CHAR. I must say so, pain forceth me to complain.

NAV. Comfort yourself, my lord, I have no doubt But God will sure restore you to your

health.

CHAR. Oh, 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.
Oh! hold me up, my sight begins to fail,

My sinews shrink, my brain turns upside down,
My heart doth break, I faint and die.

[Dies.

Q. Mo. What? art thou dead, sweet son, speak

to thy mother;

Oh! no, his soul is fled from out his breast,
And he nor hears nor sees us what we do.

My lords, what resteth now for to be done,
But that we presently dispatch ambassadors.
To Poland, to call Henry back again,
To wear his brother's crown and dignity?
Epernoune, go, see it presently be done,
And bid him come without delay to us.
EPER. Madam, I will.

[Exit.

Q. Mo. And now, my lords, after these funerals

be done,

We will, with all the speed we can, provide

For Henry's corcnation from Polonia.

Come, let us take his body hence.

[The king's body is borne out, and exeunt all but

Navarre and Pleshe.

4

NAV. 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 call'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 my enterprise.
But God, that always doth defend the right,
Will shew his mercy, and preserve us still.

PLESUE. The virtues of our poor religion,
Cannot but march, with many graces more,
Whose army shall discomfort all your foes,
And at the length, in Pampeluna crown
(In spite of Spain, and all the popish pow'r,
That holds it from your highness wrongfully,)
Your majesty her rightful lord and sovʼreign.
NAV. 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 us away, while time doth serve. ·

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Trumpets sounded within, and a cry of " Vive le Roi,” two or three times.

Enter HENRY, crowned; QUEEN MOTHER, CARDINAL, GUISE, EPERNOUNE, MUGERON, the CUTPURSE, and others.

ALL. Vive le Roi, Vive le Roi.

[A flourish of Trumpets.

Q. Mo. 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.

CARD. And long may Henry enjoy all this, and

more.

ALL. Vive le Roi, Vive le Roi.

[4 flourish of Trumpets. The guider of all

KING. Thanks to you all.

crowns,

Grant that our deeds may well deserve your loves;
And so they shall, if fortune speed my will,

And yield our 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;

3

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.

MUGE. 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 with the crown of France.

KING. I tell thee, Mugeron, we will be friends, And fellows too, whatever storms arise.

MUGE, Then may it please your majesty to give me leave.

To punish those that do profane this holy feast.
KING. How mean'st thou that?

[Mugeron cuts off the Cutpurse's ear, for cutting
the gold buttons off his cloak.

CUTP. Oh, Lord, mine ear!

MUGE. Come, sir, give me my buttons, and here's your ear.

GUISE. Sirrah, take him away.

KING. Hands off, good fellow, I will be his bail For this offence. Go, sirrah, work no more Till this our coronation day be past. And now, our rites of coronation done, What now remains but for awhile to feast, And spend some days in barriers, tournay, tilt, And like disports, such as do fit the court? Let's go my lords, our dinner stays for us.

[Exeunt all but the Queen Mother and Cardinal.

Q. Mo. 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,
That not a man may live without our leaves.
Then shall the Catholic faith of Rome
Flourish in France, and none deny the same.

CARD. Madam, as I in secresy 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.

Q. Mo. 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 dispatch 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, Catharine will be queen.
Come, my lord, let us go to seek the Guise,
And then determine of this enterprise.

SCENE V.

[Exeunt.

Enter the DUCHESS of GUISE and her MAID. DUCH. Go fetch me pen and ink