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May none, who have so little understood,

To like such trash, presume to praise what's good!
And may those drudges of the stage, whose fate
Is damned dull farce more dully to translate,
Fall under that excise the state thinks fit
To set on all French wares, whose worst is wit.
French farce, worn out at home, is sent abroad;
And, patched up here, is made our English mode.
Henceforth, let poets ere allowed to write,

Be searched, like duellists before they fight,
For wheel-broad hats, dull humor, all that chaff,

Which makes you mourn, and makes the vulgar laugh:
For these, in plays, are as unlawful arms,

As, in a combat, coats of mail, and charms.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

MAHOMET BOABDELIN, the last King of Granada. | DUKE OF ARCOS, his General.
PRINCE ABDALLA, his brother.

ABDELMELECH, chief of the Abencerrages.
ZULEMA, chief of the Zegrys.

ABENAMAR, an old Abencerrago.

SELIN, an old Zegry.

DON ALONZO D'AGUILAR, a Spanish Captain.

ALMAHIDE, Queen of Granada.

LYNDARAXA, sister of ZULEMA, a Zegry lady.
BENZAYDA, daughter to SELIN.

OZMYN, a brave young Abencerrago, son to ESPERANZA, slave to the Queen.
Abenamar.

HAMET, brother to Zulema, a Zegry.

GOMEL, a Zegry.

ALMANZOR.

FERDINAND, King of Spain.

HALYMA, slave to LYNDARAXA.
ISABELLA, Queen of Spain.

Messengers, Guards, Attendants, Men, and

Women.

SCENE. GRANADA, AND THE CHRISTIAN CAMP BESIEGING IT.

ACT I
SCENE I

BOABDELIN, ABENAMAR, ABDELMELECH, Guards.
Boab. Thus, in the triumphs of soft peace,
I reign;

And, from my walls, defy the powers of
Spain;

state.

With pomp and sports my love I celebrate, While they keep distance, and attend my [To ABEN. Parent to her, whose eyes my soul enthral, Whom I, in hope, already father call, Abenamar, thy youth these sports has known,

Of which thy age is now spectator grown; Judge-like thou sit'st, to praise, or to arraign

The flying skirmish of the darted cane:

In Sierra Ronda, ere the war began;

But, when fierce bulls run loose upon the Who, with high nostrils snuffing up the

Now stood the champions of the savage Approached the lists.
kind.

Just opposite, within the circled place,
Ten of our bold Abencerrages' race

(Each brandishing his bull-spear in his
hand)

Did their proud jennets gracefully command.
On their steeled heads their demi-lances

wore

Small pennons, which their ladies' colors
bore.

Before this troop did warlike Ozmyn go;
Each lady, as he rode, saluting low;

At the chief stands, with reverence more
profound,

His well-taught courser, kneeling, touched
the ground;

Thence raised, he sidelong bore his rider on,
Still facing, till he out of sight was gone.
Boab. You praise him like a friend; and
I confess,

His brave deportment merited no less.
Abdelm. Nine bulls were launched by his

victorious arm,

Whose wary jennet, shunning still the harm, Seemed to attend the shock, and then leaped wide:

Meanwhile, his dexterous rider, when he spied

The beast just stooping, 'twixt the neck and

head

rest,

And dew-laps hanging from his brawny chest,

With nodding front a while did daring stand, And with his jetty hoof spurned back the sand;

Then, leaping forth, he bellowed out aloud: The amazed assistants back each other crowd,

While monarch-like he ranged the listed field; Some tossed, some gored, some trampling down he killed.

The ignobler Moors from far his rage provoke

With woods of darts, which from his sides he
shook.

Meantime your valiant son, who had before
Gained fame, rode round to every mirador;
Beneath each lady's stand a stop he made,
And, bowing, took the applauses which they
paid,

Boab. I marked him, when alone
(Observed by all, himself observing none)
He entered first, and with a graceful pride
His fiery Arab dexterously did guide,
Who while his rider every stand surveyed,
Sprung loose, and flew into an escapade;
Not moving forward, yet, with every bound,
Pressing, and seeming still to quit his
ground.

What after passed

Was far from the ventanna where I sate, But you were near, and can the truth relate. [To ABDELM,

Abdelm. Thus while he stood, the bull,
who saw his foe,

His easier conquests proudly did forego;
And, making at him with a furious bound,
From his bent forehead aimed a double
wound.

A rising murmur ran through all the field,
And every lady's blood with fear was chilled:
Some shrieked, while others, with more help-
ful care,

Cried out aloud, "Beware, brave youth, be

ware!"

It fell so quick, it did even death prevent,
And made imperfect bellowings as it went.
Then all the trumpets victory did sound,
And yet their clangors in our shouts were
drown'd.
[A confused noise within.
Boab. The alarm-bell rings from our Al-
hambra walls,

And from the streets sound drums and

atabals.

[Within, a bell, drums, and trumpets.

To them a Messenger. How now? from whence proceed these new alarms?

Mess. The two fierce factions are again
in arms;

And, changing into blood the day's delight,
On each side their allies and friends appear;
The Zegrys with the Abencerrages fight;
The Macas here, the Alabezes there:

Just in that point of time, the brave un- The Gazuls with the Bencerrages join,
known

And, with the Zegrys, all great Gomel's line.

Boab. Draw up behind the Vivarambla
place;

Double my guards,—these factions I will face;
And try if all the fury they can bring,
Be proof against the presence of their king.
[Exit BOAB.
The Factions appear: At the head of the
Abencerrages, OzмYN; at the head of
the Zegrys, ZULEMA, HAMET, GOMEL,

and SELIN: ABENAMAR and ABDELMELECH joined with the Abencerrages. Zul. The faint Abencerrages quit their ground;

Press 'em; put home your thrusts to every wound.

Abdelm. Zegry, on manly force our line relies;

Thine poorly takes the advantage of sur-
prise:

Unarmed and much out-numbered we retreat;
You gain no fame, when basely you defeat.
If thou art brave, seek nobler victory;
Save Moorish blood; and, while our bands
stand by,

Let two to two an equal combat try.

Ham. 'Tis not for fear the combat we refuse,

But we our gained advantage will not lose. Zul. In combating, but two of you will fall;

And we resolve we will despatch you all.

Ozm. We'll double yet the exchange before we die,

And each of ours two lives of yours shall buy.

Ozm. Our prophet's curse

On me, and all the Abencerrages light,
If, unprovoked, I with your son did fight.

Abdelm. A band of Zegrys ran within the
place,

Matched with a troop of thirty of our race. Your son and Ozmyn the first squadrons led,

Which, ten by ten, like Parthians, charged and fled,

The ground was strowed with canes where we did meet,

Which crackled underneath our coursers' feet:

When Tarifa (I saw him ride apart)

Changed his blunt cane for a steel-pointed dart,

And, meeting Ozmyn next,

Who wanted time for treason to provide,

ALMANZOR enters betwixt them, as they stand He basely threw it at him, undefied.

ready to engage.

ALMANZOR, advancing on the other I brought that succor, which thou ought'st
side, and describing a line with his
sword.

Almanz. Upon thy life pass not this mid-
dle space;

Sure death stands guarding the forbidden place.

Gom. To dare that death, I will approach
yet nigher
Thus,-wert thou compassed in with circling
fire.
[They fight.
Boab. Disarm 'em both; if they resist
you, kill.

ALMANZOR, in the midst of the Guards, kills
GOMEL, and then is disarmed.

to bring,

And so, in nature, am thy subjects' king.
Boab. I do not want your counsel to di-
rect,

Or aid to help me punish or protect.
Almanz. Thou want'st 'em both, or better
thou wouldst know,

Than to let factions in thy kingdom grow.
Divided interests, while thou think'st to
sway,

Draw, like two brooks, thy middle stream

away:

For though they band and jar, yet both combine

To make their greatness by the fall of thine. Almanz. Now you have but the leavings of Thus, like a buckler, thou art held in sight, my will. While they behind thee with each other fight.

Boab. Kill him! this insolent unknown shall fall,

And be the victim to atone you all.

Ozm. If he must die, not one of us will live:

That life he gave for us, for him we give.

Boab. It was a traitor's voice that spoke those words;

Boab. Away, and execute him instantly! [To his Guards. Almanz. Stand off; I have not leisure yet to die.

To them ABDALLA, hastily.

Abdal. Hold, sir! for heaven sake hold!

So are you all, who do not sheathe your Defer this noble stranger's punishment, swords.

Zul. Outrage unpunished, when a prince
is by,

Forfeits to scorn the rights of majesty:
No subject his protection can expect,
Who what he owes himself does first neglect.
Aben. This stranger, sir, is he,
Who lately in the Vivarambla place

Did, with so loud applause, your triumphs

grace.

Boab. The word which I have given, I'll
not revoke;

If he be brave, he's ready for the stroke.
Almanz. No man has more contempt than
I of breath,

But whence hast thou the right to give me
death?

Obeyed as sovereign by thy subjects be,
But know, that I alone am king of me.
I am as free as nature first made man,
Ere the base laws of servitude began,
When wild in woods the noble savage ran.
Boab. Since, then, no power above your
own you know,

Mankind should use you like a common
foe;

You should be hunted like a beast of prey:
By your own law I take your life away.
Almanz. My laws are made but only for
my sake;

No king against himself a law can make.
If thou pretend'st to be a prince like me,
Blame not an act, which should thy pattern
be.

Or your rash orders you will soon repent. Boab. Brother, you know not yet his insolence.

Abdal. Upon yourself you punish his of-
fence:

If we treat gallant strangers in this sort,
Mankind will shun the inhospitable court;
And who, henceforth, to our defence will

brought;

the conquest

Till the proud Santo, seated in the throne,
Disdained the service he had done to own:
Then to the vanquished part his fate he led:
The vanquished triumphed, and the victor
fled.

Vast is his courage, boundless is his mind,
Rough as a storm, and humorous as wind:
Honor's the only idol of his eyes;
The charms of beauty like a pest he flies;
And, raised by valor from a birth unknown,
Acknowledges no power above his own.

[BOABDELIN coming to ALMANZOR. Boab. Impute your danger to our igno

rance:

I saw the oppressed, and thought it did be- The bravest men are subject most to chance: long

To a king's office to redress the wrong:

Granada much does to your kindness owe;
But towns, expecting sieges, cannot show

More honor, than to invite you to a foe.
Almanz. I do not doubt but I have been
to blame:

But, to pursue the end for which I came,
Unite your subjects first; then let us go,
And pour their common rage upon the foe.
Boab. [to the Factions]. Lay down your
arms, and let me beg you cease

Your enmities.

Zul. We will not hear of peace,

Till we by force have first revenged our slain.

Abdelm. The action we have done we will maintain.

Selin. Then let the king depart, and we will try

Our cause by arms.

Zul. For us and victory!

Boab. A king entreats you.

Almans. What subjects will precarious
kings regard?

A beggar speaks too softly to be heard:
Lay down your arms! 'tis I command you

now.

Do it-or, by our prophet's soul I vow,

And if yours then was just, so ours is now. Boab. 'Tis true from force the noblest title springs;

I therefore hold from that, which first made kings.

D. Arcos. Since then by force you prove your title true,

Ours must be just, because we claim from
you.

When with your father you did jointly reign,
Invading with your Moors the south of
Spain,

I, who that day the Christians did command,
Then took, and brought you bound to Fer-
dinand.

Boab. I'll hear no more; defer what you
would say:

In private we'll discourse some other day.
D. Arcos. Sir, you shall hear, however you
are loth,

That, like a perjured prince, you broke your
oath:

To gain your freedom you a contract signed, By which your crown you to my king resigned,

My hands shall right your king on him I From thenceforth as his vassal holding it, seize.

Now let me see whose look but disobeys.

All. Long live king Mahomet Boabdelin!
Almanz. No more; but hushed as mid-
night silence go:

He will not have your acclamations now.
Hence, you unthinking crowd!-

[The common people go off on both parties.
Empire, thou poor and despicable thing,
When such as these unmake or make a king!
Abdal. How much of virtue lies in one
great soul,
[Embracing him.
Whose single force can multitudes control!
[A trumpet within.

Enter a Messenger.

Messen. The Duke of Arcos, sir,

Does with a trumpet from the foe appear. Boab. Attend him; he shall have his audience here.

Enter the DUKE OF ARCOS.

And paying tribute such as he thought fit;
Contracting, when your father came to die,
To lay aside all marks of royalty,
And at Purchena privately to live,
Which, in exchange, king Ferdinand did give.
Boab. The force used on me made that
contract void.

D. Arcos. Why have you then its benefits
enjoyed?

By it you had not only freedom then,
But, since, had aid of money and of men;
And, when Granada for your uncle held,
You were by us restored, and he expelled.
Since that, in peace we let you reap your
grain,

Recalled our troops, that used to beat your
plain;

And more

Almanz. Yes, yes, you did with wondrous
care,

Against his rebels prosecute the war,
While he secure in your protection slept;

kept.

D. Arcos. The monarchs of Castile and For him you took, but for yourselves you Aragon Have sent me to you, to demand this town, To which their just and rightful claim is known.

Boab. Tell Ferdinand, my right to it ap-
pears

By long possession of eight hundred years:
When, first my ancestors from Afric sailed,
In Rodrique's death your Gothic title failed.
D. Arcos. The successors of Rodrique still
remain,

And ever since have held some part of Spain:
Even in the midst of your victorious powers,
The Asturias, and all Portugal, were ours.
You have no right, except you force allow;

Thus, as some fawning usurer does feed,
With present sums, the unwary unthrift's
need,

You sold your kindness at a boundless rate,
And then o'erpaid the debt from his estate;
Which, mouldering piecemeal, in your hands
did fall

Till now at last you came to swoop it all.

D. Arcos. The wrong you do my king I cannot bear;

Whose kindness you would odiously compare.

The estate was his; which yet, since you deny,