SCENE ONE

Enter ANJOU , with two LORDS OF POLAND . ANJOU :
My lords of Poland, I must needs confess,
The offer of your Prince Electors far
Beyond the reach of my deserts;
For Poland is, as I have been inform'd,
A martial people, worthy such a king
As hath sufficient counsel in himself
To lighten doubts, and frustrate subtle foes;
And such a king, whom practice long hath taught
To please himself with manage of the wars,
The greatest wars within our Christian bounds, ÔÇô
I mean our wars against the Muscovites,
And, on the other side, against the Turk,
Rich princes both, and mighty emperors.
Yet, by my brother Charles, our king of France,
And by his grace's council, it is thought
That, if I undertake to wear the crown
Of Poland, it may prejudice their hope
Of my inheritance to the crown of France;
For, if th' Almighty take my brother hence,
By due descent the regal seat is mine.
With Poland, therefore, must I covenant thus:
That if, by death of Charles, the diadem
Of France be cast on me, then, with your leaves,
I may retire me to my native home.
If your commission serve to warrant this,
I thankfully shall undertake the charge
Of you and yours, and carefully maintain
The wealth and safety of your kingdom's right. FIRST LORD :
All this, and more, your highness shall command,
For Poland's crown and kingly diadem. ANJOU :
Then, come, my lords, let's go.
Exeunt .

SCENE TWO

Enter two MEN , with the ADMIRAL'S body . FIRST MAN :
Now, sirrah, what shall we do with the Admiral? SECOND MAN :
Why, let us burn him for an heretic. FIRST MAN :
O, no! his body will infect the fire, and the fire the air, and so we shall be poisoned with him. SECOND MAN :
What shall we do, then? FIRST MAN :
Let's throw him into the river. SECOND MAN :
O, 'twill corrupt the water, and the water the fish, and by the fish ourselves, when we eat them! FIRST MAN :
Then throw him into the ditch. SECOND MAN :
No, no. To decide all doubts, be ruled by me: let's hang him here upon this tree. FIRST MAN :
Agreed.
They hang up the body on a tree, and then exeunt .
Enter GUISE , CATHERINE the Queen-Mother, and the CARDINAL OF LORRAINE , with ATTENDANTS . GUISE :
Now, madam, how like you our lusty Admiral? CATHERINE :
Believe me, Guise, he becomes the place so well
As I could long ere this have wish'd him there.
But come,
Let's walk aside; the air's not very sweet. GUISE :
No, by my faith, madam.
Sirs, take him away, and throw him in some ditch.
The ATTENDANTS bear off the ADMIRAL'S body .
And now, madam, as I understand,
There are a hundred Huguenots and more,
Which in the woods do hold their synagogue,
And meet daily about this time of day;
And thither will I, to put them to the sword. CATHERINE :
Do so, sweet Guise; let us delay no time;
For, if these stragglers gather head again,
And disperse themselves throughout the realm of France,
It will be hard for us to work their deaths.
Be gone; delay no time, sweet Guise. GUISE :
Madam,
I go as whirlwinds rage before a storm.
Exit . CATHERINE :
My Lord of Lorraine, have you mark'd of late,
How Charles our son begins for to lament
For the late night's work which my lord of Guise
Did make in Paris amongst the Huguenots? CARDINAL OF LORRAINE :
Madam, I have heard him solemnly vow,
With the rebellious King of Navarre,
For to revenge their deaths upon us all. CATHERINE :
Ay, but, my lord, let me alone for that;
For Catherine must have her will in France.
As I do live, so surely shall he die,
And Henry then shall wear the diadem;
And, if he grudge or cross his mother's will,
I'll disinherit him and all the rest;
For I'll rule France, but they shall wear the crown,
And, if they storm, I then may pull them down.
Come, my lord, let us go.
Exeunt .

SCENE THREE

Enter five or six PROTESTANTS , with books, and kneel together. Then enter GUISE and others . GUISE :
Down with the Huguenots! Murder them! FIRST PROTESTANT :
O Monsieur de Guise, hear me but speak! GUISE :
No, villain; that tongue of thine,
That hath blasphem'd the holy Church of Rome,
Shall drive no plaints into the Guise's ears,
To make the justice of my heart relent.
Tue, tue, tue! let none escape.
They kill the Protestants .
So, drag them away.
Exeunt with the bodies .