Ding down my soul to hell, and with this soul That I have holily erst underta’en. And that thy lords and captains may perceive As pure as is the water of the brook, THE MOOR'S SON. Nor can it otherwise befall the man, That keeps his seat and sceptre all in fear; That wears his crown in eye of all the world, What title then hath Abdilmelec here To bar our father or his progeny? Right royal prince, hereof you make no doubt, And find the Arabian Muly Hamet here, STUк. Brave boy, how plain this princely mind in thee Argues the height and honour of thy birth! SEB. True, Stukeley, and so freshly to my mind Bursts into open flames, and calls for wars, A pledge of honour, and shall use him so. This rightful war, that Christians' God will bless. reduc'd] i. e. brought back. [Exeunt. ACTUS IV. The PRESENTER speaketh. Now harden'd is this hapless heathen prince, And strengthen'd by the arms of Portugal, This Moor, this murderer of his progeny ; And war and weapons now, and blood and death, Wait on the counsels of this cursed king; And to a bloody banquet he invites The brave Sebastian and his noble peers. Enter to the bloody banquet. In fatal hour arriv'd this peerless prince, Let fame of him no wrongful censure sound, Honour was object of his thoughts, ambition was his ground. Enter ABDILMELEC and his train. [Exit. ABDILM. Now tell me, Celybin, what doth the enemy? CEL. The enemy, dread lord, hath left the town Of Arzil with a thousand soldiers arm'd, To guard his fleet of thirteen hundred sail, And mustering of his men before the walls, He found he had two thousand armed horse, * Drawen] Spelt, as pronounced, a disyllable,—for the sake of the verse. And fourteen thousand men that serve on foot, Three thousand pioneers, and a thousand coachmen, Of drudges, negroes, slaves, and muliters,* ABDILM. Alas, good king! thy foresight hath been small, To come with women into Barbary, With laundresses,† with baggage, and with trash, CEL. Their payment in the camp is passing slow, And victuals scarce, that many faint and die. ABDILM. But whither marcheth he in all this haste? CEL. Some think he marcheth hitherward, And means to take this city of Alcazar. ABDILM. Unto Alcazar? O unconstant chance! CEL. The brave and valiant king of Portugal Quarters his power in four battalions, Afront the which, to welcome us withal, Are six and thirty roaring pieces plac'd: The first consisting of light-armed horse, And of the garrisons from Tangier brought, muliters] For muleteers :-" Your mariners are muliters, reapers, people ingross'd by swift impress." Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, act iii. sc. 7. t laundresses] Old copy "landresse." think] Old copy “thinks." Is led by Alvaro Peres de Tavero; And German horsemen, Stukeley doth command, That vainly calls himself marquis of Ireland; That wing of German soldiers most consists; Of whom Lodevico Cæsar hath the chiefest charge: How he is plac'd to brave his fight. ABDILM. But where's our nephew, Muly Mahamet? CEL. He marcheth in the middle, guarded about With full five hundred harquebuze on foot, And twice three thousand needless armed pikes. ZAREO. Great sovereign, vouchsafe to hear me speak, And let Zareo's counsel now prevail; Whilst time doth serve, and that these Christians dare Approach the field with warlike ensigns spread, Let us in haste with all our forces meet, And hem them in, that not a man escape; VOL. II. * prest] i. e. ready. K |