Oty. And in assurance of desir'd success, 160 We here do crown thee monarch of the East, Emperor of Asia and Persia;

Great Lord of Media and Armenia;
Duke of Africa and Albania,

Mesopotamia and of Parthia,

East India and the late-discovered isles;
Chief Lord of all the wide, vast Euxine sea,
And of the ever-raging Caspian lake.
Long live Cosroe, mighty Emperor !

165

171

Cos. And Jove may never let me longer live
Than I may seek to gratify your love,
And cause the soldiers that thus honour me
To triumph over many provinces !
By whose desires of discipline in arms
I doubt not shortly but to reign sole king,
And with the army of Theridamas,
(Whither we presently will fly, my lords)
To rest secure against my brother's force.
Orty. We knew, my lord, before we brought
the crown,

Intending your investion 2 so near
The residence of your despised brother,
The lords would not be too exasperate
To injure or suppress your worthy title;
Or, if they would, there are in readiness
Ten thousand horse to carry you from hence,
In spite of all suspected enemies.

175

180

186

Cos. I know it well, my lord, and thank you all. Orty. Sound up the trumpets then. God save the King! [Trumpets sound.] Exeunt.

Where all my youth I have been governed,
Have pass'd the army of the mighty Turk,
Bearing his privy signet and his hand
To safe conduct us thorough Africa.

15

Mag. And since we have arriv'd in Scythia,
Besides rich presents from the puissant Cham,
We have his highness' letters to command
Aid and assistance, if we stand in need.
Tamb. But now you see these letters and
commands

Are countermanded by a greater man;
And through my provinces you must expect
Letters of conduct from my mightiness,
If you intend to keep your treasure safe.
But, since I love to live at liberty.

As easily may you get the Soldan's crown
As any prizes out of my precinct;

20

For they are friends that help to wean my state Till men and kingdoms help to strengthen it, so And must maintain my life exempt from servitude.

But, tell me, madam, is your grace betroth'd? Zeno. I am my lord-for so you do im

port.

Tamb. I am a lord, for so my deeds shall

prove:

And yet a shepherd by my parentage.

But, lady, this fair face and heavenly hue Must grace his bed that conquers Asia, And means to be a terror to the world, Measuring the limits of his empery

35

By east and west, as Phoebus doth his course. “
Lie here ye weeds that I disdain to wear!
This complete armour and this curtle-axe+
Are adjuncts more beseeming Tamburlaine.
And, madam, whatsoever you esteem

Of this success and loss unvalued,5
Both may invest you Empress of the East;
And these that seem but silly country swains
May have the leading of so great an host,

As with their weight shall make the mountains quake,

Even as when windy exhalations
Fighting for passage, tilt within the earth.

Бе

Tech. As princely lions, when they rouse themselves,

Stretching their paws, and threat'ning herds of

beasts,

55

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

heads.

Usum. And making thee and me, Techelles, kings,

That even to death will follow Tamburlaine. Tamb. Nobly resolv'd, sweet friends and fol

These lords, perhaps do scorn our estimates, And think we prattle with distempered spirits; But since they measure out deserts so mean, That in conceit bear empires on our spears, Affecting thoughts coequal with the clouds.

4 The curtle-axe (Fr. coutelasse) was not an axe, bu

a short curved sword, the modern cutlass.

• Invaluable.

They shall be kept our forced followers,
Till with their eyes they view us emperors.
Zeno. The gods, defenders of the innocent,
Will never prosper your intended drifts,
That thus oppress poor friendless passengers. 70
Therefore at least admit us liberty,
Even as thou hop'st to be eternised,
By living Asia's mighty Emperor.

75

Agyd. 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 Aleidamas, Expects th' arrival of her highness' person. Mag. And wheresoever we repose ourselves, 80 We will report but well of Tamburlaine.

85

90

Tamb. 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, 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, 95 Enchas'd with precious jewels of mine own, More rich and valurous than Zenocrate's. With milk-white harts upon an ivory sled, Thou shalt be drawn amidst the frozen pools, And scale the icy mountains' lofty tops, Which with thy beauty will be soon resolv'd. My martial prizes with five hundred men, Won on the fifty-headed Volga's waves, Shall we all offer to Zenocrate,

And then myself to fair Zenocrate.
Tech. What now! - in love?

Tamb. Techelles, women must be flattered: But this is she with whom I am in love.

Enter a Soldier.

Sold. News! news!

Tamb. How now, what's the matter?

100

105

110

Look for orations when the foe is near.
Our swords shall play the orator for us.
Usum. Come ! let us meet them at the moun-
tain foot,

And with a sudden and an hot alarum,
Drive all their horses headlong down the hill. s
Tech. Come, let us march!

Tamb. Stay, Techelles ! ask a parley first.
The Soldiers enter.

Open the mails, yet guard the treasure sure;
Lay out our golden wedges to the view,
That their reflections may amaze the Persian. ;
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 his greedy thirsting throat,
Or take him prisoner, and his chain shall serve
For manacles, till he be ransom'd home.

144

His looks do menace Heaven and dare the gods:
His fiery eyes are fix'd upon the earth,
As if he now devis'd some stratagem,
Or meant to pierce Avernus' darksome vaults
To pull the triple-headed dog from hell.
Tamb. Noble and mild this Persian scems to

be,

If outward habit judge the inward man.
Tech. His deep affections make him passion-

ate.

Tamb. With what a majesty he rears his looks!

In thee, thou valiant man of Persia,
I see the folly of thy emperor.

Art thou but captain of a thousand horse,
That by charácters graven in thy brows,
And by thy martial face and stout aspéct,
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,
■ Trunks.

1 Fine.

265

178

204

May we become immortal like the gods.
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 Boötes sends his cheerful light,
Then shalt thou be competitor 3 with me,
And sit with Tamburlaine in all his majesty.
Ther. Not Hermes, prolocutor to the gods, 210
Could use persuasions more pathetical.

Tamb. Nor are Apollo's oracles more true, Than thou shalt find my vaunts substantial. Tech. We are his friends, and if the Persian king

Should offer present dukedoms to our state, 215
We think it loss to make exchange for that
We are assur'd of by our friend's success.

Usum. And kingdoms at the least we all expect,

Besides the honour in assured conquests, Where kings shall crouch unto our conquering swords,

220

And hosts of soldiers stand amaz'd at us; When with their fearful tongues they shall confess

These are the men that all the world admires. Ther. What strong enchantments 'tice my yielding soul!

225

Are these resolved nobles 4 Scythians?
But shall I prove a traitor to my king?
Tamb. No, but the trusty friend of Tambur-
laine.

SCENE II.

[Enter] MYCETES, MEANDER, with other L and Soldiers.

Myc. Come, my Meander, let us to this g I tell you true, my heart is swoln with wrat On this same thievish villain, Tamburlaine, And on that false Cosroe, my traitorous brot Would it not grieve a king to be so abus'd And have a thousand horsemen ta'en away And, which is worst, to have his diadem Sought for by such scald knaves as love not?

I think it would; well then, by Heaven

tempts.

10

15

ind doubt you not but, if you favour me, And let my fortunes and my valour sway o some direction in your martial deeds, The world will strive with hosts of men-at-arms, fo swarm unto the ensign I support: The host of Xerxes, which by fame is said fo drink the mighty Parthian Araris, Was but a handful to that we will have. Our quivering lances, shaking in the air, And bullets, like Jove's dreadful thunderbolts, Enroll'd in flames and fiery smouldering mists, 20 Shall threat the gods more than Cyclopian wars: And with our sun-bright armour as we march, We'll chase the stars from Heaven and dim their eyes

That stand and muse at our admired arms. Ther. You see, my lord, what working words he hath;

25