 | The Covragiovs Tvrke, or, Amvrath the First |  |
Scæna 4.
Enter Aladin as flying, an arrow through his arme, wounded in his forehead, his shield stacke with darts: with him two Nobles.Alad.
Besieged on every side? Iconium taken?
Entrencht within my foes my selfe must lye
Wrapt in my Cities ruine! Turkes come on!
1. Nob.
Nay but my Lord, meane you to meet your death?
Let's hast our flight, and trust more to our feet
Then words, or hands—
Alad.
Why, so much of our bloud
Is already spilt, as should the glittering Sunne
Exhale it upward, 'twould obnubulate
It's luster, else to fiery Meteors turne.
Some councell (Lords) he that's amidst the Sea,
When every curled wave doth threat his death
Yet trusts upon the oares of his owne armes,
And sometimes the salt fome doth pitty him,
A Wolfe, or Lyon, that hath fild his gorge
With bloudy prey, at last will lye to sleepe,
And the unnaturalst creatures not forget
Their love to those whom they do know their own!
My wife's his Daughter; since we cannot stand
His fury longer, she shall savage his wrath.
The boysterous Ocean when as no winds oppose,
Growth's calme revenge is lost, when't hath no foes.
Why then (my Lord) array your selfe in weeds,
Of a Petitioner: take the Queene along,
And your two children; they may move his eyes;
For, desperate sores aske desperate remedies.
Alad:
Goe (Lords) goe: fetch some straight. O Heavens!
O fortune they that leane on thy crackt wheele,
And trust a Kingdomes power, and domineere
In a wall'd Pallace, let them looke on me,
And thee (Carmania) greater instances
The world affords not to demonstrate
The fraile estate of proudest Potentates,
Of sturdiest Monarchies: high Pinacles
Are still invaded with the prouder winds;
They must endure the threats of every blast;
The tops of Caucasus and Pindus shake,
With every cracke of thunder; humble Vaults
Are nere toucht with a bolt, ambiguous wings
Hath all the state, that hovers over Kings.
Enter the 2. Nobles with a winding sheet, Aladin puts it on.
I, I, this vesture fits my miserie!
This badge of poverty must now prevaile,
Where all my Kingdomes power & strength doth faile,
Why should not a propheticke soule attend
On great mens persons, and forewarne their ils?
Raging Bootes doth not so turmoile
The Lybian ford, as Fortune doth great hearts.
Bestona and Erynnis scourge us on;
Should wars and treasons cease, why our owne weight
Would send us to the Earth; as spreading armes
Make the huge trees in tempest for to split.
For as the slaughter-man to pasture goes,
And drags that Oxe home first, whose Bulke is greatest,
The leane he still lets feed: disease takes hold
On bodies that are pampered with best fare;
So doth all ruine chuse the fairest markes:
At which it bends, and strikes it full of shafts,
Ambition made me now that eminent but:
And I that fell by mine owne strength, must rise
Whilst empty ones dance ith' ayre, and cannot drowne.
Come (Lords) he out of's way can never range,
Who is at furthest! worst nere finds ill change.
| The Covragiovs Tvrke, or, Amvrath the First | |