 | The Conspiracie of Charles Duke of Byron, Marshall of France |  |
ACT. 2.
SCE. 1.
Sauoy, Laffin, Roncas, Rochette, Breton.Sauoy.
Admit no entry, I will speake with none,
That I will make a iewell for my cabinet,
Or that the King (in surfet of his store)
Hath cast out, as the sweepings of his hall;
I told him, hauing threatned you away,
That I did wonder, this small time of peace,
Could make him cast his armor so securely
In such as you, and as twere set the head
Of one so great in counsailes, on his foote,
And pitch him from him with such guardlike strength.
Laffi.
He may perhaps finde he hath pitcht away,
The Axeltree that kept him on his wheeles.
Sau.
I told him so, I sweare, in other termes
And not with too much note of our close loues
Least so he might haue smokt our practises.
Laffi.
To chuse his time, and spit his poison on me,
Through th'eares, and eies of strangers.
Sau.
So I told him
And more then that, which now I will not tell you:
It rests now then, Noble, and worthy friend,
That to our friendship, we draw Duke Byron,
To whose attraction there is no such chaine,
As you can fordge, and shake out of your braine.
Laffi.
I haue deuisde the fashion and the weight;
To valures hard to draw, we vse retreates;
And, to pull shaftes home, (with a good bow-arme)
We thrust hard from vs: since he came from Flanders
He heard how I was threatned with the King,
And hath beene much inquisitiue to know
The truth of all, and seekes to speake with me;
The meanes he vsde, I answerd doubtfully;
And with an intimation that I shund him,
Which will (I know) put more spur to his charge;
And if his haughty stomacke be preparde.
With will to any act: for the aspiring
Of his ambitious aimes, I make no doubt
But I shall worke with him to your highnesse wish.
Sau.
But vndertake it, and I rest assur'd:
And the euents of things, at which they reach
That are in nature apt to ouerreach:
Whom the whole circkle of the present time,
In present pleasures, fortunes, knowledges,
Can not containe: those men (as broken loose
From humaine limmits) in all violent ends
Would faine aspire the faculties of fiends,
And in such ayre breathe his vnbounded spirits,
Which therefore well will fit such coniurations,
Attempt him then by flying; close with him,
And bring him home to vs, and take my dukedome.
Laf.
My best in that, and all things, vowes your seruice.
Sau.
Thankes to my deare friend; and the French Vlisses.
Exit Sauoy.
Enter Byron.
Byr.
Here is the man; my honord friend, Laffin?
Alone, and heauy countinanc't? on what termes
Stood th'insultation of the King vpon you?
Laffi.
Why do you aske?
Byr.
Since I would know the truth.
Laf.
And when you know it; what?
Byr.
Ile iudge betwixt you,
And (as I may) make euen th'excesse of either.
Laf.
Ah las my Lord, not all your loyaltie,
Which is in you, more then hereditary,
Nor all your valure (which is more then humane)
Can do the seruice you may hope on me
In sounding my displeasde integrity;
Stand for the King, as much in policie
As you haue stird for him in deeds of armes,
And make your selfe his glorie, and your countries
Till you bee suckt as drie, and wrought as leane,
As my fleade carcase: you shall neuer close
With me, as you imagine.
Byr.
You much wrong me,
To thinke me an intelligencing Lord.
I know not now your so affected zeale,
To be reputed a true harted subiect,
May stretch or turne you; I am desperate;
If I offend you, I am in your powre:
I care not how I tempt your conquering furie,
I am predestin'd to too base an end,
To haue the honor of your wrath destroy me;
And be a worthy obiect for your sword:
I lay my hand, and head too at your feete,
As I haue euer, here I hold it still,
End me directly, doe not goe about.
Byr.
How strange is this? the shame of his disgrace
Hath made him lunatique.
Laff.
Since the King hath wrong'd me
He thinkes Ile hurt my selfe; no, no, my Lord:
I know that all the Kings in Christendome,
(If they should ioyne in my reuenge) wou'd proue
Weake foes to him: still hauing you to friend:
If you were gone (I care not if you tell him)
I might be tempted then to right my selfe.
Exit.
Byr.
He has a will to me, and dares not shew it,
His state decai'd, and he disgrac'd; distracts him.
Redit Laffin.
Laff.
Charge not my words my Lord, I onely said
I might be tempted then to right my selfe:
Temptation to treason, is no treason;
And that word (tempted) was conditionall too,
If you were gone, I pray informe the truth.
Exitur.
Byr.
Stay iniur'd man, and know I am your friend,
Farre from these base, and mercenarie reaches,
I am I sweare to you.
Laff.
You may be so;
And yet youle giue me leaue to be Laffin,
A poore and expuate humor of the Court:
But what good bloud came out with me; what veines
And sinews of the Triumphs, now it makes;
I list not vante; yet will I now confesse,
And dare assume it; I haue powre to adde
His bould securitie; Tell him this my Lord;
And this (if all the spirits of earth and aire,
Be able to enforce) I can make good:
If knowledge of the sure euents of things,
Euen from the rise of subiects into Kings:
And falles of Kings to subiects hold a powre
Of strength to worke it; I can make it good;
And tell him this to; if in midest of winter
To make black Groues grow greene; to still the thunder;
And cast out able flashes from mine eies,
To beate the lightning back into the skies,
Proue powre to do it, I can make it good,
And tell him this too; if to lift the Sea
Vp to the Starres, when all the Winde are still;
And keepe it calme, when they are most enrag'd:
To make earths driest pallms, sweate humorous springs
To make fixt rocks walke; and loose shadowes stand,
To make the dead speake. midnight see the Sunne,
Mid-daie turne mid-night; to dissolue all lawes
Of nature, and of order, argue powre
Able to worke all, I can make all good,
And all this tell the King.
Byr.
Tis more then strange,
To see you stand thus at the rapiers point
With one so kinde and sure a friend as I.
Laff.
Who cannot friend himselfe, is foe to any,
And to be fear'd of all, and that is it,
Makes me so skornd, but make me what you can;
Neuer so wicked, and so full of feends,
I neuer yet, was traitor to my friends:
The lawes of friendship I haue euer held,
As my religion; and for other lawes;
He is a foole that keepes them with more care,
Then they keepe him, safe, rich, and populare:
For riches, and for populare respects
Take them amongst yee Minions, but for safety,
You shall not finde the least flaw in mine armes,
To please the King, and beare authoritie.
Exit.
Byr.
How sit a sort were this to hansell fortune?
And I will winne it though I loose my selfe,
Though he prooue harder then Egiptian Marble,
Ile make him malliable, as th'Ophyr gold;
I am put off from this dull shore of East,
Into industrious, and high-going Seas;
Where like Pelides in Scamanders flood,
Vp to the eares in surges, I will fight,
And pluck French Ilion vnderneath the waues;
If to be highest still, be to be best,
All workes to that end are the worthiest:
Truth is a golden Ball, cast in our way,
To make vs stript by falsehood: And as Spaine
When the hote scuffles of Barbarian armes,
Smotherd the life of Don Sebastian,
To guild the leaden rumor of his death
Gaue for a slaughterd body (held for his)
A hundred thousand crownes; causd all the state
Of superstitious Portugall to mourne
And celebrate his solemne funerals;
The Moores to conquest, thankfull feasts preferre,
And all made with the carcasse of a Switzer:
So in the Giantlike, and politique warres
Of barbarous greatnesse, raging still in peace,
Showes to aspire iust obiects; are laide on
With cost, with labour, and with forme enough,
Which onely makes our best acts brooke the light,
And their ends had, we thinke we haue their right,
So wurst workes are made good, with good successe,
And so for Kings, pay subiects carcases.
Exit.
Enter Henry, Roisieau.
Hen.
Was he so courted?
Rois.
As a Cittie Dame,
Brought by her iealous husband, to the Court,
While others snatch, a fauour from his wife:
One starts from this doore; from that nooke another,
With gifts, and iunkets, and with printed phrase,
Steale her employment, shifting place by place
Still as her husband comes: so Duke Byron
Was woode, and worshipt in the Arch-dukes Court,
And as th'assistants that your Maiestie,
Ioinde in Commission with him, or my selfe,
Or any other doubted eye appear'd,
He euer vanisht: and as such a dame,
As we compar'd with him before, being wun
To breake faith to her husband, loose her fame,
Staine both their progenies, and comming fresh
From vnderneath the burthen of her shame,
Visits her husband with as chaste a browe,
As temperate, and confirm'd behauiour,
As she came quitted from confession.
So from his scapes, would he present a presence,
The practise of his state adulterie,
And guilt that should a gracefull bosome stricke,
Drownde in the set lake, of a hopelesse cheeke.
Hen.
It may be hee dissembled, or suppose,
He be a little tainted: men whom vertue
Formes with the stuffe of fortune great, and gratious,
Must needs pertake with fortune in her humor
Of instabilitie: and are like to shafts
Growne crookt with standing, which to rectifie,
Must twice as much be bowd another way,
He that hath borne wounds for his worthy parts,
Must for his wurst be borne with: we must fit
Our gouernment to men, as men to it:
In old time, they that hunted sauadge beasts,
Are said to clothe themselues in sauage skinnes,
They that were Fowlers when they went on fowling,
Wore garments made with wings resembling Fowles:
To Buls, we must not shew our selues in red,
In all things gouern'd, their infirmities
Must not be stird, nor wrought on; Duke Byron
Flowes with adust, and melancholy choller,
And melancholy spirits are venemous:
Not to be toucht, but as they may be cur'de:
I therefore meane to make him change the ayre,
And send him further from those Spanish vapors,
That still beare fighting sulphure in their brests,
To breath a while in temperate English ayre,
Where lips are spyed with free and loyall counsailes,
Where policies are not ruinous, but sauing;
Wisdome is simple, valure righteous.
Humaine, and hating facts of brutish forces
And whose graue natures, scorne the scoffes of France,
The empty complements of Italy,
The any-way encroching pride of Spaine,
And louc men modest, harty, iust and plaine.
Sauoy, whispering with Laffin.
Sau.
Ile sound him for Byron; and what I finde,
In the Kings depth; ile draw vp, and informe,
In excitations to the Dukes reuolt,
When next I meete with him.
Laff.
It must be done
With praising of the Duke; from whom the king
Will take to giue himselfe; which tolde the Duke,
Will take his heart vp into all ambition.
Sau.
I know it (politick friend:) and tis my purpose,
Exit Laf.
Your Maiestie hath mist a royall sight,
The Duke Byron, on his braue beast Pastrana,
Who sits him like a full-saild Argosea,
Danc'd with a lofty billow, and as snug
Plyes to his bearer, both their motions mixt;
And being considerd in their site together,
They do the best present the state of man,
In his first royaltie ruling; and of beasts
In their first loyaltie seruing; one commanding,
And no way being mou'd; the other seruing,
That euer my eyes witnest; and they make
A doctrinall and witty Hierogliphick,
Or a blest kingdome: to expresse and teach,
Kings to command as they could serue, and subiects
To serue as if they had powre to command.
Hen.
You are a good old horseman I perceiue,
And still out all the vse of that good part:
Your wit is of the true Pierean spring,
That can make any thing, of any thing.
Sau.
So braue a subiect as the Duke, no king
Seated on earth, can vante of but your Highnesse,
So valiant, loyall, and so great in seruice.
Hen.
No question he sets valour in his height,
And hath done seruice to an equall pitche,
Fortune attending him with fit euents,
To all his ventrous and well-laid attempts.
Sau.
Fortune? to him was Iuno, to Alcides,
For when, or where did she but open way,
To any act of his? what stone tooke he
With her helpe or without his owne lost bloud?
What fort wan he by her? or was not forc't?
What victory but gainst ods? on what Commander
Sleepy or negligent, did he euer charge?
What Summer euer made she faire to him?
What winter, not of one continued storme?
Fortune is so farre from his Creditresse,
That she owes him much; for in him, her lookes
Are louely, modest, and magnanimous,
Constant, victorious and in his Achieuments,
Her cheekes are drawne out with a vertuous rednesse,
Out of his eager spirit to victorie,
And chast contention to conuince with honor;
And (I haue heard) his spirits haue stowd so high,
In all his conflicts against any odds,
That (in his charde) his lips haue bled with feruor:
How seru'd he at your famous siege of Dreux?
Where the enemie (assur'd of victory)
And twice sixe thousand foote, and like a Crescent,
Stood for the signall, you: (that show'd your selfe
A sound old souldiar) thinking it not fit
To giue your enemy the ods and honour
Of the first stroke, commanded de la Guiche,
To let fue all his cannans, that did pierse
The aduerse thickest squadrons and had shot
Nine volleies ere the foe had once giuen fire:
Your troope was charg'd, and when your dukes old father,
Met with th'assailants, and their Groue of Reiters
Repulst so fiercely, made them turne their beards
And rallie vp themselues behind their troopes;
Fresh forces seeing your troopes a little seuerd,
From that part first assaulted, gaue it charge,
Which then, this duke made good seconds his father,
Beates through and through the enemies greatest strength,
And breakes the rest like Billowes gainst a rock
And there the heart of that huge battaile broke.
Hen.
The heart but now came on, in that stronge body,
Of twice two thousand horse, lead by Du Maine
Which (if I would be glorious) I could say
I first encountred.
Sau.
How did he take in,
Beaune in view of that inuincible army
Lead by the Lord great Constable of Castile?
Autun, and Nuis: in Burgundy chast away,
Vicount Tauannes troopes before Dijon,
And puts himselfe in, and there that was won.
Hen.
If you would onely giue me leaue my Lord,
I would do right to him, yet must not giue.
Sau.
A league from Fountaine Francois, when you sent him,
To make discouerie of the Castile army,
When he descern'd twas it (with wondrous wisdome
Ioinde to his spirit) he seem'd to make retreate,
But when they prest him, and the Barron of Lux,
Set on their charge so hotely, that his horse,
Was slaine, and he most dangerously engag'd,
As doth an Eccho beate backe violent sounds,
With their owne forces) he, (as if a wall
Start sodainely before them) pasht them all
Flat, at the earth, and there was that field wonne.
Hen.
Y' are all the field wide.
Sau.
O, I aske you pardon,
The strength of that field yet laie in his backe,
Vpon the foes part; and what is to come,
Of this your Marshal, now your worthie Duke
Is much beyond the rest: for now he sees
A sort of horse troopes, issue from the woods,
In number nere twelue hunderd: and retyring
To tell you that the entire armie follow'd,
Before he could relate it, he was forc't
To turne head, and receiue the maine assaulte
Of fiue horse troopes: onely with twenty horse:
The first he met, he tumbled to the earth,
And brake through all, not daunted with two wounds,
One on his head, another on his brest,
The bloud of which, drownd all the field in doubte:
Your maiesty himselfe was then engag'd,
Your powre not yet arriu'd, and vp you brought
The little strength you had: a cloud of foes,
Ready to burst in stormes about your eares:
Three squadrons rusht against you, and the first,
You tooke so fiercely, that, you beate their thoughts
Out of their bosoms, from the vrged fight:
The second, all amazed you ouerthrew,
The third disperst, with fiue and twenty horse
Left of the fourescore that persude the chase:
And this braue conquest, now your Marshall seconds
Against two squadrons, but with fifty horse,
One after other he defeates them both,
And made them runne, like men whose heeles were tript,
And pitch their heads, in their great generalls lap:
And him he sets on, as he had beene shot
Out of a Cannan: beates him into route,
With a black torrent; that beares all things downe,
His furie ouertakes, his fomy back,
Loded with Cattaile, and with stackes of Corne,
And makes the miserable Plowman mourne;
So was du Maine surchardgd, and so Byron
Flow'd ouer all his forces; euery drop
Of his lost bloud, bought with a worthy man;
And, onely with a hundred Gentlemen
He wonne the place, from fifteene hundred horse;
Hen.
He won the place?
Sau.
On my word, so tis sayd:
Hen.
Fie you haue beene extreamely misinform'd.
Sau.
I onely tell your highnesse what I heard,
I was not there; and though I haue beene rude,
With wonder of his vallor, and presum'd,
To keepe his merit in his full carire,
Not hearing you, when your, made such a thunder;
Pardon my fault, since twas t'extoll your seruant;
But, is it not most true, that twixt yee both,
So few achiu'd, the conquest of so many?
Henr.
It is a truth, must make me euer thankefull,
But not performd by him, was not I there?
Commanded him, and in the maine assault,
Made him but second?
Sau.
Hee's the capitall souldier,
That liues this day in holy Christendome,
Except your highnesse, alwaies except Plato.
Hen.
We must not giue to one, to take from many,
For (not to praise our countrimen) here seru'd,
The Generall My Lor. Norris, sent from England:
As great a captaine as the world affords:
One fit to leade, and fight for Christendome;
Of more experience; and of stronger braine;
As valiant for abiding; In Command,
On any sodaine; vpon any ground
And in the forme of all occasions
As ready, and as profitably, dauntles;
A worthy Captaine; and more like the Duke,
Because he was lesse temperate then the Generall;
And being familliar with the man you praise,
(Because he knew him haughty and incapable,
Of all comparison) would compare with him,
And hold his swelling valour to the marke,
Iustice had set in him, and not his will:
And as in open vessells filld with water,
And on mens shoulders borne, they put treene cuppes,
To keepe the wild and slippery element,
From washing ouer: follow all his Swayes
And tickle aptnes to exceed his bounds,
And at the Brym containe him: so this knight,
Swum in Byron, and held him, but to right,
But leaue these hot comparisons, hee's mine owne,
And then what I possesse, Ile more be knowne,
Sau.
All this shall to the duke, I fisht for this.
Exeunt.
FINIS. Actus Secundi.
| The Conspiracie of Charles Duke of Byron, Marshall of France | |