But sure the muses' horse was ne'er forbidden; For in no rate-book it was ever found That Pegasus was valued at five pound[1]: Fine him to daily drudging and inditing: And let him pay his taxes out in writing. Footnote: 1. Alluding to the act for disarming the Catholics, by which, _inter alia_, it is enacted, "that no Papist, or reputed Papist, so refusing, or making default, as aforesaid, at any time after the 15th of May, 1689, shall, or may have, and keep in his own possession, or in the possession of any other person for his use, or at his disposition, any horse or horses, which shall be above the value of L.5."--1st William and Mary, c. 15. DRAMATIS PERSONAE. _Don_ SEBASTIAN, _King of Portugal._ MULEY-MOLUCH, _Emperor of Barbary._ DORAX, _a noble Portuguese, now a renegade; formerly Don_ ALONZO DE SYLVERA, _Alcade, or Governor of Alcazar._ BENDUCAR, _chief Minister, and favourite to the Emperor._ _The Mufti_ ABDALLA. MULEY-ZEYDAN, _brother to the Emperor._ _Don_ ANTONIO, _a young, noble, amorous Portuguese; now a slave._ _Don_ ALVAREZ, _an old counsellor to Don_ SEBASTIAN; _now a slave also._ MUSTAPHA, _Captain of the Rabble._ _Two Merchants._ _Rabble._ _A Servant to_ BENDUCAR. _A Servant to the Mufti._ ALMEYDA, _a captive Queen of Barbary._ MORAYMA, _daughter to the Mufti._ JOHAYMA, _chief wife to the Mufti._ SCENE,--_In the Castle of Alcazar._ DON SEBASTIAN, KING OF PORTUGAL. ACT I. SCENE I. _The scene at Alcazar, representing a market-place under the Castle._ _Enter_ MULEY-ZEYDAN _and_ BENDUCAR. _M. Zey._ Now Africa's long wars are at an end, And our parched earth is drenched in Christian blood; My conquering brother will have slaves enow, To pay his cruel vows for victory.-- What hear you of Sebastian, king of Portugal? _Bend._ He fell among a heap of slaughtered Moors, Though yet his mangled carcase is not found. The rival of our threatened empire, Mahomet, Was hot pursued; and, in the general rout, Mistook a swelling current for a ford, And in Mucazar's flood was seen to rise: Thrice was he seen: At length his courser plunged, And threw him off; the waves whelmed over him, And, helpless, in his heavy arms he drowned. _M. Zey._ Thus, then, a doubtful title is extinguished; Thus Moluch, still the favourite of fate, Swims in a sanguine torrent to the throne, As if our prophet only worked for him: The heavens, and all the stars, are his hired servants; As Muley-Zeydan were not worth their care, And younger brothers but the draff of nature.