SEBASTIAN

Call forth those Moors, those men of Bar bary. That came with letters from the king of Fesse. You warlike lords and men of chivalry, Honourable Ambassadors of this high regent, Hark to Sebastian king of Portugal: These letters sent from your distressed Lord, Torn from his throne by Abdilmelecs hand, Strengthened and raised by furious Amurath, Imports a kingly favour at our hands, For aid to reobtain his royal seat, And place his Fortune's in their former height. For quitall of which honourable arms, By these his letters he does firmly vow, Wholly to yield and to surrender up The kingdom of Maroccus to our hands, And to become to us contributary, And to content himself with the realm of Fesse, These lines my Lords writ in extremity, Contain therefore but during Fortune's date, How shall Sebastian then believe the same? These ceremonies and protestations Suffices us you Lords of Barbary, Therefore return this answer to your king, Assure him by the honour of my crown, And by Sebastians true unfeigned faith He shall have aid and succour to recover, And seat him in his former empery, Let him rely upon our princely word, Tell him by August we will come to him, With such a power of brave impatient minds, As Abdelmelec and great Amurath Shall tremble at the strength of Portugal. Barbarians go glad your distressed king, And say Sebastian lives to right his wrong, Duke of Auero call in those Englishmen, Done Stukley, and those Captains of the fleet That lately landed in our bay of Lisborne. Now breath Sebastian, and in breathing blow Some gentle gale of thy new formed joys, Duke of Auero, it shall be your charge, To take the muster of the Portugals, And bravest bloods of all our country, Lews de Sylva you shall be dispatched With letters unto Philip king of Spain, Tell him we crave his aid in this behalf, I know our brother Philip nill deny His furtherance in this holy christian war, Duke of Barceles as thy ancestors Have always loyal been to Portugal, So now in honour of thy towards youth, Thy charge shall be to Anwerpe speedily, To hire us mercenary men at arms, Promise them princely pay, and be thou sure Thy word is ours, Sebastian speaks the word. For Ireland Stukley, thou mistakst me wone derous much, With seven ships, two pinnaces, and six thousand men, I tell thee Stukley, they are far too weak, To violate the Queen of Ireland's right, For Ireland's Queen commands England's force, Were every ship ten thousand on the seas, Manned with the strength of all the Eastern kings, Conveying all the monarchs of the world, To invade the Island where her highness reigns, It all in vain, for heavens and destinies Attend and wait upon her Majesty, Sacred, imperial, and holy is her seat, Shining with wisdom, love and mightiness. Nature that every thing imperfect made, Fortune that never yet was constant found, Time that defaceth every golden show, Dare not decay, remove, or be impure, Both nature, time and fortune, all agree, To bless and serve her royal majesty, The wallowing Ocean hems her round about, Whose raging floods do swallow up her foes, And on the rocks their ships in pieces split, And even in Spain where all the traitors dance, And play themselves upon a sunny day, Securely guard the west partly of her Isle, The South the narrow Britain sea begirts, Where Veptune sits in triumph, to direct Their course to hell that aim at her disgrace, The Germane seas alongst the East do run, Where Nenus banquets all her water Nymphs, That with her beauty glancing on the waves, Disdains the check of fair Proserpina, Advise thee then proud Stukley ere thou pass, To wrong the wonder of the highest God, Sith danger, death and hell does follow thee, Thee and them all that seek to danger her. If honour be the mark whereat thou aimest, Then follow me in holy christian wars, And leave to seek thy Countries overthrow. Tell me Lord Bishop, Captains tell me all, Are you content to leave this enterprise, Against your country and your country men, To aid Mahomet king of Barbary? Then Captains what say you? That course will we direct for Barbary, Follow me Lords, Sebastian leads the way, To plant the christian fath in Africa. And God so deal with king Sebastians soul As justly he intends to fight for Christ, Nobles of Spain, sith our renowned brother, Philip the king of honour and of zeal, By you the chosen Orators of Spain, The offer of the holds he makes Are not so precious in our account, As is the peerless dame whom we adore, His daughter, in whose loyalty consists The life and honour of Sebastian. As for the aid of arms he promises, We will expect, and thankfully receive At Cardis, as we sail alongst the coast. Sebastian clap thy hands for joy, Honoured by this meeting and this match, Go Lords and follow to the famous war Your king, and be his fortune such in all, As he intends to manage arms in right. Muly Mahomet king of Barbary Well met, and welcome to our town of Tanger, After this sudden shock and hapless war, Welcome brave Queen of Moors, repose thee here, Thou and thy noble son, and soldiers all, Ropose you here in king Sebastians town. Thus far in honour of thy name and aid Lord Mahomet, we have adventured To win for thee a kingdom, for our selves Fame, and performance of those promises, That in thy faith and royalty thou hast Sworn to Sebastian king of Portugal, And thrive it so with thee as thou dost mean, And mean thou so as thou dost wish to thrive, And if our Christ for whom in chief we fight, Hereby to enlarge the bounds of christendom, Favour this war, and as I do not doubt, Send victory to light upon my crest. Brave More I will advance thy kingly son, And with a diadem of pearl and gold, Adorn thy temples and enrich thy head, True Stukley, and so freshly to my mind, Hath this young prince reduced his father's wrong, That in good time I hope this honours fire, Kindled already with regard of right, Bursts into open flames, and calls for wars, Wars, wars to plant the true succeeding prince. Lord Mahomet, I take thy noble son A pledge of honour, and shall use him so. Lord Lodowick, and my good Lord of Auero See this young prince conveyed safe to Messegon, And there accompanied as him fits best, And to this war prepare you more and less, This rightful war, that Christians God will bless. Now hardened is this hapless heathen prince, And strengthened by the arms of Portugal, This More, this murderer of his progeny. And war and weapons now, and blood and death Wait on the counsels of this cursed king: And to a bloody banquet he invites The brave Sebastian and his noble peers. In fatal hour arrived this peerless prince, To lose his life, his life and many lives Of lusty men, courageous Portugals, Drawn by ambitious golden looks, Let fame of him no wrongful censure found, Honour was object of his thoughts, ambition was his ground. Why tell me Lords, why left you Portugal, And crossed the seas with us to Barbary, Was it to see the country and no more, Or else to slay before you were assailed? I am ashamed to think that such as you, Whose deeds have been renowned heretofore, Should slack in such and act of consequence, We come to fight, and fighting vow to die, Or else to win the thing for which we came, Because Abdilmelec as pitying us, Sends messages to counsel quietness, You stand amazed and think it found advise, As if our enemy would wish us any good, No, let him know we scorn his courtesy, And will resist his forces what so ere. Cast fear aside, my self will lead the way, And make a passage with my conquering sword Knee deep in blood of these accursed Moors, And they that love my honour follow me. Were you as resolute as is your king, Alcazar walls should fallen before your face, And all the force of this Barbarian Lord Should be confounded, were it ten times more. Captains, you hear the reasons of the king, Which so effectually have pierced wine ears, That I am fully resolute to fight, And who refuseth now to follow me, Let him be ever counted cowardly. Seest thou not Stukley, Oh Stukley seest thou not The great dishonour done to Christendom? Our cheerful onset crossed in springing hope, The brave and mighty prince, Duke of Auero Slain in my sighed, now joy betide his ghost, For Like a lion did he bear himself. Our battles are all now disordered, And by our horses strange retiring back, Our middle wing of footmen ouer-rod. Stukley, alas I see my oversight, False hearted Mahomet, now to my cost, I see thy treachery, warned to beware A face so full of fraud and villainy. Christopher de Tavera, next unto my self My good Efestian, and my bedfellow, Thy cares and mine shall be alike in this, And thou and I will live and die together. And now brave Englishmen to you, Whom angry storms have put into our bay, Hold not your fortune ere the worse in this, We hold our strangers honours in our hand, And for distressed frank and free relief, Tell me then Stukley, for thats thy name I trow, Wilt thou in honour of thy countries fame, Hazard thy person in this brave exploit, And follow us to fruitful Barbary, With these six thousand soldiers thou hast brought And choicely picked through wanton Italy, Thou art a man of gallant personage, Proud in thy looks, and famous every way, Frankly tell me, wilt thou go with me? Honourable Lords, Ambassadors of Spain, The many favors by our meetings done From our beloved and renowned brother, Philip the Catholic king of Spain Say therefore good my Lord Ambassador, Say how your mighty master minded is, To propagate the fame of Portugal. Consider Lords you are now in Portugal, And I may now dispose of you and yours. Hath not the wind and weather given you up, And made you captives to our royal will?