Make haste, Amintas,come away,The Sun is up and will not stay;And oh how very short’s a Lover’sDay!Make haste, Amintas,to this Grove,Beneath whose Shade so oft I’ve sat,And heard my dear lay’d Swain repeat,How much heGalatea _lov’d;Whilst all the listening Birds around,Sung to the Musick of the blessed Sound.
Make haste, Amintas,come away,The Sun is up and will not stay;And oh how very short’s a Lover’s Day!
Swain enters, with Shepherds and Shepherdesses, and Pipes.
I hear thy charming Voice, my Fair,And see, bright Nymph, thy Swain is here;Who his Devotions had much earlier paid,But that a Lamb of thine was stray’d;And I the little Wanderer have brought,That with one angry Look from thy fair Eyes,Thou may’st the little Fugitive chastise,Too great a Punishment for any Fault.Come, Galatea,haste away,The Sun is up and will not stay,And oh how very short’s a Lover’s Day! [Dance.
King. How likesFlorellathis?
Flor. Sir, all Delight’s so banish’d from my Soul, I’ve lost the Taste of every single Joy.
Abd. God’s! this is fine! Give me your Art of Flattery,Or something more of this, will ruin me—Tho I’ve resolv’d her Death, yet whilst she’s mine,I would not have her blown by Summer Flies.
Phil. Mark how he snarls upon the King! The Cur will bite anon.
Abd. Come, myFlorella, is’t not Bed-time, Love?
Flor. I’ll wait upon you, Sir. [Going out.
Phil. The Moor has ta’en away, we may depart.
Abd. What has he ta’en away? [Turns about.
Phil. The fine gay play-thing, that made us all so merry.
Abd. Was this your Sport? [To his Wife.
King.Abdelazer, keep your way—Good night, fair Creature!
Abd. I will obey for once.
[Ex. Abd.andFlor.
King. Why this Resentment, Brother, and in publick?
Phil. Because he gives me Cause, and that in Publick.And, Sir, I was not born to bear with Insolence;I saw him dart Revenge from both his Eyes,And bite his angry Lip between his Teeth,To keep his Jealousy from breaking forth,Which, when it does—stand fast, my King.
King. But,Philip, we will find a way to check him; Till when we must dissemble—take my Counsel—Good night.
Phil. I cannot, nor I will not—yet good Night.[ExitKing,and all butPhilip’sParty.Well, Friends, I see the King will sleep away his Anger,And tamely see us murder’d by this Moor;But I’ll be active, Boys—Therefore,Antonio, you command the Horse;Get what more Numbers to our Cause you can:’.is a good Cause, and will advance our Credit.We will awake this King out of his Lethargy of Love,And make him absolute—Go to your Charge,And early in the Morning I’ll be with you—[Ex. all butPhil.If all fail, Portugal shall be my Refuge,Those whom so late I conquer’d, shall protect me—But this Alanzo I shou’d make an Interest in;Cou’d I but flatter—’tis a Youth that’s brave.
EnterCardinalin haste.
Men. Fly, fly, my Prince, we are betray’d and lost else.
Phil. Betray’d and lost! Dreams, idle Coward Dreams.
Men. Sir, by my Holy Order, I’m in earnest, And you must either quickly fly, or die; ’.is so ordain’d—nor have I time to tell By what strange Miracle I learn’d our Fate.
Phil. Nor care I, I will stay, and brave it.
Men. That, Sir, you shall not, there’s no safety here, And ‘tis the Army only can secure us.
Phil. Where had you this Intelligence?
Men. I’ll tell you as we go to my Apartment;Where we must put ourselves in Holy Dress;For so the Guards are set in every Place,(And those all Moors, the Slaves ofAbdelazer)That ‘tis impossible in any other Habit to escape.Come, haste with me, and let us put ‘em on.
Phil. I had rather stay and kill till I am weary— Let’s to the Queen’s Apartment and seize this Moor; I’m sure there the Mongrel’s kennel’d.
Men. Sir, we lose time in talking—Come with me.
Phil. Where be these lousy Gaberdines?
Men. I will conduct you to ‘em.
Phil. Mother—and Moor, farewel, I’ll visit you again; and if I do, My black Infernal, I will conjure you.
[Exeunt.
EnterAbdelazerandZarrack.
Zar. Osmin(my Lord) by this has done his Task, AndPhilipis no more among the living: Will you not rest to night?
Abd. Is this a time for Sleep and Idleness—dull Slaves?
Zar. The Bus’ness we have Order, Sir, to do, We can without your Aid.
EnterOsmin.
Abd. Osmin!Thy ominous Looks presage an ill Success;Thy Eyes no joyful News of Murders tell:I thought I shou’d have seen thee drest in Blood—Speak! Speak thy News—Say that he lives, and let it be thy last.
Osm. Yes, Sir, he lives.
Abd. Lives! thou ly’st, base Coward—lives!—renounce thy Gods! It were a Sin less dangerous—speak again.
Osm. Sir,Philiplives.
Abd. Oh treacherous Slave!
Osm. Not by my Fault, by Heav’n!
Abd. By what curst Chance, If not from thee, could he evade his Fate?
Osm. By some Intelligence from his good Angel.
Abd. From his good Devil! Gods! must the Earth another Day at once Bear him and me alive?
Osm. Another Day!—an Age for ought I know; For, Sir, the Prince is fled, the Cardinal too.
Abd. Fled! fled—say’st thou? Oh, I cou’d curse the Stars, that rule this Night: ’.is to the Camp they’re fled; the only Refuge That Gods, or Men cou’d give ‘em— Where got you this Intelligence?
Osm. My Lord, inquiring for the PrinceAt the Apartment of the Cardinal, (whither he went)His Pages answer’d me, he was at his Devotions:A lucky time (I thought) to do the Deed;And breaking in, found only their empty Habits,And a poor sleepy Groom, who with much threatning,Confess’d that they were fled, in holy Robes.
Abd. That Case of Sanctity was first ordain’d,To cheat the honest World:Twas an unlucky Chance—but we are idle—Let’s see, how from this ill, we may advance a good—[Pauses.’.is now dead time of Night, when Rapes, and MurdersAre hid beneath the horrid Veil of Darkness—I’ll ring thro all the Court, with doleful SoundThe sad Alarms of Murder—Murder—Zarrack,Take up thy standing yonder—Osmin, thouAt the Queen’s Apartment—cry out, Murder:Whilst I, like his ill Genius, do awake the King;Perhaps in this Disorder I may kill him. [Aside.—Treason—Murder—Murder—Treason.
EnterAlonzo,and Courtiers.
Alon. What dismal Crys are these?—
Abd. Where is the King?—Treason—Murder! Where—is the sleeping Queen?—Arise, arise.
Osm. The Devil taught him all his Arts of Falshood. [Aside.
EnterKingin a Night-Gown, with Lights.
King. Who frights our quiet Slumbers with this Noise?
EnterQueenand Women, with Lights.
Qu. Was it a Dream, or did I hear the Sound Of Treason, call me from my silent Griefs?
King. Who rais’d this Rumour,Abdelazer, you?
Abd. I did, Great Sir.
King. Your Reasons.
Abd. Oh Sir, your BrotherPhilip, and the Cardinal,Both animated by a Sense of Wrongs,(And envying, Sir, the Fortune of your Slave)Had laid a Plot this Night, to murder you:And ‘cause they knew it was my waiting Night,They wou’d have laid the Treason, Sir, on me.
King. The Cardinal, and my Brother! bring them forth, Their Lives shall answer it.
Abd. Sir, ‘tis impossible: For when they found their Villany discover’d, They in two Friers Habits made escape.
King. That Cardinal is subtle, and ambitious, And from himPhiliplearnt his dangerous Principles.
Qu. The Ambition of the one infects the other,And they are both too dangerous to live—But might a Mother’s Counsel be obey’d,I wou’d advise you, send the valiant MoorTo fetch ‘em back, e’er they can reach the Camp:For thither they are fled—where they will findA Welcome fatal to us all.
King. Madam, you counsel well; and,Abdelazer,Make it your Care to fetch these Traitors back,Not only for my Safety, and the Kingdom’s,But as they are your Enemies; and th’ envious WorldWill say, you made this story to undo ‘em.
Abd. Sir, I’ll obey; nor will I know repose, Till I have justify’d this fatal Truth. [Abd.goes to theQueen,and talks to her.
King. Mean time I will to myFlorella’sLodging,Silence, and Night, are the best Advocates [Aside.To plead a Lover’s Cause—Abdelazer—haste.Madam, I’ll wait on you to your Chamber.
Abd. Sir, that’s my Duty.
King. Madam, good Night—Alonzo, to your rest. [Ex. all butQu.andAbd.
Qu. Philipescap’d!Oh, that I were upon some Desart Shoar,Where I might only to the Waves and WindsBreathe out my Sense of Rage for this Defeat.
Abd. Oh, ‘tis no time for Rage, but Action, Madam.
Qu. Give me but any Hopes of blest Revenge, And I will be as calm as happy Lovers.
Abd. There is a way, and is but that alone; But such a way, as never must be nam’d.
Qu. How! not be nam’d! Oh, swear thou hat’st me rather, It were a Torment equal to thy Silence.
Abd. I’ll shew my Passion rather in that Silence.
Qu. Kind Torturer, what mean’st thou?
Abd. To shew you, Madam, I had rather live Wrong’d and contemn’d byPhilip, Than have your dearer Name made infamous.
Qu. Heavens! dost thou mock my Rage? can any SinI could commit, undo my Honour moreThan his late Insolence?Oh, name me something may revenge that Shame:I wou’d encounter killing Plagues, or Fire,To meet it—Come, oh quickly give me ease.
Abd. I dare no more reveal the guilty Secret, Than you dare execute it when ‘tis told.
Qu. How little I am understood by thee— Come, tell me instantly, for I grow impatient; You shall obey me—nay, I do command you.
Abd. Durst you proclaim—Philipa Bastard, Madam?
Qu. Hah! proclaim my self—what he wou’d have me thought! What mean’st thou?—
Abd. Instruct you in the way to your Revenge.
Qu. Upon my self thou meanest—
Abd. No—He’s now fled to th’ Camp, where he’ll be fortify’dBeyond our Power to hurt, but by this means;Which takes away his Hopes of being a King,(For he’d no other Aim in taking Arms)And leaves him open to the People’s Scorn;Whom own’d as King, Numbers wou’d assist him,And then our Lives he may dispose,As he has done our Honours.
Qu. There’s Reason in thy Words: but oh my Fame!
Abd. Which I, by Heaven, am much more tender of,Than my own Life or Honour; and I’ve a wayTo save that too, which I’ll at leisure tell you.In the mean time send for your Confessor,And with a borrow’d Penitence confess,Their IdolPhilipis a Bastard;And zealously pretend you’re urg’d by Conscience,A cheap Pretence to cozen Fools withal.
Qu. Revenge, although I court you with my fatal Ruin, I must enjoy thee: there’s no other way, And I’m resolv’d upon the mighty Pleasure; He has profan’d my purer Flame for thee, And merits to partake the Infamy. [He leads her out.
Abd. Now have at my young King—I know he means to cuckold me to Night,Whilst he believes I’ll tamely step aside—No, letPhilipand the Cardinal gain the Camp,I will not hinder ‘em—I have a nobler Sacrifice to makeTo my declining Honour, shall redeem it,And pay it back with Interest—well, then in order to’t,I’ll watch about the Lodgings ofFlorella,And if I see this hot young Lover enter,I’ll save my Wife the trouble of allayingThe amorous Heat—this—will more nimbly do’t,[Snatches out his Dagger.And do it once for all—
EnterFlorellain her Night-Clothes.
Flor. MyAbdelazer—why in that fierce posture, As if thy Thoughts were always bent on Death? Why is that Dagger out?—against whom drawn?
Abd. Or stay,—suppose I let him seeFlorella, And when he’s high with the expected Bliss, Then take him thus—Oh, ‘twere a fine surprize!
Flor. My Lord—dearAbdelazer.
Abd. Or say—I made her kill him—that were yet An Action much more worthy of my Vengeance.
Flor. Will you not speak to me? what have I done?
Abd. By Heaven, it shall be so.
Flor. What shall be so?
Abd. Hah—
Flor. Why dost thou dress thy Eyes in such unusual wonder? There’s nothing here that is a stranger to thee, Or what is not intirely thine own.
Abd. Mine!
Flor. Thou canst not doubt it.
Abd. No,—and for a proof that thou art so,—take this Dagger.
Flor. Alas, Sir!—what to do?
Abd. To stab a Heart,Florella, a Heart that loves thee.
Flor. Heaven forbid!
Abd. No matter what Heaven will, I say it must—
Flor. What must?
Abd. That Dagger must enter the Heart of him That loves thee best,Florella;—guess the Man.
Flor. What means my Moor? Wouldst thou have me kill thy self?
Abd. Yes—when I love thee better than the King.
Flor. Ah, Sir! what mean you?
Abd. To have you kill this King,When next he does pursue thee with his Love—What, do you weep?—By Heaven, they shall be bloody Tears then.
Flor. I shall deserve them—when I suffer Love That is not fit to hear;—but for the King, That which he pays me, is so innocent—
Abd. So innocent! damn thy dissembling Tongue;Did I not see, with what fierce wishing EyesHe gazed upon thy Face, whilst yours as wantonlyReturned, and understood the amorous Language?
Flor. Admit it true, that such his Passions were,As (Heaven’s my witness) I’ve no cause to fear;Have not I Virtue to resist his Flame,Without a pointed Steel?
Abd. Your Virtue!—Curse on the weak Defence;Your Virtue’s equal to his Innocence.Here, take this Dagger, and if this Night he visit thee,When he least thinks on’t—send it to his Heart.
Flor. If you suspect me, do not leave me, Sir.
Abd. Oh—I’m dispatch’d away—to leave you free—About a wonderful Affair—mean time,I know you will be visited—but as you wish to live,At my return let me behold him dead.—Be sure you do’t—’tis for thy Honour’s safety—I love thee so, that I can take no rest,Till thou hast kill’d thy Image in his Breast.—Adieu, my dearFlorella.[Exit_.
Flor. Murder my King! the Man that loves me too—What Fiend, what Fury such an act wou’d do?My trembling Hand wou’d not the Weapon bear,And I should sooner strike it here—than there.[Pointing to her Breast.No! though of all I am, this Hand aloneIs what thou canst command, as being thy own;Yet this has plighted no such cruel Vow;No Duty binds me to obey thee ‘now.To save my King’s, my Life I will expose,No Martyr dies in a more glorious Cause.
[Exit.
Enter theQueenin an undress alone, with a Light.
Qu. Thou grateful Night, to whom all happy LoversMake their devout and humble Invocations;Thou Court of Silence, where the God of Love,Lays by the awful Terror of a Deity,And every harmful Dart, and deals aroundHis kind Desires; whilst thou, blest Friend to Joys,Draw’st all thy Curtains, made of gloomy Shades,To veil the Blushes of soft yielding Maids;Beneath thy Covert grant the Love-sick King,May find admittance toFlorella’sArms;And being there, keep back the busy Day;Maintain thy Empire till my Moor returns;Where in her Lodgings he shall find his Wife,Amidst her amorous Dalliance with my Son.—My watchful Spies are waiting for the Knowledge;Which when to me imparted, I’ll improve,Till my Revenge be equal to my Love.EnterElvira.—Elvira, in thy Looks I read Success;What hast thou learnt?
Elv. Madam, the King is gone as you imagin’d, To fairFlorella’sLodging.
Qu. But art thou sure he gain’d Admittance?
Elv. Yes, Madam; But what Welcome he has found, to me’s unknown; But I believe it must be great, and kind.
Qu. I am of thy Opinion.—But now,Elvira, for a well-laid Plot,To ruin thisFlorella;—though she be innocent,Yet she must die; so hard a DestinyMy Passion for her Husband does decree:But ‘tis the way I stop at.—His Jealousy already I have rais’d;That’s not enough, his Honour must be touch’d.This Meeting twixt the King and fairFlorella,Must then be render’d publick;’.is the Disgrace, not Action, must incense him—Go you to DonAlonzo’sLodging strait,Whilst I prepare my Story for his Ear.—[Exit Elvira.Assist me all that’s ill in Woman-kind,And furnish me with Sighs, and feigned Tears,That may express a Grief for this Discovery.—My Son, be like thy Mother, hot and bold;And like the noble Ravisher of Rome,Court her with Daggers, when thy Tongue grows faint,Till thou hast made a Conquest o’er her Virtue.EnterAlonzo, Elvira.—Oh,Alonzo, I have strange News to tell thee!
Alon. It must be strange indeed, that makes my Queen Dress her fair Eyes in Sorrow.
Qu. It is a Dress that thou wilt be in love with, When thou shalt hear my Story.— You had a Sister once.
Alon. Had!
Qu. Yes, had,—whilst she was like thy self, all Virtue; Till her bewitching Eyes kindled such Flames, As will undo us all.
Alon. My Sister, Madam! sure it cannot be:— What Eyes? what Flames?—inform me strait.
Qu. Alonzo, thou art honest, just and brave:And should I tell thee more,—(Knowing thy Loyalty’s above all Nature)It would oblige thee to commit an Outrage,Which baser Spirits will call Cruelty.
Alon. Gods, Madam! do not praise my Virtue thus,Which is so poor, it scarce affords me patienceTo attend the end of what you wou’d deliver—Come, Madam, say my Sister—is a Whore.I know ‘tis so you mean; and being so,Where shall I kneel for Justice?Since he that shou’d afford it me,Has made her Criminal.—Pardon me, Madam, ‘tis the King I mean.
Qu. I grieve to own, all thy prophetick Fears Are true,Alonzo, ‘tis indeed the King.
Alon. Then I’m disarm’d, For Heaven can only punish him.
Qu. But,Alonzo,Whilst that religious Patience dwells about thee,All Spain must suffer, nay, Ages that shall ensueShall curse thy Name, and Family;From whom a Race of Bastards shall proceed,To wear that Crown.
Alon. No, Madam, not for mine,My Sister’s in my power, her Honour’s mine;I can command her Life, though not my King’s.Her Mother is a Saint, and shou’d she nowLook down from Heaven upon a Deed so foul,I think even there she wou’d invent a Curse,To thunder on her Head.—But, Madam, whence was this Intelligence?
Qu. Elvirasaw the King enter her Lodgings, With Lover’s haste, and Joy.
Alon. Her Lodgings!—when?
Qu. Now, not an Hour ago, Now, since the Moor departed.
Alon. Damnation on her! can she be thus false?Come, lead me to the Lodgings of this Strumpet,And make me see this truth, [ToElvira.Or I will leave thee dead, for thus abusing me.
Qu. Nay, dearAlonzo, do not go inrag’d,Stay till your Temper wears a calmer look;That if, by chance, you shou’d behold the Wantons,In little harmless Dalliance, such as Lovers(Aided with Silence, and the shades of Night)May possibly commit,You may not do that which you may repent of.
Alon. Gods! should I play the Pander! And with my Patience, aid the amorous Sin— No, I shall scarce have so much Tameness left, To mind me of my Duty to my King. Ye Gods! behold the Sacrifice I make To my lost Honour: behold, and aid my Justice. [Ex. Alon.
Qu. It will concern me too to see this Wonder, For yet I scarce can credit it.
[Exeunt.
Enter theKing,leading inFlorellaall in fear.
Flor. Ah, Sir, the Gods and you would be more merciful,If by a Death less cruel than my Fears,You would preserve my Honour; begin it quickly,And after that I will retain my Duty,And at your Feet breathe Thanks in dying Sighs.
King. Where learnt you, Fairest, so much CrueltyTo charge me with the Power of injuring thee?Not from my Eyes, where Love and LanguishmentToo sensibly inform thee of my Heart.
Flor. Call it not Injury, Sir, to free my SoulFrom fears which such a Visit must create,In dead of Night, when nought but frightful GhostsOf restless Souls departed walk the Round.
King. That fleeting thing am I, whom all Repose,All Joys, and every good of Life abandon’d,That fatal Hour thou gavest thy self away;And I was doom’d to endless Desperation:Yet whilst I liv’d, all glorious with my hopes,Some sacred Treasures in thy Breast I hid,And near thee still my greedy Soul will hover.
Flor. Ah, rather like a Ravisher you come, With Love and Fierceness in your dangerous Eyes; And both will equally be fatal to me.
King. Oh, do not fear me, as the fairLucretiaDid the fierce Roman Youth; I mean no Rapes,Thou canst not think that I wou’d force those Joys,Which cease to be so, when compell’d,Florella—No, I would sooner pierce this faithful Heart,Whose Flame appears too criminal for your Mercy.
Flor. Why do you fright me, Sir? methinks your LooksAll pale, your Eyes thus fixt, and trembling Hands,The awful Horror of the dark and silent Night,Strike a cold Terror round my fainting Heart,That does presage some fatal Accident.
King. ‘Tis in your cruel Eyes the Danger lies—Wou’d you receive me with that usual Tenderness,Which did express it self in every Smile,I should dismiss tin’s Horror from my Face,And place again its native Calmness there;And all my Veins shall re-assume their Heat,And with a new and grateful Ardour beat.
Flor. Sir, all my Soul is taken up with fear,And you advance your Fate, by staying here—Fly, fly, this place of Death—ifAbdelazerShou’d find you here—all the DivinityAbout your sacred Person could not guard you.
King. Ah, myFlorella, cease thy needless Fear,And in thy Soul let nothing reign but Love;Love, that with soft Desires may fill thy Eyes,And save thy Tongue the pain t’ instruct my Heart,In the most grateful Knowledge Heaven can give me.
Flor. That Knowledge, Sir, wou’d make us both more wretched,Since you, I know, wou’d still be wishing on,And I shou’d grant, till we were both undone.And, Sir, how little she were worth your care,Cou’d part with all her honourable Fame,For an inglorious Life—short and despis’d—
King. Canst thou believe a Flame thy Eyes have kindled,Can urge me to an infamous pursuit?—No, myFlorella, I adore thy Virtue,And none profane those Shrines, to whom they offer;—Say but thou lov’st—and I thus low will bow—[Kneels.And sue to thee, to be my Sovereign Queen?I’ll circle thy bright Forehead with the CrownsOfCastile, Portugal, andArragon;And all those petty Kingdoms, which do bowTheir Tributary Knees to thy Adorer.
Flor. Ah, Sir! have you forgot my sacred Vow? All that I am, isAbdelazer’snow.
King. By Heav’n, it was a sacrilegious Theft; But I the Treasure from his Breast will tear, And reach his Heart, though thou art seated there.
Flor. A Deed like that my Virtue wou’d undo,And leave a Stain upon your Glories too;A Sin, that wou’d my Hate, not Passion move;I owe a Duty, where I cannot love.
King. Thou think’st it then no Sin to kill thy King; For I must die, without thy Love,Florella.
Flor. How tamely, Sir, you with the Serpent play, Whose fatal Poison must your Life betray; And though a King, cannot divine your Fate; Kings only differ from the Gods in that.— See, Sir, with this—I am your Murderer made; [Holds up a Dagger. By those we love, we soonest are betray’d.
King. How! can that fair Hand acquaint it self with Death? —What wilt thou do,Florella?
Flor. Your Destiny divert, And give my Heart those Wounds design’d for yours. —If you advance, I’ll give the deadly Blow.
King. Hold!—I command thee hold thy impious Hand, My Heart dwells there, and if you strike—I die.
EnterQueen, Alonzo,andElvira.
Qu. Florella! arm’d against the King? [Snatches the Dagger and stabs her: theKingrises. Oh Traitress!
King. Hold, hold, inhuman Murdress; What hast thou done, most barbarous of thy Sex! [TakesFlor.in his Arms.
Qu. Destroy’d thy Murdress,—and my too fair Rival. [Aside.
King. My Murdress!—what Devil did inspire theeWith Thoughts so black and sinful? cou’d this fair SaintBe guilty of a Murder?—No, no, too cruel Mother,With her Eyes, her charming lovely Eyes,She might have kill’d, and her too virtuous Cruelty.—Oh myFlorella! Sacred lovely Creature!
Flor. My Death was kind, since it prevented yours,And by that Hand, which sav’d mine from a Guilt.[Points to theQueen.—That Dagger I receiv’d ofAbdelazer,To stab that Heart,—he said, that lov’d me best;But I design’d to overcome your Passion,And then to have vanquish’dAbdelazer’sJealousy:But finding you too faithful to be happy,I did resolve to die—and have my wish.—Farewel—my King—my Soul begins its flight,—And now—is hovering—in eternal—Night.[Dies.
King. She’s gone—she’s gone—her sacred Soul is fled To that Divinity, of which it is a part; Too excellent to inhabit Earthly Bodies.
Alon. Oh, Sir, you grieve too much, for one so foul.
King. What profane Breath was that pronounc’d her foul? Thy Mother’s Soul, though turn’d into a Cherubim, Was black to hers—Oh, she was all divine. —Alonzo, was it thou?—her Brother!
Alon. When she was good, I own’d that Title, Sir.
King. Good!—by all the Gods, she was as chaste as Vestals,As Saints translated to Divine Abodes.I offer’d her to be my Queen,Alonzo,To share the growing Glories of my Youth;But uncorrupted she my Crown contemn’d,And on her Virtue’s Guard stood thus defended.[Alon.weeps.—Oh myFlorella! let me here lie fix’d,[Kneels.And never rise, till I am cold and paleAs thou, fair Saint, art now—But sureShe cou’d not die;—that noble generous Heart,That arm’d with Love and Honour, did rebateAll the fierce Sieges of my amorous Flame,Might sure defend it self against those WoundsGiven by a Woman’s Hand,—or rather ‘twas a Devil’s.[Rises.—What dost thou merit for this Treachery?Thou vilest of thy Sex—But thou’rt a thing I have miscall’d a Mother,And therefore will not touch thee—live to sufferBy a more shameful way;—but here she lies,Whom I, though dead, must still adore as living.
Alon. Sir, pray retire, there’s danger in your stay;When I reflect upon this Night’s Disorder,And the Queen’s Art to raise my Jealousy;And after that my Sister’s being murder’d,I must believe there is some deeper Plot,Something design’d against your sacred Person.
King. Alonzo, raise the Court, I’ll find it, [Ex. Alonzo. Tho ‘twere hid within my Mother’s Soul.
Qu. My gentle Son, pardon my kind mistake, I did believe her arm’d against thy Life.
King. Peace, Fury! Not ill boding Raven Shrieks,Nor midnight Cries of murder’d Ghosts, are moreUngrateful, than thy faint and dull Excuses.—Be gone! and trouble not the silent Griefs,Which will insensibly decay my Life,Till like a Marble Statue I am fixt,Dropping continual Tears upon her Tomb.[Kneels and—weeps atFlorella’sFeet.
Abd. [Within]. Guard all the Chamber-Doors—Fire and ConfusionConsume theSpanishDogs—was I for thisSent to fetch back aPhilip, and a Cardinal,To have my Wife abus’d?
EnterAbdelazer.
Qu. Patience, dearAbdelazer.
Abd. Patience and I am Foes: where’s myFlorella? The King! and inFlorella’sBed-Chamber!Florelladead too!— Rise, thou eternal Author of my Shame; Gay thing—to you I speak, [Kingrises. And thus throw off Allegiance.
Qu. Oh, stay your Fury, generousAbdelazer.
Abd. Away, fond Woman. [Throws her from him.
King. Villain, to me this Language?
Abd. To thee, young amorous King. How at this dead and silent time of Night, Durst you approach the Lodgings of my Wife?
King. I scorn to answer thee.
Abd. I’ll search it in thy Heart then.
[They fight, QueenandElv.run out crying Treason.
King. The Devil’s not yet ready for his Soul, And will not claim his due.—Oh, I am wounded. [Falls.
Abd. No doubt on’t, Sir, these are no Wounds of Love.
King. Whate’er they be, you might have spar’d ‘em now,Since thoseFlorellagive me were sufficient:—And yet a little longer, fixing thusThou’dst seen me turn to Earth, without thy aid.Florella!—Florella!—is thy Soul fled so farIt cannot answer me, and call me on?And yet like dying Ecchoes in my Ears,I hear thee cry, my Love—I come—I come, fair Soul.—Thus at thy Feet—my Heart shall bleeding—lie.Who since it liv’d for thee—for thee—will die. [Dies.
Abd. So—thou art gone—there was a King but now,And now a senseless, dull, and breathless nothing.[A noise of fighting without.EnterQueenrunning.
Qu. Oh Heavens! my Son—the King, the King is kill’d!— Yet I must save his Murderer:—Fly, my Moor;
Alonzo, Sir, assisted by some Friends, Has set upon your Guards, And with resistless Fury is making hither.
Abd. Let him come on.
Enter Alonzo and others, led in by Osmin, Zarrack, and Moors.
Oh, are you fast? [Takes away their Swords.
Alon. What mean’st thou, Villain?
Abd. To put your Swords to better uses, Sir, Than to defend the cause of Ravishers.
Alon. Oh Heavens, the King is murder’d!
Abd. Look on that Object, Thy Sister and my Wife, who’s doubly murder’d, First in her spotless Honour, then her Life.
Alon. Heaven is more guilty than the King in this.
Qu. My Lords, be calm; and since your King is murder’d. Think of your own dear Safeties; chuse a new King, That may defend you from the Tyrant’s Rage.
Alon. Who should we chuse? PrincePhilipis our King.
Abd. By Heaven, butPhilipshall not be my King;Philip’sa Bastard, and Traytor to his Country:He braves us with an Army at our Walls,Threatning the Kingdom with a fatal Ruin.And who shall lead you forth to Conquest now,ButAbdelazer, whose Sword reap’d Victory,As oft as ‘twas unsheath’d?—and all forSpain—How many Laurels has this Head adorn’d?Witness the many Battles I have won;In which I’ve emptied all my youthful Veins!—And all forSpain!—ungrateful of my Favours!—I do not boast my Birth,Nor will not urge to you my Kingdom’s Ruin;But loss of Blood, and numerous Wounds receiv’d—And still forSpain!—And can you think, that after all my Toils,I wou’d be still a Slave?—to BastardPhiliptoo?That dangerous Foe, who with the Cardinal,Threatens with Fire and Sword.—I’ll quench those Flames,Such an esteem I still preserve forSpain.
Alon. What means this long Harangue? what does it aim at?
Abd. To be Protector of the Crown ofSpain, Till we agree about a lawful Successor.
Alon. Oh Devil!
Qu. We are betray’d, and round beset with Horrors;If we deny him this—the Power being his,We’re all undone, and Slaves unto his Mercy.—Besides—Oh, give me leave to blush when I declare,ThatPhilipis—as he has rendred him.—But I in love to you, love to mySpain,Chose rather to proclaim my Infamy,Than an ambitious Bastard should be crown’d.
Alon. Here’s a fine Plot, What Devil reigns in Woman, when she doats? [Aside.
Rod. My Lords, I see no remedy but he must be Protector.
Alon. Oh, Treachery—have you so soon forgotThe noblePhilip, and his glorious Heir,The murder’dFerdinand?—And, Madam, you so soon forgot a Mother’s Name,That you wou’d give him Power that kill’d your Son?
Abd. The Modesty wherewith I’ll use that Power,Shall let you see, I have no other InterestBut what’s intirelySpain’s.—Restore their Swords,And he amongst you all who is dissatisfy’d,I set him free this minute.
Alon. I take thee at thy word— And instantly toPhilip’sCamp will fly. [Exit.
Abd. By all the Gods my Ancestors ador’d,But that I scorn the envying World shou’d thinkI took delight in Blood—I wou’d not part so with you.—But you, my Lords, who valueSpain’sRepose,Must for it instantly with me take Arms.PrincePhilip, and the Cardinal, now rideLikeJovein Thunder; we in Storms must meet them.To Arms! to Arms! and then to Victory,Resolv’d to conquer, or resolv’d to die.
[Exeunt.
EnterAbdelazer, Osminbearing his Helmet of Feathers, Zarrackwith his Sword and Truncheon.
Abd. Come,Osmin, arm me quickly; for the Day Comes on apace, and the fierce Enemy Will take advantages by our delay.
EnterQueenandElvira.
Qu. Oh, my dear Moor!The rude, exclaiming, ill-affected Multitude(Tempestuous as the Sea) run up and down,Some crying, kill the Bastard—some the Moor;These for KingPhilip,—those forAbdelazer.
Abd. Your Fears are idle,—blow ‘em into Air.I rush’d amongst the thickest of their Crouds,And with the awful Splendor of my Eyes,Like the imperious Sun, dispers’d the Clouds.But I must combat now a fiercer Foe,The hot-brain’dPhilip, and a jealous Cardinal.
Qu. And must you go, before I make you mine?
Abd. That’s my Misfortune—when I return with Victory, And lay my Wreaths of Laurel at your Feet, You shall exchange them for your glorious Fetters.
Qu. How canst thou hope for Victory, when their Numbers So far exceed thy Powers?
Abd. What’s wanting there, we must supply with Conduct. I know you will not stop at any thing That may advance our Interest, and Enjoyment.
Qu. Look back on what I have already done; And after that look forward with Assurance.
Abd. You then (with only Women in your Train)Must to the Camp, and to the Cardinal’s Tent;—Tell him, your Love to him hath drawn you thither:Then undermine his Soul—you know the way on’t.And sooth him into a Belief, that the best wayTo gain your Heart, is to leavePhilip’sInterest;Urge ‘tis the Kingdom’s safety, and your own;And use your fiercest Threats, to draw him to a Peace with me;Not that you love me, but for the Kingdom’s good:Then in a Tent which I will pitch on purpose,Get him to meet me: He being drawn off,Thousands of Bigots (who think to cheat the WorldInto an Opinion, that fighting for the Cardinal isA pious Work) will (when he leaves the Camp)Desert it too.
Qu. I understand you, and more than I have time to be Instructed in, I will perform; and possibly Before you can begin, I’ll end my Conquests.
Abd. ‘Twill be a Victory worthy of your Beauty. —I must to Horse, farewel, my generous Mistress.
Qu. Farewel! and may thy Arms as happy prove, As shall my Art, when it dissembles Love.
[Exeunt.
EnterPhilip, Alonzo,and Guards.
Phil. ‘Tis a sad Story thou hast told,Alonzo;Yet ‘twill not make me shed one single Tear:They must be all of Blood that I will offerTo my dear Brother’s Ghost—But, gallant Friend, this Good his Ills have done,To turn thee over to our juster Interest,For thou didst love him once.
Alon. Whilst I believ’d him honest, and for my Sister’s sake; But since, his Crimes have made a Convert of me.
Phil. Gods! is it possible the Queen should countenance His horrid Villanies?
Alon. Nay, worse than so,’.is thought she’ll marry him.
Phil. Marry him! then here upon my Knees I vow,[Kneels.To shake all Duty from my Soul;And all that Reverence Children owe a Parent,Shall henceforth be converted into Hate. [Rises.—Damnation! marry him! Oh, I cou’d curse my Birth!This will confirm the World in their Opinion,That she’s the worst of Women;That I am basely born too, (as she gives it out)That Thought alone does a just Rage inspire,And kindles round my Heart an active Fire.
Alan. A Disobedience, Sir, to such a Parent,Heaven must forgive the Sin, if this be one:—Yet do not, Sir, in Words abate that Fire,Which will assist you a more effectual way.
Phil. Death! I could talk of it an Age;And, like a Woman, fret my Anger high:Till like my Rage, I have advanc’d my Courage,Able to fight the World against my Mother.
Alan. Our Wrongs without a Rage, will make us fight, Wrongs that wou’d make a Coward resolute.
Phil. Come, noble Youth,Let us join both our several Wrongs in one,And from them make a solemn Resolution,Never to part our Interest, till this Moor,This worse than Devil Moor be sent to Hell.
Alon. I do.
Phil. Hark—hark—the Charge is sounded, let’s to Horse, St.Jaquesfor the Right ofSpainand me.
[Exeunt.
Drums and Trumpets afar off,—with noise of fighting at a distance: After a little while, enterPhilipin a Rage.
Phil. Oh unjust Powers! why d’ye protect this Monster?— And this damn’d Cardinal, that comes not up With the Castilian Troops? curse on his formal Politicks—EnterAlonzo. —Alonzo, where’s the Moor?
Alon. The Moor—a Devil—never did Fiend of Hell,Compell’d by some Magician’s Charms,Break thro the Prison of the folded EarthWith more swift Horrour, than this Prince of FateBreaks thro our Troops in spite of Opposition.
Phil. Death! ‘tis not his single Arm that works the Wonders, But our Cowardice—Oh, this Dog Cardinal!
EnterAntonio.
Ant. Sound a Retreat, or else the Day is lost.
Phil. I’ll beat that Cur to Death that sounds Retreat.
EnterSebastian.
Sebast. Sound a Retreat.
Phil. Who is’t that tempts my Sword?—continue the Alarm, Fight on Pell-mell—fight—kill—be damn’d—do any thing But sound Retreat—Oh, this damn’d Coward Cardinal! [Exeunt.
The noise of fighting near; after a little while enter Philip again.
Phil. Not yet, ye Gods! Oh, this eternal Coward!
EnterAlonzo.
Alon. Sir, bring up your Reserves, or all is lost; Ambition plumes the Moor, that makes him act Deeds of such Wonder, that even you wou’d envy them.
Phil. ‘Tis well—I’ll raise my Glories to that dazling height, Shall darken his, or set in endless Night.
[Exeunt.
EnterCard. and Queen;the noise of a Battel continuing afar off all the Scene.
Qu. By all thy Love, by all thy Languishments,By all those Sighs and Tears paid to my Cruelty,By all thy Vows, thy passionate Letters sent,I do conjure thee, go not forth to fight:Command your Troops not to engage withPhilip,Who aims at nothing but the Kingdom’s ruin.—Fernando’skill’d—the Moor has gain’d the Power,A Power that you norPhilipcan withstand;And is’t not better he were lost thanSpain,Since one must be a Sacrifice?Besides—if I durst tell it,There’s something I cou’d whisper to thy Soul,Wou’d make thee blush at ev’ry single GoodThou’ast done that insolent Boy;—But ‘tis not nowA time for Stories of so strange a Nature,—Which when you know, you will conclude with me,That every Man that arms forPhilip’sCause,Merits the name of Traitor.—Be wise in time, and leave his shameful Interest,An Interest thou wilt curse thy self for taking;Be wise, and make Alliance with the Moor.
Card. And, Madam, should I lay aside my Wrongs,Those publick Injuries I have receiv’d,And make a mean and humble Peace with him?—No, let Spain be ruin’d by our Civil Swords,E’er for its safety I forego mine Honour.—
Enter an Officer.
Offi. Advance, Sir, with your Troops, or we are lost.
Card. Give order—
Qu. That they stir not on their Lives;Is this the Duty that you owe your Country?Is this your Sanctity—and Love to me?Is’t thus you treat the Glory I have offer’dTo raise you to my Bed?To rule a Kingdom, be a Nation’s Safety,To advance in hostile manner to their Walls;Walls that confine your Countrymen, and Friends,And Queen, to whom you’ve vow’d eternal Peace,Eternal Love? And will you court in Arms?Such rude Addresses wou’d but ill become you.No, from this hour renounce all Claims to me,OrPhilip’sInterest; for let me tell you, Cardinal,This Love, and that Revenge, are inconsistent.
Card. But, Madam—
Qu. No more—disband your Rebel Troops,And strait with me toAbdelazer’sTent,Where all his Claims he shall resign to you,Both in my self, the Kingdom, and the Crown:You being departed, thousands more will leave him,And you’re alone the Prop to his Rebellion.
EnterSebastian.
Sebast. Advance, advance, my Lord, with all your Force,Or else the Prince and Victory is lost,Which now depends upon his single Valour;Who, like some ancient Hero, or some God,Thunders amongst the thickest of his Enemies,Destroying all before him in such numbers,That Piles of Dead obstruct his passage to the living—Relieve him strait, my Lord, with our last Cavalry andHopes.
Card. I’ll follow instantly.—[Ex. Sebast.
Qu. Sir, but you shall not, unless it be to Death—Shall you preserve the only Man I hate,And hate with so much reason?—let him fallA Victim to an injur’d Mother’s Honour.—Come, I will be obey’d—indeed I must—[Fawns on him.
Card. When you’re thus soft, can I retain my Anger?Oh, look but ever thus—in spite of Injuries—I shall become as tame and peaceable,As are your charming Eyes, when dress’d in Love,Which melting down my Rage, leave me defenceless.—Ah, Madam, have a generous care of me,For I have now resign’d my Power to you.
[Shouts within.
Qu. What Shouts are these?
EnterSebastian.
Sebast. My Lord, the Enemy is giving ground, AndPhilip’sArm alone sustains the day: Advance, Sir, and compleat the Victory. [Exit.
Qu. Give order strait, that a Retreat be sounded; And whilst they do so, by me conducted, We’ll instantly toAbdelazer’sTent— Haste—haste, my Lord, whilst I attend you here. [Ex. severally. [Cardinalgoing out, is met byPhilip.
Phil. Oh, damn your lazy Order, where have you been, Sir? —But ‘tis no time for Questions, Move forward with your Reserves.
Card. I will not, Sir.
Phil. How, will not!
Card. Now to advance would be impolitick; Already by your desperate Attempts, You’ve lost the best part of our Hopes.
Phil. Death! you lye.
Card. Lye, Sir!
Phil. Yes, lye, Sir,—therefore come on,Follow the desperate Reer-Guard, which is mine,And where I’ll die, or conquer—follow my SwordThe bloody way it leads, or else, by Heaven,I’ll give the Moor the Victory in spite,And turn my Force on thee—Plague of your Cowardice—Come, follow me.
[Ex. Card.
AsPhilipis going off, he is overtook byAlonzo, Antonio, Sebastian,and other Officers: At the other side some Moors, and other ofAbdelazer’sParty, enter and fall onPhilipand the rest—the Moors are beaten off—one left dead on the Stage.—
EnterAbdelazer,withRoderigoand some others.
Abd. Oh, for more Work—more Souls to send to Hell!—Ha, ha, ha, here’s one going thither,—Sirrah—SlaveMoor—who kill’d thee?—how he grins—this Breast,Had it been temper’d and made proof like mine,It never wou’d have been a Mark for Fools.
Abd.going out: EnterPhilip, Alonzo, Sebastian, Antonio,and Officers, as passing over the Stage.
Phil. I’ll wear my Sword to th’ Hilt, but I will find The Subject of my Vengeance.— Moor, ‘tis for thee I seek, where art thou, Slave?—
Abd. Here,Philip. [Abd.turns.
Phil. Fate and Revenge, I thank thee.—
Abd. Why—thou art brave, whoe’er begot thee.
Phil. Villain, a King begot me.
Abd. I know not that, But I’ll be sworn thy Mother was a Queen, And I will kill thee handsomly for her sake.
[Offers to fight, their Parties hinder them.
Alon. Hold—hold, my Prince.
Osm. Great Sir, what mean you? [ToAbd. The Victory being yours, to give your Life away On one so mad and desperate. [Their Parties draw.
Phil. Alonzo, hold, We two will be the Fate of this great Day.
Abd. And I’ll forego all I’ve already won, And claim no Conquest; the whole heaps of Bodies, Which this Right-hand has slain, declare me Victor.
Phil. No matter who’s the Victor; I have thee in my view,And will not leave thee,Till thou hast crown’d those Heaps, and made ‘em allThe glorious Trophies of my Victory—Come on, Sir.
Alon. You shall not fight thus single; If you begin, by Heaven, we’ll all fall on.
Phil. Dost thou suspect my Power?Oh, I am arm’d with more than compleat Steel,The Justice of my Quarrel; when I lookUpon my Father’s Wrongs, my Brother’s Wounds,My Mother’s Infamy,Spain’sMisery,I am all Fire; and yet I am too coldTo let out Blood enough for my Revenge:—Therefore stir not a Sword on my side.
Abd. Nor on mine.
They fight; both their Parties engage on either side; the Scene draws off, and discovers both the Armies, which all fall on and make the main Battel:Philipprevails, theMoorsgive ground: Then the Scene closes to the the Grove. Enter someMoorsflying in disorder.
EnterAbdelazer, Roderigo, Osmin, Zarrack,and some others of his Party.
Rod. Oh, fly, my Lord, fly, for the Day is lost.
Abd. There are three hundred and odd Days i’th Year, And cannot we lose one? dismiss thy Fears, They’ll make a Coward of thee.
Osm. Sir, all the nobleSpaniardshave forsook you; Your Soldiers faint, are round beset with Enemies, Nor can you shun your Fate, but by your Flight.
Abd. I can—and must—in spite of Fate:The Wheel of War shall turn about again,And dash the Current of his Victories.—This is the Tent I’ve pitched, at distance from the Armies,To meet the Queen and Cardinal;Charm’d with the Magick of Dissimulation,I know by this h’as furl’d his Ensigns up,And is become a tame and coward Ass.[A Retreat is sounded.—Hark—hark, ‘tis done: oh, my inchanting Engine!—Dost thou not hear Retreat sounded?
Rod. Sure ‘tis impossible.
Abd. She has prevail’d—a Woman’s Tongue and Eyes Are Forces stronger than Artilleries.EnterQueen, Cardinal,Women, and Soldiers. —We are betray’d—
Qu. What means this Jealousy? lay by your Weapons. And embrace—the sight of these beget Suspicion: —Abdelazer, by my Birth he comes in peace; Lord Cardinal, on my Honour so comes he.
Abd. Let him withdraw his Troops then.
Qu. They’re Guards for all our Safeties: Give me your Hand, Prince Cardinal—thine,Abdelazer— [She brings them together, they embrace. This blest Accord I do behold with Joy.
Card. Abdelazer, I at the Queen’s Command have met you here, To know what ‘tis you will propose to us.
Abd. Peace and eternal Friendship ‘twixt us two.How much against my Will I took up Arms,Be witness, Heav’n: nor was it in revenge to you,But to let out th’ infected Blood ofPhilip,Whose sole aimIs to be King—which Spain will never suffer;Spain gave me Education, though not Birth,Which has intitled it my native Home,To which such Reverence and Esteem I bear,I will preserve it from the Tyrant’s Rage.The People who once lov’d him, now abhor him,And ‘tis your Power alone that buoys him up:And when you’ve lifted him into a Throne,’.is time to shake you off.
Card. Whilst I behold him as my native Prince,My Honour and Religion bids me serve him;Yet not when I’m convinc’d that whilst I do so,I injureSpain.
Abd. If he were so, the Powers above forbidWe should not serve, adore, and fight for him;ButPhilipis a Bastard:—nay, ‘twill surprize ye,But that ‘tis Truth, the Queen will satisfy you.
Qu. With one bold Word he has undone my Honour. [Weeps. Too bluntly,Abdelazer, you repeat That which by slow Degrees you shou’d have utter’d.
Abd. Pardon my Roughness, Madam, I meant well.
Card. Philipa Bastard! If by such Arts you wou’d divide me from him, I shall suspect you wou’d betray us both.
Qu. Sir, he informs you Truth; and I blush less To own him so, than that he is a Traitor.
Card. Philipa Bastard! oh, it cannot be— Madam, take heed you do not for Revenge, Barter your dearer Honour, and lose both.
Qu. I know what’s due to Honour, and Revenge,But better what I owe toSpain, and you—You are a Prince o’th’ Blood, and may put offThe Cardinal when you please, and be a Monarch.
Card. Though my Ambition’s equal to my Passion, Neither shall make me act against those Principles My Honour ever taught me to obey. —And, Madam— ’.is less a Sin, not to believe you her, Than ‘tis to doubt your Virtue.
Qu. I wish it were untold, if it must forfeit The least of your Esteem—but that ‘tis Truth, Be witness, Heav’n, my Shame, my Sighs, and Tears. [Weeps.
Card. Why, Madam, was’t so long conceal’d from me?
Qu. The Circumstances I shall at leisure tell you:And for the present,Let it suffice, he cannot rule inSpain,Nor can you side with him, without being madeAs much incapable to reign as he.
Card. Though Love and Honour I have always madeThe Business of my Life;My Soul retains too so much of Ambition,As puts me still in mind of what I am,A Prince, and Heir to Spain:Nor shall my blinded Zeal to Loyalty,Make me that glorious Interest resign,SincePhilip’sClaims are not so great as mine.—Madam, tho I’m convinc’d I’ve done amissIn taking Arms forPhilip,Yet ‘twill be difficult to disengage my self.
Abd. Most easily—Proclaim it in the head of all your Troops,The Justice of your Cause for leaving him;And tell ‘em, ‘tis a Work of PietyTo follow your Example.The giddy Rout are guided by Religion,More than by Justice, Reason, or Allegiance.—The Crown which I as a good Husband keep,I will lay down upon the empty Throne;Marry you the Queen, and fill it—and for me,I’ll ever pay you Duty as a Subject.[Bows low.
Card. On these Conditions all I am is yours;Philipwe cannot fear, all he can do Is to retire for refuge intoPortugal.
Abd. That wou’d be dangerous— Is there no Arts to get him in our Power?
Card. Perhaps by Policy, and seeming Friendship,For we have reason yet to fear his Force;And since I’m satisfy’d he’s not my lawful Prince,I cannot think it an ImpietyTo sacrifice him to the Peace ofSpain,And every Spirit that loves Liberty:First we’ll our Forces join, and make ‘em yours,Then give me your Authority to arrest him;If so we can surprize him, we’ll spare the hazardOf a second Battel.
Abd. My Lord, retire into my inner Tent, And all things shall be instantly perform’d.
[Exeunt all.
Enter some ofPhilip’sParty running over the Stage, pursued byPhilip, Alonzo, Sebastian, Antonio,and some few Officers more.