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 THE TRAGEDIE OF CHABOT 
 ADMIRALL OF FRANCE 
 
 WUITTKN BY 
 
 GEORGE CHAPMAN AND JAMES SHIRLEY 
 
 Reprinted from the Quarto ot 1639 
 Edited with an Introduction anci Notes 
 
 EZRA LEHMAN 
 
 Sometime Harrison Fellow in English 
 University of Pennsylvania 
 
 Published for the University 
 
 PHILADEI.l'lIIA 
 
 1906 
 
 ■| MK Jdhn C. Wi.Nsru.N Co., Pul)lication Agents, l'liilaiiel|>liiH, Pa. 
 
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 OF THE 
 
 XDlnivetsit^ of (penns^lvanfa 
 
 SERIES IN 
 
 Philology and Literature 
 
 VOLUME X 
 
 THE TRAGEDIE OF CHABOT 
 ADMIRALL OF FRANCE 
 
 WRITTEN BY 
 
 GEORGE CHAPMAN AND JAMES SHIRLEY 
 
 Reprinted from the Quarto of 1639 
 Edited with an Introduction and Notes 
 
 BY 
 
 EZRA LEHMAN 
 
 Sometime Harrison Fellow in English 
 University of Pennsylvania 
 
 Published for the University 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
 1906 
 
 The John C. Winston Co., Publicatiou Agents, Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
A" 
 
 r^h'tu 
 
 Gill 
 The Unl^Brslty 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The neglect of our older dramatic writers is a common- 
 place of modern literary comment. Until recently the student 
 who sought to know the contemporaries of Shakespeare, was 
 forced to make their acquaintance through texts marred by 
 the excisions, interpolations and modernizations of editors who, 
 by the very act of editing, assumed a literary censorship and 
 tyranny over the unhappy subjects of their labors. Modern 
 scholarship is no longer content with such work. Of late 
 Manly, Bond, Boaz, Breymann and Wagner have done much 
 to remedy this conditon and have given us an accurate trans- 
 cript of the writings of a number of the EHzabethans. Chief 
 among the dramatists who have suffered from neglect is 
 Chapman, for no satisfactory edition of his dramatic works 
 has yet appeared. Through the labors of Gifford, Dyce, 
 and others, the works of many of the older dramatists 
 were collected and published during the earlier half of the 
 last century, but it was not until 1873 that a similar service 
 was attempted for Chapman. In this year a three volume 
 edition, a reprint of the plays, edited by John Pearson, ap- 
 peared ; but, though commendable as an effort to reproduce 
 the text of the quartos, it was incomplete and abounded in 
 errors. A second collection of the plays, edited by R. H. 
 Shepherd, appeared a year later, and included all the extant 
 plays, either wholly or partly, by Chapman, and, in addition, 
 several of unknown or doubtful authorship. In this edition 
 
 (3) 
 
4 Preface 
 
 the text is modernized. Mention must also be made of the 
 publication of five of Chapman's plays with a general intro- 
 duction and editorial notes by Profesor Phelps, in the Mer- 
 maid Series, 1895. The lack of a satisfactory edition of all 
 the dramas is partly compensated by the recently published 
 excellent editions of separate plays, such as Eastward Hoe, by 
 Professor Schelling, and Biissy D'Amhois and The Revenge of 
 Bussy D'Amhois, by Professor Boas. 
 
 The following pages embody an attempt to reproduce the 
 text of The Tragedie of Philip Chdbot, Admirall of France, 
 from the quarto of 1639. This drama was not republished 
 until 1833, when Dyce included it in his edition of Shirley's 
 works. It was also published by Shepherd in The Works of 
 Chapman, 1874. In the present instance no liberty has been 
 taken with the text of the quarto ; the original spelling and 
 punctuation are given, even' in the case of manifest typo- 
 graphical errors. All emendations are relegated to the foot- 
 notes. The editing of this quarto, in partial fulfillment of the 
 requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, was un- 
 dertaken at the suggestion of Prof. F. E. Schelling, to whom 
 grateful acknowledgment is made for suggestions offered and 
 assistance rendered. The quarto, a reprint of which is here 
 presented, forms one of a considerable collection of old plays 
 recently acquired by the University of Pennsylvania. As no 
 other old edition of Chabot exists, the only collation necessary 
 has been that which exhibits the suggestions and emendations 
 of the modern editors, Dyce and Shepherd. 
 
THE TRAGEDIES OF CHAPMAN DERIVED FROM 
 
 FRENCH HISTORICAL MATERIAL. 
 
 There are a fe'vr writers who by reason of the length 
 of their careers can scarcely be classified with any 
 literary age. Among these was George Chapman whose 
 seventy-five years, beginning almost with the accession 
 of Elizabeth, stretched well into the reign of Charles I. 
 No other period of equal length in the history of Eng- 
 land witnessed so marvelous a pohtical development 
 or so splendid a literary outpouring. During these 
 years England, under the direction of her great states- 
 men, became one of the foremost powers of Europe, 
 while her Howards, Drakes and Raleighs made her 
 mistress of the seas. Poets were not wanting to sing 
 the glories of the reign of the Virgin Queen, but it was 
 not until long after the days of the Armada that Chapman 
 joined this great choir of singers. Though its fruitage 
 was abundant, his genius flowered late. While other 
 and yoimger writers experimented with Italian forms 
 and strove to transfer Sicilian shepherds and their 
 flocks to the meadows of England, Chapman remained 
 silent, and it was not until sonneteering became the 
 fashion of the hour that he joined the ranks of EUza- 
 bethan poets. Even then he sang not with them, but 
 raised his voice in protest against their methods. Phi- 
 losophy was to be his mistress, and to her ser\'ice he 
 dedicated himself and ceased not to sound her praises 
 in both lyric and dramatic verse. Though he continued 
 to write lyrics to the end of his career, it was with the 
 drama that Chapman was principal^ concerned. For 
 nearly forty years, except when engaged in Homeric 
 
 (5) 
 
6 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 translation, he wrote for the stage. He saw the rise of the 
 national drama with Lyly, Peele and Greene, its devel- 
 opment in Marlowe, and its perfection in Shakespeare, 
 He lived long enough to see also the beginning of its 
 decline as the great body of Elizabethan writers passed 
 one by one from the stage of action. 
 
 Chapman must have been on terms of intimacy with 
 many of the great dramatists of his day. The first of 
 these with whom he came into contact was Marlowe. 
 In one of Chapman's earliest comedies, The Blind Beggar 
 of Alexandria, Marlowe's famous line, "Whoever loved 
 that loved not at first sight" is misquoted. In 1597 
 that poet's fragment Hero and Leander appeared with 
 four sestyads added by Chapman, who, addressing his 
 own poetic genius, adjures it to 
 
 "find th' eternal clime 
 
 Of his free soul, whose living subject stood 
 
 Up to the chin in the Pierian flood, 
 
 And drunk to me half this Musaean story, 
 
 Inscribing it to deathless memory: 
 
 Confer with it, and make my pledge as deep 
 
 That neither's draught be consecrate to sleep; 
 
 Tell it how much his late desires I tender 
 
 (If yet it know not) , and to light surrender 
 
 My soul's dark offspring, willing it should die, 
 
 To loves, to passions and society."^ 
 
 The "soul's dark offspring" undoubtedly refers to 
 Chapman's Shadow of A^^'g/z/ which appeared in 1-594, and 
 the above passage indicates that Marlowe urged him to 
 publish the poem. It cannot be proved that it was 
 Marlowe's influence that led Chapman to turn to French 
 history for dramatic themes, but it can hardly be 
 questioned that The Massacre at Paris acted as a new 
 play Jan. 30, 1593,^ exerted much influence upon him. 
 
 '''Hero and Leander, Sestyad III. 
 ' Henslowe's Diary, p. 30. 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 7 
 
 In his Biissy D'Ambois the characters are drawn after 
 the manner of Marlowe. The hero of this play is 
 modeled after Tamburlaine* and several scenes in it 
 recall similar ones in the plays of the earlier writer. 
 
 It is easy to overestimate the influence of Shakespeare 
 on the minor dramatists of his time, but his influence 
 on Chapman is unmistakable. The Revenge of Bussy 
 D'Ambois, 16 13, belongs to the tragedies of revenge. 
 Clermont D'Ambois moralizes as Hamlet does. The 
 friendship between Guise and Clermont is similar to 
 that existing between Hamlet and Horatio. KoeppeP 
 calls attention to the resemblance of a scene in Byron's 
 Tragedy, 1608, to one in Troilus and Cressida. We 
 find similar action, similar sentiment, similar language 
 in the two plays. A speech of Ulysses^ contains thought 
 similar to that expressed by Biron in the first Act. 
 In Act III: 3, of Troilus and Cressida, the Greek 
 princes, pass by Achilles without greeting him; in like 
 manner the courtiers of Henry IV pass by Biron, Tragedy 
 IV: I. Achilles mentions the behavior of the princes 
 to Ulysses, saying, "neither gave to me good word 
 nor look." Ulysses replies: 
 
 "Time hath a wallet at his back 
 Wherein he puts alms for oblivion." 
 
 Biron remarks: 
 
 "How all the Court now looks askew on me! 
 Go by without saluting, shun my sight." 
 
 D'Auvergne answers: 
 
 "We must 
 
 Follow their faces 
 
 or be cast behind. 
 
 No more viewed than the wallet of their faults." 
 
 * Quelle n — Studien zu den Dramen George Chapman's, etc., p. 37. 
 ' Troilus and Cressida, i. 3. 83 ff. 
 
8 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 These resemblances are too marked to be accidental. 
 Even though the date of Shakespeare's play is in dis- 
 pute, it was certainly on the stage long before 1608. 
 
 It was in 1605 that Eastward Hoe appeared as the 
 joint work of Chapman, Jonson and Marston. The 
 subsequent imprisonment of the authors because of 
 certain reflections upon the Scots is a well-known 
 episode in the history of the drama. It is not likely 
 that ]\Iarston and Chapman were associated in any 
 other work. It is true that both had contributed to 
 Robert Chester's Love's Martyr, 1601, but so had other 
 poets. There is no reason to infer any social or literary 
 intimacy from this fact. There must, however, have 
 been a cordial friendship between Chapman and Jonson. 
 In a letter wnritten from prison, 1605, Jonson speaks 
 in the highest terms of Chapman. The latter wrote 
 verses, In Sejanum Ben. Jonsoni et Musis et Sihi in Deli- 
 ciis, and two years later he contributed verses "To his 
 dear Friend Benjamin Jonson His Volpone." Jonson told 
 Drummond that he "loved Chapman." If the frag- 
 ment. An Invective written by Mr. George Chapman 
 against Mr Ben Jonson, found in a commonplace book 
 preserved among the Ashmole ]\ISS. was \\Titten by 
 Chapman, it must have been the result of a temporary 
 estrangement. It is aside from our purpose to discuss 
 this curious poem, but there is nothing in it to 
 justify the opinion that the poets had become perma- 
 nently estranged. There was much in common between 
 tli« two. Both were classical scholars, though Jonson 
 was unquestionably the more widely read ; both affected 
 the same scorn for the "vulgar and profane multitude," 
 and appealed from the reader "in ordinary" to the 
 reader "in extraordinary"; both had definite ideas as 
 to the moral lessons that their work should convey. 
 Chapman's translations, poems and dramatic works 
 called forth many poems of commendation, but these too 
 are aside from our purpose. We shall speak at length 
 elsewhere of his relations with Shirley. 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 9 
 
 Of the six historical dramas of Chapman it is remark- 
 able that five were taken from French history, and 
 still more remarkable that two of these dealt with 
 events that were all but contemporaneous or at least 
 within the memory of his audience. About fifteen 
 years before Chapman's first tragedy was published, 
 Marlowe's Massacre at Parts had appeared. The older 
 dramatist had catered to the prejudices of his audience 
 and presented the Duke of Guise as a monster of wick- 
 edness. Indeed the purpose of the play was not so 
 much to deal with the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's 
 as to set forth the many plots in which Guise was con- 
 cerned and the many murders of which he was supposed 
 to be guilty. In addition Marlowe presented him as a 
 blunderer, lacking in shrewdness, who was braved and 
 insulted in a manner that must have made the grotind- 
 lings howl with delight. The next plays treating of 
 French History were the three by Dekker and Drayton. 
 According to Henslowe these two authors had finished, 
 or were engaged upon, a play entitled The Civil Wars in 
 France, evidently in three parts as indicated by the 
 dates: Sept. 29, 1598; Nov. 3, 1598; Dec. 30, 1598.^ It 
 is probable that these plays were intended to set forth 
 the wars of Henry IV's reign. From what we know 
 of Dekker's religious beliefs it is safe to infer that the 
 dramas dealt with the confusion and overthrow of the 
 chieftains of the League, events that were practically 
 contemporary since the civil wars did not end until 
 1596. 
 
 Chapman was the next author to use French History. 
 In 1607 appeared Bussy D'Ambois, A Tragedie: As it 
 hath been often presented at Paules. London. Printed 
 for William Aspley. This play deals with the adven- 
 tures of Bussy D'Ambois, a braggart and impoverished 
 captain who is taken up by "Monsieur," brother to the 
 
 I Henslowe' s Diary, pp. 134, 137, 141. 
 
lo The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 French King, set on his feet and introduced at court. 
 Bussy's blood is good and his audacity unbounded. He 
 dares the Guise and affronts the best gentlemen of 
 France, and backing his insolence with an all victorious 
 sword, becomes a menace to his "maker" who resolves 
 upon Bussy's destruction. Monsieur's hatred of Bussy 
 receives an additional spur from the discovery that 
 Bussy is enamored of the wife of Count Montsurry, 
 whose favor Monsieur has sought in vain. The Duke 
 of Guise leagues himself with Monsieur. They discover 
 that Bussy and the Countess Montsurry have arranged 
 a meeting. Count Montsurry is informed, and Bussy is 
 lured into an ambuscade where he is slain after defend- 
 ing himself with the greatest bravery. Like the major- 
 ity of Chapman's plays, Bussy abounds in episodes 
 which, though interesting in themselves, retard the 
 action of the drama. The author does not hesitate to 
 take liberties with history. Henry HI, one of the most 
 despicable kings of France, is presented in a rather 
 favorable light, and great consideration is shown for 
 the hero of the drama, who, historically considered, was 
 a typical soldier of fortune, always following the faction 
 or leader likely to afford the greatest opportunity for 
 plunder. The language of his eulogist Brantome 
 proves that he was a libertine and a Prince of Braggarts 
 in an age when modesty was not regarded as a cardinal 
 virtue. The source of the play has not yet been dis- 
 covered: for KoeppeP has shown that the commonly 
 received opinion that De Thou was Chapman's source, 
 cannot be correct since De Thou's Historiae Sui Tem- 
 poris, Pars Quarta, which narrates the history of Bussy, 
 was not published until 1609. 
 
 The influence of Marlowe mentioned above points to 
 an earlier date for the composition of Bussy D'Ambois 
 than has usually been accepted. What is more likely 
 than that Chapman, the friend of Marlowe, finding 
 
 ^ Quellcn — Studicn, zn den Dramen George Chapman's, etc., p. 14. 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. II 
 
 that the theme of the Massacre at Paris was 
 popular, determined to write a play of the same charac- 
 ter? If this view have any weight Bussy must have 
 been written in 1595 or 1596. In support of this view 
 these reasons may be assigned: First, among the theat- 
 rical "properties" belonging to Henslowe in March, 
 1598, is a "Perowes sewt."^ There is no other extant 
 play of this date in which Pero is a character. Second- 
 ly, Meres^ in 1598, mentioned Chapman as renowned 
 in' tragedy. Bussy D'Ambois is the only known tragedy 
 of Chapman's that could have been written thus early. 
 Thirdly, if the line in Satiro-Mastix, " For trusty Dam- 
 boys now the deed is done," refers to a play, it must have 
 been to one written prior to 1601. Bussy D'Ambois, by 
 far the most popular of Chapman's works, would natur- 
 ally be referred to by his contemporaries. 
 
 The next work of Chapman's bore the title, The 
 Conspiracie and Tragedie of Charles, Duke of Byron, 
 Marshall of France, Acted lately in two playes at the Black 
 Friars, Written by George Chapman. Printed by G. Eld 
 - - - 1608. These plays are in reality but one 
 continuous tragedy in ten acts, and deal with events 
 that must have aroused deep interest in England. The 
 Duke of Biron, one of the most powerful of French 
 nobles, was well known to the English people, for he had 
 been sent as an ambassador to the Queen only seven 
 years before the publication of the dramas dealing with 
 his death. Henry IV was upon the throne of France, 
 and many of the other characters of the drama were 
 still living in 1608. The Conspiracy treats of the 
 treasonable plot into which Biron entered with the 
 Duke of Savoy and a disgraced noble named La Fin. 
 These designs were discovered, and the King sent Biron 
 to England in the hope that he might learn wisdom 
 
 ^ Henslowe' s Diary, p. 275. 
 
 'Paladis Tamia, Haslewood, Arte oj English Poesie. II, 153. 
 
12 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 there and abandon his plans against his sovereign. 
 Queen EHzabeth, doubtless prompted by her royal 
 brother of France, gave the would-be traitor advice, but 
 he failed to take it to heart, and upon his return to 
 France demanded the government of Bourg, a demand 
 which marked the first steps of his plot. Upon being 
 refused he behaved with great insolence toward his 
 sovereign, who then revealed his knowledge of the 
 treason in which the Marshal had been concerned. 
 Overwhelmed with a sense of guilt, Biron sought the 
 King's pardon, which was speedily granted him. Before 
 long, however, as shown in The Tragedy, Biron was 
 again plotting against the King. He was induced to 
 come to court, where he was charged with his crimes 
 but promised pardon if he would confess his guilt. Upon 
 his refusal to admit the truth of the charges against him, 
 he was confronted with the proof, thrown into prison 
 and condemned to death. When too late, he sought to 
 avail himself of the King's offer of pardon, but Henry 
 was inexorable, and Biron was executed. Chap- 
 man has followed actual history with greater fidelity 
 here than in any other of his historical dramas. Prob- 
 ably he was too faithful in his presentation of certain 
 events. Koeppel has shown that the dramatist con- 
 sulted three authorities — Matthieu, Cayet, and Jean de 
 Serres. These sources are followed closely when dealing 
 with episodes or descriptions. In many cases the 
 language of the dialogue is an almost exact translation 
 of the language of the historian, but in other places 
 the merest hint or suggestion is expanded into a lengthy 
 speech. 
 
 Mr. Fleay long ago pointed out the mangled condition 
 of Act IV of The Conspiracy. ^ There is every indication 
 that in the play as originally written Queen Elizabeth 
 was actually introduced as a character represented on 
 
 ^Chronicle of the English Drama, I, 63. 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 13 
 
 the stage. The curious mixture of pronouns in the 
 speech of Crequie indicates a hasty revision of this 
 portion. As originally written, this part of the drama 
 must have consisted of an interview between Queen 
 Elizabeth and Biron. Crequie in giving an account 
 of this interview says: 
 
 "He said 'he was no orator, but a soldier, 
 More than this air in which you breathe hath made me, ' " etc. 
 
 The sudden change from the third person to the first 
 indicates that the speech was originally spoken by 
 Biron, but when the censor objected to this scene, it was 
 changed into narrative form. A little farther on in the 
 same scene a " councillor of great and eminent name" 
 speaks, but his speech is a repetition of what had 
 already been given. It is evident that this councillor's 
 speech is a "stop gap" in place of a part stricken out 
 by the censor. At the conclusion of the first Act of 
 Byron's Tragedy a masque is introduced. The reference 
 of Cupid to "a jar that was reconciled" and the con- 
 cluding speech of Henry IV: 
 
 "This show hath pleased me well, for that it figures 
 The reconcilement of my Queen and mistress," 
 
 are pointless as the scene now stands. A dispatch 
 of April 5, 1608, from the French Ambassador Beau- 
 mont, quoted by Von Raumer, explains matters. He 
 sets forth that he had interfered to prevent the acting 
 of the play, but when the "Court had left town they 
 persisted in acting it ; nay, they brought upon the stage 
 the Queen of France and Mademoiselle Verneuil. The 
 former having first accosted the latter with very hard 
 words gave her a box on the ear. At my suit three of 
 them were arrested ; but the principal person, the author, 
 escaped." From this dispatch it appears that both the 
 French Queen and Mademoiselle Verneuil, the Mistress 
 of the King, appeared in the masque, and that the quarrel 
 
14 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 mentioned by the Ambassador originally formed a part 
 of the masque. The speech of the King quoted above, 
 thus becomes intelligible. It should also be noted that 
 toward the end of Act IV of The Conspiracy, where 
 Chapman is following Matthieu's narrative, the drama 
 bears evidence of having been mangled. The French 
 historian asserts that Queen Elizabeth concluded the 
 interview with Biron by showing him the heads of a 
 number of distinguished princes who had been beheaded 
 for treason, among them that of Essex. The Queen's 
 concluding words to Biron were, " God knows that the 
 King, my brother, shows too much clemency. By my 
 faith, if I were in his place, Paris, as well as London, 
 should see heads cut off." Koeppel's conjecture that 
 this scene was originally incorporated in the play, is 
 highly probable. Naturally the Master of the Revels 
 struck it out. 
 
 Mr. Dobell has recently published a number of letters 
 from Chapman, Jonson and others. Two of the Chap- 
 man letters may properly be quoted because of their 
 bearing upon the Biron plays. The first is a " Letter 
 of Chapman to Mr. Crane, probably intended for the 
 Duke of Lennox, who sheltered and protected the poet 
 when threatened with arrest at the instance of the 
 French Ambassador Beaumont, because of certain 
 scenes in the Biron plays, 1608." It runs as follows: 
 
 " Sr — Not wearie of my Shelter, but uncertaine why the 
 forme of the cloude still hovers over me, when the matter is 
 disperst, I write to intreate your resolution; And all this 
 tyme have not in his sort visted you, for feare I should seeme 
 to give spurrs to your free disposition ; But now (least imagin- 
 inge me hotter of my libertie than I am, you should thinke me 
 unhowsd, and not to have presented me with my first thank- 
 full Apparance) I thought good to send out this dove ; And 
 thoughe I am put, by the Austeritie of the offended tyme to 
 this little pacience, yet can I not be so thanklesslye jelouse 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 15 
 
 of the knowing judgment from whence your actions proceede 
 to retaine any thought of youre favours Repentaunce ; or neg- 
 lect of their extension in the safe retreat : when your danger- 
 ous charge for me was so resolute and worthie. I am the 
 same I was when you thought me worthie of youre vertuous 
 kindnes ; and will ever remaine (whatsoever I may be) 
 
 Wholy yours in all affectionate 
 
 Requitall. 
 For his right worthie and exceedinge good frend Mr. Crane: 
 
 Secretorie to my Lord Duke of Lennox." ^ 
 
 The second is a letter of George Chapman to the 
 Linceser of the Press in reference to the Biron plays: 
 
 "5r — I have not deserv'd what I suffer by your austeritie; 
 if the two or three lynes you crost were spoken ; my uttermost 
 to suppresse them was enough for my discharge: To more 
 then which no promysse can be rackt by reason; I see not 
 myne owne Plaies ; nor carrie the Actors Tongues in my 
 mouthe; The action of the mynde is performance sufficient 
 of my dewtie, before the greatest authoritie, wherein I have 
 quitted all 3'our former favors, And made them more worthie 
 than any you bestowe on outward observers; if the thrice 
 allowance of the Counsaile for the Presentment gave not 
 weight enoughe to drawe yours after for the presse, my Breath 
 is a hopeles adition ; if you say (for your Reason) you know 
 not if more then was spoken be now written no , no ; nor can you 
 know that, if you had both the Copies, not seeing the first at 
 all : Or if you had scene it presented your Memorie could hardly 
 confer with it so strictly in the Revisall to discerne the Adi- 
 tion ; My short reason therefore can not sounde your severitie: 
 Whosoever it were that first plaied the bitter Informer before 
 the frenche Ambassador for a matter so far from offence ; And 
 of so much honor for his maister as those two partes containe, 
 perform'd it with the Gall of a Wulff, and not of a man: And 
 theise hautie and secrett vengeances taken for Crost, & 
 
 AthencBUtn April 6, 1901. 
 
1 6 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 officious humors are more Politique than Christian; which 
 he that hates will one day discover in the open ruyne of their 
 Auctors; And though they be trifles he yet laies them in 
 Ballance (as they concern Justice, and bewray Appetites to 
 the Tyrannye) with the greatest; But how safely soever 
 Illiterate Aucthoritie settes up his Bristles against Poverty, 
 methinkes yours (being accompanied with learning) should 
 rebate the pointes of them, and soften the fiercenes of those 
 rude manners ; you know Sr, They are sparkes of the lowest 
 fier in Nature that flie out uppon weaknes with every puffe 
 of Power; I desier not you should drenche your hand in the 
 least daunger for mee: And therefore (with entreatie of my 
 Papers returne) I cease ever to trouble you. 
 
 By the poore subject of your office 
 
 for the present."* 
 
 From the first of these letters it appears that when 
 the French Ambassador sought to have Chapman ar- 
 rested for bringing the Queen of France and the King's 
 mistress upon the stage, the author fled to the Duke of 
 Lennox who gave him shelter and protection. The 
 matter had been adjusted, but Chapman was still re- 
 garded with disfavor by the Licenser of Plays. He had 
 evidently left the shelter of his protector without thank- 
 ing him in person for his kindness. The letter explains 
 why he did not seek a personal interview with the Duke. 
 He was determined to discover why the cloud still 
 hovered over him. The second letter explains the nature 
 of this " cloud." Sir Henry Herbert, the official licenser, 
 would not give the necessary permission for the per- 
 formance of the plays. Herbert had evidently crossed 
 out certain lines, but the actors had spoken the forbidden 
 parts. Though Chapman had protested that he could 
 not be held responsible for the action of the players, 
 Herbert still withheld his consent to the presentation 
 of the drama. Chapman complains bitterly against the 
 
 ^ Athencsum. April 6, 1901. 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. ' 17 
 
 person who informed the French Ambassador of the 
 masque wherein the Queen appeared. He protests that 
 no offense was meant, and- concludes with a reference 
 to the helplessness of one so poor as he, against ignorant 
 authority. It is highly probable that his poverty was 
 very real even at this time, yet no one can fail to admire 
 the dignified expression with which this letter closes. 
 
 The Revenge of Bussy d'Ambois A Tragedie. As it hath 
 beene often presented at the Private Play house in the 
 White-Fryers . Written by George Chapman, Gentleman 
 - - - are to be sold by John Helme - - - , appeared in 
 quarto in 161 3. The hero of this play Clermont D'Am- 
 bois, a man of different type from his brother Bussy, is 
 meditative and thoughtful, but not lacking in prowess. 
 Charlotte, the sister of Bussy, is represented as a woman 
 of great spirit, who would consent to marry her lover 
 Baligny, only after he had sworn to avenge the murder 
 of her brother. Baligny failed to make good his vow, 
 secretly incited the king against Clermont, and 
 persuaded him to order the latter 's arrest. This was 
 accomplished by a novel device. The king sent Cler- 
 mont to Cambrai ostensibly to review the troops under 
 his command, but the monarch had sent secret orders 
 to have him seized. Clermont received warning of the 
 plot against him, but he refused to credit the informa- 
 tion. He did, however, demand of Maillard, the Gover- 
 nor's Lieutenant, that he allow himself to be searched 
 so that Clermont might discover whether there was any 
 truth in the rumor that Maillard had orders to arrest him . 
 Maillard assured Clermont that no such orders had been 
 received. The latter accepted this statement as true 
 and set out to review the troops, but was seized by two 
 soldiers disguised as lackeys and brought a prisoner to 
 Maillard. The Duke of Guise, the patron of Clermont, 
 soon effected his friend's release. This part of the drama 
 is drawn out to tedious length, but the last act moves 
 swiftly enough. The ghost of Bussy appears and urges 
 
1 8 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 Clermont to undertake the revenge which BaHngy has 
 neglected. He obeys the mandate, engages Montsurry 
 in single combat, and slays him. Charlotte is present 
 in disguise to take the place of her brother, if he should 
 fall in the fight. Meanwhile Guise had been treacherous- 
 ly murdered by the King's order. A curiously ineffec- 
 tive scene, in which the ghost of Bussy and three other 
 spirits appear and whirl in dance about the murdered 
 corpse of Montsurry, concludes the drama. Clermont, 
 his patron gone, commits suicide. 
 
 Koeppel shows that the episode of Clermont's arrest 
 was taken from Pierre Matthieu's Histoire de France et 
 Des choses memorahles aduenues aux prouinces etrangeres 
 durant sept annees de paix du Regne de Henry IIII Roy 
 de France et de Nauarre. Dinise en sept livres. A Paris, 
 This work must have been published not later than 1605. 
 Biron's intimate friend, the Comted'Auvergne had been 
 arrested and imprisoned with him, but was afterwards 
 released. Two years later, in 1604, the king ordered 
 his re-arrest. This was accomplished in the manner 
 set forth by Chapman in his account of the arrest of 
 Clermont. Koeppel shows further that the dramatist 
 followed the narrative of the historian with remarkable 
 fidelity. In many cases the text of Chapman is a 
 literal translation of Matthieu. The Duke of Guise was 
 murdered December 23, 1588, by the emissaries of Henry 
 III. Jean de Serres' Inventaire General de V Histoire de 
 France, published 1597, was the source used by Chap- 
 man for the parts of the drama dealing with the assas- 
 sination of the Duke. Here, as in the previous case, the 
 dramatist gives a literal rendering of his source. He 
 had previously used both these authors' works in the 
 Biron dramas. 
 
 One of the most surprising features of this drama is 
 the manner in which the Duke of Guise is presented. 
 This character in the first of the Bussy plays is a repro- 
 duction of Marlowe's creation. The theater-goer would 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 19 
 
 have no difficulty in recognizing the "monster of St. 
 Bartholomew's Night," "the blood hound of France," 
 in the creations of both dr-amatists. Both make him 
 the butt of ridicule. Bussy braves him to his face. 
 When the Duke threatens to cut his throat if he does 
 not cease his gallantries to the Duchess, Bussy exclaims, 
 "That hand dares not do't — y'ave cut too many throats 
 already. Guise ; and robbed the realm of many thousand 
 souls, more precious than thine own." In the quarrel, 
 Act III,* Bussy gives the "lie direct" to the Duke 
 and applies a series of vigorously insulting epithets 
 to him. A little later the Duke is represented as a 
 libertine. In Act V he and Monsieur are actively con- 
 cerned in the murder of Bussy. Very different is the 
 Duke in The Revenge. He is the patron of the philo- 
 sophically inclined Clermont. Almost at the opening 
 of the drama he is hailed — 
 
 "Well, thou most worthy to be greatest Guise, 
 Make with thy greatness a new world arise." 
 
 A little later Guise and Clermont are represented as 
 whispering together 
 
 "of something 
 
 Savouring of that which all men else despise, 
 How to be truly noble, truly wise." 
 
 When Monsieur suggests that Guise practises hypocrisy, 
 he is reminded that it is " much more common to suspect 
 truth than falsehood," that truth is not believed. On 
 every possible occasion the good qualities of Guise are 
 emphasized, until, in Act II, we find the extenuation, or 
 rather the justification, of the Massacre of Bartholomew, 
 
 Ba. I fain would know 
 How many millions of our other nobles 
 Would make one Guise. There is a true tenth worthy. 
 
 ^ The Works of George Chapman: Plays, ed. Shepherd, p. 156. 
 
20 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 Who (did not one act only blemish him) — 
 CI. One act? what one? 
 Ba. One, that, though years past done, 
 Sticks by him still and will distain him ever. 
 
 CI. Good Heaven! wherein? what one act can you name 
 Supposed his stain, that I'll not prove his lustre? 
 Ba. To satisfy you, 'twas the massacre. 
 CI. The massacre? I thought 'twas some such blemish. 
 Ba. Oh, it was heinous! 
 CI. To a brutish sense. 
 But not a manly reason. We so tender 
 The vile part in us, that the part divine 
 We see in hell, and shrink not. Who was first 
 Head of that massacre? 
 Ba. The Guise. 
 CI. 'Tis nothing so. 
 Who was in fault for all the slaughters made 
 In Ilion, and about it? were the Greeks? 
 Was it not Paris ravishing the Queen 
 Of Lacaedemon? Breach of shame and faith? 
 And all the laws of hospitality? 
 This is the beastly slaughter made of men. 
 When truth is overthrown, his laws corrupted; 
 When souls are smother'd in the flatter 'd flesh, 
 Slain bodies are no more than oxen slain. 
 Ba. Differ not men from oxen? 
 CI. Who says so? 
 But see wherein; in the understanding rules 
 Of their opinions, lives, and actions; 
 In their communities of faith and reason. 
 Was not the wolf that nourish'd Romulus 
 More humane than the men that did expose him? 
 
 Ba. That makes against you. 
 CI. Not, sir, if you note 
 
 That by that deed, the actions difference make 
 'Twixt men and beasts, and not their names nor forms. 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 21 
 
 Had faith, nor shame, all hospitable rights 
 
 Been broke by Troy, Greece had not made that slaughter. 
 
 Had that been saved (says a philosopher) 
 
 The Iliads and Odysseys had been lost ; 
 
 Had Faith and true Religion been preferr'd, 
 
 Religious Guise had never massacred. 
 
 In the remaining part of the drama no opportunity to 
 sound the praise of the Duke is let pass, and when at 
 last he is treacherously slain, Clermont kills himself, 
 being unwilling to live after the loss of so noble a patron. 
 One can imagine how astonished the Protestant 
 Englishmen must have been to see the Duke of Guise 
 thus presented to their view. It would be interesting 
 to know how the innovation was received. Of still 
 greater interest is the reason for Chapman's changed 
 attitude toward the Duke. It was certainly not due to 
 dramatic exigencies, and the author must have known 
 that the change would not be popular with an English 
 audience. The reason is probably to be found in the 
 deep moral earnestness that characterizes all Chapman's 
 later work. To a mind of philosophic bent, the religious 
 passion and hatred of the unreasoning masses must have 
 been humiliating and disgusting. His scorn of the 
 "profane multitude" was unquestionably sincere. An 
 examination of the facts pertaining to the massacres and 
 religious wars that so long paralyzed the energies of 
 France must have convinced him that the blame lay not 
 alone with one party. He believed that the objects of 
 tragedy were "material instruction, elegant and senten- 
 tious excitement to virtue and deflections from her 
 contrary" ; and further, that "not truth but things like 
 truth" should be sought. The author's purpose then 
 must have been to call attention to the other side of 
 the controversy by exaggerating the merits of the 
 Catholic standpoint before a Protestant audience. 
 There is another instance of a similar departure from 
 
22 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 accepted beliefs in Byron's Tragedy where Biron is made 
 to eulogize Philip II of Spain who was not less unpopular 
 in England than was the Duke of Guise. In this case, 
 however, a clearly defined dramatic purpose is served 
 by the eulogy. Koeppel believes that Chapman had 
 become a convert to Roman Catholicism and calls 
 attention to the language used in The Gentleman Usher, 
 Act V, where Strozza announces his intention to make 
 a pilgrimage to Rome to offer at St. Peter's Temple 
 the arrow head by which he had been wounded. He 
 asks that no one shall deem this act a superstitious rite, 
 for 
 
 "No act is superstitious that applies 
 All power to God, devoting hearts through eyes." 
 
 To which Benevemus replies, 
 
 "Spoke with the true tongue of a nobleman. 
 But now are all these excitations toys. 
 And honour fats his brain with other joys." 
 
 There is undoubtedly much to support this opinion of 
 Koeppel's, but I cannot regard his proof as complete, 
 and the little we know of the subsequent life of the 
 dramatist seems to indicate that he remained a member 
 of the Church of England. The men to whom Chap- 
 man addressed his letters for aid were Protestants, as 
 were those to whom he dedicated his poems and dramas. 
 He opposed the Spanish marriage and did not fail to 
 advocate loyalty to the King in all things. Moreover, 
 Chapman's attitude is ever that of the philosopher who 
 realizes that good and bad are strangely mingled in the 
 affairs of men. 
 
 Prof. Boas has recently shown ^ that the generally 
 accepted theory that Chapman went directly to the 
 French historians for the material for his historical 
 dramas is incorrect. There is a book bearing the 
 
 AthencBUm. Jan. lo, 1903. 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 23 
 
 title, A General Inventorie of the Historie of France 
 from the beginning of that Monarchie unto the Treatie 
 of Vervins in the Ye are 1598." Written by Jhon de Serres. 
 And continued unto these Times, out of the best Authors 
 which have written of that Subject. Translated out of 
 French into English, by Edward Grimeston, Gentleman. 
 This work was published in 1607 by George Eld. 
 Grimeston added to de Serres 's narrative translations 
 from the writings of Pierre Matthieu and Victor Cayet. 
 Prof. Boas after a careful examination, asserts that 
 Grimeston was the immediate source used by Chap- 
 man. It would seem, therefore, that his method was 
 that of the majority of the dramatists of his age, to 
 seek material in the nearest quarry. The elaborate 
 theories concerning Chapman's sojourn in France, based 
 on his supposed acquaintance with French history and 
 language, cannot be sustained. 
 
 Before considering the historical accuracy of Chap- 
 man's dramatic presentations, it will be in order to note 
 his theory as to the proper use of history in the drama. 
 In dedicating The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois to Sir 
 Thomas Howard, he writes: "And for the authentical 
 truth of either person or action, who (worth the respect- 
 ing) will expect it in a poem, whose subject is not truth, 
 but things like truth ? Poor envious souls they are that 
 cavil at truth's want in these natural fictions, material 
 instruction, elegant and sententious excitation to virtue, 
 and deflection from her contrary, being the soul, limbs, 
 and limits of an authentical tragedy." In view of this 
 statement it is perhaps unjust to criticise Chapman for 
 historical inaccuracy, but it is only just to say that his 
 dramas abound in anachronisms. I cannot agree with 
 those critics who assert that the historical sense was 
 highly developed in Chapman. His kings are stock 
 characters, only slightly differentiated. He has respect 
 for "the divinity that doth hedge a king" no matter 
 how despicable the sovereign may be. His courtiers 
 
24 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 are distinguished by their official rank, not by difference 
 in character. His genius is essentially epic, and is at 
 its best in scenes in which the hero recounts his deeds 
 at great length, but the strength exliibited on such occa- 
 sions interferes with dramatic action. This epic ten- 
 dency results in the introduction of numerous episodes, 
 only slightly connected with the main plot of the drama. 
 In spite of these weaknesses Chapman manages to de- 
 velop a kind of historical atmosphere which pervades 
 everything and gives unity to his work. By means of 
 this atmosphere he suggests the corruption and moral 
 degradation of the court of Henry IH. The recognition 
 of these conditions by the reader is not due to the 
 dramatist's ability in portraying character; for in his 
 endeavor to convey "material instruction, elegant 
 and sententious excitation to virtue," Chapman makes 
 his dramatic creations from kings to servants, moralize 
 and philosophize upon everything that occurs. 
 
 The last of Chapman's historical plays appeared in 
 1639 with the title The Tragedte of Chabot Admirall of 
 France : As it was presented by her Majesties Servants at 
 the private House in Drury Lane. Written by George 
 Chapman and James Shirly. London. Printed by Tho. 
 Cotes, for Andrew Crooke, and William Cooke. Chapman 
 had died May 12, 1634. The play was licensed April 
 29, 1635, as Sir Henry Herbert's office book shows. 
 The question at once arises as to the nature of Shirley's 
 connection with the play. Fleay says: "Chapman 
 wrote I., II., and the prose speeches in III. i, V-. 2 of the 
 Proctor and Advocate . . . Shirley altered and rewrote 
 the latter part. III., IV., V."^ Dyce- beheves that nearly 
 the whole was revised by Chapman, an opinion which 
 Ward^ endorses. Swinburne writes "Of the author- 
 
 ^ Chronicle of English Drama. II, 241. 
 
 * Shirley's Dramatic Works, ed. Dyce, VI, 87. 
 
 'History of English Dramatic Literature, II., 444. 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 25 
 
 ship of Chabot there can be no question; the subject 
 the style, the manner, the meter, the characters, all are 
 perfectly Chapman's."^ After a careful comparative 
 study of Chapman's and Shirley's styles and methods 
 I have reached the conclusion that the play was origi- 
 nally written by Chapman and subsequently revised by 
 Shirley. There is scarcely a page upon which the 
 peculiarities of the former's style are not discernible. 
 The principal of these peculiarities are: involved sen- 
 tences, tortuous thought, and the tendency to philoso- 
 phize. On the other hand the evidence of revision is to 
 be found in many places. The angular grammatical 
 constructions are not so numerous as in other plays of 
 Chapman, the thought is somewhat clarified, and there 
 is greater degree of dramatic unity than is common in 
 Chapman's plays. If the long drawn-out speeches of 
 the Proctor-General were omitted, this unity of action 
 would be more apparent. There is the same tendency 
 to episodic treatment as in Bussy D'Ambois, but the 
 episodes are better botmd together and subordinated 
 to the main theme. The letters of Chapman, published 
 by Mr. Dobell, show that the poet was neglected and poor 
 in his old days. It would be a pleasing picture to 
 imagine the popular dramatist Shirley responding to the 
 request of the needy old translator and helping him to 
 bring his last drama before the pubhc. Unfortunately, 
 this can hardly have been the case, for Chapman had 
 been dead nearly a year before the play was acted. It 
 seems probable that Chapman had written Chabot about 
 i62iori622. He had been engaged upon translations 
 and non-dramatic poetry from 1613 to 1621, but after 
 the latter date he would have been free to return to 
 dramatic composition. His tragedy, CcFsar and Pompey, 
 was published in 1631, but in the dedication he declares 
 
 ^ Essay on George Chapman's Poetical and Dramatic Works, p 
 xxxii. 
 
26 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 that it was never presented on the stage and was written 
 long since. It undoubtedly belongs to the 'period^: just 
 mentioned. In all probability Chabot had) never been 
 staged until Shirley revised it. The failure of Chapman's 
 tragedies (excepting Bussy D' Amhois) was not strange. 
 Aside from their want of true dramatic quality, and their 
 involved style, they expressed sentiments antagonistic 
 to the London play-goer and were lacking in acting 
 qualities. It is impossible to conjecture how^ Shirley, 
 came into possession of Chabot. He was then (1635) at 
 the height of his popularity as a dramatist ; during the 
 five preceding years eighteen plays of his were licensed, 
 and all except one of these had been performed by the 
 Queen's Men. It is easy to understand that when hard 
 pressed he would be willing to revise any play that 
 seemed likely to be successful. It is probable that the 
 revision was made hastily: the play certainly was not 
 entirely rewritten. Baker says it was "acted at Drury 
 Lane, ' ' ^ but undoubtedly the only authority for this state- 
 ment is the title page of the Quarto. There is no 
 other mention of its performance, and a second Quarto 
 was not published. The failure of Chabot as a stage 
 play was not remarkable. An audience accustomed to 
 such plays as The Gamester, The Example, and The Lady 
 of Pleasure, would be little drawn to one of so different 
 a type. 
 
 Those who believe that Chabot was written jointly 
 by Chapman and Shirley cite another play which ap- 
 peared in Quarto with the following title: The Ball, A 
 Comedy, As it was presented by her Majesties Servants 
 at the private house in Drury Lane. Written by George 
 Chapman and Jam.es Shirly, London, Printed by The. 
 Cotes, for Andrew Crooke and William Cooke. 1639. 
 The play was licensed November 16, 1632. Herbert adds 
 the following note : "In the play of The Ball written by 
 
 ^ Btographica Dramatica, II, 90. 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 27 
 
 Sherley, and acted by the Queen's players, ther were 
 divers personated so naturally, both of lords and others 
 of the court, that I took it ill, and would have forbidden 
 the play, but that Biston [Christopher Beeston] promiste 
 many things which I found faulte withall should be left 
 out, and that he would not suffer it to be done by the 
 poett any more, who deserves to be punisht; and the 
 first that offends in this kind, of poets or players, shall 
 be sure of publique punishment."^ Chapman's name 
 was joined by the printer with Shirley "in the bonds," 
 as Swinburne says, "of a most incongruous union." 
 Gifford believed that Chapman wrote the greater part 
 of this comedy, but he gave no reasons for so singular 
 an opinion. Dyce says, " Judging from internal evidence, 
 I should say, that The Ball was almost entirely the com- 
 position of Shirley."^ Baker says "Chapman assisted 
 Shirley in this Comedy."' Fleay asserts that Chapman 
 inserted passages which "are easily traceable in IV. 3 
 and V. I."* Ward believes that if Chapman "gave any 
 assistance to Shirley at all in this play, it must have been 
 of the slightest description."^ I cannot discover any 
 traces of Chapman in the play, but it everywhere bears 
 the stamp of Shirley's style. The dialogue is witty and 
 sparkling. The play has the easy movement, charac- 
 teristic of the younger dramatist's comedy. It lacks 
 the philosophic utterance of Chapman, but contains 
 the thinly veiled satire of Shirley. It will be noted that 
 in the Memorandum of Herbert the play is assigned to 
 Shirlf^y alone. It should be remembered also that Chap- 
 man had not written comedy for at least twenty years. 
 It would have been strange indeed had he been 
 employed to collaborate with Shirley in writing a work 
 
 ^ M alone' s Shakespeare, (1794), II, 191. ' 
 
 ^Shirley's Dramatic Works, ed. Dyce, I, xix. 
 ' Biographica Dramatica, II, 46. 
 *• Chronicle English Drama, 11,238. 
 ^ History of English Drama, III, 107. 
 
28 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 representative of the new comedy of manners. Equally 
 irreconcilable is the idea that he revised it. I have 
 been unable to discover any literary connection between 
 Shirley and Chapman beyond that involved in Chahot. 
 
 Chabot is the story of a man so upright and hon- 
 orable, that he refused to give his assent to an unjust 
 bill even after the King had signed it. Several creatures 
 and officials of the court whose schemes had been thus 
 balked by Chabot sought to compass his ruin. They 
 foimd allies in the Queen who disliked the wife of Chabot, 
 and in Montmorencie, the Constable of France, a man 
 of good impulses, but too easily influenced by others. 
 The King was led to believe that Chabot had shown 
 disrespect toward him, and, when the Admiral persisted 
 in his determination to oppose the unjust measure 
 favored by the King, appointed a Commission to 
 investigate Chabot 's acts. The Chancellor Poyet, to 
 whom the matter was entrusted, was prejudiced 
 against Chabot, and though only the most trivial 
 offenses were proved against the Admiral, the Chan- 
 cellor by means of threats forced the judges to sign a 
 decree declaring him guilty of treason. The object of 
 the King was to humiliate the Admiral by having his 
 faults brought to light, not to punish him for their com- 
 mission. Believing that his purpose was accomplished, the 
 King offered to pardon Chabot ; but the latter conscious 
 of his own rectitude, refused to accept a pardon which 
 implied that he had been guilty of crime. The King 
 soon discovered how the conviction of the Admiral had 
 been brought about ; he summoned the Chancellor, and 
 after denouncing him for his injustice, ordered him to 
 trial for his perversion of justice. The Chancellor con- 
 fessed his guilt and received a heavy sentence. The 
 King now sought to advance Chabot to a position of 
 greater trust, but the ordeal had been too much for the 
 high-souled Admiral who soon died of a broken heart. 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 29 
 
 Few students of the drama can object to Swinburne's* 
 enthusiastic estimation of the play. Koeppel, however, 
 says, referring to the hero, "Der stolze, selbstbewusset 
 Mann schreit im Drama wie ein prahlerischer Grobian, 
 der jede dem Fiirsten schuldige Riicksicht vergisst imd 
 ihm ein iiber das andere Mai versichert, dass seine 
 Verdienste alle Gnadenbeweise mehr als aufwogen."' 
 The distinguished German scholar fails to note the 
 reason for Chabot's firmness, but the high sense of duty 
 and official integrity would not have been lost upon an 
 Elizabethan audience capable of appreciating personal 
 independence. We have in Chabot not a "prahlerischer 
 Grobian," but a man whom even the favor of his King 
 could not tempt to do a wrong act. However, it may 
 be questioned whether such an attitude was likely to 
 find favor at a court whose monarch believed that the 
 king could do no wrong. 
 
 The earliest mention of the source of Chabot was 
 made by Langbaine, who writes: "For the Plot, see 
 the French Chronologers, and Historians in the Reign 
 of Francis the First; such as Paulus Jovius Arnoldus 
 in his Continuation of Paulus Aemilius, Mart. Longeus 
 De Serres, Mezeray, etc."^ KoeppeP shows that none 
 of these furnished material for Chapman. Mezeray 
 must be rejected on chronological grounds; Paulus 
 Jovius and Jean de Serres do not mention the process 
 against the admiral, and Arnoldus contains but a short 
 notice from which the most striking details of the drama 
 are omitted. No historian named Martin Longeus has 
 been fotmd. Koeppel, however, has undoubtedly dis- 
 covered one of the sources used by Chapman in a work 
 entitled Les Recherches de la France d'Estienne Pas- 
 
 * Essay on Chapman' s Poetical and Dramatic Works, ed. Shepherd 
 
 pp. xliv-xlv. 
 "^ Quellen-Studien zu den Dramen George Chapman s, etc., p. 55. 
 'English Dramatic Poets, p. 477. 
 
 * Quellen—Siudien, zu den Dramen George Chapman's, etc., note p. 52. 
 
30 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 quier .... Augmentees en ceste dernier e edition de trois 
 Liures entiers, outre plusieurs Chapitres entrelassez en 
 chacun des autres Liures, tirez de la Bihliotheque de 
 VAutheur. A ParisMDCXXI. The ninth chapter of book 
 sixteen bears the title: ''Du procez extraordinaire fait, 
 premier ement a Messire Philippe Chabot Admiral de 
 France, puis a Messire Guillaiime Pouyet Chancelier." 
 A comparison of the incidents of the drama with the 
 contents of this chapter will show the extent of Chap- 
 man's indebtedness to the French historian. Act I of 
 Chabot deals with the reconciliation of Chabot, the 
 Admiral of France, with the Constable Montmorency. 
 The Treasurer, Chancellor and Secretary induce the 
 Constable to enter a plot to undermine Chabot 's influ- 
 ence with the King. The latter is induced to sign an 
 unjust decree, which Chabot not only refuses to 
 allow but angrily tears into pieces. Of these facts 
 no mention whatever is made in Pasquier, in fact 
 the historian suggests that the King's change of attitude 
 to Chabot was due to a whim. " Le Roy ne croyoit 
 qu'en luy seul, entre ceux qui avoient son oreille. 
 Toutesfois comme les opinions des Roys se changent 
 sans sgauoir quelques-fois pourquoy, aussi commenga-il 
 auecques le temps de se lasser de luy, et en fin il luy 
 despleut tout a fait." In Act II, the Queen urges the 
 King to punish the Admiral for the affront offered to the 
 royal name in tearing the bill; the Constable and 
 Admiral meet and reproach each other; the King has 
 an interview with the Admiral and threatens to issue a 
 process against him, if he does not humble himself. 
 Chabot, conscious of his own rectitude, refuses. The 
 King sends for the Chancellor and directs him to bring 
 the Admiral to trial. The substance of the interview 
 between the King and Chabot is taken from Pasquier. 
 KoeppeP shows that in many cases an almost literal 
 
 ^ Quellen — Studien zu den Dramen George Chapman's, etc., p. 54 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 31 
 
 translation is made. The dramatist's use of his material 
 is indicated by the following excerpts: "Entre ceux 
 qui eurent bonne part en ses -[Francois I] bonne graces, 
 ce fut Messire Philippe Chabot, et ne trouue Seigneur 
 de tout ce temps-la ny depuis qui eut approche nos 
 Roys, lequel ait este tant charge de dignitez que cestuy. 
 Car il estoit Cheualier de I'Ordre, Admiral de France, 
 Lieutenant General du Roy au pays et Duche de Bour- 
 gongne, Conseiller au Conseil Priue, et en outre Lieuten- 
 ant general de Monsieur de Dauphin aux Gouuernemens 
 de Dauphine et de Normandie." ^ Compare with this the 
 following : 
 
 King, Of all that ever shar'd in my free graces 
 You Philip Chabot a meane Gentleman 
 Have not I rais'd you to a supremest Lord, 
 And given you greater dignities than any? 
 
 Have not I made you first a Knight of the Order? 
 Then Admirall of France, then Count Byzanges, 
 Lord, and Livetenant generall of all 
 My country, and command of Burgady; 
 Livetenant generall likewise of my sonne 
 Daulphine, and heire, and of all Normandy, 
 And of my chiefely honor'd privy Counsell, 
 And cannot all these powers weigh downe your will?^ 
 
 The third act opens with the appearance of the 
 accused Admiral, his wife and her father ; the wife asserts 
 her loyalty to her husband ; the Queen accompanied by 
 the enemies of the Admiral appears. The scene between 
 the Queen and the wife and a similar scene at the 
 beginning of the fourth act constitute the most effective 
 parts of the play. Nowhere else has Chapman suc- 
 ceeded so well in his portrayal of women. Pasquier 
 
 ^ Pasquier, 1. c, p. 472 B. 
 ^Chabot, Act II, 11. 213-226. 
 
32 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 gives no hint of feminine influence upon the fortunes of 
 Chabot. In reality it was not the Queen but the 
 Duchesse d'Estampes, the mistress of the King, who was 
 concerned in the matter. Gaspard de Saulx, Seigneur 
 de Tavannes mentions the affair briefly as follov/s: 
 
 "Le Roy sort de la prison du bois de Vincennes Phillippes 
 Chabot, admiral de France, confin6 par commissaires, non par 
 justice. Les dames avoient aid6 k sa faveur, par les dames 
 elle se pert, contendant madame d'Estampes avec madame 
 I'admirale de Brion. Le connestable luy avoit nuit: la 
 faveur n'admet de compagnon; il s'estoit roidy contre 
 son maistre, et demande justice sans faveur. Sa liberte 
 fur I'appointement de Madame d'Estampes, laquelle establie 
 ne craignoit plus madame I'admirale. Les conditions fuerent 
 la mariage du fils aisn^ de monsieur 1 'admirals, avec la 
 niepce de madame d'Estampes."^ 
 
 When one recalls Chapman's experience in connection 
 with the Biron plays, it does not seem strange that he 
 avoided mention of a mistress of the King in his subse- 
 quent dramas. That part of the third act which deals with 
 the trial of the Admiral is taken from Pasquier. The 
 speeches of the Proctor-general are close translations 
 of the original narrative. The device of the Judges in 
 affixing "vi." to their names appears in Pasquier ; the offer 
 of the King, Act IV, to pardon the Admiral and his 
 refusal to accept the royal pardon are taken from the 
 French narrative, but are slightly expanded by Chap- 
 man. Pasquier moralizes concerning the advantage 
 of uprightness in a Judge as follows: "Je vous ay 
 recite deux Histoires dont pourrez recueillir deux 
 legons: L'vne que quelque commission qu'vn Juge 
 regoiue de son Prince, il doit tousiours buter k la Justice, 
 et non aux pasions de celuy qui le met en oeuure, lequel 
 reuenant auec le temps a son mieux penser, se repent a- 
 pres de sa soudainete, et recognoist tout k loisir celuy 
 
 ^ Nouvclle Collection des Memoires, VIII, loo. 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 33 
 
 estre indigne de porter le tiltre de Juge, qui a abus6 de sa 
 conscience pour luy complaire," Chapman '• puts this 
 into the mouth of the King:* 
 
 King. Be you two joyn'd in the commission, 
 
 And nothing urg'd but justly, of me learning 
 
 This one more lesson out of the events 
 
 Of these affaires now past, that whatsoever 
 
 Charge or Commission Judges have from us, 
 
 They ever make their ayme ingenuous Justice, 
 
 Not partiall for reward, or swelling favour. 
 
 To which if your King steere you, spare to obey; 
 
 For when his troubled blood is cleere, and calme. 
 
 He will repent that he pursued his rage. 
 
 Before his pious Law, and hold that ludge 
 
 Vnworthy of his place, that lets his censure 
 
 Flote in the waves of an imagin'd favour. 
 
 This shipwracks in the haven, and but wounds 
 
 Their -consciences that sooth the soone ebb'd humours 
 
 Of their incensed King.^ 
 
 The fifth act treats of the trial and conviction of the 
 Chancellor and the death of Chabot. Some hints were 
 furnished by Pasquier for the trial scene, but there is 
 much in the dramatic account that is original or from 
 other sources than Pasquier. Only a brief mention 
 is made of the Admiral's death by the historian. 
 "Le coup toutesfois du premier arrest I'vlcera de telle 
 fajon qu'il ne suruesquit pas longuement." Chabot 
 died June i, 1543, more than two years after his trial. ;J 
 It is evident then that the narrative of Pasquier fur- 
 nished those parts of the drama which deal with the rela- 
 tions of Chabot and the King, the trial and conviction 
 of the Admiral, and his subsequent pardon by the King. 
 The narrative is slightly expanded by the dramatist, but 
 in many cases there is an almost literal translation. The 
 
 ^Chabot, Act IV, 11. 441-456. 
 
34 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 same source doubtless furnished a few facts which were 
 elaborated in the account of the trial of the Chancellor. 
 Montmorency is named by Pasquier but not in connec- 
 tion with Chabot. The other characters are not raen- 
 tioned by the historian. An examination of the works 
 of the French chronologers of this period has failed to 
 show anything (except the brief mention by de Saulx) 
 that might have been used as a source. I cannot, 
 however, regard these characters as the creation of 
 Chapman. While not nearly all his plays have been 
 traced to their sources, it is remarkable that in all the 
 cases in which his sources have been discovered, his 
 method is the same. He selects his episodes or inci- 
 dents from different authors and follows the original 
 closely; when there is expansion, it is due to Chapman's 
 tendency to make his characters indulge in a train of 
 philosophic reflection. This tendency is illustrated in 
 the Biron plays and in The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois. 
 The question whether Pasquier was the immediate 
 source used by Chapman remains to be considered. 
 Koeppel had made otit a strong case in favor of his 
 theory of Chapman's use of the original material; but 
 Professor Boas in the article above mentioned seems to 
 have proved that in the case of the Biron plays and The 
 Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois the dramatist used Grime- 
 ston's translation and not the original sources. It 
 seems not unlikely that the historical matter used in 
 writing Chabot was obtained from a similar source ; but 
 I have not been able to find any record of an- English 
 translation of Pasquier. There is none in the British 
 Museum. Possibly a fuller investigation of the various 
 stories from Italian and other sources might reveal the 
 source of the minor scenes of this drama. 
 
 Mention has already been made of the reasons for the 
 failure of this work as a dramatic production. I cannot 
 but feel that there is another and a better reason for 
 its failure. The play, which is essentially a comedy, is 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 35 
 
 converted into a tragedy. The fifth act is an excres- 
 cence. The first four acts have all the elements of 
 serious comedy ; there is nothing in them to prepare for 
 the tragic scene of the fifth act. We have a fine example 
 of a reconciling drama up to the beginning of that act. 
 A plot is made against an honorable man, who can save 
 himself only by compromising his honor; he is brought 
 to trial and condemned ; but by a sudden turn of the 
 wheel the situation is changed, the guilty will be pun- 
 ished, and the upright Admiral elevated to a higher 
 place of favor than he had before occupied. The death 
 of Chabot serves no dramatic purpose unless one is to be 
 found in his public forgiveness of the unjust Chancellor. 
 It comes upon us just as the mind has accepted as 
 proper and wise the solution of the fourthact. A part 
 of the fifth act deals with the trial of the Chancellor, 
 and though the manner in which the Proctor-general 
 denounces the officer whom he so recently lauded is not 
 without interest, from the dramatic point of view this 
 second trial scene cannot be justified. 
 
 The principal anachronisms and inversions of his- 
 torical facts have been mentioned. Chapman has 
 probably neither more nor fewer of these than are to 
 be found in the dramas of Shakespeare and the majority 
 of the Elizabethan dramatists. He presents "not 
 truth but things like truth." Fleay's supposition that 
 "the play was an old one of Chapman's alluded to in 
 Northward Ho and written c. 1604"^ is disproved by the 
 fact that at least one important source, Pasquier's nar- 
 rative, was not published until 162 1. Fleay continues, 
 "The omission of proper names for the characters looks 
 as if there were an under application intended. Could 
 Chapman have written it concerning the Earl of Essex and 
 Shirley have twisted it to point at Francis Bacon?" The 
 fact that the drama could not have been written before 
 
 ^'Chronicle of the English Drama, II, 241. 
 
36 The Tragedies of Chapman. 
 
 162 1 puts the first of these suggestions out of question 
 as Essex had then been dead twenty years. The 
 trial and conviction of Bacon occurred in 162 1, but 
 there is absolutely nothing in the drama that would 
 lead to the identification of Bacon with Chabot. The 
 circumstances attending the trials of the two men were 
 entirely different. The charges against Bacon were 
 specific; those against Chabot, general. Bacon was 
 tried by the House of Lords; Chabot, by a Special 
 Commission. Bacon sent a letter in which he admitted 
 his guilt and implored the Lords to be merciful to him; 
 Chabot appeared in person before his judges, denied his 
 guilt, and though convicted, refused to accept pardon 
 of the King. If any special application were intended 
 by Chapman, it is much more likely that Bacon is to be 
 identified with Poyet, the unjust Chancellor. There 
 were doubtless very many persons who never forgave 
 Bacon for the severity with which he attacked his former 
 patron, the impulsive Essex, when that nobleman was 
 brought to trial. These doubtless experienced a feeling 
 of satisfaction when Bacon was himself convicted of 
 receiving bribes and degraded from his high office. The 
 speech of the Advocate at the trial of Chabot, bears a 
 definite resemblance to the speech of Bacon at the trial 
 of Essex. The plan is the same in both addresses: 
 Both speakers compliment the judges upon their intel- 
 ligence, both dwell upon the wickedness of a man who 
 could meditate treason against his Sovereign ; the good- 
 ness of the Sovereign is emphasized by both speakers; 
 Bacon compares Essex to Cain ; the Proctor-general 
 compares Chabot to Brutus ; Essex is urged not to 
 justify his conduct ; Chabot is reproached for justifying 
 himself. 
 
 If the Chancellor of the drama can be identi- 
 fied with Bacon the eulogistic speech of the Proctor- 
 general, wherein he refers to the Chancellor as "so 
 full of equity, so noble, so notable in the progress 
 
The Tragedies of Chapman. 37 
 
 of his life, so innocent, in the manage of his office so 
 incorrupt," is a fine piece of satire. A further resem- 
 blance is to be found in the sentences inflicted on Bacon 
 and the Chancellor Poyet; both were sentenced to pay 
 heavy fines, to lose their offices, to be incapable of 
 again holding office and to suffer imprisonment. Sen- 
 tences of this kind were common during the reign of King 
 James, but the similarity of the punishments of the two 
 men adds to the possibility of their identification. 
 
 The resemblances just enumerated are not offered as 
 proofs of the identity of Poyet with Bacon, but as 
 suggesting the possibility, or even probability that a 
 satire upon the fallen Lord Chancellor was intended. 
 
THE 
 
 TRAGEDIE 
 
 OF 
 
 C H A B O T 
 
 ADMIRALL OF 
 
 F R A K C E: 
 
 As it was prefented by her 
 
 Majefties Servants, at tbephVate 
 Hou(e in Drury Lane^ 
 
 .«ffl>Ae 
 
 George QapHmn, 
 Wrictcnbys and 
 
 4" 4"!' 4' 
 
 LOt^DOT^ 
 Printed by The Coces^ for AnckemQmUy 
 and Witticn Qpoht. 
 
SPEAKERS. 
 
 ASALL. ChABOT. 
 
 Allegre. Judges. 
 
 King. Officers 
 
 QuEENE. Secretary. 
 
 Treasuror. Vushers. 
 
 Chancellor. Constable. 
 
 Admirall. Courtiers. 
 
 Father. Porter. 
 
 Generall. Guard. 
 
 Uc) 
 
The T'RAGET^IE of PHILIP CHABOT, 
 ADMI%ALL of F%ANCE. 
 
 Actus Primus. 
 Enter Asall, and Allegre. 
 
 Asall. Now Phillip Chabot, Admirall of France, 
 The great, and onely famous Favorite 
 To Francis first of that Imperiall name, 
 Hath foiind a fresh competitor in glory, 
 (Duke Montmorancie, Constable of France) 
 Who drinkes as deepe as he of the streame Royall, 
 And may in little time convert the strength 
 To raise his spring, and blow the others fall. 
 
 Al. The world would wish it so, that will not patiently 
 Endure the due rise of a vertuous man. lo 
 
 As. If he be vertuous, what is the reason 
 That men affect him not, why is he lost 
 Toth' generall opinion, and become 
 Rather their hate than love? 
 
 Al. I wonder you 
 Will question it, aske a ground or reason 
 Of men bred in this vile degenerate age; 
 The most men are not good, and it agrees not 
 With impious natures to allow whats honest, 
 Tis an offence enough to be exalted 
 
 To regall favours , great men are not safe 20 
 
 In their owne vice, where good men by the hand 
 Of Kings are planted to survey their workings; 
 What man was ever fixt'ith Sphere of honour, 
 And precious to his Soveraigne, whose actions, 
 Nay very soule was not expos 'd to every 
 
 (41) 
 
42 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Common and base dissection? and not onely 
 That which in Nature hath excuse, and in 
 Themselves is priviledg'd by name of frailtie, 
 But even Vertues are made crimes, and doom'd 
 Toth' fate of Treason. 
 
 As. A bad age the while, 30 
 
 I aske your pardon Sir, but thinkes 3^our judgement, 
 His love to Justice, and Corruptions hate 
 Are true and hearty? 
 
 Al. ludge your selfe by this 
 One argument, his hearty truth to all, 
 For in the heart hath anger his wisest seate. 
 And gainst unjust suites such brave anger fires him, 
 That v/hen they seeke to passe his place and power. 
 Though mov'd, and urg'd by the other minion. 
 Or by his greatest friends, and even the King 
 Leade them to his allowance with his hand, 40 
 
 First given in Bill, assign 'd, even then his spirit, 
 (In nature calme as any Summers evening) 
 Puts up his Whole powers like a Winters sea, 
 His bloud boyles over, and his heart even cracks 
 At the injustice, and he teares the Bill, 
 And would doe, were he for't to be tome in peeces. 
 
 As. Tis brave I sweare. 
 
 Al. Nay it is worthy your wonder 
 That I must tell you further, theres no Needle 
 In a Sunne Diall plac'd upon his Steele 
 In such a tender posture, that doth tremble 50 
 
 The timely Diall being held amisse. 
 And will shake ever, till you hold it right 
 More tender than himsefe in any thing 
 That he concludes in lustice for the State: 
 For as a fever held him, hee will shake 
 When he is signing any things of weight, 
 Least humane frailty should misguide his justice. 
 
 As. You have declar'd him a most noble lusticer. 
 
 Al. He tniely weighes and feeles Sir, what a charge 
 The subjects livings are (being even their lives 60 
 
Tr age die of Chabot ^.^ 
 
 Laid on the hand of power,) which abus'd^ ^ 
 Though seene, blood flownot from the justice seate, 
 Tis in true sence as grievous, and horrid. ;' 
 
 As. It argues nothing lesse, but since your Lord 
 Is diversly reported for his parts, 
 Whats your true censure of his generall worth, 
 Vertue and ludgement. 
 
 Al. As of a Picture wrought to opticke reason, 
 That to all passers by, seemes as they move 
 Now woman, now a Monster, now a DiveU, 
 And till you stand, and in a right line view it, 
 You cannot well judge what the maine forme is. 
 So men that view him but in vulgar passes 
 Casting but laterall, or partiall glances. 
 At what he is, suppose him weake, imjust. 
 Bloody, and monstrous, but stand free and fast. 
 And judge him by no more than what you know 
 Ingenuously, and by the right laid line 
 Of truth, he truely, will all stiles deserve 
 Of wise, just, good, a man both soule and nerve. 80 
 
 As. Sir, I must joyne in just beleefe with you, 
 But whats his rivall the Lord high Constable? 
 
 Al. As just, and well inclin'd when hee's himselfe, 
 (Not wrought on with the coimsells, and opinions 
 Of other men) and the maine difference is. 
 The Admirall is not flexible nor wonne 
 To move one scruple, when he comprehends 
 The honest tract and justnesse of a cause. 
 The Constable explores not so sincerely 
 The course hee runnes, but takes the minde of others 90 
 (By name ludiciall) for what his owne 
 ludgement, and knowledge should conclude. 
 
 As. A fault 
 In my apprehension, anothers knowledge 
 Applied to my instruction, cannot equall 
 
 ^Dyce punctuates which abus'd, 
 
 Though seen blood flow not, etc. 
 
44 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 My owne soules knowledge, how to informe Acts; 
 
 The Sunnes rich radiance shot through waves most faire, 
 
 Is but a shaddow to his beames ith' ayre, 
 
 His beames that in the ayre we so admire, 
 
 Is but a darkenesse to his flame in fire. 
 
 In fire his fervour but as vapour flies lOO 
 
 To what his owne pure bosome rarifies: 
 
 And the Almighty wisedom, having given 
 
 Each man within himselfe an apter light 
 
 To guide his acts, than any light without him 
 
 (Creating nothing not in all things equall) 
 
 It seemes a fault in any that depend 
 
 On others knowledge, and exile their owne. 
 
 Al. Tis nobly argued, and exemplified. 
 But now I heare my Lord, and his young rivall 
 Are to be reconcil'd, and then one light no 
 
 May serve to guide them both. 
 
 As. I wish it may, the King being made first mover 
 To forme their reconcilement, and enflame it 
 With all the sweetnesse of his praise and honour. 
 
 Al. See, tis dispatch'd I hope, the King doth grace it. 
 
 Loud Musicke, and Enter Vshers before, the Secre- 
 tary, Tresuror, Chancellor, Admirall, 
 Constable hand in hand, the King 
 following, others attend. 
 
 Kin. This doth expresse the noblest fruit of peace, 
 
 Cha. Which when the great begin, the humble end 
 In joyfuU imitation, all combining 
 A gardian beyond the^ 'hrigian knot 
 Past wit to lose it, or the sword, be still so. 120 
 
 Tre. Tis certaine Sir, by concord least things grow 
 Most great, and flourishing like trees that wrap 
 Their forehead in the skies, may these doe so. 
 
 Kin. You heare my Lord, all that is spoke contends 
 To celebrate with pious vote the attonement 
 So lately, and so nobly made betweene you, 
 
 'So printed in quarto. 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 45 
 
 Ad. Which for it selfe Sir,^ resolve to keepe 
 Pure, and inviolable, needing none 
 To encourage or confirme it, but my owne 
 Love and allegiance to your sacred counsell. 130 
 
 Kin. Tis good, and pleases, like my dearest health, 
 Stand you firme on that sweete simplicitie. 
 
 Con. Past all earth pollicie that would infringe it. 
 
 Kin. Tis well, and answers all the doubts suspected. 
 Enter one that whispers with the Admirall. 
 And what moves this close message Phillip? 
 
 Adm. My wives Father Sir, is closely come to Court. 
 
 King. Is he come to the Court, whose aversation 
 So much affects him, that he shimnes and flies it, 
 What's the strange reason that he will not rise 
 Above the middle region he was borne in? 140 
 
 Adm. He saith Sir, tis because the extreame of height 
 Makes a man lesse seeme to the imperfect eye 
 Then he is truely, his acts envied more, 
 And though he nothing cares for seeming, so 
 His being just stand firme twixt heaven and him. 
 Yet since in his soules jealousie, hee feares 
 That he himself e advanced, would undervalue 
 Men placed beneath him, and their businesse with him, 
 Since height of place oft dazles height of judgement, 
 He takes his toppe-saile downe in such rough stormes, 1 50 
 And apts his sailes to ayres more temperate. 
 
 Kin. A most wise soule he has, how long shall Kings 
 Raise men that are not wise till they be high? 
 You haue our leave, but tell him Phillip wee 
 Would have him neerer. 
 
 Con. Your desires attend you. 
 
 Enter another. 
 
 Kin. We know from whence you come, say to the 
 Queene, 
 We were comming to her, tis a day of love 
 
 * Dyce inserts /. 
 
46 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 And she scales all perfection. 
 
 Exit. 
 
 Tre. My Lord, 
 We must beseech your stay. 
 
 Con. My stay? 
 
 Cha. Our Counsells 
 Have led you thus farre to your reconcilement, 160 
 
 And must remember you, to observe the end 
 At which in plaine I told you then wee aim'd at, 
 You know we all urg'd the attonement, rather 
 To enforce the broader difference betweene you, 
 Then to conclude your friendshippe, which wise men 
 Know to be fashionable, and priviledg'd pollicie, 
 And will succeede betwixt you, and the Admirall 
 As sure as fate, if you please to get sign'd 
 A sute now to the King with all our hands, 
 Which will so much increase his precise justice, 170 
 That weighing not circumstances of politicke State, 
 He will instantly oppose it, and complaine. 
 And urge in passion, w^hat the King will sooner 
 Punish than yeeld too, and so render you 
 In the Kings frowne on him, the onely darling, 
 And mediate power of France. 
 
 Con. My good Lord Chancellor, 
 Shall I so late atton'd, and by the Kings 
 Hearty and earnest motion, fall in peeces? 
 
 Cha. Tis he, not you that breake. 
 
 Tre. Ha not you patience 
 So- let him bume himselfe in the Kings flame? ' 180 
 
 Cha. Come, be not Sir infected with a spice 
 Of that too servile equitie, that renders 
 Men free borne slaves, and rid with bits like horses. 
 When you must know my Lord ; that even in nature 
 A man is Animall politicum, 
 So that when he informes his actions simply 
 He does in both gainst pollicie and nature. 
 And therefore our soule motion is affirm 'd 
 To be like heavenly natures circular, 
 
Tragedie of Chahot 47 
 
 And circles being call'd ambitious lines, 190 
 
 We must like them become ambitious ever, 
 
 And endles in our circumventions; 
 
 No tough hides limiting our cheverill mindes. 
 
 Tre. Tis learnedly, and past all answer argued, 
 Yare great, and must grow greater still, and greater, 
 And not be like a dull and standing lake, 
 That settles, putrifies, and chokes with mudde, 
 But like a river gushing from the head. 
 That windes through the undervailes, what checkes 
 
 oreflowing 
 Gets strength still of his course, 200 
 
 Till with the Ocean meeting, even with him 
 In sway, and title, his brave billowes move. 
 
 Con. You speake a rare affection, and high soules, 
 But give me leave great Lords, still my just thankes 
 Remembred to your coimsells and direction, 
 I seeking this way to confirme my selfe 
 I undermine the columnes that support 
 My hopefull glorious fortime, and at once 
 Provoke the tempest, though did drowne my envie, 
 With what assurance shall the King expect 210 
 
 My faith to him, that breake it for another , 
 He has engag'd our peace, and my revenge 
 Forfits my trust with him, whose narrow sight 
 Will penetrate through all our mists, could we 
 Vaile our designe with clouds blacker than night; 
 But grant this danger over, with what Justice, 
 Or satisfaction to the inward ludge. 
 Shall I be gultie of this good mans mine. 
 Though I may still the murmuring tongues without me. 
 Loud conscience has a voyce to shadder^ greatnesse. 220 
 
 Seer. A name to fright, and terrific yoimg statists, 
 There is necessitie my Lord, that you 
 Must lose your light, if you ecclipse not him. 
 Two starres so Lucide cannot shine at once 
 
 1 Dyce and Shepherd read shudder 
 
48 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 In such a firmament, and better you 
 Extinguish his fires, then be made his fuell, 
 And in your ashes give his flame a Trophy. 
 
 Cha. My Lord, the league that you have vow'd of 
 friendship, 
 In a true understanding not confines you. 
 But makes you boundlesse, tunie not edge at such 230 
 A hberty, but looke to your owne fortune; 
 Secure your honour, a Precisian, 
 In state, is a ridcculous miracle 
 Friendship is but a visor, beneath which 
 A wise man laughes to see whole families 
 Ruinde, upon whose miserable pile 
 He moimts to glory. Sir you must resolve 
 To use any advantage. 
 
 Con. Misery 
 Of rising Statesmen I mvist on, I see 
 That 'gainst the politicke, and priviledg'd fashion, 240 
 All justice tasts but affectation. 
 
 Cha. Why so? we shall do good on him ith 'end. Exeunt. 
 
 Enter Father and the Admirall. 
 
 Adm. You are most welcome. 
 
 Fa. I wish your Lordships safetie, 
 Which whilst I pray for, I must not forget 
 To urge agen the wayes to fixe you where 
 No danger has accesse to threaten you. 
 
 Adm. Still your old argument, I owe your love fort. 
 
 Fa. But fortified with new and pregnant reasons, 
 That you shotild leave the Court. 
 
 Ad. I dare not Sir. 250 
 
 Fa. You dare be undone then. 
 
 Ad. I should be ingratcfull 
 To such a master, as no subject boasted 
 To leave his service when they exact 
 My chief est dutie, and attendance Sir. 
 
 Fa. Would thou wert lesse degraded from thy titles, 
 And swelling offices, that will ith 'end 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 49 
 
 Engulf e thee past a rescue, I had not come 
 So farre to trouble you at this time, but that 
 I doe not like the loud tongues o' the world, 
 That say the King has tane another favorite, 260 
 
 The Constable a gay man, and a great, 
 With a hugh traine of faction too, the Queene, 
 Chancellor, Treasurer, Secretary, and 
 An army of state warriers, whose discipline 
 Is sure, and subtile to confusion, 
 I hope the rumour's false, thou art so calme. 
 Adm. Report has not abus'd you Sir. 
 Fa. It has not. 
 And you are pleas 'd, then you doe mean to mixe 
 With unjust courses, the great Constable 
 And you combining, that no suite may passe 270 
 
 One of the graples of your cithers rape, 
 I that abhorr'd, must I now entertaine 
 A thought, that your so straight, and simple custome 
 To render lustice, and the common good. 
 Should now be patch 'd with pollicy, and wrested 
 From the ingenious step you tooke, 
 And hang 
 
 Upon the shoulders of your enemy 
 To beare you out in what you shame to act. 
 Adm. Sir, We both are reconciled. 
 Fa. It followes then that both the acts must beare 280 
 Like reconcilement, and if hee will now 
 Maligne and mallice you for crossing him 
 Or any of his faction in their suites. 
 Being now atton'd, you must be one in all, 
 One in corruption, and twixt you two millstones 
 New pickt, and put together, must the graine 
 Of good mens needfull meanes to live, be ground 
 Into your choking superfluities; 
 You both too rich, they ruinde. 
 
 Adm. I conceive Sir 
 Wee both may be enrich'd, and raise our fortunes 290 
 Even with our places in our Soveraignes favour : 
 
50 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Though past the height of others, yet within 
 The rules of Law and Justice, and approove 
 Our actions white and innocent. 
 
 Fa. I doubt it 
 Wliile inforc'd shew perhaps, which A^all I feare 
 Prove in true substance but a Millers whitenesse, 
 More sticking in your clothes then conscience. 
 
 Adm. Your censure herein tasts some passion Sir, 
 And I beseech you nourish better thoughts. 
 Then to imagine that the Kings meere grace 300 
 
 Sustaines such prejudice by those it honours; 
 That of necessitie we must pervert it 
 With passionate enemies, and ambitious boundlesse 
 Avarice, and every licence incident 
 To fortunate greatnesse, and that all abuse it 
 For the most impious avarice of some. 
 
 Fa. As if the totall summc of favorites frailties 
 Affected not the full nile of their Kings 
 In their oNvne partially disposed ambitions, 
 And that Kings doe no hazard infinitely 310 
 
 In their free realties of rights and honours, 
 Where they leave much for favourites powers to order. 
 
 Adm. But wee have such a master of our King 
 In the Imperiall art, that no power flies 
 Out of his favour, but his policie ties 
 A criance to it, to containe it still; 
 And for the reconcilement of us Sir, 
 Never were two in favour, that were more, 
 One in all love of Justice, and true honour, 
 Though in the act and prosecution 320 
 
 Pehaps we differ. Howsoever yet 
 One beame us both creating, what should let 
 That both our soules should both one mettle beare. 
 And that one stampe, one word, one character. 
 
 Fa. I could almost be won to be Courtier, 
 Theres some thing more in's composition. 
 Then ever yet was favourites. 
 
Tragedie of Chabot $1 
 
 Enter a Courtier. 
 
 Whats hee? 
 
 Cour. I bring your Lordship a sign'd bill, to have 
 The addition of your honor'd hand, the counsell 
 Have all before subscribed, and full prcpar'd it. 330 
 Ad. It seemes then they have weigh'd the importance 
 of it. 
 And know the grant is just. 
 Cour. No doubt my Lord, 
 Or else they take therein the Constables word, 
 It being his suite, and his power having wrought 
 The King already to appose his hand. 
 
 Adm. I doe not like his working of the King, 
 For if it be a suite made knowne to him. 
 And fit to passe, he wrought himselfe to it, 
 However my hand goes to no such grant. 
 But first rie know and censure it myself e. 340 
 
 Cour. A he,* if thou beest goddesse of contention 
 That love tooke by the haire, and hurl'd from heaven 
 Assume in earth thy empire, and this bill 
 Thy firebrand make to tume his love, thus tempted 
 Into a hate, as horrid as thy furies. 
 
 Adm. Does this beare title of his Lordships suite? 
 Cour. It does my Lord, and therefore he beseech 'd 
 The rather your dispatch. 
 
 Adm. No thought the rather, 
 But now the rather all the powers against it, 
 The suite being most in juste, and he pretending 350 
 In all his actions justice, on the sudden 
 After his so late vow not to violate it. 
 Is strange and vile, and if the King himselfe 
 Should owne and urge it, I would stay and crosse it, 
 For tis within the free power of my office, 
 And I should straine his kingdome if I past it, 
 I see their poore attempts, and giddy malice ; 
 
 1 At^; so in Dyce and Shepherd. 
 
52 Tragedies of Chaptiian 
 
 Is this the reconcilement that so lately 
 
 He vow'd in sacred witnesse of the King? 
 
 Assuring me, he never more would offer 360 
 
 To passe a suite unjust, which I well know 
 
 This is, above all, and have often beene urg'd 
 
 To give it passage, be you Sir the Judge. 
 
 Fa. I wonot^ meddle 
 With any tiling of state, you knew long since. 
 
 Adiii. Yet you may heare it Sir. 
 
 Fa. You wonot urge 
 My opinion then, go to. 
 
 Adm. An honest merchant 
 Presuming on our league of France with Spaine, 
 Brought into Spaine a wealthy ship, to vent 
 Her fit commodities to serve the country, 370 
 
 Which, in the place of suffering their saile 
 Were scas'd to rccompence a Spanish ship 
 Priz'd by a FrcncJi man, ere the league was made, 
 No suites, no letters of our Kings could gaine 
 Our merchants first right in it, but his letters 
 Vnreverently received, the Kings selfe scandall, 
 Besides the leagues breach, and the foule injustice 
 Done to our honest merchant, who endured all. 
 Till some small time since (authoris'd by our coimsell, 
 Though not in open Court) he made a ship out, ^So 
 
 And tooke a Spaniard, brings all home, and sues 
 To gaine his full prov'd losse, full recompence 
 Of his just prize, his prize is staid and ceaz'd, 
 Yet for the Kings disposure, and the Sp>aniard- 
 Makes suite to be rcstor'd her, which this bill 
 Would faine get granted, faining (as they hop'd) 
 With my allowance, and way giveti to make 
 Our Countrey mans in Spaine their absolute prize. 
 
 Fa. I were^ absolute injustice. 
 
 Adm. Should I passe it. 
 
 * Win not in Dyce and Shepherd. 
 ' Tivcre in Dyce and Shepherd. 
 
Tragedie of Chahot 53 
 
 Fa. Passe life, and state before. 
 
 Adm. If this would seeme 390 
 
 His Lordships suite, his love to' me, and justice 
 Including plots upon me, while my simplenesse 
 Is seriously vow'd to reconcilement; 
 Love him good vulgars, and abhorre me still, 
 For if I court your flatterie with my crimes. 
 Heavens love before me fly, till in my tombe 
 I sticke pursuing it, and for this bill. 
 Thus say twas shiver 'd, blesse us equall heaven! Exit. 
 
 Fa. This could I cherish, now above his losse, 
 You may report as much, the bill discharg'd Sir. 400 
 
 Exeunt. 
 
 Actus Secundus. 
 
 Enter King and Queen, Secretary with the Torne Bill. 
 
 Kin. Is it ene so. 
 
 Que. Good heaven how tame you are? 
 Doe Kings of France reward foule Traitors thus? 
 
 Kin. No Traitor, y'are too loude, Chabots no Traitor, 
 He has the passions of a man aVjout him. 
 And multiplicitie of cares may make 
 Wise men forget themselves, come be you patient. 
 
 Qu. Can you be so, and see your selfe thus tome. 
 
 Kin. Our selfe. 
 
 Qu. There is some left, if you dare owne, 
 Your royall character, is not this your name? 
 
 Kin. Tis Francis I confesse. 
 
 Qu. Be but a name 
 If this staine live upon't, affronted, by 10 
 
 Your subject, shall the sacred name of King, 
 A word to make your nation bow and tremble, 
 
54 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Be thus profain'd, are lawes establish 'd 
 
 To punish the defacers of your image, 
 
 But dully set by the rude hand of others 
 
 Vpon your coine, and shall the character 
 
 That doth include the blessing of all France, 
 
 Your name, thus written by your royall hand 
 
 Design 'd for Justice, and your Kingdomes honoiu", 20 
 
 Not call up equall anger to reward it? 
 
 Your Counsellors of state contemn 'd and slighted 
 
 ^As in this braine more circumscrib'd all wisedome, 
 
 And pollicy of Empire, and your power, 
 
 Subordinate and subject to his passion. 
 
 Kin. Come, it concemes you not. 
 
 Qu. Is this the consequence 
 Of an attonement made so lately betweene 
 The hopefull Mountmorencie, and his Lordship 
 Vrge^ by your selfe with such a precious sanction ; 
 Come, he that dares doe this, wants not a heart. 30 
 
 But opportunitie. 
 
 Kin. To doe what? 
 
 Qu. To teare your crowne ott. 
 
 Kin. Come your language doth taste more 
 Of rage and womanish flame than solid reason 
 Against the Admirall, what commands of yours 
 Not to your expectation obey'd 
 By him, is ground of your so keene displeasure? 
 
 Qu. Commands of mine? he is too great, and powerfull 
 To stoope to my employment, a Colossus, 
 And can stride from one Province to another 
 By the assistance of those offices 
 You have most confidently impos'd upon him, 
 Tis he, not you take up the peoples eyes 
 And admiration, while his Princely wife. 
 
 Kin. Nay then I reach the spring of your distaste, 
 He has a wife, — 
 
 'A corrupt line: Shepherd reads, As in his braine were, etc 
 Urged. 
 
Tragedie of Chahot 55 
 
 Enter Chancellor, Treasurer, and whisper with the King. 
 
 Qu. Whom for her pride I love not, 
 And I but in her husbands ruine 
 Can triumph ore her greatnesse. 
 
 King. Well, well, He thinke on't? Exit. 
 
 Cha. He beginnes to incline. 
 Madam you are the soule of our great worke. 
 
 Qu. He follow, and imploy my powers upon him. 50 
 
 Tre. We are confident you will prevaile at last, 
 And for the pious worke oblige the King to you. 
 
 Cha, And us your humblest creatures. 
 
 Que. Presse no further. Exit Que. 
 
 Cha. Lets seeke out my Lord Constable. 
 
 Tre. And inflame him. ,i 
 
 Cha. To expostulate with Chahot, something may 
 Arise from thence, to pull more weight upon him. Exeunt. 
 
 Enter Father and Allegre. 
 
 Fa. How sorts the businesse? how tooke the King 
 The tearing of his bill? 
 
 At. Exceeding well, 
 And seem'd to smile at all their grimme complaints, 
 Gainst all that outrage to his highnesse hand, 60 
 
 And said in plaine, he sign'd it but to try 
 My Lords firme Justice. 
 
 Fa. What a sweete King tis? 
 
 Al. But how his rivall the Lord Constable 
 Is labour'd by the Chancellor, and others to retort 
 His wrong with ten parts more upon my Lord, 
 Is monstrous? 
 
 Fa. Neede hee their spurres? 
 
 Al. ^1 Sir, for hees afraid 
 To beare himselfe too boldly in his braves 
 Vpon the King (being newly entred Mynion) 
 Since tis but patience sometime they thinke; 70 
 
 ^Ay in Dyce and Shepherd. 
 
56 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Because the favor spending in two streames, 
 
 One must runne low at length, till when he dare 
 
 Take fire in such flame, as his faction washes. 
 
 But with wise feare containes himselfe, and so 
 
 Like a greene faggot in his kindling smoakes, 
 
 And where the Chancellor his chiefe Cyclops findes 
 
 The fire within him apt to take, he blowes. 
 
 And then the faggot flames, as never more 
 
 The bellowes needed, till the too soft greenenesse 
 
 Of his state habit, shewes his sappe still flowes, •■ • 80 
 
 Above the solid timber, with which, then 
 
 His blaze shrinkes head, he cooles, and smoakes agen. 
 
 Fa. Good man he would be, wod the bad not spoile 
 him. 
 
 Al. True Sir, but they still ply him with their arts, 
 And as I heard have wrought him, personally 
 To question my Lord with all the bittemesse 
 The galls of all their faction can powre in, 
 And such an expectation hangs tipon't. 
 Though all the Court as twere with child, and long 'd 
 To make a mirror of my Lords cleare blood, ^ ' 90 
 
 And therein see the full ebbe of his flood. 
 And therefore if you please to counsell him 
 You shall performe a fathers part. 
 
 Fa. Nay since 
 Hees gone so faiTC, I wod not have him feare 
 But dare e'm, and yet ile not meddle int. 
 
 Enter Admirall. 
 
 Hees here, if he have wit to like his cause. 
 
 His spirit wonot be asham'd to die int. Exit. 
 
 Al. My Lord retire, y'are way-laid in your walkes, 
 Your friendes are all fallen from you, all 3''our servants 
 Suborn 'd by all advantage to report 100 
 
 Each word 3^ou whisper out, and to ser^'e you 
 With hat and knee, while other have their hearts. 
 
 Adm. ]\Iuch profit may my foes make of such servantSu 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 57 
 
 I love no enemy I have so well, 
 
 To take so ill a bargaine from his hands. 
 
 ii' Al. Their other oddes yet shun, all being combinde, 
 
 And^^lodg'd in ambush ariv'd to doe you mischief e 
 
 By any meanes past feare of law, or soveraigne. 
 
 Adm. I wake no desart, yet goe arm'd with that, 
 That would give wildest beasts instincts to rescue, no 
 Rather than offer any force to hurt me ; 
 My innocence is, which is a conquering justice, 
 As weares a shield, that both defends and fights. 
 
 All. One against all the world. 
 
 Adm. The more the oddes. 
 The lesse the conquest, or if all the world 
 Be thought an army fit to employ against one, 
 That one is argued fit to fight gainst all ; 
 If I fall under them, this breast shall beare 
 Their heape digested in my sepulchre. 
 Death is the life of good men, let e'm come. 120 
 
 Enter Constable, Chancellor, Treasurer, Secretary. 
 
 Con. I thought my Lord our reconcilement perfect, 
 You have exprest what sea of gall flow'd in you, 
 In tearing of the bill I sent to allow. 
 
 Adm. Dare you confesse the sending of that bill. 
 
 Con. Dare, why not.? 
 
 Adm. Because it breake your oath 
 Made in our reconcilement, and betrayes 
 The honour, and the chiefe life of the King 
 Which is his justice. 
 
 Con. Betraies? 
 
 Adm. No lesse, and that He prove to him. 
 
 Omnes. You cannot. 
 
 Trea. I would not wish you offer at an action 130 
 
 So most impossibly, and much against 
 The judgement, and favour of the King. 
 
 Adm. His judgement nor his favour I respect, 
 So I preserve his lustice. 
 
58 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Cha. Tis not Justice, 
 Which rie prove by law, and absolute learning. 
 
 Adm. All your great law, and learning are but words, 
 When I plead plainely, naked truth and deedes. 
 Which though you seeke to fray with state, and glory, 
 rie shoote a shaft at all your globe of light. 
 If lightning split it, yet twas high and right. Exit. 140 
 
 Con. Brave resolution so his acts be just. 
 He cares for gaine not honour. 
 
 Chan. How came he then 
 By all his infinite honour and his gaine? 
 
 Tre. Well said, my Lord. 
 
 Sec. Answ^er but onely that. 
 
 Con. By doing justice still in all his actions. 
 
 Sec. But if this action prove unjust, will you 
 Say all his other may be so as well, 
 And thinke your owne course fitter farre than his. 
 
 Con, I will— Exit. 
 
 Cha. He cooles, we must not leave him, we have no 150 
 Such engine to remove the Admirall. Exeunt. 
 
 Enter King and the Admirall. 
 
 Kin. I prethee Philip be not so severe 
 To him I favour, tis an argument 
 That may serve one day to availe yourselfe, 
 Nor Does it square with your so gentle nature, 
 To give such fires of envie to your bloud ; 
 For howsoeuer out of love to Justice, 
 Your lealousie of that doth so incense you. 
 Yet they that censure it will say tis envy. 
 
 Adm. I serve not you for them, btit for your self e, 160 
 And that good in your Rule, that lustice does you, 
 And care not this what others say, so you 
 Please but to doe me right for what you know. 
 
 King. You will not doe your selfe right, why should I 
 Exceede yoti to your selfe? 
 
 Adm. My selfe am nothing 
 
Tragcdie of Chabot 59 
 
 Compar'ci to what I seeke, tis justice onely 
 The fount and flood, both of your strength and king- 
 domes. 
 
 King. But who knowes not, that extreame justice is 
 (by all ruld lawes) the extreartie of injurie, 
 And must to you be so, the persons that 170 
 
 Your passionate heate calls into question 
 Are great, and many, and may wrong in you 
 Your rights of kinde, and dignities of fortune, 
 And I advanc'd you not to heape on you 
 Honours, and fortunes ; that by strong hand now 
 Held up, and over you, when heaven takes off 
 That powerfull hand 'should thunder on your head, 
 And after you crush your surviving seedes. 
 
 Adm. Sir, your regards to both are great, and sacred, 
 But if the innocence, and right that rais'd me 180 
 
 And meanes for mine, can finde no friend hereafter 
 Of him that ever lives, and ever seconds 
 All Kings just botinties with defence, and refuge 
 In just mens races, let my fabricke mine, 
 My stocke want sap, my branches by the roote 
 Be tome to death, and swept with whirlewindes out. 
 
 King. For my love no relenting. 
 
 Adm. No my leige, 
 Tis for your love, and right that I stand out. 
 
 King. Be better yet advis'd. 
 
 Adm. I cannot Sir 
 Should any Oracle become my coimsell, 190 
 
 For that I stand not out, thus of set will, 
 Or pride of any singular conceite. 
 My enemies, and the world may clearely know, 
 I taste no sweetes to drowne in others gall ; 
 And to affect in that which makes me lothed. 
 To leave my selfe and mine expos 'd to all 
 The dangers you propos'd, my purchas'd honours. 
 And all my fortunes in an instant lost, 
 That mony, cares, and paines, and yeares have gather'd, 
 How mad were I to rave thus in my wounds, 200 
 
6o Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Vnlesse my knowne health felt in these forc'd issues 
 Were sound, and fit, and that I did not know 
 By most true proofes, that to become sincere 
 With all mens hates, doth farre exceede their loves, 
 To be as they are, mixtures of corruption? 
 And that those envies that I see pursue me 
 Of all true actions are the naturall consequents 
 Which being my object, and my resolute choise 
 Not for my good but yours, I will have justice. 
 
 King. You will have justice, is your will so strong 210 
 Now against mine? your power being so weake 
 Before my favour gave them both their forces 
 Of all that ever shar'd in my free graces 
 You Philip Chahot a meane Gentleman 
 Have not I rais'd you to a supremest Lord, 
 And given you greater dignities than any? 
 
 Adm. You have so. 
 
 King. Well sed, and to spurre your dullnesse 
 With the particulars to which I rais'd you. 
 Have not I made you first a Knight of the Order? 
 Then Admirall of France, then Count Byzanges, 220 
 
 Lord, and Livetenant generall of all 
 My country, and command of Burgady; 
 Livetenant generall likewise of my sonne 
 Daulphine, and heire, and of all Normandy, 
 And of my chiefely honor'd privy Counsell, 
 And cannot all these powers weigh downe your will? 
 
 Adm. No Sir, they were not given me to that end, 
 But to uphold my will, my will being just. 
 
 King. And who shall judge that Justice, you or I? 
 
 Adm. I Sir, in this case your royall thoughts are fitly 230 
 Exempt from every curious search of one. 
 You have the generall charge with care of all. 
 
 Kin. And doe not generalls include particulars? 
 May not I ludge of anything compriz'd 
 In your particular as well as you? 
 
 Adm. Farre be the misery from you, that you may, 
 My cares, paines, broken sleepe therein made more 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 6l 
 
 Than yours should make me see more, and my forces 
 Render of better judgement. 
 
 King. Well Sir, grant 
 Your force in this my odds in benefits 240 
 
 Paid for your paines, put in the other scale, 
 And any equall holder of the ballance 
 Will shew my merits hoist yours to aire 
 In rule of any doubt or deed betwixt us. 
 Adm. You merit not of me for benefits 
 More than myselfe of you for services. 
 King. 1st possible. 
 Adm. Tis true. 
 King. Stand you on that? 
 
 Adm. I to the death and will approve to all men. 
 Kin. I am deceiv'd, but I shall finde good Judges 
 That will finde difference. 
 
 Adm. Finde them being good. 250 
 
 King. Still so? what if conferring 
 My bounties, and your services to sound them, 
 We fall foule on some licences of yours. 
 Nay, give me therein some advantage of you. 
 Adm. They cannot. 
 
 King. Not in sifting their severe discharges 
 Of all your offices? 
 
 Adm. The more you sift 
 The more you shall refine mee. 
 
 King. What if I 
 Grant out against you a commission 
 loyn'd with an extraordinary processe ^ 260 
 
 To arrest, and put you in lawes hands for triall. 
 Adm. Not with lawes uttermost. 
 King. He throw the dice. 
 Adm. And He endure the chance, 
 The dice being square. 
 
 Adm. Repos'd in dreadlesse confidence, and conscience, 
 That all your most extreames shall never reach, 
 Or to my life, my goodes or honours breach. 
 King. Was ever heard so fine a confidence? 
 
62 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Must it not prove presumption, and can that 
 
 Scape brackes and errors in your search of law, 
 
 I prethee weigh yet, with more soule than danger, 270 
 
 And some lesse passion. 
 
 Adm. Witnesse heaven, I cannot. 
 Were I dissolv'd, and nothing else but soule. 
 
 King. Beshrew my blood, but his resolves amaze me; 
 Was ever such a Justice in a subject, 
 Of so much office left to his owne swinge 
 That left to law thus, and his Soveraignes wrath. 
 Could stand cleare spight of both? let reason rule 
 Before it come at law, a man so rare 
 In one thing cannot in the rest be vulgar, 
 And who sees you not in the broad high-way 280 
 
 The common dust up in your owne eyes, beating 
 In quest of riches, honours, offices. 
 As heartily in shew as most beleeve. 
 And he that can use actions with the vulgar. 
 Must needes embrace the same effects & cannot informe 
 
 him; 
 Whatsoever he pretends, use them with such 
 Free equitie, as fits one just and reall. 
 Even in the eyes of men, nor stand at all part; 
 So truly circular, so sound, and solid. 
 But have his swellings out, his crackes and crannies, 290 
 And therefore in this reason, before law 
 Take you to her, least you affect and flatter 
 Your selfe with mad opinions. 
 
 Adm. I were mad 
 Directly Sir, if I were yet to know 
 Not the sure danger, but the certaine ruine 
 Of men shot into law from Kings bent brow, 
 There being no dreame from the most muddie braine 
 Vpon the foulest fancie, that can forge 
 More horrour in the shaddowes of meere fame. 
 Then can some Lawyer in a man expos 'd po 
 
 To his interpretation by the King, 
 But these grave toyes I shall despise in death. 
 
Tragedie of Chabut 63 
 
 And while I live will lay them open so 
 
 (My innocence laid by them) that like foiles 
 
 They shall sticke of my merits tenne times more, 
 
 And make your bounties nothing, for who gives 
 
 And hits ith teeth, himself e payes with the glory 
 
 For which he gave, as being his end of giving, 
 
 Not to crowne merits, or doe any good, 
 
 And so no thankes is due but to his glory, 310 
 
 King. Tis brave I sw^eare. 
 
 Adm. No Sir, tis plaine, and rude 
 But true, and spotlesse, and where you object 
 My hearty, and grosse vulgar love of riches. 
 Titles, and honours, I did never seeke them 
 For any love to them, but to that justice 
 You ought to use in their due gift to merits, 
 To shew you royall, and most open handed, 
 Not using for hands talons, pincers, grapples; 
 In whose gripes, and upon whose gord point. 
 Deserts hang sprawling out their vertuous limbs. 320 
 
 King. Better and better. 
 
 Adm. This your glory is 
 My deserts wrought upon no wretched matter, 
 But shew'd your royall palmes as free, and moist. 
 As Ida, all enchast with silver springs. 
 And yet my merit still their equall sings. 
 
 King. Sing till thou sigh thy soule out hence, and 
 leave us. 
 
 Adm. My person shall, my love and faith shall never. 
 
 King. Perish thy love, and faith, and thee forever; 
 Whose there? 
 
 Enter A sail. 
 
 Let one goe for the Chancellor. 
 
 Asa. He's here in Court Sir. 
 
 King. Haste and send him hither, 330 
 
 This is an insolence I never met with, 
 Can one so high as his degrees ascend? 
 
64 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Clime all so free, and without staine? 
 My Lord 
 
 Enter Chancellor. 
 
 Chancellor, I send for you about a service 
 
 Of equall price to me, as if againe 
 
 My ransome came to me from Pavian thraldome, 
 
 And more, as if from forth a subjects fetters, 
 
 The worst of servitudes my life were rescued. 
 
 Cha. You fright me with a Prologue of much trouble. 
 
 King. Me thinkes it might be, tell me out of all 340 
 Your famous learning, was there ever subject 
 Rais'd by his Soveraignes free hand from the dust, 
 Vp to a height above Ayres upper region. 
 That might compare with him in any merit 
 That so advanc'd him? and not shew in that 
 Grosse over-weening worthy cause to thinke 
 There might be other over-sights excepted 
 Of capitall nature in his sifted greatnesse. 
 
 Chan. And past question Sir, for one absurd thing 
 granted, 
 A thousand follow. 
 
 f'^' King. You must then employ 35 
 
 Your most exact, and curious art to explore 
 A man in place of greatest trust, and charge. 
 Whom I suspect to have abus'd them all, 
 And in whom you may give such proud veines vent. 
 As wfll bewray their boyling bloud corrupted 
 Both gainst my crowne and life. 
 
 Cha. And may my life 
 Be curst in every act, 
 If I explore him not to every finer. ^ 
 
 King. It is my Admirall. 
 
 Cha. Oh my good Leige 
 You tempt, not charge me with such search of him. 360 
 
 ^ Fibre in Dyce and Shepherd. 
 
Tr age die of Chabot 65 
 
 King. Doubt not my heartiest meaning, all the troubles 
 That ever mov'd in a distracted King, 
 Put in just feare of his assaulted life 
 And not above my sufferings for Chabot. 
 
 Cha. Then I am glad, and prcJud that 1 can cure you, 
 For he's a man that I am studied in, 
 And all his offices, and if you please 
 To give authoritie. 
 
 King. You shall not want it. 
 
 Cha. If I discharge you not of that disease, 
 About your necke growne, by your strange trust in 
 him, 370 
 
 With full discovery of the foulest treasons. 
 
 King. But I must have all prov'd with that free justice. 
 
 Cha. Beseech your Majestic doe not que^ion it. 
 
 King. About it instantly, and take me wholly 
 Vpon your selfe. 
 
 Cha. How much you grace your servant? 
 
 King. Let it be fiery quicke. 
 
 Cha. It shall have wings. 
 And every feather shew the flight of Kings. 
 
 Actus Tertius. 
 
 Enter Chancellor attended, the Proctor generall whispering 
 in his eare. Two Judges following. They past. 
 
 Enter Chabot in his gowne, a gaurd about him, his father 
 and his wife on each side, Allegre. 
 
 A dm. And have they put my faithfull servant to the 
 racke, 
 Heaven arme the honest man. 
 
66 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Fa. Allegre feeles the malice of the Chancellor. 
 
 Adm. Many upon the torture have confest 
 Things against truth, and yet his paine sits neerer 
 Than all my other feares, come don't weepe. 
 
 Wife. My Lord, I doe not grive out of a thought, 
 Or poore suspition, they with all their malice 
 Can staine your honour, but it troubles me, 
 The King should grant this licence to your enemies, lo 
 As he were willing to heare Chabot guilty. 
 
 Adm. No more, the King is just, and by exposing me 
 To this triall, meanes to render me 
 More happy to his subjects, and himself e 
 His sacred will be obey'd, take thy owTie spirit, 
 And let no thought infringe thy peace for me, 
 I goe to have my honours all confirm 'd ; 
 Farewell thy lip, my cause has so much innocence, 
 It shanot neede thy prayer, I leave her yours 
 Till my retume; oh let me be a sonne 20 
 
 Still in your thotights, now Gentlemen set forward. 
 
 Exit. 
 
 Manente Father and Wife. 
 
 Fa. See you that trust in greatnesse, what sustaines 
 you, 
 These hazards you must looke for, you that thrust 
 Your heads into a cloud, wliere lie in ambush 
 The souldiers of state in privy armes 
 Of yellow fire jealous, and mad at all 
 That shoote their foreheads up into their forges, 
 And pry into their gloomy Cabbinets; 
 You like vaine Citizens that must goe see 
 Those ever burning furnaces, wherein 30 
 
 Your brittle glasses of estate are blo^^^le; 
 Who knowes not you are all but puffe, and bubble 
 Of breath, and fume forg'd, your vile brittle natures 
 Cause of your dearenesse? were you tough and lasting, 
 You would be cheape, and not worth halfe your face. 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 67 
 
 Now daughter Plannet strooke. 
 
 Wif. I am considering 
 What forme I shall put on, as best agreeing 
 With my Lords fortime. 
 
 Fa. Habit doe you meane, 
 < f minde or body? 
 
 Wif. Both wod be apparell'd. 
 
 Fa. In neither you have reason yet to mourne. 40 
 
 Wif. He not accuse my heart of so much weakenesse: 
 Twere a confession gainst my Lord. The Queene! 
 
 Enter Queene, Constable, Treasurer, Secretary. 
 
 She has exprest 'gainst me some displeasure. 
 Fa. Lets this way through the Gallery. 
 Qu. Tis she, 
 Doe you my Lord say I wod speake with her? 
 And has Allegre, one of chiefest trust with him 
 Suffered the racke? the Chancellor is violent; 
 And whats confest? 
 
 Tre. Nothing, he contemn'd all 
 That could with any cruelst paine explore him, 
 As if his minde had rob'd his nerves of sence, 50 
 
 And through them diffus'd fiery spirits above 
 All flesh and blood: for as his limbs were stretch 'd, 
 His contempts too extended. 
 
 Qu. A strange fortitude! 
 
 Tre. But we shall lose th' arraignement. 
 
 Qu. The successe 
 Will soone arrive. 
 
 Tre. Youle not appeare, my Lord then? 
 
 Con. I desire 
 Your Lordship wod excuse me. 
 
 Tre. We are your servants. Exiunt. Tre. & Sec. 
 
 Con. She attends you Madam. 
 
 Qu. This humblenesse proceedes not from your heart; 
 Why, you are a Queene your selfe in your owne thoughts, 
 The Admiralls wife of France cannot be lesse, 60 
 
68 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 You "have not state enough, you shold not move 
 Without a traine of friends and servants, 
 
 Wif. There is some mystery 
 Within your language Madam, I woud hope 
 You have more charitie than to imagine 
 My present condition worth your triumph, 
 In which I am not so lost, but I have 
 Some friends and servants with proportion 
 To my Lords fortime, but none within the list 
 Of those that obey mee can be more ready 70 
 
 To expresse their duties, than my heart to serve 
 Your just commands. 
 
 Qu. Then pride will ebbe I see. 
 There is no constant flood of state, and greatnesse, 
 The prodigie is ceasing when your Lord 
 Comes to the ballance, hee whose blazing fires. 
 Shot wonders through the Kingdome, will discover 
 What flying and corrupted matter fed him. 
 
 Wif. My Lord? 
 
 Qu. Your high and mighty Justicer, 
 The man of conscience, the Oracle 
 
 Of State, whose honorable titles 80 
 
 Would cracke an Elephants backe, is now tum'd mortall, 
 Must passe examination, and the test 
 Of Law, have all his offices rip'd up. 
 And his corrupt soule laid open to the subjects. 
 His bribes, oppressions, and close sinnes that made 
 So many grone, and curse him, now shall finde 
 Their just reward, and all that love their coimtry, 
 Blesse heaven, and the Kings Justice, for removing 
 Such a devouring monster. 
 
 Fa. Sir your pardon 
 Madam you are the Queene, she is my daughter, 90 
 
 And he that you have character 'd so monstrous, 
 My Sonne in Law, now gon to be arraign 'd 
 The King is just, and a good man, but't does not 
 Adde to the graces of your royall person 
 To tread upon a Lady thus dejected 
 
Tr age die of Chabot 69 
 
 By her owne griefe, her Lord's not yet found guilty, 
 Much lesse condemn'd, though you have pleas'd to execute 
 him. 
 
 Qu. What sawcy fellow's this? 
 
 Fa. I must confesse 
 I am a man out of this ^ element 
 
 No Courtier, yet I am a gentleman 100 
 
 That dare speak honest truth to the Queenes eare, 
 (A duty every subject wonot pay you) 
 And justifie it to all the world, there's nothing 
 Doth m^ore ecclipse the honours of our soule, 
 Than an ill groimded, and ill followed passion. 
 Let flie with noise, and license against those 
 Whose hearts before are bleeding. 
 
 Con. Brave old man. 
 
 Fa. Cause you are a Queene to trample ore a woman, 
 Whose tongue and faculties are all tied up. 
 Strike out a Lyons teeth, and pare his clawes, no 
 
 And then a dwarf e may plucke him by the beard, 
 Tis a gay victory. 
 
 Qu, Did you heare my Lord? 
 
 Fa. I ha done. 
 
 Wif. And it concemes me to beginne, 
 I have not made this pause through servile feare 
 Or guiltie apprehension of your rage. 
 But with just wonder of the heates, and wildnesse 
 Has prepossest your nature gainst our innocence. 
 You are my Queene, imto that title bowes 
 The humblest knee in France, my heart made lower 
 With my obedience, and prostrate duty, 120 
 
 Nor have I powers created for my use, 
 When just commands of you expect their service; 
 But were you Queene of all the world, or something 
 To be thought greater, betwixt heaven and us 
 That I could reach you with my eyes and voyce, 
 I would shoote both up in defence of my 
 
70 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Abused honour, and stand all your lightning. 
 
 Qu. So brave. 
 
 Wif. So just and boldly innocent, 
 I cannot feare arm'd with a noble conscience 
 The tempest of your frowne, were it more frightfuli 130 
 Then every fury made a womans anger, 
 Prepar'd to kill with deaths most horrid ceremony, 
 Yet with what freedome of my soule I can 
 Forgive your accusation of my pride. 
 
 Qu. Forgive? what insolence is like this language? 
 Can any action of ours be capable 
 Of thy forgivenesse? dust! how I dispise thee? 
 Can we sinne to be object of thy mercie? 
 
 Wif. Yes, and have dont already, and no staine, 
 To your greatnesse Madam, tis my charity 140 
 
 I can remit, when soveraigne Princes dare 
 Doe injury to those that live beneath them, 
 They tume worth pitty, and their prayrs, and tis 
 In the free power of those whom they oppresse 
 To pardon e'm, each soule has a prerogative, 
 And priviledge royall that was sign'd by heaven, 
 But though ith knowledge of my disposition 
 Stranger to pride, and what you charge me w4th, 
 I can forgive the injustice done to me, 
 And striking at my person, I have no 150 
 
 Commission from my Lord to cleere you for 
 The wrongs you have done him ; and stilP he pardon 
 The wounding of his loyaltie, with which life 
 Can hold no ballance, I must talke just boldnesse 
 To say — 
 
 Fa. No more, now I must tell you daughter 
 Least you forget your selfe, she is the Queene, 
 And it becomes not you to vie with her 
 Passion for passion, if your Lord stand fast 
 To the full search of Law, Heaven will revenge hmi, 
 And give him up precious to good mens loves 160 
 
 ' Shepherd reads till. 
 
Tragedie of Chahot 71 
 
 If you attempt by these unruly wayes 
 To vindicate his justice, Ime against you, 
 Deere as I wish your husbands life and fame. 
 Suffer' are boimd to suffer, not. contest 
 With Princes, since their Will and Acts must be 
 Accounted one day to a Judge supreme. 
 
 Wif. I ha done, if the devotion to my Lord, 
 Or pietie to his innocence have led me 
 Beyond the awfull limits to be observ'd 
 By one so much beneath your sacred person, 170 
 
 I thus low crave your royall pardon Madam; 
 I know you will remember in your goodnesse, 
 My life blood is concern 'd while his least veine 
 Shall runne blacke and polluted, my heart fed 
 With what keepes him alive, nor can there be 
 A greater woimd than that which strikes the life 
 Of our good name, so much above the bleeding 
 Of this rude pile wee carry, as the soule 
 Hath excellence above this earth-borne frailty: 
 My Lord, by the Kings will is lead already 180 
 
 To a severe arraignement, and to Judges, 
 Will make no tender search into his tract 
 Of life and state, stay but a little while, 
 And France shall eccho to his shame or innocence, 
 This suit I begge with teares, I shall have sorrow 
 Enough to heare him censur'd foule and monstrous, 
 Should you forbeare to antidate my sufferings. 
 
 Qu. Your conscience comes about, and you incline 
 To feare he may be worth the lawes condemning. 
 
 Wif. I sooner will suspect the starres may lose 190 
 Their way, and cristall heaven retume to Chaos; 
 Truth sits not on her square more firme than he ; 
 Yet let me tell you Madam, were his life 
 And action so foule as you have character'd, 
 And the bad world expects, though as a wife 
 Twere duty I should weepe my selfe to death, 
 
 * Dyce and Shepherd read Subjects. 
 
•^2 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 To know him falne from vertue, yet so much 
 
 I a fraile woman love my King and Country, 
 
 I should condemne him too, and thinke all honours 
 
 The price of his lost faith more fatall to me, 200 
 
 Than Cleopatra's aspes warme in my bosome, 
 
 And as much boast their killing. 
 
 Qu. This declares 
 Another soule than was deliver'd me, 
 My anger melts, and I beginne to pitty her, 
 How much a Princes eare may be abus'd? 
 Enjoy your happie confidence, at more leasure 
 You may heare from us. 
 
 Wif. Heaven preserve the Queene, 
 And may her heart be charitable. 
 
 Fa. You blesse and honour your unworthy servant. 
 
 Qu. My Lord, did you observe this? 
 
 Con. Yes great Madam, 210 
 
 And read a noble spirit, which becomes 
 The wife of Chabot, their great tie of marriage 
 Is not more strong upon em, than their vertues. 
 
 Qu. That your opinion? I thought your judgement 
 Against the Admirall, doe you thinke him honest? 
 
 Con. Religiously, a true, most zealous Patriot, 
 And worth all royall favour. 
 
 Qu. You amaze me. 
 Can you be just your selfe then, and advance 
 Your powers against him? 
 
 Con. Such a will be farre 
 From Montmoranzie, Pioners of state 220 
 
 Have left no art to gaine me to their faction, 
 And tis my misery to be plac'd in such 
 A sphere where I am whirl'd by violence 
 Of a fierce raging motion, and not what 
 My owne will would encline me, I shall make 
 This appeare Madam, if you please to second 
 My free speech with the King. 
 
 Qu. Good heaven protect all, 
 Haste to the King, Justice her swift wing needes, 
 
Tragedie of CJiabot 73 
 
 Tis high time to be good, when vertue bleedes. 
 
 Exeunt. 
 
 Enter Officers before the Chancellor, ludges, the Proctor 
 generall, whispering with the Chancellor, they take 
 their places. 
 
 To them 
 Enter Treasurer and Secretary who take their places 
 prepared on one side of the Court. 
 
 To them 
 
 The Captaine of the Guard, the Admirall following, 
 
 who is plac'd at the barre. 
 
 Cha. Good Mr. Proctor generall begin. 230 
 
 Pro, It is not tinknowne to you my very good Lords 
 
 the 
 ludges, and indeed to all the world, for I will make short 
 worke, since your honourable eares neede not to be 
 
 enlarged, 
 I speake by a figure with prolixe ennumeration how infi- 
 
 nitly 
 the King hath favoured this ill favoured Traitor; and 
 
 yet I 
 may worthily too insist and prove that no grace hath 
 
 beene so 
 large and voluminous, as this, that he hath appointed 
 
 such up- 
 right ludges at this time, and the chief e of this Triumvirie, 
 our Chancellor by name Poyet, which deriveth from the 
 Greeke his Etymology from Poyeni, which is to make, 
 
 to 240 
 
 create, to invent matter that was never extant in nature, 
 
 from 
 whence also is the name and dignitie of Poeta, which I 
 
 will 
 not insist upon, in this place, although I am confident his 
 Lordshippe wanteth no facultie in making of Verses : but 
 
74 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 what addition I say is it to the honour of this Delinquent, 
 
 that 
 he hath such a Iiidge, a man so learned, so full of equity, so 
 noble, so notable in the progresse of his life, so innocent, in 
 the manage of his office so incorrupt, in the passages of 
 
 State 
 so wise, in affection to his country so religious, in all his 
 services to the King, so fortunate, and exploring, as 
 
 en vie it- 250 
 
 selfe cannot accuse, or malice vitiate, whom all lippes will 
 open to commend, but those of Philip; and in their 
 
 hearts will 
 erect Altars, and Statues, Columnes, and Obelishes, 
 
 Pillars 
 and Pyramids, to the perpetuitie of his name and memory. 
 What shall I say? but conclude for his so great and 
 
 sacred ser- 
 vice, both to our King and Kingdome, and for their everla- 
 sting benefit, there may everlastingly be left here one 
 
 of his 
 loynes, one of liis loynes ever remaine I say, and stay 
 
 upon this 
 Bench, to be the example of all Justice, even while the 
 
 North 
 and South StaiTc shall continue. 260 
 
 Cha. You expresse your Oratci'y Mr. Proctor, 
 I pray come presently to the matter. 
 
 Pro. Thus with your Lordships pardon, I proceede, and 
 the first thing I shall glance at, will be worth your Lord- 
 ships 
 reflection, his ingratitude, and to whom? t6 no lesse 
 
 person 
 than a King, and to what King, his ovnie, and our gen- 
 
 erall So- 
 veraigne Proh deum atque hominum fdem; a King, and 
 
 such a 
 King, tlie health, life, and soule of us all, whose very 
 
 mention 
 
Tragedie of Chahot 75 
 
 drawes this salt water from my eyes ; for hee indeede is our 
 eye, who wakes and watches for us when we sleepe, 
 
 and 2 70 
 
 who will not sleepe for him, I meane not sleepe, which the 
 Philosophers call, a naturall cessation of the common 
 and consequently of all the exterior sences, caused first 
 and immediatly by a detension of spirits, which can have 
 no communication, since the way is obstructed, by which 
 these spirits should commearce, by vapours ascending 
 
 from 
 the stomacke to the head, by which evaporation the 
 
 rootes of 
 the nerves are filled, through which the annualP spirits, 
 
 to be 
 powred into the dwellings of the extemall sences; but 
 
 sleepe 
 I take for death, which all know to be Vltima Unea, 
 
 who will 280 
 
 not sleepe eternally for such a King as wee enjoy? If 
 
 there- 
 fore in generall as hee is King of us all, all sharing and 
 
 divi- 
 ding the benefits of this our Soveraigne, none should be 
 
 so in- 
 gratefull as once to murmure against him, what shall be 
 
 said of 
 the ingratitude more monstrous in this Chahot, for our 
 
 Francis 
 hath loved, not in generall & in the croud with other 
 
 subjects, 
 but particularly this Philip advanc'd him to the supreme 
 
 dig- 
 nitie of a Statsman, lodg'd him in his very heart, yet 
 
 Monstrum 
 horrendum; even to this Francis hath Philip beene 
 
 ingratefull. 
 
 ^Animal in Dyce and Shepherd. 
 
76 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Brutus the loved sonne hath stabbed Caesar with a 
 
 Bodkin: 290 
 
 Oh what brute may be compared to him? and in what 
 
 parti- 
 culars may this crime be exemplified ; hee hath as wee say, 
 chopt Logicke with the King, nay to the very teeth of his 
 Soveraigne advance his owne Gnat-like merits, and 
 
 justified 
 with Luciferous pride, that his services have deserved 
 
 more 
 than all the bounty of our Mimificent King hath paid him. 
 Cha. Observe that my Lords. 
 Pro. Nay he hath gone further, and most traiterously 
 
 hath 
 committed outrage and impiety to the Kings owne 
 
 hand, and 
 royall character, which presented to him in a bill from 
 
 the 300 
 
 whole coimsell, hee most violently did teare in peeces, and 
 will doe the very body and person of our King, if your 
 
 Justice 
 make no timely prevention, and strike out the Ser- 
 pentine 
 teeth of this high, and more than horrible monster. 
 Tr. This was enforced home. 
 
 Pro. In the next place I will relate to your honours his 
 most cruell exactions upon the subject, the old vant 
 
 curriers of 
 rebellions. In the yeare 1536. and 37. This oppres- 
 
 sour, and 
 this extortioner, under pretext of his due taxation, 
 
 being Ad- 
 mirall impos'd upon certaine Fishermen, (observe I 
 
 beseech 310 
 
 you the circumstance of their persons, Fishermen) who 
 
 -♦-poore 
 lohns were embarqued upon the cost of Normandy, 
 and fishing 
 
Tragedie of Chabot yj 
 
 there for Herrings (which some say is the king of Fishes) 
 
 he 
 impos'd I say twenty souse, and upon every boate sixe 
 
 liuers, 
 oh intolerable exaction! enough not onely to alienate 
 
 the 
 hearts of these miserable people from their King, which 
 
 Ipse 
 facto is high treason, but occasion of a greater inconveni- 
 ence, for want of due provision of fish among the sub- 
 jects, for 
 by this might ensue a necessitie of mortall sins, by break- 
 ing the 
 religious fast upon Vigils, Embers, and other dayes 
 comman- 320 
 
 ded by sacred authority, besides the miserable rut, that 
 
 would 
 follow, and perhaps contagion, when feasting and flesh 
 
 should 
 be licenced for every camall appetite. — I could urge ma- 
 ny more particulars of his dangerous insatiate and 
 
 boundlesse 
 Avarice, but the improvement of his estate in so few 
 
 yeares, 
 from a private Gentlemans fortune, to a great Dukes 
 
 reve- 
 newes, might save our soveraigne therein an Orator to en- 
 force and prove faulty even to gyantisme against heaven. 
 ludg. This is but a noise of words. 
 Pro. To the foule outrages so violent, let us adde his 
 Com- 330 
 
 missions granted out of his owne presum'd authoritie, his 
 Majestic neither inf round or respected his disloyalties; 
 
 infide- 
 lities, contempts, oppressions, extortions, with innumer- 
 able 
 abuses, offences, and forfeits, both to his Majesties most 
 royall 
 
78 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 person, crowne, and dignitie, yet notwithstanding all 
 
 these 
 injustices, this unmatchable, unjust delinquent affecteth 
 
 to be 
 thought inculpable, and incomparable just ; but alas my 
 
 most 
 learned Lord, none knowes better than your selves, how 
 
 easie 
 the sinceritie of Justice is pretended, how hard it is to 
 
 be per- 
 formed, and how common it is for him that hath lost 
 
 colour 340 
 
 of title to it, to be thought the very substance and soule 
 
 of it, 
 he that was never true scholler in the least degree, longs 
 
 as a 
 woman with child to be great with scholler, she that 
 
 was ne- 
 ver with child longs Omnibus vijs & modis to be got with 
 child, and will weare a cushion to seeme with child, 
 
 and hee 
 that was never just, will fly in the Kings face to be 
 
 counted 
 just, though for all he be nothing, but just, a Traytor. 
 Sec. The Admirall smiles, 
 Jud. Answer your selfe my Lord. 
 Adm. I shall, and briefely. 
 The furious eloquence of my accuser hath 350 
 
 Branch 'd my offences hainous to the King, 
 And then his subject, a most vast indictment, 
 That to the King I have justified my merit. 
 And services; which conscience of that truth, 
 That gave my actions life when they are questioned, 
 I ought to urge agen, and doe without 
 The least part of injustice ; for the Bill 
 A foule, and most unjust one, and prefer'd 
 Gainst the Kings honour, and his subjects priviledge, 
 And with a policie to betray my ofhce, 360 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 79 
 
 And faith to both, I doe confesse I tore it, 
 It being prest immodestly, but without 
 A thought of disobedience to his name, 
 To whose mention I bow, with humble reverence. 
 And dare appeale to the Kings knowledge of me, 
 How farre I am in soule from such a rebell. 
 For the rest my Lord, and you my honour'd ludges, 
 Since all this mountaine all this time in labour 
 With more than mortall fury gainst my life, 
 Hath brought forth nought but some ridiculous ver- 
 mine, 37° 
 
 I will not wrong my right, and innocence. 
 With any serious plea in my reply. 
 To frustrate breath, and fight with terrible shaddow 
 That have beene forg'd, and forc'd against my state, 
 But leave all, with my life to your free censures ; 
 Onely beseeching all your learned judgements 
 Equall and pious conscience to weigh. 
 
 Pro. And how this great and mighty fortune hath 
 exalted 
 him to pride is apparant, not onely in his braves and 
 
 bearings 
 to the King, the fountaine of all this increase, but in his 
 con- , 380 
 
 tempt and scorne of the subject his vast expences in buil- 
 dings, his private bounties, above royall to souldiers and 
 schollers, that he may be the Generall and Patron, and 
 
 prote- 
 ctor of armes and arts ; the number of domesticke at- 
 tendants, 
 an army of Grashoppers and gay Butterflies able to 
 
 devoure 
 the Spring; his glorious wardrobes, his stable of horses 
 
 that 
 are prick'd with provender, and will enforce us to weede up 
 our Vineyards to sow Gates for supply of their provision, 
 
 his 
 caroches shining with gold, and more bright than the 
 
8o Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 chariot 
 of the Sunne, wearing out the pavements; nay, he is 
 
 of late so 390 
 
 transcendently proud, that men must be his Mules, 
 
 and carry 
 him up and downe as it were in a Procession for men to 
 
 gaze 
 at him till their chines crackes with the weight of his 
 
 iQsup- 
 portable pride, and who knowes but this may prove a 
 
 fashion ? 
 But who grones for this? The subject, who murmure, 
 
 and are 
 ready to beginne a rebellion, but the tumultuous say- 
 
 lers, and 
 water-rats, who runne up and downe the citie, like an 
 
 over- 
 bearing tempest, cursiag the Admirall, who in duty 
 
 ought to 
 undoe himself for the generall satisfaction of his country- 
 men. 
 Adm. The varietie, and wonder now presented 400 
 To your most noble notice, and the worlds. 
 That all my life and actions, and offices, 
 Explor'd with all the hundred eyes of Law 
 Lighted with lightning, shot out of the wrath 
 Of an incenst, and commanding King, 
 And blowne with foes, with farre more bitter windes, 
 Then Winter from his Easteme cave exhailes. 
 Yet nothing found but what you all have heard. 
 And then consider if a peere of State, 
 Should be expos 'd to such a wild arraignement 410 
 
 For poore complaints, his fame, faith, life, and honours 
 Rackt for no more. 
 
 Cha. No more? good heaven, what say 
 My learned assistants. 
 
 I lu. My Lord, the crimes urg'd here for us to censure 
 As capitall, and worth this high arraignement 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 8i 
 
 To me seeme strange, because they doe not fall 
 In force of Law, to arraigne a Peere of State, 
 For all that Law can take into her power 
 To sentence, is the exaction of the Fishermen. 
 
 2 hi. Here is no majesty violated, I consent to what 
 my 420 
 
 Brother has exprest. 
 
 Cha. Breake then in wonder. 
 My frighted words out of their forming powers, 
 That you no more collect, from all these forfeits 
 That Mr. Proctor generall hath opened. 
 With so apparant, and impulsive learning. 
 Against the rage and madnesse of the offender, 
 And violate Majestic (my learned assistants) 
 When Majesties affronted and defied. 
 It being compar'd with? and in such an onset 
 As leap'd into his throate? his life affrighting? 430 
 
 Be justified in all insolence, all subjects 
 If this be so considered, and insult 
 Vpon your priviledg'd malice, is not Majestic 
 Poyson'd in this wonder! and no felony set 
 Where royaltie is rob'd, and^ 
 Fie how it fights with Law, and grates upon 
 Her braine and soule, and all the powers of Reason, 
 Reporter of the processe, shew the sedule. 
 
 No. Here my good Lord. 
 
 1. No altering it in us. 
 
 2. Farre be it from us Sir. 
 
 Cha. Heres silken lustice, 440 
 
 It might be altered, mend your sentences. 
 
 Both. Not wee my Lord. 
 
 Cha. Not you? The King shall know 
 You slight a duty to his will, and safety, 
 Give me your pen, it must be capitall. 
 
 I. Make what you please my Lord, our doome shall 
 stand. 
 
 ^ Dyce inserts violate. 
 
82 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Cha. Thus I subscribe, now at your perills follow. 
 Both. Perills my Lord? threates in the Kings free 
 
 justice ? 
 Tre. I am amaz'd they can be so remisse. 
 Sec. Mercifull men, pitifull Judges certaine. 
 
 1. Subscribe, it matters nothing being constrain'd. 450 
 On this side [V], and on this side, this capitall I 
 
 Both which: together put, import plaine Vi; 
 And wdtnesse we are forc'd. 
 
 2. Enough, 
 
 It will acquit us when we make it knowne, 
 Our names are forc'd. 
 
 Cha. If traiterous pride 
 Vpon the royall person of a King 
 Were sentenc'd unfelloniously before. 
 He bume my Bookes and be a ludge no more. 
 
 Both. Here are our hands subscrib'd. 
 
 Cha. Wliy so, it joyes me. 
 You have reform'd your justice and your judgement, 460 
 Now have you done like ludges and learned Lawyers, 
 The King shall thanke, and honour you for this. 
 Notary read. 
 
 No. We by his sacred Majestic appointed 
 Judges, upon due triall, and examination 
 Of Philip Chabot Admirall of France 
 Declare him guiltie of high treasons, &c. 
 
 Cha. Now Captaine of the gaurd, secure his person, 
 Till the King signifie 
 
 His pleasure for his death, this day is happy 470 
 
 To France, thus reskued from the vile devourer. 
 
 A shoute within. 
 Harke how the votes applaud their blest deliverance, 
 Yoii that so late did right and conscience boast. 
 Heavens mercy now implore, the Kings is lost. Exeunt. 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 83 
 
 Actus Quartus. 
 
 Enter King, Queene,' and Constable. 
 
 Kin. You raise my thoughts to wonder, that you 
 Madam, 
 And you my Lord, unite your force to pleade 
 Ith' Admiralls behalfe, this is not that 
 Language you did expresse, when the tome Bill 
 Was late pretended to us, it was then 
 Defiance to our high prerogative. 
 The act of him whose proud heart would rebell 
 And arm'd with faction, too soone attempt 
 To teare my crowne off. 
 
 Qu. I was ignorant 
 Then of his worth, and heard but the report 10 
 
 Of his accusers, and his enemies, 
 
 Who never mention in his character 
 
 Shadowes of any vertue in those men. 
 
 They would depresse like Crowes, and carrion birds, 
 
 They flie ore flowrie Meades, cleare Springs, faire Gardens, 
 
 And stoope at carcasses ; for your owne honour 
 
 Pitty poore Chabot. 
 
 King. Poore and a Colossus? 
 
 What could so lately straddle ore a Province, 
 
 Can he be fallen so low, and miserable, 
 
 To want my pitty, who breakes forth like day, 20 
 
 Takes up all peoples eyes, and admiration? 
 
 It cannot be, he hath a princely wife too. 
 Qu. I interpose not often Sir, or presse you 
 
 With imbecomming importiinitie, 
 
 To serve the profitable ends of others 
 
 Conscience, and duty to your selfe inforce 
 
 My present mediation, you have given 
 
84 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 The health of your owne state away, iinlesse 
 Wisedome in time recover him. 
 
 King. If he proove 
 No adulterate gold, triall confirmes his value, 30 
 
 Qu. Although it hold in mettle gracious Sir, 
 Such fiery examination, and the furnace 
 May wast a heart thats faithfull, and together 
 With that you call the feces, something of 
 The precious substance may be hazarded. 
 
 King. Why, you are the chief e engine rais'd against 
 him, 
 And in the worlds Creede labour most to sinke him. 
 That in his fall, and absence every beame 
 May shine on you, and onely guild your fortune. 
 Your difference is the groimd of his arraignement, 40 
 Nor were we imsollicited by you. 
 To have your bill confirm'd, from that that spring 
 Came all these mighty and impetuous waves. 
 With which he now must wrastle, if the strength 
 Of his o"v\Tie innocence can breake the storme. 
 Truth wonot lose her servant, her wings cover him, 
 He must obey his fate. 
 
 Con. I would not have 
 It lie upon my fame, that I should be 
 Mentioned in Story his unjust supplanter 
 For your whole Kingdome, I have beene abused 50 
 
 And made beleeve my suite was just and necessary, 
 My walkes have not beene safe, my closet prayers, 
 But some plot has pursued me, by some great ones 
 Against your noble Admirall, they have frighted 
 My fancy into my dreames with their close whispers, 
 How to uncement your affections, 
 And render him the fable, and the scome 
 Of France. 
 
 Qu. Brave Montmorancie. 
 
 King. Are you serious. 
 
 Con. Have I a soule? or gratitude, to acknowledge 
 My selfe your creature, dignified and honor'd 60 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 85 
 
 By your high favours with an equall truth, 
 
 I must declare the justice of your Admirall 
 
 (In "what my thoughts are conscious) and will rather 
 
 Give up my claime to birth, title, and offices, 
 
 Be throwne from your warme smile, the top and crowne 
 
 Of subjects happinesse, then be brib'd with all 
 
 Their glories to the guilt of Chabots mine. 
 
 King. Come, come, you over act this passion. 
 And if it be not polHcie it tasts 
 
 Too greene, and wants some counsell to mature it, 70 
 His fall prepares your triumph. 
 
 Con. It confirmes 
 My shame alive, and buried will corrupt 
 My very dust, make our house-genious grone, 
 And fright the honest marble from my ashes: 
 His fall prepare my triumph ? tume me first 
 A naked exile to the world. 
 
 King. No more. 
 Take heede you banish not your selfe, be wise. 
 And let not too much zeale devoure your reason. 
 
 Enter As all. 
 
 As. Your Admirall 
 Is condemn 'd Sir? 
 
 King. Ha? strange! no matter, 80 
 
 Leave us, a great man I see may be 
 As soone dispatch 'd, as a common subject. 
 
 Qu. No mercy then for Chabot. 
 
 Enter Wife and Father. 
 
 Wif. From whence came 
 That sound of Chabot? then we are all undone: 
 Oh doe not heare the Queene, she is no friend 
 To my poore Lord, but made against his life. 
 Which hath too many enemies already. 
 
 Con. Poore soule, shee thinkes the Queene is still 
 against him, 
 Who employeth all her powers to preserve him. 
 
86 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Fa. Say you so my Lord? daughter the Queen's our 
 friend. 90 
 
 Wif. Why doe you mocke my sorrow ! can you flatter 
 Your owne griefe so, be just, and heare me sir, 
 And doe not sacrifice a subjects blood 
 To appease a wrathfull Queene, let mercy shine 
 Vpon your brow, and heaven will pay it backe 
 Vpon your soule, be deafe to all her prayers. 
 
 King. Poore heart, she knowes not what she has 
 desir'd. 
 
 Wif. I begge my Chabots life, my sorrowes yet 
 Have not destroid my reason. 
 
 King. He is in the power of my Lawes, not mine. 100 
 
 Wif. Then you have no power, 
 And are but the emptie shadow of a King, 
 To whom is it resign 'd? where shall I begge 
 The forfeit life of one condemn 'd by Lawes 
 To partiall doome? 
 
 King. You heare he is condemn 'd then.'* 
 
 Fa. My sonne is condemn 'd sir. 
 
 King. You know for what too. 
 
 Fa. What the Judges please to call it. 
 But they have given't a name. Treason they say. 
 
 Qu. I must not be denied. 
 
 King. I must deny you. no 
 
 Wif. Be blest for ever fort. 
 
 Qu. Grant then to her. 
 
 King. Chabot condemn 'd by law? 
 
 Fa. But you have power 
 To change the rigor, in your breast there is 
 A Chancellor above it, I nere had 
 A suite before, but my knees joyne with hers 
 To implore your royall mercy to her Lord, 
 And take his cause to your examination. 
 It cannot wrong your Judges, if they have 
 Beene steer 'd by conscience. 
 
 Con. It will fame your lustice. 
 
 King. I cannot be prescrib'd, you kneele in vaine, 120 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 87 
 
 You labour to betray me with your teares 
 
 To a treason above his, gainst my owne Lawes, 
 
 Looke to the Lady — Exeunt. 
 
 Enter A-sall. 
 
 As. Sir the Chancellor. 
 
 King. Admit him, leave us all. 
 
 Enter Chancellor. 
 
 How now my Lord? 
 
 You have lost no time, and how thrive the proceedings. 
 Cha. Twas fit my gracious Soveraigne, time should 
 leave 
 His motion made in all affaires beside, 
 And spend his wings onely in speed of this. 
 
 King. You have shew'd diligence, and whats become 
 Of our most curious lusticer, the Admirall? 130 
 
 Cha. Condemn 'd sir utterly, and all hands set 
 To his conviction. 
 
 King. And for faults most foule? 
 
 Cha. More than most impious, but the applausive issue 
 Strooke by the concourse of your ravish 'd subjects 
 For joy of your free Justice, if there were 
 No other cause to assure the sentence just 
 Were proofe convincing. 
 
 King. Now then he sees cleerely 
 That men perceive how vaine his Justice was, 
 And scorne him for the foolish net he wore 
 To hide his nakednesse; ist not a w^onder 140 
 
 That mens ambitions should so blinde their reason 
 To affect shapes of honesty, and take pride 
 Rather in seeming, then in being just. 
 
 Cha. Seeming has better fortune to attend it 
 Then being sound at heart, and vertuous. 
 
 King. Prof esse all? nothing doe, like those that live 
 By looking to the Lamps of holy Temples, 
 Who still are busie taking off their snuffes, 
 But for their profit sake will adde no oyle; 
 
88 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 So these will checke and sentence every fame, 150 
 
 The blaze of riotous blood doth cast in others, 
 And in themselves leave the fume most offensive, 
 But he to doe this? more deceives my judgement 
 Than all the rest whose nature I have sounded. 
 
 Cha. I know Sir, and have prov'd it. 
 
 King. Well my Lord 
 To omit circumstance, I highly thanke you 
 For this late service you have done me here, 
 Which is so great and meritorious 
 That with my ablest power I scarce can quit you. 
 
 Cha. Your sole acceptance (my dread soveraigne) 160 
 I more re Joyce in, than in all the fortunes 
 That ever chanc'd me, but when may it please 
 Your Highnesse to order the execution? 
 The haste thus farre hath spar'd no pinions. 
 
 King. No my Lord, your care 
 Hath therein much deserv'd. 
 
 Cha. But v/here proportion 
 Is kept to th' end in things, at start so happy 
 That end set on the crowne. 
 
 King. He speede it therefore. 
 
 Cha. Your thoughts direct it, they are wing'd. Exit. 
 
 King. I joy this boldnesse is condemn 'd, that I may 
 pardon, 170 
 
 And therein get some ground in his opinion 
 By so much bounty as saves his life. 
 And me thinks that weigh 'd more, should sway the bal- 
 
 lance 
 Twixt me and him, held by his owne free Justice, 
 For I could never finde him obstinate 
 In any minde he held, when once he saw 
 Th' error with which he laboured, and since now 
 He needs must feele it, I admit no doubt, 
 But that his alteration will beget 
 Another sence of things twixt him and me ; 
 Whose there? 180 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 89 
 
 Enter Asall. 
 
 Goe to the Captaine of my guard, and will him 
 To attend his condemn 'd prisoner to me instantly. 
 
 As. I shall sir. 
 
 Enter Treasurer & Secretary. 
 
 King. My Lords, you were spectators of our Admirall. 
 
 Tre. And hearers too of his most just conviction, 
 In which we witnest over-v/eight enough 
 In your great bounties, and as they there were weigh 'd 
 With all the feathers of his boasted merits. 
 
 King. Has felt a scorching triall, and the test 
 (That holds fires utmost force) we must give mettalls 190 
 That will not with the hammer, and the melting 
 Confesse their truth, and this same sence of feeling 
 (Being ground to all the sences) hath one key 
 More than the rest to let in through them all 
 The mindes true apprehension, that thence takes 
 Her first convey'd intelligence. I long 
 To see this man of confidence agen : 
 How thinke you Lords, will Chabot looke on mee, 
 Now spoild of the integrity, he boasted? 
 
 Sec. It were too much honour to vouchsafe your 
 sight. 200 
 
 Tr. No doubt my Leigh,' but he that hath offended 
 In such a height against your crowne and person. 
 Will want no impudence to looke upon you. 
 
 Enter Asall, Captaine, Admirall. 
 
 Cap. Sir, I had charge given me by this Gentleman 
 To bring your condemn 'd prisoner to your presence. 
 
 King. You have done well, and tell the Queene, and our 
 Lord Constable we desire their presence, bid 
 Our Admiralls Lady, and her father too 
 Attend us here, they are but new withdrawne. 
 
 As. I shall sir! 
 
 ' Liege in Dyce and Shepherd 
 
90 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Tre. Doe you observe this confidence? 210 
 
 He stands as all his triall were a dreame. 
 
 Sec. Hele finde the horrour waking, the King's 
 troubled ; 
 Now for a thunder-clap : the Queene and Constable. 
 
 Enter Queene, Constable, Wife and Father. 
 
 Tr. I doe not like their mixture. 
 
 King, My Lord Admirall, 
 You made it your desire to have this triall 
 That late hath past upon you; 
 And now you feele how vaine is too much faith 
 And flattery of your selfe, as if your brest 
 Were proof e gainst all invasion, tis so slight 
 You see it lets in death, whats past, hath beene 220 
 To satisfie your insolence, there remaines 
 That now we serve our owne free pleasure, therefore 
 By that most absolute power, with which all right 
 Puts in my hands, these issues tumes, and changes, 
 I here in eare of all these, pardon all 
 Your faults and forfeits, whatsoever sensur'd, 
 Againe advancing, and establishing 
 Your person in all fulnesse of that state 
 That ever you enjoy'd before th' attainder. 
 
 Tre. Wonderfull, pardon'd! 
 
 Wif. Heaven preserve the King. 230 
 
 Qu. Who for this will deserve all time to honour him. 
 
 Con. And live Kings best example. 
 
 Fa. Sonne yare pardon'd. 
 Be sure you looke hereafter well about you. 
 
 Adm. Vouchsafe great Sir to assure me what you said, 
 You nam'd my pardon. 
 
 King. And agen declare it. 
 For all crimes past, of what nature soever. 
 
 Adm. You, cannot pardon me Sir. 
 
 King. How's that Philip? 
 
 Adm. It is a word carries too much relation 
 To an offence, of which I am not guilty. 
 
Tragedic of Chabot 91 
 
 And I must still be bold where truth still armes, 240 
 In spight of all those ivovmes that would deject me 
 To say I neede no pardon. 
 King. Ha, howes this? 
 
 Fa. Hees mad with over-joy, and answers nonsence. 
 King. Why, tell me Chabot; are not you condemn'd? 
 Adm. Yes, and that justifies me much the more, 
 For whatsoever false report hath brought you, 
 I was condemn'd for nothing that could reach 
 To prejudice my Hfe, my goods or honour, 
 As first in firmenesse of my conscience, 
 I confidently told you, not alas 250 
 
 Presuming on your slender thred of favour, 
 Or pride of fortunate and courtly boldnesse, 
 But what my faith and justice bade me trust too, 
 For none of all your learned assistant Judges, 
 With all the malice of my crimes could urge. 
 Or felony or hurt of sacred power. 
 
 King. Doe any heare this, but my selfe? My Lords, 
 This man still justifies his innocence. 
 What prodigies are these? have not our Lawes 
 Past on his actions, have not equall ludges 260 
 
 Certified his arraignement, and him guilty 
 Of capitall Treason? and yet doe I heare 
 Chabot accuse all these, and quit himself e. 
 Tr. It does appeare distraction sir. 
 King. Did we 
 Seeme so indulgent to propose our free 
 And royall pardon without suite or prayer, 
 To meete with his contempt? 
 Sec. Vnhear'd of impudence! 
 Ad. I were malicious to my selfe, and desperate 
 To force untruths upon my soule, and when 
 Tis cleare, to confesse a shame to exercise 270 
 
 Your pardon sir, were I so foule and monstrous 
 As I am given to you, you would commit 
 A sinne next mine, by wronging your owne mercy 
 To let me draw out impious breath, it will 
 
92 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Release your wonder, if you give command 
 To see your processe, and if it prove other 
 Than I presume to informe, teare me in peeces. 
 
 King. Goe for the Processe, and the Chancellor, 
 With the assistant ludges. I thanke heaven Exit As. 
 That with all these inforcements of distraction 280 
 
 My reason stayes so cleare to heare, and answer, 
 And to direct a message. This inversion 
 Of all the loyalties, and true deserts 
 That I beleev'd I govem'd with, till now 
 In my choice Lawyers, and chief e Counsellors 
 Is able to shake all my frame of reason. 
 
 Adm. I am much griv'd. 
 
 King. No more, I doe incline 
 To thinke I am abus'd, my Lawes betrai'd 
 And wrested to the purpose of my Judges, 
 This confidence in Chabot tumes my judgement, 200 
 
 This was too wilde a way to make his merits 
 Stoope and acknowledge my superior bounties, 
 That it doth raise, and fixe e'm past my art, 
 To shadow all the shame and forfeits mine. 
 
 Enter Asall, Chancellor, ludges. 
 
 As. The Chancellor and Judges Sir. 
 
 Tre. I like not 
 This passion in the King, the Queene and Constable 
 Are of that side. 
 
 King. My Lord, you dare appeare then? 
 
 Cha. Dare Sir, I hope. 
 
 King. Vv^ell done, hope still, and tell me. 
 Is not this man condemn 'd? 
 
 Cha. Strange question Sir, 
 The processe will declare it, sign'd with all 300 
 
 These my assistant brothers reverend hands 
 To his conviction in a publike triall. 
 
 King. You saide for foule and monstrous facts prov'd 
 by him. 
 
 Cha. The very words are there sir. 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 93 
 
 King. But the deedes 
 I looke for sir, name me but one thats monstrous? 
 
 Cha. His foule comparisons, and affronts of you, 
 To me seem'd monstrous. 
 
 King. I told you them sir, ^ 
 Nor were they any that your so vast knowledge. 
 Being a man studied in him, could produce 
 And prove as cleare as heaven, you warranted 310 
 
 To make appeare such treasons in the Admiral!, 
 As never all Lawes, Volumes yet had sentenc'd, 
 And France should looke on, having scap'd with wonder 
 What in this nature hath beene cleerely prov'd 
 In his arraignement. 
 
 1. Nothing that we heard 
 
 In slendrest touch urg'd by your Advocate. 
 King. Dare you affirme this too? 
 
 2. Most confidently. 
 
 Kingj No base corruptions charg'd upon him. 
 
 I. None sir. 
 
 Tr. This argues Chabot has corrupted him. 
 
 Sec. I doe not like this. 
 
 I. The summe of all 320 
 
 Was urg'd to prove your Admirall corrupt, 
 Was an exaction of his officers, 
 Of twenty souse taken from the Fishermen 
 For every boate, and that fish'd the Normand coast. 
 
 King. And this was all 
 The mountaines, and the marvells promist me, 
 To be in cleere proofe made against the life 
 Of our so hated Admirall. 
 
 lud. All sir, 
 Vpon our lives and consciences. 
 
 Cha. I am blasted. 
 
 King. How durst you then subscribe to his convic- 
 tion. 330 
 
 I, For threats by my Lord Chancellor on the Bench, 
 Affirming that your Majestic would have it 
 Made capitall treason, or account us traitors. 
 
94 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 2. Yet sir. we did put to our names \\-ith this 
 Interposition of a note in secret 
 In these two letters W and /. to shew 
 Wee were enforc'd to what we did. which then 
 In Law is nothing. 
 
 Fli. How doe you feele your Lordship. 
 Did you not finde some stuthng in your liead. 
 Your braine should have been purg'd. 
 
 Cha. I fall to peeces. 340 
 
 "Would they liad rotted on th.e Bench. 
 
 King. And so you sav'd the peace of that high Court. 
 \Miich othen\'ise his impious rage had broken, 
 But thus am I by his malicious arts 
 A parly ^ rendred. and niost t\T:innous spurre 
 To all the open course of his base en^4es, 
 A forcer of niy ludges. and a thirst 
 Of my nobilities blood, and all by one, 
 I trusted to make cleere my lo\'e of lustice. 
 
 CJij. I beseech your ^Lijestie. let all my zeale 350 
 To serve your vertues, witli a sacred value 
 ^lade of 3'our royall state, to which each least 
 But shade of violence ui any subject 
 Doth provoke certaine deatli. 
 
 King. Death on thy name 
 And memory forever, one command 
 Our Advocate attend us presently. 
 
 As. He waites here. 
 
 Ki)!g. But single death shall not excuse, thy skinne 
 Tome ore thine eares, and what else can be inflicted 
 If thy life "u-ith the same severity 360 
 
 Dissected cannot stand so many fires. 
 ■5t\". Trc. Be mercifull great Sir. 
 
 Ki)ig. Yet more amaze? 
 Is there a knee in all the world beside 
 That any humane conscience can let bow 
 For him, yare traitors all that pitty him. 
 
 ^ Party in Dyce and Shepherd. 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 95 
 
 Tr. This is no time to move. 
 King. Yet twas my fault 
 To trust this wretch, whom I knew fierce and proud 
 With formes of tongue and learning, what a prisoner 
 Is pride of the whole flood of man? for as 
 A humane seede is said to be "a mixture 370 
 
 And faire contemperature extracted from 
 All out best faculties, so the seede of all 
 Mans sensuall frailty, may be said to abide. 
 And have their confluence in onely pride, 
 It stupifies mans reason so, and dulls 
 True sence of anything, but what may fall 
 In his owne glory, quenches all the spirits 
 That light a man to honour and true goodnesse. 
 
 As. Your Advocate. Enter Advocate. 
 
 King. Come hither. 
 
 Adv. My most gracious Soveraigne. 380 
 
 Adm. Madam you infinitely oblige our duty. 
 
 Qu. I was too long ignorant of your worth my Lord, 
 And this sweete Ladies vertue. 
 
 Wif. Both your servants. 
 
 Adm. I never had a feare of the Kings lustice, 
 And yet I know not what creepes ore my heart, 
 And leaves an ice beneath it, my Lord Chancellor, 
 You have my forgivenesse, but implore heavens pardon 
 For wrongs to equall justice, you shall want 
 No charitie of mine to mediate 
 To the King for you. 
 
 Cha. Horrour of my soule 39° 
 
 Confounds my gratitude. 
 
 Con. To me now most welcome. 
 
 Adv. It was my allegiance sir, I did enforce. 
 But by directions of your Chancellor, 
 It was my office to advance your cause 
 Gainst all the world, which when I leave to execute, 
 Flea me, and turne me out a most raw Advocate. 
 
 King. You see my Chancellor. 
 
 Adv. He has an ill looke with him. 
 
96 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 King. It shall be your province now, on our behalfe 
 To urge what can in justice be against him, 
 His riot on our Lawes, and con-upt actions 400 
 
 Will give you scope and field enough. 
 
 Adv. And I 
 Wil play my law prize, never feare it sir, 
 He shall be guilty of what you please, I am studied 
 In him sir, I will squeeze his villanies, 
 And urge his acts so whom into his bowells, 
 The force of it shall make him hang himself e, 
 And save the Lawes a labour. 
 
 King. ludges, for all 
 The poisonous outrage, that this viper spilt 
 On all my royall freedome and my Empire, 
 As making all but servants to his malice, 410 
 
 I will have you revise the late arraignement, 
 And for those worthy reasons, that already 
 Affect you for my Admiralls acquitall 
 Employ your justice on this Chancellor, away with him, 
 Arrest him Captaine of my guard to answer 
 All that due course of Law against him can 
 Charge both his Acts and life. 
 
 Cap. I doe arrest thee 
 Poyet Lord Chancellor in his Highnesse name, 
 To answer all that equall course of Law 
 Can charge thy acts and life with. 
 
 Cha. I Obey. 420 
 
 King. How false a heart corruption has, how base 
 Without true worth are all these earth-bred glories? 
 Oh blessed justice, by which all things stand, 
 That stills the thunder, and makes lightning sinke 
 Twixt earth and heaven amaz'd, and cannot strike, 
 Being prov'd so now in wonder of this man, 
 The object of mens hate, and heavens bright love; 
 And as in cloudy dayes, we see the Sunne 
 Glide over turrets, temples, richest fields, 
 All those left darke, and slighted in his way, 430 
 
 And on the wretched plight of some poore shed. 
 
Tr age die of Chabot 97 
 
 Powres all the glories of his golden head; 
 So heavenly vertue, on this envied Lord, 
 Points all his graces, that I may distinguish 
 Him better from the world, 
 
 Tre. You doe him right. 
 
 King. But away Judges, and pursue the arraignement 
 Of this polluted Chancellor with that swiftnesse, 
 His fury wing'd against my Admirall, 
 And be you all, that sate on him compurgators 
 Of me against this false ludge. 
 
 lud. We are so. 440 
 
 King. Be you two joyn'd in the commission. 
 And nothing urg'd but justly, of me learning 
 This one more lesson out of the events 
 Of these affaires now past, that whatsoever 
 Charge or Commission Judges have from us, 
 They ever make their ayme ingenuous lustice, 
 Not partiall for reward, or swelling favour. 
 To which if your King steere you, spare to obey ; 
 For when his troubled blood is cleere, and calme, 
 He will repent that he pursued his rage, 450 
 
 Before his pious Law, and hold that ludge 
 Vnworthy of his place, that lets his censure 
 Flote in the waves of an imagin'd favour. 
 This shipwTacks in the haven, and but wounds 
 Their consciences that sooth the soone ebb'd humours 
 Of their incensed King. 
 
 Con. Tre. Royall and sacred. 
 
 King. Come Philip, shine thy honour now forever. 
 For this short temporall ecclipse it suffer 'd 
 By th' interpos'd desire I had to try thee. 
 Nor let the thought of w^hat is past afflict thee, 460 
 
 For my unkindnesse, live still circled here, 
 The bright intelligence of our royall spheere. Exeunt. 
 
98 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Actus Quintus. 
 Enter Queene, Constable, Father. 
 
 Qu. The Admirall sicke? 
 
 Fa. With danger at the heart, 
 I came to tell the King. 
 
 Con. He never had 
 More reason in his soule, to entertaine 
 All the delights of health. 
 
 Fa. I feare my Lord, 
 Some apprehension of the Kings unkindnesse, 
 By giving up his person, and his offices 
 To the Lawes gripe and search, is ground of his 
 Sad change, the greatest soules are thus oft wounded, 
 If he vouchsafe his presence, it may quicken 
 His fast decaying spirits, and prevent 10 
 
 The hasty ebbe of life. 
 
 Qu. The King is now 
 Fraught with the joy of his fresh preservation, 
 The newes so violent, let into his eare. 
 May have some dangerous effect in him, 
 I wod not counsell sir to that. 
 
 Fa. With greater reason 
 I may suspect they'le spread my Lord, and as 
 A river left his curl'd and impetuous waves 
 Over the bankes, by confluence of streames 
 That fill and swell her channell, for by this time 20 
 
 He has the addition of Allegres suffering, 
 His honest servant, whom I met though feeble 
 And wome with torture, going to congratulate 
 His Masters safetie. 
 
 Qu. It seemes he much 
 Affected that Allegre. 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 99 
 
 Con. There will be 
 But a sad interview and dialogue. 
 
 Qu. Does he keepe his bed? 
 
 Fa. In that alone 
 He shewes a fortitude, he will move, and walke 
 He sayes while his owne strength or others can 
 Support him, wishing he might stand and looke 30 
 
 His destiny in the face at the last summon, 
 Not sluggishly exhaile his soule in bed. 
 With indulgence, and nice flattery of his limbs. 
 
 Qu. Can he in this shew spirit, and want fore" 
 To wrastle with a thought? 
 
 Fa. Oh Madam, Madam, 
 We may have proof e against the sword, and tyranny 
 Of boysterous warre that threatens us, but when 
 Kings froune, a Cannon moimted in each eye, 
 Shoote death to apprehension, ere their fire 
 And force approach us. 
 
 Enter King. 
 
 Con. Here's the King. 
 
 Qu. No words 
 To interrupt his quiet. 4° 
 
 Fa. He begon then. 
 
 King. Our Admiralls father! call him backe. 
 
 Qu. I wonot stay to heare e'm. Exit. 
 
 Con. Sir, be prudent. 
 And doe not for your sonne fright the Kings health. Exit. 
 
 King. What, ha they left us? how does my Admirall? 
 
 Fa. I am forbid to tell you sir. 
 
 King. By whom. 
 
 Fa. The Queene and my Lord Constable 
 
 King. Are there 
 Remaining seedes of faction? have they soules 
 Not yet convinc'd ith truth of Chabots honour, 
 Cleare as the christall heaven, and bove the reach 50 
 Of imitation. 
 
 Fa. Tis their care of you, 
 
100 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 And no thought prejudicial! to my sonne. 
 
 King. Their care of me? 
 How can the knowledge of my Admiralls state 
 Conceme their feares of me, I see their en vie 
 Of Chabots happinesse, whose joy to be 
 Rendr'd so pure and genuine to the world 
 Doth grate upon their conscience and affright 'em; 
 But let 'em vexe, and bid my Chabot still 
 Exalt his heart, and triumph, he shall have 60 
 
 The accesse of ours, the kingdome shall put on 
 Such joyes for him as she would bost to celebrate 
 Her owne escape from mine. 
 
 Fa. He is not in state to heare my sad newes 
 I perceive. 
 
 King. That countenance is not right, it does not answer 
 What I expect. 
 Say, how is my Admirall? 
 The truth upon thy life. 
 
 Fa. To secure his, I would you had. 
 
 King Ha? Who durst oppose him? 70 
 
 Fa. One that hath power enough hath practised on him 
 And made his great heart stoope. 
 
 King. I will revenge it 
 ^With crushing, crushing that rebellious power to nothing, 
 Name him. 
 
 Fa. He was his friend. 
 
 King. A friend to malice, his o^'VTie blacke impostume 
 Bume his blood up, what mischief e hath mgendred 
 New stormes? 
 
 Fa. Tis the old tempest. 
 
 King. Did not we 
 Appease all horrors that look'd wilde upon him? 
 
 Fa. You drest his wounds I must confesse, but made 
 No cure, they bleede a fresh, pardon me sir, 80 
 
 Although your conscience have clos'd too soone, 
 He is in danger, and doth want new surgerie 
 
 ^Crushing, crushing. The repetition is a printer's error. 
 
Tragedie of Chabot loi 
 
 Though he be right in fame, and your opinion, 
 He thinkes you v.ere unkinde. 
 
 King. Alas, poore Chabot, 
 Doth that afflict him. 
 
 Fa. So much, though he strive 
 With most resolv'd and Adamantine nerves, 
 As ever humane fire in flesh and blood, 
 Forg'd for example, to beare all, so killing 
 The arrowes that you shot were (still your pardon) 
 No Centaures blood could rancle so. 
 
 King. If this 90 
 
 Be all, ile cure him. Kings retaine 
 More Balsome in their soule then hurt in anger. 
 
 Fa. Farre short sir, with one breath they imcreate, 
 And Kings with onely words more wounds can make 
 Then all their kingdome made in balme can heale, 
 Tis dangerous to play to wilde a descant 
 On numerous vertue, though it become Princes 
 To assure their adventures made in everything, 
 Goodnesse confin'd within poore flesh and blood, 
 Hath but a queazie and still sickly state, 100 
 
 A musicall hand should onely play on her 
 Fluent as ayre, yet every touch command. 
 
 King. No more, 
 Commend us to the Admirall, and say. 
 The King will visite him, and bring health. 
 
 Fa. I will not doubt that blessing, and shall move 
 Nimbly with this command. Exeunt. 
 
 Enter Officers before, Treasurer, Secretary, and ludges, 
 attended by Petitioners, the Advocate also with many 
 papers in his hand, they take their places. 
 The Chancellor with a guard, and plac'd at the Barre. 
 
 Tre. Did you beleeve the Chancellor had beene 
 So foule? 
 
 Sec. Hee's lost to th' people, what contempts 
 They throw upon him? but we must be wise. 
 
I02 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 1 lud. Were there no other guilt, his malice shew'd no 
 Vpon the Admirall, in orebearing justice, 
 
 Would well deserve a sentence. 
 Tre. And a deepe one. 
 
 2 lud. If please your Lordships to remember that 
 Was specially commended by the King, 
 
 As being most blemish to his royall person, 
 And the free justice of his state. 
 
 Tre. Already 
 He has confest upon his examinations 
 Enough for sensure, yet to obey forme — 
 Mr. Advocate if you please— 
 
 Adv. I am ready for your Lordships: It hath beene 
 
 said, 1 20 
 
 and will be said agen, and may truely be justified. Omnia 
 
 ex 
 lite fieri. It was the position of Philosophers, and now 
 
 proved 
 by a more Philosophycall sect, the Lawyers, that Omnia ex 
 lite fiant, we are all made by Law, made I say, and 
 
 worthily 
 if we be just, if we be unjust, marr'd, though in marring 
 
 some, 
 there is necessitie of making others, for if one fall by the 
 
 Law, 
 tenne to one but another is exalted by the execution of the 
 Law, since the corruption of one must conclude the 
 
 genera- 
 tion of another, though not alwayes in the same profes- 
 sion ; 
 the corruption of an Apothecary, may be the generation 
 
 of a 130 
 
 Doctor of Physicke; the corruption of a Citizen may 
 
 beget a 
 Courtier, & a Courtier may very well beget an Alderman, 
 
 the 
 corruption of an Alderman may be the generation of a 
 
 Coun- 
 
Tr age die of Chabot 103 
 
 try lustice, whose corrupt ignorance easily may beget 
 
 a tumult, 
 a tumult may beget a Captaine, and the corruption of 
 
 a Cap- 
 taine may beget a Gentleman- Vsher, and a Gentleman- 
 
 Vsher 
 may beget a Lord, whose wit may beget a Poet, and a 
 
 poet 
 may get a thousand pound a yeare, but nothing without 
 
 cor- 
 ruption. 
 
 Tre. Good Mr. Advocate be pleased to leave all digressi- 
 ons, and speake of the Chancellor. 140 
 Adv. Your Lordship doth very seasonably premonish, 
 
 and 
 I shall not neede to leave my subject corruption, while 
 
 I dis- 
 course of him, who is the very fenne and stigian abisse of it, 
 five thousand and odde hundred foule and impious 
 
 corrupti- 
 ons, for I will be briefe; have been found by severall 
 
 exami- 
 nations, and by oathes prov'd against this odious and 
 
 polluted 
 Chancelor, a man of so tainted, and contagious a life, 
 
 that it is 
 a miracle any man enjoyeth his nostrills, that have 
 
 lived with- 
 in the sent of his offices ; he was borne with teeth in his 
 
 head, 
 by an affidavit of his Midwife, to note his devouring, 
 
 and 150 
 
 hath one toe on his left foote crooked, and in the forme 
 
 of an 
 Eagles talon, to foretell his rapacitie: What shall I say? 
 branded, mark'd, and design 'd in his birth for shame 
 
 and oblo- 
 quie, which appeareth further by a mole under his right 
 
I04 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 eare, 
 with only tliree Witches haires int, strange and ominous 
 
 pre- 
 dictions of nature. 
 
 : Tre. You have acquainted your selfe but very lately 
 With this intelligence, for as I remember 
 Your tongue was guilty of no such character, 
 When hee sat ludge upon the Admirall, i6o 
 
 A' pious incorrupt man, a faithfull and forttmate 
 Servant to his King, and one of the greatest 
 Honours that ever the Admirall received, was 
 That he had so noble and just a ludge, this must 
 Imply a strange volubilitie in your tongue, or 
 Conscience, I speake not to discountenance any 
 Evidence for the King, but to put you in minde, 
 Mr. Advocate that you had then a better opinion 
 Of my Lord Chancellor. 
 
 Adv. Your Lordship hath most aptly interpos'd, and 
 
 with a 170 
 
 word I shall easily satisfie all your judgements ; He was 
 
 then 
 a Judge, and in Cathedra, in which he could not erre; it 
 
 may 
 be your Lordships cases, out of the chaire and seate of 
 
 Justice, 
 he hath his frailties, is loos'ed and expos'd to the con- 
 ditions of 
 other humane natures; so every ludge, your Lordships 
 
 are not 
 ignorant, hath a kinde of priviledge while he is in his 
 
 state, 
 office and being, and although hee may quoad se, internally 
 and privately be guilty of bribery of Justice, yet quoad 
 
 nos, and 
 in publike he is an upright and innocent ludge, w^e are 
 
 to take 
 no notice, nay, we deserved to suffer, if wee should detect 
 
 or 180 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 105 
 
 staine him; for in that we disparage the Office, which 
 
 is the 
 Kings, and may be our owne, but once remov'd from his 
 place by just dishonour of the King, he is no more a 
 
 ludge but 
 a common person, whom the law takes hold on, and 
 
 wee are 
 then to forget what hee hath beene, and without par- 
 
 tialitie to 
 strip and lay him open to the world, a counterfeit and cor- 
 rupt ludge, as for example, hee may and ought to flourish 
 
 in 
 his greatnesse, and breake any mans necke, with as much 
 
 faci- 
 litie as a jeast, but the case being altered, and hee downe, 
 
 eve- 
 ry subject shall be heard, a Wolfe may be appareld in a 
 
 Lamb- 1 90 
 
 skinne; and if every man should be afraid to speake 
 
 truth, nay 
 and more than truth, if the good of the subject which 
 
 are cli- 
 ents sometime require it, there would be no remove of Offi- 
 cers, if no remove no motions, if no motion in Court no 
 
 heate, 
 and by consequence but cold Termes; take away this 
 
 moving, 
 this removing of Judges, the Law may bury it selfe in 
 
 Buck- 
 ram, and the kingdome suffer for want of a due execution ; 
 and now I hope your Lordships are satisfied. 
 
 Tre. Most learnedly concluded to acquit your selfe. 
 I lud. Mr. Advocate, please you to urge for satis- 
 faction 200 
 Of the world, and clearing the Kings honour, how 
 Injustly he proceeded against the Admirall. 
 
 Adv. I shall obey your Lordship — So vast, so infi- 
 nite hath beene the impudence of this Chancellor, not 
 
io6 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 onely 
 toward the subject, but even the sacred person of the 
 
 King, 
 that I tremble as with a Palsie to remember it. This 
 
 man, or 
 rather this monster, having power and commission 
 
 trusted for 
 the examination of the Lord Admirall, a man perfect 
 
 in all ho- 
 nour and justice ; indeede the very ornament and second 
 flower of France, for the Flower de lis, is sacred and above 
 
 all 2IO 
 
 flowers, and indeede the best flower in our garden. 
 
 Having 
 used all wayes to circumvent his innocence by suborning 
 
 and 
 promising rewards to all his betrayers, by compelling 
 
 others by 
 the cruelty of tortures, as namely Mounsieur Allegre 
 
 a most ho- 
 nest and faithfull servant to his Lord, tearing and extend- 
 ing his 
 sinewes upon the racke to force a confession to his purpose, 
 and finding nothing prevaile upon the invincible vertue 
 
 of the 
 Admirall. 
 
 Sec. How he would flatter him? 
 
 Adv. Yet most maliciously proceeded to arraigne 
 
 him ; to 
 be short against all colour of Justice condemn 'd him 
 
 of high 220 
 
 treasons; oh thinke what the life of man is, that can 
 
 never be 
 recompenced; but the life of the just man, a man that 
 
 is the vi- 
 gour and glory of our life and nation to be tome to 
 
 death, and 
 sacrifis'd beyond the mallice of common persecution. 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 107 
 
 What 
 Tiger of Hercanian breede could have beene so cruell? 
 
 but this 
 is not all? he was not guilty onely of murder, guilty I 
 
 may say 
 In foro conscientae, though our good Admirall was 
 
 miraculously 
 preserv'd, but unto this he added a most prodigious & 
 
 fearefuU 
 rape, a rape even upon Justice it selfe ; the very soule of 
 
 our state, 
 for the rest of the ludges upon the Bench, venrable 
 
 images of 230 
 
 Austria,^ he most tyranously compel'd to set their hands 
 
 to his 
 most unjust sentence; did ever story remember the 
 
 like outrage 
 and injustice ; what forfeit, what penalty can be enough 
 
 to 
 satisfie this transcendent offence? and yet my good 
 
 Lords, 
 this is but veniall to the sacrilege which now followes, and 
 by him committed, not content with this sentence, not 
 
 satisfied 
 with horrid violence upon the sacred Tribunall, but 
 
 hee pro- 
 ceedes and blasphemes the very name and honour of 
 
 the King 
 himselfe, observe that, making him the author and im- 
 pulsive 
 cause of all these rapines, justifying that he mov'd onely 
 
 by his 240 
 
 speciall command to the death, nay the murder of his 
 
 most 
 faithfull subject, translating all his owne blacke and 
 
 damnable 
 
 ^ Astraea as in Dyce and Shepherd. 
 
io8 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 guilt^ upon the Kings heires, a'^traytor to his Country, 
 
 first, he 
 conspires the death of one whom the King loves, and 
 
 whom e- 
 very subject ought to honour, and then makes it no 
 
 conscience 
 to proclaime it the Kings act & by consequence declares 
 
 him a 
 murderer of his o"wne, and of his best subjects. 
 
 Within. An Advocate, an Advocate, teare him in 
 peeces, 
 Teare the Chancellor in peeces. 
 
 Tre. The people have deepe sence of the Chancellors 
 injustice. 250 
 
 Sec. We must be carefull to prevent their mutiny. 
 
 I hid. It will become our wisedomes to secure the court 
 And prisoner. 
 
 Tre. Captaine of the guard. 
 
 2. What can you say for your selfe Lord Chancellor. 
 
 Cha. Againe, I confesse all, and humbly fly to 
 The royall mercy of the King. 
 
 Tre. And this submission is the w^ay to purchase it. 
 
 Cha. Heare me great Judges, if you have not lost 
 For my sake all your charities, I beseech you. 
 Let the King know my heart is full of penitence, 260 
 Calme his high-going sea, or in that tempest 
 I mine to eteniitie, oh my Lords, 
 Consider your owne places, and the helmes 
 You sit at, while w4th all your providence 
 You steere, looke forth and see devouring quicksands, 
 My ambition now is punish'd, and my pride 
 Of state and greatnesse falling into nothing, 
 I that had never time through vast employments 
 To thinke of heaven, feele his revengefull wrath, 
 Boyling my blood, and scorching up my entrills, 270 
 
 Dyce emends ''upon the King. Here's a traitor to his Country f 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 109 
 
 ^There doomesday is my conscience blacke and horrid, 
 
 For my abuse of Justice, but no stings 
 
 Prickt^ with that terrour as the wounds I made 
 
 Vpon the pious Admirall, some good man 
 
 Beare my repentance thither, he is merciful!. 
 
 And may encline the King to' stay his lightning 
 
 Which threatens my confusion, that my free 
 
 Resigne of title, office, and what else 
 
 My pride look'd at, would buy my poore lives safety, 
 
 For ever banish me the court, and let 280 
 
 Me waste my life farre off in some Village. 
 
 Adv. How? Did your Lordships note his request to you, 
 he would direct your sentence to punish him with confining 
 him to live in the country, like the Mouse in the Fable, 
 
 that 
 having offended to deserve death, beg'd he might be 
 
 banished 
 into a Parmisan. I hope your Lordships will be more 
 just to 
 the nature of his offences. 
 
 Sec. I could have wish'd him fall on softer ground 
 For his good parts. 
 
 Tre. My Lord, this is your sentence for your high 
 
 misde- 290 
 
 meanours against his Majesties ludges, for your unjust 
 
 sentence 
 of the most equall Lord Admirall, for many and foule 
 
 corrup- 
 tions and abuse of your office, and that infinite staine of 
 
 the 
 Kings person, and honour, we in his Majesties name, 
 
 deprive 
 you of your estate of Chancellor: & declare you un- 
 cap cable of 
 any judicial! office, & besides condemne you in the sum 
 
 of two 
 
 * Dyce emends there's doomesday in my conscience — 
 ''Prick. 
 
no Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 hundred thousand crownes; whereof one hundred thou- 
 sand to 
 
 the King, and one hundred thousand to the Lord Admirall, 
 
 and what remaineth of your estate to goe to the resti- 
 tution of 
 
 those you have injur'd, and to suffer perpetuall im- 
 prisonment 300 
 
 in the Castle, so take him to your custody. Your Lord- 
 ships 
 
 have beene mercifull in his sentence. Ex-it. 
 
 Cha. They have spar'd my life then, that some cure 
 
 may bring, 
 
 ^I spend it in my prayers for the King. Exeunt. 
 
 Enter Admirall in his Gowne and Cap, his Wife. 
 
 Adm. Allegre I am glad he hath so much strength, 
 I prethee let me see him. 
 
 Wif. It will but 
 Enlarge a passion — my Lord hee'le come 
 Another time and tender you his service. 
 
 Adm. Nay then — 
 
 Wif. Although I like it not, I must obey. Exit. 
 
 Enter Allegre supported. 
 
 Adm. Welcome my injur'd servant, what a misery 310 
 Ha they made on thee? 
 
 Al. Though some change appeare 
 Vpon my body, whose severe affliction 
 Hath brought it thus to be sustained by others. 
 My hurt^ is still the same in faith to you, 
 Not broken with their rage. 
 
 Adm. Alas poore man! 
 Were all my joyes essentiall, and so mighty 
 As the affected world beleeves I taste. 
 This object were enough to unsweeten all. 
 
 ^ Dyce reads I'll. 
 
 -Heart in Dyce and Shepherd. 
 
Tragedie of Chahot m 
 
 Though in thy absence I had suffering, 
 
 And felt within me a strong sympathy, 320 
 
 While for my sake their cruelty did vexe. 
 
 And fright thy nerves with hon'our of thy sence, 
 
 Yet in this spectacle I apprehend 
 
 More griefe than all my imagination 
 
 Could let before into me; didst not curse me 
 
 Vpon the torture? 
 
 Al. Good my Lord, let not 
 The thought of what I suffer 'd dwell upon 
 Your memory, they could not punish more 
 Then what my duty did oblige to beare 
 For you and lustice, but theres some thing in 330 
 
 Your lookes, presents more feare than all the mallice 
 Of my tormentors could affect my soule with, 
 That palenesse, and the other formes you weare, 
 Would well become a guilty Admirall, and one 
 Lost to his hopes and honour, not the man 
 Vpon whose life the fury of unjustice 
 Arm'd with fierce lightning, and the power of thunder, 
 Can make no breach, I was not rack'd till now, 
 Theres more death in that falling eye, than all 
 Rage ever yet brought forth, what accident sir can 
 blast, 340 
 
 Can be so blacke and fatall to distract 
 The calme ? the triumph that should sit upon 
 Your noble brow, misfortune could have no 
 Time to conspire with fate, since you were rescued 
 By the great arme of Providence, nor can 
 Those garlands that now grow about your forehead 
 With all the poyson of the world be blasted. 
 
 Adm. Allegre, thou dost beare thy wounds upon thee, 
 In wide and spacious characters, but in 
 The volumne of my sadnesse thou dost want 350 
 
 An eye to reade an open force, hath tome 
 Thy manly sinewes which sometime may cure 
 The engine is not scene that wounds thy Master, 
 Past all the remedy of art or time, 
 
112 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 The flatteries of Court, of fame or honours; 
 
 Thus in the Sommer a tall flourishing tree, ^4 
 
 Transplanted by strong hand, with all her leaves 
 
 And blooming pride upon her makes a shew 
 
 Of Spring, tempting the eye with wanton blossome, 
 
 But not the Sunne with all her amorous smiles, 360 
 
 The dewes of mornings, or the teares of night, 
 
 Can roote her fibers in the earth agen, 
 
 Or make her bosome kinde, to growth and bearing, 
 
 But the tree withers, and those very beames 
 
 That once were naturall warmth to her soft verdure 
 
 Dry up her sap and shoote a feaver through 
 
 The barke and rinde, till she becomes a burthen 
 
 To that which gave her life; so Chahot, Chahot. 
 
 Al. Wonder in apprehension, I must 
 Suspect your health indeede. 
 
 Adm. No no thou shanot 370 
 
 Be troubled, I but stirr'd thee with a morrall, 
 Thats empty containes nothing, I am well. 
 See I can walke, poore man, thou hast not strength yet. 
 
 Al. What accident is ground of this distraction? 
 
 Enter Admirall. 
 
 Adm. Thou hast not heard yet whats become oth' 
 Chancellor? 
 
 Al. Not yet my Lord. 
 
 Adm, Poore gentleman, when I thinke 
 Vpon the King, I've balme enough to cure 
 A thousand wounds, have I not Allegref 
 Was ever bountious mercy read in story, 
 Like his upon my life, condemn 'd for sacrifice 380 
 
 By Law, and snatch 'd out of the flame unlooked for, 
 And unpetitioned ? but his justice then 
 That wod not spare whom his owne love made great. 
 But give me up to the most cruell test 
 Of Judges, for some boldnesse in defence 
 Of my owne merits, and my honest faith to him 
 Was rare, past example. 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 113 
 
 Enter Father. 
 Fa. Sir, the King 
 Is comming hither. 
 
 Al. It will 
 Become my duty sir to leave you now. 
 
 Adm. Stay by all meanes Allegre, 't shall conceme 
 you, 390 
 
 I'me infinitely honor 'd in his presence. 
 
 Enter King, Queene, Constable, and Wife. 
 
 King. Madam be comforted, He be his Phisitian. 
 
 Wif. Pray heaven you may. 
 
 King. No ceremoniall knees. 
 Give me thy heart, my deare, my honest Chabot, 
 And yet in vaine I chalenge that tis here 
 Already in my owne, and shall be cherish 'd 
 With care of my best life, violence^ 
 Shall ravish it from my possession. 
 Not those distempers that infirme my blood 
 And spirits shall betray it to a feare, 400 
 
 When time and nature joyne to dispossesse 
 My body of a cold and languishing breath, 
 No stroake in all my arteries, but silence 
 In every faculty, yet dissect me then. 
 And in my heart, the world shall read thee living. 
 And by the vertue of thy name write there, 
 That part of me shall never putrifie. 
 When I am lost in all my other dust. 
 
 Adm. You too much honour your poore servant sir, 
 My heart dispares so rich a monument; 410 
 
 But when it dies— 
 
 King. I wonot heare a sound 
 Of any thing that trenched^ upon death. 
 He speakes the funerall of my crowne that prophesies 
 So unkinde a fate, weele live and die together. 
 
 'Dyce inserts "no" before "violence." 
 ^Dyce changes to trencheth. 
 
114 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 And by that duty which hath taught you hitherto, 
 All loyall and just services I charge thee, 
 Preserve thy heart for me and thy reward, 
 Which now shall crowne thy merits. 
 
 Adm. I have found 
 A glorious harvest in your favour sir, 
 And by this overflow of royall grace, 420 
 
 All my deserts are shadowes and flie from mee, 
 I have not in the wealth of my desires, 
 Enough to pay you now, yet you encourage me 
 To make one suite. 
 
 King. So soone as nam'd possesse it. 
 
 Adm. You would be pleas'd take notice of this Gentle 
 man, 
 
 A Secretary of mine. 
 
 Con. Mounsieur Allegre, 
 He that was rack'd sir for your Admirall. 
 
 Adm. His limbs want strength to tender their full duty, 
 An honest man that suffers for my sake. 
 
 King. He shall be deare to us, for what has past sir 430 
 By the unjustice of our Chancellors power, 
 Weele study to recompence, ith' meane time that office 
 You exercis'd for Chabot we translate 
 To our selfe, you shall be our Secretary. 
 
 Al. This is 
 An honour above my weake desert, and shall 
 Oblige the service of my life to satisfie it. 
 
 Adm. You are gracious, and in this act have put 
 All our complaints to silence, you Allegre, 
 
 Enter Tresuror, Secretary. 
 
 Cherish your health, and feeble limbs which cannot 
 Without much prejudice be thus employ'd; 440 
 
 All my best wish's with thee. 
 
 Al. All my prayers 
 Are duties to your Lordship — Exit. 
 
 King. Tis too little, 
 Can forfeit of his place, wealth, and a lasting 
 
Tragedie of Chabot n^ 
 
 Imprisonment purge his offences to 
 
 Our honest Admirall, had our person beene 
 
 Exempted from his maUice, he did persecute 
 
 The life of Chabot with an equall wTath, 
 
 You should have powr'd death on his treacherous head, 
 
 I revoke all your sentences, and make 
 
 Him that was wrong'd full Master of his destiny, 450 
 
 Be thou his judge. 
 
 Adni. O farre be such injustice, 
 I know his doome is heavie, and I begge 
 Where mercy may be let into his sentence 
 For my sake you would soften it, I have 
 Glory enough to be set right in yours, 
 And my deare countries thought, and by an act 
 With such apparent notice to the world. 
 
 King. Expresse it in some joy then. 
 
 Adni. I will strive 
 To shew that pious gratitude to you but — 
 
 Kng. But w^hat 460 
 
 Adm. My frame hath lately sir beene tane a peeces, 
 And but now put together, the least force 
 Of mirth will shake and unjoynt all my reason. 
 Your patience royall sir. 
 
 King. He have no patience. 
 If thou forget the courage of a man. 
 
 Adm. My strength would flatter me. 
 
 King. Phisitians, 
 Now I begin to feare his apprehension. 
 Why how is Chabots spirit falne? 
 
 Qu. Twere best 
 He were convei'd to his bed. 
 
 Wif. How soone tum'd widdow. 
 
 Adm. Who would not wish to live to serve your good- 
 nes, 470 
 
 Stand from me, you betray me with your feares, 
 The plummets may fall off that hang upon 
 My heart, they were but thoughts at first, or if 
 They weigh me downe to death let not my eyes 
 
ii6 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Close with another object then the King, 
 Let him be last I looke on. 
 
 King. I would not have him lost for my whole King- 
 dome. 
 
 Con. He may recover sir. 
 
 King. I see it fall, 
 For Justice being the proppe of every Kingdome 
 And mine broke, violating him that was 480 
 
 The knot and contract of it all in him, 
 It already falling in my eare; 
 Pompey could heare it thunder, when the Senate 
 And Capitoll were deafe, so heavens loud chiding, 
 He have another sentence for my Chancellor, 
 Vnlesse my Chabot live. 
 In a Prince 
 
 What a swift executioner is a frowne. 
 Especially of great and noble soules; 
 How is it with my Philip? 
 
 Adm. I must begge 
 One other boone. 
 
 King. Vpon condition 490 
 
 My Chabot will collect his scatter 'd spirits. 
 And be himselfe agen, he shall divide 
 My Kingdome with me. 
 i Fa. Sweete King. 
 
 Adm. I observe 
 A fierce and killing wrath engendred in you ; 
 For my sake, as you wish me strength to serve you, 
 Forgive your Chancellor, let not the story 
 Of Philip Chabot read hereafter draw 
 A teare from any family, I beseech 
 Your royall mercy on his life, and free 
 Remission of all seasure upon his state, 500 
 
 I have no comfort else. 
 
 King. Endeavour 
 But thy owne health, and pronounce generall pardon 
 To all through France. 
 
 Adm. Sir I must kneele to thanke you, 
 
Tragedie of Chabot jjy 
 
 It is not seal'd else, your blest hand live happy, 
 May all you trust have no lesse faith then Chabot. 
 Oh. 
 
 W-if. His heart is broken. 
 
 Fa. And kneeling sir, 
 As his ambition were in death to shew 
 The truth of his obedience. 
 
 Con. I feard this issue. 
 
 Tre. Hees past hope. 
 
 King. He has a victory ins death, this world 510 
 
 Deserv'd him not, how soone he was translated 
 To glorious etemitie, tis too late 
 To fright the ayre with words, my teares embalme him. 
 
 Wif. What can become of me? 
 
 Qu. He be your husband Madam, and with care 
 Supply your childrens father, to your father 
 He be a sonne, in what our love or power 
 Can serve his friends, Chabot shall nere be wanting, 
 The greatest losse is mine, past scale or recompence, 
 We will proceede no further gainst the Chancellor, 520 
 To the charitie of our Admirall he owes 
 His life which ever banish 'd to a prison. 
 Shall not beget in us, or in the subject 
 New feares of his injustice, for his fortimes 
 Great and acquir'd corruptly, tis our will 
 They make just restitution for all wTongs 
 That shall within a yeare be prov'd against him; 
 O Chabot that shall boast as many monuments 
 As there be hearts in France, which as they grow, 
 Shall with more love enshrine thee. Kings they say, 530 
 Die not, or starve succession, oh why 
 Should that stand firme, and Kings themselves despaire, 
 To finde their subject still in the next heire. 
 
 Exeunt. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
ii8 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 NOTES. 
 Act I. 
 
 51. Timely. Indicating time. The word is seldom found in this 
 sense in Elizabethan English. Cf. Spenser, Faerie Queen. I, 
 5. 3. "timely voices." 
 73. Vulgar passes. Common or ordinary situations. 
 88. Tract. Course, movement, line of action. 
 
 XI 8-1 1 9 all combining 
 
 A gardian beyond the Phrigian knott, etc. 
 i. e. tying a Gordian knot that shall be so far superior to the 
 celebrated Phrygian knot, that the ingenuity of man shall 
 not be able to loose nor the sword to cut it. 
 
 136. Closely. Privately. 
 
 Hamlet, III, 1. 29. We have closely sent for Hamlet hither. 
 
 151. Apts. Makes fit, adjusts. Poetaster!, 1. If he be mine, he 
 shall follow and observe what I will apt him to. 
 
 x86. Informes. Gives form to, shape. 
 
 X90. Ambitious. A Latinism; circular, or moving in a circle, — an 
 exceedingly rare use of the word. 
 
 193. Cheverill. (M E. cheverelle <C O F. chevrele, -elle, kid, diminu- 
 tive of chevre.) Of the nature of cheverel leather: stretching, 
 flexible, pliable, elastic, yielding. Stubbes, Anatomy of 
 Abuses, II, 12. The lawiers have such chauerell consciences. 
 
 3 20. Shudder. Shudder, {i.e.) cause to shudder or be afraid. See 
 English Dialect Dictionary, s.v. shadder. Possibly the 
 word is a misprint for 'shatter ' or ' shadow.' 
 
 321. Statists. Statesmen, politicians. 
 
 Cymbeline, II, 4. 16: I do believe, statist though I am none, 
 that this will prove a war. 
 
 232. Precisian. One who gives vmdue attention to trifles. 
 
 as3 Service when they exact. One instance among many of 
 
 the familiar Elizabethan use of a pronoun differing in number 
 from its antecedent. 
 
 271. Your eithers rape. In M E. there are numerous examples of 
 the use of either with a pronoun in the same case. (See 
 New English Dictionary). After 1600 this use is rare. 
 
 316. Criance. A term used in falconry to denote the long fine line 
 or cord attached to a hawk's leash by which she is restrained 
 from flying away when being trained. 
 
 340. Censure. Judge, as always in Elizabethan English. 
 
 348, 349. The rather. Probably a play on two senses of the expres- 
 sion: in line 348, more ^Mxcfe/j'; in line 349, more w/^im^/^; 
 
Tragedie of Chahot 119 
 
 Act II. 
 21. Reward. Recompense or requite. Used 'by Shakespeare in 
 
 both a good and a bad sense. 
 46. But. Only. 
 173. Kinde. Birth, station. 
 
 Hamlet, 1,2 65. A little more than kin and less than kind. 
 275. Swinge. Sway, control. lyiduction, Mirror for Magistrates, 
 Stanza, 26. 
 
 That whilome here bare swinge among the best 
 
 284. Use. Practice or employ. 
 
 285. Informe. Mend, make better. 
 287. Reall. Faithful, loyal. 
 
 299. Fame. Report. 
 
 336. P avian thraldome. 
 
 Francis I was defeated and captured in the battle of Pavia 
 1525. He was liberated after ceding a large part of his domin- 
 ions to Charles V, not by paying a ransom. This is the only 
 speech that differentiates the king from any other sovereign of 
 France. If it were not for this personal reference the mon- 
 arch portrayed here by Chapman might be Henry III, or 
 Henry IV, as naturally as Francis I. 
 
 Act III. 
 36. Planet strooke. Affected by supposed influence"'' of planets. 
 
 182. Will make. Omission of the relative pronoun. 
 
 182. Tract. Course of life. 
 
 192. Square. Adjective used for noun. 
 
 220. Pioners. A sapper or miner; hence, figuratively, one who seeks 
 to accomplish an object by underhand means: here, intriguing 
 politicians. 
 
 307. Vantcurriers (Ft., properly avant-courriers). Fore-runners. 
 
 328. Gyantism against heaven. An allusion to the strife of the Giants 
 or Titans against Jupiter and his throne. 
 
 332. Infround or respected. A misprint for "informed or suspected." 
 Dyce and Shepherd retain "respected," but insert a semi- 
 colon. There is no warrant for this insertion which makes an 
 unnecessary change in the meaning of the passage. 
 
 354. Conscience. A synonym in Elizabethan times for consciousness, 
 but probably here a misprint for conscious. The passage, 11. 
 352-355, is a fair example of Chapman's involved, often 
 ungrammatical, style. The meaning evidently is: "Conscious 
 of that truth that gave my actions life when they were ques- 
 tioned, I have justified my merits and services to the king." 
 
 370. Hath brought forth nought but some ridiculous vermine. An 
 evident reminiscence of the familiar line of Horace; Par- 
 turiunt mantes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Ars Poetica, 1 139- 
 
120 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 393. Chines. Backs. 
 
 449. Pitifull. Used in a contemptuous sense, or perhaps, ironically. 
 
 450. On this side, and on this side, this capitall I. After the first word 
 
 "side" V should be inserted. The line is meaningless as 
 printed in all editions. 
 
 Act IV. 
 
 73. House-genious. Household genius or god, lares penates, 
 130. Curious. Exact, fastidious. 
 148-149. Who still are busie taking off their snuff es, 
 But for their profit sake will adde no oyle. 
 That is, the care-takers of the lamps are busy taking off the 
 charred portions of the wicks, because they keep the money 
 intended for the purchase of oil. 
 159. Quit. Requite, repay. 
 260. Equall. A Latinism (aequus) ; fair, just, impartial. So also in 
 
 1. 388. 
 316. Touch. Defect, fault. 
 
 Troilus and Cressida, III, 3. 175. 
 
 One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. 
 323. Souse. The familiar French sous. 
 371. Contemperature. Harmonious mixture. 
 
 439. Compurgators. Witnesses: used in the Mediaeval sense of one 
 who bore testimony to the innocence or truth of the person 
 accused. 
 
 Act V. 
 ao. Her. Their. 
 
 33. Nice. Delicate: in a bad sense. 
 75. Inpostume. A purient swelling; an abscess. 
 
 90. Centaures blood. An allusion to the blood of Nessus which 
 Deianira used to poison the shirt of Hercules. 
 
 96. Descant. An extemporaneous part or accompaniment played to a 
 
 given melody. 
 
 97. Numerous. Consisting of numbers; hence melodious, harmoni- 
 
 ous. 
 231. Austria. A misprint for Astrsea, the goddess of innocence and 
 
 daughter of Themis, Justice. 
 286. Parmisan. Parmesan: a cheese made in Parma. 
 363. Kinde. Natural. 
 399. Infirme. The transitive use of this verb was common in the 
 
 sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. 
 515-533. The quarto gives this speech to the Queen, but the 
 
 context shows that it belongs to the King. 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 121 
 
 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 
 
 I. TEXTS. 
 
 1639, 4°. — The Tragedie of Chabot, Admirall of France . . . , 
 written by George Chapman and James Shirly. London. 
 
 1833, 8°. — The Works of James Shirley, edited by Alexander Dyce, 
 6 vols., Vol. VI. 
 
 1874, 8°. — The Works of George Chapman, edited by R. H. Shep- 
 herd, 3 vols., Plays, Vol. I. 
 
 II. WORKS BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL. 
 
 1691. — An Account of the English Dramatic Poets, by G. Lang- 
 baine, p. 477. 
 
 1833. — The Works of James Shirley, edited by Alexander Dyce, I, xix. 
 
 1833. — Life and Writings of James Shirley, Quarterly Review, XLIX, 
 p. 29, note. 
 
 1873. — Chapman's Dramatic Works, edited by John Pearson, I, xxviii- 
 xxix. 
 
 1874. — Essay on the Poetical and Dramatic Works of George Chap- 
 man, A. C. Swinburne, prefixed to the Works of George Chapman, 
 Translations and Minor Poems, pp. xliv-xlv. 
 
 1875. — A History of English Dramatic Literature, A. W. Ward, 2 
 vols., Vol. II, p. 32. 
 
 1887. — George Chapman, A. H. Bullen, Dictionary of National Biog- 
 raphy, X, 51. 
 
 1891. — A Biographical Chronicle of the English Drama, F. G. 
 Fleay, II, 241. 
 
 1895. — The Best Plays of George Chapman, edited by W. L. Phelps, 
 P- 23. 
 
 1897. — James Shirley, A. W. Ward, Dictionary of National Biography, 
 LII. 133- 
 
 1897. — QuELLEN — Studien zu Den Dramen George Chapman's, Philip 
 Massinger's und John Ford's, E. Koeppel, pp. 52-61. Strassburg. 
 
 1899. — A History of English Dramatic Literature, A. W. Ward, 
 3 vols., Vol. II, 444. 
 
Tragedie of Chabot 
 
 123 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Achilles, 7. 
 Advocate, 24. 
 Apsley, William, 9 
 Arnoldus^ Paulus JoviuSj 29. 
 
 Bacon, Francis, 35, 36, 37. 
 Baker, D. E., 26. 
 Baligny, 17, 18. 
 Ball, The, 26. 
 
 Beaumont, Count, 12, 14, 
 Beeston, Christopher, 27. 
 Biron, Duke of, 7, ix, 12, 13, 14. 
 Blind Beggar of Alexander, The, 6 
 Boas, Frederick, 22, 23. 
 Brantone, Pierre de Bourdeille, 
 
 10. 
 Bussy D'Ambois, 7, 9, 10, li, 25, 26. 
 Byron's Conspiracy, 11, 12, 13. 
 Byron's Tragedy, 7, 12, 13, 22. 
 
 CcEsar and Pompey, 24. 
 Cayet, Pierre Victor, 12, 23. 
 Chabot, Admiral of France, 28, 29, 
 
 30, 31, 32, 2,Z, 34, 35, 36. 
 Charlotte, 17, 18. 
 Chester, Robert, 8. 
 Civil Wars in France, The, 9. 
 Conspiracie and Tragedie of 
 
 Charles, Duke of Byron, The, 
 
 II, 34 
 CooKE, William, 24, 26. 
 Cotes, Thomas, 24, 26. 
 Crane, Mr., 14, 15. 
 Crequie, 13. 
 
 Crooke, Andrew, 24, 26. 
 Cupid, 13. 
 
 D'Ambois, Bussy, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19. 
 D'Ambois, Clermont, 7, 17, 18, 19. 
 
 D'Auvergne, Comte, 7, 18. 
 Dekker, Thomas, 9. 
 De Saulx, Gaspard, 32, 34. 
 De Serres, Jean, 12, 18, 23, 29. 
 De Thou, August, 10. 
 Dobell, Bertram, 14, 25. 
 Drayton, Michael, 9. 
 Drummond, William, 8. 
 Dyce, Alexander, 24, 27. 
 
 Eastzuard Hoe, 8. 
 Eld, George, ii, 23. 
 Elizabeth, Queen, 5, 12, 13, 14. 
 Essex, Earl of, 35, 36. 
 Example, The, 26. 
 
 Fleay, F. G., 12, 24, 27, 35. 
 
 France, Queen of (wife of Fran- 
 cis I), 28, 30, 31. 
 
 France, Queen of (wife of Henry 
 IV), 13, 16, 17. 
 
 Francis I, 28, 30, 32, 23. 
 
 Gamester, The, 26. 
 Gentleman Usher, The, 22. 
 Gifford, William, 27. 
 Greene, Robert, 6. 
 Grimeston, Edward, 23, 34. 
 Guise, Duchess of, 19. 
 Guise, Duke of, 7, 9, 10, 17, 18, IQ. 
 21, 22. 
 
 Hamlet, 7. 
 Helme, John, 17. 
 Henry HI, 10, 24. 
 Henry IV, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13. 
 Henslowe, Philip, 9, 11, 18. 
 Herbert, Sir Henry, 16, 24, 26, 27. 
 Hero and Leander, 6. 
 
124 
 
 Tragedies of Chapman 
 
 Historic Sui Temporis Pars 
 
 Quarta, lo. 
 Histoire de France, etc., i8. 
 Horatio, 7. 
 Howard, Sir Thomas, 23. 
 
 In Sejanum Ben. Jonsoni et Musis 
 et Sibi in Deliciis, 8. 
 
 Invective written by Mr. George 
 Chapman against Mr. Ben Jon- 
 son, 8. 
 
 Inventaire General de I'Histoire de 
 France, 18. 
 
 Inventorie, A General, of the His- 
 toric of France, etc., 23. 
 
 James I, 37. 
 JoNSON, Ben, 8. 
 
 KoEPPEL, Emil, 7, 10, 12, 14, 18, 22, 
 29. 
 
 Lady of Pleasure, The, 26. 
 La Fin, 11. 
 
 Langbaine, Gerard, 29. 
 Lennox, Duke of, 14, 15, 16. 
 Longeus, Mart., 29. 
 Love's Martyr, 8. 
 Lyly, John, 6. 
 
 Maillard, 17. 
 
 Marlowe, Christopher, 6, 9, 10. 
 
 Marston, John, 8. 
 
 Massacre at Paris, The, 6, 9, 11. 
 
 Matthieu, Pierre, 12, 14, 18, 23. 
 
 Mezeray, Francois Eudes de, 29, 
 
 Monsieur (brother to Henry HI), 
 
 9, 10, 19. 
 Montmorencie, Constable of 
 
 France, 28, 30, 34. 
 Montsurry, Coun,., 10. 
 Montsurry, Countess, 10. 
 
 Northward Ho, 35. 
 
 Pasquier, Etienne, 29, 30, 31, 32, 
 
 33, 34, 35. 
 Peele, George, 6. 
 Pero, II. 
 Philip H, 22. 
 Poeyet, Chancellor, 28, 30, 33, 34, 
 
 35, 36, 37- 
 Proctor General, 24, 32, 35, 36. 
 
 Queen's Men, 26. 
 
 Recherches de la France, Les, 29. 
 Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois, The, 
 7, 17, 23, 34- 
 
 Satiro — Mastix, 11. 
 Savoy, Duke of, 11. 
 Secretary, 30. 
 Shadow of Night, 6. 
 Shakespeare, William, 6, 7, 8, 35. 
 Shirley, James, 8, 24, 25, 26, 27, 
 
 28, 35- 
 Strozza, 22. 
 Swinburne, A. C, 24, 27. 
 
 Tamburlaine, 7. 
 
 Tavannes, Seigneur de, 32, 34. 
 
 Thorppe, Thomas, ii. 
 
 Tragedie of Chabot, Admiral of 
 
 France, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30. 
 Treasurer, 30. 
 Troilus and Cressida, 7. 
 
 Ulysses, 7. 
 
 Verneuil, Mademoiselle,- 13. 
 
 Von Raumer, F. L. G., 13. 
 
 Ward, A. W., 24, 27. 
 
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