Alarum within, and then enter the Presenter.
Now war begins his rage and ruthless reign,
And Nemesis, with bloody whip in hand,
Thunders for vengeance on this Negro-Moor;
Nor may the silence of the speechless night,
Dire architect of murders and misdeeds,
Of tragedies and tragic tyrannies,
Hide or contain the + barbarous cruelty
Of this usurper to his progeny.

[Three Ghosts, within, cry "Vindicta!"‡
Hark, lords, as in a hollow place afar,
The dreadful shrieks and clamours that resound,
And sound revenge upon this traitor's soul,
Traitor to kin and kind, to gods and men !
Now Nemesis upon her doubling drum,
Mov'd with this ghastly moan, this sad complaint,
'Larums aloud into Alecto's ears,

And with her thundering wakes, whereas they lie In cave as dark as hell and beds of steel, The Furies, just || imps of dire revenge. *Dire architect] The 4to. " Diuine Architects." the] The 4to. "this.'

Three Ghosts, within, cry "Vindicta!"] So in Locrine, first printed in 1595, the Ghost of Albanact exclaims Vindicta, vindicta," Sig. G. (an exclamation which was afterwards much ridiculed; see Jonson's Poetaster,Works, vol. ii. p. 456, ed. Gifford); and, again, in our author's Farewell, &c. (vide post) we meet with a line and a half which we also find in Locrine. But such trifling coincidences afford no ground for supposing that Peele was concerned in the composition of that intolerably stilted and pedantic piece. (It was entered on the Stationers' Books in 1594; and the title-page of the original edition runs thus: The Lamentable Tragedie of Locrine, the eldest sonne of King Brutus, discoursing the warres of the Britaines, and Hunnes, with their discomfiture: The Britaines victorie with their Accidents, and the death of Albanact. No lesse pleasant then profitable. Newly set foorth, ouerseene and corrected, By W. S. London Printed by Thomas Creede 1595, 4lo. Misled by the initial letters W. S. in the above titlepage, the editor of the folio Shakespeare, 1664, re-printed Locrine in that folio as a work of our great dramatist.) § whereas] i. c. whero. just] Qy. "the just "?

"Revenge," cries Abdelmunen's+ grievèd ghost,
And rouseth with the terror of this noise
These nymphs of Erebus; "Wreak and revenge"
Ring out the souls of his unhappy brethren.
And now start up these torments of the world,
Wak'd with the thunder of Rhamnusia's drum§
And fearful echoes of these || grievèd ghosts,—
Alecto with her brand and bloody torch,
Megæra with her whip and snaky hair,
Tisiphone with her fatal murdering iron:
These three conspire, these three complain and
Thus, Muly Mahamet, is a council held [moan.
To wreak the wrongs and murders thou hast done.
By this imagine was this barbarous Moor
Chas'd from his dignity and his diadem,
And lives forlorn among the mountain-shrubs,
And makes his food the flesh of savage beasts.
Amurath's soldiers have by this install'd
Good Abdelmelec in his royal seat.
The dames of Fess and ladies of the land,
In honour of the son of Solimon,¶
Erect a statue made of beaten gold,
And sing to Amurath songs of lasting praise.
Muly Mahamet's fury over-rul'd,

His cruelty controll'd, and pride rebuk'd,

*yew] The 4to. "hue."

To sick as Envy at Cecropia's gate,

And pine with thought," &c.sick, i. e. sicken (so in Shakspeare's Henry IV. Part Sec., act iv. sc. 4;

"a little time before

That our great-grandsire, Edward, sick'd and died "). 'Cecropia's gate," i. e. the gate of Athens.-The allusion is to a story in the Sec. Book of Ovid's Metamorphoses. -The 4to.;

"To sceke as Envie at Cecropes gate,

And pine the thought," &c.

Abdelmunen's] The 4to. "Abdilmelecs."

§ Rhamnusia s drum] The 4to. "Ramusians drum."See note ¶, p. 359, sec. col. these] Qy. "those"? Solimon] Here the 4to. "Soliman": but twice beforo (see p. 422) it has "Solimon."

Alarum within, and then enter ABDELMELEC, MULY MAHAMET SETH, CALSEPIUS BASSA, with Moors and Janizarics.

Abdelm. Now hath the sun display'd his golden
bcams,

And, dusky clouds dispers'd, the welkin clears,
Wherein the twenty-colour'd rainbow shows.
After this fight happy and fortunate,
Wherein our [traitorous] Moors have lost the day,
And Victory, adorn'd with Fortune's plumes,
Alights on Abdelmelec's glorious crest,
Here find we time to breathe, and now begin
To pay thy due and duties thou dost owe
To heaven and earth, to gods and Amurath.
[Sound trumpets.
And now draw near, and heaven and earth give ear,
Give ear and record, heaven and earth, with me;
Ye lords of Barbary, hearken and attend,
Hark to the words I speak, and vow I make
To plant the true succession of the crown:
Lo, lords, in our seat royal to succeed
Our only brother here we do install,
And by the name of Muly Mahamet Seth
Intitle him true heir unto the crown.
Ye gods of heaven gratulate this deed,
That men on earth may therewith stand content!
Lo, thus my due and duties do I pay‡
To heaven and earth, to gods and Amurath!

Enter RUBIN ARCHIS, her Son, a Queen,* and Ladies. Rub. Ar. Rubin, that breathes but for revenge, Bassa, by this commends herself to thee; Receive the token of her thankfulness: To Amurath the god of earthly kings Doth Rubin give and sacrifice her son: Not with sweet smoke of fire or sweet perfume, But with his father's sword, his mother's thanks, Doth Rubin give her son to Amurath.

Queen. As Rubin gives her son, so we ourselves
To Amurath give, and fall before his face.
Bassa, wear thou the gold of Barbary,
And glister like the palace of the Sun,+
In honour of the deed that thou hast done.
Cal. Bas. Well worthy of the aid of Amurath
Is Abdelmelec, and these noble dames.-
Rubin, thy son I shall ere long bestow,
Where thou dost him bequeath in honour's fec,
On Amurath mighty Emperor of the East,
That shall receive the imp of royal race
With cheerful looks and gleams of princely grace. -
This chosen guard of Amurath's janizaries

I leave to honour and attend on thee,
King of Morocco, conqueror of thy foes,
True King of Fess, Emperor of Barbary ;
Muly Molocco, live and keep thy ɛeat,
In spite of fortune's spite or enemies' threats.-
Ride, Bassa, now, bold Bassa, homeward ride,
As glorious as great Pompey in his pride.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt

Enter DON DIEGO LOPEZ, the Irish Bishop, STUKELEY, JONAS, HERCULES, and others.

Die. Welcome to Lisbon,§ valiant Catholics, Welcome, brave Englishmen, to Portugal: Most reverent primate of the Irish church, And, noble Stukeley, famous by thy name, Welcome, thrice welcome to Sebastian's town; And welcome, English captains, to you all: It joyeth us to see his Holiness' fleet Cast anchor happily upon our coast.

Bish. These welcomes, worthy governor of Lisbon,

Argue an honourable mind in thee,

But treat of our misfortune therewithal.
To Ireland by Pope Gregory's command
Were we all bound, and therefore thus embark'd,

To land our forces there at unawares,
Conquering the island* for his Holiness,
And so restore it to the Roman faith:
This was the cause of our expedition,
And Ireland long ere this had been subdu'd,
Had not foul weather brought us to this bay.
Die. Under correction, are ye not all English.

men,

And 'longs not Ireland to that kingdom, lords?
Then, may I speak my conscience in the cause
Sanst scandal to the holy see of Rome,
Unhonourable is this expedition,
And misbeseeming you to meddle in.

Stuke. Lord governor of Lisbon, understand,
As we are Englishmen, so are we inen,
And I am Stukeley so resolv'd in all
To follow rule, honour, and empery,
Not to be bent so strictly to the place
Wherein at first I blew the fire of life,
But that I may at liberty make choice
Of all the continents that bound the world;
For why I make it not so great desert
To be begot or born in any place,
Sith that's a thing of pleasure and of ease
That might have been perform'd elsewhere as well.
Die. Follow whats your good pleasure will,
Good Captain Stukeley: be it far from me
To take exceptions beyond my privilege.

Bish. Yet, captain, give me leave to speak ; || We must affect our country as our parents, And if at any time we alienate

Our love or industry from doing it honour,
It must respect effects and touch the soul,
Matter of conscience and religion,
And not desire of rule or benefit.
Stuke. Well said, bishop! spoken like yourself,
The reverend, lordly Bishop of Saint Asses.
Herc. The bishop talks according to his coat,
And takes not measure of it by his mind:
You see he hath it made thus large and wide,
Because he may convert it, as he list,
To any form may fit the fashion best.

Bish. Captain, you do me wrong to descant thus
Upon my coat or double conscience,
And cannot answer it in another place.

Die. "Tis but in jest, lord bishop; put it up:

* island] The 4to. "land."

+ Sans] See note*, page 381, sec. col.

For why i. e. Because.

what] Qy. "whatever"?

to speak] Qy. "to speak a word "?

And all as friends deign to be entertain'd
As my ability here can make provision.
Shortly shall I conduct you to the king,
Whose welcomes evermore to strangers are
Princely and honourable, as his state becomes.
Stuke. Thanks, worthy governor.--Come, bishop,

come,

Will you show fruits of quarrel and of wrath? Come, let's in with my Lord of Lisbon here, And put all conscience into one carouse, Letting it out again as we may live.*

[Exeunt all except STUKELEY.
There shall no action pass my hand or sword,
That cannot make a step to gain a crown;
No word shall pass the office of my tongue,
That sounds not of affection to a crown;
No thought have being in my lordly breast,
That works not every way to win a crown:
Deeds, words, and thoughts, shall all be as a
king's;

My chiefest company shall be with kings;
And my deserts shall counterpoise a king's:
Why should not I, then, look to be a king?
I am the Marquis now of Ireland made,
And will be shortly King of Ireland:
King of a mole-hill+ had I rather be,
Than the richest subject of a monarchy.
Huff it, brave mind, and never cease t'aspire,
Before thou reign sole king of thy desire. [Exit.

SCENE III.

Enter the Moor, CALIPOLIS, their Son, ZAREO, and another.
The Moor. Where art thou, boy? Where is
Calipolis?

O deadly wound that passeth by mine eye,
O fortune constant in unconstancy!
The fatal poison of my swelling heart!
Fight earthquakes in the entrails of the earth,
And eastern whirlwinds in the hellish shades!
Some foul contagion of th' infected heaven
Blast all the trees, and in their cursed tops
The dismal night-raven and tragic owl
Breed, and become forc-tellers§ of my fall,
The fatal ruin of my name and me!

* as we may live] i. e. as we may be live or lief,—i.e. willing, inclined.

+ King of a mole-hill, &c.] So be told Elizabeth. See prefatory matter to this play, p. 418.

The fish shall turn their glistering bellies up,
And thou shalt take thy liberal choice of all:
Jove's stately bird with wide-commanding wings
Shall hover still about thy princely head,
And beat down fowl by shoals into thy lap :
Feed, then, and faint not, fair Calipolis.

Calip. Thanks, good my lord, and though my
stomach be

Too queasy to digest* such bloody meat,
Yet, strength I it with virtue of my mind,
I doubt no whit but I shall live, my lord.

The Moor. Into the shades, then, fair Calipolis,
And make thy son and negroes here good cheer:
Feed and be fat, that we may meet the foe
With strength and terror, to revenge our wrong.
[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Enter KING SEBASTIAN, the DUKE OF AVERO, the DUKE OF BARCELES, LEWES DE SILVA, CHRISTOPHERO DE TAVERA, and Attendants.

K. Seb. Call forth those Moors, those men of Barbary,

That came with letters from the King of Fess.
The Moorish Ambassadors are brought in by an Attendant.

Ye warlike lords, and men of chivalry,
Honourable ambassadors of this high regent,
Hark to Sebastian King of Portugal.
These letters sent from your distressèd lord,
Torn from his throne by Abdelmelec's hand,
Strengthen'd and rais'd by furious Amurath,
Import a kingly favour at our hands,
For aid to re-obtain his royal seat,
And place his fortunes in their former height.
For 'quital of which honourable arms,
By these his letters he doth firmly vow
Wholly to yield and to surrender up
The kingdom of Moroccus to our hands,
And to become to us contributary;
And to content himselft with the realm of Fess.
These lines, my lords, writ in extremity,
Contain therefore but during fortune's date;
How shall Sebastian, then, believe the same?
First Amb. Viceroys,§ and most Christian king
of Portugal,

digest] The 4to. has "disgest." See note t, p 199, first col.

thimself] Qy, "him"?

Contain] If not a misprint, means-Restrain: but surely there is some corruption here.

Viceroys] Qy. if right?

To satisfy thy doubtful mind herein,
Command forthwith a blazing brand of fire
Be brought in presence of thy majesty;
Then shalt thou see, by our religious vows
And ceremonies most inviolate,
How firm our sovereign's protestations are.

A brand is brought in by an Attendant. Behold, my lord, this binds our faith to thee: In token that great Muly Mahamet's hand Hath writ no more than his stout heart allows, And will perform to thee and to thine heirs, We offer here our hands into this flame; And as this flame doth fasten on this flesh, So from our souls we wish it may consume The heart of our great lord and sovereign, Muly Mahamet King of Barbary,

If his intent agree not with his words!

K. Seb. These ceremonies and protestations
Sufficeth us, ye lords of Barbary,
Therefore return this answer to your king:
Assure him by the honour of my crown,
And by Sebastian's true unfeignèd faith,
He shall have aid and succour to recover,
And seat him in, his former empery.
Let him rely upon our princely word:
Tell him by August we will come to him
With such a power of brave impatient minds,
As Abdelmelec and great Amurath
Shall tremble at the strength of Portugal.

First Amb. Thanks* to the renowned King of