No More Learning

_

_Ant. _ And I but the empty shadow of myself without thee! --Farewell,
father-in-law, that should have been, if I had not been curst in my
mother's belly. --Now, which way, Fortune?
[_Runs amazedly backwards and forwards.
Servants within,_ "Follow, follow;
yonder are the villains. "
O, here's a gate open; but it leads into the castle; yet I must
venture it. [_A shout behind the Scenes, where_
ANTONIO _is going out. _
There's the rabble in a mutiny; what, is the devil up at midnight!
However, 'tis good herding in a crowd.
[_Runs out. _ MUFTI _runs to_ MORAYMA,
_and lays hold on her, then snatches
away the Casket. _

_Muf. _ Now, to do things in order, first I seize upon the bag, and
then upon the baggage; for thou art but my flesh and blood, but these
are my life and soul.

_Mor. _ Then let me follow my flesh and blood, and keep to yourself
your life and soul.

_Muf. _ Both, or none; come away to durance.

_Mor. _ Well, if it must be so, agreed; for I have another trick to
play you, and thank yourself for what shall follow.

_Enter Servants. _

_Joh. _ [_From above. _] One of them took through the private way into
the castle; follow him, be sure, for these are yours already.

_Mor. _ Help here quickly, Omar, Abedin! I have hold on the villain
that stole my jewels; but 'tis a lusty rogue, and he will prove too
strong for me. What! help, I say; do you not know your master's
daughter?

_Muf. _ Now, if I cry out, they will know my voice, and then I am
disgraced for ever. O thou art a venomous cockatrice!

_Mor. _ Of your own begetting. [_The Servants seize him. _

_1 Serv. _ What a glorious deliverance have you had, madam, from this
bloody-minded Christian!

_Mor. _ Give me back my jewels, and carry this notorious malefactor to
be punished by my father. --I'll hunt the other dry-foot.
[_Takes the jewels, and runs out after_
ANTONIO _at the same passage. _

_1 Serv. _ I long to be hanselling his hide, before we bring him to my
master.

_2 Serv. _ Hang him, for an old covetous hypocrite; he deserves a worse
punishment himself, for keeping us so hardly.

_1 Serv. _ Ay, would he were in this villain's place! thus I would lay
him on, and thus. [_Beats him. _

_2 Serv. _ And thus would I revenge myself of my last beating.
[_He beats him too, and then the rest. _

_Muf. _ Oh, ho, ho!

_1 Serv. _ Now, supposing you were the Mufti, sir. --
[_Beats him again. _

_Muf. _ The devil's in that supposing rascal! --I can bear no more; and
I am the Mufti. Now suppose yourselves my servants, and hold your
hands: an anointed halter take you all!

_1 Serv. _ My master! --You will pardon the excess of our zeal for you,
sir: Indeed we all took you for a villain, and so we used you.

_Muf. _ Ay, so I feel you did; my back and sides are abundant
testimonies of your zeal. --Run, rogues, and bring me back my jewels,
and my fugitive daughter; run, I say.
[_They run to the gate, and the first
Servant runs back again. _

_1 Serv. _ Sir, the castle is in a most terrible combustion; you may
hear them hither.

_Muf. _ 'Tis a laudable commotion; the voice of the mobile is the voice
of heaven. --I must retire a little, to strip me of the slave, and to
assume the Mufti, and then I will return; for the piety of the people
must be encouraged, that they may help me to recover my jewels, and my
daughter. [_Exeunt Mufti and Servants. _


SCENE III. --_Changes to the Castle Yard,_

_And discovers_ ANTONIO, MUSTAPHA, _and the Rabble shouting. They
come forward. _

_Ant. _ And so at length, as I informed you, I escaped out of his
covetous clutches; and now fly to your illustrious feet for my
protection.

_Must. _ Thou shalt have it, and now defy the Mufti. 'Tis the first
petition that has been made to me since my exaltation to tumult, in
this second night of the month Abib, and in the year of the
Hegira,--the Lord knows what year; but 'tis no matter; for when I am
settled, the learned are bound to find it out for me; for I am
resolved to date my authority over the rabble, like other monarchs.

_Ant. _ I have always had a longing to be yours again, though I could
not compass it before; and had designed you a casket of my master's
jewels too; for I knew the custom, and would not have appeared before
a great person, as you are, without a present: But he has defrauded my
good intentions, and basely robbed you of them; 'tis a prize worthy a
million of crowns, and you carry your letters of marque about you.

_Must. _ I shall make bold with his treasure, for the support of my new
government. --[_The people gather about him. _]--What do these vile
raggamuffins so near our person? your savour is offensive to us; bear
back there, and make room for honest men to approach us: These fools
and knaves are always impudently crowding next to princes, and keeping
off the more deserving: Bear back, I say. --[_They make a wider
circle. _]--That's dutifully done! Now shout, to shew your loyalty. [_A
great shout. _]--Hear'st thou that, slave Antonio? These obstreperous
villains shout, and know not for what they make a noise. You shall see
me manage them, that you may judge what ignorant beasts they are. --For
whom do you shout now? Who's to live and reign; tell me that, the
wisest of you?

_1 Rabble. _ Even who you please, captain.

_Must. _ La, you there! I told you so.

_2 Rabble. _ We are not bound to know, who is to live and reign; our
business is only to rise upon command, and plunder.

_3 Rabble. _ Ay, the richest of both parties; for they are our enemies.

_Must. _ This last fellow is a little more sensible than the rest; he
has entered somewhat into the merits of the cause.

_1 Rabble. _ If a poor man may speak his mind. I think, captain, that
yourself are the fittest to live and reign; I mean not over, but next,
and immediately under, the people; and thereupon I say, _A Mustapha, a
Muatapha! _

_Omnes. _ A Mustapha, a Mustapha!

_Must. _ I must confess the sound is pleasing, and tickles the ears of
my ambition; but alas, good people, it must not be! I am contented to
be a poor simple viceroy. But prince Muley-Zeydan is to be the man: I
shall take care to instruct him in the arts of government, and in his
duty to us all; and, therefore, mark my cry, _A Muley-Zeydan, a
Muley-Zeydan! _

_Omnes. _ A Muley-Zeydan, a Muley-Zeydan!

_Must. _ You see, slave Antonio, what I might have been?

_Ant. _ I observe your modesty.

_Must. _ But for a foolish promise, I made once to my lord Benducar, to
set up any one he pleased. --

_Re-enter the Mufti, with his Servants. _

_Ant. _ Here's the old hypocrite again. --Now stand your ground and bate
him not an inch. Remember the jewels, the rich and glorious jewels;
they are designed to be yours, by virtue of prerogative.

_Must. _ Let me alone to pick a quarrel; I have an old grudge to him
upon thy account.

_Muf. _ [_Making up to the Mobile. _] Good people, here you are met
together.

_1 Rabble. _ Ay, we know that without your telling: But why are we met
together, doctor? for that's it which no body here can tell.

_2 Rabble. _ Why, to see one another in the dark; and to make holiday
at midnight.

_Muf. _ You are met, as becomes good Mussulmen, to settle the nation;
for I must tell you, that, though your tyrant is a lawful emperor, yet
your lawful emperor is but a tyrant.

_Ant. _ What stuff he talks!

_Must. _ 'Tis excellent fine matter, indeed, slave Antonio! He has a
rare tongue! Oh, he would move a rock, or elephant!

_Ant. _ What a block have I to work upon! [_Aside. _]--But still,
remember the jewels, sir; the jewels.

_Must. _ Nay, that's true, on the other side; the jewels must be mine.
But he has a pure fine way of talking; my conscience goes along with
him, but the jewels have set my heart against him.

_Muf. _ That your emperor is a tyrant, is most manifest; for you were
born to be Turks, but he has played the Turk with you, and is taking
your religion away.

_2 Rabble. _ We find that in our decay of trade. I have seen, for these
hundred years, that religion and trade always go together.

_Muf. _ He is now upon the point of marrying himself, without your
sovereign consent: And what are the effects of marriage?

_3 Rabble. _ A scolding domineering wife, if she prove honest; and, if
a whore, a fine gaudy minx, that robs our counters every night, and
then goes out, and spends it upon our cuckold-makers.

_Muf. _ No; the natural effects of marriage are children: Now, on whom
would he beget these children? Even upon a Christian! O, horrible! how
can you believe me, though I am ready to swear it upon the Alcoran!
Yes, true believers, you may believe, that he is going to beget a race
of misbelievers.

_Must. _ That's fine, in earnest; I cannot forbear hearkening to his
enchanting tongue.

_Ant. _ But yet remember--

_Must. _ Ay, ay, the jewels! Now again I hate him; but yet my
conscience makes me listen to him.

_Muf. _ Therefore, to conclude all, believers, pluck up your hearts,
and pluck down the tyrant. Remember the courage of your ancestors;
remember the majesty of the people; remember yourselves, your wives,
and children; and, lastly, above all, remember your religion, and our
holy Mahomet. All these require your timeous assistance;--shall I say,
they beg it? No; they claim it of you, by all the nearest and dearest
ties of these three P's, self-preservation, our property, and our
prophet. --Now answer me with an unanimous cheerful cry, and follow me,
who am your leader, to a glorious deliverance.

_Omnes. _ A Mufti, a Mufti! [_Following him off the stage. _

_Ant. _ Now you see what comes of your foolish qualms of conscience;
the jewels are lost, and they are all leaving you.

_Must. _ What, am I forsaken of my subjects? Would the rogue purloin my
liege people from me! --I charge you, in my own name, come back, ye
deserters, and hear me speak.

_1 Rabble. _ What, will he come with his balderdash, after the Mufti's
eloquent oration?

_2 Rabble. _ He's our captain, lawfully picked up, and elected upon a
stall; we will hear him.

_Omnes. _ Speak, captain, for we will hear you.

_Must. _ Do you remember the glorious rapines and robberies you have
committed?
Your breaking open and gutting of houses, your rummaging of
cellars, your demolishing of Christian temples, and bearing off, in
triumph, the superstitious plate and pictures, the ornaments of their
wicked altars, when all rich moveables were sentenced for idolatrous,
and all that was idolatrous was seized? Answer first, for your
remembrance of all these sweetnesses of mutiny; for upon those grounds
I shall proceed.

_Omnes. _ Yes, we do remember, we do remember.

_Must. _ Then make much of your retentive faculties. --And who led you
to those honey-combs? Your Mufti? No, believers; he only preached you
up to it, but durst not lead you: He was but your counsellor, but I
was your captain; he only looed you, but, 'twas I that led you.

_Omnes. _ That's true, that's true.

_Ant. _ There you were with him for his figures.

_Must. _ I think I was, slave Antonio. Alas, I was ignorant of my own
talent! --Say then, believers, will you have a captain for your Mufti,
or a Mufti for your captain? And, further, to instruct you how to cry,
will you have _A mufti_, or _No mufti_?

_Omnes. _ No Mufti, no Mufti!

_Must. _ That I laid in for them, slave Antonio--Do I then spit upon
your faces? Do I discourage rebellion, mutiny, rapine, and plundering?
You may think I do, believers; but, heaven forbid! No, I encourage you
to all these laudable undertakings; you shall plunder, you shall pull
down the government; but you shall do this upon my authority, and not
by his wicked instigation.

_3 Rabble. _ Nay, when his turn is served, he may preach up loyalty
again, and restitution, that he might have another snack among us.

_1 Rabble. _ He may indeed; for it is but his saying it is sin, and
then we must restore; and therefore I would have a new religion, where
half the commandments should be taken away, the rest mollified, and
there should be little or no sin remaining.

_Omnes. _ Another religion, a new religion, another religion!

_Must. _ And that may easily be done, with the help of a little
inspiration; for I must tell you, I have a pigeon at home, of
Mahomet's own breed; and when I have learnt her to pick pease out of
my ear, rest satisfied till then, and you shall have another. But, now
I think on't, I am inspired already, that 'tis no sin to depose the
Mufti.

_Ant. _ And good reason; for when kings and queens are to be discarded,
what should knaves do any longer in the pack?

_Omnes. _ He is deposed, he is deposed, he is deposed!

_Must. _ Nay, if he and his clergy will needs be preaching up
rebellion, and giving us their blessing, 'tis but justice they should
have the first-fruits of it. --Slave Antonio, take him into custody;
and dost thou hear, boy, be sure to secure the little transitory box
of jewels. If he be obstinate, put a civil question to him upon the
rack, and he squeaks, I warrant him.

_Ant. _ [_Seizing the Mufti. _] Come, my _quondam_ master, you and I
must change qualities.

_Muf. _ I hope you will not be so barbarous to torture me: we may
preach suffering to others, but, alas! holy flesh is too well pampered
to endure martyrdom.

_Must. _ Now, late Mufti, not forgetting my first quarrel to you, we
will enter ourselves with the plunder of your palace: 'tis good to
sanctify a work, and begin a God's name.

_1 Rabble. _ Our prophet let the devil alone with the last mob.

_Mob. _ But he takes care of this himself.

_As they are going out, enter_ BENDUCAR, _leading_ ALMEYDA: _he with
a sword in one hand;_ BENDUCAR'S _Slave follows, with_
MULEY-MOLUCH'S _head upon a spear. _

_Must. _ Not so much haste, masters; comeback again; you are so bent
upon mischief, that you take a man upon the first word of plunder.
Here is a sight for you; the emperor is come upon his head to visit
you. [_Bowing. _] Most noble emperor, now I hope you will not hit us in
the teeth, that we have pulled you down; for we can tell you to your
face, that we have exalted you. [_They all shout. _

_Bend. _ Think what I am, and what yourself may be,
[_To_ ALMEYDA _apart. _
In being mine: refuse not proffered love,
That brings a crown.

_Alm. _ [_To him. _] I have resolved,
And these shall know my thoughts.

_Bend. _ [_To her. _] On that I build. -- [_He comes up to the Rabble. _
Joy to the people for the tyrant's death!
Oppression, rapine, banishment, and blood,
Are now no more; but speechless as that tongue,
That lies for ever still.
How is my grief divided with my joy,
When I must own I killed him! Bid me speak;
For not to bid me, is to disallow
What for your sakes is done.

_Must. _ In the name of the people, we command you speak: but that
pretty lady shall speak first; for we have taken somewhat of a liking
to her person. --Be not afraid, lady, to speak to these rude
raggamuffians; there is nothing shall offend you, unless it be their
stink, an't please you. [_Making a leg. _

_Alm. _ Why should I fear to speak, who am your queen?
My peaceful father swayed the sceptre long,
And you enjoyed the blessings of his reign,
While you deserved the name of Africans.
Then, not commanded, but commanding you,
Fearless I speak: know me for what I am.

_Bend. _ How she assumes! I like not this beginning. [_Aside. _

_Alm. _ I was not born so base to flatter crowds,
And move your pity by a whining tale.
Your tyrant would have forced me to his bed;
But in the attempt of that foul brutal act,
These loyal slaves secured me by his death. [_Pointing to_ BENDUCAR.

_Bend. _ Makes she no more of me than of a slave? -- [_Aside. _
Madam, I thought I had instructed you [_To_ ALMEYDA.
To frame a speech more suiting to the times:
The circumstances of that dire design,
Your own despair, my unexpected aid,
My life endangered by his bold defence,
And, after all, his death, and your deliverance,
Were themes that ought not to be slighted o'er.

_Must. _ She might have passed over all your petty businesses, and no
great matter; but the raising of my rabble is an exploit of
consequence, and not to be mumbled up in silence, for all her
pertness.

_Alm. _ When force invades the gift of nature, life,
The eldest law of nature bids defend;
And if in that defence a tyrant fall,
His death's his crime, not ours,
Suffice it, that he's dead; all wrongs die with him;
When he can wrong no more, I pardon him:
Thus I absolve myself, and him excuse,
Who saved my life and honour, but praise neither.

_Bend. _ 'Tis cheap to pardon, whom you would not pay.
But what speak I of payment and reward!
Ungrateful woman, you are yet no queen,
Nor more than a proud haughty christian slave:
As such I seize my right. [_Going to lay hold of her. _

_Alm. _ [_Drawing a Dagger. _] Dare not to approach me! --
Now, Africans,
He shows himself to you; to me he stood
Confessed before, and owned his insolence
To espouse my person, and assume the crown,
Claimed in my right; for this, he slew your tyrant;
Oh no! he only changed him for a worse;
Embased your slavery by his own vileness,
And loaded you with more ignoble bonds.
Then think me not ungrateful, not to share
The imperial crown with a presuming traitor.
He says, I am a Christian; true, I am,
But yet no slave: If Christians can be thought
Unfit to govern those of other faith,
'Tis left for you to judge.

_Bend. _ I have not patience; she consumes the time
In idle talk, and owns her false belief:
Seize her by force, and bear her thence unheard.

_Alm. _ [_To the People. _]
No, let me rather die your sacrifice,
Than live his triumph.
I throw myself into my people's arms;
As you are men, compassionate my wrongs,
And, as good men, protect me.

_Ant. _ Something must be done to save her. [_Aside to_ MUST. ] This is
all addressed to you, sir: she singled you out with her eye, as
commander in chief of the mobility.

_Must. _ Think'st thou so, slave Antonio?

_Ant. _ Most certainly, sir; and you cannot, in honour, but protect
her: now look to your hits, and make your fortune.

_Must. _ Methought, indeed, she cast a kind leer towards me. Our
prophet was but just such another scoundrel as I am, till he raised
himself to power, and consequently to holiness, by marrying his
master's widow. I am resolved I'll put forward for myself; for why
should I be my lord Benducar's fool and slave, when I may be my own
fool and his master?

_Bend. _ Take her into possession, Mustapha.

_Must. _ That's better counsel than you meant it: Yes, I do take her
into possession, and into protection too. What say you, masters, will
you stand by me?

_Omnes. _ One and all, one and all.

_Bend. _ Hast thou betrayed me, traitor? --Mufti, speak, and mind them
of religion. [_MUFTI shakes his head. _

_Must. _ Alas! the poor gentleman has gotten a cold with a sermon of
two hours long, and a prayer of fear; and, besides, if he durst speak,
mankind is grown wiser at this time of day than to cut one another's
throats about religion. Our Mufti's is a green coat, and the
Christian's is a black coat; and we must wisely go together by the
ears, whether green or black shall sweep our spoils.
[_Drums within, and shouts. _

_Bend. _ Now we shall see whose numbers will prevail:
The conquering troops of Muley-Zeydan come,
To crush rebellion, and espouse my cause.

_Must. _ We will have a fair trial of skill for it, I can tell him
that. When we have dispatched with Muley-Zeydan, your lordship shall
march, in equal proportions of your body, to the four gates of the
city, and every tower shall have a quarter of you.
[ANTONIO _draws them up, and takes_ ALM.
by_ the hand. Shouts again, and Drums. _

_Enter_ DORAX _and_ SEBASTIAN, _attended by African Soldiers and
Portugueses. _ ALMEYDA _and_ SEBASTIAN _run into each others arms,
and both speak together. _

_Seb. _ and _Alm. _ My Sebastian! my Almeyda!

_Alm. _ Do you then live?

_Seb. _ And live to love thee ever.

_Bend. _ How! Dorax and Sebastian still alive!
The Moors and Christians joined! --I thank thee, prophet.

_Dor. _ The citadel is ours; and Muley-Zeydan
Safe under guard, but as becomes a prince.
Lay down your arms; such base plebeian blood
Would only stain the brightness of my sword,
And blunt it for some nobler work behind.

_Must. _ I suppose you may put it up without offence to any man here
present. For my part, I have been loyal to my sovereign lady, though
that villain Benducar, and that hypocrite the Mufti, would have
corrupted me; but if those two escape public justice, then I and all
my late honest subjects here deserve hanging.

_Bend. _ [_To_ DOR. ] I'm sure I did my part to poison thee,
What saint soe'er has soldered thee again:
A dose less hot had burst through ribs of iron.

_Muf. _ Not knowing that, I poisoned him once more,
And drenched him with a draught so deadly cold,
That, hadst not thou prevented, had congealed
The channel of his blood, and froze him dry.

_Bend. _ Thou interposing fool, to mangle mischief,
And think to mend the perfect work of hell!

_Dor. _ Thus, when heaven pleases, double poisons cure[8].
I will not tax thee of ingratitude
To me, thy friend, who hast betrayed thy prince:
Death he deserved indeed, but not from thee.
But fate, it seems, reserved the worst of men
To end the worst of tyrants. --
Go, bear him to his fate,
And send him to attend his master's ghost.
Let some secure my other poisoning friend,
Whose double diligence preserved my life.

_Ant. _ You are fallen into good hands, father-in-law; your sparkling
jewels, and Morayma's eyes, may prove a better bail than you deserve.

_Muf. _ The best that can come of me, in this condition, is, to have my
life begged first, and then to be begged for a fool afterwards[9].
[_Exeunt_ ANTONIO, _with the Mufti; and, at
the same time,_ BENDUCAR _is carried off. _

_Dor. _ [_To_ MUST. ]
You, and your hungry herd, depart untouched;
For justice cannot stoop so low, to reach
The groveling sin of crowds: but curst be they,
Who trust revenge with such mad instruments,
Whose blindfold business is but to destroy;
And, like the fire, commissioned by the winds,
Begins on sheds, but, rolling in a round,
On palaces returns. Away, ye scum,
That still rise upmost when the nation boils;
Ye mongrel work of heaven, with human shapes,
Not to be damned or saved, but breathe and perish,
That have but just enough of sense, to know
The master's voice, when rated, to depart.
[_Exeunt_ MUSTAPHA _and Rabble. _

_Alm. _ With gratitude as low as knees can pay [_Kneeling to him. _
To those blest holy fires, our guardian angels,
Receive these thanks, till altars can be raised.