The Works of Christopher Marlowe Volume II Part 54

_Gon._ Who goes there?

_Retes._ 'Tis Talaeus, Ramus' bedfellow.

_Gon._ What art thou?

_Tal._ I am, as Ramus is, a Christian.

_Retes._ O, let him go; he is a Catholic. [_Exit_ TALaeUS.

_Gon._ Come, Ramus, more gold, or thou shall have the stab.

_Ramus._ Alas, I am a scholar! how should I have gold?

All that I have is but my stipend from the king, Which is no sooner receiv'd but it is spent.

_Enter_ GUISE, ANJOU, DUMAINE, MOUNTSORRELL, _and_ Soldiers.

_Anj._ Who have you there?

_Retes._ 'Tis Ramus, the king's Professor of Logic. 20

_Guise._ Stab him.

_Ramus._ O, good my lord, Wherein hath Ramus been so offensious?

_Guise._ Marry, sir, in having a smack in all, And yet didst never sound anything to the depth.

Was it not thou that scoff'dst[376] the _Organon_, And said it was a heap of vanities?

He that will be a flat dichotomist, And seen in nothing but epitomes, Is in your judgment thought a learned man; And he, forsooth, must go and preach in Germany, 30 Excepting against doctors' axioms,[377]

And _ipse dixi_ with this quiddity, _Argumentum testimonii est inartificiale._[378]

To contradict which, I say, Ramus shall die: How answer you that? your _nego argumentum_ Cannot serve, sirrah.--Kill him.

_Ramus._ O, good my lord, let me but speak a word!

_Anj._ Well, say on.

_Ramus._ Not for my life do I desire this pause; But in my latter hour to purge myself, 40 In that I know the things that I have wrote, Which, as I hear, one Scheckius[379] takes it ill, Because my places,[380] being but three, contain all his.

I knew the _Organon_ to be confus'd, And I reduc'd it into better form: And this for Aristotle will I say, That he that despiseth him can ne'er Be good in logic or philosophy; And that's because the blockish Sorbonnists[381]

Attribute as much unto their [own] works 50 As to the service of the eternal G.o.d.

_Guise._ Why suffer you that peasant to declaim?

Stab[382] him, I say, and send him to his friends in h.e.l.l.

_Anj._ Ne'er was there collier's[383] son so full of pride.

[_Stabs_ RAMUS, _who dies_.

_Guise._ My Lord of Anjou, there are a hundred Protestants Which we have chased into the river Seine,[384]

That swim about, and so preserve their lives: How may we do? I fear me they will live.

_Dum._ Go place some men upon the bridge, With bows and darts, to shoot at them they see, 60 And sink them in the river as they swim.

_Guise._ 'Tis well advis'd, Dumaine; go see it straight be done.

[_Exit_ DUMAINE.

And in the meantime, my lord, could we devise To get those pedants from the King Navarre, That are tutors to him and the Prince of Conde--

_Anj._ For that, let me alone: cousin, stay you here, And when you see me in, then follow hard.[385]

ANJOU _knocketh at the door: and enter the_ KING OF NAVARRE _and the_ PRINCE OF CONDe,[386] _with their two_ Schoolmasters.

How now, my lords! how fare you?

_Nav._ My lord, they say That all the Protestants are ma.s.sacred.

_Anj._ I, so they are; but yet, what remedy? 70 I have done what I could to stay this broil.

_Nav._ But yet, my lord, the report doth run That you were one that made this ma.s.sacre.

_Anj._ Who, I? you are deceiv'd; I rose but now.

[GUISE _and the others come forward_[387]

_from the back of the stage._ _Guise._ Murder the Huguenots! take those pedants hence!

_Nav._ Thou traitor, Guise, lay off thy b.l.o.o.d.y hands!

_Con._ Come, let us go tell the king.

[_Exit with the_ KING OF NAVARRE.

_Guise._ Come, sirs, I'll whip you to death with my poniard's point.

[_Stabs the_ Schoolmasters, _who die_.

_Anj._ Away with them both!

[_Exeunt_ ANJOU _and_ Soldiers _with the bodies_.

_Guise._ And now, sirs, for this night let our fury stay.

Yet will we not that the ma.s.sacre shall end: 81 Gonzago, post you to Orleans, Retes to Dieppe, Mountsorrell unto Rouen, And spare not one that you suspect of heresy.

And now stay That bell, that to the devil's matins rings.

Now every man put off his burgonet, And so convey him closely to his bed.

[_Exeunt._

SCENE X.

_Enter_[388] ANJOU, _with two_ Lords of Poland.

_Anj._ My lords of Poland, I must needs confess, The offer of your Prince Elector's far Beyond the reach of my deserts; For Poland is, as I have been inform'd, A martial people, worthy such a king As hath sufficient counsel in himself To lighten doubts, and frustrate subtle foes; And such a king, whom practice long hath taught To please himself with manage of the wars, The greatest wars within our Christian bounds,-- 10 I mean our wars against the Muscovites, And, on the other side, against the Turk, Rich princes both, and mighty emperors.

Yet, by my brother Charles, our King of France, And by his grace's council, it is thought That, if I undertake to wear the crown Of Poland, it may prejudice their hope Of my inheritance to the crown of France; For, if th' Almighty take my brother hence, By due descent the regal seat is mine. 20 With Poland, therefore, must I covenant thus,-- That if, by death of Charles, the diadem Of France be cast on me, then, with your leaves, I may retire me to my native home.

If your commission serve to warrant this, I thankfully shall undertake the charge Of you and yours, and carefully maintain The wealth and safety of your kingdom's right.

_First Lord._ All this, and more, your highness shall command, For Poland's crown and kingly diadem. 30

_Anj._ Then, come, my lords, let's go.