Ant. Now you see what comes of your foolish qualms of conscience; the jewels are lost, and they are all leaving you.

Must. What, am I forsaken of my subjects?  Would the rogue purloin my liege people from me!—­I charge you, in my own name, come back, ye deserters, and hear me speak.

1 Rabble. What, will he come with his balderdash, after the Mufti’s eloquent oration?

2 Rabble. He’s our captain, lawfully picked up, and elected upon a stall; we will hear him.

Omnes. Speak, captain, for we will hear you.

Must. Do you remember the glorious rapines and robberies you have committed?  Your breaking open and gutting of houses, your rummaging of cellars, your demolishing of Christian temples, and bearing off, in triumph, the superstitious plate and pictures, the ornaments of their wicked altars, when all rich moveables were sentenced for idolatrous, and all that was idolatrous was seized?  Answer first, for your remembrance of all these sweetnesses of mutiny; for upon those grounds I shall proceed.

Omnes. Yes, we do remember, we do remember.

Must. Then make much of your retentive faculties.—­And who led you to those honey-combs?  Your Mufti?  No, believers; he only preached you up to it, but durst not lead you:  He was but your counsellor, but I was your captain; he only looed you, but, ’twas I that led you.

Omnes. That’s true, that’s true.

Ant. There you were with him for his figures.

Must. I think I was, slave Antonio.  Alas, I was ignorant of my own talent!—­Say then, believers, will you have a captain for your Mufti, or a Mufti for your captain?  And, further, to instruct you how to cry, will you have A mufti, or No mufti?

Omnes. No Mufti, no Mufti!

Must. That I laid in for them, slave Antonio—­Do I then spit upon your faces?  Do I discourage rebellion, mutiny, rapine, and plundering?  You may think I do, believers; but, heaven forbid!  No, I encourage you to all these laudable undertakings; you shall plunder, you shall pull down the government; but you shall do this upon my authority, and not by his wicked instigation.

3 Rabble. Nay, when his turn is served, he may preach up loyalty again, and restitution, that he might have another snack among us.

1 Rabble. He may indeed; for it is but his saying it is sin, and then we must restore; and therefore I would have a new religion, where half the commandments should be taken away, the rest mollified, and there should be little or no sin remaining.

Omnes. Another religion, a new religion, another religion!

Must. And that may easily be done, with the help of a little inspiration; for I must tell you, I have a pigeon at home, of Mahomet’s own breed; and when I have learnt her to pick pease out of my ear, rest satisfied till then, and you shall have another.  But, now I think on’t, I am inspired already, that ’tis no sin to depose the Mufti.