 | Abra-Mule : Or, Love and Empire |  |
11
ACT II.
SCENE I.
SCENE, The Seraglio.Enter Haly and Cuproli.
Hal.
Did you observe with what a thund'ring Tone
The Royal Boaster talk'd? how loud he bluster'd?
As if the Loss of this important Place
Had added to the Grandeur of his Empire.
Cupr.
The Panegyrick of his darling Pyrrhus
Transported him so far, that he forgot
His shameful Overthrow, and look'd as stern
As if his Foes were all in Battle Slain,
And Buda still were part of his Dominions.
Hal.
And so it now had been, had not my Care,
My vigilant, unweary'd Diligence
Still balk'd, and undermin'd the Visier's Conduct.
For I must own (tho' cursing let me speak it)
A braver Gen'ral never shone in Steel;
And yet his Skill in warlike Discipline
So cools, and qualifies his matchless Courage,
That it ne'er conquers the restraining Bounds
Of Reason, or degen'rates into Rashness:
'Tis no impetuous Sally of the Blood;
But 'tis the Constitution of his Soul,
And can no more—
Cupr.
Cankers consume your Tongue;
Must you too in his Praise turn Orator,
And waste on so detestable a Subject
Your awkward Rhetorick?
Hal.
Mistake me not;—
Tho' I do Justice to his Character,
You cannot boast a more exalted Hatred
Against the Visier's Person, than my self;
Who have with such Dexterity defeated
His Plots, and render'd all his Hopes abortive.
Cupr.
But to what purpose? since he's rooted still
As deep as ever in the Sultan's Favour;—
But by the Rage that glows within my Breast,
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Above us all, and lords it o'er his Betters;
And, while he moves in that exalted Sphere,
Injuriously debars me from my Right.
For that high Office by Inheritance
Is due to me, who am the Son and Brother
Of two successive Visiers; why should I,
My Friend, be thought unworthy of that Honour
Which my Great Father, and my Elder Brother
With such Success have manag'd?
Hal.
Mahomet
No doubt can give a Reason.
Cupr.
Mahomet?
That Name begins to grate my Ears as harshly
As that of the scarce more detested Pyrrhus.
For how can I pay dutiful Allegiance
To him, who ne'er regarding my Desert
Has giv'n my Right to that aspiring Upstart,
And still supports him, wears him next his Heart
In spight of all—But see, the hated Visier
Appears, and with him that black ominous Dog
The Kisler Aga—Death!—My Blood ferments
At sight of 'em—Let us retire, and shun
Their Walk; the Air they breath in is not wholsom.
[Exeunt.
Enter Pyrrhus, and the Kisler Aga.
Pyr.
Ha! Cuproli, and Haly! Their Cabals
Portend no Good to me.—
For I've observ'd that those two haughty Courtiers
Since my Advancement have, with envious Eyes,
Beheld my Honours; with a gloomy Look
They scowl upon me, if I chance to meet them:
Then with a stiff, unwilling Bow they pay me
Surly Respect, and sullenly pass by.
Kisl.
This arrogant Behaviour gives—
Pyr.
No more—
I have no Time to waste on Toys like these;
The Care of Life and Safety must employ
My leisure Hours; at present I've Affairs
Of greater Moment.—You've already heard
The Story of my Love, and Mursa's Baseness;
And e'er an Hour is past, you will receive
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Kisl.
Already I've receiv'd that lovely Maid;
And sure she is so exquisitely fram'd,
That I who many Years have dealt in Beauty,
And had the fairest Females from all Parts
Committed to my Care, ne'er yet beheld,
'Mongst such variety of Foreign Charms,
A Virgin half so lovely—She excels
Ev'n English Beauties, and eclipses all
Those various Nations, who with Pride attend
Upon the Sultan's Pleasures.
Pyr.
O! She is all Perfection; and tho' born
In a cold frozen Clime, o'er-spread with Ice
And driving Snow, (which, if compar'd with hers,
Loses its Whiteness) yet her Eyes dart Fire
Able to melt the most benumn'd of Hearts
With kindling Warmth, and thaw it into Softness.
Therefore, my Friend, as thou regard'st my Life,
Conspire with me in this, 'tis honest Fraud;
Secretly free her from this new Confinement,
And, while thou canst, restore her to my Wishes.
Kisl.
What you propose is hazardous and difficult:
Her Beauty could not 'scape th'observing Eyes
Of some in the Seraglio; and be sure
I've Spies enough upon me, who for hope
Of a Reward, will give the Sultan notice
Of such unfaithful Dealing—One I know
Who has it in her Pow'r t'inform against me.
For to divert the beauteous Stranger's Sadness,
I recommended her to the Acquaintance
Of one who holds the very next Apartment;
Whom I commanded by her frequent Visits,
To chear her Solitude.
Pyr.
O fear not her:
She never will inform; but rather chuse
(For her own sake) t'assist thee in removing
Her charming Rival hence.
Kisl.
Perhaps she might,
Had she that Youth and Bloom she once enjoy'd:
But this is one, whose antiquated Beauty
Has lost the Privilege of the Sultan's Bed;
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The am'rous Solyman. However, Sir,
I shall observe her Temper; Gold perhaps
May bribe her to be silent, and the rest
Time may dispatch beyond your Expectation.
Nor are they groundless Hopes—I have a Project,
(At leisure you shall hear Particulars)
Which, tho' it cannot now be executed,
May one Day Crown your Loves.
Pyr.
'Till then, my Friend,
Be it thy Care to keep her from the sight
Of Mahomet, who, as he is o'erwhelm'd
With Cares, and vex'd at unsuccessful War,
Neglects his Loves; and therefore will forbear
To claim her of thee, while he's ignorant
How beautiful a Treasure he possesses.
Mean while my Care shall be to fill his Mind
With fresh Supplies of Bus'ness, to divert him
From am'rous Thoughts—The rest of my Design
I will impart hereafter—One thing more—
Let Zaida still have free Admission to her;
Her Conversation will abate her Melancholy,
And make the Time less tedious.
Kisl.
Doubt not, Sir,
Of my Fidelity, and be assur'd
Your Cares are mine.—
[Exeunt severally.
Re-enter Haly and Cuproli.
Hal.
'Twas greatly thought; but an Attempt so daring
Staggers my Resolution.
Cupr.
Can'st thou scruple?
I tell thee, Fate is in our Enterprize,
I see it written in th'Eternal Volume,
That Mahomet must tumble—All your Doubts
Will quickly vanish, if you but reflect
On his past Reign, which still has been attended
With one continu'd Series of Misfortunes.
You need not be inform'd that ill Success
Renders a Sultan odious in the Eyes
Of th'unreflecting Vulgar, who conclude
That angry Heav'n will never be atton'd,
'Till they remove him from th'Imperial Seat.
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Before Vienna, whence they were repuls'd
After a tedious and expensive Siege,
You know incens'd the murm'ring Populace,
And ev'n the ruling Part of the Divan.
But the late Loss of Buda has enrag'd them
Beyond all Bounds; and now they only want
Some Person of Authority to head 'em,
And fire 'em with the Name of Solyman
The next Successor, who will easily
Be wrought into our Plot—What think you now?
Hal.
Why now I am convinc'd that Mahomet
Sits loose upon his Throne: H'has been long tott'ring,
And nothing now is wanting, but our Help
To give him his last Push, and down he tumbles.
Cupr.
Yes, since he still protects my mortal Foe,
He shall be thrown from the Imperial Seat,
And crush that Fav'rite with his dreadful Ruins.
Thus I at once shall satiate my Revenge,
And glut Ambition; for the next Successor
I know will do me right; and thou, my Friend,
Shalt then enjoy the third Place in the Empire
Which hated Karah-Ibraim now usurps,
And thou so well deserv'st.
Hal.
You over-rate
My Actions, if you think they can deserve
The third Place in the Empire—Tho' at present
I see no Cause why I should not be thought
As worthy of the second, as your self.
[Aside.
But what if unaspiring Solyman,
Control'd by Checks of Conscience, should refuse
So daring a Proposal? He's the Hinge
On which our Project turns, and should he fail us,
Our Plots are all unravell'd.
Cupr.
I confess
'Tis in his Pow'r to frustrate all our Hopes;
Nor can this bold Conspiracy succeed,
Unless that Prince concur to our Design.
For tho' the Soldiers Hearts be alienated
From Mahomet, yet they will ne'er revolt,
'Till the next Prince of the Imperial Line
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Hal.
Then Solyman, I fear, will ne'er comply
With our Desires.
Cupr.
'Tis true he wants Ambition,
And melancholy Blood retards the Springs
Of his unactive Soul; and, what is worse,
He talks of Virtue, Conscience, and Religion.
But then he's am'rous, subtle, and designing;
And thou and I, by long and near Acquaintance,
Have gain'd an absolute Ascendant o'er him.
By means of which we may, without Restraint,
Use the most cogent Arguments to fire
His Soul with glorious Thoughts of Fame and Empire.
Ha! we have talk'd him hither—
Enter Solyman.
Sol.
What is the Subject of Debate, my Friends?
Cupr.
Why, Sir, we were consulting which is best,
To suffer by the Bow-string or the Scymitar.
Sol.
But why that Question?
Cupr.
'Tis a proper one,
For that we are to die is past all Doubt.
Sol.
Your Reason?
Cupr.
You know we have arraign'd the Visier's Conduct
Before the Sultan; but without Success.
And since we have not, as we first design'd,
Compleated his Destruction, 'tis most certain
We have effectually procur'd our own.
For having openly declar'd our selves
Enemies to that Fav'rite, we have drawn
Mahomet's Hatred on us, who, you know,
Can never rest, while any he suspects
Is Master of a Head.
Sol.
Then I, it seems,
Am subject to like Danger.
Cupr.
True, you are;
And how you can digest such rough, coarse Treatment
I know not. Can you perish like a Slave?
Think—You are born a Prince—Think on that only.
Hal.
Can you be strangled by th'accursed Hands,
Of haggard Mutes? whose Dumbness speaks more Horror
Than all th'insulting, barb'rous Eloquence
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Whose ever gloomy and unalter'd Looks
Shew they are not more dumb, than deaf to Pity.
Indeed for such Plebeian Souls as ours
It matters not; but is it fitting, Sir,
Is't fitting that a Prince born to command
The World, should suffer by the bloodless Hands
Of such detested Villains?
Sol.
But what Means
Are to be us'd for Safety and Prevention?
Cupr.
The Means are obvious; since we are embark'd
In a Design so dang'rous, we're oblig'd
To push the Expedition on, with all
Our Might, and drive our Treasons to the Head;
For nothing can secure us now from Punishment
For our past Actions, but atchieving greater.
Sol.
I know not what you drive at.
Cupr.
To be plain,
The Sultan must be ruin'd, or we perish.
Sol.
Ha!
Hal.
Why do you start, my Lord? 'Tis no new thing
To see a Sultan tumbled from the Throne.
Sol.
I'll hear no more o'this.
Cupr.
What Pity 'tis
That I had not your Birth, or you my Soul!—
A Prince without Ambition!—
O monstrous Contradiction! How it sounds!
For shame, Sir, lay aside these grov'ling Thoughts,
Exert your Royalty, and be your self;
Or I shall grow your Rival, and suspect
That, since one Night gave Being to us both,
Our Mothers by Consent exchang'd their Infants:
And, tho' I'm cheated of my glorious Birth,
You are the Visier's Son, and I the Prince.
Hal.
I must confess, I thought the Universe
Could not have shewn a Breast so void of Fire,
As to reject with Coldness and Disdain
The Empire of the World. At such a Proffer
You should have bounded from the Earth with Transport;
Have thrown your eager Arms about our Necks,
With sparkling Eyes, and Cheeks that glow'd Ambition,
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O how insensible, how spiritless
Is he, whom all the dazzling Charms of Greatness,
And uncontroul'd Dominion cannot move!
Sol.
My Friends, you are too violent, and mistake me;
I am not of so mortify'd a Spirit,
As to reject with Coldness and Disdain
The Empire of the World.—
But yet I am not so in love with Pow'r
As to dissolve the sacred Ties of Nature,
And break thro' all Restraint of Law and Conscience,
To make my self Lord of the Universe.
No—I would sooner live and die in Silence,
Untalk'd of by the World, than gain a Throne
By such illegal Means.—
Hal.
But sure your Conscience must be over-nice,
If you call that Illegal and Unjust
Which Nature has commanded: Self-defence
Is her first Principle—Think on your Wrongs,
Consider you can never injure him,
Since he's the first Aggressor. Has he not
Debarr'd you from the Pleasures of the Court,
Confin'd you to a Guard? and, what is worse,
Has he not thrice attempted on your Life?
Which had infallibly been sacrific'd,
To satiate his unnat'ral Thirst of Blood;
Had not the Sultaness with pious Fraud
Cheated his Cruelty.
Sol.
All this I grant;
But were his Crimes more num'rous than they are,
And he a blacker Devil than you make him;
Yet could I ne'er consent to urge his Fate,
Nor mount that Throne from which my Brother fell
By lawless Violence—As for your Lives,
I know he dares not think a Thought against them.
For in this doubtful Posture of Affairs
His Int'rest is to sooth the Populace,
Who by our Deaths would be incens'd to Madness.
Cupr.
Suppose your Life be safe, which yet I question;
I'd sooner die the most abhorr'd of Deaths,
Than live as you do.—Princes of the Blood,
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Forc'd to comply with all his Savage Humours,
Abridg'd of Pleasure, and of Liberty.
For should you dare to cast an am'rous Glance
On one of those innumerable Beauties,
Which his unbounded Luxury engrosses;
Your Head must pay the Forfeit of your Eyes.
'Tis true; when they grow stale and antiquated,
To you his Generosity resigns 'em.
He riotously enjoys their Youth and Bloom,
Then leaves their Age, and Ugliness to you.
Himself he feasts, but lightly puts you off
With the vile Scraps and Leavings of his Lust.
Sol.
I prithee, Friend, no more.
Cupr.
Yes, Sir, I've done.
Now you may go, impeach us to the Sultan,
(For you, I find, are rank'd among his Crearutes)
And take our Lives, for saucily endeav'ring
To make you happy; and we'll die, my Friend,
[To Hal.
Without repining at our Destiny;
Since Solyman has sworn to have it so.
Sol.
You do me wrong by such unjust Suspicions;
My Friendship to you both is firm as ever,
Nor shall my Aid be wanting to assist
Your Plots against the Visier, and advance you
To those high Honours which your Merits claim.
But for my Brother's Fate—no more o'that;
My Friends, let me intreat you to retire,
And leave me to my self.—
Hal.
We go; in hopes that when we meet again,
Your Resolution will not be so strong
Against your Int'rest.—
[Ex. Hal. and Cupr.
Solyman
solus
No; I am not in haste to hold the Reins
Of so perverse, untractable a People:
'Tis true; were ours, like other Monarchies,
Founded on wholsom Laws, supported by them,
Aided by Senates; and did King and People
Think it their Int'rest to assist each other,
Th'Ottoman Throne would then be worth Ambition.
But what, alas! is Arbitrary Rule?
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Whose Pow'r is bounded by coercive Laws;
Since while they limit, they preserve his Empire.
Yet what my fiery Friends have urg'd, has made
Some slight Impression on me—Mahomet
With jealous Eyes surveys me, thwarts my Loves;
And keeps the Youth of his Seraglio from me.
Which would indeed be insupportable,
Did not my trusty Confident Marama
By stealth convey to my desiring Arms
Some of his choicest Beauties; by her Wit
I cheat the Sultan, and enjoy those Pleasures
Which vainly he imagines all his own,
And quite debarr'd from all the World beside.
Enter Marama.
My dear Marama—
Mar.
O Sir, you're obliging:
But are my Charms so pow'rful and engaging,
As to extort that passionate Expression?
If so; if I deserve that am'rous Title,
Why are you not content with my Embraces
Which Mahomet allows you? No—I'm old;
And my decaying Beauty is laid by,
Scorn'd and despis'd: Those soft endearing Words
Are not bestow'd upon me for my sake;
But for their sakes, whom I by various Arts
Persuade to make you happy; so that now
I gain your Love by other Womens Charms,
And only please by Proxy.
Sol.
No, Thou'rt all amiable; such sprightly Wit,
Such depth of Thought, so fertile an Invention
Shall ever claim the Love of all our Sex,
And Wonder of thy own.
Mar.
Well, slighted as I am, I yet am true,
And give such Proofs of my Fidelity
As sure no Woman ever gave before;
Nor ever will again, while I employ
My Female Cunning; Plot, and rack my Brain,
To bring my happy Rivals to your Arms.
This very Hour have I been lab'ring for you;
Height'ning your Character, and kindling Love
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With whom, though now she be but just arriv'd;
I by the Kisler's positive Command,
And my familiar manner of Address,
Already have contracted some Acquaintance.
The Kisler (for what Reason is a Secret)
Seems not in haste to shew her to the Sultan;
And she, as if not conscious of her Beauty,
Is not ambitious to appear before him.
These Circumstances favour my Design;
Which you must now engage in: I've contriv'd
A way to guide you into her Apartment;
Where you may sigh and languish at her Feet,
T'express a Passion which the sight of her
Must needs inspire you with.
Sol.
O my Marama,
Lead me this Moment, lead me to that Place
Where I may see this Master-piece of Nature;
And then continue to assist my Love,
And perfect what thou hast so well begun.
Dethrone my Brother? No, there's no Temptation:
[Aside.
I never envy'd him the Toils of State;
Now ev'n in Love I'm happier far than he.
For tho' he riots 'midst a Thousand Beauties,
He wants the Lover's greatest Happiness.
He his fair Slaves commands, and to his Arms
They strait resign their unresisting Charms;
But I my Plots and Stratagems prepare,
And court at distance the refusing Fair;
While I from Hope a silent Joy conceive,
And ev'n my Fears a doubtful Pleasure give:
'Till she submits to Love's resistless Laws,
And cures the Sickness which her self did cause.
[Exeunt.
| Abra-Mule : Or, Love and Empire | |