SCENE VII

 

 

The palace in Bassora.
Ibn Sawy, Ameena, Nureddene, Anice-Aljalice, Doonya, Ajebe.

IBN SAWY

End, end embraces; they will last our life,
Thou dearest cause at once of all our woes
And their sweet ender! Cherish her, Nureddene,
Who saved thy soul and body.

NUREDDENE

Surely I'll cherish

My heart's queen!

ANICE-ALJALICE

Only your slave-girl.

DOONYA

You've got a King,
You lucky child! But I have only a Turk,
A blustering, bold and Caliph-murdering Turk
Who writes me silly letters, stabs my lovers
When they would run away with me, and makes
A general Turkish nuisance of himself.
'Tis hard, Sultan of Bassora, great Sultan,
Grave high and mighty Nureddene! thy sister
And subject —

NUREDDENE

Doonya, it is not Faeryland.

DOONYA

It is, it is, and Anice here its queen.

A faery King of faery Bassora,

Do make a General of my general nuisance.

I long to be my lady Generaless

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Of Faeryland, and ride about and charge
At thorns and thistles with a charming-stick,
With Balkis and Mymoona for my Captains—
They're very martial. King, bold swashing fighters! —

NUREDDENE

Ajebe our Treasurer.

AJEBE

To ruin you again?

NUREDDENE

We'll have Shaikh Ibrahim for Lord High Humbug
Of all our Faeryland; shall we not, Anice ?

AMEENA

What nonsense, children! You a Sultan, child!

NUREDDENE

Your Sultan, mother, as I ever was/

IBN SAWY

Let happiness flow out in smiles. Our griefs
Are ended and we cluster round our King.
The Caliph!

Enter Haroun, Jaafar, Murad, Sunjar,

guards with Alzayni and Almuene.

The peace, Commander of the Faithful!

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Noble Alfazzal, sit. Sit all of you.

This is the thing that does my heart most good

To watch these kind and happy looks and know

Myself for cause. Therefore, I sit enthroned,

Allah's Vicegerent, to put down all evil

And pluck the virtuous out of danger's hand.

Fit work for Kings! not merely the high crown

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And marching armies and superber ease.
Sunjar, Murad and Ajebe, you your King
Can best reward. But, Ajebe, in thy house
Where thou art Sultan, those reward who well
Deserve it.

AJEBE

They shall be my household queens,
Enthroned upon my either hand.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

'Tis well.
Sultan Alzayni, not within my realm
Shall Kings like thee bear rule. Great though thy crimes,
I will not honour thee with imitation,
To slay unheard. Thou shalt have judgment. King,
But for thy Vizier here, his crimes are open
And loudly they proclaim themselves.

ALMUENE

Lord, spare me.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

For some offences God has punished thee.

Shall I, His great Vicegerent, spare ? Young King

Of Bassora, to thee I leave thy enemy.

ALMUENE

I did according to my blood and nurture,
Do thou as much.

NUREDDENE

He has beguiled me. Caliph.
I cannot now pronounce his doom.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Then I will.

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Death at this moment! And his house and fortune
Are to thy father due. Take him and slay.

Exeunt guards with Almuene.

Let not his sad and guiltless wife be engulfed
In his swift ruin. Virtuous Alfazzal, —

IBN SAWY

She is my wife's dear sister and my home
Is hers, my children will replace her son.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

All then is well. Anice, you're satisfied ?
I never was so scared in all my life
As when you rose against me.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Pardon me!

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Fair children worthy of each other's love
And beauty! till the Sunderer comes who parts
All wedded hands, take your delights on earth,
And afterwards in heaven. Meanwhile remember
That life is grave and earnest under its smiles,
And we too with a wary gaiety
Should walk its roads, praying that if we stumble,
The All-Merciful may bear our footing up
In His strong hand, showing the Father's face
And not the stern and dreadful Judge. Farewell.
I go to Roman wars. With you the peace!

IBN SAWY

Peace with thee, just and mighty Caliph, peace.

Curtain

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