GUISE knocks without. GUISE. Holloa, varlet, hey! Epernoune, where's

the king ? EPER. Mounted his royal cabinet. Guise. I pr’ythee tell him that the Guise is

here. EPER. An't please your grace, the duke of Guise

doth crave Access unto your highness.

King. Let him come in.Come Guise, and see thy trait'rous guile outreach'd, And perish in the pit thou mad'st for me. [Aside.

Enter GUISE.
Guise. Good morrow to your majesty.
King. Good morrow to my loving cousin of

Guise:
How fares it this morning with your excellence ?

GUISE. J heard your majesty was scarcely pleas'd,
That in the court I bear so great a train.
King. They were to blame, that said I was

displeas'd ; And you, good cousin, to imagine it. 'Twere hard with me, if I should doubt my kin, Or be suspicious of my dearest friends.

you

1 am resolute, Whatever any whisper in mine ears, Not to suspect disloyalty in thee; And so, sweet coz, farewell.

[Ereunt King and Epernoune. GUISE. So !

Cousin,

assure

Now sues the king for favour to the Guise,
And all his minions stoop when I command :
Why, this 'tis to have an army in the field.
Now, by the holy sacrament, I swear,
As ancient Romans o'er their captive lords,
So will I triumph o'er this wanton king;
And he shall follow my proud chariot's wheels.
Now do I but begin to look about,
And all my former time was spent in vain.
Hold, sword, for in thee is the Guise's hope.

Enter one of the MURDERERS.
Villain, why dost thou look so ghastly? speak!

MURD. O pardon me, my lord of Guise.
Guise. Pardon thee! why, what hast thou don
MURD. O my lord, I am one of them that is set

to murder you.
Guise. To murder me, villain ?

Murd. Aye, my lord; the rest have ta’en their standings in the next room; therefore, good my lord, go not forth.

Guise. Yet Cæsar shall go forth. Let mean conceits, and baser men fear death : Tut, they are peasants; I am duke of Guise ; And princes with their looks engender fear. 2 MURD. [Without.] Stand close; he's coming;

I know him by his voice. Guise. As pale as ashes ! nay, then 'tis time to look about.

(Murderers enter. ALL. Down with him! Down with him!

[They stab him.

GUISE. Oh! I've my death-wound ! give me leave

to speak ! 2 MURD. Then pray to God, and ask forgiveness

of the king GUISE. Trouble me not, I ne'er offended him, Nor will I ask forgiveness of the king. Ob! that I have not power to stay my life, Nor immortality to be reveng'd ! To die by peasants, what a grief is this ! Ah! Sextus, be reveng'd upon the king ! Philip and Parma, I am slain for you! Pope, excommunicate Philip, depose The wicked branch of curst Valois's line. Vire la messe ! perish Hugonots! Thus Cæsar did go forth, and thus he dies. [Dies.

Enter the Captain of the GUARD. Cap. What, have you

done? Then stay awhile, and I'll go call the king; But see where he comes.

Enter King and EPERNOUNE. My lord, see where the Guise is slain.

King. Ah! this sweet sight is physic to my soul; Go, fetch his son for to behold his death. Surcharg'd with guilt of thousand massacres, Monsieur of Lorraine, sink away to hell, In just remembrance of those bloody broils, To which thou didst allure me being alive. And here, in presence of you all, I swear I ne'er was king of France until this hour. This is the traitor that hath spent my gold,

In making foreign wars, and cruel broils.
Did he not draw a sort of English priests,
From Douay to the seminary at Rheims,
To hatch forth treason 'gainst their nat’ral queen ?
Did he not cause the king of Spain's huge fleet
To threaten England, and to menace me?
Did he not injure Monsieur that's deceas'd ?
Hath he not made me, in the Pope's defence,
To spend the treasure that should strength my land,
In civil broils between Navarre and me?
Tush! to be short, he meant to make me monk;
Or else to murder me, and so be king.
Let Christian princes, that shall hear of this,
(As all the world shall know our Guise is dead,)
Rest satisfied with this, that here I swear,
Ne'er was there king of France so yok'd as I!
EPER. My lord, here is his son.

Enter Guise's Son.
King. Boy, look where your father lies.
Boy. My father slain! Who hath done this deed ?

KING. Sirrah, 'twas I that slew him, and will slay Thee too, an thou prove such a traitor. Boy. Art thou king, and hast done this bloody

deed ? I'll be reveng'd. (He offers to throw his dagger.

King. Away to prison with him! I'll clip his wings Or ere he pass my hands. Away with him.

[The Attendants bear off the Boy. But what availeth that this traitor's dead, When duke Dumaine, his brother, is alive,

And that young cardinal that's grown so proud ?
Go to the governor of Orleans,
And will him, in my name, to kill the duke.

[To the Captain of the Guard. Get you away, and strangle the cardinal.

[To the Murderers. [Eseunt Captain of the Guard, and Murderers. These two will make one entire duke of Guise; Especially with our old mother's help.

EPER. My lord, see where she comes, As if she droop'd to hear the news. Enter the Queen Mother and ATTENDANTS.

King. And let her droop; my heart is light enough. Mother, how like you this device of mine? I slew the Guise, because I would be king.

Q. Mo. King! why so thou wert before ; Pray God thou be a king now this is done!

King. Nay, he was king, and countermanded me; But now I will be king, and rule myself, And make the Guisians stoop that are alive. Q. Mo. I cannot speak for grief. When thou

wast born, I would that I had murder'd thee, my son! My son !-- Thou art a changeling, not my son ! I curse thee, and exclaim thee miscreant, Traitor to God, and to the realm of France. KING. Cry out, exclaim, howl till thy throat be

hoarse ! The Guise is slain, and I rejoice therefore. And now will I to arms. Come, Epernoune,