_Mel._ No, not a stronger, but more popular. Their births were full opposed, the Guise now strongest But if the ill influence pass o'er Harry's head, As in a year it will, France ne'er shall boast A greater king than he; now cut him off, While yet his stars are weak. _Mal._ Thou talk'st of stars: Can'st thou not see more deep into events, And by a surer way? _Mel._ No, Malicorn; The ways of heaven are broken since our fall, Gulph beyond gulph, and never to be shot. Once we could read our mighty Maker's mind, As in a crystal mirror, see the ideas Of things that always are, as he is always; Now, shut below in this dark sphere, By second causes dimly we may guess, And peep far off on heaven's revolving orbs, Which cast obscure reflections from the throne. _Mal._ Then tell me thy surmises of the future. _Mel._ I took the revolution of the year, Just when the Sun was entering in the Ham: The ascending Scorpion poisoned all the sky, A sign of deep deceit and treachery. Full on his cusp his angry master sate, Conjoined with Saturn, baleful both to man: Of secret slaughters, empires overturned, Strife, blood, and massacres, expect to hear, And all the events of an ill-omened year. _Mal._ Then flourish hell, and mighty mischief reign! Mischief, to some, to others must be good. But hark! for now, though 'tis the dead of night, When silence broods upon our darkened world, Methinks I hear a murmuring hollow sound, Like the deaf chimes of bells in steeples touched. _Mel._ It is truly guessed; But know, 'tis from no nightly sexton's hand. There's not a damned ghost, nor hell-born fiend, That can from limbo 'scape, but hither flies; With leathern wings they beat the dusky skies, To sacred churches all in swarms repair; Some crowd the spires, but most the hallowed bells, } And softly toll for souls departing knells: } Each chime, thou hear'st, a future death foretells, } Now there they perch to have them in their eyes, 'Till all go loaded to the nether skies[15]. _Mal._ To-morrow then. _Mel._ To-morrow let it be; Or thou deceiv'st those hungry, gaping fiends, And Beelzebub will rage. _Mal._ Why Beelzebub? hast thou not often said, That Lucifer's your king? _Mel._ I told thee true; But Lucifer, as he who foremost fell, So now lies lowest in the abyss of hell, Chained till the dreadful doom; in place of whom Sits Beelzebub, vicegerent of the damned, Who, listening downward, hears his roaring lord, And executes his purpose.--But no more[16]. The morning creeps behind yon eastern hill, And now the guard is mine, to drive the elves, And foolish fairies, from their moonlight play, And lash the laggers from the sight of day. [_Descends._ [_Exit_ MAL. SCENE III. _Enter_ GUISE, MAYENNE, CARDINAL, _and_ ARCHBISHOP. _May._ Sullen, methinks, and slow the morning breaks, As if the sun were listless to appear, And dark designs hung heavy on the day.