CAPTAINE. Come on sirs, what, are you resolutely bent, Hating the life and honour of the Guise?
What, will you not feare when you see him come?
1. Feare him said you? tush, were he heere, we would kill hin presently.
2. O that his heart were leaping in my hand.
31. But when will he come that we may murther him?
CAPTAINE. Well then, I see you are resolute.
1. Let us alone, I warrant you.
CAPTAINE. Then sirs take your standings within this Chamber, For anon the Guise will come.
ALL. You will give us our money?
CAPTAINE. I, I, feare not: stand close, be resolute:
[The murtherers go aside as if in the next room.]
Now fals the star whose influence governes France, Whose light was deadly to the Protestants:
Now must he fall and perish in his height.
Enter the King and Epernoune.
KING. Now Captain of my guarde, are these murtherers ready?
CAPTAINE. They be my good Lord.
KING. But are they resolute and armde to kill, Hating the life and honour of the Guise?
CAPTAINE. I warrant you my Lord.
[Exit.]
KING. Then come proud Guise and heere disgordge thy brest, Surchargde with surfet of ambitious thoughts:
Breath out that life wherein my death was hid, And end thy endles treasons with thy death.
Enter the Guise [within] and knocketh.
GUISE. Holla varlet, hey: Epernoune, where is the King?
EPERNOUNE. Mounted his royall Cabonet.
GUISE. I prethee tell him that the Guise is heere.
EPERNOUNE. And please your grace the Duke of Guise doth crave Accesse unto your highnes.
KING. Let him come in.
Come Guise and see thy traiterous guile outreacht, And perish in the pit thou mad'st for me.
The Guise comes to the King.
GUISE. Good morrow to your Majestie.
KING. Good morrow to my loving Cousin of Guise.
How fares it this morning with your excellence?
GUISE. I heard your Majestie was scarcely pleasde, That in the Court I bear so great a traine.
KING. They were to blame that said I was displeasde, And you good Cosin to imagine it.
Twere hard with me if I should doubt my kinne, Or be suspicious of my deerest freends:
Cousin, assure you I am resolute, Whatever any whisper in mine eares, Not to suspect disloyaltye in thee, And so sweet Cuz farwell.
Exit King [and Epernoune].
GUISE. So, Now sues the King for favour to the Guise, And all his Minions stoup when I commaund:
Why this tis to have an army in the fielde.
Now by the holy sacrament I sweare, As ancient Romanes over their Captive Lords, So will I triumph over this wanton King, And he shall follow my proud Chariots wheeles.
Now doe I but begin to look about, And all my former time was spent in vaine:
Holde Sworde, For in thee is the Guises hope.
Enter one of the Murtherers.
Villaine, why cost thou look so gastly? speake.
3. O pardon me my Lord of Guise.
GUISE. Pardon thee, why what hast thou done?
3. O my Lord, I am one of them that is set to murder you.
GUISE. To murder me, villaine?
3. I my Lord, the rest have taine their standings in the next roome, therefore good my Lord goe not foorth.
GUISE. Yet Caesar shall goe forth.
Let mean consaits, and baser men feare death, Tut they are pesants, I am Duke of Guise:
And princes with their lookes ingender feare.
2 MURD. Stand close, he is comming, I know him by his voice.
GUISE. As pale as ashes, nay then tis time to look about.
ALL. Downe with him, downe with him.
They stabbe him.
GUISE. Oh I have my death wound, give me leave to speak.
2. Then pray to God, and aske forgivenes of the King.
GUISE. Trouble me not, I neare offended him, Nor will I aske forgivenes of the King.
Oh that I have not power to stay my life, Nor immortalitie to be reveng'd:
To dye by Pesantes, what a greefe is this?
Ah Sextus, be reveng'd upon the King, Philip and Parma, I am slaine for you:
Pope excommunicate, Philip depose, The wicked branch of curst Valois's line.
Vive la messe, perish Hugonets, Thus Caesar did goe foorth, and thus he dies.
He dyes.
Enter Captaine of the Guarde.
CAPTAINE. What, have you done?
Then stay a while and Ile goe call the King, [Enter King and Epernoune attended.]
But see where he comes.
My Lord, see where the Guise is slaine.
