Bend. Makes she no more of me than of a slave?

Madam, I thought I had instructed you

[Aside.

[To ALMEYDA. To frame a speech more suiting to the times: The circumstances of that dire design, Your own despair, my unexpected aid, My life endangered by his bold defence, And, after all, his death, and your deliverance, Were themes that ought not to be slighted o'er.

Must. She might have passed over all your petty businesses, and no great matter; but the raising of my rabble is an exploit of consequence, and not to be mumbled up in silence, for all her pertness.

Alm. When force invades the gift of nature, life, The eldest law of nature bids defend;

And if in that defence a tyrant fall,.
His death's his crime, not ours,

Suffice it, that he's dead; all wrongs die with him;
When he can, wrong no more, I pardon him:
Thus I absolve myself, and him excuse,

Who saved my life and honour, but praise neither.
Bend. 'Tis cheap to pardon, whom you would not

pay.

But what speak I of payment and reward!
Ungrateful woman, you are yet no queen,
Nor more than a proud haughty christian slave:
As such I seize iny right. [Going to lay hold of her.
Alm. [Drawing a Dagger.] Dare not to approach

me!

Now, Africans,

He shows himself to you; to me he stood
Confessed before, and owned his insolence
To espouse my person, and assume the crown,
Claimed in my right; for this, he slew your tyrant;
Oh no! he only changed him for a worse;
Embased your slavery by his own vileness,

And loaded you with more ignoble bonds.
Then think me not ungrateful, not to share
The imperial crown with a presuming traitor.
He says, I am a Christian; true, I am,
But yet no slave: If Christians can be thought
Unfit to govern those of other faith, a
"Tis left for you to judge.

Bend. I have not patience; she consumes the time In idle talk, and owns her false belief:

Seize her by force, and bear her thence unheard. Alm. [To the People.] No, let me rather die your sacrifice,"

Than live his triumph.

I throw myself into my people's arms;

As you are men, compassionate my wrongs,
And, as good men, protect me.

Ant. Something must be done to save her.

[Aside to MUST.] This is all addressed to you, sir: she singled you out with her eye, as commander in chief of the mobility.

Must. Think'st thou so, slave Antonio?

Ant. Most certainly, sir; and you cannot, in honour, but protect her: now look to your hits, and make your fortune.

Must. Methought, indeed, she cast a kind leer towards me. Our prophet was but just such another scoundrel as I am, till he raised himself to power, and consequently to holiness, by marrying his master's widow. I am resolved I'll put forward for myself; for why should I be my lord Benducar's fool and slave, when I may be my own fool and his master?

Bend. Take her into possession, Mustapha.

Must. That's better counsel than you meant it: Yes, I do take her into possession, and into protec tion too. What say you, masters, will you stand by me?

Omnes. One and all, one and all.

Bend. Hast thou betrayed me, traitor?---Mufti, speak, and mind them of religion.

[MUFTI shakes his head. Must. Alas! the poor gentleman has gotten a cold with a sermon of two hours long, and a prayer of four; and, besides, if he durst speak, mankind is grown wiser at this time of day than to cut one another's throats about religion. Our Mufti's is a green coat, and the Christian's is a black coat; and we must wisely go together by the ears, whether green or black shall sweep our spoils.

Drums within, and shouts. Bend. Now we shall see whose numbers will

prevail :

The conquering troops of Muley-Zeydan come,
To crush rebellion, and espouse my cause.

Must. We will have a fair trial of skill for it, I can tell him that. When we have dispatched with Muley-Zeydan, your lordship shall march, in equal proportions of your body, to the four gates of the city, and every tower shall have a quarter of you.

[ANTONIO draws them up, and takes ALM. by the hand. Shouts again, and Drums.

Enter DORAX and SEBASTIAN, attended by African
Soldiers and Portugueses. ALMEYDA and SE-
BASTIAN run into each others arms, and both speak
together.

Seb. and Alm. My Sebastian! my Almeyda!
Alm. Do you then live?

Seb. And live to love thee ever.

Bend. How! Dorax and Sebastian still alive!

The Moors and Christians joined !-I thank thee, prophet.

Dor. The citadel is ours; and Muley-Zeydan Safe under guard, but as becomes a prince.

Lay down your arms; such base plebeian blood
Would only stain the brightness of my sword,
And blunt it for some nobler work behind.

Must. I suppose you may put it up without offence to any man here present. For my part, I have been loyal to my sovereign lady, though that villain Benducar, and that hypocrite the Mufti, would have corrupted me; but if those two escape public justice, then I and all my late honest subjects here deserve hanging.

Bend. [To DoR.] I'm sure I did my part to poi-
son thee,

What saint soe'er has soldered thee again:
A dose less hot had burst through ribs of iron.
Muf. Not knowing that, I poisoned him once

more,

And drenched him with a draught so deadly cold, That, hadst not thou prevented, had congealed The channel of his biood, and froze him dry.

Bend. Thou interposing fool, to mangle mischief, And think to mend the perfect work of hell! Dor. Thus, when heaven pleases, double poisons

cure

I will not tax thee of ingratitude

To me, thy friend, who hast betrayed thy prince:
Death he deserved indeed, but not from thee.
But fate, it seems, reserved the worst of men
To end the worst of tyrants.-

Go, bear him to his fate,

And send him to attend his master's ghost,
Let some secure my other poisoning friend,
Whose double diligence preserved my life.

Ant. You are fallen into good hands, father-inlaw; your sparkling jewels, and Morayma's eyes,

* Et quum fata volunt, bina venena juvant.-AUSONIUS.

may prove a better bail than you deserve.

Muf. The best that can come of me, in this condition, is, to have my life begged first, and then to be begged for a fool afterwards t.

[Exeunt ANTONIO, with the Mufti; and, at the same time, BENDUCAR is carried off. Dor. [To MUST.] You, and your hungry herd, depart untouched;

For justice cannot stoop so low, to reach
The groveling sin of crowds: but curst be they,
Who trust revenge with such mad instruments,
Whose blindfold business is but to destroy;
And, like the fire, commissioned by the winds,
Begins on sheds, but, rolling in a round,
On palaces returns. Away, ye scum,

That still rise upmost when the nation boils;
Ye mongrel work of heaven, with human shapes,
Not to be damned or saved, but breathe and perish,
That have but just enough of sense, to know
The master's voice, when rated, to depart.

[Exeunt MUSTAPHA and Rabble. Alm. With gratitude as low as knees can pay [Kneeling to him. To those blest holy fires, our guardian angels, Receive these thanks, till altars can be raised. Dor. Arise, fair excellence, and pay no thanks, [Raising her up.

Till time discover what I have deserved.

Seb. More than reward can answer.
If Portugal and Spain were joined to Africa,

Idiots were anciently wards of the crown; and the custody of their person, and charge of their estate, was often granted to the suit of some favourite, where the extent of the latter rendered it an object of plunder. Hence the common phrase of being begged for a fool.