Tamburlaine the Great Volume Ii Part 7

ALMEDA. [to Tamb.] Good my lord, let me take it.

CALLAPINE. Dost thou ask him leave? here; take it.

TAMBURLAINE. Go to, sirrah! [175] take your crown, and make up the half dozen. So, sirrah, now you are a king, you must give arms. [176]

ORCANES. So he shall, and wear thy head in his scutcheon.

TAMBURLAINE. No; [177] let him hang a bunch of keys on his standard, to put him in remembrance he was a jailor, that, when I take him, I may knock out his brains with them, and lock you in the stable, when you shall come sweating from my chariot.

KING OF TREBIZON. Away! let us to the field, that the villain may be slain.

TAMBURLAINE. Sirrah, prepare whips, and bring my chariot to my tent; for, as soon as the battle is done, I'll ride in triumph through the camp.

Enter THERIDAMAS, TECh.e.l.lES, and their train.

How now, ye petty kings? lo, here are bugs [178]

Will make the hair stand upright on your heads, And cast your crowns in slavery at their feet!-- Welcome, Theridamas and Tech.e.l.les, both: See ye this rout, [179] and know ye this same king?

THERIDAMAS. Ay, my lord; he was Callapine's keeper.

TAMBURLAINE. Well, now ye see he is a king. Look to him, Theridamas, when we are fighting, lest he hide his crown as the foolish king of Persia did. [180]

KING OF SORIA. No, Tamburlaine; he shall not be put to that exigent, I warrant thee.

TAMBURLAINE. You know not, sir.-- But now, my followers and my loving friends, Fight as you ever did, like conquerors, The glory of this happy day is yours.

My stern aspect [181] shall make fair Victory, Hovering betwixt our armies, light on me, Loaden with laurel-wreaths to crown us all.

TECh.e.l.lES. I smile to think how, when this field is fought And rich Natolia ours, our men shall sweat With carrying pearl and treasure on their backs.

TAMBURLAINE. You shall be princes all, immediately.-- Come, fight, ye Turks, or yield us victory.

ORCANES. No; we will meet thee, slavish Tamburlaine.

[Exeunt severally.]

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

Alarms within. AMYRAS and CELEBINUS issue from the tent where CALYPHAS sits asleep. [182]

AMYRAS. Now in their glories s.h.i.+ne the golden crowns Of these proud Turks, much like so many suns That half dismay the majesty of heaven.

Now, brother, follow we our father's sword, That flies with fury swifter than our thoughts, And cuts down armies with his conquering wings.

CELEBINUS. Call forth our lazy brother from the tent, For, if my father miss him in the field, Wrath, kindled in the furnace of his breast, Will send a deadly lightning to his heart.

AMYRAS. Brother, ho! what, given so much to sleep, You cannot [183] leave it, when our enemies' drums And rattling cannons thunder in our ears Our proper ruin and our father's foil?

CALYPHAS. Away, ye fools! my father needs not me, Nor you, in faith, but that you will be thought More childish-valourous than manly-wise.

If half our camp should sit and sleep with me, My father were enough to scare [184] the foe: You do dishonour to his majesty, To think our helps will do him any good.

AMYRAS. What, dar'st thou, then, be absent from the fight, Knowing my father hates thy cowardice, And oft hath warn'd thee to be still in field, When he himself amidst the thickest troops Beats down our foes, to flesh our taintless swords?

CALYPHAS. I know, sir, what it is to kill a man; It works remorse of conscience in me.

I take no pleasure to be murderous, Nor care for blood when wine will quench my thirst.

CELEBINUS. O cowardly boy! fie, for shame, come forth!

Thou dost dishonour manhood and thy house.

CALYPHAS. Go, go, tall [185] stripling, fight you for us both, And take my other toward brother here, For person like to prove a second Mars.

'Twill please my mind as well to hear, both you [186]

Have won a heap of honour in the field, And left your slender carca.s.ses behind, As if I lay with you for company.

AMYRAS. You will not go, then?

CALYPHAS. You say true.

AMYRAS. Were all the lofty mounts of Zona Mundi That fill the midst of farthest Tartary Turn'd into pearl and proffer'd for my stay, I would not bide the fury of my father, When, made a victor in these haughty arms, He comes and finds his sons have had no shares In all the honours he propos'd for us.

CALYPHAS. Take you the honour, I will take my ease; My wisdom shall excuse my cowardice: I go into the field before I need!

[Alarms within. AMYRAS and CELEBINUS run out.]

The bullets fly at random where they list; And, should I [187] go, and kill a thousand men, I were as soon rewarded with a shot, And sooner far than he that never fights; And, should I go, and do no harm nor good, I might have harm, which all the good I have, Join'd with my father's crown, would never cure.

I'll to cards.--Perdicas!

Enter PERDICAS.

PERDICAS. Here, my lord.

CALYPHAS.

Come, thou and I will go to cards to drive away the time.

PERDICAS. Content, my lord: but what shall we play for?

CALYPHAS. Who shall kiss the fairest of the Turks' concubines first, when my father hath conquered them.

PERDICAS. Agreed, i'faith.

[They play.]

CALYPHAS. They say I am a coward, Perdicas, and I fear as little their taratantaras, their swords, or their cannons as I do a naked lady in a net of gold, and, for fear I should be afraid, would put it off and come to bed with me.

PERDICAS. Such a fear, my lord, would never make ye retire.

CALYPHAS. I would my father would let me be put in the front of such a battle once, to try my valour! [Alarms within.]

What a coil they keep! I believe there will be some hurt done anon amongst them.