Bussy D'Ambois and The Revenge of Bussy D'AmboisChapman, George
General
Bussy D'Ambois and The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois
Chapman, George
Bussy d'Amboise, 1549?-1579 -- Drama; English drama -- 17th century; Revenge -- Drama; Tragedies (Drama)
_Tam._ O, servant, help, and save me from the gripes
Of shame and infamy. Our love is knowne;
Your Monsieur hath a paper where is writ
Some secret tokens that decipher it. 30
_Buss._ What cold dull Northern brain, what foole but he,
Durst take into his Epimethean breast
A box of such plagues as the danger yeelds
Incur'd in this discovery? He had better
Ventur'd his breast in the consuming reach 35
Of the hot surfets cast out of the clouds,
Or stood the bullets that (to wreak the skie)
The Cyclops ramme in Joves artillerie.
_Fri._ We soone will take the darknesse from his face
That did that deed of darknesse; we will know 40
What now the Monsieur and your husband doe;
What is contain'd within the secret paper
Offer'd by Monsieur, and your loves events.
To which ends (honour'd daughter) at your motion
I have put on these exorcising rites, 45
And, by my power of learned holinesse
Vouchsaft me from above, I will command
Our resolution of a raised spirit.
_Tam._ Good father, raise him in some beauteous forme,
That with least terror I may brook his sight. 50
_Fri._ Stand sure together, then, what ere you see,
And stir not, as ye tender all our lives.
_He puts on his robes._
_Occidentalium legionum spiritualium imperator
(magnus ille Behemoth) veni, veni, comitatus cum
Asaroth locotenente invicto. Adjuro te, per Stygis 55
inscrutabilia arcana, per ipsos irremeabiles anfractus
Averni: adesto ô Behemoth, tu cui pervia sunt
Magnatum scrinia; veni, per Noctis & tenebrarum
abdita profundissima; per labentia sydera; per ipsos
motus horarum furtivos, Hecatesq[ue] altum silentium! 60
Appare in forma spiritali, lucente, splendida,
& amabili!_
_Thunder. Ascendit [Behemoth with Cartophylax and other
spirits]._
_Behemoth._ What would the holy frier?
_Fri._ I would see
What now the Monsieur and Mountsurrie doe,
And see the secret paper that the Monsieur 65
Offer'd to Count Montsurry; longing much
To know on what events the secret loves
Of these two honour'd persons shall arrive.
_Beh._ Why calledst thou me to this accursed light,
To these light purposes? I am Emperor 70
Of that inscrutable darknesse, where are hid
All deepest truths, and secrets never seene,
All which I know; and command legions
Of knowing spirits that can doe more then these.
Any of this my guard that circle me 75
In these blew fires, and out of whose dim fumes
Vast murmurs use to break, and from their sounds
Articulat voyces, can doe ten parts more
Than open such sleight truths as you require.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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