 | Bussy D'Ambois, [1607] |  |
Actus Tertij
Scena Prima.
Bucy, Tamyra.Tam.
O my deare seruant, in thy close embraces,
I haue set open all the dores of danger
To my encompast honor, and my life:
Before I was secure against death and hell;
But now am subiect to the hartlesse feare:
Of euery shadow, and of euery breath,
And would change firmnesse with an aspen leafe:
So confident a spotlesse conscience is;
So weake a guilty: O the dangerous siege
Sin laies about vs? and the tyranny
He exercises when he hath expugn'd:
Like to the horror of a winters thunder,
Mixt with a gushing storme, that suffer nothing
To stirre abroad on earth, but their own rages;
Is sin, when it hath gathered head aboue vs:
No roofe, no shelter can secure vs so,
But he will drowne our cheeks in feare or woe.
Buc.
Sin is a coward Madam, and insults
But on our weaknesse, in his truest valour:
And so our ignorance tames vs, that we let
His shadowes fright vs: and like empty clouds
In which our faulty apprehensions fordge
The formes of Dragons, Lions, Elephants,
When they hold no proportion: the slie charmes
Of the witch policy makes him, like a monster
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That false hagge often paints him: in her cloth
Ten times more monstrous than he is in troth:
In three of vs, the secret of our meeting,
Is onely guarded, and three friends as one
Haue euer beene esteem'd: as our three powers
That in our one soule, are, as one vnited:
Why should we feare then? for my truth I sweare
Sooner shall torture, be the Sire to pleasure,
And health be grieuous to men long time sicke,
Than the deare iewell of your fame in me,
Be made an outcast to your infamy;
Nor shall my value (sacred to your vertues)
Onely giue free course to it, from my selfe:
But make it flie out of the mouths of kings
In golden vapours, and with awfull wings.
Tam.
It rests as all kings seales were set in thee.
Exit D'Amb. Manet Tamy.
Ta.
It is not I, but vrgent destiny,
That (as great states men for their generall end
In politique iustice, make poore men offend)
Enforceth my offence to make it iust:
What shall weake Dames doe, when t'whole worke of Nature
Hath a strong finger in each one of vs?
Needs must that sweep away the silly cobweb
Of our still-vndone labours; that laies still
Our powers to it: as to the line, the stone,
Not to the stone, the line should be oppos'd;
We cannot keepe our constant course in vertue:
What is alike at all parts? euery day
Differs from other: euery houre and minute:
I, euery thought in our false clock of life,
Oft times inuerts the whole circumference:
We must be sometimes one, sometimes another:
Our bodies are but thicke clouds to our soules;
Through which they cannnot shine when they desire:
When all the starres, and euen the sunne himselfe,
Must stay the vapors times that he exhales
Before he can make good his beames to vs:
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VVandring at randon in his orderd rayes,
Disperse our passions fumes, with our weake labors,
That are more thick & black than all earths vapors?
Enter Mont.
Mon.
Good day, my loue: what vp and ready too!
Tam.
Both, (my deare Lord) not all this night made I
My selfe vnready, or could sleepe a winke.
Mont.
Ahlasse, what troubled my true loue? my peace,
From being at peace within her better selfe?
Or how could sleepe forbeare to sease thy beauties
VVhen he might challenge them as his iust prise?
Tam.
I am in no powre earthly, but in yours;
To what end should I goe to bed my Lord,
That wholly mist the comfort of my bed?
Or how should sleepe possesse my faculties,
VVanting the proper closer of mine eies?
Mont.
Then will I neuer more sleepe night from thee:
All mine owne Businesse, all the Kings affaires
Shall take the day to serue them: Euerie night
Ile euer dedicate to thy delight.
Tam.
Nay, good my Lord esteeme not my desires
Such doters on their humours, that my iudgement
Cannot subdue them to your worthier pleasure:
A wiues pleas'd husband must her obiect be
In all her acts, not her sooth'd fantasie.
Mont.
Then come my loue, Now pay those Rites to sleepe
Thy faire eies owe him: shall we now to bed?
Tam.
O no my Lord, your holy Frier saies,
All couplings in the day that touch the bed,
Adulterous are, euen in the married;
Whose graue and worthie doctrine, well I know,
Your faith in him will liberally allow.
Mont.
Hee's a most learned and Religious man;
Come to the Presence then, and see great D'Ambois
(Fortunes proud mushrome shot vp in a night)
Stand like an Atlas vnderneath the King;
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As bitterly and deadly as the Guise.
Tam.
What, he that was but yesterday his maker?
His raiser and preseruer?
Mont.
Euen the same.
Each naturall agent workes but to this end,
To render that it works on, like it selfe;
Which since the Monsieur in his act on D'Ambois,
Cannot to his ambitious end effect,
But that (quite opposite) the King hath power
(In his loue borne to D'Ambois) to conuert
The point of Monsieurs aime on his owne breast,
He turnes his outward loue to inward hate:
A Princes loue is like the lightnings fume,
Which no man can embrace, but must consume.
Exeunt.
Henry, D'Ambois, Monsieur, Guise, Monts. Elenor, Tam. Pero.
Henr.
Speake home my Bussy, thy impartiall wordes
Are like braue Faulcons that dare trusse a Fowle
Much greater than themselues; Flatterers are Kites
That checke at nothing; thou shalt be my Eagle,
And beare my thunder vnderneath thy wings:
Truths words like iewels hang in th'eares of Kings.
Buss.
Would I might liue to see no Iewes hang there
In steede of iewels; sycophants I meane,
Who vse truth like the Diuell, his true Foe
Cast by the Angell to the pit of feares,
And bound in chaines; truth seldome decks Kings eares:
Slaue flatterie (like a Rippiers legs rowl'd vp
In bootes of haie-ropes) with Kings soothed guts
Swadled and strappl'd, now liues only free.
O tis a subtle knaue; how like the plague
Vnfelt, he strikes into the braine of truth,
And rageth in his entrailes when he can,
Worse than the poison of a red hair'd man.
Henr.
Flie at him and his broode, I cast thee off,
And once more giue thee surname of mine Eagle.
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Ile make you sport enough then, let me haue
My lucerns too (or dogges inur'd to hunt
Beasts of most rapine) but to put them vp,
And if I trusse not, let me not be trusted:
Shew me a great man (by the peoples voice,
Which is the voice of God) that by his greatnesse
Bumbasts his priuate roofes, with publique riches;
That affects royaltie, rising from a clapdish;
That rules so much more than his suffering King,
That he makes kings of his subordinate slaues:
Himselfe and them graduate like woodmongers
(Piling a stacke of billets) from the earth,
Raising each other into steeples heights;
Let him conuey this on the turning proppes
Of Protean Law, and (his owne counsell keeping)
Keepe all vpright; let me but Hawlke at him,
Ile play the Vulture, and so thumpe his liuer,
That (like a huge vnlading Argosea)
He shall confesse all, and you then may hang him.
Shew me a Clergie man, that is in voice
A Larke of Heauen; in heart a Mowle of earth;
That hath good liuing, and a wicked life;
A temperate looke, and a luxurious gut;
Turning the rents of his superfluous Cures
Into your Phesants and your Partriches;
Venting their Quintessence as men read Hebrew:
Let me but hawlke at him, and, like the other,
He shall confesse all, and you then may hang him.
Shew me a Lawyer that turnes sacred law
(The equall rendrer of each man his owne,
The scourge of Rapine and Extortion,
The Sanctuarie and impregnable defence
Of retir'd learning, and oppressed vertue)
Into a Harpye, that eates all but's owne,
Into the damned sins it punisheth;
Into the Synagogue of theeues and Atheists;
Blood into gold, and iustice into lust:
Let me but hawlke at him, as at the tother,
33
Gui.
Where will you finde such game as you would hawlke at?
Buss.
Ile hawlke about your house for one of them.
Gui.
Come, y'are a glorious Ruffin, and runne proud
Of the Kings headlong graces; hold your breath,
Or by that poison'd vapour not the King
Shall backe your murtherous valour against me.
Buss.
I would the King would make his presence free
But for one charge betwixt vs: By the reuerence
Due to the sacred space twixt kings and subiects,
Heere would I make thee cast that popular purple,
In which thy proud soule sits and braues thy soueraigne.
Mons.
Peace, peace, I pray thee peace.
Buss.
Let him peace first that made the first warre.
Mons.
Hee's the better man.
Buss.
And therefore may doe worst?
Mons.
He has more titles.
Buss.
So Hydra had more heads.
Mons.
Hee's greater knowne.
Buss.
His greatnesse is the peoples, mine's mine owne.
Mons.
Hee's noblie borne.
Buss.
He is not, I am noble.
And noblesse in his blood hath no gradation,
But in his merit.
Gui.
Th'art not nobly borne,
But bastard to the Cardinall of Ambois.
Buss.
Thou liest proud Guiserd; let me flie (my Lord.)
Henr.
Not in my face; (my Eagle) violence flies
The Sanctuaries of a Princes eies.
Buss.
Still shall we chide? and fome vpon this bit?
Is the Guise only great in faction?
Stands he not by himselfe? Prooues he th'Opinion
That mens soules are without them? Be a Duke,
And lead me to the field.
Guis.
Come, follow me.
Henr.
Stay them, stay D'Ambois; Cosen Guise, I wonder
Your equall disposition brookes so ill
A man so good, that only would vphold
34
All our dissentions rise; that in himselfe
(Without the outward patches of our frailtie,
Riches and honour) knowes he comprehends
Worth with the greatest: Kings had neuer borne
Such boundlesse eminence ouer other men,
Had all maintain'd the spirit and state of D'Ambois;
Nor had the full impartiall hand of nature
That all things gaue in her originall,
Without these definite terms of Mine and Thine,
Beene turn'd vniustly to the hand of Fortune:
Had all preseru'd her in her prime, like D'Ambois;
No enuie, no disiunction had dissolu'd,
Or pluck'd out one sticke of the golden fagot,
In which the world of Saturne was compris'd,
Had all beene held together with the nerues,
The genius and th'ingenuous soule of D'Ambois.
Let my hand therefore be the Hermean rodde
To part and reconcile, and so conserue you,
As my combin'd embracers and supporters.
Buss.
Tis our Kings motion, and wee shall not seeme
(To worst eies) womanish, though wee change thus soone
Neuer so great grudge for his greater pleasure.
Gui.
I seale to that, and so the manly freedome
That you so much professe, heereafter prooue not
A bold and glorious licence to depraue:
To mee his hand shall prooue the Hermean rodde
His grace affects, in which submissiue signe
On this his sacred right hand, I lay mine.
Buss.
Tis well my Lord, and so your worthie greatnesse
Engender not the greater insolence,
Nor make you thinke it a Prerogatiue,
To racke mens freedomes with the ruder wrongs;
My hand (stucke full of lawrell, in true signe
Tis wholly dedicate to righteous peace)
In all submission kisseth th'other side.
Hen.
Thankes to ye both: and kindly I inuite ye
Both to a banquet where weele sacrifice
35
At which (faire Ladies) I entreat your presence.
Exeunt Henry, D'Amb. Ely. Ta.
Mons.
What had my bounty drunke when it rais'd him?
Gui.
Y'ane stucke vs vp a very proper flag
That takes more winde than we with all our sailes.
Mons.
O so he spreds and flourishes.
Gui.
He must downe,
Vpstarts should neuer perch too neere a crowne.
Mons.
Tis true my Lord; and as this doting hand,
Euen out of earth, (like Iuno) strooke this giant,
So Ioues great ordinance shalbe heere implide
To strike him vnder th'Ætna of his pride:
To which worke lend your hands and let vs cast
Where we may set snares for his gadding greatnes:
I thinke it best, amongst our greatest women:
For there is no such trap to catch an vpstart
As a loose downfall; and indeed their fals
Are th'ends of all mens rising: if great men
And wise; make scapes to please aduantage
Tis with a woman: women that woorst may
Still hold mens candles: they direct and know
All things amisse in all men; and their women
All things amisse in them: through whose charmd mouthes
We may see all the close scapes of the Court:
When the most royall beast of chace (being old,
And cunning in his choice of layres and haunts)
Can neuer be discouered to the bow
The peece or hound: yet where his custome is
To beat his vault, and he ruts with his hinde,
The place is markt, and by his Venery
He still is taken. Shall we then attempt
The chiefest meane to that discouery heere,
And court our greatest Ladies greatest women,
With shews of loue, and liberall promises?
Tis but our breath. If something giuen in hand,
Sharpen their hopes of more; twilbe well venterd.
Gui.
No doubt of that: and tis an excellent point
Of our deuis'd inuestigation.
36
I haue already broke the ice, my Lord,
With the most trusted woman of your Countesse,
And hope I shall wade through to our discouery,
Mont.
Take say of her my Lord, she comes most fitly
And we will to the other.
Enter Charlot, Anable, Pero.
Gui.
Y'are engag'd.
An.
Nay pray my Lord forbeare.
Mont.
What skittish, seruant?
An.
No my Lord I am not so fit for your seruice:
Char.
Pray pardon me now my Lord? my Lady expects me.
Gui.
Ile satisfie her expectation, as far as an vnkle may.
Mons.
Well said: a spirt of Courtship of all hands:
Now mine owne Pero: hast thou remembred mee
For the discouery I entreated thee to make concerning
Thy Mistresse? speak boldly, and be sure of all things I haue promised.
Pero.
Building on that you haue sworne (my Lord) I may
speake: and much the rather, because my Lady hath not trusted
me with that I can tell you; for now I cannot be said to betray
her.
Mons.
That's all one: so it bee not to one that will betray
thee: foorth I beseech thee.
Per.
To tell you truth, my Lord, I haue made a strange discouery.
Mons.
Excellent Pero thou reuiu'st me: may I sincke quicke
into earth heere, if my tongue discouer it.
Per.
Tis thus then: This last night my Lord lay foorth: and
I wondring my Ladies sitting vp, stole at midnight from my pallat:
and (hauing before made a hole both through the wall and
arras to her inmost chamber) I saw D'Ambois and she set close
at a banquet.
Mons.
D'Ambois?
Per.
Euen he my Lord.
Mons.
Dost thou not dreame wench?
Per.
No my Lord, he is the man.
Mons.
The diuell he is, and thy Lady his dam: infinite regions
37
of chastity? I thought I could not be so sleighted: if shee
had not her freight besides: and therefore plotted this with her
woman: deare Pero I will aduance thee for euer: but tell mee
now: Gods pretious it transformes me with admiration: sweet
Pero, whom should she trust with his conueiance? Or, all the
doores being made sure, how could his conueiance bee performed?
Per.
Nay my Lord, that amazes me: I cannot by any study
so much as guesse at it.
Mons.
Well, lets fauour our apprehensions with forbearing
that a little: for if my heart were not hoopt with adamant, the
conceipt of this would haue burst it: but hearke thee.
Char.
I sweare to your Grace, all that I can coniecture touching
my Lady your Neece, is a strong affection she beares to
the English Mylor.
Gui.
All quod you? tis enough I assure you, but tell me.
Mont.
I pray thee resolue me: the Duke will neuer imagine
that I am busie about's wife: hath D'Ambois any priuy accesse
to her?
An.
No my Lord, D'Ambois neglects her (as she takes it)
and is therefore suspicious that either your Lady, or the Countesse
Beaupre hath closely entertaind him.
Mont.
Ber lady a likely suspition, and very neere the life, if
she marks it; especially of my wife.
Mons.
Come we'l put off all, with seeming onely to haue
courted; away drie palme: sh'as a liuer as hard as a bisket: a
man may goe a whole voyage with her, and get nothing but
tempests at her windpipe.
Gui.
Heer's one: (I thinke) has swallowd a porcupine, she
casts pricks from her tongue so.
Mont.
And heer's a peacock seemes to haue deuourd one of
the Alpes, she has so swelling a spirit, and is so cold of her kindnesse.
Char.
We be no windfals my Lord; ye must gather vs with
the ladder of matrimony, or we'l hang till we be rotten.
Mons.
Indeed that's the way to make ye right openarses. But
ahlas ye haue no portions fit for such husbands as we wish you.
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Portions my Lord, yes and such portions as your principality
cannot purchase.
Mons.
What woman? what are those portions?
Per.
Riddle my riddle my Lord.
Mons.
I marry wench, I thinke thy portion is a right riddle,
a man shall neuer finde it out: but lets heare it.
Per.
You shall my Lord.
What's that, that being most rar's most cheape?
That if you sow, you neuer reape?
That when it growes most, most you in it?
And still you lose it when you win it:
That when tis commonest, tis dearest,
And when tis farthest off'tis neerest?
Mons.
Is this your portion?
Per.
Euen this my Lord.
Mons.
Beleeue me I cannot riddle it.
Per.
No my Lord, tis my chastity, which you shall neither
riddle nor fiddle.
Mons.
Your chastity? let me begin with the end of you; how
is a womans chastitie neerest a man, when tis furthest off?
Per.
Why my Lord, when you cannot get it, it goes toth'
heart on you; and that I thinke comes most neere you: and I
am sure it shall bee farre enough off; and so I leaue you to my
mercy.
Exit.
Mons.
Farewell riddle.
Gui.
Farewell Medlar.
Mont.
Farewell winter plum.
Mons.
Now my Lords, what fruit of our inquisition? feele
you nothing budding yet? Speake good my Lord Mountsurry.
Mont.
Nothing but this: D'Ambois is negligent in obseruing
the Duchesse, and therefore she is suspicious that your
Neece or my wife closely entertaines him.
Mons.
Your wife, my Lord? Thinke you that possible?
Mont.
Alas, I know she flies him like her last houre.
Mons.
Her last houre? why that comes vpon her the more
she flies it: Does D'Ambois so thinke you?
Mont.
Thats not worth the answering: Tis horrible to
think with what monsters womens imaginations engrosse them
39
worke for their satisfaction. They will make a sheepe valiant,
a Lion fearefull.
Mons.
And an Asse confident, my Lord, tis true, and more
will come forth shortly, get you to the banquet.
O the vnsounded Sea of womens bloods,
That when tis calmest, is most dangerous;
Not any wrincle creaming in their faces,
When in their hearts are Scylla and Charibdis.
Which still are hid in monster-formed cloudes,
Where neuer day shines, nothing euer growes,
But weeds and poisons, that no states-man knowes;
Not Cerberus euer saw the damned nookes
Hid with the vailes of womens vertuous lookes:
I will conceale all yet, and giue more time
To D'Ambois triall, now vpon my hooke;
He awes my throat; else like Sybillas Caue
It should breath oracles; I feare him strangely,
And may resemble his aduanced valour
Vnto a spirit rais'd without a circle,
Endangering him that ignorantly rais'd him,
And for whose furie he hath learn'd no limit.
Enter D'Ambois.
Mons.
How now, what leap'st thou at?
D'Amb.
O royall obiect.
Mons.
Thou dream'st awake: Obiect in th'emptie aire?
D'Amb.
Worthie the head of Titan, worth his chaire.
Mons.
Pray thee what mean'st thou?
D'Amb.
See you not a Croune
Empale the forehead of the great King Monsieur?
Mons.
O fie vpon thee.
D'Amb.
Sir, that is the Subiect
Of all these your retir'd and sole discourses.
Mons.
Wilt thou not leaue that wrongfull supposition?
This still hath made me doubt thou dost not loue me.
Wilt thou doe one thing for me then syncerelie?
D'Amb.
I, any thing, but killing of the King.
40
Still in that discord, and ill taken note?
D'Amb.
Come, doe not doubt me, and command mee all
things.
Mons.
I will not then, and now by all my loue
Shewne to thy vertues, and by all fruits else
Alreadie sprung from that affection,
I charge thee vtter (euen with all the freedome
Both of thy noble nature and thy friendship)
The full and plaine state of me in thy thoughts.
D'Amb.
What, vtter plainly what I thinke of you?
Why this swims quite against the streame of greatnesse:
Great men would rather heare their flatteries,
And if they be not made fooles, are not wise.
Mons.
I am no such great foole, and therefore charge thee
Euen from the roote of thy free heart, display mee.
D'Amb.
Since you affect it in such serious termes,
If your selfe first will tell me what you thinke
As freely and as heartily of mee,
Ile be as open in my thoughts of you.
Mons.
A bargaine of mine honour; and make this,
That prooue wee in our full dissection
Neuer so foule, liue still the sounder friends.
D'Amb.
What else Sir? come begin, and speake me simply.
Mons.
I will I sweare. I thinke thee then a man,
That dares as much as a wilde horse or Tyger;
As headstrong and as bloodie; and to feede
The rauenous wolfe of thy most Caniball valour,
(Rather than not employ it) thou would'st turne
Hackster to any whore, slaue to a Iew,
Or English vsurer, to force possessions,
And cut mens throates of morgaged estates;
Or thou would'st tire thee like a Tinkers wife,
And murther market folkes, quarrell with sheepe,
And runne as mad as Aiax; serue a Butcher,
Doe any thing but killing of the King:
That in thy valour th'art like other naturals,
That haue strange gifts in nature, but no soule
Diffus'd quite through, to make them of a peece,
41
Childish and villanous than that hackster, whore,
Slaue, cut-throat, Tinkers bitch, compar'd before:
And in those humours would'st enuie, betray,
Slander, blaspheme, change each houre a religion;
Doe any thing, but killing of the King;
That in that valour (which is still my dunghill,
To which I carrie all filth in thy house)
Th'art more ridiculous and vaine-glorious
Than any Mountibancke; and impudent
Than any painted bawde; which, not to sooth
And glorifie thee like a Iupiter Hammon,
Thou eat'st thy heart in vineger; and thy gall
Turns all thy blood to poison, which is cause
Of that Tode-poole that stands in thy complexion;
And makes thee (with a cold and earthie moisture,
Which is the damme of putrifaction,
As plague to thy damn'd pride) rot as thou liu'st;
To study calumnies and treacheries;
To thy friends slaughters, like a Scrich-owle sing,
And to all mischiefs, but to kill the King.
D'Amb.
So: Haue you said?
Mons.
How thinkest thou? Doe I flatter?
Speake I not like a trustie friend to thee?
D'Amb.
That euer any man was blest withall;
So heere's for mee. I thinke you are (at worst)
No diuell, since y'are like to be no king;
Of which, with any friend of yours Ile lay
This poore Stilladoe heere, gainst all the starres,
I, and gainst all your treacheries, which are more;
That you did neuer good, but to doe ill;
But ill of all sorts, free and for it selfe:
That (like a murthering peece, making lanes in armies
The first man of a ranke, the whole ranke falling)
If you haue once wrong'd one man, y'are so farre
From making him amends, that all his race,
Friends and associates fall into your chace:
That y'are for periuries the verie prince
42
Is like an Easterne winde, that where it flies,
Knits nets of Catterpillars, with which you catch
The prime of all the fruits the kingdome yeeldes.
That your politicall head is the curst fount
Of all the violence, rapine, crueltie,
Tyrannie & Atheisme flowing through the realme.
That y'aue a tongue so scandalous, twill cut
A perfect Crystall; and a breath that will
Kill to that wall a spider; you will iest
With God, and your soule to the diuell tender
For lust; kisse horror, and with death engender.
That your foule bodie is a Lernean fenne
Of all the maladies breeding in all men.
That you are vtterlie without a soule:
And (for your life) the thred of that was spunne,
When Clotho slept, and let her breathing rocke
Fall in the durt; and Lachesis still drawes it,
Dipping her twisting fingers in a boule
Defil'd, and croun'd with vertues forced soule.
And lastly (which I must for Gratitude
Euer remember) That of all my height
And dearest life, you are the onlie spring,
Only in royall hope to kill the king.
Mons.
Why now I see thou lou'st mee, come to the banquet.
Finis Actus tertij.
| Bussy D'Ambois, [1607] | |