What means the trolling of this fatal chime? O what a trembling horror strikes my heart! My stiffened hair stands upright on my head, As do the bristles of a porcupine. * * * * * Coreb, is't thou? I know thee well; I hear the watchful dogs, With hollow howling, tell of thy approach. The lights burn dim, affrighted with thy presence, And this distempered and tempestuous night Tells me the air is troubled with some devil! Dryden certainly appears to have had the old play in his memory though he has far excelled it. 21. On the evening previous to the assassination, the Seigneur de Larchant accosted the duke as he passed from his own lodging to the king's, accompanied by a body of soldiers, who, he pretended, were petitioners for the duke's interest, to obtain payment of their arrears, and would attend at the door of the council next day, to remind him of their case. This pretext was to account for the unusual number of guards, which might otherwise have excited G uise's suspicion. 22. _Intanto il Duca entrato nel consiglio, e pustosi in una sedia vicina al fuoco si senti un poco di svenimento, o che allora, gli sovcenisse il pericolo, net quale si ritrovava, separato e diviso da tutti i suoi, o che natura, come bene spesso avviene, presaga del mal futuro da se medesima allora si risentizze, o come dissero i suoi malevoli, per essere stato la medesima notte con Madama di Marmoutiere amata grandemente da lui, e essersi soverchiamente debilitato._ Davila, Lib. ix.] 23. The murder of Guise was perpetrated in the Anti-chamber, before the door of the king's cabinet. Lognac, a gentleman of the king's chamber, and a creature of the late duke de Joyeuse, commanded the assassins, who were eight in number. The duke never was able to unsheath his sword, being slain with many wounds as he grappled with Lognac. The king himself was in the cabinet, and listened to the murderous scuffle, till the noise of Guise's fall announced its termination. The cardinal of Guise, and the archbishop of Lyons were also within hearing, and were arrested, while they were endeavouring to call their attendants to Guise's assistance. The cardinal was next day murdered by Da Gast, to whose custody he had been commuted.]