Classic Poem

[SCENE I.]

Enter A BDELMELEC and his train .

Abdelm. Now tell me, Celybin, what doth the enemy?
Cel. The enemy, dread, lord, hath left the town
Of Arzil with a thousand soldiers arm'd,
To guard his fleet of thirteen hundred sail;
And mustering of his men before the walls.
He found he had two thousand armed horse,
And fourteen thousand men that serve on foot,
Three thousand pioners, and a thousand coachmen,
Besides a number almost numberless
Of drudges, negroes, slaves, and muleters,
Horse-boys, laundresses, and courtezans,
And fifteen hundred waggons full of stuff
For noblemen brought up in delicate.
Abdelm. Alas, good king, thy foresight hath been small,
To come with women into Barbary,
With laundresse[s], with baggage, and with trash,
Numbers unfit to multiply thy host.
Cel. Their payment in the camp is passing slow,
And victuals scarce, that many faint and die.
Abdelm. But whither marcheth he in all this haste?
Cel. Some think, my lord, he marcheth hitherward,
And means to take this city of Alcazar.
Abdelm. Unto Alcazar? O unconstant chance!
Cel. The brave and valiant King of Portugal
Quarters his power in four battalions,
Afront the which, to welcome us withal,
Are six and thirty roaring-pieces placed:
The first, consisting of light-armed horse
And of the garrisons from Tangier brought,
Is led by Alvaro Peres de Tavero;
The left or middle battle, of Italians
And German horsemen, Stukeley doth command,
A warlike Englishman sent by the Pope,
That vainly calls himself Marquis of Ireland;
Alonso Aquilaz conducts the third, —
That wing of German soldiers most consists;
The fourth legion is none but Portugals,
Of whom Lodevico Caesar hath the chiefest charge:
Besides there stand six thousand horse
Bravely attired, prest where need requires.
Thus have I told your royal majesty
How he is placed to brave us in the fight.
Abdelm. But where's our nephew, Muly Mahamet?
Cel. He marcheth in the middle, guarded about
With full five hundred harquebuze on foot,
And twice three thousand needless armed pikes.
Ar. Zareo. Great sovereign, vouchsafe to hear me speak,
And let Zareo's counsel now prevail:
Whilst time doth serve, and that these Christians dare
Approach the field with warlike ensigns spread,
Let us in haste with all our forces meet,
And hem them in, that not a man escape;
So will they be advised another time
How they do touch the shore of Barbary.
Abdelm. Zareo, hear our resolution:
And thus our forces we will first dispose.
Hamet, my brother, with a thousand shot
On horseback, and choice harquebuziers all,
Having ten thousand foot with spear and shield,
Shall make the right wing of the battle up;
Zareo, you shall have in charge the left,
Two thousand argolets and ten thousand horse;
The main battle of harquebuze on foot,
And twenty thousand horsemen in their troops;
Myself, environ'd with my trusty guard
Of janizaries, fortunate in war;
And toward Arzil will we take our way.
If, then, our enemy will balk our force,
In God's name let him, it will be his best;
But if he level at Alcazar walls,
Then beat him back with bullets as thick as hail,
And make him know and rue his oversight,
That rashly seeks the ruin of this land.