take it very heinously if I should tell him that his Amphitrite My Lord Great Neptune c. might have been as well Your Lordship Great Neptune Then how can worth fall a Victim a worthy man may but worth cannot How often Worth Virtue Innocence and the like are used for Worthy Virtuous and Innocent people need not be askt I wonder how wrong'd Virtue and injur'd innocence scaped him in the Examination of the Third Act. I have a Mistriss in your Sphear Forc'd from my Arms By Deaths Alarm's My Martyr'd Saint brings me a Pilgrim here The Sphear of Hell is Nonsense In the last Act. I 'le travel then to some remoter Sphear Till I find out new Worlds and Crown you there I believe our learn'd Author takes a Sphear for a Country The Sphear of Morocco as if Morocco were the Globe of Earth and Water but a Globe is no Sphear neither by his leave c. Commentatour is as cruel here to Sphear as he was to infect in the First Act which he would allow to have relation to nothing but a disease So Sphear here must not be sense unless it relate to a circular motion about a Globe in which sense the Astronomers use it I would desire him to expound these Lines in Granada page 29. Lyndar I 'le to the Turrets of the Palace go And add new fire to those that fight below Thence Hero-like with Torches by my side Far be the Omen though my Love I 'le guide No like his better Fortune I 'le appear With open arms loose Vail and flowing Hair Iust flying forward from my rowling Sphear I wonder if he be so strict how he dares make so bold with Sphear himself and be so Critical in other mens writings Fortune is fancied standing on a Globe not on a Sphear as he told us in the first Act. But then he says Nothing is forced by Alarm's an Alarme being but a preparation to force If our Nice Critick Mr. Bays will have an Alarme viz. before a Battel to be but a preparation for force I doubt he mistakes it for if he were in an Army pardon the supposition for what should he do there I much suspect that an Alarme would be a thing of more force with him then an ordinary man Oh take me down to her or send her back to me Here Orphous speaks as if he were upon the Stage and not in Hell Would he have himself taken down from Hell to Hell or her brought back from Hell to Hell Surely there 's a great difference between his being down in Hell and his being taken down to Hell Take me down to her or send her back to me Signifies entertain me down with her or if I cannot be entertain'd here send her back to me when I am gone from hence For if a man should come into anothers company he may not improperly say Sir pray take me into your company though he be in it before he says so Besides Orpâ—eus was in Plutoes Pallace and sure 't was not ill in him to suppose the seat of his Euridice in Hell to be somewhat inferiour to the Throne of the God of Hell And so take me down is more proper than Notes is pleased to judge it But with thee thy fair Treasure take Releast by Love from that eternal chain Which destin'd Kings and Conquerours cannot break Releas'd from an eternal Chain is a Bull. If her chain had been â—ternal she could never have broken it But certainly thy weak head-piece cannot mean this for an argument For the Poet says the Chain was Eternal to Kings and Conquerours not to her And when he says she was releast from that Eternal Chain which Kings and Conquerours can never break he makes no Bull at all for her Chain viz. of Death and Hell was the same with theirs only she wore hers but for a time and they were doom'd to wear theirs for ever To th'wondring World he in soft Aires may tell Mercy as well as Iustice rules in Hell How shall the world hear soft tunes They had need be loud ones one would think To tell the World then is to tell all the World and all the World at once This observation is so wonderful witty that none but this Arch wag could have hit on 't No law there nor here no God so Severe But love can Repeal and Beauty can tame He repeals a God No Saturnine friend Let it be repeal a Law and tame a God The Emperor being stab'd by Morena says the Queen Mother My Son kill'd by her hand Crim. Call my Physitians Bid my Guards appear The Emperour Stab'd the Queen his Murderer Says Crimalhaz since he is kill'd since as he says the Emperor stab'd the Queen his Murderer Call my Physicians a Physitian is very useful to a dead man Why since he is kill'd Though as thou sayst Crimalhaz had said kill'd which he does not yet sure to say a man is kill'd does not absolutely imply he is dead as soon as ever the wound is given that kills him nor is it unmannerly or impertinent to call his Physitians to the assistance of a wounded King though in all probability he might not live a quarter of an hour nor could their assistance defer his death It had been very pretty to have said the King is stab'd let us see if he will bleed to death if he does not I 'le send for Surgeons that shall cure him But though your hand has your adorer kill'd 'T has reacht his heart but not the Love it held Your Image cannot from my Soul retire My Lov 's immortal though my life expire How could a hand touch Love or a dagger stab Love How could any fellow but Notes ask such a question though a hand cannot touch Love nor a Dagger stab Love as thou callst it yet sure 't was not ungenerous in the King to tell her that hand that kill'd him could not destroy his Love to her that gave him his death which very probably it might have don Moren Good Gentle Kind give me the Dagger back For mine for his For Heav'n and Iustice sake Cannot my Tears nor Prayers your heart o'recome If my requests appear too burdensome Grant but this one that pointed Steel restore And I 'le not live to ask you any more That is give me the Dagger back or if my request appear for appears too burdensome give me the Dagger If thou wouldst have took the pains to have look'd into the Printed Errata at the end of the Play thou mightst have found page 50 line 6 for request read requests But this act has so many willful oversights that 't is intollerable Oâ— cruel Queen what has your fury done That made you lose a Husband me a Son This Realm a King the World a Virtue grown Too sit for Heav'n but not to go so soon The Question is an answer to it self she asks what her fury had done that made her lose a Husband c. Why it answers
Links were out before they were out Why must the great be meant great Links Why not a Christmas Candle Will in a Wisp Iack in a Lanthorn any thing 't is all alike to thee Did ever any man of parts Scrible at this rate Well he has been a Wit in his Time and so forth but see what Age can do 't is pitty his Mercury should be evaporated 't is huge pitty but Age Age as I told you before This work which we so roughly do begin Zeal and Religion may perhaps call Sin No the more Barb'rous garb our Deeds assume We nearer to our first perfection come Since Nature first made Man wild savage strong And his Blood hot then when the world was Young If Infant-times such Rising valours bore Why should not Riper Ages now do more But whilst our Souls wax Tame and Spirits Cold We only shew th'unactive World grows old Now if inâ—ant times had such perfection why should not riper ages go beyond perfection that is if the World was so old and perfect whilst it was youngr why should it not grow younger and more perfect now it is old an ingenious inference If infant times had a great perfection why may not riper Ages have a greater he has never heard of greater or less perfection But marke his last observation If the World was so old and perfect when 't was young The Poet had told you in the Infancy of times men were Savage strong hot blooded c. that is as Bays has it were old and perfect I wonder how old got in Prithee do not flatter thy self dear heart old and perfect unless you mean mallice and nonsence he perfection will not go together in thy Sphear Then the Poet says when the World was young mankind was so or so But he looses Mankind on which the discourse is built and says when the World was young the World was so or so Was ever such a Rapsody of Impertinence Printed Nay and what 's worse own'd by the man that calls himself the greatest Wit in the Nation I am afraid the apparent magnitude of his Wit will dwindle like his Sun in Annus Mirabilis stanza 100. That happy Sun said he will rise again Who twice Victorious did our Navy see And I alone must view him rise in vain Without one ray of all his Star for Me. I much suspect the Squire for I think that was his Title when his Annus Micabilis came out was like his Silk-worm in Granada Lost in his own web of thought When he made the Sun a Star like Hamlets Cloud first a Whale and then a Wezel But perhaps this man of learning avoided the Reading Astronomy as Elkanah he says did reading the Bible for fear of spoyling his Fancy and indeed it had been pitty such a Fancy as this should have gone lame though Astronomy had been made a Cripple by it But no matter the Poet has heard the Sun and Moon are Planets and all planets you know are Stars But laying aside his Astronomy and granting the Sun a Star the Sun has not one ray in all his Star for me if he makes this English or sense Mr. Settle shall resigne all interest in the Apollo over the Kings Box and compliment Bays his sweet face with the place To him who Climbs by Blood no track seems hard The sense of crimes is lost in the reward A spirers neither Guilt nor danger dread No path so rough Ambition dares not tread These lines he had little to say to but that they are tag'd with hard words and end the act ACT The Fourth HOw Crimalhaz up to the Mountains fled And with him the Morocco Forces led Oh Rebel Oh Rebel being all he says of him is as Comical as if he had call'd him arch wag Well but as I take it the King and his Lords said a great deal more of this arch wag then these two lines Aye but they had as good have held their tongues for they said nothing to the purpose his King should have gone on if our Billinsgate Friend had the Instructing of him With oh damn'd Son of a Whore run away with my Army you Dog you Rascal you Rogue bring it back again when on the Contrary our Poet makes him leave off his Quarrel to Crimalhaz and abuse poor Innocent Gold Inhumanely The nameless Lord. Sir he only does persue That Treason which you lent him Pow'r to do He was your Treasurer and has made bold To be too strict a Guardian of your Gold He makes a Thief a Guardian I wonder he did not persue his hint in the second act and affirm that Muly Labas his Gold was as great a fool as himself and so chose this arch wag for its Guardian It had been very witty but no matter thy Ramphlet is so well stockt with Wit a ready that it does not want it Encamped on Atlas skirts he by your Gold Has Rais'd new Forces and Confirm'd the Old In the last Scene of the last act Crimathaz was in Morocco A pretty leap Elkanah makes him take from thence to Atlas 130. miles read Friend read and thou 'lt find thy mistake here as great as in the River Tensiâ—t before The skirts of Atlas come within 12 leagues of Morocco Which in the notes is 130 miles But here lyes his mistake the skirts of a Hill and the top of a Hill is all one to him sure he takes a Hill for a Mole upon the face of the earth as a Poet and Kinsman of his in the maid in the Mill has it and if one part be a hundred Miles off the whole can't be much less 'T is well Geography did not lye in his way what sufferers would the Alps and the Apennines or the Mountain Taurus have been if our bold friend had had but a Ship at their Tails too But Heaven be prais'd though Sense and Poetry have felt his heavy hand Geography escaped But now for Poor Gold which the King falls upon so Satyrically First our Commentatour will not grant the inveying against Gold or Ambition which animated Crimalhaz to be a Rebel to be allowable in the King or at lest to have any affinity with his displeasure against Crimalhaz I 'de ask him why does his Almahide make a long Harangue upon opportunity Thou vain seducer opportunity Of woman-kind half are undone by thee c. When she ought to have exclaim'd against Almanzor that made use of that opportunity to her disadvantage and not abused poor opportunity How frequentâ—y in this manner are reflections on the Causes of things for the effects used in Poetry and Oratory in all Languages But next for the nonsence Oh profane Gold which from infectious earth From Sulph'rous and contagious Mines takes Blrth. Gold is profane because it takes birth from infectious earth viz. Infection is profaness Why because cannot it be profane and infectious too but it must be one because 't is the other Cannot thy Malicious Pamphlet be nonsensical but
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS On the Empress of Morocco REVISED WITH Some few Errata's to be Printed instead of the Postscript with the next Edition of the Conquest of Granada Impune ergo mihi recitaverit ille Togatas Hic Elegos Juven LONDON Printed for William Cademan at the Popes-Head in the Lower Walk of the New Exchange in the Strand 1674. THE PREFACE CAsting my Eye upon a Pamphlet entitled Notes and Observations on the Empress of Morocco and finding no Authors name to it I used my best indeavour to get that knowledge by my Examination of the Style which the unkind Printer had denied me But that information was quickly obtain'd For perusing but the First Page of the Preface and finding such an Appellation as Arrogant Upstare and Illiterate Scribler with this Allusion at the Tail onâ—t This Fellow comes amongst the Poets like one of the Earth-born Brethren and his first business in the World is to Attacque and Murder all his Fellows I presently recollected the same Fancy spoken on the same subject in the Epilogue to Cambyses Like th' Issue of the Dragons Teeth one Brother In a Poetick fury falls on tll ' other In the next Page I 〈◊〉 him strutting and impudently comparing himself to Ben Johnson I knew that to write against him was to do him too much honour But I consider'd Ben Iohnson had done it before to Deeker our Author Predecessor c. And thereupon with very little Conjuration by those three remarkable Qualities of Râ—iling Boasting and Thieving I foâ—nd a Dryden in the Frontispiece Then going through the Preâ—ace I observ'd the drawing of a Fools Picture to be the desâ—gn of the whole piece and reflecting on the Painter I consider'd that probably his Pamphlet might be like his Plays not to be written without help And according to expectation I discovered the Author of Epsome-Wells and the Author of Pandion and Amphigenâ—a lent their assistance How Three to One thought I and Three Gentlemen of such disagreeing Qualifications in one Club The First a Man that 〈◊〉 had wit but it â—â—st it the Second that haâ— it if be can keep it and the Third that neither has nor is ever like to have it Then boldly on I went and fortified with patience as I found it requir'd for a full perusal I wonderd the less at the Deformity of the piece when such different hands went to the composure The first of these is the only person that pretends an injury receivâ—d from a Satyrick Line or two in the Epistle to Morocco Such as the Author never design'd for a particular reflection and such as I am sure Elkanah would have thank'd him for provided like them as they had been true they had been harmless too And consequently I conclude him the promoter of so Ile-natur'd and so scurrulous a retort The Second I suppose only putting his Comical hand to the Work to help forward with the mirth of so ridiculous a Libel and the Third perhaps out of a Vain Glory of being in Print knowing himself to be so little a Reptile in Poetry that hee 's beholding to a Lampoon for giving the World to know that there is such a writer in being Some have advised me in answering these Notes to retort upon all Thrâ—e But that would be a tedious work besides the inconvenience of it The two last had not the same ends in writing nor are they so fair marks as the First Oâ—e having no Heroicks in Print and the other such as cannot well be Attacqued his Plays being fortified against Objections For like the Leper that from Head to Foot was all Deformity I defie any man to meet with above one fault in a whole Play of his And therefore in defending Elkanahs writings to examine His I think not worth the while a whole Play being too long for a Repartee But in taking Elkanahs part I answer but half the Pampâ—let For through the piece I find the whole Town censur'd at lest all that have seen that Play being by the modest Commentatour Dignified by the Title of Town-Fops and City Fools this wholesome advice being given you in the Preface It will be for the benefit of Mankind to observe what People frequent this Play that men of common sense may know whom to shun Now the calling all Mankind Fools one would think were the boldest Drydenism that e're came in Print But to convince you that there 's worse behind this Rude unmannerly ill-bred sawcy and over-grown Rayler cannot forbear calling the Ladies Fools too when he says I am not ignorant that his admirers who are most commonly Women will ressent this ill c. if therefore through the Examination of his Notes I reply in his Dialect and use that Billingsgate Style which is but Aping of him and much against my own nature I declare that 't is a Language that his Vnimitable Impudence more than his Quarrel with Morocco or his Abuses on the Author have extorted from me The Reader is desired to take notice in the following Discourse that all Lines with this Mark before them are Mr. Drydens taken out of several of his Poems And all Discourse in an Italick Character within these Figures are His words in his Notes upon Morocco or in his Conquest of Granada ACT The First COndemned to Fetters and to Scepters hornâ— Here the first accusation is writing Non-sence in the first Line Alass poor Elkanah Muly Labas in Chains Before he is in Swadling-Cloaths in Fetters before he is born Now with Reverence would I ask Mr. Dryden amongst all his undeniable Laws of Action Time and Place those insallible guides of Poetry in which he has done Reason to himself and Honour to the World in being that Kind Great Master to the Minor Poets by what Rule Men are obliged to reflect on their past State before their present And how is it Non-sense to name what is before we mention what was How many Examples of this-kind occurr in Common Discourse as we say Ered and Born Men and Angels Besides I think Muly Labas may say I am condemned to Fetters and am not was born to Scepters for Men say in the Present Tense they are born to such or such an Estate till they are in possession of it But I perceive Mr. Dryden is so little obliged to Birth-right and so weakly intitled to Patrimonies that 't is very pardonable in him to mistake in an expression of this kind Nay he 's so far from a Guilt in this that were he to discribe himself I doubt not but he 'd tell you what he has been before what he is viz. that he once could write an Indian Emperour and a Tyrannick Love But now by his own confession in his Epilogue to Granada When Forty comes if e're he Lives to see That wretched Fumbling Age of Poetry Where by the way you must know he was Eight and Thirty Years Old when he wrote that and 't is now Three Years since the writing you must
words for when Courage in a man sinks and gives way to fear and Cowardise that Couragious man turns a Coward but not his Courage Cowardise No more then I can say of any thing that was white once and is now dyed black that the whiteness is become blackness But his Objections are many of them built upon this falacy to make reflections upon Incoherence in qualities instead of persons and things But then how does Crimalhaz say Immortality becomes mortal He says Heaven has given immortal Souls to Men viz. to those men whose Courages are so Courage as he thinks being the Life of the Soul But those whose Courages can fade be corrupted and dye their Souls by consequence can do so too So he affirms that true Courage viz. that which cannot decline makes Souls immortal but Cowardise mortal And by such subtilties his Breast infect 'Till he his Generals Loyalty suspect No body can infect another with a disease which he has not himself or carries not about him some way or other Hametalhaz then must have suspition of the Generals Loyalty or carry the Disease about him else he cannot infect the King with it Did ever any man make such a pudder for nothing First Infect is Lasht as Beggars for stragling it transgresses its bounds and therefore Mr. Critick by Constable Law confines it home to the place of its Nativity It must be sense no where but where it refers to a Disease Well to compliment him it shall be so confin'd But then no body can infect another with a Disease he has not himself or carries not about him some way or other Dear heart thou art i' th right What dost thâ—u think of Nurses Nay Cats or Dogs in a Plague time that have carried infection with them yet have not had the Disease themselves So Hametalhaz had something or other as thou saist about him to make the King jealous of his General though he was not so himself Never was such stuff but 't is his Talent and there is an end And to that pitch his heightned Virtues raise That their perfection shall appear their Crime As Giants by their Height do Monsters seem Here he makes Giantickness the perfection of Humane Stature and says Giants are not Monsters only seem so to Mankind By consequence all that are not Giants are imperfect if not Monsters The Poet makes Giantickness c. and says c. That is Mr. Dryden makes and says it for him for he neither says nor implies any such thing Crimalhaz tells the Queen Mother he will extol Muly Hamets Virtues so highly that their perfection shall appear their crime as Giants appear or seem Monsters for their height But how he says or infers Giants are not Monsters and but only seâ—m so to Mankind You have only Mr. Drydens word for and how much that has been worth hitherto in his Observations I leave his Readers to Judge Though indeed some are apt to think that Giants are not really Monsters though received so a Monster in its true definition being a Creature that either wants or has more parts than Nature requires to make up true proportions and Symetry And yet a Giant how much greater soever than an ordinary man may have all parts proportionable nor have more or less Arms or Legs or aâ—y other particular However if the reception of a Monster be more large and Giants are Monsters to say a thing seems to be what it is no Non-sense Brave Crimalhaz thy Breast and mine agree How Breasts can agree or quarrel any more than Arms or Legs I cannot tell And truly we believe him but if he cannot tell what agreeing signifies besides being friends he is not the best Commentatour I have met with We 'll Act his Death in State Will she have a Play made on it and Act her self in it Now why nothing can be Acted but in a Play I cannot tell neither I am afraid he is not so Critical in his own writings Almah to Almanz. page 51. You bound and freed me but the difference is That shew'd your Valour but your Virtue this As if Valour were no Virtue though it be none of his Virtues others are pleased to compliment it with the title of a Virtue when they made Fortitude one of the Cardinal Virtues But perhaps he 'l distinguish between Valour in one degree and Valour in another for Valour is not always a Virtue there is a Brutish Valour though very improperly for in Brutes 't is Courage Yes that answer is for his purpose for these two Lines are spoken of Almanzor We 'l Act his Death in State And dash his Blood against his Palace gate A stately thing to dash a Pail full of Blood against a Palace gate This Commentator like Eustathius upon Homer observes more in every Line than the Poet e're thought on for I durst swear for him he never considered just how much the Emperours Veins held which Mr. Dryden has politickly found to be a Pail-full But I am afraid in observing the quantity he forgot the quality that it was the Blood of a King when he infers by his observation how inconsiderable the dashing so much Blood against a Palace Gate would be But he comments and these are Notes and so forth Now for the most rumbling piece of Non sense that has come yet To flattering lightning our feignd smiles conform Which back'd with Thunder do but guild a storm Flattering Lightning no Lightning sure is a threatning thing But he has answerâ—d for me in his Royal Martyr About the place did nimble Lightning play Which offer'd us by fits and snatch'd the day If it has so brisk a Light that in a dark storm it can make an appearance of day which in a moment vanishes again it certainly is a very flattering thing to make such splendid illusions to so little purpose But backt with Thunder much offends him and a great deal of doe he makes about a Trooper on Horse-back I took backt to be more frequently used for attended An allusion taken from a Leader and his forces which in all reason wou'd have better agreed with Lightning which immediately precedes the Thunder But then he has a long dispute against guilding a storm Now to say that Lightning which for a moment changes the whole face of Heaven and makes a glittering Light where so much darkness was before guilds a storm I think a pardonable Metaphor but then he 'll tell you that 't is do guild not does guild a storm and so as a Plural Verb it refers to Smiles To answer that it should be does guild and that it was an over-sight in the correction of the Press which though it be true and is and has been alwayes spoken in Acting does guild a storm Yet since it looks like Mr. Drydens reprinting Follow Fate which would too fast pursue instead of does too fast pursue I will not make that Apology for 't is sense both wayes 'T is an usual custome in
and Legs be or making a Solyman or an Almanzor and Almahide sit Cross Leg'd like Taylors or dressing Moores in Bootes and Moorish Women in trouses Nay there ought to be the same care in representing Characters as dresses How senselesly and inartificially has he made a long and idle description of Almanzors Gallantry by his encountring a Bull which though we all know is in use and in esteem at Granada how little and impertinent does the narrative of it appear here All Heroick actions of Virtue or Gallantry on the Stage being rated and valued by the rules of the place and Age they are presented in not by the sense of the Age or place when and wheâ—e they were first perform'd I 've been an actor in such Comick sport When in my Father Taffaletta's Court. He took delight i' th' represented spoyls Of Cyrus Cesar and Aeneas Toyles Observe what she calls Comick Cyrus Cesar and Aeneas Toyles Would'st thou have had her call'd them Tragick or Pastoral The Queen Mother perswades Morena to go in Masquerade which Morena thinks a very valiant thing saying I dare do any thing to show T' a Throne I change of Place not Passions owe. A generous brave thing to go in Masquerade If thou canst make out that what ever a man dares do must be very valiant Generous and brave the ten sheets of nonsense thou hadst the confidence to write are much to thy advantage and have past a very great compliment on thee Traytours rarely look like what they act Can the looks of Traytours be like Treason indeed as like as any of his Similitudes But not so like as some of Commentatours For Bays has a very pretty poâ—tical way of invention when he has occasion for a simile not contented with such common things as are in sense or nature such as the dull scriblers who as he says ne're reach an Excellence take allusions from he forms more Airy notions and so makes his Flights more sublime As page 23. Abdalla of Lyndaraxa Her tears her smiles her every look's a net Her voice is like a Syrens of the Land And bloody hearts lye panting in her hand A Syrens of the Land That is a Land-Mermaid A pretty fancied creature a Land Sea-monster I have heard of a whole Book in this style such another kind of Volume as Tom Thumb that would have done him a courtesie in this nature being richly furnisht wiâ—h many such fancies and excellencies as a she-waterman an Iron Parâ—tree a Wind-watermil and the like And though Bays has a perfection above others in that Mercurial art of filching yet I hope my instructions though to a man so well vers'd already may not be wholly disacceptable Besides her look's a net is so old a Phrase so stale an allusion that it has been in twenty third-Form School-Boys Exercises But perhaps the Reader what ever his other Thefts are will conclude his similitudes his own by their marks Yet to convince you there is not the lest thing he will not steal his Almanzor says p. 69. You dash like Water back when thrown against the Wind. The Host in the Villain Slander returns back into the slanderers face as a man that pisseth against the Wind. But such Petty Larceny is not woâ—th an Arraignment nor would his Brethren envy at his stoln Treasures Omnia si sic Dixisset Poyson'd How was this Murder hid till now And by what Arts was it disclosed by you Enter Queen Mother Here she enters abruptly and answers to what she did not hear That were too long to tell th' unhappy Son This Night too must the Fathers Fortune run O then the unkind Printer has mistaken her Entrance which should have been two Lines sooner which in the Acting I am sure is not mistakes And within three Lines she contradicts her self saying to him I 'le save your Life your Empress and your Throne O does she contradict her self so lâ—t her but where 's the fault to say Sir you will be kill'd to night How kill'd yes unless you take my Counsel which if you 'l follow I 'le save your life c. Which are almost the very words in the Play On this Foundation I 've this Structure laid To lay a house upon a Foundation is not English Therefore to lay a structure on a Foundation must not be English Though all Houses be structures yet I hope all structures are not Hoâ—ses one stone laid upon another is a structure Knowing how ill your kindness hee 'l requite If he should find you Author of my flight He will if he should is false English c. A very great oversight hee 'l requite for hee 'd requite he might as well have accus'd the Poet for letting My fair Eurdice my fair Eurdice instead of Euridice Pag. 47. escape or at lest go Unmentioned in his Errata for 't is a hainous oversight viz. a litteral fault Leave that to Providence but grant he shou'd He would not sure attempt a Womans Blood At least when he considers how t' was don A Mothers Piety to save a Son Excellent Grammar When he considers how 't was done to find me Author of your flight a Mothers Piety to save a Son How â—'was done a Mothers Piety But Prethee let us know why To find me Authour of your flight got in between the other two lines Why to make the Grammar a little more excellent Thanks kind Commentatour But then wherein lyes the great fault in the two last liues of the Speech Where is thy excellent Grammar in Granada Pag. 3. But what the stranger did was more than man If he puts man for humane 't is a very bold Drydenism but if he means what the stranger did was more then man could do Then where is the fault to say When he considers how 't was don A Mother Piety to save a Son did it If this Liberty be prohibited how many excellent Grammars will I find in Granada Must I then kill Benzaida or must loose Gran. pag. 117. 'T is better once to die then still to fear pag. 81. And though I cannot break 'em I 'le divide pag. 108. My mind shall teach my body how to bear Ibid. Loose what and bear what fear what and divide what where are the Accusative cases to loose and bear fear and divide which are all Active Verbs I 'le lead you where you may all eyes escape And privately put on this borrow'd shape What need he put on a borrow'd shape after he had escaped all eyes Was ever such an Impertinent question aske Though the King could escape all eyes for so much time as to put on a disguise sure it does not follow that a disguise must be unnecessary or that his escaping all eyes for a quarter of an hour must inter he could lye conceal'd a whole night Whil'st with the noyse of Drums and Trumpets sound 〈◊〉 noise and sound viz. Noyse and noyse If Noyse without sound will make it â—eâ—se noyse of Trumpets is a
if all thou sayst be true that e're I met with Its for a Pronoune to a Noun of Multitude is excellent Pray which is the truest Grammar to say Troy held out ten years against its enemyes the Graecians or against Their enemies the Grâ—cians But one thing I should not omit he takes no notice of the three lines before this viz. The Furies from their Heads will shake Each useless Snake The Scorpions loose their stings And Hell it self forget c. And so makes it false concord in Grammar Hell will forget is Grammar though Hell forget is not For will is not only the sign of the Future tense before shake in the first line but before loose and forget in the two last Whence Mortal does thy Courage grow To dare to take a walk so low Says Plâ—to To which Orpheus answers To tell thee God thou art a Ravisher No Tears nor Prayer Your unresisted Will controuls Who commit Force on Virtue Rapes on Souls Pluto asks whence does thy Courage grow Orpheus answers from to tell thee God thou art a Ravisher If Pluto had ended there it had been something But put in to dare to take a walk so low and then examine the connexion Besides Orphens came a great Iourney to tell Pluto very great news viz. that he was a Ravisher as if he did not know that before What if he did know it before is Orpheus his upbraiding him of what he had done nonsense Or is all Discourse but telling news nonsense Then the Poet says Plutoes unresisted will cannot be controuled and Notes asks him How can a thing be controuled that is never resisted Aye How indeed But sure unresisted has the same signification with irresistible what cannot be resisted not what is not resisted But then this blundering Grammation says your unresisted will who commit c. will being the proximum antecedens to who makes it false English who for which and commit for commits If it be which commits and so true Grammar 't is nonsense For Pluto's will does not commit Rapes it only inclines him to commit rapes on Souls Well Grammar and Philosophy are things that buz much in Commentatours head especially in this fourth Act but by the insipid rate he talks of them I durst lay an even wager that such another as â—ripple in Epsome wells with his Laws of the Maids and Parsons and his castigo to non quod odio habem sed quod amem shall bafle him in both By the damnable stumbles Mr. Notes makes in them he is quite different from Aretine in his Preface who rayld not against God because he did not know him for he on the contrary abuses poor Grammar and Philosophy for no other reason but because he never understood them Let him alter it thus and see his mistake The will of you who commit and then let him examine the propriety of the English Is not your will and the will of you the same thing Dares a weak Animal of Mortal Race Aâ—â—ront a God â— his Face And of a Crime impeach a Deity An Animal of Mortal race is very elegant as much as to say an Animal of Animal race or a Mortal of Mortal race there being no animal but what is mortal I Believe the School-boy Elkanah when he wrote this had learning enough too as well as pays to tell him that an animal was of mortal race and yet for all that he has a little of Bays his confidence too to believe this Line more elegant than our Ironick friend is pleased to think it For had he said dares a weak animal affront and impeach a God 't would have been as dull and flat if possible as a Scene in the Polish Princess or the Five Acts of Charles the Eight The other Line is Burlesque Thy â—reath has damn'd thee thou shalt dye First he is damn'd and afterwards he shall dye Here is Breath agen which is every thing and does every thing with Elkanah nay breath that makes others live shall make Orpheus dye If a man should tell me that any Creature living had patience to read thy Pamphlet out at once sitting I should swear the story of the Famous Grizil were nothing to him Nay he deservs to be Canonized as much as she and to make his Memory live like hers in such another Pindarick as Full â—iâ—teen Winters she lived still contented No wrong she thought upon c. I know a friend of mine that if he would be so kind and strain hard might do this man the same favour and in the same style Rhime him into immortality But how prettily so ever this Objection is worded as first he is damn'd and â—fterwards dyes First let me ask him if Mens sins do not damn them and then when sins are committed before men dye or after death I wonder where 's the nonsense to say such a mans ambition or such a mans blasphemy damn'd him and wherein is Pluto's fault to tell Orpheus that his words had damn'd him and he should dye But then this over-curious Sophister has turn'd damn'd into a Passive Verb he is damn'd which relates to the suffering of damnation For to say a man is damn'd implyes he is dead and his soul in Hell and thereon he builds his seeming argument but to say in the Active sense such a sin damns a man implyes as the word is used that damnation will certainly follow as a reward of that sin after his death But his pittiful snarling objection that Breath which makes others live makes Orpheus dye is so Phlegmatick a thought that none but our sensless man of Gall but would be ashamed of Unloose your twisted Crests of Snakes Into his Breast those swift Totmentors fling And his tortur'd Entrals Sting Twisted Crests of Snakes viz. upon the Furies heads I take to be nonsense and sustian â— Ay prethee do take it so and welcome Thou hast such a pretty way of taking things that 't is pitty to baulk thee I dare swear for Elkanah that he would not be unwilling that thou shouldst take all the Plays he has or shall write provided thou wouldst use them so harmlesly as thou hast done this But why swift Snakes Snakes as he takes it agen are far from being swift Creatures Well if the Snakes on the Furies heads as the Poets feign'd were the tormentours the Furies used to fling into the Bosomes of men and our Commentatour will take Furies and their instruments of vengeance to slow creeping things how can we help it But I shrewdly guess what some people would say of such an expression as a slow Snake flung from a Furies head Oh Sir his fatal Doom recal Dispel your furious anger Let not such noble worth your Victim fall Be kind both to a Lover and a Stranger Here Prosâ—rpine calls a God Sir 'T is a very new Title for a God she might as well have said your worship I think not quite so well I 'm afraid a certain new-made Rhimer would
stain as condemnd men do theirs that is by turning Executioners But then our canting Commentator runs on to no purpose and tells you that they execute others and she her self But because Elkanahs Similes are the most unlike things to what they are compared in the World I le venture to start a Simile in his Annus Mirabilis he gives this Poetical description of the Ship call'd the London Stanza 151. The Goodly London in her Gallant trim The Phaenix Daughter of the Vanquisht old Like a rich Bride does to the Ocean swim And on her shadow rides in floating Gold Stanza 152. Her Flag aloft spread rufling in the wind And Sanguine Streamâ—rs seem'd the flood to fire The Weaver charm'd with what his Loom design'd Goes on to Sea and knows not to retire Stanza 153. With Roomy Decks her Guns of mighty strength Whos 's low-laid mouths each mounting Billow Laves Deep in her draught and Warlike in her length She seems a Sea-Waâ—p flying on the Waves What a wonderful pudder is here to make all these Poetical Beautifications of a ship that is a Phaenix in the first Stanza and but a Wasp in the last Nay to make his humble comparison of a Wasp more ridiculous he does not say it flew upon the waves as nimbly as a Wasp or the like but it seem'd a Wasp But our Author at the writing of this was not in his Altitudes to compare Ships to floating Pallaces a comparison to the purpose was a perfection he did not arrive to till his Indian Emperors days But perhaps his Similitude has more in it than we imagine This Ship had a great many Guns in her and they put all together made the sting in the Wasps tail for this is all the reason I can guess why it seem'd a Wasp But because we will allow him all we can to help out let it be a Phâ—nix Sea-Wasp and the rarity of such an Animal may do much towards the heighining the â—ancy But to give you an instance of another excellent fancy In his Observations on this Act dâ—signing to pass a Compliment on Mrs. Iohnson that Acted Morena speaking of the Poet and her he says Her action exceeds his Poetry as much as her Beauty and Meen does his He might as well have said Madam you are infinitely a more beautiful Woman than Poet Settle Hansomeness in a man I have heard of though Poet and Commentatour have none of it but never of Beauty before but granting it to be that compliment it was intended to tell the world she is a Beauty is much like Commentatours Observations on Orpheus his going to Hell to tell Pluto he was a Ravisher he tells us very great news as if the world did not know it before But to finish in our Comâ—entatours words Thus ends the most tedious insipid dull Comment on an Act I ever read ACT The Fifth IN this Act our Waspish Commentatour has a little of the drone in him and though God knows his sting before has been but â—eeble yet here he seems to have lost it For here his Observations are so wondrous silly that I rather think he comments upon his own want of understanding then Elkanahs for thus he begins Crim. Though on the Blood of Kings my Throne I 've built The World my Glory sees but not my Guilt Mysterious Majesty best fits a Throne They Vertuous seem whoseâ— Vices are unknown Men have ador'd and have made Offerings To unknown Gods why not to unknown Kings Why Mystâ—rious Majesty becomes a â—hrone better then plain Majesty is to me a mysterious Riddle Make Offerings No man makes the Sheep and Oxen he Sacrifices Unknown King He was no unknown King though he was an Usurper They all saw him knew him and were forced to acknowledge him 'T is great pitty that a mysterious Riddle should come in Mr. Drydens way for believe me Gentlemen as Terence says Davus est non Oedipus Hee 's no Alexander at untying of knots Such another Riddle as is Fabulously fathered upon Homer and the Beggars that fat â—ousing themselves put upon the Laureat though with a promise of 〈◊〉 miâ—i magnus Apollo for answering of it would no doubt be solved much at Homers rate If our Commentatour does not understand wherein Crimalhaz his advantage lay in not appearing plainly the traytour he really was certainly he has a Skull so thick that if all his other parts were answerable to it he might be as stout as Hercules But then why men cannot make sacrifices and offerings is to me a mysterious Riddle Ay but he infer because men cannot make sheep and Oxen therefore they cannot make sheep and Oxen sacrifices This is a Riddle iâ—deed but it may be answered as the â—oy did the Parson when he had askt him who made these Oxen God made 'em Bulls but my Father made ' â—m Oxen. But Crimalhaz was no unknown KIng If the full kowledge of a King or an Usurper lay in the remarkableness of his Persons Olivers Nose was no doubt a wonderful intelligencer Another parcel of faults he fâ—â—ds against Crimalhaz I thank him for this War he has begun The numbers of my Foes enhance my Crown It does a worth on Kings as Beauties set To have our Rivals numerous and Great Numbers of Foes most commonly pull down Crowns And afterwards Crim. Kind Taffalet does for my presence call I am invited to his Funeral The little Champion with impatience waits To beg a Tomb before Morocco's Gates And rather than his lingring Fate delay I 'le with my Army take a walk that way His heat of blood and lust of Crowns shall cease Lasht to a Calm and cool'd into a Peace He was a kind man to inviâ—e him â—o his Funeral but believe it who will I can never think Taffalet would come with an Army only to beg a Tomb before Morocco's Gates c. Besides Crimalhaz was very uncivil to fly upon a man that came so kindly c. What a wonderful belief has Mr. Bays these are much like the objections in the Third Act against Tortures weak Engines that can run us down Or skrew us up till we are out of Tune And Hell a feeble puny cramp of souls c. Because the Poet makes his Villain a Fellow that speaks scornfully of things and â—â—syes every thing that opposes him as little and inconsiderable therefore he writes nonsense But something more he drives at in the two last Lines and says the Poet does as good as sar I will not only murder him but lash him and cool him into a Peace a Climax much like that of showers of Arrows and of Rain Now how the Poet does as good aâ— say so or how he makes a Climax in his speech all my study cannot search out I think his Lashing him into a Calm and cooling his heat of blood is of a piece with the rest And may as well signifie he will cool his blood by letting it out and calm his Ambition by
cutting his Throat as well as this Line I 'le with my Army take a walk that way may signify he intends to fight him Just at this rate he finds fault with the last Lines of the Fourth Act. Moren Then with a gentle gale of dying sighs I 'le breath my flying soul into the Skies Wing'd by my Love I will my passage steer Nor can I miss my way when you shine there And says His reason why he cannot miss his way is excellent and undeniable Nor is his observation on six lines in the latter end of the act after Crimalhaz his execution spoken by Abdâ—lcador much unlike See the reward of Treason Death 's the thing Distinguishes the Usurper from the King Kings are immortal and from life remove From their low'r Thrones to wear new Crowns above But Heav'n for him has scarce that bliss in store When an Usurper dies he raigns no more Here the Poet describes the difference of Kings from Usurpers by their reward after death and Mr. Impertinent tells us 't is nonsense for death makes all men equal I may as well say that Mr. Drydens Notes upon Morocco and Mr. Cowleys Davideis are equal pardon the profanation for neither the Authors nor their writings are to be named ' â—'th the same breath and prove it thus they are both but paper and Ink and therefore not different If the Poets discourse tended to nothing but the corruption of their bodies I am of his opinion that Death makes a King and an Usurper equal But this worthy Gentleman keeps constant to his Notions of Kings and as he has not only made so great a Fool of a King in his Boabdâ—lin but by his sense of them through his Notes made out his opinion of them in general to be the same or worse then he has character'd there I wonder not at all at a Tenent that has been so long cherisht by him Another sentence Kings are immortal and yet dye The Poet is so far from such a contradiction that he calls it only removing from Life Yet if he had used Sir Positives own words the sense had been entire considering how the whole Speech affirms that Kings leave this Temporal Life for an immortal one But for a more glorious sentence when a man dyes he raigns no more Certainly a King 's a man and yet the Authour had said they raignd agen after they dye But I grow tired and wonder for what cause he could crowd such a Rabble of Iingles and Blunders together unless he courted the favour to be ridiculous which he of all mankind might have had without this trouble though perhaps not so Plentifully But I perceive our Laureat has done writing of Plays and though impotent yet desirous to be fumbling still like Old sinners worn from their delight as one of this Prologues has it he desires to be whâ—pt to appetite It had been much more to his purpose if he had design'd to render the Authours Play little to have searc'd for some such Pedantry as this Lyndaraxa page 17. Two ifs scarce make one Possibility Zulema p. 19. If Iustice will take all and nothing give Iustice methinks is not Distributive Benzayd p. 48. To dye on kill you is ah ' Alternative Rather than take your Live I will not live Observe how prettily our Authour chops Logick in Heroick Veâ—se Three such sustian canting words as Distributive Alternative and two â—fs No man but â—imself would have come within the noise of But he 's a man of general Learning and all comes into his Plays 'T would have done well too if he could have met with a rant or two worth the observation Such as Alman page 156. Move swiftly Sun and fly a Lovers pace Leave Months and Weeks behind thee in thy race \ But surely the Sun whether he flyes a Lovers or not a Lovers pace leaves Weeks and Moneths nay Years too behind him in his race Poor Robin or any other of the Philomathematicks would have given him satisfaction in the point Almanz. page 56. to Abdalla If I would kill thee now thy Fate 's so low That I must stoop e're I can give the blow But mine is sixt so far above thy Crown That all thy men Pil'd on thy Back can never pull it down Now where that is Almanzors saâ—e is fixt I cannot guess But wherever 't is I believe Almanzor and think that all Abdaâ—las Subjects piled upon one another might not â—ull down his Fate so well as without piling besides I thiâ—k Abdalla so wise a man that if Almanzor had to â—d him piling his men upon his back might do the feat he would scarce bear such a weight for the pleasure of the exploit But 't is a huff and let Abdalla do it if he dare But though your hand did of his murder miss Howe're his Exile has restrain'd his pow'r But though and howe're signifie both one thing Sir I kiss your hand 't is the first time I ever heard so much before He fiâ—ls a Verse as Masons do Brick walls with broken pieces in the middle Pardon me Sir if I quible with your Similitude But though and However are not in the middle but the beginning of the Verse In common Murders blood for blood may pay But when a Martyrd Monarch dyes we may His Murderers Condemne but that 's not all A vengeance hangs o're Nations where they fall What does a vengeance hang o're Nations where Murderers of Kings are punisht where they fall to what does they relate if to martyrd Monarchs 't is false Grammar If they may not relate to martyrd Kings in general the last Line being a distinct sentence from the rest Mr. Bays has reason No Prologues to her Death let it be done Let what be done Let her Death be done No let her Execution be done Thy poysond Husband and thy murdered Son This injur'd Empress and Morocco's Throne Which thy accursed hand so oft has shook Deserves A blow more fierce than Iustice ever strook Deserves is false Grammar for deserve And afterwards Whose Fortune and whose Sword has wonders done There he finds the same fault has for have And in another place And though your hand and hers no Scepter bears Bears for bear Here our Old Friend has met with Grammar again but he keeps his old humour and treats it as uncivilly as before A Boy that had never arrived beyond the construing Qui mihi discipulus c. Would tell him that the Verb after more Nominative Cases than one may agree with them all or only with the last at pleasure What does he think of this expression in Ovid. Quum mare quum Tellus correptaque Regia Coeli Ardeat But how does her poyson'd Husband deserve a blow and why does her murdered Son deserve another I can tell him how the Poysoning of her Husband and the Murdering of her Son deserves one But if the Poet has taken too much Liberty in the exprâ—ssing of it he begs his
out to fight Taffalet was revolted yet 't is not to be supposed but the Imperial Pallace in Morocco which writers have related to be the greatest place of strength in that City had some forces in it to defend it But how few soever Crimalhaz had there yet for a man of Courage to oppose a pow'r that he knew would take off his head though with little hopes of success is not so great a wonder as Hum Buz takes it for There 's not one dart In Heav'n that would not sâ—rike the Murdrers heart Before his hand should touch her sacred breast Pray answer me one civil question how could he be a Murderer before his hand bad toucht her sacred breast This Question may as civilly be answered as his objection against Treason e're it 's begin in the fourth act The resolved intention of Murder is enough to give the man that designs it the name of Murderer I wonder how Ben and Shakesâ—ear ventured in several of their Tragedies as one for example in Macbeth to write enter Murthererâ— at the beginning of a Scene when the Murder for which they were so call'd was not committed till after their entrance Though I am faln so low My fortune lost I may a Beggar grow That is though my fortune be lost I may grow poor As if every man that 's poor must needs Beg. I 'le to a Thousand deaths my life expose Before I will one inch of Empire loose How many lives had she to expose to a thousand deaths How many years hast thou liv'd and not heard such an expression as I 'le die a thousand deaths before I 'le do so or so An Inch of Empire is no great matter but she is a woman that speaks it and an Inch might be somewhat to her Well said Archwag there he hits it A Smooty quibble tickles him and is so much in his Element that I doubt not but a shrug and a smile attended the conception of this jest But I 'le ask him why Mariamne may not be as unwilling to part with an Inch of Empire as Almanzor was to part with one stone out of Granada's walls pag. 12. And he shall buy it dear what his he calls We will not give one stone from out these walls Now to repartee upon him in his own-beloved style A stone out of a City Wall is no great matter but he is a man who speaks it and a stone might be some what with him Well now let our Gomical friend say he is aped for something for this baldâ—rdash is â—o like him thaâ— Imitation I fear will be the lest thing my Reader will accute me of for so facetious a thought I 'le sing my funeral obsequies in these Arms. I 'le Ravish her Then throw my self and her into the Fire And Arme in Arme together wee l expire He sings after hee 's dead No sure he says he will sing before he dyes And though Funeral Obsequies are generally sung after mens deaths what if Crimalhaz is pleased to be particular and sing his himself before his death What Miracle of honour has fate sent Sure Heav'n acts Wonders Wonders no 't is none What have th' high'r Powers to do but to take care Of so much Vertue and a Face so Fair Sure Heav'n acts Wonders Wonders No 't is none That is the wonders is no wonder A rare Grammarian Let it be put in the plural number Sure Heaven acts wonders wonders No they are none What are no wonders Though in his admiration he says in the Plural number Sure Heaven acts wonders Yet when it more particularly relates to the saving of his Mistress both the foregoing line and the following lines shew the necessity of a singular number to express it by Sure Heav'n acts wonders wonders No the saving of my Mistress is none For what have the higher pow'rs to do but to take care of so great a beauty c. Subjects my homage pay but Monarchs thine To pay my homage is to pay that homage which is my due to another person But he means subjects pay me homage and I pay thee Is it not English for a Creditour to say to a Debtour Pay me my debt why may not pay me my homage signifie the homage that is due to me as well And saves her blood to be ally'd to yours By this alliance he means marriage but to be married and allied are as different as Cousin and Husband Because we say Husband and Wife are married therefore we are bound if we come to particulars to say their bloods are married too and their hands are married A nobler Passion story never writ That turn'd a Traytour to a Proselite How could story write But Historians can write though story cannot And if he finds fault with this expression how will he be reconciled with such a one as this Fame reports or fame says such a thing Fame can no more speak than story can write for Fame is not what speaks but what is spoken of a man As story is not what writes but is written of a man But a Proselyte is one that changes his Religion and he is the likest to make a Traytour A very Substantial Apothegme A man that out of a principle of Piery is converted from a Religion that he thinks erroneous to one he thinks the true is the likest to prove a Traytour which is as much as to say a man that does his best endeavour to be good and honest is the likest to be a Rogue Besides in Hametalhaz's case Love converted him from a Villain to an honest man Therefore says Notes he is the likest to be a Villain But his impertinence draws towards a conclusion and indeed 't is high time Ham. I from those Eyes for ever will remove I cannot stand the sight of hopeless love In his next Speech he says To what e're place my wandring steps incline I 'le fancy Empires for I 'le think her mine His Love is hopeless and yet he 'll think her his As if his Love were ever the less hopeless for his thinking her his If a mans thinking a woman his could make his Love cease to be hopeless there needs not be such a thing as a despairing Lover in Nature For if a Cobler were in Love with a Queen if thinking her his own would give him hopes who could hinder his thoughts But if Commentatour will have it otherwise I am his Humble Servant Raigning's a whole Lifes toyl the work of Years Raigning is neither a whole Lifes toyl if the King be not Crown'd in his Cradle nor the work of Years in case he raign but one Year How severely would Elkanah have been handled if he were really guilty and all Commentatours Objections were sense and reason How will he reconcile this expression in his preface This upstart and illiterate scribler comes amongst the Poets like one of the Earth-born Brethren and his first business in the world is to attacque and murder all his Fellows
a Character and given twice as much into his hands the fault had not been impardonable especially when he sees his Elder make bold with one Maximin Emperor of Rome for another Muly Labas Lead on Muly Hamet Lead on and all that kneel to you Shall bow to me this Conquest makes it due 'T is not very Heroick in his Heroe to assume to himself the Conquest of his Mistress nor savours of good manners to tell the Emperor 't is his due As for good manners to a King that I wonder he took notice of since Almanzor makes so little Ceremony with Kings But if his Conquering his Mistress be not Heroick what is this Page 95 Enter to Almanzor Queen Almahide wearing a Scarfe Almanz. So Venus moves when to the Thunderer In Smiles and tears she would some sute prefer When with her Cestos girt And drawn by Doves she cuts the yielding Skies And kindles gentle fires where e're she flies To every eye a Goddest is confest By all the Heavenly Nation she is blest And each with secret joy admits her to his breast Madam your new Commands I come to know to her bowing If yet you can have any where I go If to the Regions of the dead they be You take the speediest course to send by Me. Here Almanzor is a little Heroick to compare himself to Iupiter and his Mistress to a maudlin Venus that comes a whining to him But observe the rising of the Fancy Almanzor is the Thunderer in the fiâ—st lines and his Mistress â—he petitioning Venus But in the last she 's the Thunderer and he the Venus there he begs her commands nay and is so far from the God he was in the first line that poor mortal he 's goiâ—g to the Regions of the dead But one thing I must not pass by of the Authors Plot here This Scarfe which she weares she gives Almanzor which makes the buisiness of a whole act with Iealousies and rants and Conundrums in Boabdelins Pate who first gave it her as a token of his Love A very great present from a King to a Queen A Hood a suite of knots or a pare of Pendants had been as noble But he remembred a jealousie occasiond by a Handkercher in the Moor of Venice and so enlarged upon that foundation as wittily as a man could desire Muly Hamet has a Ring given him by virtue of which he visits the Queen Mother where he surprizes Crimalhaz and her a sleep together First `t is to be considerd that the Emperor gave this Ring in publick so the Queen and Crimalhaz had fair warning of their danger The Emperors Signet was given him in the presence of his Queen his Sister and some Nobility that attended him now would I ask Mr. Commentator which of these was Crimalhaz his confident in his Intrigue with Laula or which should be the Pâ—mp to give him this warning besides `t is not fix Minutes after the recept of this Ring before he visits the Queen and he must be very nimble that should carry the Intelligence before him But then how could Muly. Hamet get into the Queens Lodgings without the notice of some of her Attendants now pray why must all her Attendants be privy to hers and Crimalhaz his interview The Author tells you that Achmat the Eunuch introduced him But says he why did he not stop him he knew what was doing within Now does he think such a Fellow at the Surprize of so great a person and so Commanding an Authority as the Kings Signet dâ—rst oppose his Entrance But how came Crimalhaz to the Queens rescue he had not the Emperors Signet too Did he drop from the Clouds what does this Critick take a Seraglio for a Pest-House a building set out of the Common walk of mankind the Seraglio was an apartment in the Pallace How impossible then is it that Crimalhaz might fortunately be within the heareing of the Queens supposd outâ—câ—y and wherein lyes the impossibility of a Gentlemans running in to a Ladys rescue though on forbidden ground But Muly Hamet says nothing in his defence to the purpose what should he say he tells you My single voice a vain defence will make Where so much witness and a Mother speak A very well bred Heroe to be hang'd in pure respect to her who accused him Believe me her intended Ravisher Appearing so I take the guilt from her Their false Impeachments do this comfort bring That I may wear that Cloud would shade a King Now wherein is his fault in desiring to appear guilty for the saving of a Kings Honour or wherein has he any probable means of clearing himself pleading but in his own cause against the Chastity of the Kings Mother too But Muly Hamet offers the duel to Crimalhaz in these words To this Adulterer you leave afford To vindicate his Treason by his Sword That Iustice by my hand may give him death And stiffle with his blood his perjured breath The King who always takes things in the wrong instead of granting the Combat to Muly Hamet thinks his offering it a proof of his guilt in these words If you this rash attempt persue You 'l make me credit what he says is true That is if you l offer to clear your self I shall conclude you guilty admirably argued Yes indeed admirably As if his Conquering Crimalhaz if the duel had been granted had been a confirmation of his Innocâ—nce He 's for his Knight-errantry agen amongst his Zulema and Hamet Almanzor and Osmyn This is a great proof of a mans Innocence Then all Valiant men can commit no Capital crime if the daring to fight may clear ' em For if they are Innocent they are fooles if they do not fight their Accusers if guilty they are madmen for if they submit to the Law they must dyes but in a Duel they have an even chance for their lives besides if they fall in a Duel they dye more honourably then by a sentence But why should the Queen-Mother be the woman that should save Muly Hamet against her own Character and â—nterest But hold the King will then my cheat descry I wish his death who tamely see him dye What reason had she to care if the King knew she desired Muly Hamets death for attempting a rape upon her Yes dear heart 't is both agreeing with her Character and Interest to save him First to make his attempt of Ravishing her more probable she did not say that Muly Hamet flew upon her without any provocation as Bâ—ys observes for she confesses she used him so kindly as above twenty lines which she speaks affirm that she was partly an accessary to his attempt by his mistaking her kind usage for Lovâ— which was only Civility and therefore by the rules of her Character which was to appear a Saint to her Son she would not seem consenting to the Punishment of a Crime will she had in some respect been Instrument to Besides it was much for the clearing