The Play-House to be Let :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Play-House to be Let

D'Avenant, William (1606-1668)

The Play-House to be Let.

The Cruelty of the SPANIARDS in PERU.

The Second ENTRY.

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The Second ENTRY.

An Alman and Corante are play'd: after which a Trumpet-Ayr changes the Scene; where a Fleet is discern'd at distance, with
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a prospect of the Sea and Indian Coast; the Ships bearing in their Flags the Spread-Eagle, to denote the Austrian Family; and on the right side are seen some Natives of Peru, pointing with amazement to the Fleet, (as never having had the view of Ships before) and in a mourning condition take their leaves of their Wives and Children; because of an ancient prophecy amongst them, which did signifie, That a Bearded People (those of Peru having ever held it uncomely to wear Beards) should spring out of the Sea, and conquer them. The object having remained a while, the Priest of the Sun enters.
The Second Speech,
Describing briefly the pleasant lives of the Incas till this season of fulfilling that prophecy, when a Bearded People should come from the sea to destroy them; and two of the Incan Family ruine that Empire, which twelve of the Emperours had erected.
In all the soft delights of sleep and ease,
Secure from War, in peaceful Palaces,
Our Incas liv'd: but now I see their doom:
Guided by winds, the Bearded People come!
And that dire Prophecy must be fulfill'd,
When two shall ruine what our twelve did build.
'Tis long since first the Sun's chief Priest foretold,
That cruel men, Idolaters of Gold,
Should pass vast Seas to seek their Harbour here.
Behold, in floating Castles they appear!
Mine eyes are struck! Away, away
With gentle Love's delicious sway!
The Incas from their wives must fly!
And ours may soon believe
We mourn to see them grieve,
But shall rejoyce to see them dy.
For they by dying safety gain:
And when they quit,
In Death's cold fit,
Love's pleasure they shall lose Life's pain.
The Second Song,
Intimating their sorrow for their future condition, (according to the Prophecy) under their new Masters the Spaniards.

1.

No more, no more,
Shall we drag to the shore
Our Nets at the ebb of the Flood;
Nor after we lay
The toyls for our Prey,
Shall we meet to compass the Wood.
Nor with our Arrows e're delight,
To get renown
By taking down
The soaring Eagle in his flight.

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2.

Make haste! make haste!
You delights that are past!
And do not to our thoughts appear:
Lest vainly we boast
Of joys we have lost,
And grieve to reckon what we were.
The Incas glory now is gone!
Dark grows that light,
Which chear'd our sight,
Set is their deity, the Sun.

Chorus.

All creatures when they breed,
May then with safety feed:
All shall have times for liberty but we.
We, who their Masters were,
Must now such Masters fear,
As will no season give us to be free.

This Song being ended, a doleful Ayr is heard, which prepares the entrance of two Indians, in their feather'd habits of Peru! they enter severally from the opposite sides of the Wood, and gazing on the face of the Scene, fall into a Mimick Dance, in which they express the Argument of the Prospect, by their admiration at the sight of the Ships, (which was to those of Peru a new and wonderfull object) and their lamentation, at beholding their Countrymen in deep affliction, and taking their leaves of their Wives and Children.