 | The raging Tvrke, or Baiazet the second |  |
Scena Septima.
Enter Mesithes, Mustapha, Isaack.Mesith.
The Emperour begins to smell deceit.
I know by his ill lookes and sparkling eye
That he affects vs not.
Musta.
I doubt as much.
Young Selymus ha's wrong'd our loyalty
In his so slack proceedings; we were rash
And indiscreetly-forward in consent,
When we ioyn'd on to raise his gouernment.
Isaack.
Peace, 'tis too late to chide at what is done,
We haue so deepely waded in the streames
Of those procellous plots, nor can reuoke
Repentant footsteps, or securely creepe
Back to the Throne of safety, 'tis now good
To venture on, and swim quite through the flood.
Here comes the Emperour.
Enter Bajazet and Asmehemedes.
Baia.
Attend vs Bassaes.
Ar't sure hee's dead?
Asm.
Mahometes is dead.
There's nothing mouing of him but his soule,
And that robd of his body by this hand.
Baia.
Enough. That soule reuiues to see him dead
That wrong'd the body; Oh! my bloudy heart,
Must in his frenzy act an horrid part.
Follow thy Prince to hell.
Stabs him.
Asmeh.
To death! Oh deuillish ingratitude:
Moritur.
Baia.
And iustly: would each foe
And Traytor to my state were thwarted so.
Bassaes conuay this hated body hence,
The sight of that damn'd villaine moues offence:
They carry him out.
Now pause a while my soule, and reckon vp
What obstacles are yet to be remou'd?
Achomates must stay the peoples leasure.
Corcutus dally with Mineruaes Nimphes.
The last and worst, proud Selymus shall dye.
Thus I'le compose a firme security.
Enter Bassaes with Cherseogles.
Baia.
Arriu'd already noble Cherseogles?
You'r carefull in our cause: but speake the newes
From our pert Souldier. What meanes Selymus?
Cherseo.
To track the path backward from whence he came,
To strip himselfe of martiall ornaments,
And to fill vp the duty of a Sonne,
Come visite you in low submission.
Baia.
These are too fairely promis'd, to be meant,
Ambition hath already chain'd his soule
Too surely in the captiue bonds of pride,
Then that he now should cloath his stately hopes
In the plaine sordid weedes of penitence,
He doth but varnish o're some treacherous plot
In this smooth answere: come, wee'le leade along
To our Imperiall seat of Constantine,
That strongly fortified, we need not feare
The weake attempts an home-bred foe can dare.
Exeunt Bajazet and Cherseogles.
Mesith.
Ha! we are sweetly plung'd, if cold despaire
Benumme his youthfull courage, and he faint,
Mustaph.
VVould I were fairely rid of all these cares,
Isaack.
Dejected Cowards: are you not asham'd
Thus to giue vp the goale of dignity
To heartlesse feare? Here comes the Messenger.
VVhat newes from Selymus?
Messen.
Euen nothing certaine:
As soone as I.
Mesith.
I'st euen so?
Musta.
We are quite dash't—vndone.
Isaacke
Lift vp your downe-cast spirits—who comes here?
Mesith.
Who? Selymus?
Enter Selymus.
Musta.
Where? sweete Isaack doe not tell him,
That we were sending forth faith's latest breath.
Isaac.
Enough, I will not—happy Selymus.
Bassaes.
Long liue great Selymus.
Sely.
We thanke you friends:
Your care hath fostered vp our infant hopes
Beyond the pitch of expectation.
We heare that Baiazet is going now
From hence to Constantinople; my men
Lie closely ambusht in the middle way,
Close by a ruinous city, there expect
A sudden on-set, but till then farewell.
When we meete next, our ensignes wau'd on high,
Shall shine like Meteors blazing in the skie.
Exit.
Isaac
Fortunes best care goe with thee.
Mesith.
Braue boy y'faith.
Musta.
I shall adore him whilest I breath for this.
Isaac
Againe in heart?
Let's follow Baiazet, come lads away,
The sunne of all his glory sets this day.
Exeunt
Enter Selymus with souldiers.
Selym.
Come on the honored youth of Tartary,
My brothers and joynt sharers of my woe,
Draw forth the weapons of inflam'd reuenge,
Against this horrid monsters Tyranny;
I seeme like Romes great Cæsar, when opprest
With Pompeys grating malice he led forth
His noble French-men through the snowy Alpes,
I haue my Curio Isaacke in the Court,
And Cherseogles like grim Catoes ghost,
Soothes the rough humour of fierce Baiazet,
These mens examples, were we faint and loath
And whet our dull-eged anger: but I see
In your smooth brow perfect alacrity;
We stand to thwart the passage of a feind,
Through whose wide yawning throat hath coasted downe.
The blood of Princes, in continuall streames,
Ha's fed and pampered vp his appetite
With the abhor'd destruction of his owne,
And glutted on the blood of innocents.
Stood wee like marble statues in his way,
And had no vse of policy and wit,
Our Irefull Prophet Mahomet would send
Sence, life, and valour through our stony joynts,
That we might ruinate this gastly bore,
Made by some hellish fury to confound
The order of this wondred Vniuerse.
Ile grapple with the monster, hee's at hand,
If you stand firme, the Common Wealth may bee,
A slaue to Baiazet, but Ile liue free.
Enter Baiazet, Cherseogles, Isaack, Mesithes, Mustapha.
Baia.
No Drumme nor Trumpet hath disturb'd the ayre,
Within the reach of mine attention.
Isaac.
And I admire it, 'twere a miracle
If that ambitious boy intend no harme.
Omnes.
What noyse is that?
A confused noyse of exclamation within, arme, arme, arme.
Soldiers.
Helpe Baiazet, the vauntgard's almost slaine,
The Tartars lay in ambush.
Baia.
What? so neere?
Set vp our standard, Ile giue battell here,
Hang out defiance, scorne, and proud contempt,
Write in the blood-red colours of your plumes,
Summon our Army
Enter a drum
From these skirmishes,
Speake out the traitors doome in thine alarmes.
Drum sounds. Enter souldiers seuerally, dropping in sweating, as from fight.
Valiant souldiers;
When I behold the manner of this warre
Then treason copes with awfull Majestie,
A gracelesse sonne, with his owne aged Sire,
Me thinks to bid you fight, were full as vaine
As to bid heauy clouds fall downe in raine:
But when I view the Chaos of the field,
And wild confusion striking valour dead,
I cald you, not (as Captaines doe to boyes)
To read a lecture of encouragement,
But that your auncient vertue may be showne
In this my last defence: I wish to dye
Reueng'd, that death sorts best with Majesty,
Drums sounding, A confused noyse, with clashing of armour. Exeurrunt Baiazet, and Selymus.
Baia.
Selymus?
Selym.
Baiazet?
Baiaz.
Joue lend me but a minutes patience.
Vnnaturall sonne.
Selym.
Vncharitable Father.
Baia.
Father? My sword shall hew that title off,
And cut in twaine kindreds continued line,
By which thou canst deriue thy blood from mine.
Abortiue monster—thou first breath of sinne,
We had but slender shaddowes of offence,
Till thou creptst forth to the offended light,
The very masse, and stocke of villanie.
Crimes in all others, are but thy influence.
Nature ha's planted viprous crueltie,
In thy darke breast, the scandall of her workes
Her error, and extract perfection
Of vices; the first well-head of bad things
From whence the world of ills draw their weake springs,
Then heare me speake too: you haue bin to me
No Father, but a sowre Pedanticke wretch,
One that with frosty precepts, striu'd to kill
The flaming heate of my ambitious youth,
As vainely as to strangle fire with straw:
You sit so dayly houering on your Throne,
As if you'd hatch new Monarchies to feed
The hungry gulfe of your vnbridled pride,
Y'aue surfetted on titles, y'aue ingrost
Honor, you are the moth of eminence,
And liberall fortunes answered your desires;
You had deflow'rd th'infinitie of Crownes,
With your adulterate ambition,
Y'are Soveraignties horse-leach, and haue spild
The blood of State, to haue your owne veines fild.
Baia.
Hold, hold thy venom'd tongue, if there be hid
More of this kind vn-vttred, Ile rip vp
Thy full fraught bosome, and to saue mine eare
Mine eyes shall ouerview what I'le not heare.
Darst thou fight Traitor?
Selym.
Dare I be cal'd a King?
Dare I vnsheath my sword, or gather might?
If I dare ought of these, I dare to fight.
Baia.
Guard thee, I'de not omit the sweete desire
And pleasure of revenge, were heauen my hyre.
They fight, Selymus is beaten off, Baiazet pursues, re-enters at another doore.
The slaue has scapt the power of my wrath,
Midst the disseuer'd troups of scattered foes
I lost him in a smoky cloud of dust,
So thicke as if the tender Queene of loue,
Had wrapt her brat Æneas from my sight.
Enter Isaacke, Mesithes, Mustapha.
Isaack
Ioy to my Liege, of his last victory.
Mesith.
The bold Tartarians flew like fearefull Harts
Before the hunters rage.
So let them fly;
Heaven raine downe vengeance on their cursed heads;
It is our honour that the frighted slaues
Enter a dwarffe
Owe their liues deerest safeties to their heeles.
How now, whence come you?
Dwar.
From yonder hayricke Sir.
Baia.
Didst thou see Selymus when he fled the field?
Dwar.
No indeed, I was two farre crept in.
Baia.
O you are braue attendants.
Let's forward in our journey; these affaires
Achomates must know, his golden wish,
The people haue delayd, perhaps heele frowne,
And trample filiall duty vnder feete
As this hath done: but let them storme their fill
Vertu's not shipwrackt in a sea of ill.
| The raging Tvrke, or Baiazet the second | |