BRUSOR

Against the Sophy in three pitched fields, Under the conduct of great Soliman, Have I be chief commander of and host, And put the flint heart Perseans to the sword. The desert plains of Africa have I stained, With blood of Moors, and there in three set battles fough , Marched conqueror through Asia, Along the coasts held by the Portinguze, Even to the verge of gold, aboording Spain Hath Brusor led a valiant troop of Turks, And made some Christians kneel to Mahomet: Him we adore, and in his name I cry, Mahomet for me and Solyman. He hath my Lord, with the greatest pomp, That ere I saw at such a festival. Inferior to that only. A worthy Knight of Rhodes, a matchless man, His name Erastus, not twenty years of age, Not tall, but well proportioned in his limbs, I never saw, except your excellence, A man whose presence more delighted me, And had he worshipped Mahomet for Christ, He might have born me through out all the world, So well I loved and honoured the man. As if that we and they had been on sect, Brave men at arms, and friendly out of arms, Courteous in peace, in battle dangerous, Kind to their foes, and liberal to their friends, And all in all, their deeds heroical. My gracious Sovereign, as this Knight, Seems by grief tied to silence, So his deserts binds me to speak for him. This is Erastus the Rhodian worthy, The flower of chivalry and courtesy, Drum found a parley to the Citttzens. We come with mighty Solimans command, Monarch and mighty Emperor of the world, From East to West, from South, to Septentrion, If you resist, expect what war affords, Mischief, murder, blood, and extremity, What wilt thou yield and try our clemency? Say I, or no; for we are peremptory. Now if thou plead for mercy, 'tis to late: Come fellow Soldiers, let us to the breach, Thats made already on the other side. Now Rhodes is yoked, and stoops to Soliman, There lies the Governor, and there his son: Now let their souls tell sorry tidings to their ancestors, What millions of men oppressed with ruin and scathe, The Turkish armies did in Christendom, What say these prisoners, will they turn Turk, or no? Then stab the slaves, and send their souls to hell. For bear to hurt him: when we land in Turkey He shall be circumcised and have his rites. Now for these Ladies: their lives privilege Hangs on their beauty, they shall be preserved, To be presented to great Soliman, The greatest honour Fortune could afford. My gracious Lord, rejoice in happiness: All Rhodes is yoked, and stoops to Solyman. Partly of the spoil of Rhodes, which were preserved To be presented to your mightiness. Her face is covered over quite my Lord. Now she is all covered my Lord. I now occasion serves to stumble him, That thrust his Fickle in my harvest corn, Pleases your Majesty to hear Brusor speak. With secret letters woe her, and with gifts, Why lives he then to grieve great Soliman, This only remains, that you consider, In two extremes the least is to be chosen, If so your life depend upon her love, And that her love depends upon his life, Is it not better that Erastus die Ten thousand death's, then Soliman should perish? This shall be the means, I'll fetch him back again, Under colour of great consequence, No sooner shall he land upon our shore, But witness shall be ready to accuse him, Oftreason done against your mightiness, And then he shall be doomed by marshal law, Thanks Lord governor. So it is my Lord, that upon great affairs, Importuning health and wealth of Soliman, His highness by me intreateth you, As ever you respect his future love, Or have regard unto his courtesy, To come your self in person and visit him, Without inquiry what should be the cause. Perseda farewell, be not angry, For that I carry thy beloved from thee, We will return with all speed possible, And thou Lucina, use Perseda so, That for my carrying of Erastus hence, She curse me not, and so farewell to both. Why then appeal to him, where thou shalt know And be assured that I betray thee not. I will my lord: lord Marshal, it is his highness pleasure That you commend him to Erastus soul. Fear not my Lord, Lucina plays her partly, And wooes apace in Solimans behalf. Unkind Perseda, couldst thou use her so? And yet we used Perseda little better. Even in the hour of death. As firm as are the poles whereon heaven lies. As is Pandora or Diana's thoughts. Fair spoken, wise, courteous, and liberal: Kind, even to his foes, gentle and affable, And all, in all, his deeds heroyacall. You should have seen him foil and overthrow, All the Knights that there encountered him. Their fleet is weak: Their Horse, I deem them fifty thousand strong, Their footmen more, well exercised in war, And as it seems, they want no needful vittaile. Must he reap that for which I took the toil? Come envy then and fit in friendships seat, How can I love him that enjoys my right.