Chapter 9

Ch.What of the army?Fer.Led off in captive gangs to serve the Moor.Ch.Alas for us and them. Thou canst not save.We are all enslavèd, all undone.Fer.Be so,Tame, cagèd wills, the off-scourings of fortune,841Mere counters of disaster! I will not yield.Ch.Yield, prince, for us, who left our homes so farTo serve under thy banner; whom thine armHath led to slavery—O prince, set them free,Whom thou hast bound.—Restore us. Pay the price.Fer.Can ye forget?Ch.Nay, we remember wellEstremadura, we remember Tagus,The banks of Guadiana, and our homesAmong the vineyards; Ezla we remember,850Obidos and Alenquer, where the treesShadow the village steps, and on the slopesOur gardens bloom: where cold Montego lavesThe fertile valleys ’mong the hills of Beira:Our country we remember, and the voicesOf wives and children, by whose tears we pray,Despise us not. See on our knees we bow,And by God’s love pray thee deliver us.[They all kneel to Ferdinand.Fer.Ah, wretched rebels! hath a little hardshipMelted the metal from you? I see ye are dross860Quite to the bottom. These hands that ye raiseShould have smote down the foe. Being as ye are,How took ye upon you to defend the cross?Doth not the shame of capture and defeatSuffice, but ye must kneel to beg the additionOf treason and betrayal, to deliverYour worthless bodies from the pains that yeHave thousandfold deserved? My brethren are ye?Nay, I’ll not look upon you.[Turns away.Re-enter Almeh and Zapel.Al.Lo, what is this?Ch.O gracious kind princess,Plead for us now.Al.What would ye?870Fer.Noble lady,I have a title to thy heart’s compassionGreater than these my countrymen, whose woesHave moved thy spirit; and by that kindness in thee,As by that beauty,—may I use the nameOf what I only worship,—I beseech theeHear them not speak, lest thou misjudge me much.Al.Rise, friends: ere I can help you, I must knowWhat boon ye sue for.Fer.Not so: lest thou addTo theirs thy prayer, too strong to be denied.880Al.What fear’st thou that my voice might win for them?Fer.Ask not of them nor me.Al.Thou must dissuadeMy pity, or meet it where ’tis first engaged.Fer.Then hear the truth from me. They vainly begTheir liberty.Al.From thee?Fer.Ay, lady.Al.How!For this I too was lately on my knees;But that was to the king. What power hast thouTo grant this; or, being able, why deniest?Fer.They think at least that they would share my freedom,If I went forth: wherefore they urge me do890For them the thing I will not for myself.Al.And what is that?Fer.Thy father hath appointedThe town of Ceuta for my ransom, lady.Al.And that lies then within thy power to grant?Fer.So far as ’tis within the power of himWho scorns base actions to commit the basest.Al.My sire, prince, hath a right and titled claim.Fer.Christ hath erased all titles with his cross;And by that sign reclaims the world he made.Al.I know, prince, thou art generous; for thou gavest900Life to thine enemy: and for that giftI am thy friend. ’Tis for thyself I plead.The king hath nothing nearer to his heartThan this possession: ’tis thy life’s condition.Yield where thou must.Fer.I hold my life as nought.Al.Then, prince, tho’not for these, nor for thyselfThou wilt be bent, nor to my sire wilt yield;Yet for the sake of holy peace submit;For pity of all our people and thine own,Whom pride will slay: think of the myriad woundsSoftness may staunch; and how kings have no honour911Above the keeping of their folk in peace.Fer.Is’t in thy creed man shall buy peace of heavenBy selling honour? O nay. Let the kingBut take my life, and count my blood enoughTo be one slave’s redemption; there were thenNo cause to kneel. Yea, wouldst thou shew me kindness,Make this thy prayer. Go back unto thy sire,And sue that he will graciously, as the exchangeFor these men’s freedom, kill me, or in their pitBury me alive.920Al.Alas, alas!Fer.If now my words in pleading for myselfHave hurt thee, lady, forgive them: nay, weep not.Until I saw thy pity for my sake,I had no woe to bear.Al.And woe it isTo see such suffering wrought by man on man,And seek to heal it with a woman’s words.Fer.Lady, I need not pity: there’s no fortuneI have not heart for.Al.Now I see these menHave gentler hearts than thou: they gave me comfort930Receiving my compassion; thou’rt too proud.Fer.For I was shamed seeing a woman weepVainly for what I suffer without tears.Al.I too am bred to shows.—Prince: I was sentTo fetch thee to the house. Attend the summons.My father sits to dinner, and enquiresWherefore thou tarriest. Of thy courtesyPlay our good guest with freedom; for the kingWill use no more constraint, than as thy healthAnd princely state require.Fer.I will obey thee.Al.And not my father?940Fer.Him, lady, perforce;But thee most cheerfully. To thee no lessAm I a captive.[Exeunt Almeh and Ferdinand and Zapel.Chorus.(The leader(1)speaks, answered by others.)Now see we hope, friends: God hath sentHis best and nearest messengerFor our deliverance.—Ch.Who is he?—(1.) What, hast thou eyes, and couldst not see?—Ch.If by thy hasty boast is meantThe sudden love upsprungBetween Christ’s champion and the heathen maid,950’Tis withered on thy tongue.—(1.) Heathen how call’st thou her,Our pitying angel who hath been,And from our mouth the word of truth received?—Ch.Hath she believed?—(1.) How shall not love persuade,Now fallen to water God’s own seed,And in such soil?—Ch.If she confess,’Twill but the more our tyrant’s anger feedWith tenfold torture to oppress,Or end us all at a stroke.—960(1.)And so might be.But hark ye what I whisper. Mark. Ye seeHow in this garden one permitted hourEach day we wander free....Ch.Ay, ay—an hour a day—what should this mean?—(1.) By their good help, secretly armed, I say....Ch.What sayst thou? Armed!—go on.—(1.) How easy ’twere to findOccasion ...Ch.When the foe is gone to fightThou meanest?—(1.)Ay, thou’rt right....970Ch.And so to overpowerThe few men left behind.—(1.) See ye—Ch.Ay, ay. Well done!Convert our high-walled prison to a fortress strong—To Ceuta horse a courier—or all at nightMake our escape by flight.—Each choosing a swift steed.—Better await until they sendA rescue.—Nay, how longCould we sustain the fight?980(1.) Now tell me, was I wrongSpeaking of hope?Ch.Nay, nay.We make thee leader.—Show the wayTo bring this soon about.(1.)Mark me. I sayThis is no council-chamber, and I fear,Unless we now make end,Joy will exalt our voices to betrayOur hope, ere ’tis well founded. Let us returnSubmissively to our pit, and as we goSing a strain full of woe,990That, reaching to the princess’ear,May work upon her, that she yearnTo set us free. With step and voice I lead.Follow.Ch.We give thee heed.—[Going, singing as they go.

Ch.What of the army?

Fer.Led off in captive gangs to serve the Moor.

Ch.Alas for us and them. Thou canst not save.We are all enslavèd, all undone.

Ch.Alas for us and them. Thou canst not save.

We are all enslavèd, all undone.

Fer.Be so,Tame, cagèd wills, the off-scourings of fortune,841Mere counters of disaster! I will not yield.

Fer.Be so,

Tame, cagèd wills, the off-scourings of fortune,

Mere counters of disaster! I will not yield.

Ch.Yield, prince, for us, who left our homes so farTo serve under thy banner; whom thine armHath led to slavery—O prince, set them free,Whom thou hast bound.—Restore us. Pay the price.

Ch.Yield, prince, for us, who left our homes so far

To serve under thy banner; whom thine arm

Hath led to slavery—O prince, set them free,

Whom thou hast bound.—Restore us. Pay the price.

Fer.Can ye forget?

Ch.Nay, we remember wellEstremadura, we remember Tagus,The banks of Guadiana, and our homesAmong the vineyards; Ezla we remember,850Obidos and Alenquer, where the treesShadow the village steps, and on the slopesOur gardens bloom: where cold Montego lavesThe fertile valleys ’mong the hills of Beira:Our country we remember, and the voicesOf wives and children, by whose tears we pray,Despise us not. See on our knees we bow,And by God’s love pray thee deliver us.[They all kneel to Ferdinand.

Ch.Nay, we remember well

Estremadura, we remember Tagus,

The banks of Guadiana, and our homes

Among the vineyards; Ezla we remember,

Obidos and Alenquer, where the trees

Shadow the village steps, and on the slopes

Our gardens bloom: where cold Montego laves

The fertile valleys ’mong the hills of Beira:

Our country we remember, and the voices

Of wives and children, by whose tears we pray,

Despise us not. See on our knees we bow,

And by God’s love pray thee deliver us.

[They all kneel to Ferdinand.

Fer.Ah, wretched rebels! hath a little hardshipMelted the metal from you? I see ye are dross860Quite to the bottom. These hands that ye raiseShould have smote down the foe. Being as ye are,How took ye upon you to defend the cross?Doth not the shame of capture and defeatSuffice, but ye must kneel to beg the additionOf treason and betrayal, to deliverYour worthless bodies from the pains that yeHave thousandfold deserved? My brethren are ye?Nay, I’ll not look upon you.[Turns away.

Fer.Ah, wretched rebels! hath a little hardship

Melted the metal from you? I see ye are dross

Quite to the bottom. These hands that ye raise

Should have smote down the foe. Being as ye are,

How took ye upon you to defend the cross?

Doth not the shame of capture and defeat

Suffice, but ye must kneel to beg the addition

Of treason and betrayal, to deliver

Your worthless bodies from the pains that ye

Have thousandfold deserved? My brethren are ye?

Nay, I’ll not look upon you.[Turns away.

Re-enter Almeh and Zapel.

Al.Lo, what is this?

Ch.O gracious kind princess,Plead for us now.

Ch.O gracious kind princess,

Plead for us now.

Al.What would ye?

870Fer.Noble lady,I have a title to thy heart’s compassionGreater than these my countrymen, whose woesHave moved thy spirit; and by that kindness in thee,As by that beauty,—may I use the nameOf what I only worship,—I beseech theeHear them not speak, lest thou misjudge me much.

Fer.Noble lady,

I have a title to thy heart’s compassion

Greater than these my countrymen, whose woes

Have moved thy spirit; and by that kindness in thee,

As by that beauty,—may I use the name

Of what I only worship,—I beseech thee

Hear them not speak, lest thou misjudge me much.

Al.Rise, friends: ere I can help you, I must knowWhat boon ye sue for.

Al.Rise, friends: ere I can help you, I must know

What boon ye sue for.

Fer.Not so: lest thou addTo theirs thy prayer, too strong to be denied.

Fer.Not so: lest thou add

To theirs thy prayer, too strong to be denied.

880Al.What fear’st thou that my voice might win for them?

Al.What fear’st thou that my voice might win for them?

Fer.Ask not of them nor me.

Al.Thou must dissuadeMy pity, or meet it where ’tis first engaged.

Al.Thou must dissuade

My pity, or meet it where ’tis first engaged.

Fer.Then hear the truth from me. They vainly begTheir liberty.

Fer.Then hear the truth from me. They vainly beg

Their liberty.

Al.From thee?

Fer.Ay, lady.

Al.How!For this I too was lately on my knees;But that was to the king. What power hast thouTo grant this; or, being able, why deniest?

Al.How!

For this I too was lately on my knees;

But that was to the king. What power hast thou

To grant this; or, being able, why deniest?

Fer.They think at least that they would share my freedom,If I went forth: wherefore they urge me do890For them the thing I will not for myself.

Fer.They think at least that they would share my freedom,

If I went forth: wherefore they urge me do

For them the thing I will not for myself.

Al.And what is that?

Fer.Thy father hath appointedThe town of Ceuta for my ransom, lady.

Fer.Thy father hath appointed

The town of Ceuta for my ransom, lady.

Al.And that lies then within thy power to grant?

Fer.So far as ’tis within the power of himWho scorns base actions to commit the basest.

Fer.So far as ’tis within the power of him

Who scorns base actions to commit the basest.

Al.My sire, prince, hath a right and titled claim.

Fer.Christ hath erased all titles with his cross;And by that sign reclaims the world he made.

Fer.Christ hath erased all titles with his cross;

And by that sign reclaims the world he made.

Al.I know, prince, thou art generous; for thou gavest900Life to thine enemy: and for that giftI am thy friend. ’Tis for thyself I plead.The king hath nothing nearer to his heartThan this possession: ’tis thy life’s condition.Yield where thou must.

Al.I know, prince, thou art generous; for thou gavest

Life to thine enemy: and for that gift

I am thy friend. ’Tis for thyself I plead.

The king hath nothing nearer to his heart

Than this possession: ’tis thy life’s condition.

Yield where thou must.

Fer.I hold my life as nought.

Al.Then, prince, tho’not for these, nor for thyselfThou wilt be bent, nor to my sire wilt yield;Yet for the sake of holy peace submit;For pity of all our people and thine own,Whom pride will slay: think of the myriad woundsSoftness may staunch; and how kings have no honour911Above the keeping of their folk in peace.

Al.Then, prince, tho’not for these, nor for thyself

Thou wilt be bent, nor to my sire wilt yield;

Yet for the sake of holy peace submit;

For pity of all our people and thine own,

Whom pride will slay: think of the myriad wounds

Softness may staunch; and how kings have no honour

Above the keeping of their folk in peace.

Fer.Is’t in thy creed man shall buy peace of heavenBy selling honour? O nay. Let the kingBut take my life, and count my blood enoughTo be one slave’s redemption; there were thenNo cause to kneel. Yea, wouldst thou shew me kindness,Make this thy prayer. Go back unto thy sire,And sue that he will graciously, as the exchangeFor these men’s freedom, kill me, or in their pitBury me alive.

Fer.Is’t in thy creed man shall buy peace of heaven

By selling honour? O nay. Let the king

But take my life, and count my blood enough

To be one slave’s redemption; there were then

No cause to kneel. Yea, wouldst thou shew me kindness,

Make this thy prayer. Go back unto thy sire,

And sue that he will graciously, as the exchange

For these men’s freedom, kill me, or in their pit

Bury me alive.

920Al.Alas, alas!

Al.Alas, alas!

Fer.If now my words in pleading for myselfHave hurt thee, lady, forgive them: nay, weep not.Until I saw thy pity for my sake,I had no woe to bear.

Fer.If now my words in pleading for myself

Have hurt thee, lady, forgive them: nay, weep not.

Until I saw thy pity for my sake,

I had no woe to bear.

Al.And woe it isTo see such suffering wrought by man on man,And seek to heal it with a woman’s words.

Al.And woe it is

To see such suffering wrought by man on man,

And seek to heal it with a woman’s words.

Fer.Lady, I need not pity: there’s no fortuneI have not heart for.

Fer.Lady, I need not pity: there’s no fortune

I have not heart for.

Al.Now I see these menHave gentler hearts than thou: they gave me comfort930Receiving my compassion; thou’rt too proud.

Al.Now I see these men

Have gentler hearts than thou: they gave me comfort

Receiving my compassion; thou’rt too proud.

Fer.For I was shamed seeing a woman weepVainly for what I suffer without tears.

Fer.For I was shamed seeing a woman weep

Vainly for what I suffer without tears.

Al.I too am bred to shows.—Prince: I was sentTo fetch thee to the house. Attend the summons.My father sits to dinner, and enquiresWherefore thou tarriest. Of thy courtesyPlay our good guest with freedom; for the kingWill use no more constraint, than as thy healthAnd princely state require.

Al.I too am bred to shows.—Prince: I was sent

To fetch thee to the house. Attend the summons.

My father sits to dinner, and enquires

Wherefore thou tarriest. Of thy courtesy

Play our good guest with freedom; for the king

Will use no more constraint, than as thy health

And princely state require.

Fer.I will obey thee.

Al.And not my father?

940Fer.Him, lady, perforce;But thee most cheerfully. To thee no lessAm I a captive.

Fer.Him, lady, perforce;

But thee most cheerfully. To thee no less

Am I a captive.

[Exeunt Almeh and Ferdinand and Zapel.

Chorus.(The leader(1)speaks, answered by others.)

Now see we hope, friends: God hath sentHis best and nearest messengerFor our deliverance.—

Now see we hope, friends: God hath sent

His best and nearest messenger

For our deliverance.—

Ch.Who is he?—

(1.) What, hast thou eyes, and couldst not see?—

Ch.If by thy hasty boast is meantThe sudden love upsprungBetween Christ’s champion and the heathen maid,950’Tis withered on thy tongue.—

Ch.If by thy hasty boast is meant

The sudden love upsprung

Between Christ’s champion and the heathen maid,

’Tis withered on thy tongue.—

(1.) Heathen how call’st thou her,Our pitying angel who hath been,And from our mouth the word of truth received?—

(1.) Heathen how call’st thou her,

Our pitying angel who hath been,

And from our mouth the word of truth received?—

Ch.Hath she believed?—

(1.) How shall not love persuade,Now fallen to water God’s own seed,And in such soil?—

(1.) How shall not love persuade,

Now fallen to water God’s own seed,

And in such soil?—

Ch.If she confess,’Twill but the more our tyrant’s anger feedWith tenfold torture to oppress,Or end us all at a stroke.—

Ch.If she confess,

’Twill but the more our tyrant’s anger feed

With tenfold torture to oppress,

Or end us all at a stroke.—

960(1.)And so might be.But hark ye what I whisper. Mark. Ye seeHow in this garden one permitted hourEach day we wander free....

(1.)And so might be.

But hark ye what I whisper. Mark. Ye see

How in this garden one permitted hour

Each day we wander free....

Ch.Ay, ay—an hour a day—what should this mean?—

(1.) By their good help, secretly armed, I say....

Ch.What sayst thou? Armed!—go on.—

(1.) How easy ’twere to findOccasion ...

(1.) How easy ’twere to find

Occasion ...

Ch.When the foe is gone to fightThou meanest?—

Ch.When the foe is gone to fight

Thou meanest?—

(1.)Ay, thou’rt right....

970Ch.And so to overpowerThe few men left behind.—(1.) See ye—

Ch.And so to overpower

The few men left behind.—

(1.) See ye—

Ch.Ay, ay. Well done!Convert our high-walled prison to a fortress strong—To Ceuta horse a courier—or all at nightMake our escape by flight.—Each choosing a swift steed.—Better await until they sendA rescue.—Nay, how longCould we sustain the fight?

Ch.Ay, ay. Well done!

Convert our high-walled prison to a fortress strong—

To Ceuta horse a courier—or all at night

Make our escape by flight.—

Each choosing a swift steed.—

Better await until they send

A rescue.—Nay, how long

Could we sustain the fight?

980(1.) Now tell me, was I wrongSpeaking of hope?

(1.) Now tell me, was I wrong

Speaking of hope?

Ch.Nay, nay.We make thee leader.—Show the wayTo bring this soon about.

Ch.Nay, nay.

We make thee leader.—Show the way

To bring this soon about.

(1.)Mark me. I sayThis is no council-chamber, and I fear,Unless we now make end,Joy will exalt our voices to betrayOur hope, ere ’tis well founded. Let us returnSubmissively to our pit, and as we goSing a strain full of woe,990That, reaching to the princess’ear,May work upon her, that she yearnTo set us free. With step and voice I lead.Follow.

(1.)Mark me. I say

This is no council-chamber, and I fear,

Unless we now make end,

Joy will exalt our voices to betray

Our hope, ere ’tis well founded. Let us return

Submissively to our pit, and as we go

Sing a strain full of woe,

That, reaching to the princess’ear,

May work upon her, that she yearn

To set us free. With step and voice I lead.

Follow.

Ch.We give thee heed.—[Going, singing as they go.

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