SCENE ONE
Enter KING CHARLES , supported by the KING OF NAVARRE and EPERNOUN ; CATHERINE the Queen-Mother, the CARDINAL OF LORRAINE , PLESHÉ , and ATTENDANTS . CHARLES :
O, let me stay, and rest me here a while!
A griping pain hath seiz'd upon my heart;
A sudden pang, the messenger of death. CATHERINE :
O, say not so! Thou kill'st thy mother's heart. CHARLES :
I must say so; pain forceth me complain. NAVARRE :
Comfort yourself, my lord, and have no doubt
But God will sure restore you to your health. CHARLES :
O, no, my loving brother of Navarre!
I have deserv'd a scourge, I must confess;
Yet is there patience of another sort
Than to misdo the welfare of their king:
God grant my nearest friends may prove no worse!
O, hold me up! my sight begins to fail,
My sinews shrink, my brains turn upside down;
My heart doth break: I faint and die.
Dies . CATHERINE :
What, art thou dead? Sweet son, speak to thy mother!
O, no, his soul is fled from out his breast,
And he nor hears nor sees us what we do!
My lords, what resteth there now for to be done,
But that we presently despatch ambassadors
To Poland, to call Henry back again,
To wear his brother's crown and dignity?
Epernoun, go see it presently be done,
And bid him come without delay to us. EPERNOUN :
Madam, I will.
Exit . CATHERINE :
And now, my lords, after these funerals done,
We will, with all the speed we can, provide
For Henry's coronation from Polony.
Come, let us take his body hence.
The body of KING CHARLES is borne out; and exeunt all except the KING OF NAVARRE and PLESHÉ . NAVARRE :
And now, Navarre whilst that these broils do last,
My opportunity may serve me fit
To steal from France, and hie me to my home,
For here's no safety in the realm for me:
And now that Henry is recall'd from Poland,
It is my due, by just succession;
And therefore, as speedily as I can perform,
I'll muster up an army secretly,
For fear that Guise, join'd with the king of Spain,
Might seek to cross me in mine enterprise.
But God, that always doth defend the right,
Will show his mercy, and preserve us still. PLESHÉ :
The virtues of our true religion
Cannot but march, with many graces more,
Whose army shall discomfit all your foes,
And, at the length, in Pampelonia crown
(In spite of Spain, and all the popish power,
That holds it from your highness wrongfully)
Your majesty her rightful lord and sovereign. NAVARRE :
Truth, Pleshe and God so prosper me in all,
As I intend to labour for the truth,
And true profession of His holy word!
Come, Pleshe, let's away whilst time doth serve.
Exeunt .
SCENE TWO
Trumpets sounded within, and a cry of 'Vive le Roi,' two or three times. Enter ANJOU crowned as King Henry the Third ; CATHERINE the Queen-Mother, the CARDINAL OF LORRAINE , GUISE , EPERNOUN , MUGEROUN , the CUTPURSE , and others . ALL :
Vive le Roi, Vive le Roi!
A flourish of trumpets . CATHERINE :
Welcome from Poland, Henry, once again!
Welcome to France, thy father's royal seat!
Here hast thou a country void of fears,
A warlike people to maintain thy right,
A watchful senate for ordaining laws,
A loving mother to preserve thy state,
And all things that a king may wish besides;
All this, and more, hath Henry with his crown. CARDINAL OF LORRAINE :
And long may Henry enjoy all this, and more! ALL :
Vive le Roi, Vive le Roi!
A flourish of trumpets . HENRY :
Thanks to you all. The guider of all crowns
Grant that our deeds may well deserve your loves!
And so they shall, if fortune speed my will,
And yield your thoughts to height of my deserts.
What say our minions? Think they Henry's heart
Will not both harbour love and majesty?
Put off that fear, they are already join'd:
No person, place, or time, or circumstance,
Shall slack my love's affection from his bent.
As now you are, so shall you still persist,
Removeless from the favours of your king. MUGEROUN :
We know that noble minds change not their thoughts
For wearing of a crown, in that your grace
Hath worn the Poland diadem before
You were invested in the crown of France. HENRY :
I tell thee, Mugeroun, we will be friends,
And fellows too, whatever storms arise. MUGEROUN :
Then may it please your majesty to give me leave
To punish those that do profane this holy feast.
MUGEROUN cuts off the CUTPURSE'S ear, for cutting the gold buttons off bis cloak . HENRY :
How mean'st thou that? CUTPURSE :
O Lord, mine ear! MUGEROUN :
Come, sir, give me my buttons, and here's your ear. GUISE :
Sirrah, take him away. HENRY :
Hands off, good fellow; I will be his bail
For this offence. ÔÇô Go, sirrah, work no more
Till this our coronation-day be past. ÔÇô
And now,
Our solemn rites of coronation done,
What now remains but for a while to feast,
And spend some days in barriers, tourney, tilt,
And like disports, such as do fit the court?
Let's go, my lords; our dinner stays for us.
Exeunt all except CATHERINE the Queen-Mother and the CARDINAL OF LORRAINE . CATHERINE :
My Lord Cardinal of Lorraine, tell me,
How likes your grace my son's pleasantness?
His mind, you see, runs on his minions,
And all his heaven is to delight himself;
And, whilst he sleeps securely thus in ease,
Thy brother Guise and we may now provide
To plant ourselves with such authority
As not a man may live without our leaves.
Then shall the Catholic faith of Rome
Flourish in France, and none deny the same. CARDINAL OF LORRAINE :
Madam, as in secrecy I was told,
My brother Guise hath gather'd a power of men,
Which are, he saith, to kill the Puritans;
But 'tis the house of Bourbon that he means.
Now, madam, must you insinuate with the king,
And tell him that 'tis for his country's good,
And common profit of religion. CATHERINE :
Tush, man, let me alone with him,
To work the way to bring this thing to pass;
And, if he do deny what I do say,
I'll despatch him with his brother presently,
And then shall Monsieur wear the diadem.
Tush, all shall die unless I have my will;
For, while she lives, Catherine will be queen.
Come, my lord, let us go seek the Guise,
And then determine of this enterprise.
Exeunt .
Enter KING CHARLES , supported by the KING OF NAVARRE and EPERNOUN ; CATHERINE the Queen-Mother, the CARDINAL OF LORRAINE , PLESHÉ , and ATTENDANTS . CHARLES :
O, let me stay, and rest me here a while!
A griping pain hath seiz'd upon my heart;
A sudden pang, the messenger of death. CATHERINE :
O, say not so! Thou kill'st thy mother's heart. CHARLES :
I must say so; pain forceth me complain. NAVARRE :
Comfort yourself, my lord, and have no doubt
But God will sure restore you to your health. CHARLES :
O, no, my loving brother of Navarre!
I have deserv'd a scourge, I must confess;
Yet is there patience of another sort
Than to misdo the welfare of their king:
God grant my nearest friends may prove no worse!
O, hold me up! my sight begins to fail,
My sinews shrink, my brains turn upside down;
My heart doth break: I faint and die.
Dies . CATHERINE :
What, art thou dead? Sweet son, speak to thy mother!
O, no, his soul is fled from out his breast,
And he nor hears nor sees us what we do!
My lords, what resteth there now for to be done,
But that we presently despatch ambassadors
To Poland, to call Henry back again,
To wear his brother's crown and dignity?
Epernoun, go see it presently be done,
And bid him come without delay to us. EPERNOUN :
Madam, I will.
Exit . CATHERINE :
And now, my lords, after these funerals done,
We will, with all the speed we can, provide
For Henry's coronation from Polony.
Come, let us take his body hence.
The body of KING CHARLES is borne out; and exeunt all except the KING OF NAVARRE and PLESHÉ . NAVARRE :
And now, Navarre whilst that these broils do last,
My opportunity may serve me fit
To steal from France, and hie me to my home,
For here's no safety in the realm for me:
And now that Henry is recall'd from Poland,
It is my due, by just succession;
And therefore, as speedily as I can perform,
I'll muster up an army secretly,
For fear that Guise, join'd with the king of Spain,
Might seek to cross me in mine enterprise.
But God, that always doth defend the right,
Will show his mercy, and preserve us still. PLESHÉ :
The virtues of our true religion
Cannot but march, with many graces more,
Whose army shall discomfit all your foes,
And, at the length, in Pampelonia crown
(In spite of Spain, and all the popish power,
That holds it from your highness wrongfully)
Your majesty her rightful lord and sovereign. NAVARRE :
Truth, Pleshe and God so prosper me in all,
As I intend to labour for the truth,
And true profession of His holy word!
Come, Pleshe, let's away whilst time doth serve.
Exeunt .
SCENE TWO
Trumpets sounded within, and a cry of 'Vive le Roi,' two or three times. Enter ANJOU crowned as King Henry the Third ; CATHERINE the Queen-Mother, the CARDINAL OF LORRAINE , GUISE , EPERNOUN , MUGEROUN , the CUTPURSE , and others . ALL :
Vive le Roi, Vive le Roi!
A flourish of trumpets . CATHERINE :
Welcome from Poland, Henry, once again!
Welcome to France, thy father's royal seat!
Here hast thou a country void of fears,
A warlike people to maintain thy right,
A watchful senate for ordaining laws,
A loving mother to preserve thy state,
And all things that a king may wish besides;
All this, and more, hath Henry with his crown. CARDINAL OF LORRAINE :
And long may Henry enjoy all this, and more! ALL :
Vive le Roi, Vive le Roi!
A flourish of trumpets . HENRY :
Thanks to you all. The guider of all crowns
Grant that our deeds may well deserve your loves!
And so they shall, if fortune speed my will,
And yield your thoughts to height of my deserts.
What say our minions? Think they Henry's heart
Will not both harbour love and majesty?
Put off that fear, they are already join'd:
No person, place, or time, or circumstance,
Shall slack my love's affection from his bent.
As now you are, so shall you still persist,
Removeless from the favours of your king. MUGEROUN :
We know that noble minds change not their thoughts
For wearing of a crown, in that your grace
Hath worn the Poland diadem before
You were invested in the crown of France. HENRY :
I tell thee, Mugeroun, we will be friends,
And fellows too, whatever storms arise. MUGEROUN :
Then may it please your majesty to give me leave
To punish those that do profane this holy feast.
MUGEROUN cuts off the CUTPURSE'S ear, for cutting the gold buttons off bis cloak . HENRY :
How mean'st thou that? CUTPURSE :
O Lord, mine ear! MUGEROUN :
Come, sir, give me my buttons, and here's your ear. GUISE :
Sirrah, take him away. HENRY :
Hands off, good fellow; I will be his bail
For this offence. ÔÇô Go, sirrah, work no more
Till this our coronation-day be past. ÔÇô
And now,
Our solemn rites of coronation done,
What now remains but for a while to feast,
And spend some days in barriers, tourney, tilt,
And like disports, such as do fit the court?
Let's go, my lords; our dinner stays for us.
Exeunt all except CATHERINE the Queen-Mother and the CARDINAL OF LORRAINE . CATHERINE :
My Lord Cardinal of Lorraine, tell me,
How likes your grace my son's pleasantness?
His mind, you see, runs on his minions,
And all his heaven is to delight himself;
And, whilst he sleeps securely thus in ease,
Thy brother Guise and we may now provide
To plant ourselves with such authority
As not a man may live without our leaves.
Then shall the Catholic faith of Rome
Flourish in France, and none deny the same. CARDINAL OF LORRAINE :
Madam, as in secrecy I was told,
My brother Guise hath gather'd a power of men,
Which are, he saith, to kill the Puritans;
But 'tis the house of Bourbon that he means.
Now, madam, must you insinuate with the king,
And tell him that 'tis for his country's good,
And common profit of religion. CATHERINE :
Tush, man, let me alone with him,
To work the way to bring this thing to pass;
And, if he do deny what I do say,
I'll despatch him with his brother presently,
And then shall Monsieur wear the diadem.
Tush, all shall die unless I have my will;
For, while she lives, Catherine will be queen.
Come, my lord, let us go seek the Guise,
And then determine of this enterprise.
Exeunt .
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