Produced by Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders
THE WORKS OF APHRA BEHN
VOL. II
EDITED BY
MONTAGUE SUMMERS
CONTENTS
ABDELAZER; OR, THE MOOR’S REVENGETHE YOUNG KING; OR, THE MISTAKETHE CITY HEIRESS; OR, SIR TIMOTHY TREAT-ALLTHE FEIGN’D CURTEZANS; OR, A NIGHT’S INTRIGUENOTES
ABDELAZER; OR, THE MOOR’S REVENGE.
ARGUMENT.
The old King of Spain, having conquered Fez and killed the Moorishmonarch, has taken the orphaned prince Abdelazer under his protection andin time made him General. Abdelazer, though always courageous, has thedesire of revenge ever uppermost, and to gain influence, rather than fromany love, he becomes the Queen’s paramour. She, being a lustful andwicked woman, joins with the Moor in poisoning her husband, at whosedeath Philip, her second son, newly returned victor from a martialexpedition, leaving his army at some distance, rushes in mad with rageand publicly accuses his mother of adultery with Abdelazer. She isgreatly incensed, but Cardinal Mendozo, as Protector of the King,promptly banishes her gallant. The young King Ferdinand, however, toplease Florella, the Moor’s wife, whom he loves, revokes this decree.Abdelazer, in revenge, next orders his native officer Osmin to killPhilip and the Cardinal. They escape by night disguised as monks, whilstAbdelazer alarms the castle with cries of treason and tells the King thatPhilip and the Cardinal are plotting to murder him. Ferdinand ordersAbdelazer to follow them, intending to visit Florella during herhusband’s absence. Abdelazer, fully aware of his plan, out of prideand mischief furnishes Florella with a dagger, bidding her stab theKing if he persists in his suit. Elvira, the Queen Mother’s confidante,Watches the King enter Florella’s apartment and conveys the news to herMistress who, with dissembled reluctance, informs Alonzo, the Moor’sbrother-in-law. Florella resists the King’s solicitations and producesthe dagger threatening to stab herself. At this juncture the Queen rushesin and, feigning to think that Florella was about to attempt the King’slife, kills her. Her motive for this deed is, in reality, jealousy.Whilst the King falls weeping at his dead mistress’ feet Abdelazer enters,and in the ensuing fight Ferdinand is slain. Philip is then proclaimedKing, but Abdelazer announcing he is a bastard, an avowal backed by theQueen, declares himself Protector of Spain, Overpowered by his following,The lords accept him. Alonzo, however, flies to Philip’s camp with thetidings. A battle between the two parties follows, but the Queentreacherously detaches Mendozo, who loves her, from Philip, and althoughthe Moors are at first beaten back they now gain the advantage and Philipis captured. At a general assembly of the nobles the Queen relates thefalse tale of Philip’s illegitimacy and asserts that the Cardinal is hisfather. She privately bids Mendozo acknowledge this and so gain thecrown, but he refuses to support the lie and is promptly arrested as atraitor. Abdelazer now brings forward the Infanta Leonora and proclaimsher Queen of Spain, He next disposes of the Queen Mother by biddingRoderigo, a creature of his own, assassinate her forthwith. Roderigogains admittance disguised as a friar and stabs her, upon whichAbdelazer, to screen himself, rushes in and cuts him down. He next openlydeclares his love for Leonora and is about to force her when Osmin, hisofficer, enters to inform him that Alonzo, to whom Leonora is affianced,has resisted arrest but is at last secured. Abdelazer, enraged at the