Chapter 27Scene 7

The Palace in Bassora. Ibn Sawy, Ameena, Nureddene, Anice, Doonya, Ajebe. IBN SAWY End, end embraces; they will last our life. Thou dearest cause at once of all our woes And their sweet ender! Cherish her, Nureddene, Who saved thy soul and body. NUREDDENE Surely I’ll cherish My heart’s queen! ANICE Only your slavegirl. DOONYA You’ve got a King, You lucky child! But I have only a Turk, A blustering, bold and Caliph-murdering Turk Who writes me silly letters, stabs my lovers When they would run away with me, and makes A general Turkish nuisance of himself. ’Tis hard. Sultan of Bassora, great Sultan, Grave high and mighty Nureddene! thy sister And subject — NUREDDENE Doonya, it is not Faeryland.

Act V, Scene 7 DOONYA It is, it is, and Anice here its queen. O faery King of faery Bassora, Do make a General of my general nuisance. I long to be my lady Generaless Of faeryland, and ride about and charge At thorns and thistles with a churning-stick, With Balkis and Mymoona for my captains — They’re very martial, King, bold swashing fighters! — NUREDDENE Ajebe our Treasurer. AJEBE To ruin you again? NUREDDENE We’ll have Shaikh Ibrahim for Lord High Humbug Of all our faeryland; shall we not, Anice? AMEENA What nonsense, children! You a Sultan, child! NUREDDENE Your Sultan, mother, as I ever was. IBN SAWY Let happiness flow out in smiles. Our griefs Are ended and we cluster round our King. The Caliph! Enter Haroun, Jaafar, Murad, Sunjar, Guards with Alzayni and Almuene. The peace, Commander of the Faithful! HAROUN Noble Alfazzal, sit. Sit all of you. This is the thing that does my heart most good, To watch these kind and happy looks and know

The Viziers of Bassora Myself for cause. Therefore I sit enthroned, Allah’s Vicegerent, to put down all evil And pluck the virtuous out of danger’s hand. Fit work for Kings! not merely the high crown And marching armies and superber ease. Sunjar, Murad and Ajebe, you your King Can best reward. But, Ajebe, in thy house Where thou art Sultan, those reward who well Deserve it. AJEBE They shall be my household queens, Enthroned upon my either hand. HAROUN ’Tis well. Sultan Alzayni, not within my realm Shall Kings like thee bear rule. Great though thy crimes, I will not honour thee with imitation, To slay unheard. Thou shalt have judgment, King. But for thy Vizier here, his crimes are open And loudly they proclaim themselves. ALMUENE Lord, spare me. HAROUN For some offences God has punished thee. Shall I, His great Vicegerent, spare? Young King Of Bassora, to thee I leave thy enemy. ALMUENE I did according to my blood and nurture, Do thou as much. NUREDDENE He has beguiled me, Caliph. I cannot now pronounce his doom.

Act V, Scene 7 HAROUN Then I will. Death at this moment! And his house and fortune Are to thy father due. Take him and slay. Exeunt Guards with Almuene. Let not his sad and guiltless wife be engulfed In his swift ruin. Virtuous Alfazzal, — IBN SAWY She is my wife’s dear sister and my home Is hers; my children will replace her son. HAROUN All then is well. Anice, you’re satisfied? I never was so scared in all my life As when you rose against me. ANICE Pardon me! HAROUN Fair children, worthy of each other’s love And beauty! till the Sunderer comes who parts All wedded hands, take your delights on earth, And afterwards in heaven. Meanwhile remember That life is grave and earnest under its smiles, And we too with a wary gaiety Should walk its roads, praying that if we stumble, The All-Merciful may bear our footing up In His strong hand, showing the Father’s face And not the stern and dreadful Judge. Farewell. I go to Roman wars. With you the peace! IBN SAWY Peace with thee, just and mighty Caliph, peace. Curtain