This song, according to the invariable practice of the scribblers
on both sides, was answered by a new Ignoramus.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

The King of France. Duke of GUISE. Duke of MAYENNE.  GRILLON, Colonel of the Guard. ALPHONSO CORSO, a Colonel. BELLEURE, a Courtier. ABBOT DEL BENE, } Royalists. M. MONFERT, } The Cardinal of GUISE. } Archbishop of LYONS. } POLIN, } AUMALE, } Of Guise’s BUSSY, } Faction. The Curate of St EUSTACE, } MALICORN, a Necromancer, } MELANAX, a Spirit, } Two Sheriffs, Citizens and Rabble, &c.

Queen Mother.
MARMOUTIERE, Niece to GRILLON.

SCENE,—­Paris.

THE DUKE OF GUISE.

ACT I.

SCENE I.—­The Council of Sixteen seated; an empty Chair prepared for the Duke of Guise.

BUSSY and POLIN, two of the Sixteen.

Buss. Lights there! more lights!  What, burn the tapers dim, When glorious Guise, the Moses, Gideon, David, The saviour of the nation, makes approach?

Pol. And therefore are we met; the whole sixteen,
That sway the crowd of Paris, guide their votes,
Manage their purses, persons, fortunes, lives,
To mount the Guise, where merit calls him, high,
And give him a whole heaven for room to shine.

  Enter Curate of St EUSTACE.

Buss. The curate of St Eustace comes at last:  But, father, why so late?

Cur. I have been taking godly pains to satisfy some scruples raised amongst weak brothers of our party, that were staggering in the cause.

Pol. What could they find to object?

Cur. They thought, to arm against the king was treason.

Buss. I hope you set them right?

Cur. Yes; and for answer, I produced this book. 
A Calvinist minister of Orleans
Writ this, to justify the admiral
For taking arms against the king deceased;
Wherein he proves, that irreligious kings
May justly be deposed, and put to death.

Buss. To borrow arguments from heretic books, Methinks, was not so prudent.

Cur. Yes; from the devil, if it would help our cause. 
The author was indeed a heretic;
The matter of the book is good and pious.

Pol. But one prime article of our Holy League Is to preserve the king, his power, and person.

Cur. That must be said, you know, for decency; A pretty blind to make the shoot secure.

Buss. But did the primitive Christians e’er rebel, When under heathen lords?  I hope they did.

Cur. No sure, they did not; for they had not power; The conscience of a people is their power.