Provost, go carry Fabius presently

Unto the Marshalsea; there let him rest,
Clapt sure and safe in fetters all of steel,
'Till Amurack discharge him from the same:
For be he sure, unless it happen so

As he did say Mahound did prophecy,

By this my hand, forthwith the slave shall die.

Lay hold of Fabius, and make as though you carry him out. Enter a SOLDIER and say:

SOLD. Stay, Provost, stay, let Fabius alone; More fitteth now, that every lusty lad

Be buckling on his helmet, than to stand

In carrying soldiers to the Marshalsea.

[sume

AMU. Why, what art thou, that darest once pre

For to gainsay that Amurack did bid?

SOLD. I am, my lord, the wretched'st man alive, Born underneath the planet of mishap;

Erewhile a soldier of Belinus' band,

But now

AMU. What now?

SOLD. The mirror of mishap;

Whose captain is slain, and all his army dead,

Only excepted me, unhappy wretch.

AMU. What news is this! And is Belinus slain?

Is this the crown which Mahomet did say

He should with triumph wear upon his head?

Is this the honour which that cursed God

Did prophecy should happen to them all?
O Dedalus, and wert thou now alive
To fasten wings upon high Amurack,
Mahound should know, and that for certainty,
That Turkish kings can brook no injury!

FABI. Tush, tush, my lord; I wonder what you

Thus to exclaim against high Mahomet.
I'll lay my life, that ere this day be past,

You shall perceive his tidings all be waste.

[mean,

AMU. We shall perceive, accursed Fabius! Suffice it not that thou hast been the man That first did'st beat those baubles in my brain, But that to help me forward in my grief, Thou seekest to confirm so foul a lie? [Stab him. Go, get thee hence, and tell thy traitorous king What gift you had which did such tidings bring. And now, my lords, since nothing else will serve, Buckle your helms, clap on your steeled coats, Mount on your steeds, take lances in your hands, For Amurack doth mean this very day Proud Mahomet with weapons to assay.

SOLD. Mercy, high monarch; 'tis no time now To spend the day in such vain threatenings Against our God, the mighty Mahomet. More fitteth thee to place thy men at arms In battle 'ray, for to withstand your foes, Which now are drawing towards you

with speed. [Sound drums within. Hark, how their drums with dub a dub do come! To arms, high lord, and set these trifles by, That you may set upon them valiantly.

AMU. And do they come? You kings of Turkey, Now is the time in which your warlike arms Must raise your names above the starry skies. Call to your mind your predecessors' acts, Whose martial might, this many a hundred year, Did keep those fearful dogs in dread and awe, And let your weapons shew Alphonsus plain, That though that they be clapped up in clay, Yet there be branches sprung up from these trees, In Turkish land, which brook no injuries. Besides the same, remember with yourselves What foes we have; not mighty Tamburlaine, Nor soldiers trained up amongst the wars, But fearful boors,* pick'd from their rural flock, *boors] The 4to. "bodies."

Which, 'till this time, were wholly ignorant
What weapons meant, or bloody Mars doth crave.
More would I say, but horses that be free

Do need no spurs; and soldiers which themselves
Long and desire to buckle with the foe,
Do need no words to egg them to the same.

Enter ALPHONSUS, with a canopy carried over him
by three lords, having over each corner a king's head,
crowned; with him, ALBINIUS, LELIUS, MILES,
with crowns on their heads, and their Soldiers.
Besides the same, behold whereas our foes
Are marching towards us most speedily.
Courage, my lords, ours is the victory.

[bold

ALPHON. Thou Pagan dog, how dar'st thou be so

To set thy foot within Alphonsus' land?

What, art thou come to view thy wretched kings,
Whose traitorous heads bedeck'd my tents so well?
Or else, thou hearing that on top thereof
There is a place left vacant, art thou come
To have thy head possess the highest seat?
If it be so, lie down, and this my sword
Shall presently that honour thee afford.
If not, pack hence, or by the heavens I vow,
Both thou and thine shall very soon perceive
That he that seeks to move my patience
Must yield his life to me* for recompence.
AмU. Why, proud Alphonsus, think'st thou Amu-
Whose mighty force doth terrify the Gods,
Can e'er be found to turn his heels and fly
Away for fear, from such a boy as thou?
No, no, although that Mars this mickle while
Hath fortified thy weak and feeble arm,
And Fortune oft hath view'd with friendly face
Thy armies marching victors from the field,

* me] The 4to. "thee."

[rack,

Yet at the presence of high Amurack

Fortune shall change, and Mars, that God of might, Shall succour me, and leave Alphonsus quite.

ALPHON. Pagan, I say, thou greatly art deceiv'd. I clap up Fortune in a cage of gold,

To make her turn her wheel as I think best:
And as for Mars whom you do say will change,
He moping sits behind the kitchen door,
Prest at command of every scullion's mouth,
Who dares not stir, nor once to move a whit,
For fear Alphonsus then should stomach + it.
AMU. Blasphemous dog, I wonder that the earth
Doth cease from renting underneath thy feet,
To swallow up those canker'd corpse of thine.
I muse that Jove can bridle so his ire,
As when he hears his brother so misus'd,
He can refrain from sending thunderbolts
By thick and threefold, to revenge his wrong.
Mars fight for me, and Fortune be my guide,
And I'll be victor whatsome'er betide.

ALBI. Pray loud enough, lest that you pray in vain, Perhaps God Mars and Fortune are asleep,

AMU.§ And Mars lies slumbering on his downy bed, Yet do not think but that the power we have, Without the help of those celestial Gods, Will be sufficient, yea, with small ado, Alphonsus' straggling army to subdue.

LŒLI. You had need as then to call for Mahomet, With hellish hags to perform the same.

FAU. High Amurack, I wonder what you mean, That when you may with little toil, or none, Compel these dogs to keep their tongues in peace, You let them stand still barking in this sort:

t stomach] See note † p. 29.

are] The 4to. "is."

§ And Mars, &c.] The 4to. gives these five lines to Albinius.

Believe me, sovereign, I do blush to see

These beggars' brats to chat so frolicly.

ALPHON. How now, Sir boy? Let Amurack him

Or any he, the proudest of you all,

[self,

But offer once but to unsheath his sword,
If that he dares, for all the power you have.
AMU. What, dar'st thou us? Myself will venture it.
To arms, my mates!

[Amurack draw thy sword; Alphonsus and all the other kings draw theirs. Strike up alarum. Fly Amurack and his company: follow Alphonsus and his company.

ACT V.

Strike up alarum.

Enter VENUS.

VEN. Fierce is the fight, and bloody is the broil. No sooner had the roaring cannon shot

Spit forth the venom of their fired paunch,
And with their pellets sent such troops of souls
Down to the bottom of the dark Avern,
As that it covered all the Stygian fields;
But on a sudden, all the men at arms
Which mounted were on lusty coursers' backs,
Did rush together with so great a noise,
As that I thought the giants one time more
Did scale the heavens, as erst they did before.
Long time dame Fortune temper'd so her wheel,
As that there was no vantage to be seen
On any side, but equal was the gain;
But at the length, so God and fates decreed,
Alphonsus was the victor of the field,
And Amurack became his prisoner;
Who so remain❜d until his daughter came,

And by her marrying did his pardon frame. [Exit.