Scene VII

Enter Ramus in his studie.

RAMUS
What fearfull cries come from the river Sene,
That fright poore Ramus sitting at his book?
I feare the Guisians have past the bridge,
And meane once more to menace me.

Enter Taleus.

TALEUS
Flye Ramus flye, if thou wilt save thy life.

RAMUS
Tell me Taleus, wherfore should I flye?

TALEUS
The Guisians are hard at thy doore,
And meane to murder us:
Harke, harke they come, Ile leap out at the window.

[Runs out from studie.]

RAMUS
Sweet Taleus stay.

Enter Gonzago and Retes.

GONZAGO
Who goes there?

RETES
Tis Taleus, Ramus bedfellow.

GONZAGO
What art thou?

TALEUS
I am as Ramus is, a Christian.

RETES
O let him goe, he is a catholick.

Exit Taleus.

Enter Ramus [out of his studie].

GONZAGO
Come Ramus, more golde, or thou shalt have the stabbe.

RAMUS
Alas I am a scholler, how should I have golde?
All that I have is but my stipend from the King,
Which is no sooner receiv'd but it is spent.

Enter the Guise and Anjoy [, Dumaine, Mountsorrell,
with soldiers].

ANJOY
Whom have you there?

RETES
Tis Ramus, the Kings professor of Logick.

GUISE
Stab him.

RAMUS
O good my Lord,
Wherein hath Ramus been so offencious?

GUISE
Marry sir, in having a smack in all,
And yet didst never sound any thing to the depth.
Was it not thou that scoff'dst the Organon,
And said it was a heape of vanities?
He that will be a flat decotamest,
And seen in nothing but Epitomies:
Is in your judgment thought a learned man.
And he forsooth must goe and preach in Germany:
Excepting against Doctors actions,
And ipse dixi with this quidditie,
Argumentum testimonis est in arte partialis.
To contradict which, I say Ramus shall dye:
How answere you that? your nego argumentum
Cannot serve, Sirrah, kill him.

RAMUS
O good my Lord, let me but speak a word.

ANJOY
Well, say on.

RAMUS
Not for my life doe I desire this pause,
But in my latter houre to purge my selfe,
In that I know the things that I have wrote,
Which as I heare one Shekins takes it ill,
Because my places being but three, contain all his:
I knew the Organon to be confusde,
And I reduc'd it into better forme.
And this for Aristotle will I say,
That he that despiseth him, can nere
Be good in Logick or Philosophie.
And thats because the blockish Sorbonests
Attribute as much unto their workes,
As to the service of the eternall God.

GUISE
Why suffer you that peasant to declaime?
Stab him I say and send him to his freends in hell.

ANJOY