ASAMBEG

Mahomets hell Light on you all, you chrouch, and cringe now, where Was the terror of my joust frowns, when you suffered Those thieves of Malta, almost in our harbour To board a ship, and bear her safely off, While you stood idle lookers on? Deterde you cowards? How durst you only entertain the knowledge Of what fear was, but in the not performance Of our command? in me great Amurah spoke, My voice did echo to your ears his thunder, And wild you Like so many Seaborne-Tritons, Armed only with the Trumpets of your courage, To swim up to her, and Like Remoras. Hanging upon her keel, to stay her flight Till rescue sent from us, had fetched you off, You think you are safe now; who durst but dispute it Or make it questionable, if this moment I charged you from you hanging cliff, that glasses His rugged forehead in the neighbour lake, To throw your selves down headlong? or Like fago S To fill the ditches of defended Forts, While on your backs we marched up to the breac Would? Add one syllable more Thou dost pronounce upon thy self a sentence That earthquake-like will swallow the Villain I'll make thee know Thou hast blasphemde the Ottoman power, and safer At noon day might have given fire to St Marks Your proud Venetian Temple. Ceize upon him; I am not so near reconciled to him To bid him die: that were a benefit The dog's unworthy off, to our use confiscate All that he stands possesde of: Let him taste The misery of want, and his vain riots Like to so many walking Ghosts affright him Where ere he sets his desperate foot. Who is't That does command you? Drag him hence, he die That dallies but a minute. At Aleppo I durst not press you so far, give me leave To use my own will and command in Tunis And if you please my privacy. So shall you find me Ready to do you service. Rage now leave me Stern looks, and all the ceremonious forms Attending on dread Majesty, fly from Transformed Asambeg, why should I hug If these bitter taunts Ravish me from my self, and make me think My greedy ears receive Angelical sounds, How would this tongue tunde to a loving note Invade, and take possession of my soul Which then I durst not call mine own. Of servants? can you think That I that dare not trust the eye of Heaven To look upon your beauty's, that deny My self the happenesse to touch your pureness Will ere consent and Eunuch, or bought handmaid Shall once approach you? there is something in you That can work Miracles, or I am consende, Dispose and altar sexes. To my wrong In spite of nature. I will be your nurse, Your woman, your physician, and your fool, Till with your free consent, which I have vowed Never to force, you grace me with a name That shall supply all these. Thus I guard me, Against your further anger's. Such a spirit In such a small proportion I never read of Which time must altar, ravish her I dare not The magic that she wears about her neck, I think defends her, this devotion paid To this sweet Saint, mistress of my Sour pain 'Tis fit I take mine own rough shape again. Me? To the point, and quickly. These winding circumstances in relations Seldom environ truth. Truth Mustapha. I said it, and add more You touch upon a string that to my ear, Do's found Donusa. Take heed Mustapha, Remember what she is, and whose we are; 'Tis her neglect perhaps, that you complain of, And should you practice to revenge her scorn, With any plot to taint her in her honour, I will be herd first, there's no tongue A subject owes, that shall out thunder mine. I then again repeat it If Mustapha dares with malicious breath (On jealous suppositions) presume To blast the blossom of Donusas Fame Because he is denied a happiness Which men of equal, nay of more desert, Have sued in vain for. More. It I spoke it, The Basham of Natoliam and my self Were Rivals for her, either of us brought More Victories, more Trophies, to plead for us To our great Master, then you dare lay claim to, Yet still by his allowance she was left To her election, each of us owed nature As much for outward form, and inward worth To make way for us to her grace and favour, As you brought with you. We were herd, repulsed Yet thought it no dishonour to fit down, With the disgrace; if not to force affection, May merit such a name. A Christian? He? Never yet, This flesh felt such a fever, by the life And fortune of great Amura'h, should our prophet (Whose name I bow to) in a vision speak this, Would make me doubtful of my faith: lead on, And when my eyes, and ears, are Like yours, guilty, My rage shall then appear, for I will do Something; but what, I am not yet determined. Nay kneels to him; Observe the scornful villain turns away too, As glorying in his conquest. She has confessed it; Spurn the dog to prison, I'll answer you anon. You have lost And shamed the privilege of it, robbed me to Of my soul, my understanding to behold Your base unworthy fallen, from your high virtue. We will offer No violence to your person, till we know His sacred pleasure, till when under guard You shall continue here. I have said it. It ill becomes Such as are guilty to deliver threats Against the innocent. I could tear this flesh now, But 'tis in vain, nor must I talk but do: Provide a well made galley for Constantinople, Such sad news never came to our great Master; As he directs, we must proceed, and know No will but his, to whom what's ours we owe. Be your own guard; obsequiousness, and service Shall win you to be mine. Of all restraint For ever take your leave, no threats shall awe you, No jealous doubts of mine disturb your freedom, No feed spies, wait upon your steps, your virtue And endue consideration in your self, Of what is Noble, are the faithful helps I leave you as supporters to defend you, From falling basely. From true judgement, And strong assurance, neither grates of iron, Hemde in with walls of brass, strict guards, high birth, The forfeiture of Honour, nor the fear Of infamy, or punishment, can stay A woman slaude to appetite from being False, and unworthy. I do wish I could believe you, but when I shall show you A most incredible example of Your frayletie in a Princess, sued and sought to By men of worth, of rank, of eminence; courted By happiness it self, and her cold temper Approved by many years; yet she to fallen, Fallen from her self, her glories, nay her safet, Into a gulf of shame, and black despair, I think you'll doubt your self, or in beholding Her punishment for ever be deterde From yielding basely. And thus granted; Above you shall observe all. Had he suffered poorly It had called on my contempt, but manly patience And all commanding virtue, wins upon And enemy. I shall think upon him, would! Bring her in In black as to her funeral, 'tis the colour Her fault wills her to wear, and which, in justice I dare not pity, fit and take your place, However in her life she has degenerated May she die nobly, and in that confirm Her greatness, and high blood. See here This fatal sign, and warrant this brought to A General fighting in the head of his Victorious troops, ravishes from his hand His even then conquering sword; this shown unto The Sultans brother's, or his sons, delivers His deadly anger, and all Hope's laid by Commands them to prepare themselves for heaven. Which would stand with the quiet of your soul To think upon, and imitate. 'Tis in vain. If you have ought to say you shall have hearing, And in me think him pre ent. But suppose (As I am sure) he would be deaf, what then Could you infer? She raves, and we Lose time to hear her: read the Law, Mark that, then tax our justice. This is worse Then the parting with your honour, better suffer Ten thousand death's, and without hope to have A place in our great Prophets Paradise, Then have and act to after times remembered So foul as this is. Think of your honour; In dying nobly you make satisfaction For your offence, and you shall live a story Of bold Heroic courage. Base woman! But use thy ways, and see thou prosper in they For if thou fallen again into my power Thou shalt in vain after a thousand tortures Cry out, for death, that death which now thou fliest from Unloose the prisoners chains, go lead her on To try the Magic of her tongue; I follow: I am on the rack, descend my best Paulina. Let us hear this temptress, The fellow looks as he would stop his ears Against her powerful spells. How he eyes her! His eyes flame too, As threatening violence. These words are death, were he in nought else guilty. What we commanded, see performed, and fail not In all things to be punctual. Had he appeared in a more sordid shape Then disguised greatness ever dained to mask in, The gallant bearing of his present fortune Aloud proclaims him noble. That were base; Nor dare I do such injury to Virtue And bold assured courage, neither can I Be won to think, but if I should attempt it, I shoot against the Moon. He that hath stood The roughest battery, that captivity Could ever bring to shake a constant temper, Despised the fawnings of a future greatness, By beauty in her full perfection tendered; That hears of death as of a quiet slumber, And from the surplusage of his own firmness Can spare enough of fortitude, to assure A feeble woman; will now, Mustapha Be altered in his soul for any torments We can afflict his body with? There weigh the difference In the true temper of their minds. The one, A Pirate should to mischiefs, rapes, and all That make a slave relentless, and obdurate; Yet of himself wanting the inward strengths That should defend him, sinks beneath compassion Or pity of a man; where as this merchant, Acquainted only with a civil life, Armed in himself; entrenched, and fortified With his own virtue, valuing life and death, At the same price, poorly does not invite A favour, but commands us do him right, Which unto him, and her (we both once honoured As a joust debt I gladly pay'm; they enter, Now fit we equal hearers. Speak, 'tis granted. 'Tis allowed of. 'Tis a strange custom! I'll hear no more; You do abuse my favors, sever they: Wretch if thou hadst another life to lose, This Blasphemy deseru'de it, instantly Carry them to their death's. What means my Mistress? This is strange. There's Music in this. You are serious Lady? Ask this hand, Or if thou wilt, the heads of these. I am rapt Beyond my self with joy, speak, speak, what is it? The reason, since you hate them? Enjoy it; Repine at it who dares: bear him safe off To the black Tower, but give him all things useful, The contrary was not in your request. No more; Her will shall be a law. Till now never happy. Tush she is made of truth And what she says she will do, holds as firm. Would! No more. No more. Oh my credulity! I am too full Of grief, and rage to speak. Dull, heavy fool Worthy of all the tortures that the frown Of thy incensed Master can throw on thee Without one men compassion, I will hide This head among the deserts, or some cave Fi ed with my shame and me, where I alone May die without a partner in my moan. Stop her mouth: In death to turn Apostata! I'll not hear One sillable from any; wretched creature! With the next rising Sun prepare to die. Yet Christian, in reward of thy brave courage, Be thy faith right, or wrong, receive this favour. In person I'll attend thee to thy death, And boldly challenge all that I can give But what's not in my grant, which is to live. Excuse me Mustapha, though this night to me Appear as tedious as that Triple one Was to the world, when oue on fair Alcmena Begotten Alcides. Were you to encounter Those ravishing pleasures, which the slow paced hours (To me they are such) bar me from, you would With your continued wishes strive to imp New feathers to the broken wings of Time And chide the amorous Sun, for too long dalliance In Thetis watery bosom. Your husband. Be therefore more then sure the ground on which You raise your accusation, may admit No undermining of defence in her, For if with pregnant and apparent proofs Such as may force a judge, more then inclined Or partial in her cause to swear her guilty; You win not me to set off your belief, Neither our ancient friendship, nor the rites, Of sacred hospitality (to which I would not offer violence) shall protect you: Now when you please. If any Virgin of what degree or quality soever, born a natural Turk, shall be convicted of corporal looseness, and incontinence, with any Christian, she is by the decree of our great Prophet Mahomet to lose her head. Our great Prophet How have I lost my anger, and my Power Your pleasure, Leave the room, but be Within our call. Now sir, what burning secret brings you (With which it seems you are turned Cinders) To quench in my advise, or power?