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
not so often to the Well but they are broken at last But then why Fleeces were they Woollen Clouds Sure the Authors Brains went a Wool-gathering Like page 13. To Flattering Lightning our feign'd smiles conform Which backt with Thunder does but guild a storm Sure the Poet wrote these two Lines aboard some sâ—ach in a storm and being Sea-sick spued up a good Lump of clotted Nonsense at once At last as far as I could cast my Eyes Upon the Sea At first then his Eyes were for meeting of Objects but now at last for fear of not reaching them soon enough he casts his Eyes at e'm But then how did he get at e'm again when they were cast upon the Sea sure Gyomar was an excellent swimmer for such an exploit and like Mr. Settles ships a rare instinct animal to find his Eyes agen But when he had found e'm could he put them in agen and see with them I have heard of glass Eyes being taken out of peoples heads and put in agen but â—ever of natural Eyes before p. 39. She is a Beauty and that names her guard I have heard of a Hound-bitch but never of a Princess so call'd before something methought did rise Like blewish Mists which still appearing more Took dreadful shapes and mov'd towards the shore Why something like Blewish mists Why did he not think e'm really blewish mists by his own confession at first he thought they look'd like mists and how could he tell they were other than what they appeared at that distance Oh but Gyomar was a Conjurer and had the spirit of Prophecy he knew before hand there was somthing more in e'm than mists and though he had a mist before his Eyes yet his understanding was clear Oh foolish Poet that did not take the hint and pursue Gyomar's Character of a Conjurer he lost a good opportunity of gracing his Play with flyings and Machins But then why something like mists why not something like a mist. Then gentle as a happy Lovers sigh pag. 7. They two like one sigh Which still appearing more Took dreadful shapes and moved towards the shore Appearing more More what more misty or more blewish no that 's impossible for the nearer they came they appeard less blew and less like mists Thou wretched Blunderhead how confoundedly dost thou intangle thy Brain and cannot wind off it one clear thred of sense Took dreadful shapes Why took dreadful shapes If they could take dreadful shapes we must suppose they had not dreadful shapes before and therefore this was but a Copy of their countenance they did it only to look grim upon Gyomar to put him in a fright and make him beray himself page 24. I can no less then shrink at horrours which my honour stain How could his horrours stain his honour perhaps it might make him stain his Breeches I doubt not but the Poet gave Cortez his Ships this power of taking what shapes they pleased that like his friend the King of Brandfords Army they might go in disguise And moved towards the shore Was his moving towards the shore like Mr. Settles guide their course Did they steer themselves And why moved No doubt motion may be pleasant like Mr. Settles rouling page 15. As the posture may be managed At this insipid rate the most wretched Scribler in the World nay one that had the Soul but of a Pandion and Amphigenia might write Volumes of Errata on a Virgil or a Cowley Nay and better than on a Polish Princess at the same rate as Beauty and Majesty may be Libeld The greatness of the Subject heightens the profanation but then at the same time the profanation does not lesâ—en their Divinity I could have gone through his description of Ships at this sensless Rate but I confess my self not so bold a writer as Mr. Dryden And though he had the impudence to trouble you with a Comment on a whole Play in this Style I think the examination of 20. Lines with such dull idle and impertinent Remarks upon e'm would tire you But Mr. Dryden has past the Rubicon and has over and over agen in his Prefaces told you he has had the happiness to please an age and though as he declares he loves to spread his Gold thin Witness his Love in a Nunnery yet you are bound to like whatever he writes But after all his Gigantick Arguments against Mr. Settles Ships he has daubd him with his own puddle as he calls it that is with a Witless parcel of Rhimes in imitation of his description and because Mr. Dryden shall say he is Aped for something I 'le give him such another on the first speech of Maximin which I assure him is much more to his purpose and though perhaps it has less Poetry in it then His that is more Truth yet If I should not be thought to play booty I would bestow it on him and desire him to place it as a supplement to the other Maxim Thus far my Arms have with success been Crown'd And found no stop or vanquisht what they found The German Lakes my Legions have o're past With all the Bars that Art or Nature cast My Foes in watry Fastnesses inclosed I sought alone to their whole War exposed Did first the depth of trembling Marshes sound And fixt my Eaglâ—s in unfaithful ground By force submitted to the Roman sway Fierce Nations and unknowing to obey And now for my Reward ungrateful Rome For which I fought abroad Rebels at home Bays Thus far my Pamplet with success is Crownd And found no stop or vanquisht what it found My Mighty Notes Morocco have o're past With all the Bars that Sense or Reason cast His faults in slippery Fatnesses inclosed Him I 've in Print to the whole Town exposed Did first the depth of every Sentence sound And Play'd the Critick on unfaithful Ground By force of Nibling Quibling Scribling Wit Madet ' unknown Reasons unknown faults submit And now for my Reward th' ungrateful Town For must'ring up His Nonsense cryes Mine down But now for a greater blow than this man of words has given yet Morocco is an Inland City and Tensift never bore any Ships c. Therefore the Poet has cut this passage up to Morocco for no other reason than to make an idle description of Ships c. And how likely is it that a General should bring home his Land-forces in a Fleet Sailing up a River c. If Morocco be an Inland City so is London too and yet the River Thames which runs by it as Tensift does by Morocco a River held as great as the Thames and as Navigable can bear Ships and bring up a Fleet near enough to be seen from any Tower in London and why Tensift must be prohibited from doing the like Mr. Notes must resolve us But then why a Fleet for Land-forces if he had ever read Geography he had found some of the places which the Poet makes Muly Hamet Conquer
Maritime Towns as Salli for example a place which our Coffee-house friend with no greater reading than a Gazet by the name of Salli men of War might have guest had been near the Sea Nor indeed are any that the Poet mentions very far from the Sea But then the prettiest of all is he 's angry the General comes not home by Land that indeed had been very Comical to have deserted a Fleet and set his Ships a Float that his Forces might travel so many Miles home by Land and in so hot a Country too as Morocco But granting Ships could not come so near Morocco 'T is very likely the King of Morocco might have a Fleet which Notes find fault with him for having since his whole Kingdom lay on one side upon the Atlantick Ocean though his Metropolis granting Mr. Commentatours assertion true had been a hundred miles farther from the Sea than ' t is I 'le give him as good an argument as this nearer home in his own Style The French have no Ships for Paris is an Inland City and some hundred miles from Sea But now For the Land of Gotham where we meet nothing but Fools and Nonsense Saies the King to his Victorious General Welcome true owner of that Fame you bring A Conquerour is a Guardian to a King Conquest and Monarchy consistent are 'T is Victory secures the Crowns we wear Welcome true owner As if a man could be a false owner or have a wrong right to a thing A wrong right to a thing He takes all the care possible to twist contradictions together to make every thing appear Nonsense Nay confutes the opinion he desires you to have of his high conversation when he wilfully seems not to understand expressions that a man must meet every day in discourse Has not he heard of the true or right owner of such or such a thing For my part I blush for him to think what great structures his malice has designed where his foundations are so shallow A Conquerour is a Guardian to a King Poor King The Poet makes thee here confess thy self fit to be beg'd for a Fool and so â—â—use Muly Hamet for thy Guardian And so with a great deal of other stuff in pursuance of Estate Fool and Guardian he mawls the Poet and his King If none but Fools have estates as his argument implyes Mr. Dryden has politickly given you to understand the chief Reason why he is a Wiâ— and whether or no it abuses the Poâ—t 't is no matter it flatters the Commentatour And the last two Lines â—he saies rise and are more foolish one than the other But how Heaven knows for he has so hudled together a parcel of stuff in which contrary to all his former objections he neither aims at argument nor wit as A Conquerour is a brave fellow and serves his King and 't is possible he may be an honest fellow and his King and him to agree c. which no body denyes that I cannot tell what he would be at Then I must answer to what I think he meant and since his business is to make every thing Nonsense we must suppose that Victory cannot secure Crowns nor had Muly Hamets Conquests and Muly Labas his Monarchy and consistence Muly Hamet is returned from Reducing some revolted places to their obedience from retaking Towns from the Usurper Gayland and after the vanquishing of the Kings enemies says Notes he neither serves his Crown nor has the establishing of a Kings Right and suppression of usurpation nor the enlarging his Dominions any consistence with Monarchy I am very glad our dear friend has got stage preferment and that the State has mist him as for a Play-wright he may pass but God bless him for a Statesman My Actions all are on your name enrol'd What 't is t'enroul upon Parchment I know but not upon names The meanest Citizen in Town and the poorest Servitour in the University would tell him that putting so much upon a mans name had signified placing so much to his account With burning ships made Beacons on the Sea He fired Beacons after the Victory Preethy take the fore-going Line aâ—ong with thee I made their Fleet to Conquest light my way With burning ships made â—cacons on the Sea To light his way to Conquest is in Notes his Observations to light his way after Conquest Whose very looks so much your foes surprize That you like Beauty conquer with your Eyes Here he gives Eyes to a Notion c. and so on he runs for half a dozen Lines with the Eyes of Features the Eyes of ones Nose the Eyes of ones Mouth But then he checks himself and says no perhaps he means you like a Beauty conquer c. and then 't is an Heroick Epithite to call a General a Beauty and tell him he conquerd with his Eyes like a pretty Wench How Beauty is aâ— Epithite here he should have told us 'T is his usual way of making a great many Lines to show how such a thing taken in such a sense would be Nonsense But then he cuts himself off and says the Poet means otherwise and then 't is Nonsense this way or that way If the Poets fault lyes here not there to what purpose signifies his first accusation Yes it signifies much for he is so kind to his Readers that he will not let e'm have all Elkanabs Nonsense but some of Mr. Commentatours But then to say the General conquerd with his Eyes like a pretty Wench is not Heroick Yes indeed had pretty Wench been put in instead of Beauty it had not been very Heroick but as it is it must pass No Madam War has taught my hand to aim At Glory to deserve a Lovers name Here he makes hands to aim in another place he makes them give a blast Blasted with the hand of Heaven Which a younger Eye-sight would have read page 52. of Morocco Blasted by the hand of Heaven which quite alters the sense Why not aim at Glory with his hand if he conquers with his hand why not aim at Glory by it Perhaps he would have had him aim'd at Glory Almanzors way which was to look men dead who knew his strength so great that he could threaten to kill Boabdelins Guards when he was disarm'd page 67. Here take me bind me carry me away Kill me I 'le kill you if you disobey But Muly Hamets Glory was a work of a greater labour to him But Blasted by the hand of Heaven The common acception of the hand of Heaven so long used for Heavens exercising its power in any manner Elkanah need not beg his Reader to justify for him Though Mariamnes Love appeared before The highest happiness Fate had in store Yet when I view it as an Offering Made by the hand of an obliging King It takes new Charms looks brighter lends new beat No Objects are so glorious or so great But what may still a greater form put on As Optick Glasses magnifie
like him when hee 's let loose he flies upon all persons without distinction and where he lays hold he worries But this is hiâ— lest fault in pretending Achilles was his Almanzors pattern for he might read in Iuvenals first Satyr Nulli gravis est percussus Achilles But his impudent profanation in his Epistle to that play has arrogated a greater Divinity for the production of so unshap'd a Monster Next he says Betray and kill and damn to that degree There he puts degree for number and for Rhime sake makes it palpable nonsence For whatever there is in betraying and damning in killing there is no degree no man can be more or less kill'd In betraying and damning there may be degrees but then it râ—latâ—s not to the number of the damned but to the excess of their punishment Observe what artiâ—ice he has used to cheat you with an argument he leaves out the line that follows Hell No of that I scorn to be afraid I 'le send such throngs to the infernal shade viz. For that ruin'd his objection I 'le send such throngs which was as good as numbers in any Poetical Dictionary would have spoil'd all for then to that degree would have related to the excess of the aforesaid throngs and not to the excess of Punishment But then why must all she kills be damned c. Poor innocent People would be hardly dealt with to be kill'd and damn'd too c. suppose here agen the says more than she can do So did Catiline I 'le Plough the Alps to dust and lave the Tyrrhene Ocean into Clouds c. And yet Ben did not write nonsence in this expression But 't is possible that his Empress might murder and damn too but not innocent people as commentator thrusts in to help on with the Impossibility How often the great Designers of Treason have seduced other inferiour Ministers to their assistance and when their ends have been accomplisht have for their own defence betray'd and cut off the instruments of their design he need not fly far to History to defend him and if the making People Traytors and cutting them off in the height of their Treason do not give a great stroak towards their damnation too I am much out Monarchs do nothing ill unless when they By their own Acts of Grace their Lives betray When favours they too genrously afford And in a Treacherous Hand misplace their Sword Their Bounties in their Ruine are employ'd Kings only by their Vertues are destroy'd They do not ill then it seems to betray their Lives provided they do not do it by Acts of Grace Ingeniously infer'd Prethee Mr. Dryden why wouldst thou have Alkanahs Heroe tell his King to his face that a King may be a Knave and can do ill things Pray how ungentleman like is it in thy sense of honour for a perfect Character to say to his Prince Kings can commit no faults but where their excess of Virtue is their crime In the last Act our good Friends is angry at Kings are Immortal and from Life remove From their lower Thrones to wear new Crowns above And says that Abdelcador who says this to Muly Hamet his King and Friend in saying that all Kings go to Heaven speaks ill Divinity Then to have spoken better Divinity he should have told his King that a King might be damn'd Indeed I confess Mr. Settle might have made his Heroes tell their Kings to their Faces that a King might be a Knave or damn'd or the like but then he must have intrencht upon Granada and have made all his Heroes Almanzors and his Kings Boabdelins 'T will seem Ridiculous to give you an instance out of his Granada because we all know 't is the foundation of his Play to have his King call'd fool sot and Puppy or what is as bad by his sawcy and masterly Companion Almanzor Yet for once I 'le venture In Granada Page 146. Boabd How chang'd and what a Monster am I male My Love and Honour ruin'd and betray'd Alman Your Love and Honour Mine are ruin'd worse Furies and Hell what right have you to câ—rse Dull Husband as you are What can your Love or what your Honour be I am her Lover and shee 's false to me The King is aflicted for hearing his beloved Queen is strumpeted for which Almanzor calls him dull Husband what right have you to curse what Love or Honour have you No that only is my right I am her Humble Servant and shee 's false to Me. Mr. Dryden 't is true has told us in Print that his Almahide is a perfect Character and consequently no strumpet and the Audience had heard Almahide through the Play say She would be honest And of any downright debauchery I acknowledge she is Innocent making Love at first sight to Almanzor and Baudy Songs to entertain the King and Court being but a little harmless Gallantry and no hindrance to the perfection of her Character as you have been told before But then how much more guilty is Almanzor to abuse an Innocent Ladies Honour Had he enjoy'd her and boasted of her favours it had been a little more pardonable yet not according to the rules of Honor it being something Drydenish Illnatured and unjauntee I should have said to fair well and câ—y Roastmeat especially to a Husbands face But as 't is 't is unsufferable To tell the King his wife was false to Almanzor cannot but imply that she had promis'd him to be constant to her Intrigue and by consequence lye with none but Almanzor or else how is she false to him But Cuckold which may be an honest mans case is the lest aspersion Almanzor gives him for in calling him dull Husband what can your Love and what your Honor be he does as good as call him Eunuch and sot and Cully for if his wives debauching be no loss of his Honor he is no better then the keeper of her small wares and a Rascally Wittall But after all this the King takes no notice not so much as to make a repartee nor has the Galless animal so much Courage as Poet Ninny to cry you are a Son of a Whore as well as my self But there is good reason for it The Author no doubt made him a Pattern of Virtue and perhaps a piece of a Scholar too that had read Fortitudo consistit ferendo magis quam feriendo Your Counsels weakly do my Ears attract What is it to attract ones Ears shall Counsels lug him by the Ears It must be this or Nonsense His Dilemmas are like the rest of his Logick Live then till time this sense of Horrour brings What 't is to ravish Queens and injure Kings What sense for no body can tell 't is a sign he keeps up his old good opinion of himself that he 's the Wisest of mankind and if he cannot tell the sense of a thing no body else can You see the Fates do their Allegiance know As if she was Queen
Now I am of belief that Elkanahs first business in the world if you 'l ask his Nurse was rather as Commentatour says in the Fourth Act To Bite stamp crie and roar then to murder Poets If he began to attacque and murder Poets in his Cradle he was no doubt an upstart scribler indeed My Iustite ended now I 'le meet a Crown Then it seems he intends to do Iustice no longer now he is King but to turn Rogue like Crimalhaz or Fool like Muly Labas His Iustice upon Crimalhaz I am of opinion was ended when Crimalhaz was Executed and yet he might be just still and neither Fool nor Rogue In Love a Day an Hour a Minutes bliss Is all flight raâ—turâ— flame and Extaâ—ies Is and Extasies are of several numbers are they so If I were as thee I would not take it at the Poets hands More Extasies than one in a minutes happiness is too much Loves livelyer joys so quick and active move An Age in Empire 's but an hour in Love How an Age in Empire is but an hour in Love I cannot understand And in troth I believe thee for why thy understanding should be any clearer here than it has been all along through the Play I can't imagine But to quicken thy apprehension that thou mayst understand this last Line of the Play I 'le beg the favour of thee to construe these two Lines in Cowley 'T is so with man when once a Crown he wears The Coronation day's more than a Thousand Years On the Conduct or Plot of the Play THis being much of a piece with the Notes on the Play a man may start into the matter without the trouble of a formal Introduction He tells you first On what foundation of nonsense this Play is built Morena runs away with Muly Labas from her Fathers Court for which they are both imprison'd by his Father and to be put to death for stealing one another Yet in the mean time her Father is so far offended that he is wageing War against His and coming with an Army against Morocco In the first place she relates a thing to one who knows it her self And upbraids him with what she suffered for his sake A pretâ—y Character of his Heroine to make her an illnaturd fool This is his first objection but in the next page he contradicts himself and says Morena gives him a reason for this relation and said it not to upbraid him Very well she does and she does not she is an illnaturd and she is not an illnaturd fool Well argued Laureat But next says he why should Muly Labas steal heâ—â— away she was her equal and therefore her Father ought to have given his consent to the Marriage At him agen Bays Because they weâ—â— equals must there be an absolute necessity of her Fathers consent Whâ—â— if he design'd her for some other Prince Muly Labas his superior and a person whose alliance might be more for his interest Or how if she was contracted to some other Prince whom â—he liked not and forced by state interest a great Matâ—h-maker among Princes against her inclination and therefore for Love of Muly Labas ran away with him to avoid the other Where lyes the impossibility How many more reasons might there be for his stealing her which if the Poet had occasion to have mentiond you should have heard of But then why does Muly Labas his Father put his Son in Prison at his return Why did Solyman strangle Mustapha does not the Play tell him why for a suspition of an attempt against his Empire But why will he kill them both Yes mark the Poets reasons He will present her Father with her head a good way to pacifie him and make him withdraw the Siege Sending the Lady back might have avoided the inconveniency of the War A very pretty King he would make of him the whilst to say Here Sir take your daughter agen I 'le rid my hands of the Baggage she shall come no more within my doores let us be friends for I do not like bloody noses and pray deparat in peace if you love me and you will much oblige yours to command King of Morocco This is the Character Mr. Dryden likes But what if Elkanahs King is a little more rough and will fight him and cares neither for his Army nor him neither But will cut his Daughteâ—s head off and his too if he can come at it But why Muly Labas a Traytor he a Traytor I wonder his Father knew him no better then to suspect him of so much Wit as goes to the making one c. Muly Labas is a Fool a Fool a Fool the Parrat has so over and over agen repeated in the Play that 't is high time to clear him Muly Labas in the true story was but twelve years of age when he came to the Crown and through the whole Play the Author has made him though no great part yet a man that does nothing but what reason and Circumstances would convince a Iuditious man ought to be don and if he has any fault 't is his believing his Mother Honest and if at any time he 's missed by her 't is by a credulity that might very probably be imposed by a Mother upon a Son she having to his knowledge acted nothing that should make him believe otherwise But I wonder of all objections how this came from him knowing how guilty he has been in the Character of a Boabdelin a man that is not only a Coward and one that in his Armies head dares not touch an insolent Fellow that he fears Cuckolds him nay one whom he is certain his Wiâ—e Loves better then himself and for sooth out of a fear of his subjects displeasure But that fear might be taken off a very pretty King the whâ—lstâ—â— by exposing Almanzors insolence to his Army who though they loved his Conduct and Courage would certainly consent or at lest pardon their dutiful and humble King for a piece of Justice don on so arrogant an abuser of Majesty But another fault he finds against Muly Labas his demonstration of his Innocence to Morena Can he think so soul A thought as Treason harbours in his Soul Which does Morena's Sacred Image bear No shape of ill can come within her Sphear He was in Love with Morena therefore Innocent What a mighty offender against sense and reason is his King for Complimenting his Mistress Then enters Queen Mother anâ— tells Muly Labas his Father is dead suddenly and relates the manner of it with all the Circumstances yet afterwards being alone with Crimalhaz whom she procured to poyson her Husband she desires him to relate the manner of it of which she could not be ignorant She who was whored by him and set him on could not but know the Circumstances also Here in our Commentators Phrase Impertinence is pretty thick sown First because the Queen gives her Son a fâ—rged relalation of her Husbands death therefore she
must needs know the true circumstances and next because she set Crimalhaz a work therefore she must know all particulars of his dying within halfe an hour after his death The particulars of the contrivance I grant â—he understood but how could she know the particulars of the success of it unless she had singled out Crimalhaz privately for the knowledge But how if the publick concern for the sudden death of the King gave 'em no opportunity till now For as I take it the Queen did not ask him How did you contrive his death But. How died the King how did the poyson take But mark how ridiculously he contrives in the person of this great Plotter the Queen Mother First she makes a politick speech to say her Son is not ripe for ruine till they have undermind his absent General The General was absent his return uncertain That is his Navy came in disguise up the River Tensist for he enterd Morocco the next Morning which was more then they could know he would do so long before-hand Besides her Son being in Prison and the City at her disposing she and her Gallant had a much fairer game to play if they immediately possessed themselves of the Crown now in their reach then if they waited for the Generals return who was a friend to the King and whom they were not certain they could render suspected to him Oh wondeâ—ful Politician what does he mean by possessing themselves of the Crown now in their reach They might break open the old Emperors Closet and Seize his Turbat and his Robes and dress Crimalhaz in his habit is that setting up for a King If he means by the Crown the Imperial pow'r 't is nonsense How could he set himself up for a King when all the Forces of Morocco were under Muly Hamets Conduct and he entring into the City who besides his being Friend to Muly Labas was himself a nearer heir to the Crown then Crimalhaz and no doubt would have been far from complimenting him with what was his own right especially being so many thousand strong as he was to argue the case with him if occasion had been But our Commentators opinion of Kingâ— and Crowns moves excentrick to every bodys eâ—se What Puppets does he make of them But the silliness of this remark shall be past by for the Introduction of another so much beyond it that nothing can be more ridiculous The second act he says has little business in it except Muly Hamets râ—turn with the Fleet But now for Elkanahs Thefts from his Cotemporaries as was urged against him in the Preâ—acâ— His Muly Hamets Character is an imitation of Porphirius And why because they both bring home an Army to their Kings aid Compare the verses and the Theft will be visible Maxim Porphyâ—ius whom you Aegypts Praetor made Is come from Alexandria to your aid Morocco Hearing whose force Morocco will invade I have brought home your Army to your aid c. His Hametalhaz is likewise as plainly stoln from Placidius Placidius envy'd Porphyâ—ius Hametalhaz Muly Hamet Placid May all the Curses envy ever know Or could invent Porphyrius persue Ham. But in Morocco his high pride may find His name less Glorious and his Stars less kind But by the way where lyes Hametalhaz his envy could not he conspire against Muly Hamet to make his name less Glorious but it must be done out of Envy Hametalhaz was but a Subminister to Crimalhaz and acted only for reward if there was Envy in the case twaâ— between Crimaâ—haz and Muly Hamet not him and Muly Hamet The Image of Morena is taken from Cydaria They both desire their Fathers should be spared in the Battel And Cortez and Muly Hamets answer are the same in effect Cortez The edge of War I 'le from the battel take And spare your Fathers Subjects for your sake Morocco But the rough hand of War more gentle make And spare his blood for his Morena's sake Muly H. We only do aspire to this great end To make your Father not our Prize but friend Muly Hamet will spare her Father for her sake And Cortez her Fathers Subjects But that 's the same thing sparing a King or his Subjects What a discovery has this Manslayer of a Critick found Because two Generals bring home their Kings Armies to their assistance and because Hameâ—alhaz has a spight against Muly Hamet and Placidius against Porphyrius therefore Elkanahs Characters are stoln from Mr. Drydens And because Morena says pray Sir take care you hurt not my Father and Cydaria says the same therefore their Characters too are the same Does this grave Scribler that talks so much of judgment make an expression of two lines a Character at that rate I may say all men have one Character for 't is ten to one but you shall hear 'em at one time or other say the same thing Suppose one man should say what a Clock is it and another what time of day is it are their Characters the same then But to prate like him you shall see whence his Characters are taken Almanzor is a Copy of Sir Martin Marral mark but their expressions and the theft will be visible Almanzor was said to be of a Rough and unfashion'd nature that is he was not bred up to singing and dancing but was an excellent Warriour So Sir Martin understood neither singing dancing Musick noâ— Poetry but when he beats the Bailiffs he Cryes Victoria Victoria Mr. Miâ—â—sent must acknowledge him for a Sword-man Besides Almanzor when he heard Almahide accused of Adultery says 'T is false she is not ill nor can she be She must be chast because she 's loved by me And when Sir Martin heard Mrs. Millisent had been accused of unchastity by Warner he says Come hither you wicked Varlet fruitful in nothing but lyes how durst you cast your Venome on such a Saint as Mrs Millisent to traduce her Virtue and say is was Adulterate His Cortez and Abdalla in Granada are the same Characters for Cortez desâ—â—es to get into the Tower whore Almeria and his Mistress Cydaria were together And Abdalla desires Lyndaraxa to open the Albayzin Gate to let him in to her and both are but borrow'd from the Ballat of Sweet open the door and let me come in Nay his Berenice and his Cydaria are exactly the same Berenice Loves Porphyrius who is a General and Cydaria loves Cortez who is another His Boabdelin and Almahide are the same with Bisket and his Wife in Epsom Wells with a little alteration Boabdelin makes his wife send for her Gallant Almanzor and Mrs. Bisket sends her Husband for Mr. Rains to come and Play at Cribbidge with her Only Bisket is but a City Pimp and Boabdelin a Pimp Royal. Another fault he finds that â—â— kanah has given into his Heroes hands the Conquest of a Town more then is his right What if there had never been such a man as Muly Hamet and the Poet had rais'd up