網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

Among good fellows every health will pass,
That serves to carry round another glass:
When with full bowls of Burgundy you dine,
Though at the mighty monarch you repine,
You grant him still Most Christian in his wine.
Thus far the poet; but his brains grow addle,
And all the rest is purely from this noddle.
You have seen young ladies at the senate-door,
Prefer petitions, and your grace implore;
However grave the legislators were,

Their cause went ne'er the worse for being fair.
Reasons as weak as theirs, perhaps, I bring;
But I could bribe you with as good a thing.
I heard him make advances of good nature;
That he, for once, would sheath his cutting satire,
Sign but his peace, he vows he'll ne'er again
The sacred names of fops and beaus profane.
Strike up the bargain quickly; for I swear,
As times go now, he offers very fair.

Be not too hard on him with statutes neither;
Be kind; and do not set your teeth together,
To stretch the laws, as coblers do their leather.
Horses by Papists are not to be ridden,
But sure the muses' horse was ne'er forbidden;
For in no rate-book it was ever found
That Pegasus was valued at five pound +:
Fine him to daily drudging and inditing:
And let him pay his taxes out in writing.

↑ Alluding to the act for disarming the Catholics, by which, inter alia, it is enacted, "that no Papist, or reputed Papist, so refusing, or making default, as aforesaid, at any time after the 15th of May, 1689, shall, or may have, and keep in his own possession, or in the possession of any other person for his use, or at his disposition, any horse or horses, which shall be above the value of L. 5."-1st William and Mary, ç. 15.

[merged small][ocr errors]

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

Don SEBASTIAN, King of Portugal. MULEY-MOLUCH, Emperor of Barbary. DORAX, a noble Portuguese, now a renegade; formerly Don ALONZO DE SYLVERA, Alcade, or Governor of Alcazar.

BENDUCAR, chief Minister, and favourite to the Emperor.

The Mufti ABDalla.

MULEY-ZEYDAN, brother to the Emperor.
Don ANTONIO, a young, noble, amorous Portu-
guese; now a slave.

Don ALVAREZ, an old counsellor to Don SEBAS-
TIAN; now a slave also.
MUSTAPHA, Captain of the Rabble.

Two Merchants.

Rabble.

A Servant to BENDUCAR,
A Servant to the Mufti.

ALMEYDA, a captive Queen of Barbary.
MORAYMA, daughter to the Mufti.

JOHAYMA, chief wife to the Mufti.

SCENE,-In the Castle of Alcazar.

DON SEBASTIAN,

KING OF PORTUGAL.

ACT I. SCENE I.

The scene at Alcazar, representing a market-place under the Castle.

Enter MULEY-ZEYDAN and BENDUCAR.

M. Zey. Now Africa's long wars are at an end, And our parched earth is drenched in Christian blood; My conquering brother will have slaves enow, To pay his cruel vows for victory.

What hear you of Sebastian, king of Portugal?

Bend. He fell among a heap of slaughtered Moors, Though yet his mangled carcase is not found. The rival of our threatened empire, Mahomet, Was hot pursued; and, in the general rout, Mistook a swelling current for a ford, And in Mucazar's flood was seen to rise: Thrice was he seen: At length his courser plunged, And threw him off; the waves whelmed over him, And, helpless, in his heavy arms he drowned.

M. Zey. Thus, then, a doubtful title is extin

guished;

Thus Moluch, still the favourite of fate,
Swims in a sanguine torrent to the throne,
As if our prophet only worked for him:

The heavens, and all the stars, are his hired servants;
As Muley-Zeydan were not worth their care,
And younger brothers but the draff of nature.

Bend. Be still, and learn the soothing arts of

court:

Adore his fortune, mix with flattering crowds;
And, when they praise him most, be you the loudest.
Your brother is luxurious, close, and cruel;
Generous by fits, but permanent in mischief.
The shadow of a discontent would ruin us;
We must be safe, before we can be great.
These things observed, leave me to shape the rest.
M, Zey. You have the key; he opens inward to

you.

Bend. So often tried, and ever found so true, Has given me trust; and trust has given me means Once to be false for all. I trust not him; For, now his ends are served, and he grown absolute, How am I sure to stand, who served those ends? I know your nature open, mild, and grateful: In such a prince the people may be blest,

And I be safe.

M. Zey. My father!

[Embracing him.

Bend. My future king, auspicious Muley-Zeydan!

Shall I adore you?-No, the place is public:

I worship you within; the outward act

Shall be reserved till nations follow me,

And heaven shall envy you the kneeling world.-
You know the alcade of Alcazar, Dorax?

M. Zey. The gallant renegade you mean?
Bend. The same.

That gloomy outside, like a rusty chest,

Contains the shining treasure, of a soul

Resolved and brave: He has the soldiers' hearts,
And time shall make him ours.

M. Zey. He's just upon us.

Bend. I know him from afar,

By the long stride, and by the sullen port.-
Retire, my lord.

Wait on your brother's triumph; yours is next:
His growth is but a wild and fruitless plant;
I'll cut his barren branches to the stock,

And graft you on to bear.

M. Zey. My oracle!

Exit M. ZEY.

Bend. Yes, to delude your hopes.-Poor credulous fool!

To think that I would give away the fruit
Of so much toil, such guilt, and such damnation !
If I am damned, it shall be for myself.

This easy fool must be my stale, set up

To catch the people's eyes: He's tame and merciful; Him I can manage, till I make him odious

By some unpopular act; and then dethrone him.

Now, Dorax.

Enter DORAX.

Dor. Well, Benducar.

Bend. Bare Benducar!

Dor. Thou would'st have titles; take them then,chief minister,

First hangman of the state.

Bend. Some call me, favourite.

Dor. What's that?-his minion?

Thou art too old to be a catamite!

Now pr'ythee tell me, and abate thy pride,
Is not Benducar, bare, a better name

In a friend's mouth, than all those gaudy titles,
Which I disdain to give the man I love?

Bend. But always out of humour,

[ocr errors]
« 上一頁繼續 »