weigh My valure with the hisse of such a viper What I haue done to shunne the mortall shame Of so vniust an opposition My enuious starres cannot deny me this That I may make my Iudges witnesses And that my wretched fortunes haue reseru'd For my last comfort yee all know my Lords This body gasht with fiue and thirty wounds Whose life and death you haue in your award Holds not a veine that hath not opened beene And which I would not open yet againe For you and yours this hand that writ the lines Alledgd against me hath enacted still More good then there it onely talkt of ill I must confesse my choller hath transferd My tender spleene to all intemperate speech But reason euer did my deeds attend In worth of praise and imitation Had I borne any will to let them loose I could haue flesht them with bad seruices In England lately and in Swizerland There are a hundred Gentlemen by name Can witnesse my demeanure in the first And in the last Ambassage I adiure No other testimonies then the Seigneurs De Vio and Sillerie who amply know In what sort and with what fidelitie I bore my selfe to reconcile and knit In one desire so many wills disioynde And from the Kings allegiance quite with-drawne My acts aske many men though done by one And I were but one I stood for thousands And still I hold my worth though not my place Nor sleight me Iudges though I be but one One man in one sole expedition Reduc'd into th' imperiall powre of Rome Armenia Pontus and Arabia Syria Albania and Iberia Conquerd th' Hyrcanians and to Caucasus His arme extended the Numidians And Affrick to the shores Meridionall His powre subiected and that part of Spaine Which stood from those parts that Sertorius rulde Euen to the Atlantique Sea he conquered Th' Albanian kings he from the kingdoms chac'd And at the Caspian Sea their dwellings plac'd Of all the Earths globe by powre and his aduice The round-eyd Ocean saw him victor thrice And what shall let me but your cruell doome To adde as much to France as he to Rome And to leaue Iustice neither Sword nor word To vse against my life this Senate knowes That what with one victorious hand I tooke I gaue to all your vses with another With this I tooke and propt the falling kingdome And gaue it to the King I haue kept Your lawes of state from fire and you your selues Fixt in this high Tribunall from whose height The vengefull Saturnals of the League Had hurld yee head-long doe yee then returne This retribution can the cruell King The kingdome lawes and you all sau'd by me Destroy their sauer what aye me I did Aduerse to this this damnd Enchanter did That tooke into his will my motion And being banck-route both of wealth and worth Pursued with quarrels and with suites in law Feard by the kingdome threatned by the king Would raise the loathed dung-hill of his ruines Vpon the monumentall heape of mine Torne with possessed whirle-winds may he dye And dogs barke at his murthorous memory Chan My Lord our liberall sufferance of your speech Hath made it late and for this Session We will dismisse you take him back my Lord Exit Vit. Byron Har You likewise may depart Exit Laffin Chan. What resteth now To be decreed gainst this great prisoner A mighty merit and a monstrous crime Are here concurrent what by witnesses His letters and instructions we haue prou'd Himselfe confesseth and excuseth all With witch-craft and the onely act of thought For witch-craft I esteeme it a meere strength Of rage in him conceiu'd gainst his accuser Who being examinde hath denied it all Suppose it true it made him false But wills And worthy mindes witch-craft can neuer force And for his thoughts that brake not into deeds Time was the cause not will the mindes free act In treason still is Iudgd as th' outward fact If his deserts haue had a wealthy share In sauing of our land from ciuill furies Manlius had so that fast the Capitoll Yet for his after traiterous factions They threw him head-long from the place he sau'd My definite sentence then doth this import That we must quench the wilde-fire with his bloud In which it was so traiterously inflam'd Vnlesse with it we seeke to incence the land The King can haue no refuge for his life If his be quitted this was it that made Lewis th' eleuenth renounce his countrymen And call the valiant Scots out of their kingdome To vse their greater vertues and their faiths Then his owne subiects in his royall guarde What then conclude your censures Omnes He must dye Chan Draw then his sentence formally and send him And so all treasons in his death attend him Exeunt Enter Byron Espernon Soisson Ianin Vidame Descures Vit. I ioy you had so good a day my Lord Byr. I wone it from them all the Chancellor I answerd to his vttermost improuements I mou'd my other Iudges to lament My insolent misfortunes and to lothe The pockie soule and state-bawde my accuser I made replie to all that could be said So eloquently and with such a charme Of graue enforcements that me thought I sat Like Orpheus casting reignes on sauage beasts At the armes end as t were I tooke my barre And set it farre aboue the high tribunall Where like a Cedar on Mount Lebanon I Grew and made my iudges show like Box-trees And Boxtrees right their wishes would haue made them Whence boxes should haue growne till they had strooke My head into the budget but ahlas I held their bloudy armes with such strong reasons And by your leaue with such a fyrck of wit That I fetcht bloud vpon the Chancelors cheekes Me thinkes I see his countinance as he sat And the most lawierly deliuery Of his set speeches shall I play his part Enter Soiss Espa Esp: For heauens sake good my Lord Byr. I will ifaith Behold a wicked man A man debaucht A man contesting with his King A man On whom my Lords we are not to conniue Though we may condole A man That Laesa Maiestate sought a lease Of Plus quam satis A man that vi et armis Assaild the King and would per fas et nefas Aspire the kingdome here was lawiers learning Esp: He said not this my Lord that I haue heard Byr. This or the like I sweare I pen no speeches Soiss. Then there is good hope of your wisht acquitall Byr. Acquitall they haue reason were I dead I know they can not all supply my place I st possible the King should be so vaine To thinke he can shake me with feare of death Or make me apprehend that he intends it Thinkes he to make his firmest men his clowds The clowdes obseruing their Aeriall natures Are borne aloft and then to moisture hang'd Fall to the earth where being made thick and cold They loose both al their heate and leuitie Yet then againe recouering heate and
a Scrupulouse wing Aboue those pikes to heauen-ward fall on them This is like men that spirrited with wine Passe dangerouse places safe and die for feare With onely thought of them being simply sober We must in passing to our wished ends Through things calld good and bad be like the ayre That euenly interposd betwixt the seas And the opposed Element of fire At either toucheth but pertakes with neither Is neither hot nor cold but with a sleight And harmelesse temper mixt of both th' exstreames Laff. T is shrode Byr. There is no truth of any good To be descernd on earth and by conuersion Nought therefore simply bad But as the stuffe Prepard for Arras pictures is no Picture Till it be formd and man hath cast the beames Of his imaginouse fancie through it In forming antient Kings and conquerors As he conceiues they look't and were attirde Though they were nothing so so all things here Haue all their price set downe from mens concepts Which make all terms and actions good or bad And are but pliant and wel-coloured threads Put into fained images of truth To which to yeeld and kneele as truth pure kings That puld vs downe with cleere truth of their Ghospell Were Superstition to be hist to hell Laff. Beleeue it this is reason Byr. T' is the faith Of reason and of wisdome Laff. You perswade As if you could create what man can shunne The serches and compressions of your graces Byr. We must haue these lures when we hawke for friends And wind about them like a subtle Riuer That seeming onely to runne on his course Doth serch yet as he runnes and still finds out The easiest parts of entry on the shore Glyding so slyly by as scarce it toucht Yet still eates some thing in it so must those That haue large fields and currants to dispose Come let vs joyne our streames we must runne far And haue but little time The duke Sauoy Is shortly to be gone and I must needes Make you well knowne to him Laff. But hath your highnes Some enterprise of value ioynd with him Byr. With him and greater persons Laffi. I will creepe Vpon my bosome in your Princely seruice Vouch-safe to make me knowne I heare there liues not So kind so bounty full and wise a Prince But in your owne excepted excellence Byr. He shall both know and loue you are you mine Laff. I take the honor of it on my knee And hope to quite it with your Maiesty Exit Enter Sauoy Roncas Rochet Breton Sau. La Fin is in the right and will obtaine He draweth with his weight and like a plummet That swaies a dore with falling of pulls after Ron. Thus will Laffin be brought a Stranger to you By him he leads he conquers that is conquerd That 's sought as hard to winne that sues to be wonne Sau. But is my Painter warnd to take his picture When he shall see me and present Laffin Roch. He is my Lord and as your highnesse willd All we will presse about him and admire The royall promise of his rare aspect As if he heard not Sau. T will enflame him Such trickes the Arch-duke vsd t' extoll his greatnes Which complements though plaine men hold absurd And a meere remedy for desire of Greatnesse Yet great men vse them as they eate Potatoes High Coollises and potions to excite The lust of their ambition and this Duke You know is noted in his naturall garb Extreamely glorious who will therefore bring An appetite expecting such a baite He comes go instantly and fetch the Painter Enter Byron La Fin Byr. All honor to your heighnesse Sau. T is most true All honours flow to me in you their Ocean As welcome worthyest duke as if my marquisate Were circkl'd with you in these amorous armes Byr. I sorrow Sir I could not bring it with me That I might so supply the fruitelesse complement Of onely visiting your excellence With which the king now sends me t' entertaine you Which notwithstanding doth confer this good That it hath giuen me some small time to shew My gratitude for the many secret bounties I haue by this your Lord Ambassador Felt from your heighnesse and in short t' assure you That all my most deserts are at your seruice Sau. Had the king sent me by you halfe his kingdome It were not halfe so welcom Byr. For defect Of whatsoeuer in my selfe my Lord I here commend to your most Princely Seruice This honord friend of mine Sau. Your name I pray you Sir Laff. Laffin my Lord Sau. Laffin Is this the man That you so recommended to my Loue Ron. The same my Lord Sau. Y' are next my Lord the duke The most desird of all men O my Lord The King and I haue had a mighty conflict About your conflicts and your matchles worth In military vertues which I put In Ballance with the continent of France In all the peace and safty it enioyes And made euen weight with all he could put in Of all mens else and of their owne deserts Byr. Of all mens else would he weigh other mens With my deseruings Sau. I vpon my life The English Generall the Mylor' Norris That seru'd amongst you here he paralleld With you at all parts and in some preferd him And Collonell Williams a Welch Collonell He made a man that at your most containd you Which the Welch Herrald of their praise the Cucko Would scarce haue put in his monology In iest and said with reuerence to his merits Byr. With reuerence Reuerence skornes him by the spoyle Of all her Merits in me he shall rue it Did euer Curtian Gullffe play such a part Had Curtius beene so vsed if he had brook't That rauenous whirlepoole pourd his solide spirrits Through earth dissolued sinews stopt her veines And rose with saued Rome vpon his backe As I swum pooles of fire and Gullfs of brasse To saue my country thrust this venturous arme Beneath her ruines tooke her on my necke And set her safe on her appeased shore And opes the king a fouler bog then this In his so rotten bosome to deuoure Him that deuourd what else had swalloed him In a detraction so with spight embrewed And drowne such good in such ingratitude My spirrit as yet but stooping to his rest Shines hotly in him as the Sunne in clowds Purpled and made proud with a peacefull Euen But when I throughly set to him his cheekes Will like those clouds forgoe their collour quite And his whole blaze smoke into endles night Sau. Nay nay we must haue no such gall my Lord O'reflow our friendly liuers my relation Onely deliuers my enflamed zeale To your religious merits which me thinkes Should make your highnes canonizd a Saint Byr. What had his armes beene without my arme That with his motion made the whole field moue And this held vp we still had victory When ouer charg'd with number his few friends Retir'd amazed I set them on assurd And what rude
finger in the hearts of kings Which whilelome grew into a goodly tree Bright Angels sat and sung vpon the twigs And royall branches for the heads of Kings Were twisted of them but since squint-ey'd enuye And pale suspicion dasht the heads of kingdomes One gainst another two abhorred twins With two foule tayles sterne Warre and Libertie Entred the world The tree that grew from heauen Is ouerrunne with mosse the cheerfull musique That heeretofore hath sounded out of it Beginnes to cease and as she casts her leaues By small degrees the kingdomes of the earth Decline and wither and looke whensoeuer That the pure sap in her is dried vp quite The lamp of all authoritie goes out And all the blaze of Princes is extinkt Thus as the Poet sends a messenger Out to the stage to shew the summe of all That followes after so are Kings reuolts And playing both waies with religion Fore-runners of afflictions imminent Which like a Chorus subiects must lament D' Au. My Lord I stand not on these deepe discourses To settle my course to your fortunes mine Are freely and inseperablie linckt And to your loue my life Byr. Thankes Princely friend And whatsoeuer good shall come of me Pursu'd by al the Catholike Princes aydes With whom I ioyne and whose whole states proposde To winne my valure promise me a throne All shall be equall with my selfe thine owne La Brun. My Lord here is D'escuris sent from the King Desires accesse to you Enter D'escuris Byr. Attend him in Desc. Helth to my Lord the Duke Byr. Welcome D'escuris In what helth rests our royall Soueraigne Desc. In good helth of his bodie but his minde Is something troubled with the gathering stormes Of forreigne powres that as he is inform'd Addresse themselues into his frontier townes And therefore his intent is to maintaine The body of an armie on those parts And yeeld their worthie conduct to your valure Byr. From whence heares he that any stormes are rising D'esc. From Italy and his intelligence No doubt is certaine that in all those partes Leuies are hotly made for which respect He sent to his Ambassador De Vic To make demand in Switzerland for the raising With vtmost dilligence of sixe thousand men All which shall bee commanded to attend On your direction as the Constable Your honord Gossip gaue him in aduice And hee sent you by wrighting of which letters He would haue answere and aduice from you By your most speedie presence Byr. This is strange That when the enimie is t' attempt his frontiers He calls me from the frontiers does he thinke It is an action worthie of my valure To turne my back to an approching foe Desc. The foe is not so nere but you may come And take more strickt directions from his highnesse Then he thinkes fit his letters should containe Without the least attainture of your valure And therefore good my Lord forbeare excuse And beare your selfe on his direction Who well you know hath neuer made designe For your most worthy seruice where he saw That any thing but honour could succede Byr. I will not come I sweare Des. I know your grace Will send no such vnsauorie replie Byr. Tell him that I beseech his Maiesty To pardon my repaire till th' end be knowne Of all these leuies now in Italie Des. My Lord I know that tale will neuer please him And wish you as you loue his loue and pleasure To satisfie his summons speedily And speedily I know he will returne you Byr. By heauen it is not fit if all my seruice Makes me know any thing beseech him therefore To trust my iudgement in these doubtfull charges Since in assur'd assaults it hath not faild him Des. I would your Lordship now would trust his iudgement Byr. Gods precious y' are importunate past measure And I know further then your charge extends I le satisfie his highnesse let that serue For by this flesh and bloud you shall not beare Any replie to him but this from me Des. T is nought to me my Lord I wish your good And for that cause haue beene importunate Exit Desc Brunel By no meanes goe my Lord but with distrust Of all that hath beene said or can be sent Collect your friends and stand vpon your gard The Kings faire letters and his messages Are onely Golden Pills and comprehend Horrible purgatiues Byr. I will not goe For now I see th' instructions lately sent me That something is discouerd are too true And my head rules none of those neighbor Nobles That euery Pursiuant brings beneath the axe If they bring me out they shall see I le hatch Like to the Black-thorne that puts forth his leafe Not with the golden fawnings of the Sunne But sharpest showers of haile and blackest frosts Blowes batteries breaches showers of steele and bloud Must be his doun-right messengers for me And not the misling breath of policie He he himselfe made passage to his Crowne Through no more armies battailes massacres Then I will aske him to arriue at me He takes on him my executions And on the demolitions that this arme Hath shaken out of forts and Citadells Hath he aduanc't the Tropheys of his valor Where I in those assumptions may skorne And speake contemptuously of all the world For any equal yet I euer found And in my rising not the Syrian Starre That in the Lyons mouth vndaunted shines And makes his braue ascension with the Sunne Was of th' Egiptians with more zeale beheld And made a rule to know the circuite And compasse of the yeare then I was held When I appeard from battaile the whole sphere And full sustainer of the state we beare I haue Alcides-like gone vnder th' earth And on these showlders borne the weight of France And for the fortunes of the thankles King My father all know set him in his throne And if he vrge me I may pluck him out Enter Mess: Mes. Here is the president Ianin my Lord Sent from the King and vrgeth quick accesse Byr. Another Pursiuant and one so quick He takes next course with me to make him stay But let him in let 's here what he importunes Enter Ianin Ianin Honor and loyall hopes to Duke Byron Byr. No other tooch me say how fares the King Ian. Farely my Lord the cloud is yet farre off That aimes at his obscuring and his will Would gladly giue the motion to your powers That should disperse it but the meanes himselfe Would personally relate in your direction Byr. Still on that hante Ian. Vpon my life my Lord He much desires to see you and your sight Is now growne necessarie to suppresse As with the glorious splendor of the Sunne The rude windes that report breaths in his eares Endeuoring to blast your loialtie Byr. Sir if my loyaltie stick in him no faster But that the light breath of report may loose it So I rest still vnmoou'd let him be shaken Ian. But these aloofe abodes my Lord bewray That there
in the world deserue respect Hee should be borne grey-headed that will beare The sword of Empire Iudgement of the life Free state and reputation of a man If it be iust and worthy dwells so darke That it denies accesse to Sunne and Moone The soules eye sharpned with that sacred light Of whome the Sunne it selfe is but a beame Must onely giue that iudgement O how much Erre those Kings then that play with life and death And nothing put into their serious States But humor and their lusts For which alone Men long for kingdomes whose huge counterpoise In cares and dangers could a foole comprise He would not be a King but would be wise Enter Byron talking with the Queene Esp D' Entragues D' Av: with another Lady others attending Hen: Heere comes the man with whose ambitious head Cast in the way of Treason we must stay His full chace of our ruine and our Realme This houre shall take vpon her shady winges His latest liberty and life to Hell D'Av: We are vndone Queene What 's that Byr: I heard him not Hen: Madam y' are honord much that Duke Byron Is so obseruant Some to cardes with him You foure as now you come sit to Primero And I will fight a battayle at the Chesse Byr. A good safe fight beleeue me Other warre Thirsts blood and wounds and his thirst quencht is thankles Esp: Lift and then cut Byr: T is right the end of lifting When men are lifted to their highest pitch They cut of those that lifted them so high Qu Apply you all these sports so seriously Byr: They first were from our serious acts deuis'd The best of which are to the best but sports I meane by best the greatest for their ends In men that serue them best are their owne pleasures Qu So in those best mens seruices their ends Are their owne pleasures passe Byr: I vy't Hen: I see 't And wonder at his frontles impudence Exit Hen Chan How speedes your Maiestie Qu Well the Duke instructs me With such graue lessons of mortallitie Forc't out of our light sport that if I loose I cannot but speed well Byr. Some idle talke For Courtship sake you know does not amisse Chan. Would we might heare some of it Byr. That you shall I cast away a card now makes me thinke Of the deceased worthy King of Spaine Chan. What card was that Byr. The King of hearts my Lord Whose name yeelds well the memorie of that King Who was indeed the worthy King of hearts And had both of his subiects hearts and strangers Much more then all the Kings of Christendome Chan. He wun them with his gold Byr. He wun them chiefely With his so generall Pietie and Iustice And as the little yet great Macedon Was sayd with his humane philosophy To teach the rapefull Hyrcans mariage And bring the barbarous Sogdians to nourish Not kill their aged Parents as before Th' incestuous Persians to reuerence Their mothers not to vse them as their wiues The Indians to adore the Grecian Gods The Scythians to inter not eate their Parents So he with his diuine Philosophy Which I may call his since he chiefely vsd it In Turky India and through all the world Expell'd prophane idolatry and from earth Raisd temples to the highest whom with the word He could not winne he iustly put to sword Chan. He sought for gold and Empire Byr. T was Religion And her full propagation that he sought If gold had beene his end it had beene hoorded When he had fetcht it in so many fleetes Which he spent not on Median Luxurie Banquets and women Calidonian wine Nor deare Hyrcanian fishes but emploid it To propagate his Empire and his Empire Desird t' extend so that he might withall Extend Religion through it and all nations Reduce to one firme constitution Of Pietie Iustice and one publique weale To which end he made all his matchles subiects Make tents their castles and their garisons True Catholikes contrimen and their allies Heretikes strangers and their enemies There was in him the magnanimity Montig. To temper your extreame applause my Lord Shorten and answere all things in a word The greatest commendation we can giue To the remembrance of that King deceast Is that he spar'd not his owne eldest sonne But put him iustly to a violent death Because hee sought to trouble his estates Byr. I st so Chan. That bit my Lord vpon my life T was bitterly replied and doth amaze him The King sodainely enters hauing determined what to doe Hen. It is resolud A worke shall now be done Which while learnd Atlas shall with starres be crownd While th' Ocean walkes in stormes his wauy round While Moones at full repaire their broken rings While Lucifer fore-shewes Auroras springs And Arctos stickes aboue the Earth vnmou'd Shall make my realme be blest and me beloued Call in the count D' Auuergne Enter D'Au A word my Lord Will you become as wilfull as your friend And draw a mortall iustice on your heads That hangs so blacke and is so loth to strike If you would vtter what I knowe you knowe Of his inhumaine treason on Stronge Barre Betwixt his will and duty were dissolud For then I know he would submit himselfe Thinke you it not as stronge a point of faith To rectifie your loyalties to me As to be trusty in ech others wrong Trust that deceiues our selues in treachery And Truth that truth conceales an open lie D'Au. My Lord if I could vtter any thought Instructed with disloyalty to you And might light any safty to my friend Though mine owne heart came after it should out Hen. I knowe you may and that your faith 's affected To one another are so vaine and faulce That your owne Strengths will ruine you ye contend To cast vp rampiers to you in the sea And striue to stop the waues that runne before you D'Au. All this my Lord to me is misery Hen. It is I le make it plaine enouge Beleeue me Come my Lord Chancellor let vs end our mate Enter Varennes whispering to Byron Var. You are vndone my Lord Exit Byr: Is it possible Que. Play good my Lord whom looke you for Esp. Your mind Is not vpon your Game Byr. Play pray you play Hen. Enough t is late and time to leaue our play On all hands all forbeare the roome my Lord Stay you with me yet is your will resolued To dewty and the maine bond of your life I sweare of all th' Intrusions I haue made Vpon your owne good and continew'd fortunes This is the last informe me yet the truth And here I vow to you by all my loue By all meanes showne you euen to this extreame When all men else forsake you you are safe What passages haue slipt twixt count Fuentes You and the Duke of Sauoye Byr. Good my Lord This nayle is driuen already past the head You much haue ouerchargd an honest man And I beseech you yeeld my Inocence iustice But