The Works of Christopher Marlowe

The Massacre at Paris

Act: 1 Scene: 1
QUEENE MOTHER.
Thanks sonne Navarre, you see we love 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 love.
QUEENE MOTHER.
Which Ile desolve with bloud and crueltie.
[Aside.]Exit [Charles] the King, Queene Mother, and [Margaret]the Queene of Navar [with others], and manet Navar,the Prince of Condy, and the Lord high Admirall.
Act: 1 Scene: 3
OLD QUEENE.
Thanks my good freend, holde, take thou this reward.
OLD QUEENE.
Me thinkes the gloves have a very strong perfume,
The sent whereof doth make my head to ake.
OLD QUEENE.
Not wel, but do remember such a man.
OLD QUEENE.
Help sonne Navarre, I am poysoned.
OLD QUEENE.
O no, sweet Margaret, the fatall poyson
Doth work within my heart, my brain pan breakes,
My heart doth faint, I dye.
Act: 1 Scene: 4
QUEENE MOTHER.
My noble sonne, and princely Duke of Guise,
Now have we got the fatall stragling deere,
Within the compasse of a deadly toyle,
And as we late decreed we may perfourme.
QUEENE MOTHER.
I hope these reasons mayserve my princely, Sonne,
To have some care for feare of enemies.
QUEENE MOTHER.
Thankes to my princely sonne, then tell me Guise,
What order wil you set downe for the Massacre?
QUEENE MOTHER.
Your Majesty had best goe visite him,
And make a shew as if all were well.
Act: 1 Scene: 9
QUEENE MOTHER.
Beleeve me Guise he becomes the place so well,
That I could long ere this have wisht him there.
But come lets walke aside, th'airs not very sweet.
QUEENE MOTHER.
Doe so sweet Guise, let us delay no time,
For if these straglers gather head againe,
And disperse themselves throughout the Realme of France,
It will be hard for us to worke their deaths.
QUEENE MOTHER.
My Lord of Loraine have you marks of late,
How Charles our sonne begins for to lament
For the late nights worke which my Lord of Guise
Did make in Paris amongst the Hugonites?
QUEENE MOTHER.
I, but my Lord, let me alone for that,
For Katherine must have her will in France:
As I doe live, so surely shall he dye,
And Henry then shall weare the diadem.
And if he grudge or crosse his Mothers will,
Ile disinherite him and all the rest:
For Ile rule France, but they shall weare the crowne:
And if they storme, I then may pull them downe.
Come my Lord let's goe.
Act: 1 Scene: 11
QUEENE MOTHER.
O say not so, thou kill'st thy mothers heart.
QUEENE MOTHER.
What art thou dead, sweet sonne? speak to thy Mother.
O no, his soule is fled from out his breast,
And he nor heares, nor sees us what we doe:
My Lords, what resteth now for to be done?
But that we presently despatch Embassadours
To Poland, to call Henry back againe,
To weare his brothers crowne and dignity.
Epernoune, goe see it presently be done,
And bid him come without delay to us.
QUEENE MOTHER.
And now my Lords after these funerals be done,
We will with all the speed we can, provide
For Henries coronation from Polonia:
Come let us take his body hence.
Act: 1 Scene: 12
ALL.
Vive le Roy, vive le Roy.
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.
ALL.
Vive le Roy, vive le Roy.
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.
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.
Act: 1 Scene: 19
QUEENE MOTHER.
King, why so thou wert before.
Pray God thou be a King now this is done.
QUEENE MOTHER.
I cannot speak for greefe: when thou went home,
I would that I had murdered thee my sonne.
My sonne: thou art a changeling, not my sonne.
I curse thee and exclaime thee miscreant,
Traitor to God, and to the realme of France.
QUEENE MOTHER.
Away, leave me alone to meditate.
Sweet Guise, would he had died so thou wert heere:
To whom shall I bewray my secrets now,
Or who will helpe to builde Religion?
The Protestants will glory and insulte,
Wicked Navarre will get the crowne of France,
The Popedome cannot stand, all goes to wrack,
And all for thee my Guise: what may I doe?
But sorrow seaze upon my toyling soule,
For since the Guise is dead, I will not live.