[Scæna Secunda
A Room in the Governor’s Castle at Cambrai.]
Enter a Gentleman Usher before Clermont: Renel, Charlotte, with two women attendants, with others: showes having past within.
Charlotte. This for your lordships welcome into Cambray.
Renel. Noblest of ladies, tis beyond all power
(Were my estate at first full) in my meanes
To quit or merit.
Clermont. You come something latter
From Court, my lord, then I: and since newes there5
Is every day encreasing with th’affaires,
Must I not aske now, what the newes is there?
Where the Court lyes? what stirre? change? what avise
From England, Italie?
Ren. You must doe so,
If you’ll be cald a gentleman well quallified,10
And weare your time and wits in those discourses.
Cler. The Locrian princes therefore were brave rulers;
For whosoever there came new from countrie,
And in the citie askt, “What newes?” was punisht:
Since commonly such braines are most delighted15
With innovations, gossips tales, and mischiefes.
But as of lyons it is said and eagles,
That, when they goe, they draw their seeres and tallons
Close up, to shunne rebating of their sharpnesse:
So our wits sharpnesse, which wee should employ20
In noblest knowledge, wee should never waste
In vile and vulgar admirations.
Ren. Tis right; but who, save onely you, performes it,
And your great brother? Madame, where is he?
Char. Gone, a day since, into the countries confines,25
To see their strength, and readinesse for service.
Ren. Tis well; his favour with the King hath made him
Most worthily great, and live right royally.
Cler. I: would hee would not doe so! Honour never
Should be esteem’d with wise men as the price30
And value of their virtuous services,
But as their signe or badge; for that bewrayes
More glory in the outward grace of goodnesse
Then in the good it selfe; and then tis said,
Who more joy takes that men his good advance35
Then in the good it selfe, does it by chance.
Char. My brother speakes all principle. What man
Is mov’d with your soule? or hath such a thought
In any rate of goodnesse?
Cler. Tis their fault.
We have examples of it, cleare and many.40
Demetrius Phalerius, an orator,
And (which not oft meete) a philosopher,
So great in Athens grew that he erected
Three hundred statues of him; of all which,
No rust nor length of time corrupted one;45
But in his life time all were overthrowne.
And Demades (that past Demosthenes
For all extemporall orations)
Erected many statues, which (he living)
Were broke, and melted into chamber-pots.50
Many such ends have fallen on such proud honours,
No more because the men on whom they fell
Grew insolent and left their vertues state,
Then for their hugenesse, that procur’d their hate:
And therefore little pompe in men most great55
Makes mightily and strongly to the guard
Of what they winne by chance or just reward.
Great and immodest braveries againe,
Like statues much too high made for their bases,
Are overturn’d as soone as given their places.60
Enter a Messenger with a Letter.
Messenger. Here is a letter, sir, deliver’d mee
Now at the fore-gate by a gentleman.
Cler. What gentleman?
Mess. Hee would not tell his name;
Hee said, hee had not time enough to tell it,
And say the little rest hee had to say.65
Cler. That was a merry saying; he tooke measure
Of his deare time like a most thriftie husband.
Char. What newes?
Cler. Strange ones, and fit for a novation;
Waightie, unheard of, mischievous enough.
Ren. Heaven shield! what are they?
Cler. Read them, good my lord. 70
Ren. “You are betraid into this countrie.” Monstrous!
Char. How’s that?
Cler. Read on.
Ren. “Maillard, your brothers Lieutenant,
that yesterday invited you to see his musters,75
hath letters and strickt charge from the King to apprehend you.”
Char. To apprehend him!
Ren. “Your brother absents himselfe of
purpose.”80
Cler. That’s a sound one.
Char. That’s a lye.
Ren. “Get on your Scotch horse, and retire to your strength; you know where it is, and
there it expects you. Beleeve this as your best85
friend had sworne it. Fare-well if you will.
Anonymos.” What’s that?
Cler. Without a name.
Char. And all his notice, too, without all truth.
Cler. So I conceive it, sister: ile not wrong90
My well knowne brother for Anonymos.
Char. Some foole hath put this tricke on you, yet more
T’uncover your defect of spirit and valour,
First showne in lingring my deare brothers wreake.
See what it is to give the envious world95
Advantage to diminish eminent virtue.
Send him a challenge. Take a noble course
To wreake a murther, done so like a villaine.
Cler. Shall we revenge a villanie with villanie.
Char. Is it not equall?
Cler. Shall wee equall be with villaines? 100
Is that your reason?
Char. Cowardise evermore
Flyes to the shield of reason.
Cler. Nought that is
Approv’d by reason can be cowardise.
Char. Dispute, when you should fight! Wrong, wreaklesse sleeping,
Makes men dye honorlesse; one borne, another105
Leapes on our shoulders.
Cler. Wee must wreake our wrongs
So as wee take not more.
Char. One wreakt in time
Prevents all other. Then shines vertue most
When time is found for facts; and found, not lost.
Cler. No time occurres to Kings, much lesse to vertue;110
Nor can we call it vertue that proceedes
From vicious fury. I repent that ever
(By any instigation in th’appearance
My brothers spirit made, as I imagin’d)
That e’er I yeelded to revenge his murther.115
All worthy men should ever bring their bloud
To beare all ill, not to be wreakt with good.
Doe ill for no ill; never private cause
Should take on it the part of publike lawes.
Char. A D’Ambois beare in wrong so tame a spirit!120
Ren. Madame, be sure there will be time enough
For all the vengeance your great spirit can wish.
The course yet taken is allow’d by all,
Which being noble, and refus’d by th’Earle,
Now makes him worthy of your worst advantage:125
And I have cast a project with the Countesse
To watch a time when all his wariest guards
Shall not exempt him. Therefore give him breath;
Sure death delaid is a redoubled death.
Cler. Good sister, trouble not your selfe with this:130
Take other ladyes care; practise your face.
There’s the chaste matron, Madame Perigot,
Dwels not farre hence; Ile ride and send her to you.
Shee did live by retailing mayden-heads
In her minoritie; but now shee deales135
In whole-sale altogether for the Court.
I tell you, shee’s the onely fashion-monger,
For your complexion, poudring of your haire,
Shadowes, rebatoes, wires, tyres, and such trickes,
That Cambray or, I thinke, the Court affords.140
She shall attend you, sister, and with these
Womanly practises emply your spirit;
This other suites you not, nor fits the fashion.
Though shee be deare, lay’t on, spare for no cost;
Ladies in these have all their bounties lost.145
Ren. Madame, you see, his spirit will not checke
At any single danger, when it stands
Thus merrily firme against an host of men,
Threaten’d to be [in] armes for his surprise.
Char. That’s a meere bugge-beare, an impossible mocke.150
If hee, and him I bound by nuptiall faith,
Had not beene dull and drossie in performing
Wreake of the deare bloud of my matchlesse brother,
What Prince, what King, which of the desperat’st ruffings,
Outlawes in Arden, durst have tempted thus155
One of our bloud and name, be’t true or false?
Cler. This is not caus’d by that; twill be as sure
As yet it is not, though this should be true.
Char. True, tis past thought false.
Cler. I suppose the worst,
Which farre I am from thinking; and despise160
The armie now in battaile that should act it.
[Char.] I would not let my bloud up to that thought,
But it should cost the dearest bloud in France.
Cler. Sweet sister, (osculatur) farre be both off as the fact
Of my fain’d apprehension.
Char. I would once 165
Strip off my shame with my attire, and trie
If a poore woman, votist of revenge,
Would not performe it with a president
To all you bungling, foggy-spirited men.
But for our birth-rights honour, doe not mention170
One syllable of any word may goe
To the begetting of an act so tender
And full of sulphure as this letters truth:
It comprehends so blacke a circumstance
Not to be nam’d, that but to forme one thought,175
It is or can be so, would make me mad.
Come, my lord, you and I will fight this dreame
Out at the chesse.
Ren. Most gladly, worthiest ladie. Exeunt Char[lotte] and Ren[el].
Enter a Messenger.
Messenger. Sir, my Lord Governours Lieutenant prayes
Accesse to you.
Cler. Himselfe alone?
Mess. Alone, sir. 180
Cler. Attend him in. (Exit Messenger.) Now comes this plot to tryall;
I shall descerne (if it be true as rare)
Some sparkes will flye from his dissembling eyes.
Ile sound his depth.
Enter Maillard with the Messenger.
Maillard. Honour, and all things noble!
Cler. As much to you, good Captaine. What’s th’affaire?185
Mail. Sir, the poore honour we can adde to all
Your studyed welcome to this martiall place,
In presentation of what strength consists
My lord your brothers government, is readie.
I have made all his troopes and companies190
Advance and put themselves in battailia,
That you may see both how well arm’d they are
How strong is every troope and companie,
How ready, and how well prepar’d for service.
Cler. And must they take mee?
Mail. Take you, sir! O heaven! 195
Mess. [aside, to Clermont]. Beleeve it, sir, his count’nance chang’d in turning.
Mail. What doe you meane, sir?
Cler. If you have charg’d them,
You being charg’d your selfe, to apprehend mee,
Turne not your face; throw not your lookes about so.
Mail. Pardon me, sir. You amaze me to conceive200
From whence our wils to honour you should turne
To such dishonour of my lord, your brother.
Dare I, without him, undertake your taking?
Cler. Why not? by your direct charge from the King.
Mail. By my charge from the King! would he so much205
Disgrace my lord, his owne Lieutenant here,
To give me his command without his forfaite?
Cler. Acts that are done by Kings, are not askt why.
Ile not dispute the case, but I will search you.
Mail. Search mee! for what?
Cler. For letters.
Mail. I beseech you, 210
Doe not admit one thought of such a shame
To a commander.
Cler. Goe to! I must doo’t.
Stand and be searcht; you know mee.
Mail. You forget
What tis to be a captaine, and your selfe.
Cler. Stand, or I vow to heaven, Ile make you lie,215
Never to rise more.
Mail. If a man be mad,
Reason must beare him.
Cler. So coy to be searcht?
Mail. Sdeath, sir, use a captaine like a carrier!
Cler. Come, be not furious; when I have done,
You shall make such a carrier of me,220
If’t be your pleasure: you’re my friend, I know,
And so am bold with you.
Mail. You’ll nothing finde
Where nothing is.
Cler. Sweare you have nothing.
Mail. Nothing you seeke, I sweare. I beseech you,
Know I desir’d this out of great affection,225
To th’end my lord may know out of your witnesse
His forces are not in so bad estate
As hee esteem’d them lately in your hearing;
For which he would not trust me with the confines,
But went himselfe to witnesse their estate.230
Cler. I heard him make that reason, and am sorie
I had no thought of it before I made
Thus bold with you, since tis such ruberb to you.
Ile therefore search no more. If you are charg’d
(By letters from the King, or otherwise)235
To apprehend me, never spice it more
With forc’d tearmes of your love, but say: I yeeld;
Holde, take my sword, here; I forgive thee freely;
Take; doe thine office.
Mail. Sfoote! you make m’a hang-man;
By all my faith to you, there’s no such thing.240
Cler. Your faith to mee!
Mail. My faith to God; all’s one:
Who hath no faith to men, to God hath none.
Cler. In that sense I accept your othe, and thanke you.
I gave my word to goe, and I will goe. Exit Cler[mont].
Mail. Ile watch you whither. Exit Mail[lard].
Mess. If hee goes, hee proves 245
How vaine are mens fore knowledges of things,
When heaven strikes blinde their powers of note and use,
And makes their way to ruine seeme more right
Then that which safetie opens to their sight.
Cassandra’s prophecie had no more profit250
With Troyes blinde citizens, when shee foretolde
Troyes ruine; which, succeeding, made her use
This sacred inclamation: “God” (said shee)
“Would have me utter things uncredited;
For which now they approve what I presag’d;255
They count me wise, that said before, I rag’d.” [Exit.]
Linenotes
12 Rulers. Shepherd, Phelps; Q, Rubers.
74 your. Ed.; Q, you.
149 in. Added by ed.
155 Arden. Q, Acden.
162 Char. Q, Cler.