The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07Dryden, John
General
The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07
Dryden, John
English literature
_Omnes._ Speak, captain, for we will hear you.
_Must._ Do you remember the glorious rapines and robberies you have
committed? Your breaking open and gutting of houses, your rummaging of
cellars, your demolishing of Christian temples, and bearing off, in
triumph, the superstitious plate and pictures, the ornaments of their
wicked altars, when all rich moveables were sentenced for idolatrous,
and all that was idolatrous was seized? Answer first, for your
remembrance of all these sweetnesses of mutiny; for upon those grounds
I shall proceed.
_Omnes._ Yes, we do remember, we do remember.
_Must._ Then make much of your retentive faculties.--And who led you
to those honey-combs? Your Mufti? No, believers; he only preached you
up to it, but durst not lead you: He was but your counsellor, but I
was your captain; he only looed you, but, 'twas I that led you.
_Omnes._ That's true, that's true.
_Ant._ There you were with him for his figures.
_Must._ I think I was, slave Antonio. Alas, I was ignorant of my own
talent!--Say then, believers, will you have a captain for your Mufti,
or a Mufti for your captain? And, further, to instruct you how to cry,
will you have _A mufti_, or _No mufti_?
_Omnes._ No Mufti, no Mufti!
_Must._ That I laid in for them, slave Antonio--Do I then spit upon
your faces? Do I discourage rebellion, mutiny, rapine, and plundering?
You may think I do, believers; but, heaven forbid! No, I encourage you
to all these laudable undertakings; you shall plunder, you shall pull
down the government; but you shall do this upon my authority, and not
by his wicked instigation.
_3 Rabble._ Nay, when his turn is served, he may preach up loyalty
again, and restitution, that he might have another snack among us.
_1 Rabble._ He may indeed; for it is but his saying it is sin, and
then we must restore; and therefore I would have a new religion, where
half the commandments should be taken away, the rest mollified, and
there should be little or no sin remaining.
_Omnes._ Another religion, a new religion, another religion!
_Must._ And that may easily be done, with the help of a little
inspiration; for I must tell you, I have a pigeon at home, of
Mahomet's own breed; and when I have learnt her to pick pease out of
my ear, rest satisfied till then, and you shall have another. But, now
I think on't, I am inspired already, that 'tis no sin to depose the
Mufti.
_Ant._ And good reason; for when kings and queens are to be discarded,
what should knaves do any longer in the pack?
_Omnes._ He is deposed, he is deposed, he is deposed!
_Must._ Nay, if he and his clergy will needs be preaching up
rebellion, and giving us their blessing, 'tis but justice they should
have the first-fruits of it.--Slave Antonio, take him into custody;
and dost thou hear, boy, be sure to secure the little transitory box
of jewels. If he be obstinate, put a civil question to him upon the
rack, and he squeaks, I warrant him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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