University of Virginia Library

Scena quinta.

Enter Baiazet and Corcutus.
Corcut.
Would I had slept with Trizham; and that hand
That strangled Mahomet, had stopt my breath,
Rather then liue to see my selfe thus wrong'd.

Baia.
Despaire not sweet Corcutus, what I promis'd
I'le keepe most true, and here againe I vow
When I am dead, this honour to thy brow.
I haue call'd home that rebell Selymus,
Onely to tame a Traytor: And that done,
We haue no other heire, no other sonne
Beside Corcutus, to whose free command
VVe doe bequeath the duty of this land.
Enter Mesithes and Mustapha.
Is Isaack not return'd?

Mesith.
My Liege he is.

Mustaph.
And Selymus with him.

Enter Selymus and Isaack, as they enter speake.
Baia.
Let them approach.

Isa.
Let your high spirit shrink below it selfe
In a dissembled shew of penitence.

Selym.
Tush I can bow, as if my ioynts were old,
And tumble at his feet.

Isaack.
Practise your skill.

Selymus falls at Bajazets feet.
Baiaz.
Lesse shew, and more good meaning Selymus.
Arise: these crouching feates, giue slender proofes
Of inward loyalty.

Selym.
Right noble Father,
Mine expedition to auenge your cause
Vpon the head of proud Achomates,
Be my iust triall.

Baia.
Hast then: May thy arme
By breathlesse treason raise vp a full ioy,
And turne that monster back vnto the earth
From whence it leapt, a most prodigious birth.

Selym.
VVe flie to the performance; who both dare
And will correct his boldnesse: now we tread
The path to honour, and me thinkes I heare
The peoples Viuat, Eccho in mine eare.

Exit Selymus with the Bassaes.
Baia.
New insolence: The Bassaes slipt away,
How the obsequious villaines
As if he were their Godhead.

Cherseo.
I suspect
Some plotted mischiefe, else they durst not leaue
Your person thus vnguarded.

Baia.
Plot and hang.
We weigh not all their treasons at a straw,
One must not rule too long, 'tis subiects law.

Exeunt.
Passe ouer the stage Bassaes and Souldiers carrying Selymus aloft, and crying out
Long liue Selymus, Viuat Selymus,
Magnificent Emperour of the Turkes.

Exeunt.
Enter Bajazet and Cherseogles.
Baia.
Hell and the furies vex their damned soules.
What people? Hah? what Nation is't we liue in?
Is't our State and Monarchy? good gods
Two Emperours at once. Liue Selymus?
Can slauish vassailes thus supplant their Prince?
What's this enshrines my head? a type for fooles
To fleare at a diuided ornament:
Faile not my sense and courage, let me liue
To finde my selfe againe. Vize-roy of Greece,
Didst thou not see a Baiazet withdraw
And vanish hence? tell thou most faithfull man,
What is become of that forgetfull name?
Or who hath stole it from me? Selymus
Oh that damn'd villaine with his treacherous plot,
Hath rob'd me of that glory. Death a sense
If t'haue a soule of Adamant or Steele,
Else had that hated noise reft it in twaine:
What art thou? or whence com'st thou?

Enter Mesithes.
Mesith.
From a Prince.

Baia.
Yet I beleeue thee.

Mesith.
From thine enemie.

Baia.
Yet I beleeue thee.

Mesith.
From the Emperour.

Baiaz.
And I beleeue thee still; yet slaue thou liest,
These parts must know no Emperour but me,
Vnlesse base vsurpation hath stept-vp
Vnto my chaire of honour. Right, 'tis so:
'Tis so indeede. Well then, what will your Emperour?

Mesith.
That by my hand you yeeld him vp his crowne!

Baiaz.
Traytor his crowne? so: now I am resolu'd.
I haue forgone my selfe, else had this hand
Tore out thy spotted heart, and that one word
Of yeelding had beene cause enough to spoyle
Thee and thy generation. Heartlesse slaue,
Why sneak'st thou from our presence? stay, behold
Here I commend this gorgeous ornament,
These trappings to thy Emperour, as full
Bestead with curses as my heart with woes,
That it may clogge his eares, and vex his head
With daily terrours. Hence thy Prince is sped.
Exit Mesith.
Vize-roy of Greece, to thee our last farewell,
Thou worthiest truest best deseruing man,
That euer made vs happy: if thy faith
Respect me, not my fortune, Deo this charge,
Fly to Achomates, and rather ayde
Him then this faithlesse Bastard Selymus,
The scandall of our race, the marke for heauen
To shoote reuenge. But all in vaine,
I striue to word away my inward paine.

Cherseo.
Nor this nor that I'le fauour, may I speed
Baiazet shall liue to see both bleed.

Exit.
Baia.
Maske vp thy brightnesse Phœbus, louely night,
Hurle thy thick mantle ouer all the heauens,
Let this black day for euer be forgot
In the eternall registers of time:
Which of you sacred powers are not asham'd
To see a Prince so sinfully abus'd
By his owne issue and vnreueng'd.
Enter Selymus and Bassaes.
But stand we, who comes here? a face of brasse.
Else would it blush: now thou Saturnine Ioue,
Thou God of great men, thunder that the world
Drench'd all in sinne, may shake and feare the noyse
That horrid scourge of villanies.

Selym.
Father?

Baia.
Slaue
Auaunt: I feele a strong Antipathy
T'wixt thee and me, thy sight makes my dead heart
Distill fresh drops of bloud, and worke new smart.

Exit.
Selym.
What furious Baiazet, and raging hot?
I hugge the amorous pleasure that I feele
Creepe through my ioynts: obserue our Father,
Exeunt Bassaes.
Else by some wilfull murder hee'le preuent
My purpos'd proiect, I'de not loose the guilt
Of his destruction for a crowne: heauen knowes
I loue him better then to let him digge
Himselfe a graue, whilst I may take the paines.
Now mount my soule, and let my soaring plumes
Brush the smooth surface of the Azure skie.
Crowne in his hand.
With this I charme obeysance from the world:
Thou golden counterfeit of all the heauens;
See how the shining starres in carelesse ranks
Grace the composure; and the beauteous Moone
Holds her irregular motion at the height
Of the foure poles; this is a compleat heauen,
And thus I weare it: but me thinks 'tis fixt
But weakely on my brow, whilst there yet breath
Any whose enuie once reflect on it,
And those are three: the angry Baiazet,
Puling Corcutus, proud Achomates:
One of these three is car'd for, that's Corcutus
Who ere the blushing morne salutes the Sunne,
Shall be dispatcht by two most hideous slaues,
Whom I haue bred a purpose to the fact:
The other riuall, wise Achomates,
I'le beare aside by force of men and armes,
Which ready Mustred, but attend the stroke,
Then attend our Fathers.
Enter Hamon.
Here's one deales for him,
Shall send him quick to hell. It is decreed.
He that makes lesser greatnesse soone shall bleed,
Hamon draw neere, most welcome my deare Hamon,
What guesse of your patient Baiazet?
Is he all healthfull?

Hamon.
No my gracious Prince.
Neither his body nor his minde is free
From miserable anguish.

Selym.
A sad case.
Hamon I loue him, and would rid him from't.
Were I so skill'd in naturalls as you.

Hamon.
All that my art can worke to cure his griefe
Shall be applied.

Selym.
Vnapprehending foole:
I must speake broader. Hamon is he ill
In minde and body both?

Hamon.
Exceeding ill.

Selym.
Then should I thinke him happier in his death,
Then in so hatefull life and so weake breath.

Hamon.
And that's the readier way to cure his ill.

Selym.
(H'as found me now) but Hamon can thy Art
Reach to the cure?

Hamon.
With ease diligence.

Selym.
Then let it.

Hamon.
I'me yours.

Exit Hamon.
Selym.
Walke, and thy paines,
Shall be rewarded highly, with the like
As thou bestowest on Baiazet: the Court
Makes it a fashion now first to bring the event
About, and then hang vp the instrument.