SEC. PR. Muse not, brave kings, at Mahomet's discourse,

For mark what he forth of that mouth doth say,
Assure yourself it needs must happen so.

Therefore make haste, go mount you on your steeds,
And set upon Alphonsus presently.

So shall you reap great honour for your pain,
And 'scape the scourge which else the fates ordain.
[Rise all up.
BELI. Then, proud Alphonsus, look thou to thy

crown:

Belinus comes, in glittering armour clad,
All ready prest* for to revenge the wrong
Which, not long since, you offer'd unto him;
And since we have God Mahound on our side,
The victory must needs to us betide.

CLA. Worthy Belinus, set such threats away,
And let us haste as fast as horse can trot
To set upon presumptuous Arragon.
You, Fabius, haste, as Mahound did command,
To Amurack, with all the speed you may.

FABI. With willing mind I hasten on my way.

[Exit. BELI. And thinking long 'till that we be in fight, Belinus hastes to quail Alphonsus' might. [Exeunt omnes.

Strike up alarum awhile. Enter CARINUS.

CARI. No sooner had God Phoebus' brightsome Begun to dive within the western seas, [beams

And darksome Nox had spread about the earth
Her blackish mantle, but a drowsy sleep
Did take possession of Carinus' sense,

And Morpheus* shew'd me strange disguised shapes.

*

prest] i. e. prepared. + Morpheus] The 4to. " Morphei."

Methought I saw Alphonsus, my dear son,
Plac'd in a throne all glittering clear with gold,
Bedeck'd with diamonds, pearls, and precious stones,
Which shin'd so clear, and glitter'd all so bright,
Hyperion's coach that well be term'd it might.
Above his head a canopy was set,

Not deck'd with plumes, as other princes use,
But all beset with heads of conquer'd kings,
Install'd with crowns, which made a gallant shew,
And struck a terror to the viewers' hearts.
Under his feet lay grovelling on the ground
Thousand of princes, which he in his wars
By martial might did conquer and bring low.
Some lay as dead as either stock or stone,
Some other tumbled, wounded to the death;
But most of them, as to their sovereign king,
Did offer duly homage unto him.

As thus I stood beholding of this pomp,
Methought Alphonsus did espy me out,
And at a trice, he leaving throne alone,
Came to embrace me in his blessed arms.
Then noise of drums, and sound of trumpets shrill
Did wake Carinus from this pleasant dream.
Something, I know, is now foreshewn by this;
The Gods forefend that ought should hap amiss!

Carinus walk up and down.

Enter the DUKE OF MILAN in pilgrim's apparel, and say:

DUKE. This is the chance of fickle fortune's wheel; A prince at morn, a pilgrim ere it be night. I, which erewhile did 'dain* for to possess The proudest palace of the western world, Would now be glad a cottage for to find, To hide my head; so fortune hath assign'd.

* 'dain] See note † p. 5.

Thrice Hesperus with pomp and peerless pride
Hath heav'd his head forth of the eastern seas,
Thrice Cynthia, with Phoebus' borrow'd beams,
Hath shewn her beauty through the darkish clouds,
Since that I wretched duke have tasted ought,
Or drunk a drop of any kind of drink.
Instead of beds set forth with ebony,
The greenish grass hath been my resting place,
And for my pillow stuffed with down

The hardish hillocks have suffic'd my turn.
Thus I which erst had all things at my will,

A life more hard than death do follow still.

CARI. Methinks I hear, not very far from hence, Some woful wight lamenting his mischance: go and see if that I can espy

I'll

Him where he sits, or overhear his talk.

DUKE. O, Milan, Milan, little do'st thou think How that thy duke is now in such distress! For if thou did'st, I soon should be releas'd Forth of this greedy gulph of misery.

CARI. The Milan duke! I thought as much before, When first I glanc'd mine eyes upon his face. This is the man which was the only cause That I was forc'd to fly from Arragon: High Jove be prais'd which hath allotted me So fit a time to quite that injury.

Pilgrim, God speed.

for to speak

DUKE. Welcome, grave sir, to me. CARI. Methought as now I heard you Of Milan land; pray do you know the same? DUKE.* Ay, aged father, I have cause to know Both Milan land, and all the parts thereof.

CARI. Why then, I doubt not but you can resolve Me of a question that I shall demand.

*

rinus.

Ay, aged father, &c.] The 4to. gives these two lines to Ca

DUKE. Ay, that I can, whatever that it be.. CARI. Then, to be brief: not twenty winters past, When these my limbs which wither'd are with age Were in the prime and spring of all their youth, I still desirous, as young gallants be,

To see the fashions of Arabia,

My native soil, and in this pilgrim's weed
Began to travel through unkenned lands.
Much ground I pass'd, and many soils I saw;
But when my feet in Milan land I set,
Such sumptuous triumphs daily there I saw
As never in my life I found the like.

I pray, good sir, what might the occasion be,
That made the Milans make such mirth and glee?
DUKE. This solemn joy whereof you now do speak
Was not solemnized, my friend, in vain,

For at that time there came into the land
The happiest tidings that they e'er did hear;
For news was brought upon that solemn day,
Unto our court, that Ferdinandus proud
Was slain himself, Carinus and his son
Were banish'd both for ever from Arragon;
And for these happy news that joy was made.
CARI. But what, I pray, did afterward become
Of old Carinus with his banish'd son?

What, hear you nothing of them all this while?

DUKE. Yes, too, too much, the Milan Duke may

[say.

Alphonsus first, by secret means did get
To be a soldier in Belinus' wars,
Wherein he did behave himself so well
As that he got the crown of Arragon;
Which being got, he dispossess'd also
The king Belinus which had foster'd him.
As for Carinus, he is dead and gone;
I would his son were his companion.

CARI. A blister build upon that traitor's tongue!

But for thy friendship which thou shewed'st me,
Take that of me, I frankly give it thee. [Stab him.
Now will I haste to Naples with all speed,
To see if fortune will so favour me,

To view Alphonsus in his happy state.

[Exit.

Enter AMURACK, CROCON king of Arabia, FAUSTUS king of Babylon, FABIUS, with the Turk's Janissaries.

AMU. Fabius, come hither; what is that thou What did God Mahound prophecy to us? [sayest? Why do our viceroys wend unto the wars, Before their king had notice of the same? What, do they think to play bob fool with me? Or are they wax'd so frolic now of late, Since that they had the leading of our bands, As that they think that mighty Amurack Dares do no other than to soothe them up? Why speak'st thou not? What fond or frantic fit Did make those careless kings to venture it?

FABI. Pardon, dear lord, no frantic fit at all, No frolic vein, nor no presumptuous mind Did make your viceroys take these wars in hand; But forc'd they were by Mahound's prophecy To do the same, or else resolve to die.

AMU. So, sir, I hear you, but can scarce believe That Mahomet would charge them go before, Against Alphonsus with so small a troop, Whose number far exceeds king Xerxes' troop.

FABI. Yes, noble lord, and more than that, he 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 all be crown'd with crowns of beaten gold, And borne with triumphs round about their tents. [so? AMU. With triumph, man? did Mahound tell them

VOL. II.

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