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
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
noble Portugall Renowmd and honourd euer maist thou bee Triumpher ouer those that menace thee The hellish prince grim Pluto with his mace Ding downe my soule to hel and with this soule This sonne of mine the honor of my house But I performe religiously to thee That I haue holyly earst vndertane And that thy Lords and Captaines may perceiue My minde in this single and pure to be As pure as is the water of the brooke My dearest sonne to thee I doo ingage Receiue him Lord in hostage of my vow For euen my minde presageth to my selfe That in some slauish sort I shall beholde Him dragde along this running riuer shore A spectacle to dant the pride of those That climbe aloft by force and not by right The Moores sonne Nor can it otherwise befall the man That keeps his seate and scepter all in feare That weares his crowne in eie of all the world Reputed theft and not inheritance What title then hath Abdilmelec here To barre our father or his progenie Right roiall prince hereof you make no doubt Agreeing with your wholsome christian lawes Helpe then couragious Lord with hand and sword To cleere his waie whose lets are lawlesse men And for this deede ye all shall be renowmd Renowmd and chronicled in bookes of fame In bookes of fame and caracters of brasse Of brasse may beaten golde fight then for fame And finde the Arabian Muly Hamet here Aduenturous bold and full of rich reward Stuk. Braue boy how plaine this princely mind in thee Argues the height and honor of thy birth And well haue I obseru'd thy forwardnes Which being tendred by your maiestie No doubt the quarrell opened by the mouth Of this yong prince vnpartially to vs May animate and hearten all the hoast To fight against the deuill for Lord Mahamet Sebast. True Stukley and so freshly to my minde Hath this yong prince redus'd his fathers wrong That in good time I hope this honors fire Kindled alreadie with regard of right Bursts into open flames and cals for warres Warres warres to plant the true succeeding prince Lord Mahamet I take thy noble sonne A pledge of honor and shal vse him so Lord Lodowicke and my good Lord of Auero See this yong prince conuaide safe to Messegon And there accompanide as him fitteth best And to this warre prepare ye more and lesse This rightfull warre that Christians God will blesse Exeunt Actus 4. The presenter speaketh Now hardned is this haplesse heathen prince And strengthned by the armes of Portugall This Moore this murtherer of his progenie And warre and weapons now and bloud and death Wait on the counsels of this cursed king And to a bloudie banket he inuites The braue Sebastian and his noble peeres Enter to the bloudie banket In fatall houre ariu'd this peerelesse prince To loose his life his life and many liues Of lustie men couragious Portugals Drawen by ambitious golden lookes Let fame of him no wrongfull censure sound Honour was obiect of his thoughtes ambition was his ground Exit Enter Abdelmelec and his traine Abdilm. Now tell mee Celybin what doeth the enemie Celybin. The enemie dread lord hath left the towne Of Areil with a thousand souldiers armde To gard his fleet of thirteene hundred saile And mustering of his men before the wals He found he had two thousand armed horse And foureteene thousand men that serue on foot Three thousand pioners and a thousand cochmen Besides a number almost numberlesse Of drudges Negroes slaues and Muliters Horse-boies landresses and curtizans And fifteene hundred waggons full of stuffe For noble men brought vp in delicate Abdil. Alas good king thy fore-sight hath bin small To come with women into Barbarie With landresse with baggage and with trash Numbers vnfit to multiplie thy hoast Cely. Their paiment in the campe is passing slow And victuals scarce that many faint and die Abdilm. But whether marcheth he in all this hast Cely. Some thinkes he marcheth hetherward And meanes to take this citie of Alcazar Abdil. Vnto Alcazar O vnconstant chance Cely. The braue and valiant king of Portugall Quarters his power in foure batalians A-front the which to welcome vs withall Are sixe and thirtie roaring peeces plast The first consisting of light armed horse And of the garisons from Tangar brought Is lead by Aluaro Peres de Tauero The left or middle battell of Italians And Germane horse-men Stukley doth command A warlike Englishman sent by the pope That vainly cals himselfe Marques of Ireland Alonjo Aquilaz conducts the third That wing of Germaine souldiers most consists The fourth legion is none but Portugals Of whom Lodeuico Caesar hath the chiefest charge Besides there stand sixe thousand horse Brauely attirde prest where need requires Thus haue I tolde your roiall maiestie How he is plac'd to braue his fight Abdil. But where 's our nephew Muly Mahamet Cely He marcheth in the middle garded about With full fiue hundred hargubuze on foote And twice three thousand needlesse armed pikes Zareo. Great soueraigne vouchsafe to heare me speak And let Zareos counsell now preuaile Whilst time doth serue and that these Christians dare Approch the field with warlike Ensignes spread Let vs in hast with all our forces meete And hemme them in that not a man escape So will they be aduisde another time How they doo touch the shore of Barbarie Abdilm. Zareo heare our resolution And thus our forces we will first dispose Hamet my brother with a thousand shot On horse-backe and choice harguebuziers all Hauing ten thousand with speare and shield Shall make the right wing of the battell vp Zareo you shall haue in charge the left Two thousand argolets and ten thousand horse The maine battell of harguebuze on foot And twentie thousand horse-men in their troupes My selfe inuirond with my trustie' gard Of Ianizaries fortunate in warre And toward Arzil will we take our waie If then our enemie will balke our force In Gods name let him it will be his best But if he leuell at Alcazar wals Then beate him backe with bullets as thicke as haile And make him know and rue his ouersight That rashly seekes the ruine of this land Exeunt Enter Sebastian king of Portugall the Duke of Auero Stukley and others Sebast. Why tell me Lords why left ye Portugall And crost the seas with vs to Barbarie Was it to see the countrie and no more Or else to slay before ye were assaild I am ashamd to thinke that such as you Whose deeds haue bin renowmed heretofore Should slacke in such an act of consequence We come to fight and fighting vow to die Or else to win the thing for which we came Because Abdilmelec as pittying vs Sends messages to counsell quietnes You stand amaz'd and thinke it sound aduise As if our enemie would wish vs anie good No let him know we scorne his curtesie And will resist his forces what so ere Cast feare aside my selfe will leade the way And make a passage with my conquering sword