Classic Poem

[SCENE I.]

Enter the King OF P ORTUGAL and his Lords, L EWES DE S ILVA , and the Ambassadors [ and Legate] of Spain .

K. Seb . Honourable lords, ambassadors of Spain,
The many favours by our meetings done
From our beloved and renowmed brother,
Philip the Catholic King of Spain,
Say therefore, good my lord ambassador,
Say how your mighty master minded is
To propagate the fame of Portugal.
First Amb . To propagate the fame of Portugal,
And plant religious truth in Africa,
Philip the great and puissant king of Spain,
For love and honour of Sebastian's name,
Promiseth aid of arms, and swears by us
To do your majesty all the good he can,
With men, munition, and supply of war,
Of Spaniards proud, in king Sebastian's aid,
To spend their bloods in honour of their Christ.
Legate . And farther, to manifest unto your majesty
How much the Catholic king of Spain affects
This war with Moors and men of little faith,
The honour of your everlasting praise,
Behold, to honour and enlarge thy name,
He maketh offer of his daughter Isabel
To link in marriage with the brave Sebastian;
And to enrich Sebastian's noble wife,
His majesty doth promise to resign
The titles of the Islands of Moloccus
That by his royalty in India he commands.
These favours with unfeigned love and zeal
Voweth King Philip to King Sebastian.
K. Seb . And God so deal with King Sebastian's soul
As justly he intends to fight for Christ!
Nobles of Spain, sith our renowmed brother,
Philip the king of honour and of zeal,
By you the chosen orators of Spain
The offer of the holds he makes
Are not so precious in our account,
As is the peerless dame whom we adore,
His daughter, in whose loyalty consists
The life and honour of Sebastian.
As for the aid of arms he promiseth,
We will expect and thankfully receive,
At Cardis, as we sail alongst the coast. —
Sebastian, clap thy hands for joy,
Honoured by this meeting and this match. —
Go, lords, and follow to the famous war
Your king; and be his fortune such in all
As he intends to manage arms in right.
Stuke . Sit fast, Sebastian, and in this work
God and good men labour for Portugal!
For Spain, disguising with a double face,
Flatters thy youth and forwardness, good king.
Philip, whom some call the Catholic king,
I fear me much thy faith will not be firm,
But disagree with thy profession.
The other . What, then, shall of those men of war become,
Those numbers that do multiply in Spain?
Stuke . Spain hath a vent for them and their supplies:
The Spaniard ready to embark himself,
Here gathers to a head; but all too sure
Flanders, I fear, shall feel the force of Spain.
Let Portugal fare as he may or can,
Spain means to spend no powder on the Moors.
The other . If kings do dally so with holy oaths,
The heavens will right the wrongs that they sustain,
Philip, if these forgeries be in thee,
Assure thee, king, 'twill light on thee at last;
And when proud Spain hopes soundly to prevail,
The time may come that thou and thine shall fail.