Classic Poem

ACT II. SCENE I.

Enter Prince, Haly, Captains, Prisoners, and Bashawes.

Prince. P R ay let these Strangers find such Entertainment
As you would have desir'd,
Had but the chance of War determin'd it
For them, as now for us. And you, brave Enemies,
Forget your Nation, and ungrateful Master;
And know that I can set so high a Price
On Valour, though in Foes, as to reward it
With Trust and Honour.
I Bashaw. Sir, your twice-conquered Vassals,
First by your Courage, then your Clemency,
Here humbly vow to sacrifice their Lives,
(The Gift of this your unexampled Mercy)
To your Command and Service.
Prince to Haly. I pray, my Lord, second my Suit;
I have already mov'd the King in private,
That in our next Year's Expedition they may have
Some Command.
Ha. I shall, my Lord,
And glad of the Occasion.
I wonder, Sir, you'll leave the Court, the Sphere
Where all your Graces in full Lustre shine.
Prince. Ay, Haly , but the Reputation
Of virtuous Actions past, if not kept up
With an access, and fresh supply of new ones,
Is lost and soon forgotten; and like Palaces,
For want of Habitation and Repair,
Dissolve to heaps of Ruin.
Ha. But can you leave, Sir,
Your Old Indulgent Father, and forsake
The Embraces of so fair, so chast a Wife?
And all the Beauties of the Court besides,
Are mad in Love, and dote upon your Person:
And is't not better sleeping in their Arms,
Than in a cold Pavilion in the Camp;
Where your short Sleeps are broke and interrupted
With Noises and Alarms?
Prince. Haly , thou know'st not me, how I despise
These short and empty Pleasures; and how low
They stand in my Esteem, which ev'ry Peasant,
The meanest Subject in my Father's Empire,
Enjoys as fully, in as high Perfection
As he or I; and which are had in common
By Beasts as well as Men: wherein they equal,
If not exceed us; Pleasures to which we're led
Only by Sense, those Creatures which have least
Of Reason, most enjoy.
Ha. Is not
The Empire you are born to, a Scene large enough
To Exercise your Virtues? There are Virtues
Civil as well as Military; for the one
You have given the World an ample Proof already:
Now exercise the other, 'tis no less
To Govern justly, make your Empire flourish
With wholsom Laws, in Riches, Peace, and Plenty,
Than by the expence of Wealth and Blood to make
New. Acquisitions.
Prince. That I was born so great, I owe to Fortune,
And cannot pay that Debt, till Virtue set me
High in Example, as I stand in Title;
Till what the World calls Fortune's Gifts, my Actions
May stile their own Rewards, and those too little.
Princes are then themselves, when they arise
More Glorious in Mens Thoughts than in their Eyes.
Ha. Sir, your Fame
Already fills the World, and what is infinite
Cannot receive Degrees, but will swallow
All that is added; as our Caspian Sea
Receives our Rivers, and yet seems not fuller:
And if you tempt her more, the Wind of Fortune
May come about, and take another Point,
And blast your Glories.
Prince. No,
My Glories are past Danger, they're full blown:
Things that are blasted, are but in the Bud;
And as for Fortune, I nor love, nor fear her:
I am resolv'd; go Haly , flatter still your Aged Master,
Still sooth him in his Pleasures, and still grow
Great by those Arts.
Well, farewel Court,
Where Vice not only hath usurpt the Place,
But the Reward, and even the Name of Virtue.
Ha. Still, still,
Slighted and scorn'd; yet this Affront
Hath stampt a noble Title on my Malice,
And married it to Justice. The King is Old;
And when the Prince succeeds,
I'm lost past all Recovery: then I
Must meet my Danger, and destroy him first;
But cunningly, and closely, or his Son
And Wife, like a fierce Tygress will devour me.
There's Danger ev'ry way; and since 'tis so,
'Tis brave, and noble, when the falling weight
Of my own Ruin crushes those I hate:
But how to do it, that's the work, he stands
So high in reputation with the People,
There's but one way, and that's to make his Father
The Instrument, to give the name, and Envy
To him; but to my self the Prize and Glory.
He's Old and Jealous, apt for Suspicions, 'gainst which Tyrants Ears
Are never clos'd. The Prince is Young,
Fierce, and Ambitious, I must bring together
All these Extreams; and then remove all Mediums,
That each may be the others Object.

Enter Mirvan.

Mir. My Lord,
Now if your Plots be ripe, you are befriended
With Opportunity; the King is melancholy,
Apted for any ill Impressions.
Make an Advantage of the Prince's Absence,
Urge some suspected Cause of his departure,
Use all your Art: he's coming.

Enter King.

Ha. Sir, have you known an Action of such Glory
Less swell'd with Ostentation, or a Mind
Less tainted with Felicity? 'tis a rare Temper in the Prince.
King. Is it so rare to see a Son so like
His Father? Have not I performed Actions
As great, and with as great a Moderation?
Ha. Ay Sir, but that's forgotten.
Actions o' th' last Age, are like Almanacks o' th' last Year.
King. 'Tis well; but with all his Conquests, what I get in Empire
I lose in Fame: I think my self no Gainer.
But am I quite forgotten?
Ha. Sir, you know
Age breeds neglect in all, and Actions
Remote in Time, like Objects
Remote in Place, are not beheld at half their greatness;
And what is new finds better acceptation,
Than what is good or great: yet some Old Men
Tell Stories of you in their Chimney-corners.
King. No otherwise?
Ha. They're all so full of him: some magnifie
His Courage, some his Wit, but all admire
A Greatness so familiar.
King. Sure Haly
Thou hast forgot thy self: art thou a Courtier,
Or I a King? my Ears are unacquainted
With such bold Truths; especially from thee.
Ha. Sir, when I am call'd to't, I must speak
Boldly and plainly.
King. But with what Eagerness, what Circumstance,
Unaskt, thou tak'st such pains to tell me only
My Son's the better Man.
Ha. Sir, where Subjects want the Privilege
To speak; there Kings may have the Privilege
To live in Ignorance.
King. If 'twere a Secret that concern'd my Life
Or Empire, then this Boldness might become thee;
But such unnecessary Rudeness favours
Of some Design.
And this is such a false and sqint-ey'd Praise,
Which seeming to look upwards on his Glories,
Looks down upon my Fears; I know thou hat'st him;
And like infected Persons fain wouldst rub
The Ulcer of thy Malice upon me.
Ha. Sir, I almost believe you speak your Thoughts,
But that I want the Guilt to make me fear it.
King. What mean these guilty Blushes then?
Ha. Sir, if I blush, it is because you do not,
To upbraid so try'd a Servant, that so often
Have wak'd that you might sleep; and been expos'd
To Dangers for your Safety.
King. And therefore think'st
Thou art so wrapt, so woven into all
My Trusts and Counsels, that I now must suffer
All thy Ambition aims at.
Ha. Sir, if your Love grows weary,
And thinks you have worn me long enough, I'm willing
To be left off; but he's a foolish Seaman,
That when his Ship is sinking, will not
Unlade his Hopes into another Bottom.
King. I understand no Allegories.
Ha. And he's as ill a Courtier, that when
His Master's old, desires not to comply
With him that must succeed.
King. But if
He will not be comply'd with?
Ha. Oh Sir,
There's one sure way, and I have known it practis'd
In other States.
King. What's that?
Ha. To make
The Father's Life the Price of the Son's favour,
To walk upon the Graves of our dead Masters
To our own security.
Ha. 'Tis this must take: [ aside .] Does this plainness please you, Sir?
King. Haly , thou know'st my Nature, too too apt
To these Suscipions; but I hope the Question
Was never mov'd to thee?
Ha. In other Kingdoms, Sir.
King. But has my Son no such Design?
Ha. Alas,
You know I hate him; and should I tell you
He had, you'd say it was but Malice.
King. No more of that good Haly , I know thou lov'st me:
But left the care of future Safety tempt thee
To forfeit present Loyalty; or present Loyalty
Forfeit thy future Safety,
I'll be your Reconciler: call him hither.
Ha. Oh Sir, I wish he were within my call, or yours.
King. Why, where is he?
Ha. He has left the Court, Sir.
King. I like not these Excursions, why so suddenly?
Ha. 'Tis but a sally of Youth, yet some say he's discontented.
King. That grates my Heart-strings. What should discontent him?
Except he thinks I live too long.
Ha. Heav'n forbid:
And yet I know no Cause of his departure;
I'am sure he's honoured, and lov'd by all;
The Soldiers God, the Peoples Idol.
King. Ay, Haly ,
The Persians still worship the rising Sun.
But who went with him?
Ha. None but the Captains.
King. The Captains? I like not that.
Ha. Never fear it, Sir:
'Tis true, they love him but as their General, not their Prince.
And though he be most forward and ambitious,
'Tis temper'd with so much Humility.
King. And so much the more dangerous;
There are some that use
Humility to serve their Pride, and seem
Humble upon their way, to be the prouder
At their wisht Journey's end.
Ha. Sir, I know not
What ways or ends you mean; 'tis true
In popular States, or where the Princes Title
Is weak, and must be propt by the Peoples Power;
There by familiar ways 'tis necessary
To win on Mens Affections. But none of these
Can be his end.
King. But there's another end.
For if his Glories rise upon the Ruins
Of mine, why not his Greatness too?
Ha. True Sir,
Ambition is like Love, impatient
Both of Delays and Rivals. But Nature — —
King. But Empire — —
Ha. I had almost forgot Sir, he has
A Suit to your Majesty.
King. What is't?
Ha. To give the Turkish Prisoners some Command
In the next Action.
King. Nay, then 'tis too apparent,
He fears my Subjects Loyalty,
And now must call in Strangers; come deal plainly,
I know thou can'st discover more.
Ha. I can discover, Sir,
The depth of your great Judgment in such Dangers.
King. What shall I do, Haly?
Ha. Your Wisdom is so great, it were Presumption for me to advise.
King. Well, we'll consider more of that, but for the present
Let him with speed be sent for. Mahomet I thank thee
I have one faithful Servant, honest Haly .

Enter Mirvan.

Mir. How did he take it?
Ha. Swallow'd it as greedily
As parched Earth drinks Rain.
Now the first part of our design is over,
His Ruin; but the second, our Security,
Must now be thought on.
Mir. My Lord, you are too sudden; though his Fury
Determine rashly, yet his colder Fear
Before it executes, consults with Reason,
And that not satisfied with shews, or shadows,
Will ask to be convinc'd by something real;
Now must we frame some Plot, and then discover it.
Ha. Or intercept some Letter, which our selves
Had forg'd before.
Mir. And still admire the Miracle,
And thank the Providence.
Ha. Then we must draw in somebody
To be the publick Agent, that may stand
'Twixt us and danger, and the Peoples Envy.
Mir. Who fitter than the grand Caliph?
And he will set a grave religious Face
Upon the business.
Ha. But if we cannot work him,
For he's so full of foolish Scruples;
Or if he should prove false, and then betray us.
Mir. Betray us? sure, my Lord, your Fear has blinded
Your Understanding; for what serves the King?
Will not his threats work more than our perswasions,
While we look on, and laugh, and seem as ignorant
As unconcern'd; and thus appearing Friends
To either side, on both may work our ends.

Enter Messenger.

Mess. My Lord, the Turkish Bashaws
Desire access.
Ha. Admit 'em, I know their business.
Mir. They long to hear with what success you mov'd
The King in their behalf.
Ha. But now they're come, I'll make 'em do my business
Better than I did their theirs.
Mir. Leave us a while.

Enter two Bashaws.

Ha. My Lords, my Duty and Affection to the Prince,
And the Respects I owe to Men of Honour,
Extort a secret from me, which yet I grieve to utter:
The Prince departing, left to me the care
Of your Affairs, which I, as he commanded,
Have recommended to the King, but with so unlookt for
A success — —
1 Bas. My Lord, fear not to speak our doom, while we
Fear not to hear it: we were lost before,
And can be ready now to meet that Fate
We then expected.
Ha. Though he that brings unwelcom News
Has but a losing Office, yet he that shews
Your danger first, and then your way to safety,
May heal that wound he made. You know the King
With jealous Eyes hath ever lookt awry
On his Son's actions, but the Fame and Glory
Of the last War hath rais'd another Spirit;
Envy and Jealousie are twin'd together,
Yet both lay hid in his dissembled Smiles,
Like two concealed Serpents, till I, unhappy I,
Moving this question, trod upon them both,
And rouz'd their sleeping angers; then casting from him
His doubts, and straight confirm'd in all his fears,
Decrees to you a speedy Death, to his own Son
A close Restraint: but what will follow
I dare not think; you by a sudden flight may find your safety.
2 Bas. Sir, Death and we are not such strangers,
That we should make Dishonour, or Ingratitude,
The price of Life; it was the Prince's gift,
And we but wear it for his sake and service.
Ha. Then for his sake and service.
Pray follow my advice: though you have lost the favour
Of your unworthy Master; yet in the Provinces
You lately governed, you have those Dependences
And Interests, that you may raise a Power
To serve the Prince: I'll give him timely notice
To stand upon his guard.
1 Bas. My Lord, we thank you,
But we must give the Prince Intelligence,
Both when, and how to imploy us.
Ha. If you will write,
Commit it to my care and secrecy,
To see it safe convey'd.
2 Bas. We shall, my Lord.
Ha. These Men were once the Prince's Foes, and then
Unwillingly they made him great: but now
Being his Friends, shall willingly undo him;
And which is more, be still his Friends.
What little Arts govern the World! we need not
An armed Enemy, or corrupted Friend;
When Service but misplac'd, or Love mistaken
Performs the work: Nor is this all the use
I'll make of them; when once they are in Arms,
Their Master shall be wrought to think these Forces
Rais'd against him; and this shall so endear me
To him, that though dull Virtue and the Gods
O'ercome my subtle Mischief, I may find
A safe Retreat, and may at least be sure,
If not more mighty, to be more secure.