Massacre at Paris

Christopher Marlowe

Christopher Marlowe

Massacre at Paris

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

CHARLES THE NINTH—King of France

Duke of Anjou—his brother, afterwards KNIG HENRY THE THIRD

King of Navarre

PRINCE OF CONDE—his brother

brothers

DUKE OF GUISE

CARDINAL OF LORRAINE

DUKE DUMAINE

SON TO THE DUKE OF GUISE—a boy

THE LORD HIGH ADMIRAL

DUKE OF JOYEUX

EPERNOUN

PLESHE

BARTUS

TWO LORDS OF POLAND

GONZAGO

RETES

MOUNTSORRELL

COSSINS,—Captain of the King's Guard

MUGEROUN

THE CUTPURSE

LOREINE,—a preacher

SEROUNE

RAMUS

TALEUS

FRIAR

SURGEONENGLISH AGENT

APOTHECARY

Captain of the Guard, Protestants, Schoolmasters, Soldiers,

Murderers, Attendants, &c.

CATHERINE,—the Queen Mother of France

MARGARET,—her daughter, wife to the KING OF NAVARRE

THE OLD QUEEN OF NAVARRE

DUCHESS OF GUISE

WIFE TO SEROUNE

Maid to the Duchess of Guise

THE MASSACRE AT PARIS

With the Death of the Duke of Guise.

[Scene i]

Enter Charles the French King, [Catherine] the Queene Mother, the King of Navarre, the Prince of Condye, the Lord high Admirall, and [Margaret] the Queene of Navarre, with others.

CHARLES. Prince of Navarre my honourable brother,

Prince Condy, and my good Lord Admirall,

wishe this union and religious league,

Knit in these hands, thus joyn'd in nuptiall rites,

May not desolve, till death desolve our lives,

And that the native sparkes of princely love,

That kindled first this motion in our hearts,

May still be feweld in our progenye.

NAVAREE. The many favours which your grace has showne,

From time to time, but specially in this,

Shall binde me ever to your highnes will,

In what Queen Mother or your grace commands.

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.

CHARLES. Well Madam, let that rest:

And now my Lords the mariage rites perfourm'd,

We think it good to goe and consumate

The rest, with hearing of an holy Masse:

Sister, I think your selfe will beare us company.

QUEENE MARGARET. I will my good Lord.

CHARLES. The rest that will not goe (my Lords) may stay:

Come Mother,

Let us goe to honor this solemnitie.

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.

NAVARRE. Prince Condy and my good Lord Admiral,

Now Guise may storme but does us little hurt:

Having the King, Queene Mother on our side,

To stop the mallice of his envious heart,

That seekes to murder all the Protestants:

Have you not heard of late how he decreed,

If that the King had given consent thereto,

That all the protestants that are in Paris,

Should have been murdered the other night?

ADMIRALL. My Lord I mervaile that th'aspiring Guise

Dares once adventure without the Kings assent,

To meddle or attempt such dangerous things.

CONDY. My Lord you need not mervaile at the Guise,

For what he doth the Pope will ratifie:

In murder, mischeefe, or in tiranny.

NAVARRE. But he that sits and rules above the clowdes,

Doth heare and see the praiers of the just:

And will revenge the bloud of innocents,

That Guise hath slaine by treason of his heart,

And brought by murder to their timeles ends.

ADMIRALL. 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 joynes your lineage to the crowne of France?

NAVARRE. And thats the cause that Guise so frowns at us,

And beates his braines to catch us in his trap,

Which he hath pitcht within his deadly toyle.

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.

Exeunt

[Scene ii]

Enter the Duke of Guise.

GUISE. If ever Hyme