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Full speech
What be these agonies indefinite? These sudden changes, secret, violent, Both argue evil luck, and ill intent. How grows this change? Reveal this secret work: Both cures, and wounds do oft together lurcke. T'is rashness to commit our right to chance. Unfold this factious cloudy mystery; What cannot help, yet will experience be. Their craft, and power against you thus combui'd How could you shun? or work the Bashas so, As they might leave to seek your overthrow? Alaham! I grant these trials be severe: But know; temptation is misfortunes spy, To work in resolution change, or fear: Attend your father's death; still hold you there; Before to undermine a Monarchy Is hard. Beside, judge you your own intent: For such your brother is in this to you, As you before unto your brother were; He hath his own, and you live out of fear. Will you exceed his mischief whom you blame? Goodness is only at the greatest best. Thou art but one: for all a sufferer be. Faults to the State all private faults exceed. Let father move thee: Pity thou the State. Fame ever lives, and ever will defame: The ruin of thy father; and his Crown. Yet fear thy self, if fame thou dost not fear; Revenge falls heavy, when God does forbear. Alaham! If hands you on your father lay For private ends, and make the Church your stairs, By which you climb your own ambitious way; Your glory will be short, and full of fears: Since nothing for the Church is done amiss; And nothing well done that against her is. Then see the means: For though the end were good, Yet for a private man to change a State, With Monarchs sleights to altar Monarchy, Seems hard, if not impossible, to me. What hope can blot the fear of Princes power? These Hope's are poor: For fear is with the ̄ mixed. Dissolve ('tis true) you may with envy, fear, Craft, treachery, contempt, neglect; Not built: these sands will no foundation bear: These engines are to ruin, not erect. Will you a father, can you a King throw down? The Christians with what faith, or policy, Can you call in? Such remedies are ill: For what they conquer, that enjoy they will. Beside, the force lies in Cain Bashas hands, In Mahomet wealth, law, and government: What way to them? Who would bestow his wife in works of shame? The shame is sure; the good in hazard lies. Unhappy state of Priesthood here below, Who have to do with curious Atheism, With sin in flesh, and in the Church with schism. Our office is and holy mystery, To teach Kings, God; and every Subject, King; How one obedience does another bring. But what boots truth to flesh, or laws to might? Belief a wonder is, Obedience woe. And shall we Priests, that under Princes live, Strive in our selves with vice, abroad with might? And Like the hands which winnow rich men's gain, Grow poor in all, but only woe, and pain? No, No: The eyes of Priests look ever low, To find the key of power, that is above; When that is found, all faults beneath we know; But Majesty hides faults, as well as love. And though these rites of Princely funeral, By laws divine, should not prophaned be, With less, than with descents of Majesty; Yet Cain! more Princely, by thy Princes grace, Shall be thy tomb, than ever Princes was. Madame! whom men obey, and God does hear: What zeal, remorse, or charity does move Your heart? The King leaves all things to your love.
Plot summary
Plot — Alaham
Before the start of the action, an oracle foretold that the kingdom’s security depended on the death of the King’s eldest son, Zophi; but the pashas, ruling during the King’s senility, merely banished him. Hala, wife of the younger son, Alaham, has had a series of affairs with pashas: first Muhammad, who was forced into exile as a result, then Cain. Seeking to secure his position, Alaham has recalled Muhammad, ===== PAGE 189 ===== 1600 but Muhammad has recalled Zophi in turn, cutting Alaham out of the succession. Hala seeks to make Cain king, and persuades him to murder Muhammad; but he changes his mind after Muhammad warns him of Alaham’s ambition: Cain will tell Alaham that Muhammad is dead, but in reality he will go into hiding. Meanwhile Alaham corrupts the guard, blinds his father and brother, and seizes power. When Cain tells him of Muhammad's death, he is sent for execution — if not for murder then for lying about it, as he is told when he tries to save himself. Alaham’s sister Caelica helps Zophi and their father to take sanctuary in the temple. Alaham has the city searched, finds Caelica, and arrests her. Her cries bring the old King out of hiding, and he too is arrested. The King, Caelica, and Zophi are all burned to death; as they die, their souls call out for vengeance. Seeking to avenge Cain’s death, Hala sends Alaham a poisoned robe, and plans to kill their son before his face, so that the other child, Cain’s bastard, will inherit the kingdom; but she mistakenly kills the wrong infant. The robe kills Alaham; Hala intends to kill herself too.