The Works of Aphra Behn, Volume 2 | Page 2

at the interruption, wounds Osmin in
the arm. Leonora pities the blow; and the Moorish soldier, deeply hurt
at the insult, resolves to betray his master. He accordingly goes to the
prison where Philip, the Cardinal, and Alonzo are confined, and killing
his fellow Zarrack who was to have been their executioner, sets them
free. When Abdelazer enters he finds himself entrapped. He glories,
however, in his crimes, and as they set on him kills Osmin, himself
falling dead in the mêleé. The Cardinal is forgiven, Leonora and
Alonzo are united, whilst Philip ascends the throne.

SOURCE.
Abdelazer; or, the Moor's Revenge is an alteration of the robustious
Lust's Dominion; or, the Lascivious Queen, printed 12mo, 1657, and
then attributed to Marlowe, who was certainly not the author. It is now
generally identified with The Spanish Moor's Tragedy by Dekker
(Haughton and Day, 1600), although, as Fleay justly says, there is 'an
under-current of pre-Shakespearean work' unlike either Dekker or Day.
There are marked crudities of form and a rough conduct of plot which
stamp it as of very early origin. Probably it was emended and pruned
by the three collaborators.
Although often keeping close to her original, Mrs. Behn has dealt with
the somewhat rude material in a very apt and masterly way: she has, to
advantage, omitted the old King, Emanuel, King of Portugal, Alvero,
father to Maria (Florella), and the two farcical friars, Crab and Cole;
she adds Elvira, and whereas in Lust's Dominion the Queen at the

conclusion is left alive, declaiming:--
'I'll fly unto some solitary residence When I'll spin out the remnant of
my life In true contrition for my past offences.'--
Mrs. Behn far more dramatically kills her Isabella. Perhaps the famous
assassination of Henri III of France by the Dominican, Jacques
Clement, gave a hint for Roderigo masqued as a monk.
The sexual passion, the predominance of which in this tragedy a recent
critic has not a little carpingly condemned, is entirely natural in such
an untamed savage as Abdelazer, whilst history affords many a parallel
to the lascivious Queen.

THEATRICAL HISTORY.
Abdelazer; or, The Moor's Revenge was first produced at the Duke's
Theatre in Dorset Garden during the late autumn of 1677. It was
supported by a strong cast, and Betterton, whose Othello,
Steele--writing exquisitely in the Tatler--seems to have considered
artistically quite perfect, was no doubt n wonderful representative of
the ferocious Afric. The effective rôle of Queen Isabella fell to Mrs.
Mary Lee, the first tragedienne of the day, Mrs. Marshall, the leading
lady of the King's Company, having at this time just retired from the
stage. [Footnote: Her last rôle was Berenice in Crowne's heroic
tragedy, The Destruction of Jerusalem (1677).] It is interesting to
notice that Mrs. Barry on her way to fame played the secondary part of
Leonora.
Abdelazer seems to have met with good success, and on Easter Monday,
April, 1695, the patentees, after the secession of Betterton, Mrs. Barry,
Mrs. Bracegirdle and their following to Lincoln's Inn Fields, chose the
tragedy to reopen Drury Lane. The Moor was played by George Powell,
a vigorous and passionate actor, who also spoke a new prologue
written for the nonce by Cibber, then a mere struggler in the ranks.
Colley's verses were accepted at the eleventh hour in default of better,

and he tells us how chagrined he was not to be allowed to deliver them
in person. The house was very full the first day, but on the morrow it
was empty, probably owing to the inexperience of many of the actors
and a too hasty rehearsing of the play.
On the stage Abdelazer was superseded by Edward Young's The
Revenge, a tragedy largely borrowed in theme and design from Mrs.
Behn, with reminiscences of Othello. Produced at Drury Lane, 18 April,
1721, with Mills, Booth, Wilks, Mrs. Porter and Mrs. Horton in the cast,
it attained considerable success, and Zanga, the Moor, was long a
favourite part with our greatest actors even down to the days of Kean,
who excelled in it, and Macready. The Revenge is not without merit,
and it stands out well before the lean and arid tragedies of its time, but
this, unfortunately, is not much to say. It is not for a moment to be
compared with the magnificent tapestry of Abdelazer, woven though
the latter may be in colours strong and daring.

ABDELAZER; or, The Moor's Revenge.

PROLOGUE.
Gallants, you have so long been absent hence, That you have almost
cool'd your Diligence; For while we study or revive a Play, You, like
good Husbands, in the Country stay, There frugally wear out your
Summer Suit, And in Prize Jerkin after Beagles toot; Or, in
Montero-Caps, at Feldfares shoot. Nay, some are so obdurate in their
Sin,