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Show 110 The Indian Emperour : Or, [Ind. Kjieeling. [The Traxallans retire. x>ns down, [Mont. Kjteels to Cort Ind. O mercy, mercy, atthy ieetwc tall, iring gods deftrovus all: lout thc leaft reply, .odsfilent, ifthey ipeak w e die. Mont. The fierce Traxallans lay their Weapc Son i a our relief is fhown. G.w. Thefe bearded Men, m Shape and Coloui be Like thofe I faw come floating on the Sea. Mont. Patron of Mexico and god oi Wars, Son ofthe Sun, and Brother ofthe Stars. Cort. Great Monarch, your devotion you mitptace. Mom. Thy adions fhown thee born ot Heavenly Race, If then thou art that cruel God whofe Eyes Delightin Bloud, and Humane Sacrifice, Thv dreadful Altars I with Slaves will ftore, And feed thy Noftrils with hot reeking Gore ; Or if that mild and gentle God diou be, W h o doft Mankind below with pity fee, With breath of incenfe I will glad thy Heart: But if like us, of Mortal Seed thou art, Prefent of choiceft Fowls, and Fruits I'll bring, And in m y Realms thou fhalt be more than King. Cort. Monarch of Empires, and deferving more Than thc Sun lees upon your Weitern fhore; Like vou a Man, and hither lead by Fame, Not by conftraint, but by m y choice I came ; Ambaffadour of Peace, if Peace you chute, Or Herald of a W a r if you refute. • j. Mont. Whence or from w h o m doft thou thefe otters bring < Cort. From Charles the Fifth, the Worlds moft potent King. Mont. Some petty Prince, and one of little Fame, For to this hour I never heard his name : The two great Empires ofthe World I know, That of Peru, and this oi Mexico; And fince the Earth none larger does afford, This Charles is fome poor Tributary Lord. Cort. You fpeak of that fmall part of Earth you know. But betwixt us and you wide Oceans flow, And watry defarts offo vaft extent, That paffing hither four full Moons w e fpent. Mont. But fay, what News, what offers doft thou bring From fo remote, and fo unknown a King ? / rafit. Spain's mighty Monarch, to w h o m Heaven thinks fit That all theNations ofthe Earth fubmit, [While Vafquez fpeaks, Cortez fpitt In gracious Clemeiacy, does condefcend the Ladies, and goes to them, en~ On thefe cond itions to become your Friend. tertaining Cydaria with Courtjbij Firft, that of him you fhall your Scepter hold, in dumb Show.'} Next, you prefent him with your ufeiefs Gold : Laft, that you leave thofe Idols you implore, And one true Deity with him adore. Mont. You fpeak your Prince a mighty Emperour, But his demands have fpoke him Proud, and Poor; Heproudly atmy free-born Scepter flies, Yet poorly begs a metal I defpife. Gold thou may'ft take, whatever thou canft find, Save what for facred ufes is defign'd : But, by what right pretends your King to be The Soveraign Lord of all the World and me? Piz. The Soveraign Prieft, • WTho reprefents on Earth the Pow'r of Heaven, Has this your Empire to our Monarch given. nother what is not his own. raft • The Conqueft of Mexico. n Vafq. His Pow'r muft needs unqueftion'd "be below For he in Heaven an Empire can beftow. Mont. Empires in Heaven he with more eafemay give And you perhaps would with lefs thanks receive ; ' But Heaven has need of no fuch Viceroy here, It felf beftows the Crowns that Monarchs wear. Piz. You wrong his p W e r as you miftake our end. W h o came thus far Religion to extend. Mont. He who Religion truly underftands, Ksows its extent muft be in Men, not Lands.' Odm. But w h o are thofe that truth muft propagate Within the confines of m y Father's State ? Vafq. Religious Men, 'who hither muft be fent As awful Guides of Heavenly Government; T o teach you Penance, Faff, and Abftincnce, T o punifh Bodies for the Souls offence. Mont. Cheaply you fin, and punifh crimes with eafe, Not as th' offended, but th' offenders pleafe. Firft injure Heaven, and when its wrath is due, Your felves prefcribe it how to punifh you. Odm. What numbers of thefe Holy M e n muft come ? Piz. You fhall not Want, each Village fhall have fome; W h o , though the Royal Dignity they o wn Are equal to it and depend on none. Guy. Depend on none ! You treat them fure in ftate, For'tis their plenty does their Pride create. Mont. Thofe ghoftly Kings would parcel out m y Pow'r, And all the fatnefs of m y Land devour ; That Monarch fits not lately on his Throne, W h o bears, within, a power that fliocks his own. They teach Obedience to Imperial fway, But think it fin if they themfelves obey. Vafq. It feems then our Religion you accufev And peaceful Homage to our King refufe. Mont. Your Gods I flight not, but will keep m y own, M y Grown is abfolute, and holds of none; [ cannot in a bafe fubjection live, Nor fufter you to take, though I would give. Cort. Is this your Anfwer, Sir ? Mont -This as a Prince, Bound to m y Peoples and m y Crowns defence, I muft return, but, as a M a n by you He'deem'd from Death, all gratitude is due. Cort. It was an Aft m y Honour bound m e to> But what I did were I again to do, I could not do it on m y Honours feore, For Love would now-oblige m e to do more.] Is no way left that w e may yet agree ? Muft I have War, yet have no Ertemy ? Vafq. He has refus'd all terms of Peace to take. Mont.S'mce w e muft figlit,hearHeavens,whatPrayers I make, Firft, to preferve this Ancient State and nic, But if your doom the fall of both decree, Grant only he w h o has fuch honour fhown, W h e n I a m duft, may fill m y empty Throne. Cort. T o make m e happier tlian that wifh can do, Lies not in all your gods to grant, but you ; Let this fairPrincefs but one minute ftay, A look from her wiH your Obligements pay. [Exeunt Montezuma, Odmar, Guyomar, Orbellan, Almeria, and Alibech, Mont, to Cyd.~] Your duty in your quick return be fhown. Stay you, and wait m y Daughter to the Town. [To his Guards. [Cydaria is going, but turns and looks back upon Cortez, w'wis looking on htr alt this while. • |