Battle of Alcazar, The - Act 1, Prologue
Enter the Presenter.
Honour , the spur that pricks the princely mind
To follow rule and climb the stately chair,
With great desire inflames the Portingal,
An honourable and courageous king,
To undertake a dangerous dreadful war,
And aid with Christian arms the barbarous Moor,
The negro Muly Hamet, that withholds
The kingdom from his uncle Abdelmelec,
Whom proud Abdallas wrong'd,
And in his throne installs his cruel son,
That now usurps upon this prince,
This brave Barbarian lord, Muly Mollocco.
The passage to the crown by murder made,
Abdallas dies, and leaves this tyrant king;
Of whom we treat, sprung from th' Arabian Moor,
Black in his look, and bloody in his deeds;
And in his shirt, stain'd with a cloud of gore,
Presents himself, with naked sword in hand,
Accompanied, as now you may behold,
With devils coated in the shapes of men.
The First Dumb-show .
Enter M ULY M AHAMET and his Son, and his two young Brethren. The Moor showeth them the bed, and then takes his leave of them, and they betake them to their rest. And then the Presenter speaketh .
Like those that were by kind of murder mumm'd.
Sit down and see what heinous stratagems
These damned wits contrive; and, lo, alas,
How like poor lambs prepared for sacrifice,
This traitor-king hales to their longest home
These tender lords, his younger brethren both!
The Second Dumb-show.
Enter the Moor and two Murderers, bringing in his uncle A BDELMUNEN : then they draw the curtains, and smother the young Princes in the bed; which done in sight of the uncle, they strangle him in his chair, and then go forth. Then the Presenter saith —
His brethren thus in fatal bed behearsed,
His father's brother, of too light belief,
This negro puts to death by proud command.
Say not these things are feign'd, for true they are;
And understand how, eager to enjoy
His father's crown, this unbelieving Moor,
Murdering his uncle and his brethren,
Triumphs in his ambitious tyranny;
Till Nemesis, high mistress of revenge,
That with her scourge keeps all the world in awe,
With thundering drums awakes the God of War,
And calls the Furies from Avernus' crags,
To range and rage, and vengeance to inflict,
Vengeance on this accursed Moor for sin.
And now behold how Abdelmelec comes,
Uncle to this unhappy traitor-king,
Arm'd with great aid that Amurath hath sent,
Great Amurath, [great] Emperor of the East,
For service done to Sultan Solimon,
Under whose colours he had served in field,
Flying the fury of this negro's father,
That wrong'd his brethren to install his son.
Sit you, and see this true and tragic war,
A modern matter full of blood and ruth,
Where three bold kings, confounded in their height,
Fell to the earth, contending for a crown;
And call this war The battle of Alcazar .
Honour , the spur that pricks the princely mind
To follow rule and climb the stately chair,
With great desire inflames the Portingal,
An honourable and courageous king,
To undertake a dangerous dreadful war,
And aid with Christian arms the barbarous Moor,
The negro Muly Hamet, that withholds
The kingdom from his uncle Abdelmelec,
Whom proud Abdallas wrong'd,
And in his throne installs his cruel son,
That now usurps upon this prince,
This brave Barbarian lord, Muly Mollocco.
The passage to the crown by murder made,
Abdallas dies, and leaves this tyrant king;
Of whom we treat, sprung from th' Arabian Moor,
Black in his look, and bloody in his deeds;
And in his shirt, stain'd with a cloud of gore,
Presents himself, with naked sword in hand,
Accompanied, as now you may behold,
With devils coated in the shapes of men.
The First Dumb-show .
Enter M ULY M AHAMET and his Son, and his two young Brethren. The Moor showeth them the bed, and then takes his leave of them, and they betake them to their rest. And then the Presenter speaketh .
Like those that were by kind of murder mumm'd.
Sit down and see what heinous stratagems
These damned wits contrive; and, lo, alas,
How like poor lambs prepared for sacrifice,
This traitor-king hales to their longest home
These tender lords, his younger brethren both!
The Second Dumb-show.
Enter the Moor and two Murderers, bringing in his uncle A BDELMUNEN : then they draw the curtains, and smother the young Princes in the bed; which done in sight of the uncle, they strangle him in his chair, and then go forth. Then the Presenter saith —
His brethren thus in fatal bed behearsed,
His father's brother, of too light belief,
This negro puts to death by proud command.
Say not these things are feign'd, for true they are;
And understand how, eager to enjoy
His father's crown, this unbelieving Moor,
Murdering his uncle and his brethren,
Triumphs in his ambitious tyranny;
Till Nemesis, high mistress of revenge,
That with her scourge keeps all the world in awe,
With thundering drums awakes the God of War,
And calls the Furies from Avernus' crags,
To range and rage, and vengeance to inflict,
Vengeance on this accursed Moor for sin.
And now behold how Abdelmelec comes,
Uncle to this unhappy traitor-king,
Arm'd with great aid that Amurath hath sent,
Great Amurath, [great] Emperor of the East,
For service done to Sultan Solimon,
Under whose colours he had served in field,
Flying the fury of this negro's father,
That wrong'd his brethren to install his son.
Sit you, and see this true and tragic war,
A modern matter full of blood and ruth,
Where three bold kings, confounded in their height,
Fell to the earth, contending for a crown;
And call this war The battle of Alcazar .
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