University of Virginia Library

Act. 3.

Enter Venus.
Thus haue you seene, how Amuracke himselfe,
Fausta his wife, and euery other King,
Which holds their scepters at the Turke his hands,
Are now in armes, entending to destroy
And bring to nought, the Prince of Aragon.
Charmes haue bene vsde by wise Medeas art,
To know before what afterward shall hap,
And King Belinus with high Claramount,
Ioynd to Alphonsus, which with Princely pompe,
Doth rule and gouerne all the warlike Moores,
Are sent as Legats to god Mahomet,
To know his counsell in these high affaires.
Mahound prouokte by Amurackes discourse,
Which as you heard, he in his dreame did vse,
Denies to play the Prophet any more,
But by the long intreatie of his Priests,
He prophesies in such a craftie sort,
As that the hearers needs must laugh for sport.
Yet poore Belinus with his fellow Kings,
Did giue such credence to that forged tale,
As that they lost their dearest liues thereby,
And Amuracke became a prisoner
Vnto Alphonsus, as straight shall appeare.
Exit Venus.

Let there be a brazen Head set in the middle of the place behind the Stage, out of the which, cast flames of fire, drums rumble within, Enter two Priests.
1. Pr.
My fellow Priests of Mahounds holy house,
What can you iudge of these strange miracles,
Which daily happen in this sacred seate?
Drums rumble within.
Harke what a rumbling ratleth in our eares.
Cast flames of fire forth of the brazen Head.
See flakes of fire proceeding from the mouth
Of Mahomet, that God of peereles power.
Nor can I tell with all the wit I haue,
What Mahomet by these his signes doth craue.

2. Pr.
Thrise ten times Phœbus with his golden beames,
Hath compassed the circle of the skie,
Thrise ten times Ceres, hath her workemen hir'd,
And fild her barnes with frutefull crops of corne,
Since first in Priesthood I did lead my life:
Yet in this time I neuer heard before,
Such feareful sounds, nor saw such wondrous sights,
Nor can I tell, with all the wit I haue,
What Mahomet by these his signes doth craue.

Speake out of the brazen Head.
Ma.
You cannot tell, nor will you seeke to know,
Oh peruerse Priest, how carelesse are you waxt?
As when my foes approach vnto my gates,
You stand still talking of I cannot tell:
Go packe you hence, and meete the Turkish kings,
Which now are drawing to my Temple ward:
Tell them from me, God Mahomet is dispos'd
To prophesie no more to Amuracke,
Since that his tongue is waxen now so free,
As that it needs must chat and raile at me.

Kneele downe both.
1. Pr.
Oh Mahomet, if all the solemne prayers
Which from our childhood we haue offered thee,
Can make thee call this sentence backe againe,
Bring not thy Priest into this dangerous state:
For when the Turke doth heare of this repulse,
We shall be sure to die the death therefore.

Ma.
Thou sayest truth, go call the Princes in,
Ile prophesie vnto them for this once,
But in such wise, as they shall neither boast,
Nor you be hurt in any kinde of wise.

Enter Belinus, Claramont, Arcastus, go both the Priests to meet him: the first say.
1. Pr.
You Kings of Turkie, Mahomet our God,
By sacred science, hauing notice that
You were sent Legats from high Amuracke,
Vnto this place, commaunded vs his Priests,
That we should cause you make as mickle speed,
As well you might, to heare for certaintie,
Of that shall happen to your King and ye.

Beli.
For that intent we came into this place,
And sithens that, the mightie Mahomet
Is now at leisure for to tell the same,
Let vs make haste and take time while we may:
For mickle daunger hapneth through delay.

2. Pri.
Truth worthy king, and therfore you yourselfe,
With your companions, kneele before this place,
And listen well what Mahomet doth say.

Kneele all downe before the brasen Head.
Beli.
As you do will, we ioyntly will obey.

Ma.
Princes of Turkie, and Embassadors
Of Amuracke, to mightie Mahomet,
I needs must muse, that you which erst haue bene
The readiest souldiers of the triple world,
Are now become so slacke in your affaires,
As when you should with bloudie blade in hand,
Be hacking helmes in thickest of your foes,
You stand still loytering in the Turkish soyle.
What know you not, how that it is decreed,
By all the gods, and chiefly by my selfe:
That you with triumph should all Crowned bee:
Make haste Kings, least when the fates do see,
How carlesly you do neglect their words,
They call a Counsell, and force Mahomet
Against his will some other thing to set.
Send Fabius backe to Amuracke againe,
To haste him forwards in his enterprise:
And march you on with all the troupes you haue,
To Naples ward, to conquer Aragon.
For if you stay, both you and all your men,
Must needs be sent downe straight to Lymbo den.

2. Pri.
Muse not braue kings at Mahomets discourse,
For marke what he forth of that mouth doth say,
Assure your selfe it needs must happen so.
Therfore make hast, go mount you on your steeds,
And set vpon Alphonsus presently.
So shall you reape great honor for your paine:
And scape the scourge, which els the Fates ordaine.

Rise all vp.
Beli.
Then proud Alphonsus, looke thou to thy Crowne,
Belinus comes in glittring armor clad,
All readie prest for to reuenge the wrong
Which not long since, you offred vnto him.
And since we haue God Mahound on our side:
The victorie must needs to vs betide.

Cla.
Worthie Belinus, set such threats away,
And let vs haste as fast as horse can trot,
To set vpon presumptuous Aragon.
You Fabius, hast as Mahound did commaund,
To Amuracke, with all the speed you may.

Fabi.
With willing mind I hasten on my way.
Exit Fabius.

Beli.
And thinking long till that we be in fight,
Belinus hastes to quaile Alphonsus might.

Exeunt omnes.
Strike vp alarum a while. Enter Carinus.
Cari.
No sooner had God Phæbus brightsome beames
Begun to diue within the Westerne seas,
And darksome Nox had spred about the earth
Her blackish mantle, but a drowsie sleepe
Did take possession of Carinus sence,
And Morphei shewd me strange disguised shapes.
Me thought I saw Alphonsus my deare sonne,
Plast in a throane all glittering cleare with gold,
Bedeckt with diamonds, pearles & precious stones,
Which shind so cleare, and glittered all so bright,
Hiperions couch, that well be termd it might.
Aboue his head a canapie was set,
Not deckt with plumes as other Princes vse,
But all beset with heads of conquered kings:
Enstald with Crowns, which made a gallant shew,
And strooke a terror to the viewers harts.
Vnder his feete lay grouelling on the ground,
Thousand of Princes, which he in his warres
By martiall might did conquer and bring lowe.
Some lay as dead as either stock or stone,
Some other tumbled wounded to the death:
But most of them as to their soueraigne king,
Did offer duly homage vnto him.
As thus I stood beholding of this pompe,
Me thought Alphonsus did espie me out:
And at a trice he leauing throane alone,
Came to imbrace me in his blessed armes.
Then noyse of drums, and sound of trumpets shrill,
Did wake Carinus from this pleasant dreame.
Something I know is now foreshewne by this:
The Gods forsend that ought should hap amis.

Carinus walke vp and downe. Enter the Duke of Millain in Pilgrims apparell, and say.
Du.
This is the chance of fickle Fortunes wheele
A Prince at morne, a Pilgrim ere it be night:
I which erewhile did daine for to possesse,
The proudest pallace of the westerne world,
Would now be glad, a cottage for to finde,
To hide my head, so Fortune hath assignde.
Thrise Hesperus with pompe and peerelesse pride
Hath heau'd his head forth of the Easterne seas:
Thrise Cynthia, with Phœbus borrowed beames,
Hath shewē her bewtie throgh the darkish clowdes,
Since that I wretched Dulce haue tasted ought,
Or drunke a drop of any kinde of drinke.
Instead of beds set forth with Ibonie,
The greenish grasse hath bene my resting place,
And for my pillow stuffed with downe,
The hardish hillockes haue sufficed my turne.
Thus I which erst had all things at my will,
A life more hard then death do follow still.

Ca.
Me thinks I heare, not very far from hence,
Some wofull wight, lamenting his mischance:
Ile go and see, if that I can espie
Him where he sits, or ouerheare his talke.

Du.
Oh Millaine, Millaine, litle dost thou thinke,
How that thy Duke is now in such distresse,
For if thou didst, I soone should be releast
Forth of this greedie gulph of miserie.

Ca.
The Millaine Duke, I thought as much before,
When first I glaunst mine eyes vpon his face:
This is the man which was the onely cause,
That I was forst to flie from Aragon.
High Ioue be prais'd, which hath allotted me
So fit a time to quite that iniurie.
Pilgrime God speed.

Du.
Welcome graue sir to me.

Cari.
Me thought as now I heard you for to speak
Of Millaine land, pray do you know the same?
I aged father, I haue cause to know,
Both Millaine land, and all the parts thereof.

Cari.
Why then I doubt not but you can resolue
Me of a question that I shall demaund.

Duke.
I that I can, what euer that it be.

Cari.
Then to be briefe, not twentie winters past
When these my lims which withered are with age,
Were in the prime and spring of all their youth,
I still desirous as yoong gallants be,
To see the fashions of Arabia,
My nature soyle, and in this pilgrims weed,
Began to trauell through vnkenned lands,
Much ground I past, and many soyles I saw,
But when my feete in Millain land I set,
Such sumptuous triumphs daily there I saw,
As neuer in my life I found the like.
I pray good sir, what might the occasion bee:
That made the Millains make such mirth and glee?

Duk.
This solemne ioy wherof you now do speak,
Was not solemnized my friend in vaine.
For at that time there came into the land,
The happiest tidings that they ere did heare.
For newes was brought vpon that solemne day,
Vnto our Court, that Ferdinandus proud
Was slaine himselfe, Carinus and his sonne
Were banisht both for euer from Aragon:
And for these happie newes that ioy was made.

Cari.
But what I pray did afterward become,
Of old Carinus with his banisht sonne?
What heare you nothing of them all this while?

Du.
Yes too too much, the Millain Duke may say.
Alphonsus first by secret meanes did get
To be a souldier in Belinus warres:
Wherein he did behaue himselfe so well,
As that he got the Crowne of Aragon.
Which being got, he dispossest also,
The King Belinus which had fostered him:
As for Carinus he is dead and gone,
I would his sonne were his companion.

Cari.
A blister build vpon that traytors tongue,
But for thy friendship which thou shewedst me,
Take that of me, I frankly giue it thee.
Stab him.
Now will I haste to Naples with all speed,
To see if Fortune will so fauour me,
To view Alphonsus in his happie state.
Exit Carinus.

Enter Amuracke, Crocon King of Arabia, Faustus, King of Babilon, Fabius, with the Turkes Ganesaries.
Amu.
Fabius come hither, what is that thou sayest?
What did god Mahound prophecie to vs?
Why do our Viceroyes wend vnto the warres,
Before their king had notice of the same?
What do they thinke to play bob foole with me?
Or are they waxt so frolicke now of late,
Since that they had the leading of our bands,
As that they thinke that mightie Amuracke
Dares do no other then to soothe them vp?
Why speakest thou not? what fond or franticke fit
Did make those care lesse Kings to venture it?

Fa.
Pardon deare Lord, no franticke fit at all,
No frolicke vaine, nor no presumptuous mind,
Did make your Viceroies take these wars in hand.
But forst they were by Mahounds prophecie,
To do the same, or else resolue to die.

Amu.
So sir, I heare you, but can scare beleeue
That Mahomet would charge them go before
Against Alphonsus with so small a troupe,
Whose number farre exceeds king Xerxes troupe,

Fa.
Yes Noble Lord, and more then that hee said,
That ere that you with these your warlike men,
Should come to bring your succour to the field:
Belinus, Claramount, and Arcastus too,
Should al be crownd with crownes of beaten gold,
And borne with triumphes round about their tēts.

Amu.
With triumph man, did Mahound tell them so?
Prouost go carrie Fabius presently,
Vnto the Marshalsie, there let him rest,
Clapt sure and safe in fetters all of steele,
Till Amuracke discharge him from the same.
For be he sure, vnles it happen so
As he did say, Mahound did prophesie,
By this my hand, forthwith the slaue shall die.

Lay hold of Fabius, and make as though you carrie him out, Enter a souldier and say.
Mess.
Stay Prouost stay, let Fabius alone,
More fitteth now, that euery lustie lad
Be buckling on his helmet, then to stand
In carrying souldiers to the Marshalsie.

Amu.
Why what art thou,
That darest once presume,
For to gainsay that Amuracke did bid?

Messen.
I am my Lord,
The wretcheds man aliue:
Borne vnderneath the Planet of mishap:
Erewhile, a souldier of Belinus band
But now.

Amu.
What now?

Mess.
The mirror of mishap:
Whose Captaine is slaine, and all his armie dead:
Onely excepted me vnhappie wretch.

Amu.
What newes is this, and is Belinus slaine?
Is this the Crowne which Mahomet did say,
He should with triumph weare vpon his head?
Is this the honour which that cursed god
Did prophesie, should hapen to them all?
Oh Dædalus, and wert thou now aliue,
To fasten wings vpon high Amuracke,
Mahound should know, and that for certaintie,
That turkish Kings can brooke no iniurie.

Fabi.
Tush tush my Lord,
I wonder what you meane,
Thus to exclaime against high Mahomet:
Ile lay my life, that ere this day be past,
You shall perceiue, his tidings all be waste.

Amu.
We shall perceiue, accursed Fabius,
Suffice it not that thou hast bene the man,
That first didst beate those bables in my braine,
But that to helpe me forward in my greefe,
Thou seekest to confirme so fowle a lie.
Stab him.
Go get thee hence, and tell thy trayterous King
What gift you had, which did such tidings bring.
And now my Lords, since nothing else will serue,
Buckle your helmes, clap on your steeled coates,
Mount on your steeds, take Launces in your hands,
For Amuracke doth meane this very day,
Proude Mahomet with weapons to assay.

Messen.
Mercie high Monarch, tis no time now
To spend the day in such vaine threatnings,
Against our god, the mightie Mahomet:
More fitteth thee to place thy men at armes
In battle ray, for to withstand your foes,
Which now are drawing towards you with speed.
Sound drummes within.
Hark how their drummes with dub a dub do come,
To armes high Lord, and set these trifles by:
That you may set vpon them valiantly.

Amu.
And do they come you kings of Turkie?
Now is the time, in which your warlike armes
Must raise your names aboue the starrie skies:
Call to your minde your predecessors acts,
Whose martiall might, this many a hundred yeare,
Did keepe those fearefull dogs in dread and awe,
And let your weapons shew Alphonsus plaine,
That though that they be clapped vp in clay,
Yet there be branches sprung vp from those trees,
In Turkish land, which brooke no iniuries.
Besides the same, remember with your selues,
What foes we haue, not mightie Tamberlaine,
Nor souldiers trained vp amongst the warres,
But fearefull bodies, pickt from their rurall flocke,
Which till this time were wholy ignorant
What weapons ment, or bloudie Mars doth craue.
More would I say, but horses that be free,
Do need no spurs: and souldiers which themselues
Long and desire to buckle with the foe,
Do need no words to egge them to the same.
Enter Alphonsus, with a Canapie carried ouer him by three Lords, hauing ouer each corner a Kings head, crowned with him, Albinius, Lælius, Miles, with Crownes on their heads, and their souldiers.
Besides the same, behold whereas our foes
Are marching towards vs most speedilie.
Courage my Lords, ours is the victorie.

Alph.
Thou Pagan dog how darst thou be so bold
To set thy foote within Alphonsus land?
What art thou come to view thy wretched kings,
Whose traiterous heads bedeckt my tents so well?
Or else thou hearing that on top thereof,
There is a place left vacant, art thou come
To haue thy head possesse the highest seate?
If it be so, lie downe, and this my sword
Shall presently that honor thee affoord.
If not, pack hence, or by the heauens I vow,
Both thou and thine shall verie soone perceiue,
That he that seekes to moue my patience,
Must yeeld his life to thee for recompence.

Amu.
Why proud Alphonsus, thinkst thou Amurack
Whose mightie force doth terrefie the Gods,
Can ere be found to turne his heeles and flie
Away for feare, from such a boy as thou?
No no, although that Mars this mickle while
Hath fortified thy weake and feeble arme,
And Fortune oft hath viewd with friendly face,
Thy armies marching victors from the field,
Yet at the presence of high Amuracke,
Fortune shall change, and Mars that God of might
Shall succour me, and leaue Alphonsus quight.

Alphon.
Pagan I say, thou greatly art deceiu'd,
I clap vp Fortune in a cage of gold,
To make her turne her wheele as I thinke best.
And as for Mars whom you do say will change,
He moping sits behind the kitchin doore,
Prest at commaund of euery Skulhans mouth:
Who dares not stir, nor once to moue a whit
For feare Alphonsus then should stomack it.

Amu.
Blasphemous dog, I wonder that the earth
Doth cease from renting vnderneath thy feete,
To swallow vp those cankred corpes of thine.
I muse that Ioue can bridle so his ire,
As when he heares his brother so misusde,
He can refraine from sending thunderbolts
By thick and threefold to reuenge his wrong.
Mars fight for me, and Fortune be my guide:
And ile be victor what some ere betide.

Albi.
Pray loud enough, lest that you pray in vain,
Perhaps God Mars and Fortune is a sleepe,
And Mars lies slumbring on his downie bed:
Yet do not think but that the power we haue,
Without the helpe of those celestiall Gods,
Will be sufficient, yea with small ado,
Alphonsus stragling armie to subdue.

Læ.
You had need as then to call Mahomet,
With hellish hags to performe the same.

Fau.
High Amurack I wonder what you meane
That when you may with litle toyle or none,
Compell these dogs to keepe their toongs in peace:
You let them stand still barking in this sort:
Beleeue me soueraigne, I do blush to see
These beggers brats to chat so frolikelie.

Alphon.
How now sir boy, let Amurack himselfe
Or any he, the proudest of you all,
But offer once for to vnsheath his sword
If that he dares, for all the power you haue.

Amu.
What darst thou vs? my selfe wil venter it.
To armes my mates.

Amuracke draw thy sword. Alphonsus and all the other kings draw theirs, strike vp alarum, flie Amuracke and his companie. Follow Alphonsus and his companie.