Tamburlaine the Great Volume I Part 2

Methinks I see kings kneeling at his feet, And he with frowning brows and fiery looks Spurning their crowns from off their captive heads.

USUMCASANE. And making thee and me, Tech.e.l.les, kings, That even to death will follow Tamburlaine.

TAMBURLAINE. n.o.bly resolv'd, sweet friends and followers!

These lords perhaps do scorn our estimates, And think we prattle with distemper'd spirits: But, since they measure our deserts so mean, That in conceit [36] bear empires on our spears, Affecting thoughts coequal with the clouds, They shall be kept our forced followers Till with their eyes they view us emperors.

ZENOCRATE. The G.o.ds, defenders of the innocent.

Will never prosper your intended drifts, That thus oppress poor friendless pa.s.sengers.

Therefore at least admit us liberty, Even as thou hop'st to be eternized By living Asia's mighty emperor.

AGYDAS. I hope our lady's treasure and our own May serve for ransom to our liberties: Return our mules and empty camels back, That we may travel into Syria, Where her betrothed lord, Alcidamus, Expects the arrival of her highness' person.

MAGNETES. And wheresoever we repose ourselves, We will report but well of Tamburlaine.

TAMBURLAINE. Disdains Zenocrate to live with me?

Or you, my lords, to be my followers?

Think you I weigh this treasure more than you?

Not all the gold in India's wealthy arms Shall buy the meanest soldier in my train.

Zenocrate, lovelier than the love of Jove, Brighter than is the silver Rhodope, [37]

Fairer than whitest snow on Scythian hills, Thy person is more worth to Tamburlaine Than the possession of the Persian crown, Which gracious stars have promis'd at my birth.

A hundred Tartars shall attend on thee, Mounted on steeds swifter than Pegasus; Thy garments shall be made of Median silk, Enchas'd with precious jewels of mine own, More rich and valurous [38] than Zenocrate's; With milk-white harts upon an ivory sled Thou shalt be drawn amidst the frozen pools, [39]

And scale the icy mountains' lofty tops, Which with thy beauty will be soon resolv'd: [40]

My martial prizes, with five hundred men, Won on the fifty-headed Volga's waves, Shall we all offer [41] to Zenocrate, And then myself to fair Zenocrate.

TECh.e.l.lES. What now! in love?

TAMBURLAINE. Tech.e.l.les, women must be flattered: But this is she with whom I am in [42] love.

Enter a SOLDIER.

SOLDIER. News, news!

TAMBURLAINE. How now! what's the matter?

SOLDIER. A thousand Persian hors.e.m.e.n are at hand, Sent from the king to overcome us all.

TAMBURLAINE. How now, my lords of Egypt, and Zenocrate!

Now must your jewels be restor'd again, And I, that triumph'd [43] so, be overcome?

How say you, lordings? is not this your hope?

AGYDAS. We hope yourself will willingly restore them.

TAMBURLAINE. Such hope, such fortune, have the thousand horse.

Soft ye, my lords, and sweet Zenocrate!

You must be forced from me ere you go.-- A thousand hors.e.m.e.n! we five hundred foot!

An odds too great for us to stand against.

But are they rich? and is their armour good!

SOLDIER. Their plumed helms are wrought with beaten gold, Their swords enamell'd, and about their necks Hang ma.s.sy chains of gold down to the waist; In every part exceeding brave [44] and rich.

TAMBURLAINE. Then shall we fight courageously with them?

Or look you I should play the orator?

TECh.e.l.lES. No; cowards and faint-hearted runaways Look for orations when the foe is near: Our swords shall play the orators for us.

USUMCASANE. Come, let us meet them at the mountain-top, [45]

And with a sudden and an hot alarum Drive all their horses headlong down the hill.

TECh.e.l.lES. Come, let us march.

TAMBURLAINE. Stay, Tech.e.l.les; ask a parle first.

The SOLDIERS enter.

Open the mails, [46] yet guard the treasure sure: Lay out our golden wedges to the view, That their reflections may amaze the Persians; And look we friendly on them when they come: But, if they offer word or violence, We'll fight, five hundred men-at-arms to one, Before we part with our possession; And 'gainst the general we will lift our swords, And either lance [47] his greedy thirsting throat, Or take him prisoner, and his chain shall serve For manacles till he be ransom'd home.

TECh.e.l.lES. I hear them come: shall we encounter them?

TAMBURLAINE. Keep all your standings, and not stir a foot: Myself will bide the danger of the brunt.

Enter THERIDAMAS with others.

THERIDAMAS. Where is this [48] Scythian Tamburlaine?

TAMBURLAINE. Whom seek'st thou, Persian? I am Tamburlaine.

THERIDAMAS. Tamburlaine!

A Scythian shepherd so embellished With nature's pride and richest furniture!

His looks do menace heaven and dare the G.o.ds; His fiery eyes are fix'd upon the earth, As if he now devis'd some stratagem, Or meant to pierce Avernus' darksome vaults [49]

To pull the triple-headed dog from h.e.l.l.

TAMBURLAINE. n.o.ble and mild this Persian seems to be, If outward habit judge the inward man.

TECh.e.l.lES. His deep affections make him pa.s.sionate.

TAMBURLAINE. With what a majesty he rears his looks!-- In thee, thou valiant man of Persia, I see the folly of thy [50] emperor.

Art thou but captain of a thousand horse, That by characters graven in thy brows, And by thy martial face and stout aspect, Deserv'st to have the leading of an host?

Forsake thy king, and do but join with me, And we will triumph over all the world: I hold the Fates bound fast in iron chains, And with my hand turn Fortune's wheel about; And sooner shall the sun fall from his sphere Than Tamburlaine be slain or overcome.

Draw forth thy sword, thou mighty man-at-arms, Intending but to raze my charmed skin, And Jove himself will stretch his hand from heaven To ward the blow, and s.h.i.+eld me safe from harm.

See, how he rains down heaps of gold in showers, As if he meant to give my soldiers pay!

And, as a sure and grounded argument That I shall be the monarch of the East, He sends this Soldan's daughter rich and brave, [51]

To be my queen and portly emperess.

If thou wilt stay with me, renowmed [52] man, And lead thy thousand horse with my conduct, Besides thy share of this Egyptian prize, Those thousand horse shall sweat with martial spoil Of conquer'd kingdoms and of cities sack'd: Both we will walk upon the lofty cliffs; [53]

And Christian merchants, [54] that with Russian stems [55]

Plough up huge furrows in the Caspian Sea, Shall vail [56] to us as lords of all the lake; Both we will reign as consuls of the earth, And mighty kings shall be our senators.

Jove sometime masked in a shepherd's weed; And by those steps that he hath scal'd the heavens May we become immortal like the G.o.ds.

Join with me now in this my mean estate, (I call it mean, because, being yet obscure, The nations far-remov'd admire me not,) And when my name and honour shall be spread As far as Boreas claps his brazen wings, Or fair Bootes [57] sends his cheerful light, Then shalt thou be compet.i.tor [58] with me, And sit with Tamburlaine in all his majesty.

THERIDAMAS. Not Hermes, prolocutor to the G.o.ds, Could use persuasions more pathetical.