-03_The Viziers of Bassora Act-1 Sc-2.htm

SCENE II

A room in Almuene's house.
Almuene, Khatoon.

KHATOON

You have indulged the boy till he has lost
The likeness even of manhood. God's great stamp
And heavenly image on his mint's defaced,
Rubbed out, and only the brute metal left
Which never shall find currency again
Among his angels.

ALMUENE

Oh always clamour, clamour!
I had been happier bedded with a slave,
Whom I could beat to sense when she was froward.

KHATOON

Oh, you'ld have done no less by me, I know,

Although my rank's as far above your birth

As some white star in heaven o'erpeers the muck

Of foulest stables, had I not great kin

And swords in the background to avenge me.

ALMUENE

Termagant,
Some day I'll have you stripped and soundly caned
By your own women, if you grow not gentler.

KHATOON

I shall be glad some day to find your courage.

Enter Farced, jumping and gyrating.

FAREED

Oh father, father, father, father, father!

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KHATOON

What means this idiot clamour ? Senseless child,
Can you not walk like some more human thing
Or talk like one at least ?

ALMUENE

Dame, check once more
My gallant boy, try once again to break
His fine and natural spirit with your chidings,
I'll drive your teeth in, lady or no lady.

FAREED

Do, father, break her teeth! She's always scolding.
Sometimes she beats me when you're out. Do break them,
I shall so laugh!

ALMUENE

My gamesome goblin!

KHATOON

You prompt him

To hate his mother; but do not lightly think
The devil you strive to raise up from that hell
Which lurks within us all, sealed commonly
By human shame and Allah's supreme grace, —
But you! you scrape away the seal, would take
The full flame of the inferno, not the gusts
Of smoke jet out in ordinary men; —
Think not this imp will limit with his mother
Unnatural revolt! You will repent this.

Exit.

FAREED

Girl, father! such a girl! a girl of girls!
Buy me my girl!

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ALMUENE

What girl, you leaping madcap ?

FAREED

In the slave-market for ten thousand pieces.
Such hands! such eyes! such hips! such legs! I am
Impatient till my elbows meet around her.

ALMUENE .

My amorous wagtail! What, my pretty hunchback,
You have your trophies too among the girls
No less than the straight dainty Nureddene,
Our Vizier's pride ? Ay, you have broken seals ?
You have picked locks, my burglar ?

FAREED

You have given me,
You and my mother, such a wicked hump
To walk about with, the girls jeer at me.
I have only a chance with blind ones. 'Tis a shame.

ALMUENE

How will you make your slave-girl love you, hunch ?

FAREED

She'll be my slave-girl and she'll have to love me.

ALMUENE

Whom would you marry, hunchback, for a wager?
Will the King's daughter tempt you ?

FAREED

Pooh! I've got
My eye upon my uncle's pretty niece.
I like her.

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ALMUENE

The Vizier, my peculiar hatred!
Wagtail, you must not marry there.

FAREED

I hate him too
And partly for that cause will marry her,
To beat her twice a day and let him know it.
He will be grieved to the heart.

ALMUENE

You're my own lad.

FAREED

And then she's such a nice tame pretty thing,
Will sob and tremble, kiss me when she's told,
Not like my mother, frown, scold, nag all day.
But, dad, my girl! buy me my girl!

ALMUENE

Come, wagtail.
Ten thousand pieces! 'tis exorbitant.
Two thousand, not a dirham more. The seller
Does wisely if he takes it, glad to get
A piastre for her. Call the slaves, Fareed..

FAREED

Hooray! hoop! what a time I'll have! Cafoor!

Exit, calling.

ALMUENE

'Tis thus a boy should be trained up, not checked,

Rebuked and punished till the natural man

Is killed in him and a tame virtuous block

Replace the lusty pattern Nature made.

I do not value at a brazen coin

The man who has no vices in his blood,

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Never took toll of women's lips in youth

Nor warmed his nights with wine. Your moralists

Teach one thing, Nature quite another; which of these

Is likely to be right? Yes, cultivate,

But on the plan that she has mapped. Give way,

Give way to the inspired blood of youth

And you shall have a man, no scrupulous fool,

No ethical malingerer in the fray;

A man to lord it over other men,
Soldier of Vizier or adventurous merchant,
The breed of Samson. Man with such youth your armies.
Of such is an imperial people made
Who send their colonists and conquerors
Across the world, till the wide earth contains
One language only and a single rule.
Yes, Nature is your grand imperialist,
No moral sermonizer. Rude, hardy stocks
Transplant themselves, expand, outlast the storms
And heat and cold, not slips too gently nurtured
Or lapped in hothouse warmth. Who conquered earth
For Islam ? Arabs trained in robbery,
Heroes, robust in body and desire.
I'll get this slave-girl for Fareed to help
His education on. Be lusty, son,
And breed me grandsons like you for my stock.

Exit.

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