Belinus, Fabius, and the Milan duke,
Are fled for succour to the Turkish court?
And think you not that Amurack their king,
Will, with the mightiest power of all his land,
Seek to revenge Belinus' overthrow?
Then doubt I not but ere these broils do end,
Alphonsus shall possess the diadem
That Amurack now wears upon his head.
Sit down therefore, and that receive of me
The which the fates appointed unto thee.
ALBI. Thou king of heaven, which by thy power Do'st see the secrets of each liver's heart, Bear record now with what unwilling mind I do receive the crown of Arragon!
[Albinius sit down by Lælius and Miles; Alphonsus set the crown on his head, and say: ALPHON. Arise, Albinius, king of Arragon, Crowned by me, who 'till my gasping ghost Do part asunder from my breathless corpse, Will be thy shield against all men alive, That for thy kingdom any way do strive.
[Sound trumpets and drums. Now since we have, in such an happy hour Confirm'd three kings, come, let us march with speed Into the city, for to celebrate
With mirth and joy this blissful festival.
Enter AMURACK the great Turk, BELINUS, FABIUS, ARCASTUS king of Moors, CLARAMOUNT king of Barbary, BAJAZET a lord, with their train.
AмU. Welcome, Belinus, to thy cousin's court, Whose late arrival in such posting pace Doth bring both joy and sorrow to us all; Sorrow, because the fates have been so false
To let Alphonsus drive thee from thy land,
And joy, since that now mighty Mahomet
Hath given me cause to recompense at full
The sundry pleasures I receiv'd of thee.
Therefore, Belinus, do but ask and have,
For Amurack doth grant whate'er you crave. [beams
BELI. Thou second sun, which with thy glimpsing
Do'st clarify each corner of the earth,
Belinus comes not, as erst Midas did
To mighty Bacchus, to desire of him
That whatsoe'er at any time he touch'd,
Might turned be to gold, incontinent.
Nor do I come as Jupiter did erst
Unto the palace of Amphitryon,
For any fond or foul concupiscence,
Which I do bear to Alcumena's* hue.
But as poor Saturn, forc'd by mighty Jove
To fly his country, banish'd and forlorn,
Did crave the aid of Troos* King of Troy,
So comes Belinus to high Amurack;
And if he can but once your aid obtain,
He turns with speed to Naples back again.
AмU. My aid, Belinus, do you doubt of that?
If all the men at arms of Africa,
Of Asia likewise, will sufficient be
To press the pomp of that usurping mate,
Assure thyself thy kingdom shall be thine,
If Mahomet say ay unto the same:
For were I sure to vanquish all our foes,
And find such spoils in ransacking their tents
As never any keisar did obtain,
Yet would I not set foot forth of this land,
If Mahomet our journey did withstand.
BELI. Nor would Belinus, for king Croesus' trash, Wish Amurack to displease the Gods,
Alcumena's-Troos] So spelt by Greene, for the sake of the
In pleasuring me in such a trifling toy.
Then, mighty monarch, if it be thy will,
Get their consents, and then the act fulfil.
AMU. You counsel well; therefore, Belinus, haste,
And, Claramount, go bear him company,
With King Arcastus, to the city walls:
Then bend with speed unto the darksome grove,
Where Mahomet, this many a hundred year,
Hath prophesied unto our ancestors.
Tell to his priests, that Amurack, your king,
Is now selecting all his men at arms
To set upon that proud Alphonsus' troop:
The cause you know, and can inform him well,
That makes me take these bloody broils in hand.
And say, that I desire their sacred God,
That Mahomet, which ruleth all the skies,
To send me word, and that most speedily,
Which of us shall obtain the victory.
[Exeunt omnes præter Bajazet and Amurack.
You, Bajazet, go post away apace
To Syria, Scythia, and Albania,
To Babylon, with Mesopotamia,
Asia, Armenia, and all other lands,
Which owe their homage to high Amurack :
Charge all their kings with expedition
To gather up the chiefest men at arms,
Which now remain in their dominions,
And on the twenty day of the same month,
To come and wait on Amurack their king,
At his chief city Constantinople.
Tell them, moreover, that whoso doth fail
Naught else but death from prison shall him bail.
[Exit Bajazet. As soon as he is gone, sound
What heavenly music soundeth in my ear?
Peace, Amurack, and hearken to the same.
[Sound music; hearken Amurack, and fall asleep.
Enter MEDEA, FAUSTA the Empress, IPHIGENA her Daughter.
MEDEA. Now have our charms fulfill'd our minds full well:
High Amurack is lulled fast asleep,
And doubt I not, but ere he wakes again,
You shall perceive Medea did not gibe,
Whenas she put this practice in your mind.
Sit, worthy Fausta, at thy spouse his feet.
[Fausta and Iphigena sit down at Amurack's feet.
Iphigena, sit thou on the other side.
Whate'er you see, be not aghast thereat,
But bear in mind what Amurack doth chat.
[Medea do ceremonies belonging to conjuring,
and say:
Thou, which wert wont, in Agamemnon's days,
To utter forth Apollo's oracles,
At sacred Delphos, Calchas I do mean,
I charge thee come; all lingering set aside,
Unless the penance you thereof abide.
I conjure thee, by Pluto's loathsome lake,
By all the hags which harbour in the same,
By stinking Styx, and filthy Phlegethon,
To come with speed, and truly to fulfil
That which Medea to thee straight shall will.
[Rise Calchas up in a white surplice,* and a
Cardinal's mitre, and say:
CALC. Thou wretched witch, when wilt thou make an end
Of troubling us with these thy cursed charms? What mean'st thou thus to call me from my grave? Shall ne'er my ghost obtain his quiet rest?
* surplice] The 4to. "Cirples." This stage direction for the dress of CALCHAS is very amusing.
MEDEA. Yes, Calchas, yes, your rest doth now approach;
Medea means to trouble thee no more,
Whenas thou hast fulfill'd her mind this once.
Go, get thee hence to Pluto back again,
And there enquire of the Destinies,
How Amurack shall speed in these his wars?
Peruse their books, and mark what is decreed
By Jove himself, and all his fellow-gods;
And when thou know'st the certainty thereof,
By fleshless visions shew it presently
To Amurack, in pain of penalty.
CALC. Forc'd by thy charm, though with unwilling I haste to hell, the certainty to find.
[mind, [Calchas sink down where you came up. MEDEA. Now, peerless princess, I must needs be
My hasty business calls me from this place.
There resteth nought, but that you bear in mind
What Amurack, in this his fit, doth say;
For mark what dreaming, madam, he doth prate,
Assure yourself that that shall be his fate.
FAU. Though very loth to let thee so depart, Farewell, Medea, easer of my heart. [Exit Medea. [Sound instruments within; Amurack, as it were in a dream, say:
AMU. What, Amurack, dost thou begin to nod?
Is this the care that thou hast of thy wars?
As when thou shouldst be prancing of thy steed,
To egg thy soldiers forward in thy wars,
Thou sittest moping by the fire side?
See where thy viceroys grovel on the ground;
Look where Belinus breatheth forth his ghost ;
Behold by millions how thy men do fall,
Before Alphonsus, like to silly sheep;
And can'st thou stand still lazing in this sort?
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