Tamburlaine the Great Read Online

Hel, death, Tamburlain, Hell. Make ready my Coch, my chaire, my jewels, I come, I come, I come.

She runs against the Cage and braines her selfe.

Enter Zenocrate wyth Anippe.

ZENOCRATE.

Wretched Zenocrate, that livest to see,

Damascus walles di'd with Egyptian blood:

Thy Frathers subjects and thy countrimen.

Thy streetes strowed with dissevered jointes of men,

And wounded bodies gasping yet for life.

But most accurst, to see the Sun-bright troope

Of heavenly vyrgins and unspotted maides,

Whose lookes might make the angry God of armes,

To breake his sword, and mildly treat of love,

On horsmens Lances to be hoisted up,

And guiltlesly endure a cruell death.

For every fell and stout Tartarian Stead

That stampt on others with their thundring hooves,

When al their riders chardg'd their quivering speares

Began to checke the ground, and rain themselves:

Gazing upon the beautie of their lookes:

Ah Tamburlaine, wert thou the cause of this

That tearm'st Zenocrate thy dearest love?

Whose lives were dearer to Zenocrate

Than her owne life, or ought save thine owne love.

But see another bloody spectacle.

Ah wretched eies, the enemies of my hart,

How are ye glutted with these grievous objects,

And tell my soule mor tales of bleeding ruth?

See, se Anippe if they breathe or no.

ANIPPE.

No breath nor sence, nor motion in them both.

Ah Madam, this their slavery hath Enforc'd,

And ruthlesse cruelty of Tamburlaine.

ZENOCRATE.

Earth cast up fountaines from thy entralles,

And wet thy cheeks for their untimely deathes:

Shake with their waight in signe of feare and griefe:

Blush heaven, that gave them honor at their birth,

And let them die a death so barbarous.

Those that are proud of fickle Empery,

And place their chiefest good in earthly pompe:

Behold the Turke and his great Emperesse.

Ah Tamburlaine, my love, sweet Tamburlaine,

That fights for Scepters and for slippery crownes,

Behold the Turk and his great Emperesse.

Thou that in conduct of thy happy stars,

Sleep'st every night with conquest on thy browes,

And yet wouldst shun the wavering turnes of war,

In feare and feeling of the like distresse,

Behold the Turke and his great Emperesse.

Ah myghty Jove and holy Mahomet,

Pardon my Love, oh pardon his contempt,

Of earthly fortune, and respect of pitie,

And let not conquest ruthlesly pursewde

Be equally against his life incenst,

In this great Turk and haplesse Emperesse.

And pardon me that was not moov'd with ruthe,

To see them live so long in misery:

Ah what may chance to thee Zenocrate?

ANIPPE.

Madam content your self and be resolv'd,

Your Love hath fortune so at his command,

That she shall stay and turne her wheele no more,

As long as life maintaines his mighty arme,

That fights for honor to adorne your head.

Enter [Philemus,] a Messenger.

ZENOCRATE.

What other heavie news now brings Philemus?

PHILEMUS.

Madam, your father and th'Arabian king,

The first affecter of your excellence,

Comes now as Turnus gainst Eneas did,

Armed with lance into the Egyptian fields,

Ready for battaile gainst my Lord the King.

ZENOCRATE.

Now shame and duty, love and feare presents

A thousand sorrowes to my martyred soule:

Whom should I wish the fatall victory,

When my poore pleasures are devided thus,

And rackt by dutie from my cursed heart:

My father and my first betrothed love,

Must fight against my life and present love:

Wherin the change I use condemns my faith,

And makes my deeds infamous through the world.

But as the Gods to end the Troyans toile,

Prevented Turnus of Lavinia,

And fatally enricht Eneas love.

So for a finall Issue to my griefes,

To pacifie my countrie and my love,

Must Tamburlaine by their resistlesse powers,

With vertue of a gentle victorie,

Conclude a league of honor to my hope.

Then as the powers devine have preordainde,

With happy safty of my fathers life,

Send like defence of faire Arabia.

They sound to the battaile. And Tamburlaine enjoyes the victory, after Arabia enters wounded.

ARABIA.

What cursed power guides the murthering hands,

Of this infamous Tyrants souldiers,

That no escape may save their enemies:

Nor fortune keep them selves from victory.

Lye down Arabia, wounded to the death,

And let Zenocrates faire eies beholde

That as for her thou bearst these wretched armes,

Even so for her thou diest in these armes:

Leaving thy blood for witnesse of thy love.

ZENOCRATE.

Too deare a witnesse for such love my Lord.

Behold Zenocrate, the cursed object

Whose Fortunes never mastered her griefs:

Behold her wounded in conceit for thee,

As much as thy faire body is for me.

ARABIA.

Then shal I die with full contented heart,

Having beheld devine Zenocrate,

Whose sight with joy would take away my life,

As now it bringeth sweetnesse to my wound,

If I had not bin wounded as I am.

Ah that the deadly panges I suffer now,

Would lend an howers license to my tongue:

To make discourse of some sweet accidents

Have chanc'd thy merits in this worthles bondage.

And that I might be privy to the state,

Of thy deserv'd contentment and thy love:

But making now a vertue of thy sight,

To drive all sorrow from my fainting soule:

Since Death denies me further cause of joy,

Depriv'd of care, my heart with comfort dies,

Since thy desired hand shall close mine eies.

[Dies.]

Enter Tamburlain leading the Souldane, Techelles, Theridamas, Usumcasane, with others.

TAMBURLAINE.

Come happy Father of Zenocrate,

A title higher than thy Souldans name:

Though my right hand have thus enthralled thee,

Thy princely daughter here shall set thee free.

She that hath calmde the furie of my sword,

Which had ere this bin bathde in streames of blood,

As vast and deep as Euphrates or Nile.

ZENOCRATE.

O sight thrice welcome to my joiful soule,

To see the king my Father issue safe,

From dangerous battel of my conquering Love.

SOULDAN.

Wel met my only deare Zenocrate,

Though with the losse of Egypt and my Crown.

TAMBURLAINE.

Twas I my lord that gat the victory,

And therfore grieve not at your overthrow,

Since I shall render all into your hands.

And ad more strength to your dominions

Than ever yet confirm'd th'Egyptian Crown.

The God of war resignes his roume to me,

Meaning to make me Generall of the world,

Jove viewing me in armes, lookes pale and wan,

Fearing my power should pull him from his throne.

Where ere I come the fatall sisters sweat,

And griesly death, by running to and fro,

To doo their ceassles homag to my sword:

And here in Affrick where it seldom raines,

Since I arriv'd with my triumphant hoste,

Have swelling cloudes drawen from wide gasping woundes,

Bene oft resolv'd in bloody purple showers,

A meteor that might terrify the earth,

And make it quake at every drop it drinks:

Millions of soules sit on the bankes of Styx,

Waiting the back returne of Charons boat,

Hell and Elisian swarme with ghosts of men,

That I have sent from sundry foughten fields,

To spread my fame through hell and up to heaven:

And see my Lord, a sight of strange import,

Emperours and kings lie breathlesse at my feet.

The Turk and his great Emperesse as it seems,

Left to themselves while we were at the fight,

Have desperatly dispatcht their slavish lives:

With them Arabia too hath left his life,

Al sights of power to grace my victory:

And such are objects fit for Tamburlaine.

Wherein as in a mirrour may be seene,

His honor, that consists in sheading blood,

When men presume to manage armes with him.

SOULDAN.

Mighty hath God and Mahomet made thy hand

(Renowmed Tamburlain) to whom all kings

Of force must yeeld their crownes and Emperies:

And I am pleasde with this my overthrow,

If as beseemes a person of thy state,

Thou hast with honor usde Zenocrate.

TAMBURLAINE.

Her state and person wants no pomp you see,

And for all blot of foule inchastity,

I record heaven, her heavenly selfe is cleare:

Then let me find no further time to grace

Her princely Temples with the Persean crowne:

But here these kings that on my fortunes wait,

And have bene crown'd for prooved worthynesse:

Even by this hand that shall establish them,

Shal now, adjoining al their hands with mine,

Invest her here my Queene of Persea.

What saith the noble Souldane and Zenocrate?

SOULDAN.

I yeeld with thanks and protestations

Of endlesse honor to thee for her love.

TAMBURLAINE.

Then doubt I not but faire Zenocrate

Will soone consent to satisfy us both.

ZENOCRATE.

Els should I much forget my self, my Lord.

THERIDAMAS.

Then let us set the crowne upon her head,

That long hath lingred for so high a seat.

TECHELLES.

My hand is ready to performe the deed,

For now her mariage time shall worke us rest.

USUMCASANE.

And here's the crown my Lord, help set it on.

TAMBURLAINE.

Then sit thou downe divine Zenocrate,

And here we crowne thee Queene of Persea,

And all the kingdomes and dominions

That late the power of Tamburlaine subdewed:

As Juno, when the Giants were supprest,

That darted mountaines at her brother Jove:

So lookes my Love, shadowing in her browes

Triumphes and Trophees for my victories:

Or as Latonas daughter bent to armes,

Adding more courage to my conquering mind.

To gratify the sweet Zenocrate,

Egyptians, Moores and men of Asia,

From Barbary unto the Westerne Inde,

Shall pay a yearly tribute to thy Syre.

And from the boundes of Affrick to the banks

Of Ganges, shall his mighty arme extend.

And now my Lords and loving followers,

That purchac'd kingdomes by your martiall deeds,

Cast off your armor, put on scarlet roabes.

Mount up your royall places of estate,

Environed with troopes of noble men,

And there make lawes to rule your provinces:

Hang up your weapons on Alcides poste,

For Tamburlaine takes truce with al the world.

Thy first betrothed Love, Arabia,

Shall we with honor (as beseemes) entombe,

With this great Turke and his faire Emperesse:

Then after all these solemne Exequies,

We wil our celebrated rites of mariage solemnize.

[Exeunt.]

[Dramatis Personæ

Tamburlaine, king of Persia

Calyphas

Amyras

Celebinus

, his sons

Theridamas, king of Argier

Techelles, king of Fez

Usumcasane, king of Morocco

Orcanes, king of Natolia

King of Trebizon

King of Soria

King of Jerusalem

King of Amasia

Gazellus, viceroy of Byron

Uribassa

Sigismund, king of Hungary

Frederick

Baldwin

, Lords of Buda and Bohemia

Callapine, son to Bajazeth and prisoner to Tamburlaine

Almeda, his keeper

Governor of Babylon

Captain of Balsera

His Son

Maximus, Perdicas, Physicians, Lords, Citizens, Messengers, Soldiers, and Attendants

Zenocrate, wife to Tamburlaine

Olympia, wife to the Captain of Balsera

Turkish Concubines.]

The Prologue.

The generall welcomes Tamburlain receiv'd,

When he arrived last upon our stage,

Hath made our Poet pen his second part,

Wher death cuts off the progres of his pomp,

And murdrous Fates throwes at his triumphs down.

But what became of faire Zenocrate,

And with how manie cities sacrifice

He celebrated her sad funerall,

Himselfe in presence shal unfold at large.

The Second Part of The Bloody Conquests of mighty Tamburlaine.

With his impassionate fury, for the death of his Lady and love, faire Zenocrate: his fourme of exhortation and discipline to his three sons, and the maner of his own death.

I.i

[Enter] Orcanes, king of Natolia, Gazellus, vice-roy of Byron, Uribassa, and their traine, with drums and trumpets.

ORCANES.

Egregious Viceroyes of these Eastern parts

Plac'd by the issue of great Bajazeth,

And sacred Lord, the mighty Calapine:

Who lives in Egypt, prisoner to that slave,

Which kept his father in an yron cage:

Now have we martcht from faire Natolia

Two hundred leagues, and on Danubius banks,

Our warlike hoste in compleat armour rest,

Where Sigismond the king of Hungary

Should meet our person to conclude a truce.

What? Shall we parle with the Christian,

Or crosse the streame, and meet him in the field?

GAZELLUS.

King of Natolia, let us treat of peace,

We all are glutted with the Christians blood,

And have a greater foe to fight against,

Proud Tamburlaine, that now in Asia,

Neere Guyrons head doth set his conquering feet,

And means to fire Turky as he goes:

Gainst him my Lord must you addresse your power.

URIBASSA.

Besides, king Sigismond hath brought from Christen-dome,

More then his Camp of stout Hungarians,

Sclavonians, Almans, Rutters, Muffes, and Danes,

That with the Holbard, Lance, and murthering Axe,

Will hazard that we might with surety hold.

ORCANES.

Though from the shortest Northren Paralell,

Vast Gruntland compast with the frozen sea,

Inhabited with tall and sturdy men,

Gyants as big as hugie Polypheme:

Millions of Souldiers cut the Artick line,

Bringing the strength of Europe to these Armes:

Our Turky blades shal glide through al their throats,

And make this champion mead a bloody Fen.

Danubius stream that runs to Trebizon,

Shall carie wrapt within his scarlet waves,

As martiall presents to our friends at home,

The slaughtered bodies of these Christians.

The Terrene main wherin Danubius fals,

Shall by this battell be the bloody Sea.

The wandring Sailers of proud Italy,

Shall meet those Christians fleeting with the tyde,

Beating in heaps against their Argoses,

And make faire Europe mounted on her bull,

Trapt with the wealth and riches of the world,

Alight and weare a woful mourning weed.

GAZELLUS.

Yet stout Orcanes, Prorex of the world,

Since Tamburlaine hath mustred all his men,

Marching from Cairon northward with his camp,

To Alexandria, and the frontier townes,

Meaning to make a conquest of our land:

Tis requisit to parle for a peace

With Sigismond the king of Hungary:

And save our forces for the hot assaults

Proud Tamburlaine intends Natolia.

ORCANES.

Viceroy of Byron, wisely hast thou said:

My realme, the Center of our Empery

Once lost, All Turkie would be overthrowne:

And for that cause the Christians shall have peace

Slavonians, Almains, Rutters, Muffes, and Danes

Feare not Orcanes, but great Tamburlaine:

Nor he but Fortune that hath made him great.

We have revolted Grecians, Albanees,

Cicilians, Jewes, Arabians, Turks, and Moors,

Natolians, Sorians, blacke Egyptians,

Illirians, Thracians, and Bythinians,

Enough to swallow forcelesse Sigismond,

Yet scarse enough t'encounter Tamburlaine.

He brings a world of people to the field,

From Scythia to the Orientall Plage

Of India, wher raging Lantchidol

Beates on the regions with his boysterous blowes,

That never sea-man yet discovered:

All Asia is in Armes with Tamburlaine.

Even from the midst of fiery Cancers Tropick,

To Amazonia under Capricorne,

And thence as far as Archipellago:

All Affrike is in Armes with Tamburlaine.

Therefore Viceroies the Christians must have peace.

[Enter] Sigismond, Fredericke, Baldwine, and their traine with drums and trumpets.

SIGISMOND.

Orcanes (as our Legates promist thee)

Wee with our Peeres have crost Danubius stream

To treat of friendly peace or deadly war:

Take which thou wilt, for as the Romans usde

I here present thee with a naked sword.

Wilt thou have war, then shake this blade at me,

If peace, restore it to my hands againe:

And I wil sheath it to confirme the same.

ORCANES.

Stay Sigismond, forgetst thou I am he

That with the Cannon shooke Vienna walles,

And made it dance upon the Continent:

As when the massy substance of the earth,

Quiver about the Axeltree of heaven.

Forgetst thou that I sent a shower of dartes

Mingled with powdered shot and fethered steele

So thick upon 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 have 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 Jove.

How canst thou think of this and offer war?

SIGISMOND.

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 Traveiler

That restes upon the snowy Appenines:

And tell me whether I should stoope so low,

Or treat of peace with the Natolian king?

GAZELLUS.

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.

FREDERICKE.

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.

ORCANES.

So prest are we, but yet if Sigismond

Speake as a friend, and stand not upon tearmes,

Here is his sword, let peace be ratified

On these conditions specified before,

Drawen with advise of our Ambassadors.

SIGISMOND.

Then here I sheath it, and give thee my hand,

Never to draw it out, or manage armes

Against thy selfe or thy confederates:

But whilst I live will be at truce with thee.

ORCANES.

But (Sigismond) confirme it with an oath,

And sweare in sight of heaven and by thy Christ.

SIGISMOND.

By him that made the world and sav'd my soule,

The sonne of God and issue of a Mayd,

Sweet Jesus Christ, I sollemnly protest,

And vow to keepe this peace inviolable.

ORCANES.

By sacred Mahomet, the friend of God,

Whose holy Alcaron remaines with us,

Whose glorious body when he left the world,

Closde in a coffyn mounted up the aire,

And hung on stately Mecas Temple roofe,

I sweare to keepe this truce inviolable:

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 upon 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.

SIGISMOND.

If any heathen potentate or king

Invade 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.

ORCANES.

I thank thee Sigismond, but when I war

All Asia Minor, Africa, and Greece

Follow my Standard and my thundring Drums:

Come let us 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 us a while,

And then depart we to our territories.

Exeunt.

I.ii

[Enter] Callapine with Almeda, his keeper.

CALAPPINE.

Sweet Almeda, pity the ruthfull plight

Of Callapine, the sonne of Bajazeth,

Born to be Monarch of the Western world:

Yet here detain'd by cruell Tamburlaine.

ALMEDA.

My Lord I pitie it, and with my heart

Wish your release, but he whose wrath is death,

My soveraigne Lord, renowmed Tamburlain,

Forbids you further liberty than this.

CALAPPINE.

Ah were I now but halfe so eloquent

To paint in woords, what Ile perfourme in deeds,

I know thou wouldst depart from hence with me.

ALMEDA.

Not for all Affrike, therefore moove me not.

CALAPPINE.

Yet heare me speake my gentle Almeda.

ALMEDA.

No speach to that end, by your favour sir.

CALAPPINE.

By Cairo runs –

ALMEDA.

No talke of running, I tell you sir.

CALAPPINE.

A litle further, gentle Almeda.

ALMEDA.

Wel sir, what of this?

CALAPPINE.

By Cairo runs to Alexandria Bay,

Darotes streames, wherin at anchor lies

A Turkish Gally of my royall fleet,

Waiting my comming to the river side,

Hoping by some means I shall be releast,

Which when I come aboord will hoist up saile,

And soon put foorth into the Terrene sea:

Where twixt the Isles of Cyprus and of Creete,

We quickly may in Turkish seas arrive.

Then shalt thou see a hundred kings and more

Upon their knees, all bid me welcome home.

Amongst so many crownes of burnisht gold,

Choose which thou wilt, all are at thy command.

A thousand Gallies mann'd with Christian slaves

I freely give thee, which shall cut the straights,

And bring Armados from the coasts of Spaine,

Fraughted with golde of rich America:

The Grecian virgins shall attend on thee,

Skilful in musicke and in amorous laies:

As faire as was Pigmalions Ivory gyrle,

Or lovely Io metamorphosed.

With naked Negros shall thy coach be drawen,

And as thou rid'st in triumph through the streets,

The pavement underneath thy chariot wheels

With Turky Carpets shall be covered:

And cloath of Arras hung about the walles,

Fit objects for thy princely eie to pierce.

A hundred Bassoes cloath'd in crimson silk

Shall ride before the on Barbarian Steeds:

And when thou goest, a golden Canapie

Enchac'd with pretious stones, which shine as bright

As that faire vail that covers all the world:

When Phœbus leaping from his Hemi-Spheare,

Discendeth downward to th'Antipodes.

And more than this, for all I cannot tell.

ALMEDA.

How far hence lies the Galley, say you?

CALLAPINE.

Sweet Almeda, scarse halfe a league from hence.

ALMEDA.

But need we not be spied going aboord?

CALAPPINE.

Betwixt the hollow hanging of a hill

And crooked bending of a craggy rock,

The sailes wrapt up, the mast and tacklings downe,

She lies so close that none can find her out.

ALMEDA. I like that well: but tel me my Lord, if I should let you goe, would you bee as good as your word? Shall I be made a king for my labour?

CALAPPINE.

As I am Callapine the Emperour,

And by the hand of Mahomet I sweare,

Thou shalt be crown'd a king and be my mate.

ALMEDA.

Then here I sweare, as I am Almeda,

Your Keeper under Tamburlaine the great,

(For that's the style and tytle I have yet)

Although he sent a thousand armed men

To intercept this haughty enterprize,

Yet would I venture to conduct your Grace,

And die before I brought you backe again.

CALAPPINE.

Thanks gentle Almeda, then let us haste,

Least time be past, and lingring let us both.

ALMEDA.

When you will my Lord, I am ready.

CALAPPINE.

Even straight: and farewell cursed Tamburlaine.

Now goe I to revenge my fathers death.

Exeunt.

I.iii

[Enter] Tamburlaine with Zenocrate, and his three sonnes, Calyphas, Amyras, and Celebinus, with drummes and trumpets.

TAMBURLAINE.

Now, bright Zenocrate, the worlds faire eie,

Whose beames illuminate the lamps of heaven,

Whose chearful looks do cleare the clowdy aire

And cloath it in a christall liverie,

Now rest thee here on faire Larissa Plaines,

Where Egypt and the Turkish Empire parts,

Betweene thy sons that shall be Emperours,

And every one Commander of a world.

ZENOCRATE.

Sweet Tamburlain, when wilt thou leave these armes

And save thy sacred person free from scathe:

And dangerous chances of the wrathfull war?

TAMBURLAINE.

When heaven shal cease to moove on both the poles

And when the ground wheron my souldiers march

Shal rise aloft and touch the horned Moon,

And not before, my sweet Zenocrate:

Sit up and rest thee like a lovely Queene.

So, now she sits in pompe and majestie:

When these my sonnes, more precious in mine eies

Than all the wealthy kingdomes I subdewed:

Plac'd by her side, looke on their mothers face.

But yet me thks irinthe looks are amorous,

Not martiall as the sons of Tamburlaine.

Water and ayre being simbolisde in one,

Argue their want of courage and of wit:

Their haire as white as milke and soft as Downe,

Which should be like the quilles of Porcupines,

As blacke as Jeat, and hard as Iron or steel,

Bewraies they are too dainty for the wars.

Their fingers made to quaver on a Lute,

Their armes to hang about a Ladies necke:

Their legs to dance and caper in the aire:

Would make me thinke them Bastards, not my sons,

But that I know they issued from thy wombe,

That never look'd on man but Tamburlaine.

ZENOCRATE.

My gratious Lord, they have their mothers looks,

But when they list, their conquering fathers hart:

This lovely boy the yongest of the three,

Not long agoe bestrid a Scythian Steed:

Trotting the ring, and tilting at a glove:

Which when he tainted with his slender rod,

He raign'd him straight and made him so curvet,

As I cried out for feare he should have falne.

TAMBURLAINE.

Wel done my boy, thou shalt have shield and lance,

Armour of proofe, horse, helme, and Curtle-axe,

And I will teach thee how to charge thy foe,

And harmelesse run among the deadly pikes.

If thou wilt love the warres and follow me,

Thou shalt be made a King and raigne with me,

Keeping in yron cages Emperours.

If thou exceed thy elder Brothers worth,

And shine in compleat vertue more than they,

Thou shalt be king before them, and thy seed

Shall issue crowned from their mothers wombe.

CELEBINUS.

Yes father, you shal see me if I live,

Have under me as many kings as you,

And martch with such a multitude of men,

As all the world shall tremble at their view.

TAMBURLAINE.

These words assure me boy, thou art my sonne,

When I am old and cannot mannage armes,

Be thou the scourge and terrour of the world.

AMYRAS.

Why may not I my Lord, as wel as he,

Be tearm'd the scourge and terrour of the world?

TAMBURLAINE.

Be al a scourge and terror to the world,

Or els you are not sons of Tamburlaine.

CALYPHAS.

But while my brothers follow armes my lord,

Let me accompany my gratious mother,

They are enough to conquer all the world

And you have won enough for me to keep.

TAMBURLAINE.

Bastardly boy, sprong from some cowards loins,

And not the issue of great Tamburlaine:

Of all the provinces I have subdued

Thou shalt not have a foot, unlesse thou beare

A mind corragious and invincible:

For he shall weare the crowne of Persea,

Whose head hath deepest scarres, whose breast most woundes,

Which being wroth, sends lightning from his eies,

And in the furrowes of his frowning browes,

Harbors revenge, war, death and cruelty:

For in a field whose superficies

Is covered with a liquid purple veile,

And sprinkled with the braines of slaughtered men,

My royal chaire of state shall be advanc'd:

And he that meanes to place himselfe therein

Must armed wade up to the chin in blood.

ZENOCRATE.

My Lord, such speeches to our princely sonnes,

Dismaies their mindes before they come to proove

The wounding troubles angry war affoords.

CELEBINUS.

No Madam, these are speeches fit for us,

For if his chaire were in a sea of blood,

I would prepare a ship and saile to it,

Ere I would loose the tytle of a king.

AMYRAS.

And I would strive to swim through pooles of blood,

Or make a bridge of murthered Carcases,

Whose arches should be fram'd with bones of Turks,

Ere I would loose the tytle of a king.

TAMBURLAINE.

Wel lovely boies, you shal be Emperours both,

Stretching your conquering armes from east to west:

And sirha, if you meane to weare a crowne,

When we shall meet the Turkish Deputie

And all his Viceroies, snatch it from his head,

And cleave his Pericranion with thy sword.

CALYPHAS.

If any man will hold him, I will strike,

And cleave him to the channell with my sword.

TAMBURLAINE.

Hold him, and cleave him too, or Ile cleave thee,

For we will martch against them presently.

Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane

Promist to meet me on Larissa plaines

With hostes apeece against this Turkish crue,

For I have sworne by sacred Mahomet,

To make it parcel of my Empery.

The trumpets sound, Zenocrate, they come.

Enter Theridamas, and his trains with Drums and Trumpets.

TAMBURLAINE.

Welcome Theridamas, king of Argier.

THERIDAMAS.

My Lord the great and mighty Tamburlain,

Arch-Monarke of the world, I offer here,

My crowne, my selfe, and all the power I have,

In all affection at thy kingly feet.

TAMBURLAINE.

Thanks good Theridamas.

THERIDAMAS.

Under my collors march ten thousand Greeks,

And of Argier and Affriks frontier townes

Twise twenty thousand valiant men at armes,

All which have sworne to sacke Natolia:

Five hundred Briggandines are under saile,

Meet for your service on the sea, my Lord,

That lanching from Argier to Tripoly,

Will quickly ride before Natolia:

And batter downe the castles on the shore.

TAMBURLAINE.

Wel said Argier, receive thy crowne againe.

Enter Techelles and Usumcasane together.

TAMBURLAINE.

Kings of Morocus and of Fesse, welcome.

USUMCASANE.

Magnificent and peerlesse Tamburlaine,

I and my neighbor King of Fesse have brought

To aide thee in this Turkish expedition,

A hundred thousand expert souldiers:

From Azamor to Tunys neare the sea,

Is Barbary unpeopled for thy sake,

And all the men in armour under me,

Which with my crowne I gladly offer thee.

TAMBURLAINE.

Thanks king of Morocus, take your crown again.

TECHELLES.

And mighty Tamburlaine, our earthly God,

Whose lookes make this inferiour world to quake,

I here present thee with the crowne of Fesse,

And with an hoste of Moores trainde to the war,

Whose coleblacke faces make their foes retire,

And quake for feare, as if infernall Jove

Meaning to aid thee in this Turkish armes,

Should pierce the blacke circumference of hell,

With ugly Furies bearing fiery flags,

And millions of his strong tormenting spirits:

From strong Tesella unto Biledull,

All Barbary is unpeopled for thy sake.

TAMBURLAINE.

Thanks king of Fesse, take here thy crowne again.

Your presence (loving friends and fellow kings)

Makes me to surfet in conceiving joy.

If all the christall gates of Joves high court

Were opened wide, and I might enter in

To see the state and majesty of heaven,

It could not more delight me than your sight.

Now will we banquet on these plaines a while,

And after martch to Turky with our Campe,

In number more than are the drops that fall

When Boreas rents a thousand swelling cloudes,

And proud Orcanes of Natolia,

With all his viceroies shall be so affraide,

That though the stones, as at Deucalions flood,

Were turnde to men, he should be overcome:

Such lavish will I make of Turkish blood,

That Jove shall send his winged Messenger

To bid me sheath my sword, and leave the field:

The Sun unable to sustaine the sight,

Shall hide his head in Thetis watery lap,

And leave his steeds to faire Boetes charge:

For halfe the world shall perish in this fight:

But now my friends, let me examine ye,

How have ye spent your absent time from me?

USUMCASANE.

My Lord, our men of Barbary have martcht

Foure hundred miles with armour on their backes,

And laine in leagre fifteene moneths and more,

For since we left you at the Souldans court,

We have subdude the Southerne Guallatia,

And all the land unto the coast of Spaine.

We kept the narrow straight of Gibralter,

And made Canarea cal us kings and Lords,

Yet never did they recreate themselves,

Or cease one day from war and hot alarms,

And therefore let them rest a while my Lord.

TAMBURLAINE.

They shal Casane, and tis time yfaith.

TECHELLES.

And I have martch'd along the river Nile,

To Machda, where the mighty Christian Priest

Cal'd John the great, sits in a milk-white robe,

Whose triple Myter I did take by force,

And made him sweare obedience to my crowne.

From thence unto Cazates did I martch,

Wher Amazonians met me in the field:

With whom (being women) I vouchsaft a league,

And with my power did march to Zansibar,

The Westerne part of Affrike, where I view'd

The Ethiopian sea, rivers and lakes:

But neither man nor child in al the land:

Therfore I tooke my course to Manico:

Where unresisted I remoov'd my campe.

And by the coast of Byather at last,

I came to Cubar, where the Negros dwell,

And conquering that, made haste to Nubia,

There having sackt Borno the Kingly seat,

I took the king, and lead him bound in chaines

Unto Damasco, where I staid before.

TAMBURLAINE.

Well done Techelles: what saith Theridamas?

THERIDAMAS.

I left the confines and the bounds of Affrike

And made a voyage into Europe,

Where by the river Tyros I subdew'd

Stoka, Padalia, and Codemia.

Then crost the sea and came to Oblia,

And Nigra Silva, where the Devils dance,

Which in despight of them I set on fire:

From thence I crost the Gulfe, call'd by the name

Mare magiore, of th'inhabitante

Yet shall my souldiers make no period

Untill Natolia kneele before your feet.

TAMBURLAINE.

Then wil we triumph, banquet and carouse,

Cookes shall have pensions to provide us cates,

And glut us with the dainties of the world,

Lachrima Christi and Calabrian wines

Shall common Souldiers drink in quaffing boules,

I, liquid golde when we have conquer'd him,

Mingled with corrall and with orient pearle:

Come let us banquet and carrouse the whiles.

Exeunt.

II.i

[Enter] Sigismond, Fredericke, Baldwine, with their traine.

SIGISMOND.

Now say my Lords of Buda and Bohemia,

What motion is it that inflames your thoughts,

And stirs your valures to such soddaine armes?

FREDERICKE.

Your Majesty remembers I am sure

What cruell slaughter of our Christian bloods,

These heathnish Turks and Pagans lately made,

Betwixt the citie Zula and Danubius,

How through the midst of Verna and Bulgaria

And almost to the very walles of Rome,

They have not long since massacred our Camp.

It resteth now then that your Majesty

Take all advantages of time and power,

And worke revenge upon these Infidels:

Your Highnesse knowes for Tamburlaines repaire,

That strikes a terrour to all Turkish hearts,

Natolia hath dismist the greatest part

Of all his armie, pitcht against our power

Betwixt Cutheia and Orminius mount:

And sent them marching up to Belgasar,

Acantha, Antioch, and Cæsaria,

To aid the kings of Soria and Jerusalem.

Now then my Lord, advantage take hereof,

And issue sodainly upon the rest:

That in the fortune of their overthrow,

We may discourage all the pagan troope,

That dare attempt to war with Christians.

SIGISMOND.

But cals not then your Grace to memorie

The league we lately made with king Orcanes,

Confirm'd by oth and Articles of peace,

And calling Christ for record of our trueths?

This should be treacherie and violence,

Against the grace of our profession.

BALDWINE.

No whit my Lord: for with such Infidels,

In whom no faith nor true religion rests,

We are not bound to those accomplishments,

The holy lawes of Christendome injoine:

But as the faith which they prophanely plight

Is not by necessary pollycy,

To be esteem'd assurance for our selves,

So what we vow to them should not infringe

Our liberty of armes and victory.

SIGISMOND.

Though I confesse the othes they undertake,

Breed litle strength to our securitie,

Yet those infirmities that thus defame

Their faiths, their honors, and their religion,

Should not give us presumption to the like.

Our faiths are sound, and must be consumate,

Religious, righteous, and inviolate.

FREDERICKE.

Assure your Grace tis superstition

To stand so strictly on dispensive faith:

And should we lose the opportunity

That God hath given to venge our Christians death

And scourge their foule blasphemous Paganisme?

As fell to Saule, to Balaam and the rest,

That would not kill and curse at Gods command,

So surely will the vengeance of the highest

And jealous anger of his fearefull arme

Be pour'd with rigour on our sinfull heads,

If we neglect this offered victory.

SIGISMOND.

Then arme my Lords, and issue sodainly,

Giving commandement to our generall hoste,

With expedition to assaile the Pagan,

And take the victorie our God hath given.

Exeunt.

II.ii

[Enter] Orcanes, Gazellus, Uribassa with their traine.

ORCANES.

Gazellus, Uribassa, and the rest,

Now will we march from proud Orminius mount

To faire Natolia, where our neighbour kings

Expect our power and our royall presence,

T'incounter with the cruell Tamburlain,

That nigh Larissa swaies a mighty hoste,

And with the thunder of his martial tooles

Makes Earthquakes in the hearts of men and heaven.

GAZELLUS.

And now come we to make his sinowes shake,

With greater power than erst his pride hath felt,

An hundred kings by scores wil bid him armes,

And hundred thousands subjects to each score:

Which if a shower of wounding thunderbolts

Should breake out off the bowels of the clowdes

And fall as thick as haile upon our heads,

In partiall aid of that proud Scythian,

Yet should our courages and steeled crestes,

And numbers more than infinit of men,

Be able to withstand and conquer him.

URIBASSA.

Me thinks I see how glad the christian King

Is made, for joy of your admitted truce:

That could not but before be terrified:

With unacquainted power of our hoste.

Enter a Messenger.

MESSENGER.

Arme dread Soveraign and my noble Lords.

The treacherous army of the Christians,

Taking advantage of your slender power,

Comes marching on us, and determines straight,

To bid us battaile for our dearest lives.

ORCANES.

Traitors, villaines, damned Christians.

Have I not here the articles of peace,

And solemne covenants we have both confirm'd,

He by his Christ, and I by Mahomet?

GAZELLUS.

Hel and confusion light upon their heads,

That with such treason seek our overthrow,

And cares so litle for their prophet Christ.

ORCANES.

Can there be such deceit in Christians,

Or treason in the fleshly heart of man,

Whose shape is figure of the highest God?

Then if there be a Christ, as Christians say,

But in their deeds deny him for their Christ:

If he be son to everliving Jove,

And hath the power of his outstretched arme,

If he be jealous of his name and honor,

As is our holy prophet Mahomet,

Take here these papers as our sacrifice

And witnesse of thy servants perjury.

Open thou shining vaile of Cynthia

And make a passage from the imperiall heaven

That he that sits on high and never sleeps,

Nor in one place is circumscriptible,

But every where fils every Continent,

With strange infusion of his sacred vigor,

May in his endlesse power and puritie

Behold and venge this Traitors perjury.

Thou Christ that art esteem'd omnipotent,

If thou wilt proove thy selfe a perfect God,

Worthy the worship of all faithfull hearts,

Be now reveng'd upon this Traitors soule,

And make the power I have left behind

(Too litle to defend our guiltlesse lives)

Sufficient to discomfort and confound

The trustlesse force of those false Christians.

To armes my Lords, on Christ still let us crie,

If there be Christ, we shall have victorie.

[Exeunt.]

II.iii

Sound to the battell, and Sigismond comes out wounded.

SIGISMOND.

Discomfited is all the Christian hoste,

And God hath thundered vengeance from on high,

For my accurst and hatefull perjurie.

O just and dreadfull punisher of sinne,

Let the dishonor of the paines I feele,

In this my mortall well deserved wound,

End all my penance in my sodaine death,

And let this death wherein to sinne I die,

Conceive a second life in endlesse mercie.

[Dies.]

Enter Orcanes, Gazellus, Uribassa, with others.

ORCANES.

Now lie the Christians bathing in their bloods,

And Christ or Mahomet hath bene my friend.

GAZELLUS.

See here the perjur'd traitor Hungary,

Bloody and breathlesse for his villany.

ORCANES.

Now shall his barbarous body be a pray

To beasts and foules, and al the winds shall breath

Through shady leaves of every sencelesse tree,

Murmures and hisses for his hainous sin.

Now scaldes his soule in the Tartarian streames,

And feeds upon the banefull tree of hell,

That Zoacum, that fruit of bytternesse,

That in the midst of fire is ingraft,

Yet flourisheth as Flora in her pride,

With apples like the heads of damned Feends.

The Dyvils there in chaines of quencelesse flame,

Shall lead his soule through Orcus burning gulfe:

From paine to paine, whose change shal never end:

What saiest thou yet Gazellus to his foile:

Which we referd to justice of his Christ,

And to his power, which here appeares as full

As raies of Cynthia to the clearest sight?

GAZELLUS.

Tis but the fortune of the wars my Lord,

Whose power is often proov'd a myracle.

ORCANES.

Yet in my thoughts shall Christ be honoured,

Not dooing Mahomet an injurie,

Whose power had share in this our victory:

And since this miscreant hath disgrac'd his faith,

And died a traitor both to heaven and earth,

We wil both watch and ward shall keepe his trunke

Amidst these plaines, for Foules to pray upon.

Go Uribassa, give it straight in charge.

URIBASSA.

I will my Lord.

Exit Uribassa [and soldiers with body.]

ORCANES.

And now Gazellus, let us haste and meete

Our Army and our brother of Jerusalem,

Of Soria, Trebizon and Amasia,

And happily with full Natolian bowles

Of Greekish wine now let us celebrate

Our happy conquest, and his angry fate.

Exeunt.

II.iv

The Arras is drawen and Zenocrate lies in her bed of state, Tamburlaine sitting by her: three Phisitians about her bed, tempering potions. Theridamas, Techelles, Usumcasane, and the three sonnes.

TAMBURLAINE.

Blacke is the beauty of the brightest day,

The golden balle of heavens eternal fire,

That danc'd with glorie on the silver waves,

Now wants the fewell that enflamde his beames:

And all with faintnesse and for foule disgrace,

He bindes his temples with a frowning cloude,

Ready to darken earth with endlesse night:

Zenocrate that gave him light and life,

Whose eies shot fire from their Ivory bowers,

And tempered every soule with lively heat,

Now by the malice of the angry Skies,

Whose jealousie admits no second Mate,

Drawes in the comfort of her latest breath

All dasled with the hellish mists of death.

Now walk the angels on the walles of heaven,

As Centinels to warne th'immortall soules,

To entertaine devine Zenocrate.

Apollo, Cynthia, and the ceaslesse lamps

That gently look'd upon this loathsome earth,

Shine downwards now no more, but deck the heavens

To entertaine divine Zenocrate.

The christall springs whose taste illuminates

Refined eies with an eternall sight,

Like tried silver runs through Paradice

To entertaine divine Zenocrate.

The Cherubins and holy Seraphins

That sing and play before the king of kings,

Use all their voices and their instruments

To entertaine divine Zenocrate.

And in this sweet and currious harmony,

The God that tunes this musicke to our soules,

Holds out his hand in highest majesty

To entertaine divine Zenocrate.

Then let some holy trance convay my thoughts,

Up to the pallace of th'imperiall heaven:

That this my life may be as short to me

As are the dates of sweet Zenocrate:

Phisitions, wil no phisicke do her good:

1. PHISITIAN.

My Lord, your Majesty shall soone perceive:

And if she passe this fit, the worst is past.

TAMBURLAINE.

Tell me, how fares my faire Zenocrate?

ZENOCRATE.

I fare my Lord, as other Emperesses,

That when this fraile and transitory flesh

Hath suckt the measure of that vitall aire

That feeds the body with his dated health,

Wanes with enforst and necessary change.

TAMBURLAINE.

May never such a change transfourme my love

In whose sweet being I repose my life,

Whose heavenly presence beautified with health,

Gives light to Phœbus and the fixed stars,

Whose absence make the sun and Moone as darke

As when opposde in one Diamiter,

Their Spheares are mounted on the serpents head,

Or els discended to his winding traine:

Live still my Love and so conserve my life,

Or dieng, be the author of my death.

ZENOCRATE.

Live still my Lord, O let my soveraigne live,

And sooner let the fiery Element

Dissolve, and make your kingdome in the Sky,

Than this base earth should shroud your majesty:

For should I but suspect your death by mine,

The comfort of my future happinesse

And hope to meet your highnesse in the heavens,

Turn'd to dispaire, would break my wretched breast,

And furie would confound my present rest.

But let me die my Love, yet let me die,

With love and patience let your true love die,

Your griefe and furie hurtes my second life:

Yet let me kisse my Lord before I die,

And let me die with kissing of my Lord.

[He kisses her.]

But since my life is lengthened yet a while,

Let me take leave of these my loving sonnes,

And of my Lords whose true nobilitie

Have merited my latest memorie:

Sweet sons farewell, in death resemble me,

And in your lives your fathers excellency.

Some musicke, and my fit wil cease my Lord.

They call musicke.

TAMBURLAINE.

Proud furie and intollorable fit,

That dares torment the body of my Love,

And scourge the Scourge of the immortall God:

Now are those Spheares where Cupid usde to sit,

Wounding the world with woonder and with love,

Sadly supplied with pale and ghastly death,

Whose darts do pierce the Center of my soule:

Her sacred beauty hath enchaunted heaven,

And had she liv'd before the siege of Troy,

Hellen, whose beauty sommond Greece to armes,

And drew a thousand ships to Tenedos,

Had not bene nam'd in Homers Iliads:

Her name had bene in every line he wrote:

Or had those wanton Poets, for whose byrth

Olde Rome was proud, but gasde a while on her,

Nor Lesbia, nor Corrinna had bene nam'd,

Zenocrate had bene the argument

Of every Epigram or Eligie.

The musicke sounds, and she dies.

What, is she dead? Techelles, draw thy sword,

And wound the earth, that it may cleave in twaine,

And we discend into th'infernall vaults,

To haile the fatall Sisters by the haire,

And throw them in the triple mote of Hell,

For taking hence my faire Zenocrate.

Casane and Theridamas to armes:

Raise Cavalieros higher than the cloudes,

And with the cannon breake the frame of heaven,

Batter the shining pallace of the Sun,

And shiver all the starry firmament:

For amorous Jove hath snatcht my love from hence,

Meaning to make her stately Queene of heaven,

What God so ever holds thee in his armes,

Giving thee Nectar and Ambrosia,

Behold me here divine Zenocrate,

Raving, impatient, desperate and mad,

Breaking my steeled lance, with which I burst

The rusty beames of Janus Temple doores,

Letting out death and tyrannising war,

To martch with me under this bloody flag:

And if thou pitiest Tamburlain the great,

Come downe from heaven and live with me againe.

THERIDAMAS.

Ah good my Lord be patient, she is dead,

And all this raging cannot make her live,

If woords might serve, our voice hath rent the aire,

If teares, our eies have watered all the earth:

If griefe, our murthered harts have straind forth blood.

Nothing prevailes, for she is dead my Lord.

TAMBURLAINE.

For she is dead? thy words doo pierce my soule.

Ah sweet Theridamas, say so no more,

Though she be dead, yet let me think she lives,

And feed my mind that dies for want of her:

Where ere her soule be, thou shalt stay with me

Embalm'd with Cassia, Amber Greece and Myrre,

Not lapt in lead but in a sheet of gold,

And till I die thou shalt not be interr'd.

Then in as rich a tombe as Mausolus,

We both will rest and have one Epitaph

Writ in as many severall languages,

As I have conquered kingdomes with my sword.

This cursed towne will I consume with fire,

Because this place bereft me of my Love:

The houses burnt, wil looke as if they mourn'd,

And here will I set up her stature

And martch about it with my mourning campe,

Drooping and pining for Zenocrate.

The Arras is drawen.

III.i

Enter the kings of Trebisond and Soria, one bringing a sword, and another a scepter: Next Natolia and Jerusalem with the Emperiall crowns: After Calapine, and after him other Lordes [and Almeda]: Orcanes and Jerusalem crowne him, and the other give him the scepter.

ORCANES. Calepinus Cyricelibes, otherwise Cybelius, son and successive heire to the late mighty Emperour Bajazeth, by the aid of God and his friend Mahomet, Emperour of Natolia, Jerusalem, Trebizon, Soria, Amasia, Thracia, Illyria, Carmonia and al the hundred and thirty Kingdomes late contributory to his mighty father. Long live Callepinus, Emperour of Turky.

CALAPPINE.

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 Bajazeth

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 usurping king of Persea,

Do us 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 provided for this cursed foe,

That since the heire of mighty Bajazeth

(An Emperour so honoured for his vertues)

Revives the spirits of true Turkish heartes,

In grievous 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 heaven provided my escape,

From al the crueltie my soule sustaind,

By this my friendly keepers happy meanes,

That Jove surchardg'd with pity of our wrongs,

Will poure it downe in showers on our heads:

Scourging the pride of cursed Tamburlain.

ORCANES.

I have a hundred thousand men in armes,

Some, that in conquest of the perjur'd Christian,

Being a handfull to a mighty hoste,

Thinke them in number yet sufficient,

To drinke the river Nile or Euphrates,

And for their power, ynow to win the world.

JERUSALEM.

And I as many from Jerusalem,

Judæa, Gaza, and Scalonians bounds,

That on mount Sinay with their ensignes spread,

Looke like the parti-coloured cloudes of heaven,

That shew faire weather to the neighbor morne.

TREBIZON.

And I as many bring from Trebizon,

Chio, Famastro, and Amasia,

All bordring on the Mare-major 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.

SORIA.

From Soria with seventy thousand strong,

Tane from Aleppo, Soldino, Tripoly,

And so unto my citie of Damasco,

I march to meet and aide my neigbor kings,

All which will joine against this Tamburlain,

And bring him captive to your highnesse feet.

ORCANES.

Our battaile then in martiall maner pitcht,

According to our ancient use, shall beare

The figure of the semi-circled Moone:

Whose hornes shall sprinkle through the tainted aire,

The poisoned braines of this proud Scythian.

CALAPPINE.

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.

ALMEDA. That's no matter sir, for being a king, for Tamburlain came up of nothing.

JERUSALEM.

Your Majesty may choose some pointed time,

Perfourming all your promise to the full:

Tis nought for your majesty to give a kingdome.

CALAPPINE.

Then wil I shortly keep my promise Almeda.

ALMEDA.

Why, I thank your Majesty.

Exeunt.

III.ii

[Enter] Tamburlaine with Usumcasane, and his three sons, [Calyphas, Amyras, and Celibinus,] foure bearing the hearse of Zenocrate, and the drums sounding a dolefull martch, the Towne burning.

TAMBURLAINE.

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.

Over my Zenith hang a blazing star,

That may endure till heaven be dissolv'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

As is the Island where the Furies maske,

Compast with Lethe, Styx, and Phlegeton,

Because my deare Zenocrate is dead.

CALYPHAS.

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 up againe.

AMYRAS.

And here this mournful streamer shal be plac'd

Wrought with the Persean and Egyptian armes,

To signifie she was a princesse borne,

And wife unto the Monarke of the East.

CELIBINUS.

And here this table as a Register

Of all her vertues and perfections.

TAMBURLAINE.

And here the picture of Zenocrate,

To shew her beautie, which the world admyr'd,

Sweet picture of divine Zenocrate,

That hanging here, wil draw the Gods from heaven:

And cause the stars fixt in the Southern arke,

Whose lovely faces never any viewed,

That have not past the Centers latitude,

As Pilgrimes traveile to our Hemi-spheare,

Onely to gaze upon Zenocrate.

Thou shalt not beautifie Larissa plaines,

But keep within the circle of mine armes.

At every towne and castle I besiege,

Thou shalt be set upon my royall tent.

And when I meet an armie in the field,

Those 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, advance your speares againe,

Sorrow no more my sweet Casane now:

Boyes leave to mourne, this towne shall ever mourne,

Being burnt to cynders for your mothers death.

CALYPHAS.

If I had wept a sea of teares for her,

It would not ease the sorrow I sustaine.

AMYRAS.

As is that towne, so is my heart consum'd,

With griefe and sorrow for my mothers death.

CELIBINUS.

My mothers death hath mortified my mind,

And sorrow stops the passage of my speech.

TAMBURLAINE.

But now my boies, leave off, and list to me,

That meane to teach you rudiments of war:

Ile have you learne to sleepe upon the ground,

March in your armour thorowe watery Fens,

Sustaine the scortching heat and freezing cold,

Hunger and thirst, right adjuncts of the war.

And after this, to scale a castle wal,

Besiege a fort, to undermine a towne,

And make whole cyties caper in the aire.

Then next, the way to fortifie your men,

In champion grounds, what figure serves you best,

For which 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 Cavalieros and thicke counterforts,

And roome within to lodge sixe thousand men.

It must have privy ditches, countermines,

And secret issuings to defend the ditch.

It must have high Argins and covered waies

To keep the bulwark fronts from battery,

And Parapets to hide the Muscatters:

Casemates to place the great Artillery,

And store of ordinance that from every flanke

May scoure the outward curtaines of the Fort,

Dismount the Cannon of the adverse part,

Murther the Foe and save the walles from breach.

When this is learn'd for service on the land,

By plaine and easie demonstration,

Ile teach you how to make the water mount,

That you may dryfoot martch through lakes and pooles,

Deep rivers, havens, creekes, and litle seas,

And make a Fortresse in the raging waves,

Fenc'd with the concave of a monstrous rocke,

Invincible by nature of the place.

When this is done, then are ye souldiers,

And worthy sonnes of Tamburlain the great.

CALYPHAS.

My Lord, but this is dangerous to be done,

We may be slaine or wounded ere we learne.

TAMBURLAINE.

Villain, 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 heaven,

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 overthwart the hands,

Dieng their lances with their streaming blood,

And yet at night carrouse within my tent,

Filling their empty vaines with aiery wine,

That being concocted, turnes to crimson blood,

And wilt thou shun the field for feare of woundes?

View me thy father that hath conquered kings,

And with his hoste martcht 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 livery.

Now look I like a souldier, and this wound

As great a grace and majesty to me,

As if a chaire of gold enamiled,

Enchac'd with Diamondes, Saphyres, Rubies

And fairest pearle of welthie India

Were mounted here under a Canapie:

And I sat downe, cloth'd with the massie robe,

That late adorn'd the Affrike Potentate,

Whom I brought bound unto 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?

CALYPHAS. I know not what I should think of it. Me thinks tis a pitifull sight.

CELIBINUS. Tis nothing: give me a wound father.

AMYRAS. And me another my Lord.

TAMBURLAINE. Come sirra, give me your arme.

CELEBINUS.

Here father, cut it bravely as you did your own.

TAMBURLAINE.

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.

But then run desperate through the thickest throngs,

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.

Usumcasane now come let us martch

Towards Techelles and Theridamas,

That we have 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 have found them at a bay.

USUMCASANE.

I long to pierce his bowels with my sword,

That hath betraied my gracious Soveraigne,

That curst and damned Traitor Almeda.

TAMBURLAINE.

Then let us see if coward Calapine

Dare levie armes against our puissance,

That we may tread upon his captive necke,

And treble all his fathers slaveries.

Exeunt.

III.iii

[Enter] Techelles, Theridamas and their traine.

THERIDAMAS.

Thus have 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.

TECHELLES.

Then let us bring our light Artilery,

Minions, Fauknets, and Sakars to the trench,

Filling the ditches with the walles wide breach,

And enter in, to seaze upon the gold:

How say ye Souldiers, Shal we not?

SOULDIERS.

Yes, my Lord, yes, come lets about it.

THERIDAMAS.

But stay a while, summon a parle, Drum,

It may be they will yeeld it quietly,

Knowing two kings, the friends to Tamburlain,

Stand at the walles, with such a mighty power.

Summon, the battell.

[Enter above] Captaine with his wife [Olympia] and

sonne.

CAPTAINE.

What requier you my maisters?

THERIDAMAS.

Captaine, that thou yeeld up thy hold to us.

CAPTAINE.

To you? Why, do you thinke me weary of it?

TECHELLES.

Nay Captain, thou art weary of thy life,

If thou withstand the friends of Tamburlain.

THERIDAMAS.

These Pioners of Argier in Affrica,

Even in the cannons face shall raise a hill

Of earth and fagots higher than thy Fort,

And over thy Argins and covered waies

Shal play upon the bulwarks of thy hold

Volleies of ordinance til the breach be made,

That with his mine fils up all the trench.

And when we enter in, not heaven it selfe

Shall ransome thee, thy wife and family.

TECHELLES.

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 any issue foorth, but they shall die:

And therefore Captaine, yeeld it quietly.

CAPTAINE.

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 undermine,

Cut off the water, all convoies that can,

Yet I am resolute, and so farewell.

[Exeunt.]

THERIDAMAS.

Pioners away, and where I stuck the stake,

Intrench with those dimensions I prescribed:

Cast up the earth towards the castle wall,

Which til it may defend you, labour low:

And few or none shall perish by their shot.

PIONERS.

We will my Lord.

Exeunt.

TECHELLES.

A hundred horse shall scout about the plaines

To spie what force comes to relieve the holde.

Both we (Theridamas) wil intrench our men,

And with the Jacobs staffe measure the height

And distance of the castle from the trench,

That we may know if our artillery

Will carie full point blancke unto their wals.

THERIDAMAS.

Then see the bringing of our ordinance

Along the trench into the battery,

Where we will have Gabions of sixe foot broad,

To save 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.

TECHELLES.

Trumpets and drums, alarum presently,

And souldiers play the men, the hold is yours.

[Exeunt.]

III.iv

Enter [below] the Captaine with [Olympia] his wife and sonne.

OLYMPIA.

Come good my Lord, and let us haste from hence

Along the cave that leads beyond the foe,

No hope is left to save this conquered hold.

CAPTAINE.

A deadly bullet gliding through my side,

Lies heavy on my heart, I cannot live.

I feele my liver pierc'd and all my vaines,

That there begin and nourish every 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.

[Dies.]

OLYMPIA.

Death, whether art thou gone that both we live?

Come back again (sweet death) and strike us 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.

Dagger.

Now ugly 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 never pitie found,

Will hew us peecemeale, put us to the wheele,

Or els invent some torture worse than that.

Therefore die by thy loving mothers hand,

Who gently now wil lance thy Ivory throat,

And quickly rid thee both of paine and life.

SONNE.

Mother dispatch me, or Ile kil my selfe,

For think ye I can live, and see him dead?

Give 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.

OLYMPIA.

Ah sacred Mahomet, if this be sin,

Intreat a pardon of the God of heaven,

And purge my soule before it come to thee.

[Burns the bodies.]

Enter Theridamas, Techelles and all their traine.

THERIDAMAS.

How now Madam, what are you doing?

OLYMPIA.

Killing my selfe, as I have done my sonne,

Whose body with his fathers I have burnt,

Least cruell Scythians should dismember him.

TECHELLES.

Twas bravely done, and like a souldiers wife.

Thou shalt with us to Tamburlaine the great,

Who when he heares how resolute thou wert,

Wil match thee with a viceroy or a king.

OLYMPIA.

My Lord deceast, was dearer unto me,

Than any Viceroy, King or Emperour.

And for his sake here will I end my daies.

THERIDAMAS.

But Lady goe with us to Tamburlaine,

And thou shalt see a man greater than Mahomet,

In whose high lookes is much more majesty

Than from the Concave superficies,

Of Joves vast pallace the imperiall Orbe,

Unto the shining bower where Cynthia sits,

Like lovely Thetis in a Christall robe:

That treadeth Fortune underneath his feete,

And makes the mighty God of armes his slave:

On whom death and the fatall sisters waite,

With naked swords and scarlet liveries:

Before whom (mounted on a Lions backe)

Rhamnusia beares a helmet ful of blood,

And strowes the way with braines of slaughtered men:

By whose proud side the ugly furies run,

Harkening when he shall bid them plague the world.

Over whose Zenith cloth'd in windy aire,

And Eagles wings join'd to her feathered breast,

Fame hovereth, sounding of her golden Trumpe:

That to the adverse poles of that straight line,

Which measureth the glorious frame of heaven,

The name of mightie Tamburlain is spread:

And him faire Lady shall thy eies behold.

Come.

OLYMPIA.

Take pitie of a Ladies ruthfull teares,

That humbly craves upon her knees to stay,

And cast her bodie in the burning flame,

That feeds upon her sonnes and husbands flesh.

TECHELLES.

Madam, sooner shall fire consume us both,

Then scortch a face so beautiful as this,

In frame of which, Nature hath shewed more skill,

Than when she gave eternall Chaos forme,

Drawing from it the shining Lamps of heaven.

THERIDAMAS.

Madam, I am so far in love with you,

That you must goe with us, no remedy.

OLYMPIA.

Then carie me I care not where you will,

And let the end of this my fatall journey,

Be likewise end to my accursed life.

TECHELLES.

No Madam, but the beginning of your joy,

Come willinglie, therfore.

THERIDAMAS.

Souldiers now let us meet the Generall,

Who by this time is at Natolia,

Ready to charge the army of the Turke.

The gold, the silver, and the pearle ye got,

Rifling this Fort, devide in equall shares:

This Lady shall have twice so much againe,

Out of the coffers of our treasurie.

Exeunt.

III.v

[Enter] Callepine, Orcanes, Jerusalem, Trebizon, Soria, Almeda, with their traine. [To them the Messenger.]

MESSENGER.

Renowmed Emperour, mighty Callepine,

Gods great lieftenant over all the world:

Here at Alepo with an hoste of men

Lies Tamburlaine, this king of Persea:

In number more than are the quyvering leaves

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 overrun the land.

CALAPPINE.

My royal army is as great as his,

That from the bounds of Phrigia to the sea

Which washeth Cyprus with his brinish waves,

Covers the hils, the valleies and the plaines.

Viceroies 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 live.

The field wherin this battaile shall be fought,

For ever terme, the Perseans sepulchre,

In memorie of this our victory.

ORCANES.

Now, he that cals himself the scourge of Jove,

The Emperour of the world, and earthly God,

Shal end the warlike progresse he intends,

And traveile hedlong to the lake of hell:

Where legions of devils (knowing he must die

Here in Natolia, by your highnesse hands)

All brandishing their brands of quenchlesse fire,

Streching their monstrous pawes, grin with their teeth,

And guard the gates to entertaine his soule.

CALAPPINE.

Tell me Viceroies the number of your men,

And what our Army royall is esteem'd.

JERUSALEM.

From Palestina and Jerusalem,

Of Hebrewes, three score thousand fighting men

Are come since last we shewed your majesty.

ORCANES.

So from Arabia desart, and the bounds

Of that sweet land, whose brave Metropolis

Reedified the faire Semyramis,

Came forty thousand warlike foot and horse,

Since last we numbred to your Majesty.

TREBIZON.

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 majesty.

SORIA.

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 majestie:

So that the Army royall is esteem'd

Six hundred thousand valiant fighting men.

CALAPPINE.

Then welcome Tamburlaine unto thy death.

Come puissant Viceroies, let us to the field,

(The Perseans Sepulchre) and sacrifice

Mountaines of breathlesse men to Mahomet,

Who now with Jove opens the firmament,

To see the slaughter of our enemies.

[Enter] Tamburlaine with his three sonnes, Usumcasane with other.

TAMBURLAINE.

How now Casane? See a knot of kings,

Sitting as if they were a telling ridles.

USUMCASANE.

My Lord, your presence makes them pale and wan.

Poore soules they looke as if their deaths were neere.

TAMBURLAINE.

Why, so he is Casane, I am here,

But yet Ile save their lives and make them slaves.

Ye petty kings of Turkye I am come,

As Hector did into the Grecian campe,

To overdare the pride of Græcia,

And set his warlike person to the view

Of fierce Achilles, rivall of his fame.

I doe you honor in the simile,

For if I should as Hector did Achilles,

(The worthiest knight that ever brandisht sword)

Challenge in combat any of you all,

I see how fearfully ye would refuse,

And fly my glove as from a Scorpion.

ORCANES.

Now thou art fearfull of thy armies strength,

Thou wouldst with overmatch of person fight,

But Shepheards issue, base borne Tamburlaine,

Thinke of thy end, this sword shall lance thy throat.

TAMBURLAINE.

Villain, the shepheards issue, at whose byrth

Heaven did affoord a gratious aspect,

And join'd those stars that shall be opposite,

Even till the dissolution of the world,

And never 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 slave, that Turkish dog,

To false his service to his Soveraigne,

As ye shal curse the byrth of Tamburlaine.

CALAPPINE.

Raile not proud Scythian, I shall now revenge

My fathers vile abuses and mine owne.

JERUSALEM.

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 slave should make a lusty theefe.

CALAPPINE.

Nay, when the battaile ends, al we wil meet,

And sit in councell to invent some paine,

That most may vex his body and his soule.

TAMBURLAINE. Sirha, Callapine, Ile hang a clogge about your necke for running away againe, you shall not trouble me thus to come and fetch you.

But as for you (Viceroy) you shal have bits,

And harnest like my horses, draw my coch,

And when ye stay, be lasht with whips of wier:

Ile have you learne to feed on provander,

And in a stable lie upon the planks.

ORCANES.

But Tamburlaine, first thou shalt kneele to us

And humbly crave a pardon for thy life.

TREBIZON.

The common souldiers of our mighty hoste

Shal bring thee bound unto the Generals tent.

SORIA.

And all have jointly sworne thy cruell death,

Or bind thee in eternall torments wrath.

TAMBURLAINE. Wel sirs, diet your selves, you knowe I shall have occasion shortly to journey you.

CELEBINUS. See father, how Almeda the Jaylor lookes upon us.

TAMBURLAINE.

Villaine, traitor, damned fugitive,

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 joints

Be rackt and beat asunder with the wheele,

For if thou livest, not any Element

Shal shrowde thee from the wrath of Tamburlaine.

CALLAPINE.

Wel, in despight of thee he shall be king:

Come Almeda, receive this crowne of me,

I here invest thee king of Ariadan,

Bordering on Mare Roso neere to Meca.

ORCANES. What, take it man.

ALMEDA. Good my Lord, let me take it.

CALLAPINE. Doost thou aske him leave? Here, take it.

TAMBURLAINE. Go too sirha, take your crown, and make up the halfe dozen.

So sirha, now you are a king you must give armes.

ORCANES. So he shal, and weare thy head in his Scutchion.

TAMBURLAINE. No, let him hang a bunch of keies on his sanderd, to put him in remembrance he was a Jailor, that when I take him, I may knocke out his braines with them, and lock you in the stable, when you shall come sweating from my chariot.

TREBIZON. Away, let us to the field, that the villaine may be slaine.

TAMBURLAINE. 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.

Enter Theridamas, Techelles, and their traine.

How now ye pety kings, loe, here are Bugges

Wil make the haire stand upright on your heads,

And cast your crownes in slavery at their feet.

Welcome Theridamas and Techelles both,

See ye this rout, and know ye this same king?

TAMBURLAINE. Wel, now you see hee is a king, looke to him.

THERIDAMAS. I, my Lord, he was Calapines keeper.

Theridamas, when we are fighting, least hee hide his crowne as the foolish king of Persea did.

SORIA. No Tamburlaine, hee shall not be put to that exigent, I warrant thee.

TAMBURLAINE.

You knowe not sir:

But now my followers and my loving friends,

Fight as you ever did, like Conquerours,

The glorie of this happy day is yours:

My sterne aspect shall make faire Victory,

Hovering betwixt our armies, light on me,

Loden with Lawrell wreathes to crowne us all.

TECHELLES.

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.

TAMBURLAINE.

You shall be princes all immediatly:

Come fight ye Turks, or yeeld us victory.

ORCANES.

No, we wil meet thee slavish Tamburlain.

Exeunt.

IV.i

Alarme: Amyras and Celebinus, issues from the tent where Caliphas sits a sleepe.

AMYRAS.

Now in their glories shine the golden crownes

Of these proud Turks, much like so many suns

That halfe dismay the majesty of heaven:

Now brother, follow we our fathers sword,

That flies with fury swifter than our thoughts,

And cuts down armies with his conquering wings.

CELEBINUS.

Call foorth our laisie brother from the tent,

For if my father misse him in the field,

Wrath kindled in the furnace of his breast,

Wil send a deadly lightening to his heart.

AMYRAS.

Brother, ho, what, given so much to sleep

You cannot leave it, when our enemies drums

And ratling cannons thunder in our eares.

Our proper ruine, and our fathers foile?

CALYPHAS.

Away ye fools, my father needs not me,

Nor you in faith, but that you wil be thought

More childish valourous than manly wise:

If halfe our campe should sit and sleepe with me,

My father were enough to scar the foe:

You doo dishonor to his majesty,

To think our helps will doe him any good.

AMYRAS.

What, dar'st thou then be absent from the fight,

Knowing my father hates thy cowardise,

And oft hath warn'd thee to be stil in field,

When he himselfe amidst the thickest troopes

Beats downe our foes to flesh our taintlesse swords?

CALYPHAS.

I know sir, what it is to kil a man,

It works remorse of conscience in me,

I take no pleasure to be murtherous,

Nor care for blood when wine wil quench my thirst.

CELEBINUS.

O cowardly boy, fie for shame, come foorth.

Thou doost dishonor manhood, and thy house.

CALYPHAS.

Goe, goe tall stripling, fight you for us both,

And take my other toward brother here,

For person like to proove a second Mars.

Twill please my mind as wel to heare both you

Have won a heape of honor in the field,

And left your slender carkasses behind,

As if I lay with you for company.

AMYRAS.

You wil not goe then?

CALYPHAS.

You say true.

AMYRAS.

Were all the lofty mounts of Zona mundi,

That fill the midst of farthest Tartary,

Turn'd into pearle and proffered for my stay,

I would not bide the furie of my father:

When made a victor in these hautie arms,

He comes and findes his sonnes have had no shares

In all the honors he proposde for us.

CALYPHAS.

Take you the honor, I will take my ease,

My wisedome shall excuse my cowardise:

I goe into the field before I need?

Alarme, and Amyras and Celebinus run in.

The bullets fly at random where they list.

And should I goe and kill a thousand men,

I were as soone rewarded with a shot,

And sooner far than he that never fights.

And should I goe and do nor harme nor good,

I might have harme, which all the good I have

Join'd with my fathers crowne would never cure.

Ile to cardes: Perdicas.

[Enter Perdicas.]

PERDICAS.

Here my Lord.

CALYPHAS. Come, thou and I wil goe to cardes to drive away the time.

PERDICAS.