University of Virginia Library

Scæna. 3.

Cosroe, Tamburlaine, Theridamas, Techelles, Vsumeasane, Ortygius. with others.
Cosroe.
Now worthy Tamburlaine, haue I reposde,
In thy approoued Fortunes all my hope,
What thinkst thou man, shal come of our attemptes.
For euen as from assured oracle,
I take thy doome for satisfaction.

Tamb.
And so mistake you not a whit my Lord.
For Fates and Oracles, heauen haue sworne,
To roialise the deedes of tamburlaine:
And make them blest that share in his attemptes.
And doubt you not, but if you fauour me,
And let my Fortunes and my valour sway,
To some direction in your martiall deeds,
The world will striue with hostes of men at armes.
To swarme vnto the Ensigne I support,
The host of Xerxes, which by fame is said
To drinke the mightie Parthian Araris,
Was but a handful to that we will haue.
Our quiuering Lances shaking in the aire,
And bullets like Ioues dreadfull Thunderbolts,
Enrolde in flames and fiery smoldering mistes,
Shall threat the Gods more than Cyclopian warres,
And with our Sun-bright armour as we march,
Weel chase the Stars from heauen, and dim their eies
That stand and muse at our admyred armes.

therid.
You see my Lord, what woorking woordes he hath.
But when you see his actions stop his speech,
Your speech will stay, or so extol his worth,
As I shall be commended and excusde
For turning my poore charge to his direction.
And these his two renowmed friends my Lord,
Would make one thrust and striue to be retain'd
In such a great degree of amitie.

tech.
With dutie not with amitie we yeeld
Our vtmost seruice to the faire Cosroe.

Cos.
Which I esteeme as portion of my crown.
Vsumeasane and techelles both,
When she that rules in Rhamnis golden gates,
And makes a passage for all prosperous Armes:
Shall make me solely Emperour of Asia,
Then shall your meeds and vallours be aduaunst
To roomes of honour and Nobilitie.

Tam.
Then haste Cosroe to be king alone.
That I with these my friends and all my men,
May triumph in our long expected Fate,
The King your Brother is now hard at hand,
Meete with the foole, and rid your royall shoulders
Of such a burthen, as outwaies the sands
And all the craggie rockes of Caspea.

Mess.
My Lord, we haue discouered the enemie
Ready to chardge you with a mighty armie.

Cos.
Come tamburlain, now whet thy winged sword
And lift thy lofty arme into the cloudes,
That it may reach the King of Perseas crowne,
And set it safe on my victorious head.

tam.
See where it is, the keenest Cutle-axe.
That ere made passage thorow Persean Armes,
These are the wings shall make it flie as swift,
As dooth the lightening: or the breath of heauen,
And kill as sure as it swiftly flies.

Cos.
Thy words assure me of kind successe:
Go valiant Souldier, go before and charge
The fainting army of that foolish King.

tamb.
Vsumeasane and techelles come,
We are enough to scarre the enemy,
And more than needes to make an Emperour.

To the Battaile, and Mycetes comes out alone with his Crowne in his hand, offering to hide it.
Myc.
Accurst be he that first inuented war,
They know not, ah, they knew not simple men,
How those were hit by pelting Cannon shot,
Stand staggering like a quiuering Aspen leafe,
Fearing the force of Boreas boistrous blasts.
In what a lamentable case were I,
If Nature had not giuen me wisedomes lore?
For Kings are clouts that euery man shoots at,
Our Crowne the pin that thousands seeke to cleaue,
Therefore in pollicie I thinke it good
To hide it close: a goodly Stratagem,
And far from any man that is a foole.
So shall not I be knowen, or if I bee,
They cannot take away my crowne from me.
Here will I hide it in this simple hole.

Enter Tamburlain.
tam.
What fearful coward stragling from the camp
When Kings themselues are present in the field.

Myc.
Thou liest.

tam.
Base villaine, darst thou giue the lie?

Myc.
Away, I am the King: go, touch me not.
Thou breakst the law of Armes vnlesse thou kneele.
And cry me mercie, noble King.

Tam
Are you the witty King of Persea?

Myce.
I marie am I: haue you any suite to me?

Tam.

I would intreat you to speak but three wise
wordes.

Myce.

So I can when I see my time.

Tam.

Is this your Crowne?

Myce.

I, Didst thou euer see a fairer?

Tamb.

You will not sell it, wil ye?

Myce.

Such another word, and I will haue thee
executed.

Come giue it me.

Tamb.
No, I tooke it prisoner.

Myce.
You lie, I gaue it you.

tam.
Then tis mine.

Myce.
No, I meane, I let you keep it.

tamb.
Wel, I meane you shall haue it againe.
Here take it for a while, I lend it thee,
Till I may see thee hem'd with armed men.
Then shalt thou see me pull it from thy head:
Thou art no match for mightie Tamburlaine.

Myce.
O Gods, is this tamburlaine the thiefe,
I marueile much he stole it not away.

Sound trumpets to the battell, aud he runs in.
Cosroe, Tamburlaine, Theridamas, Menaphon, Meander, Ortygius. Techelles. Vsumeasane, with others.
Tamb.
Holde thee Cosroe, weare two imperiall Crownes,
Thinke thee inuested now as royally,
Euen by the mighty hand of tamburlaine,
As if as many kinges as could encompasse thee,
With greatest pompe had crown'd thee Emperour.

Cosr.
So do I thrice renowmed man at armes,
And none shall keepe the crowne but tamburlaine:
Thee doo I make my Regent of Persea,
And Generall Lieftenant of my Armies.
Meander, you that were our brothers Guide,
And chiefest Counsailor in all his acts,
Since he is yeelded to the stroke of War,
On your submission we with thanks excuse,
And giue you equall place in our affaires.

Mean.
Most happy Emperour in humblest tearms
I vow my seruice to your Maiestie.
With vtmost vertue of my faith and dutie.

Cosr.
Thanks good Meander, then Cosroe raign
And gouerne Persea in her former pomp:
Now send Ambassage to thy neighbor Kings,
And let them know the Persean King is chang'd:
From one that knew not what a King should do,
To one that can commaund what longs thereto:
And now we will to faire Persepolis,
With twenty thousand expert souldiers.
The Lords and Captaines of my brothers campe,
With litle slaughter take Meanders course,
And gladly yeeld them to my gracious rule:
Ortigius and menaphon, my trustie friendes,
Now will I gratify your former good,
And grace your calling with a greater sway.

Ort.
And as we euer and at your behoofe,
And sought your state, all honor it deseru'd,
So will we with our powers and our liues,
Indeuor to preserue and prosper it.

Cos.
I will not thank thee (sweet Ortigius)
Better replies shall prooue my purposes.
And now Lord tamburlaine, my brothers Campe
I leaue to thee, and to theridamas,
To follow me to faire Persepolis.
Then will we march to all those Indian Mines,
My witlesse brother to the Christians lost:
And ransome them with fame and vsurie.
And till thou ouertake me tamburlaine,
(Staying to order all the scattered troopes)
Farewell Lord Regent, and his happie friends,
I long to sit vpon my brothers throne,

Mena.
Your Maiestie shall shortly haue your wish.
And ride in triumph through Persepolis.

Exeunt.
Manent Tamb. Tech. Ther. Vsum.
tamb.
And ride in triumph through Persepolis?
Is it not braue to be a King, techelles?
Vsumeasane and theridamas,
Is it not passing braue to be a King,
And ride in triumph through Persepolis?

tech.
O my Lord, tis sweet and full of pompe.

Vsum.
To be a King, is halfe to be a God.

ther.
A God is not so glorious as a King:
I thinke the pleasure they enioy in heauen
Can not compare with kingly ioyes in earth,
To weare a Crowne enchac'd with pearle and golde,
Whose vertues carie with it life and death,
To aske, and haue: commaund, and be obeied.
When looks breed loue, with lookes to gaine the prize.
Such power attractiue shines in princes eies.

tam.
Why say theridamas, wilt thou be a king?

the.
Nay, though I praise it, I can liue without it.

tam.
what saies my other friends, wil you be kings?

tec.
I, if I could with all my heart my Lord.

tam.
Why, that's wel said techelles, so would I,
And so would you my maisters, would you not?

Vsum.
What then my Lord?

tam.
Why then Casanes shall we wish for ought
The world affoords in greatest noueltie,
And rest attemplesse faint and destitute?
Me thinks we should not, I am strongly moou'd,
That if I should desire the Persean Crowne,
I could attaine it with a woondrous ease,
And would not all our souldiers soone consent,
If we should aime at such a dignitie?

ther.
I know they would with our perswasions.

tam.
Why then theridamas, Ile first assay,
To get the Persean Kingdome to my selfe:
Then thou for Parthia, they for Scythia and Medea.
And if I prosper, all shall be as sure,
As if the Turke, the Pope, Affrike and Greece,
Came creeping to vs with their crownes apace.

tech.
Then shall we send to this triumphing King,
And bid him battell for his nouell Crowne?

Vsum.
Nay quickly then, before his roome be hot.

tam.
Twil prooue a pretie iest (in faith) my friends.

the.
A iest to chardge on twenty thousand men?
I iudge the purchase more important far.

tam.
Iudge by thy selfe theridamas, not me,
For presently techelles here shal haste,
To bid him battaile ere he passe too farre,
And lose more labor than the gaine will quight.
Then shalt thou see the Scythian tamburlaine,
Make but a iest to win the Persean crowne.
techelles, take a thousand horse with thee,
And bid him turne his back to war with vs,
That onely made him King to make vs sport.
We will not steale vpon him cowardly,
But giue him warning and more warriours.
Haste the techelles, we will follow thee.
What saith theridamas?

ther.
Goe on for me.

Exeunt.