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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

The Massacre at Paris

Act: 1 Scene: 12- -- -

Sound Trumpets within, and then all crye vive le Roy two or three times.

Enter Henry crowned: Queene [Mother], Cardinall [of Loraine], Duke of Guise, Epernoone, [Mugeroun,] the kings Minions, with others, and the Cutpurse.

ALL.

Vive le Roy, vive le Roy.

Sound Trumpets.

QUEENE MOTHER.

Welcome from Poland Henry once agayne,

Welcome to France thy fathers royall seate,

Heere hast thou a country voice of feares,

A warlike people to maintaine thy right,

A watchfull Senate for ordaining lawes,

A loving mother to preserve thy state,

And all things that a King may wish besides:

All this and more hath Henry with his crowne.

CARDINALL.

And long may Henry enjoy all this and more.

ALL.

Vive le Roy, vive le Roy.

Sound trumpets.

KING.

Thanks to you al. The guider of all crownes,

Graunt that our deeds may wel deserve your loves:

And so they shall, if fortune speed my will,

And yeeld our thoughts to height of my desertes.

What say our Minions, think they Henries heart

Will not both harbour love and Majestie?

Put of that feare, they are already joynde,

No person, place, or time, or circumstance,

Shall slacke my loves affection from his bent.

As now you are, so shall you still persist,

Remooveles from the favours of your King.

MUGEROUN.

We know that noble minces change not their thoughts

For wearing of a crowne: in that your grace,

Hath worne the Poland diadem, before

You were withvested in the crowne of France.

KING.

I tell thee Mugeroun we will be freends,

And fellowes to, what ever stormes arise.

MUGEROUN.

Then may it please your Majestie to give me leave,

To punish those that doe prophane this holy feast.

He cuts of the Cutpurse eare, for cutting of the golde buttons off his cloake.

KING.

How meanst thou that?

CUTPURSE.

O Lord, mine eare.

MUGEROUN.

Come sir, give me my buttons and heers your eare.

GUISE.

Sirra, take him away.

KING.

Hands of good fellow, I will be his baile

For this offence: goe sirra, worke no more,

Till this our Coronation day be past:

And now,

Our rites of Coronation done,

What now remaines, but for a while to feast,

And spend some daies in barriers, tourny, tylte,

And like disportes, such as doe fit the Coutr?

Lets goe my Lords, our dinner staies for us.

Goe out all, but the Queene [Mother] and the Cardinall.

QUEENE MOTHER.

My Lord Cardinall of Loraine, tell me,

How likes your grace my sonnes pleasantnes?

His mince you see runnes on his minions,

And all his heaven is to delight himselfe:

And whilste he sleepes securely thus in ease,

Thy brother Guise and we may now provide,

To plant our selves with such authoritie,

That not a man may live without our leaves.

Then shall the Catholick faith of Rome,

Flourish in France, and none deny the same.

Cardinall

Madam, as I in secresy was tolde,

My brother Guise hath gathered a power of men,

Which are he saith, to kill the Puritans,

But tis the house of Burbon that he meanest

Now Madam must you insinuate with the King,

And tell him that tis for his Countries good,

And common profit of Religion.

QUEENE MOTHER.

Tush man, let me alone with him,

To work the way to bring this thing to passe:

And if he doe deny what I doe say,

Ile dispatch him with his brother presently.

And then shall Mounser weare the diadem.

Tush, all shall dye unles I have my will:

For while she lives Katherine will be Queene.

Come my Lord, let us goe to seek the Guise,

And then determine of this enterprise.

Exeunt.

Nav.