The Complete Poetical Works of George Chapman

by George Chapman

  Enter or touch you: I conferre no guards,

  Nor imitate the murtherous course you tooke,

  But single here will have my former challenge

  Now answer’d single; not a minute more

  My brothers bloud shall stay for his revenge, 15

  If I can act it; if not, mine shall adde

  A double conquest to you, that alone

  Put it to fortune now, and use no ods.

  Storme not, nor beate your selfe thus gainst the dores,

  Like to a savage vermine in a trap: 20

  All dores are sure made, and you cannot scape

  But by your valour.

  Mont. No, no, come and kill mee.

  Cler. If you will die so like a beast, you shall;

  But when the spirit of a man may save you,

  Doe not so shame man, and a Nobleman. 25

  Mont. I doe not show this basenesse that I feare thee,

  But to prevent and shame thy victory,

  Which of one base is base, and so Ile die.

  Cler. Here, then.

  Mont. Stay, hold! One thought hath harden’d me,

  He starts up.

  And since I must afford thee victorie, 30

  It shall be great and brave, if one request

  Thou wilt admit mee.

  Cler. What’s that?

  Mont. Give me leave

  To fetch and use the sword thy brother gave mee,

  When he was bravely giving up his life.

  Cler. No; Ile not fight against my brothers sword; 35

  Not that I feare it, but since tis a tricke

  For you to show your backe.

  Mont. By all truth, no:

  Take but my honourable othe, I will not.

  Cler. Your honourable othe! Plaine truth no place has

  Where othes are honourable.

  Tam. Trust not his othe. 40

  Hee will lie like a lapwing; when shee flyes

  Farre from her sought nest, still “Here tis” shee cryes.

  Mont. Out on thee, damme of divels! I will quite

  Disgrace thy bravos conquest, die, not fight. Lyes downe.

  Tam. Out on my fortune, to wed such an abject! 45

  Now is the peoples voyce the voyce of God;

  Hee that to wound a woman vants so much,

  As hee did mee, a man dares never touch.

  Cler. Revenge your wounds now, madame; I resigne him

  Up to your full will, since hee will not fight. 50

  First you shall torture him (as hee did you,

  And justice wils) and then pay I my vow.

  Here, take this ponyard.

  Mont. Sinke earth, open heaven,

  And let fall vengeance!

  Tam. Come sir, good sir, hold him.

  Mont. O shame of women, whither art thou fled! 55

  Cler. Why (good my lord) is it a greater shame

  For her then you? come, I will be the bands

  You us’d to her, prophaning her faire hands.

  Mont. No, sir, Ile fight now, and the terror be

  Of all you champions to such as shee. 60

  I did but thus farre dally; now observe.

  O all you aking fore-heads that have rob’d

  Your hands of weapons and your hearts of valour,

  Joyne in mee all your rages and rebutters,

  And into dust ram this same race of Furies; 65

  In this one relicke of the Ambois gall,

  In his one purple soule shed, drowne it all. Fight.

  Mont. Now give me breath a while.

  Cler. Receive it freely.

  Mont. What thinke y’a this now?

  Cler. It is very noble,

  Had it beene free, at least, and of your selfe; 70

  And thus wee see (where valour most doth vant)

  What tis to make a coward valiant.

  Mont. Now I shall grace your conquest.

  Cler. That you shall.

  Mont. If you obtaine it.

  Cler. True, sir, tis in fortune.

  Mont. If you were not a D’Ambois, I would scarce 75

  Change lives with you, I feele so great a change

  In my tall spirits breath’d, I thinke, with the breath

  A D’Ambois breathes here; and necessitie

  (With whose point now prickt on, and so whose helpe

  My hands may challenge) that doth all men conquer, 80

  If shee except not you of all men onely,

  May change the case here.

  Cler. True, as you are chang’d;

  Her power, in me urg’d, makes y’another man

  Then yet you ever were.

  Mont. Well, I must on.

  Cler. Your lordship must by all meanes.

  Mont. Then at all. 85

  Fights, and D’Ambois hurts him.

  [Enter Renel, the Countess, and] Charlotte above.

  Charlotte. Death of my father, what a shame is this!

  Sticke in his hands thus! She gets downe.

  Renel [trying to stop her]. Gentle sir, forbeare!

  Countess. Is he not slaine yet?

  Ren. No, madame, but hurt

  In divers parts of him.

  Mont. Y’have given it me,

  And yet I feele life for another vennie. 90

  Enter Charlotte [below].

  Cler. What would you, sir?

  Char. I would performe this combat.

  Cler. Against which of us?

  Char. I care not much if twere

  Against thy selfe; thy sister would have sham’d

  To have thy brothers wreake with any man

  In single combat sticke so in her fingers. 95

  Cler. My sister! know you her?

  Tam. I, sir, shee sent him

  With this kinde letter, to performe the wreake

  Of my deare servant.

  Cler. Now, alas! good sir,

  Thinke you you could doe more?

  Char. Alas! I doe;

  And wer’t not I, fresh, sound, should charge a man 100

  Weary and wounded, I would long ere this

  Have prov’d what I presume on.

  Cler. Y’have a minde

  Like to my sister, but have patience now;

  If next charge speede not, Ile resigne to you.

  Mont. Pray thee, let him decide it.

  Cler. No, my lord, 105

  I am the man in fate; and since so bravely

  Your lordship stands mee, scape but one more charge,

  And, on my life, Ile set your life at large.

  Mont. Said like a D’Ambois, and if now I die,

  Sit joy and all good on thy victorie! 110

  Fights, and fals downe.

  Mont. Farewell! I hartily forgive thee; wife,

  And thee; let penitence spend thy rest of life.

  Hee gives his hand to Cler[mont] and his wife.

  Cler. Noble and Christian!

  Tam. O, it breakes my heart.

  Cler. And should; for all faults found in him before

  These words, this end, makes full amends and more. 115

  Rest, worthy soule; and with it the deare spirit

  Of my lov’d brother rest in endlesse peace!

  Soft lie thy bones; Heaven be your soules abode;

  And to your ashes be the earth no lode!

  Musicke, and the Ghost of Bussy enters, leading the

  Ghost[s] of the Guise, Monsieur, Cardinall Guise, and

  Shattilion; they dance about the dead body, and exeunt.

  Cler. How strange is this! The Guise amongst these spirits, 120

  And his great brother Cardinall, both yet living!

  And that the rest with them with joy thus celebrate

  This our revenge! This certainely presages

  Some instant death both to the Guise and Cardinall.

  That the Shattilions ghost to should thus joyne 125

  In celebration of this just revenge

  With Guise that bore a chiefe stroke
in his death,

  It seemes that now he doth approve the act;

  And these true shadowes of the Guise and Cardinall,

  Fore-running thus their bodies, may approve 130

  That all things to be done, as here wee live,

  Are done before all times in th’other life.

  That spirits should rise in these times yet are fables;

  Though learnedst men hold that our sensive spirits

  A little time abide about the graves 135

  Of their deceased bodies, and can take,

  In colde condenc’t ayre, the same formes they had

  When they were shut up in this bodies shade.

  Enter Aumall.

  Aumale. O sir, the Guise is slaine!

  Cler. Avert it heaven!

  Aum. Sent for to Councill by the King, an ambush 140

  (Lodg’d for the purpose) rusht on him, and tooke

  His princely life; who sent (in dying then)

  His love to you, as to the best of men.

  Cler. The worst and most accursed of things creeping

  On earths sad bosome. Let me pray yee all 145

  A little to forbeare, and let me use

  Freely mine owne minde in lamenting him.

  Ile call yee straight againe.

  Aum. We will forbeare,

  And leave you free, sir. Exeunt.

  Cler. Shall I live, and hee

  Dead, that alone gave meanes of life to me? 150

  Theres no disputing with the acts of Kings;

  Revenge is impious on their sacred persons.

  And could I play the worldling (no man loving

  Longer then gaine is reapt or grace from him)

  I should survive; and shall be wondred at 155

  Though (in mine owne hands being) I end with him:

  But friendship is the sement of two mindes,

  As of one man the soule and body is,

  Of which one cannot sever but the other

  Suffers a needfull separation. 160

  Ren. I feare your servant, madame: let’s descend.

  Descend Ren[el] & Coun[tess].

  Cler. Since I could skill of man, I never liv’d

  To please men worldly, and shall I in death

  Respect their pleasures, making such a jarre

  Betwixt my death and life, when death should make 165

  The consort sweetest, th’end being proofe and crowne

  To all the skill and worth wee truely owne?

  Guise, O my lord, how shall I cast from me

  The bands and coverts hindring me from thee?

  The garment or the cover of the minde 170

  The humane soule is; of the soule, the spirit

  The proper robe is; of the spirit, the bloud;

  And of the bloud, the body is the shrowd.

  With that must I beginne then to unclothe,

  And come at th’other. Now, then, as a ship 175

  Touching at strange and farre removed shores,

  Her men a shore goe, for their severall ends,

  Fresh water, victuals, precious stones, and pearle,

  All yet intentive, when the master cals,

  The ship to put off ready, to leave all 180

  Their greediest labours, lest they there be left

  To theeves or beasts, or be the countries slaves:

  So, now my master cals, my ship, my venture

  All in one bottome put, all quite put off,

  Gone under saile, and I left negligent 185

  To all the horrors of the vicious time,

  The farre remov’d shores to all vertuous aimes,

  None favouring goodnesse, none but he respecting

  Pietie or man-hood — shall I here survive,

  Not cast me after him into the sea, 190

  Rather then here live, readie every houre

  To feede theeves, beasts, and be the slave of power?

  I come, my lord! Clermont, thy creature, comes.

  Hee kils himselfe.

  Enter Aumal, Tamyra, Charlotte.

  Aum. What! lye and languish, Clermont! Cursed man,

  To leave him here thus! hee hath slaine himselfe. 195

  Tam. Misery on misery! O me wretched dame,

  Of all that breath! all heaven turne all his eyes

  In harty envie thus on one poore dame.

  Char. Well done, my brother! I did love thee ever,

  But now adore thee: losse of such a friend 200

  None should survive, of such a brother [none.]

  With my false husband live, and both these slaine!

  Ere I returne to him, Ile turne to earth.

  Enter Renel leading the Countesse.

  Ren. Horror of humane eyes! O Clermont D’Ambois!

  Madame, wee staid too long, your servant’s slaine. 205

  Coun. It must be so; he liv’d but in the Guise,

  As I in him. O follow life mine eyes!

  Tam. Hide, hide thy snakie head; to cloisters flie;

  In pennance pine; too easie tis to die.

  Char. It is. In cloisters then let’s all survive. 210

  Madame, since wrath nor griefe can helpe these fortunes,

  Let us forsake the world in which they raigne,

  And for their wisht amends to God complaine.

  Count. Tis fit and onely needfull: leade me on;

  In heavens course comfort seeke, in earth is none. Exeunt. 215

  Enter Henry, Espernone, Soissone, and others.

  Henry. Wee came indeede too late, which much I rue,

  And would have kept this Clermont as my crowne.

  Take in the dead, and make this fatall roome

  (The house shut up) the famous D’Ambois tombe. Exeunt.

  FINIS.

  ROLLO DUKE OF NORMANDY

  OR, THE BLOODY BROTHER

  by John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, Ben Jonson and George Chapman

  CONTENTS

  Persons Represented in the Play.

  Actus Primus. Scena Prima.

  Actus Secundus. Scena Prima.

  Actus Tertius. Scena Prima.

  Actus Quartus. Scena Prima.

  Actus Quintus. Scena Prima.

  Persons Represented in the Play.

  Rollo and Otto — Brothers, Dukes of Normandy.

  Aubrey, their kinsman.

  Gisbert, the Chancellour.

  Baldwin, the Princes Tutour.

  Grandpree and Verdon — Captains of Rollo’s faction.

  Trevile and Duprete — Captains of Otto’s faction.

  Latorch, Rollo’s Earwig.

  Hamond, Captain of the Guard to Rollo.

  Allan, his Brother.

  Norbrett, La Fisk, Ru[s]ee, De Bube and Pipeau: five cheating Rogues

  Cook.

  Yeoman of the Seller.

  Butler.

  Pantler.

  Lords.

  Sheriff.

  Guard.

  Officers.

  Boys.

  WOMEN.

  Sophia, Mother to the Dukes.

  Matilda, her Daughter.

  Edith, Daughter to Baldwin.

  Actus Primus. Scena Prima.

  Enter Gisbert and Baldwin.

  Bal. THE Brothers then are met?

  Gis. They are, Sir.

  Bald. ’Tis thought, they may be reconcil’d.

  Gis. ’Tis rather wish’t, for such, whose reason

  Doth direct their thoughts without self flattery,

  Dare not hope it.

  Bald. The fires of Love, which the dead Duke believ’d

  His equal care of both would have united,

  Ambition hath divided: and there are

  Too many on both parts, that know they cannot

  Or rise to wealth or honour, their main ends,

  Unless the tempest of the Princes fury

  Make troubled Seas, and those Seas yield fit Billows

  In their bad Arts to give way to a calm,

  Which yielding rest and good
, prove their ruin,

  And in the shipwrack of their hopes and fortunes,

  The Dukedom might be sav’d, had it but ten

  That stood affected to the general good,

  With that confirm’d zeal which brave Aubrey does.

  Gis. He is indeed the perfect character

  Of a good man, and so his actions speak him.

  Bald. But did you observe the many doubts, and cautions

  The Brothers stood upon before they met?

  Gis. I did; and yet, that ever Brothers should

  Stand on more nice terms, than sworn Enemies

  After a War proclaim’d, would with a stranger

  Wrong the reporters credit; they saluted

  At distance; and so strong was the suspicion

  Each had of other, that before they durst

  Embrace, they were by sev’ral servants searcht,

  As doubting conceal’d weapons, Antidotes

  Ta’ne openly by both, fearing the room

  Appointed for the enter-view was poyson’d,

  The Chairs, and Cushions, with like care survay’d;

  And in a word in every circumstance

  So jealous on both parts, that it is more

  Than to be fear’d, concord can never joyn,

  Minds so divided.

  Bald. Yet our best endeavours,

  Should not be wanting, Gisbert.

  Gis. Neither shall they.

  Enter Grandpree, and Verdon.

  But what are these?

  Bald. They are without my knowledge;

  But by their manners, and behaviours,

  They should express themselves.

  Grand. Since we serve Rollo

  The Elder Brother, we’ll be RoIlians,

  Who will maintain us, lads, as brave as Romans;

  You stand for him?

  Ver. I do.

  Grand. Why, then observe

  How much the business, your so long’d for business,

  By men that are nam’d from their swords, concerns you.

  Lechery, our common friend, so long kept under,

  With whips, and beating fatal hemps, shall rise,

  And Bawdery, in a French-hood plead, before her

  Virginity shall be Carted.

  Ver. Excellent!

  Grand. And Hell but grant, the quarrel that’s between

  The Princes may continue, and the business

  That’s of the sword, t’outlast three suits in Law,

  And we will make Atturnies Lansprisadoes,

  And our brave gown-men practisers of back-sword;

  The pewter of all Serjeants maces shall

  Be melted, and turn’d into common Flaggons,

  In which it shall be lawful to carouse

  To their most lowsie fortunes.

  Bald. Here’s a Statesman.

  Grand. A creditor shall not dare, but by Petition,

  To make demand of any debt; and that