 | Tamburlaine the Great |  |
Actus. 3.
Scæna. I.
Baiazeth, the kings of Fess. Moroco, and Argier. with others, in great pompe.Baiazeth.
Great Kings of Barbary, and my portly Bassoes,
We heare, the Tartars & the Easterne theeues
Under the conduct of one Tamburlaine,
Presume a bickering with your Emperour:
And thinks to rouse vs from our dreadful siege
Of the famous Grecian Constantinople.
You know our Armie is inuincible:
As many circumcised Turkes we haue,
And warlike bands of Christiansrenied,
As hath the Ocean or the Terrene sea
Small drops of water, when the Moon begins
To ioine in one her semi-circled hornes:
Yet would we not be brau'd with forrain power,
Nor raise our siege before the Gretians yeeld.
Or breathles lie before the citie walles.
Fess.
Renowmed Emperour, and mighty Generall
What if you sent the Bassoes of your guard.
To charge him to remaine in Asia.
Or els to threaten death and deadly armes,
As from the mouth of mighty Baiazeth.
Bai.
Hie thee my Bassoe fast to Persea,
Tell him thy Lord the Turkish Emperour,
Dread Lord of Affrike, Europe and Asia.
The Ocean, Terrene, and the cole-blacke sea,
The high and higest Monarke of the world.
Wils and commands (for say not I intreat)
Not once to set his foot in Affrica,
Or spread his collours in Grecia.
Least he incurre the furie of my wrath.
Tell him, I am content to take a truce,
Because I heare he beares a valiant mind.
But if presuming on his silly power,
He be so mad to manage Armes with me,
Then stay thou with him, say I bid thee so.
And if before the Sun haue measured heauen
With triple circuit thou regreet vs not,
We meane to take his mornings next arise.
For messenger, he will not be reclaim'd,
And meane to fetch thee in despight of him.
Bass.
Most great and puisant Monarke of the earth,
Your Bassoe will accomplish your behest:
And show your pleasure to the Persean.
As fits the Legate of the stately Turk.
Exit Bass.
Arg.
They say he is the King of Persea.
But if he dare attempt to stir your siege,
Twere requisite he should be ten times more,
For all flesh quakes at your magnificence.
Bai.
True (Argier) and tremble at my lookes.
Moro.
The spring is hindred by your smoothering host,
For neither rain can fall vpon the earth,
Nor Sun reflexe his vertuous beames thereon.
The ground is mantled with such multitudes.
Bai.
All this is true as holy Mahomet,
And all the trees are blasted with our breathes.
What thinks your greatnes best to be atchieu'd
In pursuit of the Cities ouerthrow?
Bai.
I wil the captiue Pioners of Argier,
Cut of the water, that by leaden pipes
Runs to the citie from the mountain Carnon,
Two thousand horse shall forrage vp and downe,
That no reliefe or succour come by Land.
And all the sea my Gallies countermaund.
Then shall our footmen lie within the trench,
And with their Cannons mouth'd like Orcus gulfe
Batter the walles, and we will enter in:
And thus the Grecians shall be conquered.
Exeunt.
Scæna. 2.
Agidas, Zenocrate, Anippe, with others.
Madam Zenocrate, may I presume
To know the cause of these vnquiet fits:
That worke such trouble to your woonted rest:
Tis more then pitty such a heauenly face
Should by hearts sorrow wax so wan and pale.
When your offensiue rape by tamburlaine,
(Which of your whole displeasures should be most)
Hath seem'd to be digested long agoe.
Zen.
Although it be digested long agoe’
As his exceding fauours haue deseru'd,
And might content the Queene of heauen as well:
As it hath chang'd my first conceiu'd disdaine.
Yet since a farther passion feeds my thoughts,
With ceaselesse and disconsolate conceits.
And might, if my extreams had full euents,
Make me the gastly counterfeit of death.
Agid.
Eternall heauen sooner be dissolu'd.
And all that pierceth Phœbes siluer eie,
Before such hap fall to zenocrate.
zen.
Ah, life, and soule still houer in his Breast.
And leaue my body sencelesse as the earth.
Or els vnite you to his life and soule,
That I may liue and die with tamburlaine.
Enter Tamburlaine with Techelles and others.
Agid.
With tamburlaine? Ah faire zenocrate.
Let not a man so vile and barbarous,
That holds you from your father in despight,
And keeps you from the honors of a Queene.
Being supposde his worthlesse Concubine.
Be honored with your loue, but for necessity.
So now the mighty Souldan heares of you,
Your Highnesse needs not doubt but in short time,
He will with Tamburlaines destruction
Redeeme you from this deadly seruitude.
Zen.
leaue to wound me with these words.
And speake of tamburlaine as he deserues:
The entertainment we haue had of him,
Is far from villanie or seruitude.
And might in noble minds be counted princely.
Agid.
How can you fancie one that lookes so fierce,
Onelie disposed to martiall Stratagems?
Who when he shall embrace you in his armes,
Will tell how many thousand men he slew.
Will rattle foorth his facts of war and blood.
Too harsh a subiect for your dainty eares.
Zen.
As looks the sun through Nilus flowing stream,
Or when the morning holds him in her armes.
So lookes my Lordly loue, faire tamburlaine:
His talke much sweeter than the Muses song,
They sung for honor gainst Pierides.
Or when Minerua did with Neptune striue,
And higher would I reare my estimate,
Than Iuno sister to the highest God.
If I were matcht with mightie tamburlaine.
Agid.
Yet be not so inconstant in your loue,
But let the yong Arabian liue in hope,
After your rescue to eioy his choise.
You see though first the King of Persea
(Being a Shepheard) seem'd to loue you much,
Now in his maiesty he leaues those lookes,
Those words of fauour, and those comfortings,
And giues no more than common courtesies.
Zen.
Thence rise the tears that so distain my cheeks,
Fearing his loue through my vnworthynesse.
Tamburlaine goes to her, & takes her away louingly by the hand, looking wrathfully on Agidas, and sayes nothing.
Agid.
Betraide by fortune and suspitious loue.
Threatned with frowning wrath and iealousie.
Surpriz d with feare of hideous reuenge.
I stand agast: but most astonied
To see his choller shut in secrete thoughtes,
And wrapt in silence of his angry soule.
And in his eies the furie of his hart.
That shine as Comets, menacing reuenge.
And casts a pale complexion on his cheeks.
As when the Sea-man sees the Hyades
Gather an armye of Cemerian clouds,
(Auster and Aquilon with winged Steads
All sweating, tilt about the watery heauens,
With shiuering speares enforcing thunderclaps.
And from their shieldes strike flames of lightening)
All fearefull foldes his sailes, and sounds the maine,
Lifting his prayers to the heauens for aid,
Against the terrour of the winds and waues.
So fares Agydas for the late felt frownes
That sent a tempest to my daunted thoughtes,
And makes my soule deuine her ouerthrow.
Enter Techelles with a naked dagger.
tech.
See you Agidas how the King salutes you.
He bids you prophesie what it imports.
Exit.
Agid.
I prophecied before and now I prooue,
The killing frownes of iealousie and loue.
He needed not with words confirme my feare,
For words are vaine where working tooles present
The naked action of my threatned end.
It saies, Agydas, thou shalt surely die.
And of extremities elect the least,
More honor and lesse paine it may procure,
To dy by this resolued hand of thine,
Than stay the torments he and heauen haue sworne.
Then haste Agydas, and preuent the plagues:
Which thy prolonged Fates may draw on thee:
Go wander free from feare of Tyrants rage.
Wherewith he may excruciate thy soule.
And let Agidas by Agidas die.
And with this stab slumber eternally.
tech.
Vsumeasane, see how right the man
Hath hit the meaning of my Lord the King.
Vsum.
Faith, and techelles, it was manly done:
And since he was so wise and honorable,
Let vs affoord him now the bearing hence.
And craue his triple worthy buriall.
tech.
Agreed Casane, we wil honor him.
Scæna. 3,
Tamburlain, Techelles, Vsumeasane, Theridamas, Bassoe, Zenocrate, with others.Tamburlaine.
Bassoe, by this thy Lord and maister knowes,
I meane to meet him in Bithynia:
see how he comes? Tush. Turkes are ful of brags
And menace more than they can wel performe:
He meet me in the field and fetch thee hence?
Alas (poore Turke) his fortune is to weake,
T'incounter with the strength of Tamburlaine.
Uiew well my Camp, and speake indifferently,
Doo not my captaines and my souldiers looke
As if they meant to conquer Affrica.
Bass.
Your men are valiant but their number few,
And cannot terrefie his mightie hoste,
My Lord, the great Commander of the worlde,
Besides fifteene contributorie kings,
Hath now in armes ten thousand Ianisaries,
Mounted on lusty Mauritanian Steeds.
Two hundred thousand footmen that haue seru'd
In two set battels fought in Grecia:
And for the expedition of this war,
If he think good, can from his garrisons,
Withdraw as many more to follow him.
tech.
The more he brings, the greater is the spoile,
For when they perish by our warlike hands,
We meane to seate our footmen on their Steeds.
And rifle all those stately Ianisars.
tam.
But wil those Kings accompany your Lord?
Bass.
Such as his Highnesse please, but some must stay
To rule the prouinces he late subdude.
tam.
Thē fight couragiously, their crowns are yours
This hand shal set them on your conquering heads:
That made me Emperour of Asia.
Vsum.
Let him bring millions infinite of men,
Unpeopling Westerne Affrica and Greece:
Yet we assure vs of the victorie.
ther.
Euen he that in a trice vanquisht two kings,
More mighty than the Turkish Emperour:
Shall rouse him out of Europe, and pursue
His scattered armie til they yeeld or die.
tamb.
Wel said theridamas, speake in that mood,
For Wil and Shall best fitteth Tamburlain,
Whose smiling stars giues him assured hope
Of martiall triumph, ere he meete his foes:
I that am tearm'd the Scourge and Wrath of God,
The onely feare and terrour of the world,
Wil first subdue the Turke, and then inlarge
Those Christian Captiues, which you keep as slaues,
Burdening their bodies with your heauie chaines.
That naked rowe about the Terrene sea.
And when they chance to breath and rest a space,
Are punisht with Bastones so grieuously,
That they lie panting on the Gallies side.
And striue for life at euery stroke they giue,
These are the cruell pirates of Argeire,
That damned traine, the scum of Affrica.
Inhabited with stragling Runnagates,
That make quick hauock of the Christian blood.
But as I liue that towne shall curse the time
That Tamburlaine set foot in Affrica:
Enter Baiazeth with his Bassoes and contributorie Kinges.
Bai.
Bassoes and Ianisaries of my Guard,
Attend vpon the person of your Lord,
The greatest Potentate of Affrica.
Tam.
Techelles, and the rest prepare your swordes
I meane t'incounter with that Baiazeth.
Bai.
Kings of Fesse, Moroccus and Argier,
He cals me Baiazeth, whom you call Lord.
Note the presumption of this Scythian slaue:
I tell thee villaine, those that lead my horse
Haue to their names tytles of dignity,
And dar'st thou bluntly call me Baiazeth?
Tam.
And know thou Turke, that those which lead my horse,
Shall lead thee Captiue thorow Affrica.
And dar'st thou bluntly call me tamburlaine?
Bai.
By Mahomet, my Kinsmans sepulcher.
He shall be made a chast and lustlesse Eunuke,
And in my Sarell tend my Concubines:
And all his Captaines that thus stoutly stand,
Shall draw the chariot of my Emperesse.
Whom I haue brought to see their ouerthrow.
Tamb.
By this my sword that conquer'd Persea,
Thy fall shall make me famous through the world:
I will not tell thee how Ile handle thee,
But euery common souldier of my Camp
Shall smile to see thy miserable state.
Fess.
What meanes the mighty Turkish Emperor
To talk with one so base as tamburlaine.
Moro.
Ye Moores and valiant men of Barbary,
How can ye suffer these indignities.
Arg.
Leaue words and let them feele your lances pointes.
Which glided through the bowels of the Greekes.
Bai.
Wel said my stout contributory kings,
Your threefold armie and my hugie hoste,
Shall swallow vp these base borne Perseans,
tech.
Puissant, renowmed and mighty tamburlain,
Why stay we thus prolonging all their liues?
ther.
I long to see those crownes won by our swords
That we may raigne as kings of Affrica.
Vsum.
What Coward wold not fight for such a prize?
Tamb.
Fight all couragiously and be you kings.
I speake it, and my words are oracles.
Bai.
Zabina, mother of three brauer boies,
Than Hercules, that in his infancie
Did pash the iawes of Serpents venomous:
Whose hands are made to gripe a warlike Lance.
Their lims more large and of a bigger size
Than all the brats ysprong from Typhons loins:
Who, when they come vnto their fathers age,
Will batter Turrets with their manly fists.
Sit here vpon this royal chaire of state,
And on thy head weare my Emperiall crowne,
Untill I bring this sturdy tamburlain,
And all his Captains bound in captiue chaines.
zab.
Such good successe happen to Baiazeth.
Tam.
zenocrate, the loueliest Maide aliue,
Fairer than rockes of pearle and pretious stone,
The onely Paragon of tamburlaine,
Whose eies are brighter than the Lamps of heauen.
And speech more pleasant than sweet harmony:
That with thy lookes canst cleare the darkened Sky:
And calme the rage of thundring Iupiter:
Sit downe by her: adorned with my Crowne,
As if thou wert the Empresse of the world.
Stir not zenocrate vntill thou see
Me martch victoriously with all my men,
Triumphing ouer him and these his kings,
Which I will bring as Uassals to thy feete.
Til then take thou my crowne, vaunt of my worth,
And manage words with her as we will armes.
zen.
And may my Loue, the king of Persea
Returne with victorie, and free from wound.
Bai.
Now shalt thou feel the force of Turkish arms,
Which lately made all Europe quake for feare:
I haue of Turkes, Arabians, Moores and Iewes
Enough to couer all Bythinia,
Let thousands die, their slaughtered Carkasses
And as the heads of Hydra, so my power
Subdued, shall stand as mighty as before:
If they should yeeld their necks vnto the sword,
Thy souldiers armes could not endure to strike
So many blowes as I haue heads for thee.
Thou knowest not (foolish hardy Tamburlaine)
What tis to meet me in the open field,
That leaue no ground for thee to martch vpon.
Tam.
Our conquering swords shall marshal vs the way
We vse to march vpon the slaughtered foe:
Trampling their bowels with our horses hooffes:
Braue horses, bred on the white Tartarian hils:
My Campe is like to Iulius Cæsars Hoste,
That neuer fought but had the victorie:
Nor in Pharsalia was there such hot war,
As these my followers willingly would haue:
Legions of Spirits fleeting in the aire,
Direct our Bullets and our weapons pointes
And make our strokes to wound the sencelesse lure,
And when she sees our bloody Collours spread.
Then Uictorie begins to take her flight,
Resting her selfe vpon my milk-white Tent:
But come my Lords, to weapons let vs fall.
The field is ours, the Turk, his wife and all.
Exit, with his followers.
Bai.
Come Kings and Bassoes let vs glut our swords
That thirst to drinke the feble Perseans blood.
Exit, with his followers.
zab.
Base Concubine, must thou be plac'd by me
That am the Empresse of the mighty Turke?
zen.
Disdainful Turkesse and vnreuerend Bosse,
Unto the great and mighty tamburlaine?
Zab.
To tamburlaine the great Tartarian thiefe?
Zen.
Thou wilt repent these lauish words of thine,
When thy great Bassoe, maister and thy selfe.
Must plead for mercie at his kingly feet,
And sue to me to be your Aduocates.
Zab.
And sue to thee? I tell thee shamelesse girle,
Thou shalt be Landresse to my waiting maid.
How lik'st thou her Ebea, will she serue?
Ebea.
Madame, she thinks perhaps she is too fine.
But I shall turne her into other weedes.
And make her daintie fingers fall to woorke.
Zen.
hearst thou Anippe, how thy drudge doth talk,
And how my slaue, her mistresse menaceth.
Both for their sausinesse shall be employed,
To dresse the common souldiers meat and drink.
For we will scorne they should come nere our selues.
Anip.
Yet somtimes let your highnesse send for thē
To do the work my chamber maid disdaines.
They sound the battell within, and stay
Zen.
Ye Gods and powers that gouerne Persea.
And made my lordly Loue her worthy King:
Now strengthen him against the Turkish Baiazeth,
And let his foes like flockes of fearfull Roes,
Pursude by hunters, flie his angrie lookes,
That I may see him issue Conquerour.
Zab.
Now Mahomet, solicit God himselfe,
And make him raine down murthering shot frō heauen
To dash the Scythians braines, and strike them dead,
That dare to manage armes with him,
That offered iewels to thy sacred shrine.
To the battell againe.
Zen.
By this the Turks lie weltring in their blood
And tamburlaine is Lord of Affrica:
Zab.
Thou art deceiu'd, I heard the Trumpets sound,
As when my Emperour ouerthrew the Greeks:
And led them Captiue into Affrica.
Straight will I vse thee as thy pride deserues:
Prepare thy selfe to liue and die my slaue.
Zen.
If Mahomet should come from heauen and sweare,
My royall Lord is slaine or conquered.
Yet should he not perswade me otherwise.
But that he liues and will be Conquerour.
Baiazeth flies, and he pursues him. The battell short, and they enter, Baiazeth is ouercome.
Tam.
Now king of Bassoes, who is Conqueror?
Bai.
Thou, by the fortune of this damned soile,
Tam.
Where are your stout contributorie kings?
Enter Techelles, Theridamas, Vsumeasane.
Tech.
We haue their crownes their bodies strowe the fielde.
Tam.
Each man a crown? why kingly fought ifaith
Deliuer them into my treasurie.
Zen.
Now let me offer to my gracious Lord.
His royall Crowne againe, so highly won:
tam.
Nay take the Turkish Crown from her, zen.
And crowne me Emperour of Affrica.
Zab.
No tamburlain, though now thou gat the best
Thou shalt not yet be Lord of Affrica.
Giue her the Crowne Turkesse you wer best.
He takes it from her. and giues it Zenocrate,
zab.
Iniurious villaines, thieues, runnagates,
How dare you thus abuse my Maiesty?
ther.
Here Madam, you are Empresse, she is none.
tam.
Not now theridamas, her time is past:
The pillers that haue bolstered vp those tearmes,
Are falne in clusters at my conquering feet.
zab.
Though he be prisoner, he may be ransomed:
tamb.
Not all the world shall ransom Baiazeth.
Bai.
Ah faire zabina, we haue lost the field.
And neuer had the Turkish Emperour
So great a foile by any forraine foe.
Now will the Christian miscreants be glad,
Ringing with ioy their superstitious belles:
And making bonfires for my ouerthrow.
But ere I die those foule Idolaters
Shall make me bonfires with their filthy bones,
For though the glorie of this day be lost.
Affrik and Greece haue garrisons enough
To make me Soueraigne of the earth againe.
Tam.
Those walled garrisons wil I subdue,
And write my selfe great Lord of Affrica:
So from the East vnto the furthest West,
Shall tamburlain extend his puisant arme.
The Galles and those pilling Briggandines,
That yeerely saile to the Uenetian gulfe,
And houer in the straightes for Christians wracke,
Shall lie at anchor in the Isle Asant.
Untill the Persean Fleete and men of war,
Sailing along the Orientall sea,
Haue fetcht about the Indian continent:
And thence vnto the straightes of Iubalter:
Where they shall meete, and ioine their force in one,
Keeping in aw the Bay of Portingale.
And all the Ocean by the British shore:
And by this meanes Ile win the world at last.
Bai.
Yet set a ransome on me tamburlaine.
Tam.
What, thinkst thou tamburlain esteems thy gold,
Ile make the kings of India ere I die,
Offer their mines (to sew for peace) to me,
And dig for treasure to appease my wrath:
Come bind them both and one lead in the Turke.
The Turkesse let my Loues maid lead away.
They bind them.
Bai.
Ah villaines, dare ye touch my sacred armes.
O Mahomet, Oh sleepie Mahomet.
zab.
O cursed Mahomet that makest vs thus
The slaues to Scythians rude and barbarous.
Tam.
Come bring them in, & for this happy cōquest
Triumph, and solemnize a martiall feast.
Exeunt.
Finis Actus tertii.
| Tamburlaine the Great | |