_Alphon._ Pagan, I say thou greatly art deceiv'd: I clap up Fortune in a cage of gold, To make her turn her wheel as I think best; And as for Mars whom you do say will change, He moping sits behind the kitchen-door, Prest at command of every scullion's mouth, Who dares not stir, nor once to move a whit, For fear Alphonsus then should stomach it.
_Amu._ Blasp-hém-ous dog, I wonder that the earth Doth cease from renting underneath thy feet, To swallow up that canker'd corpse of thine. I muse that Jove can bridle so his ire As, when he hears his brother so misus'd, He can refrain from sending thunderbolts By thick and threefold, to revenge his wrong. Mars fight for me, and fortune be my guide! And I'll be victor, whatsome'er betide.
_Albi._ Pray loud enough,[49] lest that you pray in vain: Perhaps God Mars and Fortune are asleep.
_Amu._ An Mars lies slumbering on his downy bed, Yet do not think but that the power we have, Without the help of those celestial gods, Will be sufficient, yea, with small ado, Alphonsus' straggling army to subdue.
_Læli._ You had need as then to call for Mahomet, With hellish hags to perform the same.
_Faustus._ High Amurack, I wonder what you mean, That, when you may, with little toil or none, Compel these dogs to keep their tongues in peace, You let them stand still barking in this sort: Believe me, sovereign, I do blush to see These beggar's brats to chat so frolicly.
_Alphon._ How now, sir boy! Let Amurack himself, Or any he, the proudest of you all, But offer once for to unsheath his sword, If that he dares, for all the power you have.
_Amu._ What, dar'st thou us? myself will venture it.-- To arms, my mate!
[AMURACK _draws his sword_; ALPHONSUS _and all the other_ Kings _draw theirs. Alarum;_ AMURACK _and his company fly, followed by_ ALPHONSUS _and his company._
_Venus._ Fierce is the fight, and bloody is the broil. No sooner had the roaring cannon shot Spit forth the venom of their firèd paunch, And with their pellets sent such troops of souls Down to the bottom of the dark Avern, As that it cover'd all the Stygian fields; But, on a sudden, all the men-at-arms, Which mounted were on lusty coursers' backs, Did rush together with so great a noise As that I thought the giants one time more Did scale the heavens, as erst they did before. Long time dame Fortune temper'd so her wheel As that there was no vantage to be seen On any side, but equal was the gain; But at the length, so God and Fates decreed, Alphonsus was the victor of the field, And Amurack became his prisoner; Who so remain'd, until his daughter came, And by her marrying did his pardon frame. [_Exit._