University of Virginia Library

ACT V.

Enter Ibrahim, Visier, Sheker Para, Attendants.
Ibr.
Why Coward dost thou creep thus near me,
Still leaving my Orders unperform'd?

Vis.
Oh! Sacred Sir! The Mutinous Janizaries
Bar each Gate o'th' Palace, nor can I
Pass with Life!

Enter Achmet.
Ach.
Our woes redouble with the coming Night,
The Impetuous Janizaries pour on us
Like a devouring Flood, whilst your
Faint-hearted Guards scarce dare Resist,
Aloud they curse the Visier, and
Unanimously swear his ruine.—

Ibr.
Poor trembling Wizard—if thou hast
Raised a Storm beyond thy Magick Power
To lay, it must overwhelm thee—
Here—throw to these Ravenous Hunters
The Baited Prey; and let 'em gorge
Their revengefull Maws.

Vis.
Hah!

Ibr.
Stop his mouth, and bear him off.

Vis.
Sultan, Ibrahim—
Cruel Lord! Wilt thou not hear me!

forc'd off.
Ibr.
I, stand next the mark of fate!
Evil Councellors the plausible pretence
Of Rebels, colours their Treason—
But—'tis at Soveraign power they aim,
Nor will they cease, till they have bath'd
In Royal Gore; the Victim's seiz'd—
Hark how the Bloodhounds ring his Death!

A shout without.
Shek.
Oh! That I were a Man to face
These Devils, and save my Lord!

Ach.
Retire Dear Sir, to some more remote
Apartment, whilst I together draw
Your Eunuchs; all whom Prayers
Or Promises can engage, to save
Your precious Life, tho' I loose my own.

Ibr.
Faithful Achmet! I, who
But yesterday commanded Armies,
Whose numbers outstript Arithmetick,
And left them unaccountable:
Have now but one poor trusty slave
An Eunuch, who for his unhappy
Lord, will venture Life!—

Exeunt.
Enter Solyman and Souldiers.
Soly.
Where is this Barbarous Prince—
I warrant Fellow-Souldiers;—Hid
The cruel are still Effeminate:
There's scarce a Man left, that
Asserts his cause,—I'll search him out,
And whilst my injur'd friend's preventing
The plunder o'th' City; do a deed,
At which his nicer vertue shrinks.

Exeunt.
Ibrahim, and Sheker Para.
Ibr.
Flatterers, that curse of Courts have
Ruined me!—thro' their false
Opticks, I view'd my greatness—
And when I thought my self a God;
Am more wretched than my meanest Slave:
Unregarded Now's the Frown, that
Mark't my foe for Slaughter; or the
Gracious smile which gave my kneeling
Supplicant, a Kingdom—
Disobey'd, forsaken, friendless, and alone!
Yet the inborn greatness of my Soul remains!
And I will dye with all my Majesty about me,
—Go wretched Woman—Herd amongst
Thy Sex, and let that protect thee!

Shek.
I will a while retire; watch this fear'd event,
And if you fall;—boldly come forth and dye.

Exit.
Enter Solyman driving in Achmet.
Soly.
Eunuch! Pandar! dar'st thou stop my way?
That for thy impudence—that for the poor Morena!

Ach.
O Sultan! our Prophet guard thee,
I can no more

Dyes.
Ibr.
What bold slave art thou, who
Throwing off the Sacred ties of Duty,
Allegiance, darst with offensive
Arms approach thy lawful Prince!

Soly.
My Prince!—
Id'e sooner serve a Russian Bear,
Whose inhuman paw, when I was
Most Assiduous, mark'd me still
With Indignation—such a Monster
So unaccountable art thou!
Oh! Ibrahim! Didst thou but hear
Thy long injur'd, and at length revolting
People, how they curse thee,—what
A dire Catalogue of crimes repeat:
Hadst thou left one grain of Honour,
Thou wouldst turn thy wounded ears away!
And beg me use my Sword; but talk no more.

Ibr.
Traytors are ever loud—
And to colour their own detested sin
Rebellion; with impudence, and calumnies
Bespatter the Throne, they dare attack.

Soly.
Was there a Slave throughout thy wide
Dominions, whom blind fate had cursed
With Wealth: His forfeit—Head
Pay'd for his crime: Whilst his extorted
Treasure fill'd thy coffers, and supply'd
New Luxury. Did vertue Reign in
Any Man, a life Austere; or active Valour
Like our great Progenitors: Strait you,
And your Minions thought, this lookt
With a Reflecting Eye on your Debauches:
Dispatch'd the pious Wretch, and sent him
To his Friends above; then Women
You monopoliz'd—let her be Wife
Or Virgin, fair as Heaven, or monstrous as Hell:
Witness your Armenian Mistress; all serv'd
As fuel to that consuming fire your Lust;
Nay, even the Relique of our late glorious
Emperour, was not free from your Attempt,
But that her Lion Resolution made your
Coward Heart shrink back.

Ibr.
What!—ho!—
Is there none to secure this Traitor?

Soly.
I tell thee, Lost degenerate King,
There's not a Soul will move a Tongue
Or Finger, in thy Defence; thou standst
Forsook by Heaven, and Human Aid—
Think now upon the fair Morena!
And if thy heart of Adamant unmov'd
Cou'd hear an Angel pray; if the angry Powers
So punish'd her spotless Innocence: What
Horrours must remain for thee; who bend'st
Beneath the weight of thousand thousand Ills?

Ibr.
Come on, thou Rebel!—
No Souldier sure thou art!
Thy Tongue's thy sharpest Weapon—yet
If thou wer't; and did thy acts excel the
Foremost of my Royal Race; thy Ignoble
Tomb must blush to hold thee, the name of Rebel
Wou'd blot out the Hero, and leave thy Fame
Detest'd, to the honest World; as thou
Hast Represented mine!

Soly.
My injur'd Friend, and that unhappy Beauty
Whom thy Lust hast ruin'd, gives Justice to
My Javelin's point, and sends it to thy heart!

Fight.
Ibr.
'T'has reach'd it too, nor am I far from thine.

Soly.
Oh feeble Arm! Oh Amurat!
Both fall.
Cou'd I do no more for thee!

Ibr.
I am no longer now the sport of Fate,
This Atom which our unseen Rulers
Thus alternately have tost, now will rest
For ever; my first best part of Life,
Even all my Youth, to Dungeons, Dark
And Loathsom as my Grave, a jealous
Brother close confin'd: then flatter'd
A while with Empire, Commet like,
I made a glorious dreadful blaze;
Yet thanks to my Niggard Stars, I Prest
The golden fruit of Power, and Drank
The very Quintescence, the Vision
Was too full of Rapture long to last:
In a moment the gaudy Scene is vanish'd,
And to my endless Prison, I in haste return.

Dyes.
Enter Amurat, who speaks to his followers Entering.
Am.
Sheath all your Swords, here
Let Murder cease; and whilst in sad complainings
I move my Royal Master's heart—
Let no rude breath offend him—
Ha! stretch'd on the floor!—
My Friend! hast thou done this?

Sees 'em.
Soly.
To higher Judges I am summon'd to appeal,
Where I reward or punishment shall find
For this act; which excessive friendship forc'd:
If thou in honour, as in valour still excell'st,
Forgive thy over-loving Friend: and with a sigh
Remember all my faults, and Death.

Dyes.
Am.
Ye inauspicious Planets! which at my birth
Shot your intermingl'd Rays; and on my Infant
Head, dropt the poisonous Influence:
Oh! that I could curse ye from your Malignant
Spheres! Was ever such a Wretch as Amurat?
My Mistress Ravish'd,—the cruel Ravisher
My Emperour's dead,
My Friend, the Author; and punish'd too with death!
Enter the Mufti and Mustapha, and several Commanders.
See Fathers, see the fatal end of
Our Commotions!

Muft.
'Twas Heavens will, and therefore grieve no more;

Must.
All Eyes are fixt on you, nor doth the
Empire yield an honour, which you may not claim.

Am.
Oh! mistake not the heart of Amurat!
Think not Ambition led me on! no;
Had not Love forc'd my backward Hand,
This Breast had been a Rampart to Guard
The Life of Ibrahim; and my Sword
Destroy'd even you, my Father, had
Ye attempted it!—On the
Illustrious Head of the young Mahomet
Let's fix the Imperial Crown! May
It be larger, and happier than his
Departed Fathers! and with Hearts,
From whence this Voice proceeds, Ring out
The Acclamation—Long live Mahomet
The Fourth! Emperour of the true Believers!

Omnes.
Long live Mahomet the Fourth, &c.
Amurat our great Deliverer!

Must.
Bear the Body to the Royal Mosque, whilst I,
With Mustapha, wait on the Sultana Queens;
Dispel their fears, and cause the perturbed State
To reassume a Face serene.

Exeunt Muft. and Mustaphia.
Enter Sheker, Para.
Shek.
Turn, Traitor, Turn! and here behold
Thy Fate!—'Twas I disclos'd the
Cloister'd Maid, and forc'd her on the King
That good Turn I ow'd for your Disdain.
Then—If you loved Morena, wreak
On me your Vengeance; and strike
Your Ponyard to my Heart!

Amur.
There are things, which by Antipathy
We hate; and such wert ever thou.
The contaminated Blood shall never
Stain the Sword of Amurat.
Live! Detested Creature! Loaded
With Shame and Infamy! Be it
Thy Curse to live! whilst
Pointing Fingers, and busie Tongues
Proclaim thee, if thou appear'st, hunted
Through the City like a Beast of prey;
And shunn'd by all, whoever heard
The Name of Goodness!

Shek.
Look back! and see! how vain thy Curses are!
Thus!—I defie thy Malice!
(Stabs her sef.)
Oh! Ibrahim! if in the other World
The faithful Sheker can be useful:
Lo she comes—Disdaining Life
When thou art gone!

Amur.
Bear the polluted Wretch away,
Whist I seek my afflicted Fair:
And recount the Wonders Revenge has done.

Exeunt.
Enter Morena Drest in White.
Mor.
Drest in these Robes of Innocence,
Fain wou'd I believe my Virgin Purity remains;
But oh! Memory the wretched'st Plague,
Still goads me with the hated Image of my wrong.
My Soul grows weary of its polluted Cage,
And longs to wing the upper Air, where
Uncorrupted Pureness dwells.
Enter Zayda.
Come near, my Zayda, why dost thou
Tremble so? Oh! hadst thou known
The Horrours, thy poor Mistriss has,
Thou woud'st have left to fear!

Zayd.
Who can express the Terrours of this dismal Night!
The mad Janizaries up and raging for Revenge,
Put private Broils upon the publick score,
Murder and Rapine, with Fury uncontroll'd
Rang through the City, and make the Devastation
Horrible, the mangled Visier they have
Piece-meal torn; nor has their Vengeance
Stopt here: The Life of the Empire, the Man
We worshipt like a God, for whom
We still were taught to pray; even
The mighty Ibrahim is no more!

Mor.

Drinks the Poyson.
Enter Amurat.
Amur.
Hail my belov'd and charming fair!
Oh! I have bin, where Blood and Desolation Reign'd,
Where horror in a thousand shapes appeared:
But 'tis past: And I am arrived at the desired Land
Of Peace—Thou the Dove-like Emblem, whose
Long'd for sight Calms the rough Tempests
Of my Soul, and tunes my Heart to Joy!

Mor.
That thou hadst stay'd some moments longer.

Amur.
Why! My lov'd dear one!

Mor.
I shame to cast my eyes towards thine
Wherewith such pleasure I was wont to steal
A glance, my Revenge is now compleat;
I know it, and am yet alive—
Lucretia dy'd before!

Amur.
Inhuman fair!
Death in the Person of my Friend!
Hath toucht my heart too near;
And now, to crown my misery,
Cruelly you talk of yours!

Enter the Mufti, Mustapha and several others.
Muft.
The wrongs that Tyrrannick Ibrahim
Had heap'd on the Sultana Queens
Causes 'em joyntly to rejoyce;
They call you their preserver,
To Amurat.
And send by me the Empire's Seal
With the Title of Prime Visier:
Begging you wou'd protect the Infant
King, whom you have so justly Rais'd.

Amur.
All Honours, Titles, Glories, at the Feet
Of my Adored I lay, if she will bless me
With the sweets of Love, I am, what
They please, else nothing.

Mor.
Can the great Amurat submit so low,
To talk of Fruition when 'tis past,
Or to his Arms receive pollution?

Amur.
Name it no more! The Royal Blood
Of the offender hath cleansed and washed out
Thy Honours Stains, and white as thy
Robes, thy Innocence appears.
Shall I forsake the Christal Fountain,
Because a Rough-hewn Satyr there
Has quencht his Thirst? No! The
Spring, thy Virgin Mind was pure!

Mor.
Talk on, methinks I taste of Heaven,
To hear thee! Let thy kind Breath
Proceed: Waft me from one Paradice
To another!

Amur.
Distraction seize me! Either
My sight deceives me; or my Love
Looks exceeding pale; she Staggers too!
Help! Help! Remorsless Powers drive not
The Wretch you form'd to the Blasphemous
Sins Dispair may utter!

Must.
My Daugther! what hast thou done!

Zayd.
Oh! my unhappy Mistriss!
I fear that fatal Cordial!

Amur.
Inveterate Stars! Now ye've stretcht
Your power to the last degree, and
Ye can curse no more!
Oh! Morena! more savage—
Than our Lord! for ever thou
Hast Robb'd my Life of Joy, depriv'd
My Eyes of Happiness; which, till
They close, must gaze on Thee!
What hath my Love deserv'd for such
A punishment? Morena! unkind!
Cruel! unkind!

Mor.
My Father! draw near; forgive this
First, last act of Disobedience!
You taught me, Sir, that Life no longer
Was a good, then a clear Frame attended it;
My Dishonour Rings through the Universe—
Pardon my quitting it!—
Now Amurat! To thee—Here will I
Lean a Moment, where I thought to Raign
A whole contented Age—I fear the Cordial
Will prove too strong! Antidote the Poison,
And let me live!

Amur.
Thou shalt live! since this Barbarous
Climate has wrong'd such worth;
I'le Raise another Empire large as this,
And fix thee there!—

Mor.
Fix me in thy Heart! more dear to me
Than gaudiest Thrones! Be that
The sacred Urn, where thy Morena rests;
Nor ever let the Face of newer brighter
Beauty drive her thence!—
Oh! Farewel!—

[Dies.
Amur.
Oh! speak! speak once again!—
Open those rosy Doors! Dart from
The fairest Eyes that ever blest the World,
One Ray though 'tis a dying one!—
Oh! 'Tis impossible! Is there
A Dungeon, Galley, Bedlam, can
Produce ought so miserable as Amurat!

Must.
Dead, my lov'd Daughter!—
Angry Prophet! when will thy vengeance cease!

Amur.
Oh! never let it! now let
Earthquakes shake the Basis of this Foundation,
And whirlwinds drive us like dust about!

Must.
Have Patience, Son! Honour was
The Mistress of thy Youth! Fair
Morena hath form'd the bright Idea
To the Life, Copy her, and court only Glory.
Now let the great Business of the Empire
Divert thy Sorrow?—

Amur.
Ye say I am Visier, Guardian to the
Infant King; with Power unlimitted
Command a World, almost as large as
Alexander's—Oh! Morena! once my
Living Mistress, now my dead Saint,
My Ever Worshipt Dear: I do remember
What I promised: no Crowns, Lawrels, nor
The greatest height Ambition raises,
Shou'd ever mount me above thy Slave—
Thus—thus I keep my word—
[Stabs himself.
Slighting all offers here I prostrate ly;
No life so happy, as with thee to die!

Must.
Oh! fatal deed!

Muft.
Rash Act!

Must.
Where shall I hide me from
This Scene of Woe!—No sorrow
Equals that which to the Dead we pay!
Because there's no Room left for
Hope, O Friend!

Muft.
Let's not through grief neglect the publick care
Since in the change we had so large a share;
On the Empires charge let's our sad thoughts imploy,
There must be room for that, though none for Joy.

[Exeunt.