Chapter 5

_Enter_ Abdelazer _and_ Zarrack.

_Zar. Osmin_ (my Lord) by this has done his Task, And _Philip_ is no more among the living: Will you not rest to night?

_Abd_. Is this a time for Sleep and Idleness--dull Slaves?

_Zar_. The Bus’ness we have Order, Sir, to do, We can without your Aid.

_Enter_ Osmin.

_Abd. Osmin_! Thy ominous Looks presage an ill Success; Thy Eyes no joyful News of Murders tell: I thought I shou’d have seen thee drest in Blood-- Speak! Speak thy News-- Say that he lives, and let it be thy last.

_Osm_. Yes, Sir, he lives.

_Abd_. Lives! thou ly’st, base Coward--lives!--renounce thy Gods! It were a Sin less dangerous--speak again.

_Osm_. Sir, _Philip_ lives.

_Abd_. Oh treacherous Slave!

_Osm_. Not by my Fault, by Heav’n!

_Abd_. By what curst Chance, If not from thee, could he evade his Fate?

_Osm_. By some Intelligence from his good Angel.

_Abd_. From his good Devil! Gods! must the Earth another Day at once Bear him and me alive?

_Osm_. Another Day!--an Age for ought I know; For, Sir, the Prince is fled, the Cardinal too.

_Abd_. Fled! fled--say’st thou? Oh, I cou’d curse the Stars, that rule this Night: ’.is to the Camp they’re fled; the only Refuge That Gods, or Men cou’d give ‘em-- Where got you this Intelligence?

_Osm_. My Lord, inquiring for the Prince At the Apartment of the Cardinal, (whither he went) His Pages answer’d me, he was at his Devotions: A lucky time (I thought) to do the Deed; And breaking in, found only their empty Habits, And a poor sleepy Groom, who with much threatning, Confess’d that they were fled, in holy Robes.

_Abd_. That Case of Sanctity was first ordain’d, To cheat the honest World: Twas an unlucky Chance--but we are idle-- Let’s see, how from this ill, we may advance a good-- [_Pauses_. ’.is now dead time of Night, when Rapes, and Murders Are hid beneath the horrid Veil of Darkness-- I’ll ring thro all the Court, with doleful Sound The sad Alarms of Murder--Murder--_Zarrack_, Take up thy standing yonder--_Osmin_, thou At the Queen’s Apartment--cry out, Murder: Whilst I, like his ill Genius, do awake the King; Perhaps in this Disorder I may kill him. [_Aside_. --Treason--Murder--Murder--Treason.

_Enter_ Alonzo, _and Courtiers_.

_Alon_. What dismal Crys are these?--

_Abd_. Where is the King?--Treason--Murder! Where--is the sleeping Queen?--Arise, arise.

_Osm_. The Devil taught him all his Arts of Falshood. [_Aside_.

_Enter_ King _in a Night-Gown, with Lights_.

_King_. Who frights our quiet Slumbers with this Noise?

_Enter_ Queen _and Women, with Lights_.

_Qu_. Was it a Dream, or did I hear the Sound Of Treason, call me from my silent Griefs?

_King_. Who rais’d this Rumour, _Abdelazer_, you?

_Abd_. I did, Great Sir.

_King_. Your Reasons.

_Abd_. Oh Sir, your Brother _Philip_, and the Cardinal, Both animated by a Sense of Wrongs, (And envying, Sir, the Fortune of your Slave) Had laid a Plot this Night, to murder you: And ‘cause they knew it was my waiting Night, They wou’d have laid the Treason, Sir, on me.

_King_. The Cardinal, and my Brother! bring them forth, Their Lives shall answer it.

_Abd_. Sir, ‘tis impossible: For when they found their Villany discover’d, They in two Friers Habits made escape.

_King_. That Cardinal is subtle, and ambitious, And from him _Philip_ learnt his dangerous Principles.

_Qu_. The Ambition of the one infects the other, And they are both too dangerous to live-- But might a Mother’s Counsel be obey’d, I wou’d advise you, send the valiant Moor To fetch ‘em back, e’er they can reach the Camp: For thither they are fled--where they will find A Welcome fatal to us all.

_King_. Madam, you counsel well; and, _Abdelazer_, Make it your Care to fetch these Traitors back, Not only for my Safety, and the Kingdom’s, But as they are your Enemies; and th’ envious World Will say, you made this story to undo ‘em.

_Abd_. Sir, I’ll obey; nor will I know repose, Till I have justify’d this fatal Truth. [Abd. _goes to the_ Queen, _and talks to her_.

_King_. Mean time I will to my _Florella’s_ Lodging, Silence, and Night, are the best Advocates [_Aside_. To plead a Lover’s Cause--_Abdelazer_--haste. Madam, I’ll wait on you to your Chamber.

_Abd_. Sir, that’s my Duty.

_King_. Madam, good Night--_Alonzo_, to your rest. [_Ex. all but_ Qu. _and_ Abd.

_Qu. Philip_ escap’d! Oh, that I were upon some Desart Shoar, Where I might only to the Waves and Winds Breathe out my Sense of Rage for this Defeat.

_Abd_. Oh, ‘tis no time for Rage, but Action, Madam.

_Qu_. Give me but any Hopes of blest Revenge, And I will be as calm as happy Lovers.

_Abd_. There is a way, and is but that alone; But such a way, as never must be nam’d.

_Qu_. How! not be nam’d! Oh, swear thou hat’st me rather, It were a Torment equal to thy Silence.

_Abd_. I’ll shew my Passion rather in that Silence.

_Qu_. Kind Torturer, what mean’st thou?

_Abd_. To shew you, Madam, I had rather live Wrong’d and contemn’d by _Philip_, Than have your dearer Name made infamous.

_Qu_. Heavens! dost thou mock my Rage? can any Sin I could commit, undo my Honour more Than his late Insolence? Oh, name me something may revenge that Shame: I wou’d encounter killing Plagues, or Fire, To meet it--Come, oh quickly give me ease.

_Abd_. I dare no more reveal the guilty Secret, Than you dare execute it when ‘tis told.

_Qu_. How little I am understood by thee-- Come, tell me instantly, for I grow impatient; You shall obey me--nay, I do command you.

_Abd_. Durst you proclaim--_Philip_ a Bastard, Madam?

_Qu_. Hah! proclaim my self--what he wou’d have me thought! What mean’st thou?--

_Abd_. Instruct you in the way to your Revenge.

_Qu_. Upon my self thou meanest--

_Abd_. No-- He’s now fled to th’ Camp, where he’ll be fortify’d Beyond our Power to hurt, but by this means; Which takes away his Hopes of being a King, (For he’d no other Aim in taking Arms) And leaves him open to the People’s Scorn; Whom own’d as King, Numbers wou’d assist him, And then our Lives he may dispose, As he has done our Honours.

_Qu_. There’s Reason in thy Words: but oh my Fame!

_Abd_. Which I, by Heaven, am much more tender of, Than my own Life or Honour; and I’ve a way To save that too, which I’ll at leisure tell you. In the mean time send for your Confessor, And with a borrow’d Penitence confess, Their Idol _Philip_ is a Bastard; And zealously pretend you’re urg’d by Conscience, A cheap Pretence to cozen Fools withal.

_Qu_. Revenge, although I court you with my fatal Ruin, I must enjoy thee: there’s no other way, And I’m resolv’d upon the mighty Pleasure; He has profan’d my purer Flame for thee, And merits to partake the Infamy. [_He leads her out_.

_Abd_. Now have at my young King-- I know he means to cuckold me to Night, Whilst he believes I’ll tamely step aside-- No, let _Philip_ and the Cardinal gain the Camp, I will not hinder ‘em-- I have a nobler Sacrifice to make To my declining Honour, shall redeem it, And pay it back with Interest--well, then in order to’t, I’ll watch about the Lodgings of _Florella_, And if I see this hot young Lover enter, I’ll save my Wife the trouble of allaying The amorous Heat--this--will more nimbly do’t, [_Snatches out his Dagger_. And do it once for all--

_Enter_ Florella _in her Night-Clothes_.

_Flor_. My _Abdelazer_--why in that fierce posture, As if thy Thoughts were always bent on Death? Why is that Dagger out?--against whom drawn?

_Abd_. Or stay,--suppose I let him see _Florella_, And when he’s high with the expected Bliss, Then take him thus--Oh, ‘twere a fine surprize!

_Flor_. My Lord--dear _Abdelazer_.

_Abd_. Or say--I made her kill him--that were yet An Action much more worthy of my Vengeance.

_Flor_. Will you not speak to me? what have I done?

_Abd_. By Heaven, it shall be so.

_Flor_. What shall be so?

_Abd_. Hah--

_Flor_. Why dost thou dress thy Eyes in such unusual wonder? There’s nothing here that is a stranger to thee, Or what is not intirely thine own.

_Abd_. Mine!

_Flor_. Thou canst not doubt it.

_Abd_. No,--and for a proof that thou art so,--take this Dagger.

_Flor_. Alas, Sir!--what to do?

_Abd_. To stab a Heart, _Florella_, a Heart that loves thee.

_Flor_. Heaven forbid!

_Abd_. No matter what Heaven will, I say it must--

_Flor_. What must?

_Abd_. That Dagger must enter the Heart of him That loves thee best, _Florella_;--guess the Man.

_Flor_. What means my Moor? Wouldst thou have me kill thy self?

_Abd_. Yes--when I love thee better than the King.

_Flor_. Ah, Sir! what mean you?

_Abd_. To have you kill this King, When next he does pursue thee with his Love-- What, do you weep?-- By Heaven, they shall be bloody Tears then.

_Flor_. I shall deserve them--when I suffer Love That is not fit to hear;--but for the King, That which he pays me, is so innocent--

_Abd_. So innocent! damn thy dissembling Tongue; Did I not see, with what fierce wishing Eyes He gazed upon thy Face, whilst yours as wantonly Returned, and understood the amorous Language?

_Flor_. Admit it true, that such his Passions were, As (Heaven’s my witness) I’ve no cause to fear; Have not I Virtue to resist his Flame, Without a pointed Steel?

_Abd_. Your Virtue!--Curse on the weak Defence; Your Virtue’s equal to his Innocence. Here, take this Dagger, and if this Night he visit thee, When he least thinks on’t--send it to his Heart.

_Flor_. If you suspect me, do not leave me, Sir.

_Abd_. Oh--I’m dispatch’d away--to leave you free-- About a wonderful Affair--mean time, I know you will be visited--but as you wish to live, At my return let me behold him dead.-- Be sure you do’t--’tis for thy Honour’s safety-- I love thee so, that I can take no rest, Till thou hast kill’d thy Image in his Breast. --Adieu, my dear _Florella_. [Exit_.

_Flor_. Murder my King! the Man that loves me too-- What Fiend, what Fury such an act wou’d do? My trembling Hand wou’d not the Weapon bear, And I should sooner strike it here--than there. [_Pointing to her Breast_. No! though of all I am, this Hand alone Is what thou canst command, as being thy own; Yet this has plighted no such cruel Vow; No Duty binds me to obey thee ‘now. To save my King’s, my Life I will expose, No Martyr dies in a more glorious Cause.

[_Exit_.