ALPHONSUS, KING OF ARRAGON

The first extant edition of Alphonsus, King of Arragon, was printed in quarto by Thomas Creede in 1599. Lowndes mentions a quarto of 1597 of which no trace can be found. Of the two copies of the quarto of 1599 now known, one is in the library of the Duke of Devonshire, and the other is in the Dyce Library at South Kensington. Alphonsus is not mentioned by Henslowe in his Diary, nor is there any record of the play in the Stationers' Registers. Nothing certain can be said concerning the circumstances and dates of composition and first performance of Greene's plays. But there can be no doubt that this is one of Greene's earliest plays, for in the Prologue Greene says through the mouth of Venus:

"And this my hand, which usèd for to pen The praise of love and Cupid's peerless power, Will now begin to treat of bloody Mars."

Nor can there be any doubt that the play was written in imitation of Marlowe's Tamburlaine, mention of which occurs in IV. 3. A second part, "when I come to finish up his life," is promised in the Epilogue. That the second part was not written is probably an indication of the failure of the piece. In the Preface to Greene's Perimedes of 29th March 1588, we learn that two "gentlemen poets" had caused two actors to mock Greene's motto, Omne tulit punctum, because his verse fell short of the bombast and blasphemy of Marlowe's early style. It has been suggested that it may have been the verse of Alphonsus that was ridiculed. Certainly it must have been this play, or a lost early play, for it was in drama that the "mighty line" appeared. There is in Peele's Farewell, April 1589, a reference to a piece of mechanism occurring in this play which closely connects it with Marlowe's first play, "Mahomet's Poo and mighty Tamburlaine." This has been discussed in the General Introduction. Greene's play is based distantly on the history of Alphonso I. of Naples and V. of Arragon (1385-1454), though with no pretence to historical accuracy.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

Carinus, the rightful heir to the crown of Arragon.

Alphonsus, his son.

Flaminius, King of Arragon.

Belinus, King of Naples.

Duke of Milan.

Albinius.

Fabius.

Lælius.

Miles.

Amurack, the Great Turk.

Arcastus, King of the Moors.

Claramont, King of Barbary.

Crocon, King of Arabia.

Faustus, King of Babylon.

Bajazet.

Two Priests of Mahomet.

Provost, Soldiers, Janissaries, etc.

Fausta, wife to Amurack.

Iphigena, her daughter.

Medea, an enchantress.

Mahomet (speaking from the Brazen Head).

Venus.

The Nine Muses.

THE COMICAL HISTORY OF ALPHONSUS, KING OF ARRAGON

ACT THE FIRST

PROLOGUE

After you have sounded thrice, let Venus be let down from the top of the stage.

Venus. Poets are scarce, when goddesses themselves Are forc'd to leave their high and stately seats, Plac'd on the top of high Olympus' Mount, To seek them out, to pen their champions' praise. The time hath been when Homer's sugar'd Muse Did make each echo to repeat his verse, That every coward that durst crack a spear, And tilt and tourney for his lady's sake, Was painted out in colours of such price As might become the proudest potentate. But now-a-days so irksome idless' slights, And cursèd charms have witch'd each student's mind, That death it is to any of them all, If that their hands to penning you do call. O Virgil, Virgil, wert thou now alive, Whose painful pen, in stout Augustus' days, Did dain[26] to let the base and silly fly To scape away without thy praise of her, I do not doubt but long or ere this time, Alphonsus' fame unto the heavens should climb; Alphonsus' fame, that man of Jove his seed, Sprung from the loins of the immortal gods, Whose sire, although he habit on the earth, May claim a portion in the fiery pole, As well as any one whate'er he be. But, setting by Alphonsus' power divine, What man alive, or now amongst the ghosts, Could countervail his courage and his strength? But thou art dead, yea, Virgil, thou art gone, And all his acts drown'd in oblivion. And all his acts drown'd in oblivion?[27] No, Venus, no, though poets prove unkind, And loth to stand in penning of his deeds, Yet rather than they shall be clean forgot, I, which was wont to follow Cupid's games Will put in ure[28] Minerva's sacred art; And this my hand, which usèd for to pen The praise of love and Cupid's peerless power, Will now begin to treat of bloody Mars, Of doughty deeds and valiant victories.

Enter Melpomene, Clio, Erato, with their Sisters, playing all upon sundry instruments, Calliope only excepted, who coming last, hangeth down the head, and plays not of her instrument.

But see whereas[29] the stately Muses come, Whose harmony doth very far surpass The heavenly music of Apollo's pipe! But what means this? Melpomene herself With all her sisters sound their instruments, Only excepted fair Calliope, Who, coming last and hanging down her head, Doth plainly show by outward actions What secret sorrow doth torment her heart. [Stands aside. Mel. Calliope, thou which so oft didst crake[30] How that such clients cluster'd to thy court, By thick and threefold, as not any one Of all thy sisters might compare with thee, Where be thy scholars now become, I trow? Where are they vanish'd in such sudden sort, That, while as we do play upon our strings, You stand still lazing, and have naught to do? Clio. Melpomene, make you a why of that? I know full oft you have [in] authors read, The higher tree, the sooner is his fall, And they which first do flourish and bear sway, Upon the sudden vanish clean away. Cal. Mock on apace; my back is broad enough To bear your flouts as many as they be. That year is rare that ne'er feels winter's storms; That tree is fertile which ne'er wanteth fruit; And that same Muse hath heapèd well in store Which never wanteth clients at her door. But yet, my sisters, when the surgent seas Have ebb'd their fill, their waves do rise again, And fill their banks up to the very brims; And when my pipe hath eas'd herself a while, Such store of suitors shall my seat frequent, That you shall see my scholars be not spent. Erato. Spent, quoth you, sister? then we were to blame, If we should say your scholars all were spent: But pray now tell me when your painful pen Will rest enough? Mel. When husbandmen shear hogs. Ven. [coming forward]. Melpomene, Erato,[31] and the rest, From thickest shrubs Dame Venus did espy The mortal hatred which you jointly bear Unto your sister high Calliope. What, do you think if that the tree do bend, It follows therefore that it needs must break? And since her pipe a little while doth rest, It never shall be able for to sound? Yes, Muses, yes, if that she will vouchsafe To entertain Dame Venus in her school, And further me with her instructions, She shall have scholars which will dain to be In any other Muse's company. Cal. Most sacred Venus, do you doubt of that? Calliope would think her three times blest For to receive a goddess in her school, Especially so high an one as you, Which rules the earth, and guides the heavens too. Ven. Then sound your pipes, and let us bend our steps Unto the top of high Parnassus Hill, And there together do our best devoir For to describe Alphonsus' warlike fame, And, in the manner of a comedy, Set down his noble valour presently.

Cal. As Venus wills, so bids Calliope.

Mel. And as you bid, your sisters do agree. [Exeunt.