University of Virginia Library

Scæna. 2,

Sigismond, Fredericke, Baldwine, and their traine with drums and trumpets.
Sigis.
Orcanes (as our Legates promist thee)
Wee with our Peeres haue crost Danubius stream
to treat of friēdly peace or deadly war:
Take which thou wilt, for as the Romans vsde
I here present thee with a naked sword,
Wilt thou haue war, then shake this blade at me,
If peace, restore it to my hands againe:
And I wil sheath it to confirme the same.

Orc.
Stay Sigismond, forgetst thou I am he
That with the Cannon shooke Vienna walles.
And made it dance vpon the Continent:
As when the massy substance of the earth,
Quiuer about the Axeltree of heauen.
Forgetst thou that I sent a shower of dartes
Mingled with powdered shot and fethered steele
So thick vpon the blink-ei'd Burghers heads,
That thou thy self, then County-Pallatine,
The king of Boheme, and the Austrich Duke,
Sent Herralds out, which basely on their knees
In all your names desirde a truce of me?
Forgetst thou, that to haue me raise my siege,
Wagons of gold were set before my tent:
Stampt with the princely Foule that in her wings
Caries the fearfull thunderbolts of Ioue,
How canst thou think of this and offer war?

Sig.
Vienna was besieg'd, and I was there,
Then County-Pallatine, but now a king:
And what we did, was in extremity:
But now Orcanes, view my royall hoste,
That hides these plaines, and seems as vast and wide,
As dooth the Desart of Arabia.
To those that stand on Badgeths lofty Tower,
Or as the Ocean to the Traueiler
That restes vpon the snowy Appenines:
And tell me whether I should stoope so low,
Or treat of peace with the Natolian king?

Byr.
Kings of Natolia and of Hungarie,
We came from Turky to confirme a league,
And not to dare ech other to the field:
A friendly parle might become ye both.

Fred.
And we from Europe to the same intent,
Which if your General refuse or scorne,
Our Tents are pitcht, our men stand in array.
Ready to charge you ere you stir your feet.

Nat.
So prest are we, but yet if Sigismond
Speake as a friend, and stand not vpon tearmes,
Here is his sword, let peace be ratified
On these conditions specified before,
Drawen with aduise of our Ambassadors.

Sig.
Then here I sheath it, and giue thee my hand,
Neuer to draw it out, or manage armes
Against thy selfe or thy confederates:
But whilst I liue will be at truce with thee.

Nat.
But (Sigismond) confirme it with an oath,
And sweare in sight of heauen and by thy Christ.

Sig.
By him that made the world and sau'd my soule
The sonne of God and issue of a Mayd,
Sweet Iesus Christ, I sollemnly protest,
And vow to keepe this peace inuiolable.

Nat.
By sacred Mahomet, the friend of God,
Whose holy Alcaron remaines with vs,
Whose glorious body when he left the world,
Closde in a coffyn mounted vp the aire,
And hung on stately Mecas Temple roofe,
I sweare to keepe this truce inuiolable:
Of whose conditions, and our solemne othes
Sign'd with our handes, each shal retaine a scrowle:
As memorable witnesse of our league.
Now Sigismond, if any Christian King
Encroche vpon the confines of thy realme,
Send woord, Orcanes of Natolia
Confirm'd this league beyond Danubius streame,
And they will (trembling) sound a quicke retreat,
So am I fear'd among all Nations.

Sig.
If any heathen potentate or king
Inuade Natolia, Sigismond will send
A hundred thousand horse train'd to the war,
And backt by stout Lanceres of Germany.
The strength and sinewes of the imperiall seat.

Nat.
I thank thee Sigismond, but when I war
All Asia Minor, Affrica, and Greece
Follow my Standard and my thundring Drums:
Come let vs goe and banquet in our tents:
I will dispatch chiefe of my army hence
To faire Natolia, and to Trebizon,
To stay my comming gainst proud Tamburlaine.
Freend Sigismond, and peeres of Hungary,
Come banquet and carouse with vs a while,
And then depart we to our territories.

Exeunt.