Dr. Johnson's Works: Life, Poems, and Tales Part 23

ABDALLA.

Nor to deny.

CALI.

Obtain her, and possess; thou know'st thy rival.

ABDALLA.

Too well I know him, since, on Thracia's plains, I felt the force of his tempestuous arm, And saw my scatter'd squadrons fly before him.

Nor will I trust th' uncertain chance of combat; The rights of princes let the sword decide, The petty claims of empire and of honour: Revenge and subtle jealousy shall teach A surer pa.s.sage to his hated heart.

CALI.

Oh! spare the gallant Greek, in him we lose The politician's arts, and hero's flame.

ABDALLA.

When next we meet, before we storm the palace, The bowl shall circle to confirm our league; Then shall these juices taint Demetrius' draught, [_Showing a phial_.

And stream, destructive, through his freezing veins: Thus shall he live to strike th' important blow, And perish, ere he taste the joys of conquest.

SCENE V.

MAHOMET, MUSTAPHA, CALI, ABDALLA.

MAHOMET.

Henceforth, for ever happy be this day, Sacred to love, to pleasure, and Irene!

The matchless fair has bless'd me with compliance; Let every tongue resound Irene's praise, And spread the gen'ral transport through mankind.

CALI.

Blest prince, for whom indulgent heav'n ordains, At once, the joys of paradise and empire, Now join thy people's and thy Cali's prayers; Suspend thy pa.s.sage to the seats of bliss, Nor wish for houries in Irene's arms.

MAHOMET.

Forbear--I know the long-try'd faith of Cali.

CALI.

Oh! could the eyes of kings, like those of heav'n, Search to the dark recesses of the soul, Oft would they find ingrat.i.tude and treason, By smiles, and oaths, and praises, ill disguis'd.

How rarely would they meet, in crowded courts, Fidelity so firm, so pure, as mine.

MUSTAPHA.

Yet, ere we give our loosen'd thoughts to rapture, Let prudence obviate an impending danger: Tainted by sloth, the parent of sedition, The hungry janizary burns for plunder, And growls, in private, o'er his idle sabre.

MAHOMET.

To still their murmurs, ere the twentieth sun Shall shed his beams upon the bridal bed, I rouse to war, and conquer for Irene.

Then shall the Rhodian mourn his sinking tow'rs, And Buda fall, and proud Vienna tremble; Then shall Venetia feel the Turkish pow'r, And subject seas roar round their queen in vain.

ABDALLA.

Then seize fair Italy's delightful coast, To fix your standard in imperial Rome.

MAHOMET.

Her sons malicious clemency shall spare, To form new legends, sanctify new crimes; To canonize the slaves of superst.i.tion, And fill the world with follies and impostures, Till angry heav'n shall mark them out for ruin, And war o'erwhelm them in their dream of vice.

O! could her fabled saints and boasted prayers Call forth her ancient heroes to the field, How should I joy, midst the fierce shock of nations, To cross the tow'rings of an equal soul, And bid the master-genius rule the world!

Abdalla, Cali, go--proclaim my purpose.

[_Exeunt_ Cali _and_ Abdalla.

SCENE VI.

MAHOMET, MUSTAPHA.

MAHOMET.

Still Cali lives: and must he live to-morrow?

That fawning villain's forc'd congratulations Will cloud my triumphs, and pollute the day.

MUSTAPHA.

With cautious vigilance, at my command, Two faithful captains, Hasan and Caraza, Pursue him through his labyrinths of treason, And wait your summons to report his conduct.

MAHOMET.

Call them--but let them not prolong their tale, Nor press, too much, upon a lover's patience.

[_Exit_ Mustapha.

SCENE VII.

Mahomet, _Solus_.

Whome'er the hope, still blasted, still renew'd, Of happiness lures on from toil to toil, Remember Mahomet, and cease thy labour.

Behold him here, in love, in war, successful; Behold him, wretched in his double triumph!

His fav'rite faithless, and his mistress base.

Ambition only gave her to my arms, By reason not convinc'd, nor won by love.

Ambition was her crime; but meaner folly Dooms me to loathe, at once, and dote on falsehood, And idolize th' apostate I contemn.

If thou art more than the gay dream of fancy, More than a pleasing sound, without a meaning, O happiness! sure thou art all Aspasia's.

SCENE VIII.

MAHOMET, MUSTAPHA, HASAN, CARAZA.

MAHOMET.

Caraza, speak--have ye remark'd the ba.s.sa?

CARAZA.

Close, as we might unseen, we watch'd his steps: His hair disorder'd, and his gait unequal, Betray'd the wild emotions of his mind.

Sudden he stops, and inward turns his eyes, Absorb'd in thought; then, starting from his trance, Constrains a sullen smile, and shoots away.

With him Abdalla we beheld--

MUSTAPHA.

Abdalla!

MAHOMET.

He wears, of late, resentment on his brow, Deny'd the government of Servia's province.

CARAZA.