THE BATTELL OF ALCAZAR FOVGHT in Barbarie betweene Sebastian king of Portugall and Abdelmelec king of Marocco With the death of Captaine Stukeley As it was sundrie times plaid by the Lord high Admirall his seruants Imprinted at London by Edward Allde for Richard Bankworth and are to be solde at his shoppe in Pouls Churchyard at the signe of the Sunne 1594 The Tragicall battell of Alcazar in Barbarie With the death of three Kings and Captaine Stukley an Englishman Enter the Presenter HOnor the spurre that pricks the princely minde To followe rule and climbe the stately chaire With great desire inflames the Portingall An honorable and couragious king To vndertake a dangerous dreadfull warre And aide with christian armes the barbarous Moore The Negro Muly Hamet that with-holds The kingdome from his vnkle Abdilmelec Whom proud Abdallas wrongd And in his throne instals his cruell sonne That now vsurps vpon this prince This braue Barbarian Lord Muly Molocco The passage to the crowne by murder made Abdallas dies and reigns this tyrant king Of whome we treate sprong from the Arabian moore Blacke in his looke and bloudie in his deeds And in his shirt staind with a cloud of gore Presents himselfe with naked sword in hand Accompanied as now you may behold With deuils coted in the shapes of men The first dumbe shew Enter Muly Mahamet and his sonne and his two young brethren the Moore sheweth them the bed and then takes his leaue of them and they betake them to their rest And then the presenter speaketh Like those that were by kind of murther mumd Sit downe and see what hainous stratagems These damned wits contriue And lo alas How lyke poore lambes prepard for sacrifice This traitor king hales to their longest home These tender Lords his yonger brethren both The second dumbe shew Enter the Moore and two murdrers bringing in his vnkle Abdelmunen then they draw the curtains and smoother the yong princes in the bed Which done in sight of the vnkle they strangle him in his chaire and then goe forth And then the Presenter saith His brethren thus in fatall bed behearst His fathers brother of too light beleefe This Negro puts to death by proud command Saie not these things are faind for true they are And vnderstand how eager to inioy His fathers crowne this vnbeleeuing Moore Murthering his vnkle and his brethren Triumphs in his ambitious tyrannie Till Nemisis high mistres of reuenge That with her scourge keepes all the world in awe With thundering drums awakes the God of warre And cals the furies from Auernus crags To range and rage and vengeance to inflict Vengeance on this accursed Moore for sinne And now behold how Abdelmelec comes Vnkle to this vnhappie traitor king Armd with great aide that Amurath had sent Great Amurath Emperor of the East For seruice done to Sultan Solimon Vnder whose colours he had serud in field Flying the furie of this Negroes father That wrongd his brethren to install his sonne Sit you and see this true and tragicke warre A modern matter full of bloud and ruth Where three bolde kings confounded in their height Fell to the earth contending for a crowne And call this warre The battell of Alcazar Exit Sound Drummes and trumpets and enter Abdilmelec with Calsepius Bassa and his gard and Zareo a Moore with souldiers Abdel. Alhaile Argerd Zareo and yee Moores Salute the frontires of your natiue home Cease ratling drums and Abdilmelec here Throw vp thy trembling hands to heauens throne Pay to thy God due thankes and thankes to him That strengthens thee with mightie gracious armes Against the proud vsurper of thy right The roiall seate and crowne of Barbarie Great Amurath great Emperour of the world The world beare witnesse how I do adore The sacred name of Amurath the great Calcepius Bassa Bassa Calcepius To thee and to thy trustie band of men That carefully attend vs in our camp Pickt souldiers comparable to the guard Of Mermidons that kept Achilles tent Such thankes we giue to thee and to them all As may conserne a poore distressed king In honour and in princely curtesie Bassa Curteous and honourable Abdelmelec VVe are not come at Amuratbs command As mersenarie men to serue for pay But as sure friends by our great master sent To gratifie and to remunerate Thy loue thy loialtie and forwardnes Thy seruice in his fathers dangerous warre And to performe in view of all the world The true office of right and roialtie To see thee in thy kingly chaire inthronde To settle and to seate thee in the same To make thee Emperor of this Barbarie Are come the viseroies and sturdie Ianisaries Of Amurath sonne to Sultan Solimon Enter Muly Mahamet Xeque Rubin Arches Abdil Rayes with others Abdil Rayes Long liue my Lord the soueraigne of my heart Lord Abdilmelecke whom the God of kings The mightie Amurath hath happie made And long liue Amurath for this good deed Muly Mah. Our Moores haue seen the siluer moons to wane In banners brauely spreading ouer the plaine And in this semicircles haue descride All in a golden field a starre to rise A glorious comet that begins to blase Promising happie sorting to vs all Rubyn Braue man at armes whom Amurath hath sent To sow the lawfull true succeeding seed In Barbarie that bowes and grones withall Vnder a proud vsurping tyrants mase Right thou the wrongs this rightfull king hath borne Abdilm. Distressed ladies and yee dames of Fesse Sprong from the true Arabian Muly Xarif The loadstarre and the honor of our line Now cleere your watrie eies wipe teares away And cheerfully giue welcome to these armes Amurath hath sent scourges by his men To whip that tyrant traitor king from hence That hath vsurpt from vs and maimd you all Souldiers sith rightfull quarrels ayde Succesfull are and men that manage them Fight not in feare as traitors and their pheres That you may vnderstand what armes we beare What lawfull armes against our brothers sonne In sight of heauen euen of mine honors worth Truly I will deliver and discourse The summe of all Descended from the line Of Mahomet our grandsire Mulizaref With store of golde and treasure leaues Arabia And strongly plants himselfe in Barbary And of the Moores that now with vs do wend Our grandsire Mulizaref was the first From him well wot ye Muly Mahamet Xeque Who in his life time made a perfect lawe Confirmd with generall voice of all his peeres That in his kingdome should successiuely His sonnes succeede Abdullas was the first Eldest of foure Abdelmenen the second And we the rest my brother and my selfe Abdullas raignd his time But see the change He labours to inuest his sonne in all To disanull the lawe our father made And dis-inherite vs his brethren And in his life time wrongfully proclaimes His sonne for king that now contends with vs Therefore I craue to reobtaine my right That Muly Mahamet the traitor holdes Traitor and bloudie tyrant both at
reuenge Ring out the soules of his vnhappie brethren And now start vp these torments of the world Wakt with the thunder of Ramusians drum And feareful ecchos of these grieued ghosts Alecto with her brand and bloudie torch Megaera with her whip and snakie haire Tysiphone with her fatall murthering yron These three conspire these three complaine mone Thus Muly Mahamet is a counsell held To wreake the wrongs and murthers thou hast done By this imagine was this barbarous Moore Chased from his dignitie and his diademe And liues forlorne among the mountaine shrubs And makes his food the flesh of sauage beasts Amuraths souldiers haue by this instald Good Abdelmelec in his roiall seate The dames of Fesse and ladies of the land In honor of the sonne of Soliman Erect a statue made of beaten gold And sing to Amurath songs of lasting praise Muly Mahamets furie ouer-rulde His crueltie controld and pride rebukt Now at last when sober thoughts renude Care of his kingdome and desired crowne The aide that once was offered and refusde By messengers he furiously imployes Sebastians aide braue king of Portugall He forward in all armes and chiualrie Hearkens to his Embassadors and grants What they in letters and by words intreate Now listen lordings now begins the game Sebastians tragedie in this tragicke warre Alarum within and then enter Abdilmelec Muly Mahamet Seth Calsepius Bassa with Moores and Ianizaries and the Ladies Abdil. Now hath the Sun displaid his golden beams And duskie clouds dispearst the welkin cleeres Wherein the twentie coloured rainbow shewes After this fight happie and fortunate Wherein our Moores haue lost the day And victorie adornd with fortunes plumes Alights on Abdelmelecs glorious creast Here finde we time to breath and now begin To paie thy due and duties thou doest owe To heauen and earth to Gods and Amurath Sound Trumpets And now drawe neere and heauen and earth giue eare Giue eare and record heauen and earth with me Ye Lords of Barbarie hearken and attend Hearke to the wordes I speake and vowe I make To plant the true succession of the crowne Loe Lords in our seate roiall to succeede Our onely brother here we doo install And by the name of Muly Mahamet Seth Intitle him true heire vnto the crowne Ye Gods of heauen gratulate this deed That men on earth may therwith stand content Lo thus my due and duetie is done I paie To heauen and earth to Gods and Amurath Sound Trumpets Muly Mah. Renowmed Bassa to remunerate Thy worthines and magnanimitie Behold the noblest ladies of the land Bring present tokens of their gratitude Rub. Ar. Rubin that breaths but for reuenge Bassa by this commends her selfe to thee Resigne the token of her thankfulnes To Amurath the God of earthly kings Doth Rubin giue and sacrifice her sonne Not with sweet smoake of fire or sweet perfume But with his fathers sword his mothers thankes Doth Rubin giue her sonne to Amurath Queene As Rubin giues her sonne so we our selues To Amurath giue and fall before his face Bassa weare thou the golde of Barbarie And glister like the pallace of the Sunne In honour of the deed that thou hast-dun Bas. Well worthie of the aide of Amurath Is Abdilmelec and these noble dames Rubin thy sonne I shall ere long bestow Where thou doest him bequeath in honours fee On Amurath mightie Emperor of the East That shall receiue the impe of roiall race With cheerefull lookes and gleames of princely grace This chosen gard of Amuraths Ienizaries I leaue to honor and attend on thee King of Marocco conqueror of thy foes True king of Fesse Emperor of Barbarie Muly Molocco liue and keepe thy seate In spite of fortunes spite or enemies threats Ride Bassa now bold Bassa homeward ride As glorious as great Pompey in his pride Exit omnes Enter Diego Lopis gouernor of Lisborne the Irish Bishop Stukley Ionas and Hercules Dieg. Welcome to Lisborne valiant Catholikes Welcome braue English-men to Portugall Most reuerent primate of the Irish Church And noble Stukeley famous by thy name Welcome thrice welcome to Sebastians towne And welcome English captaines to you all It ioyeth vs to see his holynes fleet Cast ancor happily vpon our coast Bishop These welcomes worthie gouernor of Lisborne Argue an honorable minde in thee But treate of our misfortune therewithall To Ireland by pope Gregories command Were we all bound and therefore thus imbarkt To land our forces there at vnawares Conquering the land for his holynesse And so restore it to the Romane faith This was the cause of our expedition And Ireland long ere this had bin subdude Had not foule weather brought vs to this bay Diego Vnder correction are ye not all Englishmen And longs not Ireland to that kingdome Lords Then may I speake my conscience in the cause Sance scandall to the holy sea of Rome Vnhonorable is this expedition And misbeseeming yoo to meddle in Stuk. Lord gouernour of Lisborne vnderstand As we are Englishmen so are we men And I am Stukley so resolude in all To follow rule honor and Emperie Not to be bent so strictly to the place Wherein at first I blew the fire of life But that I may at libertie make choise Of all the continents that bounds the world For why I make it not so great desert To be begot or borne in anie place Sith that 's a thing of pleasure and of ease That might haue bin performd else-where as well Die Follow what your good pleasure will Good Captaine Stukley be it farre from me To take exceptions beyond my priuiledge Bish. Yet captaine giue me leaue to speake We must affect our countrie as our parents And if at anie time we alianate Our loue or industrie from doing it honor It must respect effects and touch the soule Matter of conscience and religion And not desire of rule or benefite Stuk. Well said Bishop spoken like your selfe The reuerent lordly bishop of saint Asses Herc. The bishop talkes according to his coate And takes not measure of it by his minde You see he hath it made thus large and wide Because he may conuert it as he list To anie forme may fit the fashion best Bish. Captaine you do me wrong to descant thus Vpon my coate or double conscience And cannot answere it in another place Die T is but in iest Lord bishop put it vp And all as friends daine to be entertaind As my abilitie here can make prouision Shortly shall I conduct you to the king Whose welcomes euermore to strangers are Princely and honorable as his state becomes Stuk. Thankes worthie gouernor come bishop come Will you shew fruits of quarrell and of wrath Come let vs in with my Lord of Lisborne here And put all conscience into one carouse Letting it out againe as we may liue There shall no action passe my hand or sword That cannot make a step to gaine a crowne No word shall passe the office of my tong That sounds not of affection to
a crowne No thought haue being in my lordly brest That workes not euerie waie to win a crowne Deeds wordes and thoughts shall all be as a kings My chiefest companie shall be with kings And my deserts shall counterpoise a kings Why should not I then looke to be a king I am the marques how of Ireland made And will be shortly king of Ireland King of a mole-hill had I rather be Than the richest subiect of a monarchie Huffe it braue minde and neuer cease t' aspire Before thou raigne sole king of thy desire Exeunt Enter the Moore with Calipolis his wife Muly Mahamet his sonne and two others Moore Where art thou boy where is Calypolis O deadly wound that passeth by mine eie The fatall prison of my swelling heart O fortune constant in vnconstancie Fight earth-quakes in the intrailes of the earth And Easterne whirl-windes in the hellish shades Some foule contagion of the infected heauen Blast all the trees and in their cursed tops The dismall night rauen and tragike owle Breed and become fore-tellers of my fall The fatall ruine of my name and me Adders and serpents hisse at my disgrace And wound the earth with anguish of their stings Now Abdelmelee now triumph in Fesse Fortune hath made thee king of Barbary Caly. Alas my Lord what boots these huge exclaimes To aduantage vs in this distrest estate O pittie our perplext estate my Lord And turne all curses to submisse complaints And those complaints to actions of reliefe I faint my Lord and naught may cursing plaintes Refresh the fading substance of my life Moore Faint all the world consume and be accurst Since my state faints and is accurst Calyp. Yet patience Lord to conquere sorrowes so More What patience is for him that lacks his crowne There is no patience where the losse is such The shame of my disgrace hath put on wings And swiftly flies about this earthly ball Car'st thou to liue then fond Calypolis When he that should giue essence to thy soule He on whose glorie all thy ioy should stay Is soulelesse glorylesse and desperate Crying for battell famine sword and fire Rather then calling for reliefe or life But be content thy hunger shall haue end Famine shall pine to death and thou shalt liue I will go hunt these cursed solitaries And make the sword and target here my hound To pull downe lyons and vntamed beasts Exit Mah. Tush mother cherish your vnheartie soule And feede with hope of happines and ease For if by valor or by policie My kingly father can be fortunate We shall be Ioues commanders once againe And flourish in a three-fold happines Zareo His maiestie hath sent Sebastian The good and harmelesse king of Portugall A promise to resigne the roialtie And kingdome of Marocco to his hands But when this haughtie offer takes effect And workes affiance in Sebastian My gracious Lord warnd wisely to aduise I doubt not but will watch occasion And take her fore-top by the slenderest haire To rid vs of this miserable life Mah. Good madame cheere your selfe my Fathers wife He can submit himselfe and liue below Make shew of friendship promise vow and sweare Till by the vertue of his faire pretence Sebastian trusting his integritie He makes himselfe possessor of such fruits As grow vpon such great aduantages Calip. But more dishonor hangs on such misdeeds Than all the profit their returne can beare Such secret judgements hath the heauens imposde Vpon the drouping state of Barbarie As publike merites in such lewd attempts Hath drawne with violence vpon our heads Enter Muly Mahamet with lyons flesh vpon bis sworde Mu. Ma. Hold thee Calypolis feed and faint no more This flesh I forced from a lyonesse Meate of a princesse for a princesse meate Learne by her noble stomacke to esteeme Penurie plentie in extreamest dearth Who when she sawe her foragement bereft Pinde not in melancholy or childlish feare But as braue mindes are strongest in extreames So she redoubling her former force Rangde thorough the woodes and rent the breeding vaultes Of proudest sauages to saue her selfe Feede then and faint not faire Calypolis For rather than fierce famine shall preuaile To gnaw thy intrailes with her thornie teeth The conquering lyonesse shall attend on thee And laie huge heapes of slaughtered carcases As bulwarkes in her waie to keepe her backe I will prouide thee of a princely ospraie That as she flyeth ouer fish in pooles The fish shall turne their glistering bellies vp And thou shalt take thy liberall choice of all Ioues stately bird with wide commanding wings Shall houer still about thy princely head And beate downe fowle by sholes into thy lap Feede then and faint not faire Calypolis Calyp. Thankes good my Lord and though my stomacke be Too queasie to disgest such bloudie meate Yet strength I it with vertue of my minde I doubt no whit but I shall liue my Lord Moore Into the shades then faire Calypolis And make thy sonne and Negros here good cheere Feede and be fat that we may meete the foe With strength and terror to reuenge our wrong Enter Sebastian king of Portugall the Duke of Auero the duke of Barceles Leues de Silua Christophero de Tauera Sebast. Call forth those Moores those men of Barbarie That came with letters from the king of Fesse Exit one Ye warlike lords and men of chiualrie Honorable Embassadors of this high regent Harke to Sebastian king of Portugall These letters sent from your distressed Lord Torne from his throne by Abdilmelecs hand Strengthned and raisde by furious Amurath Imports a kingly fauor at our hands For aide to reobtaine his roiall seate And place his fortunes in their former height For quitall of which honorable armes By these his letters he doth firmely vow Wholy to yeeld and to surrender vp The kingdome of Maroccus to our hands And to become to vs contributarie And to content himselfe with the realme of Fesse These lines my Lords writ in extremitie Containe therefore but during fortunes date How shall Sebastian then beleeue the same Embas. Viceroies and most christian king of Portugall To satisfie thy doubtfull minde heerein Command forthwith a blasing brand of fire Be brought in presence of thy maiestie Then shalt thou see by our religious vowes And ceremonies most inuiolate How firme our soueraignes protestations are Beholde my Lord this bindes our faith to thee In token that great Muly Mahamets hand Hath writ no more than his stout heart allowes And will performe to thee and to thine heires We offer heere our hands into this flame And as this flame doth fasten on this flesh So from our soules we wish it may consume The heart of our great Lord and soueraigne Muly Mahamet king of Barbarie If his intent agree not with his wordes Sebast. These ceremonies and protestations Sufficeth vs ye Lordes of Barbarie Therefore returne this answere to your king Assure him by the honour of my crowne And by Sebastians true vnfained faith
Promiseth aide of armes and sweares by vs To doe your maiestie all the good he can With men munition and supply of warre Of Spaniards proud in king Sebastians aide To spend their blouds in honor of their Christ Legate And farther to manifest vnto your maiesty How much the Catholike king of Spaine affects This warre with Moores and men of little faith The honour of your euerlasting praise Behold to honor and inlarge thy name He maketh offer of his daughter Isabel To linke in marriage with the braue Sebastian And to inrich Sebastians noble wife His maiestie with promise to resigne The titles of the Islands of Moloccus That by his roialtie in Iudah he commands These fauors with vnfained loue and zeale Voweth king Philip to king Sebastian Sebast. And God so deale with king Sebastians soul As iustly he intends to fight for Christ Nobles of Spaine sith our renowmed brother Philip the king of honor and of zeale By you the chosen Orators of Spaine The offer of the holdes he makes Are not so precious in our account As is the peerlesse dame whom we adore His daughter in whose loyaltie consists The life and honor of Sebastian As for the aide of armes he promiseth We will expect and thankfully receiue At Cardis as we saile alongst the coast Sebastian clap thy hands for ioy Honourd by this meeting and this match Go Lords and follow to the famous warre Your king and be his fortune such in all As he intends to manage armes in right Exeunt Manet Stubley and another Stuk. Sit fast Sebastian and in this worke God and good men labor for Portugall For Spaine disguising with a double face Flatters thy youth and forwardnes good king Philip whome some call the catholike king I feare me much thy faith will not be firme But disagree with thy profession The other What then shall of these men of warre become Those numbers that do multiply in Spaine Stuk. Spaine hath a vent for them and their supplies The Spaniard readie to imbarke himselfe Heere gathers to a head but all to sure Flanders I feare shall feele the force of Spaine Let Portugall fare as he may or can Spaine meanes to spend no pouder on the moores The other If kings doo dally so with holy oaths The heauens will right the wrongs that they sustaine Philip if these forgeries be in thee Assure thee king t will light on thee at last And when proud Spaine hopes soundly to preuaile The time may come that thou and thine shall faile Exit Enter Abdelmelec Muly Mahamet Seth Zareo and their Traine Abdelm. The Portugall lead with decoining hope Hath raisde his power and receiu'd our foe With honorable welcomes and regard And left his countrie bounds and hether bends In hope to helpe Mahamet to a crowne And chase vs hence and plant this Negro moore That clads himselfe in coat of hammerd steele To heaue vs from the honor we possesse But for I haue my selfe a souldier bin I haue in pittie to the Portugall Sent secret messengers to counsell him As for the aide of Spaine whereof they hop'd We haue dispatcht our letters to their prince To craue that in a quarrell so vniust He that intituled is the Catholike king Would not assist a carelesse christian prince And as by letters we are let to know Our offer of the seuen holdes we made He thankfully receives with all conditions Differing in minde farre from all his wordes And promises to king Sebastian As we would wish or you my Lords desire Zareo. What resteth then but Abdelmelec may Beate backe this proud inuading Portugall And chastice this ambitious Negro moore With thousand deaths for thousand damned deeds Abdilm. Forward Zareo and ye manly moores Sebastian see in time vnto thy selfe If thou and thine misled doe thriue amisse Guiltlesse is Abdilmelec of thy bloud Exeunt Enter Don de Meuysis gouernor of Tangar with his companie speaking to the Captaine Gouer. Captaine we haue receiued Letters from the king That with such signes and arguments of loue We entertaine the king of Barbarie That marcheth toward Tangar with his men The poore remainders of those that fled from Fesse When Abdilmelec got the glorious day And stald himselfe in his emperiall throne Cap. Lord gouernor we are in readines To welcome and receiue this haplesse king Chased from his land by angrie Amurath And if the right rest in this lustie Moore Bearing a princely heart vnvanquishable A noble resolution than it is In braue Sebastian our christian king To aide this Moore with his victorious armes Thereby to propagate religious truth And plant his springing praise in Affrica Ano. Capt. But when ariues this braue Sebastian To knit his forces with this manly Moore That both in one and one in both may ioyne In this attempt of noble consequence Our men of Tangar long to see their king Whose princely face that lyke the summers sonne Glads all these hether parts of Barbarie Gouern. Captaines he commeth hetherward amaine Top and top gallant all in braue araie The 26. daie of Iune he lefte the bay of Lisborne And with all his fleete at Cardis happily he Ariu'de in Spain the eight of Iuly tarrying for the aide That Philip king of Spaine had promised And fifteene daies he there remaind aboord Expecting when this Spanish force would come Nor stept a shore as he were going still But Spaine that meant and minded nothing lesse pretends a sodaine feare and care to keepe His owne from Amuraths fierce inuasion And to excuse his promise to our king For which he stormes as great Achilles earst Lying for want of winde in Aldest gulfe And hoisteth vp his sailes and anchors waighs And hetherward he comes and lookes to meete This manly Moore whose case he vndertakes Therefore go we to welcome and rescue With canon shot and shouts of yong and olde This fleet of Portugals and troupe of Moores Exit The Trumpets sound the chambers are dischargde Then enter the king of Portugall and the Moore with all theyr traine Sebast. Muly Mahamet king of Barbarie Well met and welcome to our towne of Tanger After this sodaine shocke and haplesse warre Welcome braue Queene of Moores repose thee here Thou and thy noble sonne and souldiers all Ropose you here in king Sebastians towne Thus farre in honor of thy name and aide Lord Mahamet we haue aduentured To winne for thee a kingdome for our selues Fame and performance of those promises That in thy faith and roialtie thou hast Sworne to Sebastian king of Portugall And thriue it so with thee as thou doest meane And meane thou so as thou doest wish to thriue And if our Christ for whom in chiefe we fight Heereby to inlarge the bounds of christendome Fauor this warre and as I do not doubt Send victorie to light vpon my crest Braue Moore I will aduance thy kingly sonne And with a diademe of pearle and golde Adorne thy temples and inrich thy head Moore O braue Sebastian