The Traverse is drawn.

The King rises from his Chair, comes forward with his Cabinet-council.

King. Open the closet, and let in the council; Bid Dugast execute the cardinal;

Seize all the factious leaders, as I ordered,
And every one be answered, on your lives.

Enter Queen-Mother followed by the Counsellors.
O, madam, you are welcome; how goes your health?
Qu. M. A little mended, sir.-What have you done?
King. That which has made me king of France;
for there

The king of Paris at your feet lies dead.

Qu. M. You have cut out dangerous work, but make it up

With speed and resolution*.

King. Yes, I'll wear

The fox no longer, but put on the lion;

And since I could resolve to take the heads
Of this great insurrection, you, the members,
Look to it; beware, turn from your stubbornness,
And learn to know nfe, for I will be king.

Gril. 'Sdeath, how the traitors lower, and quake, and droop,

And gather to the wing of his protection,

Literally from Davila: "Ora comparse il Re, le dimanda egli primo, come ella stava ; al quale avendo risposto che si sentisse meglio, egli ripiglid: Ancor io mi trovo ora molto meglio, perchè questa mattina son fatto Re di Francia avendo fatto morire il Re di Parigi. Alle quali parole replicò la Reina: Voi avete fatto morire il Duca di Guisa, ma Dio voglia che non siate ora fatto Re da niente; avete tagliato bene, non so, se cucirete così bene. Avete voi preveduti i mali, che sono per succedere? Provvedetevi diligentemente. Due cose sono necessarie, prestezza e risoluzione. Lib. ix.

As if they were his friends, and fought his cause!
King. [Looking upon GUISE.]

Be witness, heaven, I gave him treble warning!
He's gone-no more.-Disperse, and think upon it.
Beware my sword, which, if I once unsheath,
By all the reverence due to thrones and crowns,
Nought shall atone the vows of speedy justice,
Till fate to ruin every traitor brings,

That dares the vengeance of indulgent kings.

[Exeunt.

EPILOGUE.

WRITTEN BY MR DRYDEN *.

SPOKEN BY MRS. COOK.

MUCH time and trouble this poor play has cost;
And, 'faith, I doubted once the cause was lost.
Yet no one man was meant, nor great, nor small;
Our poets, like frank gamesters, threw at all.
They took no single aim :-

But, like bold boys, true to their prince, and hearty,
Huzza'd, and fired broadsides at the whole party.
Duels are crimes; but, when the cause is right,

In battle every man is bound to fight.

For what should hinder me to sell my skin,

Dear as I could, if once my hand were in?

Se defendendo never was a sin.

"Tis a fine world, my masters! right or wrong,

The Whigs must talk, and Tories hold their tongue.

They must do all they can,

But we, forsooth, must bear a christian mind;

And fight, like boys, with one hand tied behind;

Nay, and when one boy's down, 'twere wond'rous wise,
To cry,-box fair, and give him time to rise.
When fortune favours, none but fools will dally;
Would any of you sparks, if Nan, or Mally,
Tip you the inviting wink, stand, shall I, shall I ?
A Trimmer cried, (that heard me tell this story)
Fie, mistress Cook, 'faith you're too rank a Tory!
Wish not Whigs hanged, but pity their bard cases;
You women love to see men make wry faces.—
Pray, sir, said I, don't think me such a Jew;

I

say no more, but give the devil his due.—

There is in Mr Bindley's collection another Epilogue, which appears to have been originally subjoined to the Duke of Guise." It is extremely coarse; and as the author himself suppressed it, the editor will not do his better judgment the injustice to revive it.

Lenitives, says he, suit best with our condition.-
Jack Ketch, says I, is an excellent physician.—
I love no blood.—Nor I, sir, as I breathe;
But hanging is a fine dry kind of death.-
We Trimmers are for holding all things even.-
Yes; just like him that hung 'twixt hell and heaven.—
Have we not had men's lives enough already?-
Yes, sure: but you're for holding all things steady.
Now since the weight hangs all on one side, brother,
You Trimmers should, to poize it, hang on t'other.
Damned neuters, in their middle way of steering,
Are neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red-herring :
Not Whigs, nor Tories they; nor this, nor that;
Not birds, nor beasts; but just a kind of bat:
A twilight animal, true to neither cause,

With Tory wings, but Whigish teeth and claws↑.

The Trimmers, a body small and unpopular, as must always be the case with those, who in violent times declare for moderate and temporising measures, were headed by the ingenious and politic Halifax. He had much of the confidence, at least of the countenance of Charles, who was divided betwixt tenderness for Monmouth, and love of ease, on the one hand, and, on the other, desire of arbitrary power, and something like fear of the duke of York. Halifax repeatedly prevented each of these parties from subjugating the other, and his ambidexter services seem to have been rewarded by the sincere hatred of both. In 1688 was published a vindication of this party, entitled," the Character of a Trimmer;" and his opinion of,-I. The laws of government. II. Protestant Religion. III. Foreign affairs. By the Hon. Sir William Coventry.