded.
Cha.
I know Sir, and have prov'd it.
King.
Well my Lord
To omit circumstance, I highly thanke you
For this late service you have done me here,
Which is so great and meritorious
That with my ablest power I scarce can quit you.
Cha.
Your sole acceptance (my dread soveraigne)
I more rejoyce in, than in all the fortunes
That ever chanc'd me, but when may it please
Your Highnesse to order the execution?
The haste thus farre hath spar'd no pinions.
King.
No my Lord, your care
Hath therein much deserv'd.
Cha.
But where proportion
Is kept toth' end in things, at start so happy
That end set on the crowne.
King.
Ile speede it therefore.
Cha.
Your thoughts direct it, they are wing'd.
Exit.
King.
I joy this boldnesse is condemn'd, that I may pardon,
And therein get some ground in his opinion
By so much bounty as saves his life,
And me thinks that weigh'd more, should sway the ballance
Twixt me and him, held by his owne free Iustice,
For I could never finde him obstinate
In any minde he held, when once he saw
Th' error with which he laboured, and since now
He needs must feele it, I admit no doubt,
But that his alteration will beget
Another sence of things twixt him and me;
Whose there?
Enter Asall.
To attend his condemn'd prisoner to me instantly.
As.
I shall sir.
Enter Treasurer & Secretary.
King.
My Lords, you were spectators of our Admirall.
Tre.
And hearers too of his most just conviction,
In which we witnest over-weight enough
In your great bounties, and as they there were weigh'd
With all the feathers of his boasted merits.
King.
Has felt a scorching triall, and the test
(That holds fires utmost force) we must give mettalls
That will not with the hammer, and the melting
Confesse their truth, and this same sence of feeling
(Being ground to all the sences) hath one key
More than the rest to let in through them all
The mindes true apprehension, that thence takes
Her first convey'd intelligence. I long
To see this man of confidence agen:
How thinke you Lords, will Chabot looke on mee,
Now spoild of the integrity, he boasted?
Sec.
It were too much honour to vouchsafe your sight.
Tr.
No doubt my Leigh, but he that hath offended
In such a height against your crowne and person,
Will want no impudence to looke upon you.
Enter Asall, Captaine, Admirall.
Cap.
Sir, I had charge given me by this Gentleman
To bring your condemn'd prisoner to your presence.
King,
You have done well, and tell the Queene, and our
Lord Constable we desire their presence, bid
Our Admiralls Lady, and her father too
Attend us here, they are but new withdrawne.
As.
I shall sir!
Tre.
Doe you observe this confidence?
He stands as all his triall were a dreame.
Sec.
Hele finde the horrour waking the King's troubled;
Now for a thunder-clap: the Queene and Constable.
Enter Queene, Constable, Wife and Father.
Tr.
I doe not like their mixture.
King,
My Lord Admirall,
That late hath past upon you;
And now you seele how vaine is too much faith
And flattery of your selfe, as if your brest
Were proofe gainst all invasion, tis so slight
You see it lets in death, whats past, hath beene
To satisfie your insolence, there remaines
That now we serve our owne free pleasure, therefore
By that most absolute power, with which all right
Puts in my hands, these issues turnes, and changes,
I here in eare of all these, pardon all
Your faults and forfeits, whatsoever sensur'd,
Againe advancing, and establishing
Your person in all fulnesse of that state
That ever you enjoy'd before th' attainder.
Tre.
Wonderfull, pardon'd!
Wif.
Heaven preserve the King.
Qu.
Who for this will deserve all time to honour him.
Con.
And live Kings best example.
Fa.
Sonne yare pardon'd,
Be sure you looke hereafter well about you.
Adm.
Vouchsafe great Sir to assure me what you said,
You nam'd my pardon.
King.
And agen declare it,
For all crimes past, of what nature soever.
Adm.
You cannot pardon me Sir.
King.
How's that Philip?
Adm.
It is a word carries too much relation
To an offence, of which I am not guilty,
And I must still be bold where truth still armes,
In spight of all those frownes that would deject me
To say I neede no pardon.
King.
Ha, howes this?
Fa.
Hees mad with over-joy, and answers nonsence.
King.
Why, tell me Chabot, are not you condemn'd?
Adm.
Yes, and that justifies me much the more,
For whatsoever false report hath brought you,
I was condemn'd for nothing that could reach
As first in firmenesse of my conscience,
I confidently told you, not alas
Presuming on your slender thred of favour,
Or pride of fortunate and courtly boldnesse,
But what my faith and justice bade me trust too,
For none of all your learned assistant Judges,
With all the malice of my crimes could urge,
Or felony or hurt of sacred power.
King.
Doe any heare this, but my selfe? My Lords,
This man still justifies his innocence,
What prodigies are these? have not our Lawes
Past on his actions, have not equall Iudges
Certified his arraignement, and him guilty
Of capitall Treason? and yet doe I heare
Chabot accuse all these, and quit himselfe.
Tr.
It does appeare distraction sir.
King.
Did we
Seeme so indulgent to propose our free
And royall pardon without suite or prayer,
To meete with his contempt?
Sec.
Vnhear'd of impudence!
Ad.
I were malicious to my selfe, and desperate
To force untruths upon my soule, and when
Tis cleare, to confesse a shame to exercise
Your pardon sir, were I so foule and monstrous
As I am given to you, you would commit
A sinne next mine, by wronging your owne mercy
To let me draw out impious breath, it will
Release your wonder, if you give command
To see your processe, and if it prove other
Than I presume to informe, teare me in peeces.
King.
Goe for the Processe, and the Chancellor,
With the assistant Iudges. I thanke heaven
Exit As.
That with all these inforcements of distraction
My reason stayes so cleare to heare, and answer,
And to direct a message. This inversion
Of all the loyalties, and true deserts
In my choice Lawyers, and chiefe Counsellors
Is able to shake all my frame of reason.
Adm.
I am much griv'd.
King.
No more, I doe incline
To thinke I am abus'd, my Lawes betrai'd
And wrested to the purpose of my Judges,
This confidence in Chabot turnes my judgement,
This was too wilde a way to make his merits
Stoope and acknowledge my superior bounties,
That it doth raise, and fixe e'm past my art,
To shadow all the shame and forfeits mine.
Enter Asall, Chancellor, Iudges.
As.
The Chancellor and Judges Sir.
Tre.
I like not
This passion in the King, the Queene and Constable
Are of that side.
King.
My Lord, you dare appeare then?
Cha.
Dare Sir, I hope.
King.
Well done, hope still, and tell me,
Is not this man condemn'd?
Cha.
Strange question Sir,
The processe will declare it, sign'd with all
These my assistant brothers reverend hands
To his conviction in a publike triall.
King.
You said for foule and monstrous facts prov'd by him.
Cha.
The very words are there sir.
King.
But the deedes
I looke for sir, name me but one thats monstrous?
Cha.
His foule comparisons, and affronts of you,
To me seem'd monstrous.
King.
I told you them sir,
Nor were they any that your so vast knowledge,
Being a man studied in him, could produce
And prove as cleare as heaven, you warranted
To make appeare such treasons in the Admirall,
As never all Lawes, Volumes yet had sentenc'd,
And France should looke on, having scap'd with wonder
In his arraignement.
1.
Nothing that we heard
In slendrest touch urg'd by your Advocate.
King.
Dare you affirme this too?
2.
Most confidently.
King,
No base corruptions charg'd upon him.
1.
None sir.
Tr.
This argues Chabot has corrupted him.
Sec.
I doe not like this.
1.
The summe of all
Was urg'd to prove your Admirall corrupt,
Was an exaction of his officers,
Of twenty souse taken from the Fishermen
For every boate, and that fish'd the Normand coast.
King.
And was this all
The mountaines, and the marvells promist me,
To be in cleere proofe made against the life
Of our so hated Admirall.
Iud.
All sir,
Vpon our lives and consciences.
Cha.
I am blasted.
King.
How durst you then subscribe to his conviction.
1.
For threats by my Lord Chancellor on the Bench,
Affirming that your Majestie would have it
Made capitall treason, or account us traitors.
2.
Yet sir, we did put to our names with this
Interposition of a note in secret
In these two letters U, and I, to shew
Wee were enforc'd to what we did, which then
In Law is nothing.
Fa.
How doe you feele your Lordship,
Did you not finde some stuffing in your head,
Your braine should have beene purg'd.
Cha.
I fall to peeces,
Would they had rotted on the Bench.
King.
And so you sav'd the peace of that high Court.
Which otherwise his impious rage had broken,
But thus am I by his malicious arts
To all the open course of his base envies,
A forcer of my Iudges, and a thirst
Of my nobilities blood, and all by one,
I trusted to make cleere my love of Iustice.
Cha.
I beseech your Majestie, let all my zeale
To serve your vertues, with a sacred value
Made of your royall state, to which each least
But shade of violence in any subject
Doth provoke certaine death.
King.
Death on thy name
And memory for ever, one command
Our Advocate attend us presently.
As.
He waites here.
King.
But single death shall not excuse, thy skinne
Torne ore thine eares, and what else can be inflicted
If thy life with the same severity
Dissected cannot stand so many fires.
Sec. Tre.
Be mercifull great Sir.
King.
Yet more amaze?
Is there a knee in all the world beside
That any humane conscience can let bow
For him, yare traitors all that pitty him.
Tr.
This is no time to move.
King.
Yet twas my fault
To trust this wretch, whom I knew fierce and proud
With formes of tongue and learning, what a prisoner
Is pride of the whole flood of man? for as
A humane seede is said to be a mixture
And faire contemperature extracted from
All our best faculties, so the seede of all
Mans sensuall frailty, may be said to abide,
And have their confluence in onely pride,
It stupifies mans reason so, and dulls
True sence of any thing, but what may fall
In his owne glory, quenches all the spirits
That light a man to honour and true goodnesse.
As.
Your Advocate.
Enter Advocate.
Come hither.
Adv.
My most gracious Soveraigne.
Adm.
Madam you infinitely oblige our duty.
Qu.
I was too long ignorant of your worth my Lord,
And this sweete Ladies vertue.
Wif.
Both your servants.
Adm.
I never had a feare of the Kings Iustice,
And yet I Know not what creepes ore my heart,
And leaves an ice beneath it, my Lord Chancellor,
You have my forgivenesse, but implore heavens pardon
For wrongs to equall justice, you shall want
No charitie of mine to mediate
To the King for you.
Cha.
Horrour of my soule
Confounds my gratitude.
Con.
To me now most welcome.
Adv.
It was my allegiance sir, I did enforce,
But by directions of your Chancellor,
It was my office to advance your cause
Gainst all the world, which when I leave to execute,
Flea me, and turne me out a most raw Advocate.
King.
You see my Chancellor.
Adv.
He has an ill looke with him.
King.
It shall be your province now, on our behalfe
To urge what can in justice be against him,
His riot on our Lawes, and corrupt actions
Will give you scope and field enough.
Adv.
And I
Will play my law prize, never feare it sir,
He shall be guilty of what you please, I am studied
In him sir, I will squeeze his villanies,
And urge his acts so whom into his bowells,
The force of it shall make him hang himselfe,
And save the Lawes a labour.
King.
Iudges, for all
The poisonous outrage, that this viper spilt
On all my royall freedome and my Empire,
As making all but servants to his malice,
And for those worthy reasons, that already
Affect you for my Admiralls acquitall
Employ your justice on this Chancellor, away with him,
Arrest him Captaine of my guard to answer
All that due course of Law against him can
Charge both his Acts and life.
Cap.
I doe arrest thee
Poyet Lord Chancellor in his Highnesse name,
To answer all that equall course of Law
Can charge thy acts and life with.
Cha.
I Obey.
King.
How false a heart corruption has, how base
Without true worth are all these earth-bred glories?
Oh blessed justice, by which all things stand,
That stills the thunder, and makes lightning finke
Twixt earth and heaven amaz'd, and cannot strike,
Being prov'd so now in wonder of this man,
The object of mens hate, and heavens bright love;
And as in cloudy dayes, we see the Sunne
Glide over turrets, temples, richest fields,
All those left darke, and slighted in his way,
And on the wretched plight of some poore shed,
Powres all the glories of his golden head;
So heavenly vertue, on this envied Lord,
Points all his graces, that I may dinstinguish
Him better from the world.
Tre.
You doe him right.
King.
But away Iudges, and pursue the arraignement
Of this polluted Chancellor with that swiftnesse,
His fury wing'd against my Admirall,
And be you all, that sate on him compurgators
Of me against this false Iudge.
Iud.
We are so.
King.
Be you two joyn'd in the commission,
And nothing urg'd but justly, of me learning
This one more lesson out of the events
Of these affaires now past, that whatsoever
They ever make their ayme ingenuous Iustice,
Not partiall for reward, or swelling favour,
To which if your King steere you, spare to obey;
For when his troubled blood is cleere, and calme,
He will repent that he pursued his rage,
Before his pious Law, and hold that Iudge
Vnworthy of his place, that lets his censure
Flote in the waves of an imagin'd favour,
This shipwracks in the haven, and but wounds
Their consciences that sooth the soone ebb'd humours
Of their incensed King.
Con., Tre.
Royall and sacred.
King.
Come Philip, shine thy honour now for ever,
For this short temporall ecclipse it suffer'd
By th' interpos'd desire I had to try thee,
Nor let the thought of what is past afflict thee,
For my unkindnesse, live still circled here,
The bright intelligence of our royall spheere.
Exeunt.
| The Tragedie of Chabot Admirall of France | |