Chapter XXIV: Prologue

Almighty critics! whom our Indians here Worship, just as they do the devil--for fear; In reverence to your power, I come this day, To give you timely warning of our play. The scenes are old, the habits are the same We wore last year, before the Spaniards came[A]. Now, if you stay, the blood, that shall be shed From this poor play, be all upon your head. We neither promise you one dance, or show; Then plot, and language, they are wanting too: But you, kind wits, will those light faults excuse, Those are the common frailties of the muse; Which, who observes, he buys his place too dear; For 'tis your business to be cozened here. These wretched spies of wit must then confess, They take more pains to please themselves the less. Grant us such judges, Phoebus, we request, As still mistake themselves into a jest; Such easy judges, that our poet may Himself admire the fortune of his play; And, arrogantly, as his fellows do, Think he writes well, because he pleases you. This he conceives not hard to bring about, If all of you would join to help him out: Would each man take but what he understands, And leave the rest upon the poet's hands.

[Footnote A: Alluding to the Indian Queen, in which the scene is laid before the arrival of the Spaniards in America, and which was acted in 1664, as this was in 1665.]

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

INDIAN MEN.

MONTEZUMA, _Emperor of Mexico_. ODMAR, _his eldest son_. GUYOMAR, _his younger son_. ORBELLAN, _son of the late Indian Queen by TRAXALLA_. _High Priest of the Sun_.

WOMEN.

CYDARIA, _MONTEZUMA'S daughter_. ALMERIA, } _Sisters; and daughters to the late_ ALIBECH, } _Indian Queen_.

SPANIARDS.

CORTEZ, _the Spanish General_. VASQUEZ, } _Commanders under him_. PIZARRO, }

SCENE--_Mexico, and two leagues about it_.

THE INDIAN EMPEROR.