T. B. =

Brereton

Coll.

Malone

=

=

Robinson's edition of Marlowe, 1826.
Dyce's first edition of Marlowe, 1850.

Dyce's revised edition of Marlowe, 1858, etc.
Cunningham's edition of Marlowe, 1870, etc.
Bullen's edition of Marlowe, 1885.

The present editor.

Conjectures by J. L. G. B., Anglia, Beiblatt, xvi. 206.
Conjectures by J. P. Collier (Brit. Mus. 11771 bbb 6).
MS. corrections, probably by M., in Bodleian copy
of O.

Mitford Conjectures by J. M., quoted by Dyce.

=

THE

MASSACRE

AT PARIS.

With the Death of the
Duke of Guise.

Enter Charles the French King, the Queene Mother, the King of Nauarre, the Prince of Condye, the Lord high Admirall, and the Queene of Nauarre, with others.

Charles.

Prince of Nauarre my honourable brother,
Prince Condy, and my good Lord Admirall,
I wishe this vnion and religious league,

Knit in these hands, thus ioyn'd in nuptiall rites,
May not desolue, till death desolue our liues,
And that the natiue sparkes of princely loue,
That kindled first this motion in our hearts,
May still be feweld in our progenye.

5

Nauar. The many fauours which your grace hath

showne,

From time to time, but specially in this,

Shall binde me euer to your highnes will

In what Queen Mother or your grace commands.

ΙΟ

Old Qu. Thanks sonne Nauarre, you see we loue you well,

That linke you in mariage with our daughter heer:
And as you know, our difference in Religion
Might be a meanes to crosse you in your loue.
Charles. Well Madam, let that rest :

Heading Act the First. Bull.

15

Scene I. add. Rob., Cunn.: Scene I.

And now my Lords the mariage rites perfourm'd,
We think it good to goe and consumate

The rest, with hearing of a holy Masse:

Sister, I think your selfe will beare vs company.
Q. Mar. I will my good Lord.

20

Charles. The rest that will not goe (my Lords) may stay : Come Mother,

Let vs goe to honor this solemnitie.

25

Old Q. Which Ile desolue with bloud and crueltie. Exit the King, Q. Mother, and the Q. of Nauar, and manet Nauar, the Prince of Condy, and the Lord high Admirall.

Nauar. Prince Condy and my good Lord) Admiral, Now Guise may storme but doe vs little hurt : Hauing the King, Queen) Mother on our sides, To stop the mallice of his enuious heart, That seekes to murder all the Protestants : Haue you not heard of late how he decreed, If that the King had giuen consent thereto, That all the protestants that are in Paris, Should haue been murdered the other night?

Ad. My Lord I meruaile that th'aspiring Guise Dares once aduenture without the Kings consent, To meddle or attempt such dangerous things.

30

35

Con. My Lord) you need not meruaile at the Guise, For what he doth the Pope will ratifie : In murder, mischeefe, or in tiranny.

40

Na. But he that sits and rules aboue the clowdes,
Doth heare and see the praiers of the iust:
And will reuenge the bloud of innocents,
That Guise hath slaine by treason of his heart,
And brought by murder to their timeles ends.

45

Ad. My Lord, but did you mark the Cardinall,
The Guises brother and the Duke Dumain :
How they did storme at these your nuptiall rites,
Because the house of Burbon now comes in,
And ioynes your linnage to the crowne of France ?
Na. And thats cause that Guise so frowns at vs,
And beates his braines to catch vs in his trap,
Which he hath pitcht within his deadly toyle.

19 Ends rest 0: corr. Dyce 24, 25 One line O div. Dyce King, Qu. Mother O: king, Queen Mother Cunn.

50

Come my
Lords lets go to the Church and pray,
That God may still defend the right of France:
And make his Gospel flourish in this land.

Enter the Duke of Guise.

55

Exeunt.

Guise. If euer Hymen lowr'd at marriage rites,
And had his alters deckt with duskie lightes :
If euer sunne stainde heauen with bloudy clowdes,
And made it look with terrour on the worlde:
If euer day were turnde to vgly night,
And night made semblance of the hue of hell,
This day, this houre, this fatall night,
Shall fully shew the fury of them all.
Apothecarie.

Enter the Pothecarie.

Pothe. My Lord.

Guise. Now shall I proue and guerdon to the ful
The loue thou bear'st vnto the house of Guise :
Where are those perfumed gloues which I sent
To be poysoned, hast thou done them? speake,
Will euery sauour breed a pangue of death?
Pothe. See where they be my good Lord,
And he that smelles but to them, dyes.

Guise. Then thou remainest resolute.

60

65

70

75

Pothe. I am my Lord, in what your grace commaundes Till death.

Guise. Thankes my good freend, I wil requite thy loue.
Goe then, present them to the Queene Nauarre :
For she is that huge blemish in our eye,

That makes these vpstart heresies in Fraunce:
Be gone my freend, present them to her straite.
Souldyer.

Soul. My Lord.

Enter a Souldier.

80

Exit Pothe.

Guise. Now come thou forth and play thy tragick part, 85 Stand in some window opening neere the street,

And when thou seest the Admirall ride by,
Discharge thy musket and perfourme his death:
And then Ile guerdon thee with store of crownes.
Soul. I will my Lord.

Exit Souldi.

57+ Scene II. add. Cunn., Bull. · 64 houre] hour and conj. Dyce, Cunn. 70 which] which late Rob., Cunn., Bull.

92

95

Guise. Now Guise begins those deepe ingendred thoughts To burst abroad those neuer dying flames, Which cannot be extinguisht but by bloud. Oft haue I leueld, and at last haue learnd, That perill is the cheefest way to happines, And resolution honors fairest aime. What glory is there in a common good, That hanges for euery peasant to atchiue? That like I best that flyes beyond my reach. Set me to scale the high Peramides, And thereon set the Diadem of Fraunce, Ile either rend it with my nayles to naught, Or mount the top with my aspiring winges, Although my downfall be the deepest hell. For this, I wake, when others think I sleepe, For this, I waite, that scornes attendance else:

100

105

For this, my quenchles thirst whereon I builde
Hath often pleaded kindred to the King.

For this, this head, this heart, this hand and sworde,
Contriues, imagines and fully executes

Matters of importe, aimde at by many,
Yet vnderstoode by none.

For this, hath heauen engendred me of earth,

For this, this earth sustaines my bodies waight,
And with this wait Ile counterpoise a Crowne,
Or with seditions weary all the worlde:
For this, from Spaine the stately_Catholickes
Sends Indian golde to coyne me French ecues :
For this haue I a largesse from the Pope,

A pension and a dispensation too :
And by that priuiledge to worke vpon,
My policye hath framde religion.

Religion: 0 Diabole.

Fye, I am ashamde, how euer that I seeme,
To think a word of such a simple sound

Of so great matter should be made the ground.
The gentle King whose pleasure vncontrolde,
Weakneth his body, and will waste his Realme,
If I repaire not what he ruinates:
Him as a childe I dayly winne with words,
So that for proofe he barely beares the name:
I execute, and he sustaines the blame.

III aimèd Dyce etc. 117 Catholic Cunn.

115

120

125

130

115 wait] wiat 0: weight Rob. etc.