 | The Second Part of The Bloody Conquests of Mighty Tamburlaine |  |
Actus. 3.
Scæna. I,
Enter the kings of Trebisond and Soria, one bringing a sword, & another a scepter: Next Natolia and Ierusalem with the Emperiall crowne: After Calapine, and after him other Lordes: Orcanes and Ierusalem crowne him, and the other giue him the scepter.Orca.
Calepinus
Cyricelibes, otherwise Cybelius, son
and successiue heire to the late mighty Emperour
Baiazeth, by the aid of God and his friend
Mahomet, Emperour of Natolia, Ierusalem,
And al the hundred and thirty Kingdomes late contributory
to his mighty father. Long liue Callepinus,
Emperour of Turky.
Cal.
Thrice worthy kings of Natolia, and the rest,
I will requite your royall gratitudes
With all the benefits my Empire yeelds:
And were the sinowes of th'imperiall seat
So knit and strengthned, as when Baiazeth
My royall Lord and father fild the throne,
Whose cursed fate hath so dismembred it,
Then should you see this Thiefe of Scythia,
This proud vsurping king of Persea,
Do vs such honor and supremacie,
Bearing the vengeance of our fathers wrongs,
As all the world should blot our dignities
Out of the booke of base borne infamies.
And now I doubt not but your royall cares
Hath so prouided for this cursed foe,
That since the heire of mighty Baiazeth
(An Emperour so honoured for his vertues)
Reuiues the spirits of true Turkish heartes,
In grieuous memorie of his fathers shame,
We shall not need to nourish any doubt,
But that proud Fortune, who hath followed long
The martiall sword of mighty Tamburlaine,
Will now retaine her olde inconstancie,
And raise our honors to as high a pitch
In this our strong and fortunate encounter,
For so hath heauen prouided my escape,
From al the crueltie my soule sustaind,
By this my friendly keepers happy meanes,
Will poure it downe in showers on our heads:
Scourging the pride of cursed tamburlain.
Orc.
I haue a hundred thousad men in armes,
Some, that in conquest of the periur'd Christian.
Being a handfull to a mighty hoste,
Thinke them in number yet sufficient,
To drinke the riuer Nile or Euphrates,
And for their power, ynow to win the world.
Ier.
And I as many from Ierusalem,
Iudæa, Gaza, and Scalonians bounds,
That on mount Sinay with their ensignes spread,
Looke like the parti-coloured cloudes of heauen,
That shew faire weather to the neighbor morne.
Treb.
And I as many bring from Trebizon,
Chio, Famastro, and Amasia,
All bordring on the Mare-maior sea:
Riso, Sancina, and the bordering townes,
That touch the end of famous Euphrates,
Whose courages are kindled with the flames,
The cursed Scythian sets on all their townes,
And vow to burne the villaines cruell heart.
Sor.
From Soria with seuenty thousand strong,
Tane from Aleppo, Soldino, Tripoly,
And so vnto my citie of Damasco,
I march to meet and aide my neigbor kings,
All which will ioine against this Tamburlain,
And bring him captiue to your highnesse feet.
Orc.
Our battaile then in martiall maner pitcht,
According to our ancient vse, shall beare
The figure of the semi-circled Moone:
Whose hornes shall sprinkle through the tainted aire,
Cal.
Wel then my noble Lords, for this my friend,
That freed me from the bondage of my foe:
I thinke it requisite and honorable,
To keep my promise, and to make him king,
That is a Gentleman (I know) at least.
Alm.
That's no matter sir, for being a king,
For Tamburlain came vp of nothing.
Ier.
Your Maiesty may choose some pointed time,
Perfourming all your promise to the full:
Tis nought for your maiesty to giue a kingdome.
Cal.
Then wil I shortly keep my promise Almeda
Alm.
Why, I thank your Maiesty.
Exeunt.
Scæna. 2.
Tamburlaine with Vsumeasane, and his three sons, foure bearing the hearse of Zenocrate, and the drums sounding a dolefull martch, the Towne burning.Tamb.
So , burne the turrets of this cursed towne,
Flame to the highest region of the aire:
And kindle heaps of exhalations,
That being fiery meteors, may presage,
Death and destruction to th'inhabitants
Ouer my Zenith hang a blazing star,
That may endure till heauen be dissolu'd,
Fed with the fresh supply of earthly dregs,
Threatning a death and famine to this land,
Flieng Dragons, lightning, fearfull thunderclaps,
sindge these fair plaines, and make them seeme as black
Compast with Lethe, Styx and Phlegeton,
Because my deare Zenocrate is dead.
Cal.
This Piller plac'd in memorie of her,
Where in Arabian, Hebrew, Greek, is writ
This towne being burnt by Tamburlaine the great,
Forbids the world to build it vp againe.
Amy.
And here this mourful streamer shal be plac'd
Wrought with the Persean and Egyptian armes,
To signifie she was a princesse borne,
And wife vnto the Monarke of the East.
Celib.
And here this table as a Register
Of all her vertues and perfections.
tam.
And here the picture of zenocrate,
To shew her beautie, which the world admyr'd,
Sweet picture of diuine Zenocrate,
That hanging here, wil draw the Gods from heauen:
And cause the stars fixt in the Southern arke,
Whose louely faces neuer any viewed,
That haue not past the Centers latitude.
As Pilgrimes traueile to our Hemi-spheare.
Onely to gaze vpon Zenocrate.
Thou shalt not beautifie Larissa plaines.
But keep within the circle of mine armes.
At euery towne and castle I besiege,
Thou shalt be set vpon my royall tent.
And when I meet an armie in the field,
Whose looks will shed such influence in my campe,
As if Bellona, Goddesse of the war
Threw naked swords and sulphur bals of fire,
Upon the heads of all our enemies.
And now my Lords, aduance your speares againe,
Boyes leaue to mourne, this towne shall euer mourne,
Being burnt to cynders for your mothers death.
Cal.
If I had wept a sea of teares for her,
It would not ease the sorrow I sustaine.
Amy.
As is that towne, so is my heart consum'd,
With griefe and sorrow for my mothers death.
Cel.
My mothers death hath mortified my mind,
And sorrow stops the passage of my speech.
Tamb.
But now my boies, leaue off, and list to me,
That meane to teach you rudiments of war:
Ile haue you learne to sleepe vpon the ground,
March in your armour throwe watery Fens,
Sustaine the scortching heat and freezing cold,
Hunger and cold right adiuncts of the war.
And after this, to scale a castle wal,
Besiege a fort, to vndermine a towne,
And make whole cyties caper in the aire.
Then next, the way to fortifie your men,
In champion grounds, what figure serues you best,
For with the quinque-angle fourme is meet,
Because the corners there may fall more flat:
Whereas the Fort may fittest be assailde,
And sharpest where th'assault is desperate.
The ditches must be deepe, the Counterscarps
Narrow and steepe, the wals made high and broad,
The Bulwarks and the rampiers large and strong,
With Caualieros and thicke counterforts,
And roome within to lodge sixe thousand men.
It must haue priuy ditches, countermines,
And secret issuings to defend the ditch.
It must haue high Argins and couered waies
And Parapets to hide the Muscatiers:
Casemates to place the great Artillery,
And store of ordinance that from euery flanke
May scoure the outward curtaines of the Fort,
Dismount the Cannon of the aduerse part,
Murther the Foe and saue their walles from breach.
When this is learn'd for seruice on the land,
By plaine and easie demonstration,
Ile teach you how to make the water mount,
That you may dryfoot martch through lakes & pooles,
Deep riuers, hauens, creekes, and litle seas,
And make a Fortresse in the raging waues,
Fenc'd with the concaue of a monstrous rocke,
Inuincible by nature of the place.
When this is done, then are ye souldiers,
And worthy sonnes of Tamburlain the great,
Cal.
My Lord, but this is dangerous to be done,
We may be slaine or wounded ere we learne.
tam.
Uillain, art thou the sonne of Tamburlaine,
And fear'st to die, or with a Curtle-axe
To hew thy flesh and make a gaping wound?
Hast thou beheld a peale of ordinance strike
A ring of pikes, mingled with shot and horse,
Whose shattered lims, being tost as high as heauen,
Hang in the aire as thicke as sunny motes,
And canst thou Coward stand in feare of death?
Hast thou not seene my horsmen charge the foe,
Shot through the armes, cut ouerthwart the hands,
Dieng their lances with their streaming blood,
And yet at night carrouse within my tent,
Filling their empty vaines with aiery wine,
And wilt thou shun the field for feare of woundes?
Uiew me thy father that hath conquered kings,
And with his hoste martch round about the earth,
Quite voide of skars, and cleare from any wound,
That by the warres lost not a dram of blood,
And see him lance his flesh to teach you all.
He cuts his arme.
A wound is nothing be it nere so deepe,
Blood is the God of Wars rich liuery.
Now look I like a souldier, and this wound
As great a grace and maiesty to me,
As if a chaire of gold enamiled,
Enchac'd with Diamondes, Saphyres, Rubies
And fairest pearle of welthie India
Were mounted here vnder a Canapie:
And I sat downe, cloth'd with the massie robe,
That late adorn'd the Affrike Potentate.
Whom I brought bound vnto Damascus walles.
Come boyes and with your fingers search my wound,
And in my blood wash all your hands at once,
While I sit smiling to behold the sight.
Now my boyes, what think you of a wound?
Cal.
I know not what I should think of it,
Me thinks tis a pitifull sight.
Cel.
Tis nothing: giue me a wound father.
Amy.
And me another my Lord.
tam.
Come sirra, giue me your arme.
Cel.
Here father, cut it brauely as you did your own
tam.
It shall suffice thou darst abide a wound
My boy, Thou shalt not loose a drop of blood,
Before we meet the armie of the Turke.
Dreadlesse of blowes, of bloody wounds and death:
And let the burning of Larissa wals
My speech of war, and this my wound you see
Teach you my boyes to beare couragious minds,
Fit for the followers of great tamburlaine.
Vsumeasane now come let vs martch
Towards Techelles and Theridamas,
That we haue sent before to fire the townes,
The towers and cities of these hatefull Turks,
And hunt that Coward, faintheart, runaway,
With that accursed traitor Almeda,
Til fire and sword haue found them at a bay.
Vsu.
I long to pierce his bowels with my sword,
That hath betraied my gracious Soueraigne,
That curst and damned Traitor Almeda.
Tam.
Then let vs see if coward Calapine
Dare leuie armes against our puissance,
That we may tread vpon his captiue necke,
And treble all his fathers slaueries.
Exeunt.
Scæna. I,
Techelles, Theridamas and their traine.Therid.
Thus haue wee martcht Northwarde from Tamburlaine,
Unto the frontier point of Soria:
And this is Balsera their chiefest hold,
Wherein is all the treasure of the land.
tech.
Then let vs bring our light Artilery,
Minions, Fauknets, and Sakars to the trench,
And enter in, to seaze vpon the gold:
How say ye Souldiers, Shal we not?
Soul.
Yes, my Lord, yes, come lets about it,
ther.
But stay a while, summon a parle, Drum,
It may be they will yeeld it quietly,
Knowing two kings, the friend to tamburlain,
Stand at the walles, with such a mighty power.
Summon the battell.
Captaine with his wife and sonne.
Cap.
What requier you my maisters?
ther.
Captaine, that thou yeeld vp thy hold to vs.
Cap.
To you? Why, do you thinke me weary of it?
Tech.
Nay Captain, thou art weary of thy life,
If thou withstand the friends of Tamburlain.
ther.
These Pioners of Argier in Affrica,
Euen in the cannons face shall raise a hill
Of earth and fagots higher than thy Fort,
And ouer thy Argins and couered waies
Shal play vpon the bulwarks of thy hold
Uolleies of ordinance til the breach be made,
That with his ruine fils vp all the trench.
And when we enter in, not heauen it selfe
Shall ransome thee, thy wife and family.
Tech.
Captaine, these Moores shall cut the leaden pipes,
That bring fresh water to thy men and thee,
And lie in trench before thy castle walles:
That no supply of victuall shall come in,
Nor issue foorth, but they shall die:
And therefore Captaine, yeeld it quietly.
Were you that are the friends of Tamburlain
Brothers to holy Mahomet himselfe,
I would not yeeld it: therefore doo your worst.
Raise mounts, batter, intrench, and vndermine,
Cut off the water, all conuoies that can,
Yet I am resolute, and so farewell.
ther.
Pioners away, and where I stuck the stake,
Intrench with those dimensions I prescribed:
Cast vp the earth towards the castle wall,
Which til it may defend you, labour low:
And few or none shall perish by their shot.
Pion.
We will my Lord.
Exeunt.
Tech.
A hundred horse shall scout about the plaines
To spie what force comes to relieue the holde.
Both we (theridamas) wil intrench our men,
And with the Iacobs staffe measure the height
And distance of the castle from the trench,
That we may know if our artillery
Will carie full point blancke vnto their wals.
ther.
Then see the bringing of our ordinance
Along the trench into the battery,
Where we will haue Galions of sixe foot broad,
To saue our Cannoniers from musket shot,
Betwixt which, shall our ordinance thunder foorth,
And with the breaches fall, smoake, fire, and dust,
The cracke, the Ecchoe and the souldiers crie
Make deafe the aire, and dim the Christall Sky.
tech.
Trumpets and drums, alarum presently,
And souldiers play the men, the holds is yours.
Enter the Captaine with his wife and sonne.
Come good my Lord, & let vs haste frō hence
Along the caue that leads beyond the foe,
No hope is left to saue this conquered hold.
Cap.
A deadly bullet gliding through my side,
Lies heauy on my heart, I cannot liue.
I feele my liuer pierc'd and all my vaines,
That there begin and nourish euery part,
Mangled and torne, and all my entrals bath'd
In blood that straineth from their orifex.
Farewell sweet wife, sweet son farewell, I die.
Olym.
Death, whether art thou gone that both we liue?
Come back again (sweet death) & strike vs both:
One minute end our daies, and one sepulcher
Containe our bodies: death, why comm'st thou not?
Wel, this must be the messenger for thee,
Now vgly death stretch out thy Sable wings,
And carie both our soules, where his remaines.
Tell me sweet boie, art thou content to die?
These barbarous Scythians full of cruelty,
And Moores, in whom was neuer pitie found,
Will hew vs peecemeale, put vs to the wheele,
Or els inuent some torture worse than that,
Therefore die by thy louing mothers hand,
Who gently now wil lance thy Iuory throat,
And quickly rid thee both of paine and life.
Son.
Mother dispatch me, or Ile kil my selfe,
For think ye I can liue, and see him dead?
Giue me your knife, good mother) or strike home:
The Scythians shall not tyrannise on me.
Sweet mother strike, that I may meet my father.
She stabs him.
Olym.
Ah sacred Mahomet, if this be sin,
And purge my soule before it come to thee.
Entert Theridamas, Techelles and all their traine.
ther.
How now Madam, what are you doing?
Olim.
Killing my selfe, as I haue done my sonne,
Whose body with his fathers I haue burnt,
Least cruell Scythians should dismember him.
tech.
Twas brauely done, and like a souldiers wife,
Thou shalt with vs to Tamburlaine the great,
Who when he heares how resolute thou wert,
Wil match thee with a viceroy or a king.
Olym.
My Lord deceast, was dearer vnto me,
Than any Uiceroy, King or Emperour.
And for his sake here will I end my daies.
ther.
But Lady goe with vs to Tamburlaine,
And thou shalt see a man greater than Mahomet.
In whose high lookes is much more maiesty
Than from the Concaue superficies.
Of Ioues vast pallace the imperiall Orbe,
Unto the shinining bower where Cynthia sits,
Like louely thetis in a Christall robe,
That treadeth Fortune vnderneath his feete,
And makes the mighty God of armes his slaue:
On whom death and the fatall sisters waite,
With naked swords and scarlet liueries:
Before whom (mounted on a Lions backe)
Rhammusia beares a helmet ful of blood,
And strowes the way with braines of slaughtered men:
By whose proud side the vgly furies run.
Ouer whose Zenith cloth'd in windy aire,
And Eagles wings ioin'd to her feathered breast,
Fame houereth, sounding of her golden Trumpe:
That to the aduerse poles of that straight line,
Which measureth the glorious frame of heauen,
The name of mightie Tamburlain is spread:
And him faire Lady shall thy eies behold. Come.
Olim
Take pitie of a Ladies ruthfull teares,
That humbly craues vpon her knees to stay,
And cast her bodie in the burning flame,
That feeds vpon her sonnes and husbands flesh.
tech.
Madam, sooner shall fire consume vs both,
Then scortch a face so beautiful as this.
In frame of which, Nature hath shewed more skill,
Than when she gaue eternall Chaos forme,
Drawing from it the shining Lamps of heauen.
ther.
Madam, I am so far in loue with you,
That you must goe with vs, no remedy.
Olim.
Then carie me I care not where you will,
And let the end of this my fatall iourney,
Be likewise end to my accursed life.
tech.
No Madam, but the beginning of your ioy,
Come willinglie, therfore.
ther.
Souldiers now let vs meet the Generall,
Who by this time is at Natolia,
Ready to charge the army of the Turke.
The gold, the siluer, and the pearle ye got,
Rifling this Fort, deuide in equall shares:
This Lady shall haue twice so much againe,
Out of the coffers of our treasurie.
Exeunt.
Scæna. 5.
Callapine, Orcanes, Ierusalem, Trebizon, Soria, Almeda, with their traine.Messenger.
Renowmed Emperour, mighty Callepine,
Gods great lieftenant ouer all the world:
Here at Alepo with an hoste of men
Lies Tamburlaine, this king of Persea:
In number more than are the quyuering leaues
Of Idas forrest, where your highnesse hounds,
With open crie pursues the wounded Stag:
Who meanes to gyrt Natolias walles with siege,
Fire the towne and ouerrun the land.
Cal.
My royal army is as great as his,
That from the bounds of Phrigia to the sea
Which washeth Cyprus with his brinish waues,
Couers the hils, the valleies and the plaines.
Uiceroies and Peeres of Turky play the men,
Whet all your swords to mangle Tamburlain
His sonnes, his Captaines and his followers,
By Mahomet not one of them shal liue.
The field wherin this battaile shall be fought,
For euer, terme, the Perseans sepulchre,
In memorie of this our victory.
Orc.
Now, he that cals himself the scourge of Ioue,
The Emperour of the world, and earthly God,
Shal end the warlike progresse he intends,
And traueile hedlong to the lake of hell:
Where legions of deuils (knowing he must die
All brandishing their brands of quenchlesse fire,
Streching their monstrous pawes, grin with their teeth.
And guard the gates to entertaine his soule.
Cal.
Tel me Uiceroies the number of your men,
And what our Army royall is esteem'd.
Ier.
From Palestina and Ierusalem,
Of Hebrewes, three score thousand fighting men
Are come since last we shewed your maiesty.
Orc.
So from Arabia desart, and the bounds
Of that sweet land, whose braue Metropolis
Reedified the faire Semyramis,
Came forty thousand warlike foot and horse,
Since last we numbred to your Maiesty.
treb.
From trebizon in Asia the lesse,
Naturalized Turks and stout Bythinians
Came to my bands full fifty thousand more,
That fighting, knowes not what retreat doth meane,
Nor ere returne but with the victory,
Since last we numbred to your maiesty.
Sor.
Of Sorians from Halla is repair'd
And neighbor cities of your highnesse land,
Ten thousand horse, and thirty thousand foot,
Since last we numbred to your maiestie:
So that the Army royall is esteem'd
Six hundred thousand valiant fighting men.
Callep.
Then welcome Tamburlaine vnto thy death.
Come puissant Uiceroies, let vs to the field,
(The Perseans Sepulchre) and sacrifice
Mountaines of breathlesse men to Mahomet,
To see the slaughter of our enemies.
Scæna. I.
Tamburlaine with his three sonnes, Vsumeasane with other.Tam.
How now Casane? See a knot of kings,
Sitting as if they were a telling ridles.
Vsu.
My Lord, your presence makes them pale and wan.
Poore soules they looke as if their deaths were neere.
tamb.
Why, so he is Casane, I am here,
But yet Ile saue their liues and make them slaues,
Ye petty kings of Turkye I am come,
As Hector did into the Grecian campe.
To ouerdare the pride of Grœcia.
And set his warlike person to the view
Of fierce Achilles, riuall of his fame,
I doe you honor in the simile.
For if I should as Hector did Achilles,
(The worthiest knight that euer brandisht sword)
Challenge in combat any of you all,
I see how fearfully ye would refuse,
And fly my gloue as from a Scorpion.
Orc.
Now thou art fearfull of thy armies strength,
Thou wouldst with ouermatch of person fight,
But Shepheards issue, base borne tamburlaine,
Thinke of thy end, this sword shall lance thy throat.
Tamb.
Uillain, the shepheards issue, at whose byrth
And ioin'd those stars that shall be opposite,
Euen till the dissolution of the world,
And neuer meant to make a Conquerour,
So famous as is mighty Tamburlain:
Shall so torment thee and that Callapine,
That like a roguish runnaway, suborn'd
That villaine there, that slaue, that Turkish dog,
To false his seruice to his Soueraigne,
As ye shal curse the byrth of Tamburlaine.
Cal.
Raile not proud Scythian, I shall now reuenge
My fathers vile abuses and mine owne.
Ier.
By Mahomet he shal be tied in chaines,
Rowing with Christians in a Brigandine,
About the Grecian Isles to rob and spoile:
And turne him to his ancient trade againe.
Me thinks the slaue should make a lusty theefe.
Cal.
Nay, when the battaile ends, al we wil meet,
And sit in councell to inuent some paine,
That most may vex his body and his soule.
Tam.
Sirha, Callapine, Ile hang a clogge about
your necke for running away againe, you shall not trouble
me thus to come and fetch you.
And harnest like my horses, draw my coch:
And when ye stay, be lasht with whips of wier,
Ile haue you learne to feed on prouander,
And in a stable lie vpon the planks:
Orc.
But Tamburlaine, first thou shalt kneele to vs
And humbly craue a pardon for thy life.
treb.
The common souldiers of our mighty hoste
Shal bring thee bound vnto the Generals tent.
And all haue iointly sworne thy cruell death,
Or bind thee in eternall torments wrath.
tam.
Wel sirs, diet your selues, you knowe I shall
haue occasion shortly to iourney you.
Cel.
See father, how Almeda the Iaylor lookes
vpon vs.
tam.
Uillaine, traitor, damned fugitiue,
Ile make thee wish the earth had swallowed thee:
Seest thou not death within my wrathfull looks.
Goe villaine, cast thee headlong from a rock,
Or rip thy bowels, and rend out thy heart,
T'appease my wrath, or els Ile torture thee,
Searing thy hatefull flesh with burning yrons,
And drops of scalding lead, while all thy ioints
Be rackt and beat asunder with the wheele,
For if thou liuest, not any Element
Shal shrowde thee from the wrath of tamburlaine.
Cal.
Wel, in despight of thee he shall be king:
Come Almeda, receiue this crowne of me,
I here inuest thee king of Ariadan,
Bordering on Mare Roso neere to Meca.
Or.
What, take it man.
Al.
Good my Lord, let me take it.
Cal.
Doost thou aske him leaue? Here, take it.
tam.
Go too sirha, take your crown, and make vp the
halfe dozen.
Or.
So he shal, and weare thy head in his Scutchion:
tamb.
No, let him hang a bunch of keies on his standerd,
to put him in remembrance he was a Iailor, that
when I take him, I may knocke out his braines with
them, and lock you in the stable, when you shall come
treb.
Away, let vs to the field, that the villaine may
be slaine.
tamb.
Sirha, prepare whips, and bring my chariot
to my Tent: For as soone as the battaile is done, Ile
ride in triumph through the Camp.
How now ye pety kings, loe, here are Bugges
Wil make the haire stand vpright on your heads,
And cast your crownes in slauery at their feet.
Welcome theridamas and techelles both,
See ye this rout, and know ye this same king?
ther.
I, my Lord, he was Calapines keeper.
tam.
Wel, now you see hee is a king, looke to him
theridamas, when we are fighting, least hee hide his
crowne as the foolish king of Persea did.
Sor.
No Tamburlaine, hee shall not be put to that
Exigent, I warrant thee.
tam.
You knowe not sir:
But now my followers and my louing friends,
Fight as you euer did, like Conquerours,
The glorie of this happy day is yours:
My sterne aspect shall make faire Uictory,
Houering betwixt our armies, light on me,
Loden with Lawrell wreathes to crowne vs all.
tech.
I smile to think, how when this field is fought,
And rich Natolia ours, our men shall sweat
With carrieng pearle and treasure on their backes,
tamb.
You shall be princes all immediatly:
Come fight ye Turks, or yeeld vs victory.
Or.
No, we wil meet thee slauish tāburlain.
Exeunt
| The Second Part of The Bloody Conquests of Mighty Tamburlaine | |