[Scæna Secunda
A Room at the Court.]
Enter Henry, Baligny, with sixe of the guard.
Henry. Saw you his sawcie forcing of my hand
To D’Ambois freedome?
Baligny. Saw, and through mine eyes
Let fire into my heart, that burn’d to beare
An insolence so giantly austere.
Hen. The more Kings beare at subjects hands, the more5
Their lingring justice gathers; that resembles
The waightie and the goodly-bodied eagle,
Who (being on earth) before her shady wings
Can raise her into ayre, a mightie way
Close by the ground she runnes; but being aloft,10
All shee commands, she flyes at; and the more
Death in her seres beares, the more time shee stayes
Her thundry stoope from that on which shee preyes.
Bal. You must be then more secret in the waight
Of these your shadie counsels, who will else15
Beare (where such sparkes flye as the Guise and D’Ambois)
Pouder about them. Counsels (as your entrailes)
Should be unpierst and sound kept; for not those
Whom you discover you neglect; but ope
A ruinous passage to your owne best hope.20
Hen. Wee have spies set on us, as we on others;
And therefore they that serve us must excuse us,
If what wee most hold in our hearts take winde;
Deceit hath eyes that see into the minde.
But this plot shall be quicker then their twinckling,25
On whose lids Fate with her dead waight shall lie,
And confidence that lightens ere she die.
Friends of my Guard, as yee gave othe to be
True to your Soveraigne, keepe it manfully.
Your eyes have witnest oft th’ambition30
That never made accesse to me in Guise
But treason ever sparkled in his eyes;
Which if you free us of, our safetie shall
You not our subjects but our patrons call.
Omnes. Our duties binde us; hee is now but dead.35
Hen. Wee trust in it, and thanke ye. Baligny,
Goe lodge their ambush, and thou God, that art
Fautor of princes, thunder from the skies
Beneath his hill of pride this gyant Guise. Exeunt.