Of Tamburlaine, that sturdy Scythian thief,
That robs your merchants of Persepolis
Trading by land unto the Western Isles,
And in your confines with his lawless train
40 Daily commits incivil outrages,
Hoping, misled by dreaming prophecies,
To reign in Asia and with barbarous arms
To make himself the monarch of the East.
But ere he march in Asia or display
His vagrant ensign in the Persian fields,
Your grace hath taken order by Theridamas,
Charged with a thousand horse, to apprehend
And bring him captive to your highness’ throne.
MYCETES
Full true thou speak’st, and like thyself, my lord,
50 Whom I may term a Damon for thy love.
Therefore ’tis best, if so it like you all,
To send my thousand horse incontinent
To apprehend that paltry Scythian.
How like you this, my honourable lords?
Is it not a kingly resolution?
COSROE
It cannot choose, because it comes from you.
MYCETES
Then hear thy charge, valiant Theridamas,
The chiefest captain of Mycetes’ host,
The hope of Persia, and the very legs
Whereon our state doth lean, as on a staff
That holds us up and foils our neighbour foes:
Thou shalt be leader of this thousand horse,
Whose foaming gall with rage and high disdain
Have sworn the death of wicked Tamburlaine.
Go frowning forth, but come thou smiling home,
As did Sir Paris with the Grecian dame.
Return with speed! Time passeth swift away.
Our life is frail, and we may die today.
THERIDAMAS
Before the moon renew her borrowed light,
Doubt not, my lord and gracious sovereign,
70 But Tamburlaine and that Tartarian rout
Shall either perish by our warlike hands
Or plead for mercy at your highness’ feet.
MYCETES
Go, stout Theridamas, thy words are swords,
And with thy looks thou conqu’rest all thy foes.
I long to see thee back return from thence,
That I may view these milk-white steeds of mine
All loaden with the heads of killèd men,
And from their knees even to their hoofs below
80 Besmeared with blood, that makes a dainty show.
THERIDAMAS
Then now, my lord, I humbly take my leave.
Exit [THERIDAMAS].
MYCETES
Theridamas, farewell ten thousand times!
Ah, Menaphon, why stayest thou thus behind
When other men press forward for renown?
Go, Menaphon, go into Scythia,
And foot by foot follow Theridamas.
COSROE
Nay, pray you, let him stay; a greater task
Fits Menaphon than warring with a thief.
Create him prorex of Assyria,
90 That he may win the Babylonians’ hearts,
Which will revolt from Persian government
Unless they have a wiser king than you.
MYCETES
‘Unless they have a wiser king than you’!
These are his words, Meander, set them down.
COSROE
And add this to them, that all Asia
Lament to see the folly of their king.
MYCETES
Well, here I swear by this my royal seat –
COSROE
You may do well to kiss it, then.
MYCETES
Embossed with silk as best beseems my state,
100 To be revenged for these contemptuous words.
O, where is duty and allegiance now?
Fled to the Caspian or the ocean main?
What, shall I call thee brother? No, a foe,
Monster of nature, shame unto thy stock,
That dar’st presume thy sovereign for to mock.
Meander, come. I am abused, Meander.
Exit [with MEANDER and others].
COSROE and MENAPHON remain.
MENAPHON
How now, my lord, what, mated and amazed
To hear the king thus threaten like himself?
COSROE
Ah, Menaphon, I pass not for his threats.
110 The plot is laid by Persian noblemen
And captains of the Median garrisons
To crown me emperor of Asia.
But this it is that does excruciate
The very substance of my vexèd soul:
To see our neighbours, that were wont to quake
And tremble at the Persian monarch’s name,
Now sits and laughs our regiment to scorn;
And – that which might resolve me into tears –
Men from the farthest equinoctial line
Have swarmed in troops into the Eastern Inde,
120 Lading their ships with gold and precious stones,
And made their spoils from all our provinces.
MENAPHON
This should entreat your highness to rejoice,
Since Fortune gives you opportunity
To gain the title of a conqueror
By curing of this maimèd empery.
Afric and Europe bordering on your land
And continent to your dominions,
How easily may you with a mighty host
Pass into Graecia, as did Cyrus once,
130 And cause them to withdraw their forces home
Lest you subdue the pride of Christendom!
[A trumpet sounds.]
COSROE
But, Menaphon, what means this trumpet’s sound?
MENAPHON
Behold, my lord, Ortygius and the rest,
Bringing the crown to make you emperor.
Enter ORTYGIUS and CENEUS, bearing a crown, with others.
ORTYGIUS
Magnificent and mighty prince Cosroe,
We, in the name of other Persian states
And commons of this mighty monarchy,
Present thee with th’imperial diadem.
CENEUS
The warlike soldiers and the gentlemen
140 That heretofore have filled Persepolis
With Afric captains taken in the field,
Whose ransom made them march in coats of gold
With costly jewels hanging at their ears
And shining stones upon their lofty crests,
Now living idle in the walled towns,
Wanting both pay and martial discipline,
Begin in troops to threaten civil war
And openly exclaim against the king.
150 Therefore, to stay all sudden mutinies,
We will invest your highness emperor,
Whereat the soldiers will conceive more joy
Than did the Macedonians at the spoil
Of great Darius and his wealthy host.
COSROE
Well, since I see the state of Persia droop
And languish in my brother’s government,
I willingly receive th’imperial crown
And vow to wear it for my country’s good,
In spite of them shall malice my estate.
ORTYGIUS [crowning COSROE]
160 And in assurance of desired success
We here do crown thee monarch of the East,
Emperor of Asia and of Persia,
Great lord of Media and Armenia,
Duke of Assyria 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 Cosroë, mighty emperor!
COSROE
170 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.
ORTYGIUS
We knew, my lord, before we brought the crown,
Intending your investion so near
180 The residence of your despisèd 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.
COSROE
I know it well, my lord, and thank you all.
ORTYGIUS
Sound up the trumpets, then. God save the king!
[The trumpets sound.] Exeunt.
Scene 2
[Enter] TAMBURLAINE, leading ZENOCRATE; TECHELLES, USUMCASANE, other LORDS, [MAGNETES and AGYDAS,] and SOLDIERS loaden with treasure.
TAMBURLAINE
Come, lady, let not this appal your thoughts.
The jewels and the treasure we have ta’en
Shall be reserved, and you in better state
Than if you were arrived in Syria,
Even in the circle of your father’s arms,
The mighty Sultan of Egyptia.
ZENOCRATE
Ah, shepherd, pity my distressèd plight,
If, as thou seem’st, thou art so mean a man,
And seek not to enrich thy followers
By lawless rapine from a silly maid
10 Who, travelling with these Median lords
To Memphis, from my uncle’s country of Media,
Where all my youth I have been governèd,
Have passed the army of the mighty Turk,
Bearing his privy signet and his hand
To safe conduct us thorough Africa.
MAGNETES
And, since we have arrived in Scythia,
Besides rich presents from the puissant Cham
We have his highness’ letters to command
20 Aid and assistance if we stand in need.
TAMBURLAINE
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 Sultan’s crown
As any prizes out of my precinct;
For they are friends that help to wean my state
30 Till men and kingdoms help to strengthen it,
And must maintain my life exempt from servitude.
But tell me, madam, is your grace betrothed?
ZENOCRATE
I am, my lord, for so you do import.
TAMBURLAINE
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
40 By east and west as Phoebus doth his course.
Lie here, ye weeds that I disdain to wear!
[He removes his shepherd’s cloak.]
This complete armour and this curtle-axe
Are adjuncts more beseeming Tamburlaine.
And, madam, whatsoever you esteem
Of this success and loss unvaluèd,
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,
50 Fighting for passage, tilt within the earth.
TECHELLES
As princely lions when they rouse themselves,
Stretching their paws and threat’ning herds of beasts,
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.
USUMCASANE
And making thee and me, Techelles, kings,
That even to death will follow Tamburlaine.
TAMBURLAINE
Nobly resolved, sweet friends and followers.
60 These lords, perhaps, do scorn our estimates,
And think we prattle with distempered spirits;
But since they measure our deserts so mean
That in conceit bear empires on our spears,
Affecting thoughts coequal with the clouds,
They shall be kept our forcèd followers
Till with their eyes they view us emperors.
ZENOCRATE
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 eternizèd
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 betrothèd, Lord Alcidamus,
Expects th’arrival of her highness’ person.
MAGNETES
80 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,
Fairer than whitest snow on Scythian hills,
90 Thy person is more worth to Tamburlaine
Than the possession of the Persian crown,
A hundred Tartars shall attend on thee,
Mounted on steeds swifter than Pegasus;
Thy garments shall be made of Median silk,
Enchased 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
100 And scale the icy mountains’ lofty tops,
Which with thy beauty will be soon resolved;
My martial prizes, with five hundred men,
Won on the fifty-headed Volga’s waves,
Shall all we offer to Zenocrate,
And then myself to fair Zenocrate.
TECHELLES [to TAMBURLAINE]
What now? In love?
TAMBURLAINE
Techelles, women must be flatteràd.
But this is she with whom I am in love.
Enter a SOLDIER.
SOLDIER
News, news!
TAMBURLAINE
110 How now, what’s the matter?
SOLDIER
A thousand Persian horsemen 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 restored again
And I that triumphed so be overcome.
How s
ay 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 forcèd from me ere you go.
120 A thousand horsemen! We, five hundred foot!
An odds too great for us to stand against.
But are they rich? And is their armour good?
SOLDIER
Their plumèd helms are wrought with beaten gold,
Their swords enamelled, and about their necks
Hangs massy chains of gold down to the waist,
In every part exceeding brave and rich.
TAMBURLAINE
Then shall we fight courageously with them;
Or look you I should play the orator?
TECHELLES
No. Cowards and faint-hearted runaways
130 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,
And with a sudden and an hot alarm
Drive all their horses headlong down the hill.
TECHELLES
Come, let us march.
TAMBURLAINE
Stay, Techelles, ask a parley first.
The SOLDIERS [of TAMBURLAINE] enter.
Open the mails, yet guard the treasure sure.
Lay out our golden wedges to the view,
140 That their reflections may amaze the Persians.
[The SOLDIERS lay out the gold bars.]
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 ransomed home.
TECHELLES
I hear them come. Shall we encounter them?
TAMBURLAINE
150 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 Scythian Tamburlaine?
TAMBURLAINE
Whom seek’st thou, Persian? I am Tamburlaine.
THERIDAMAS [aside]
Tamburlaine?
A Scythian shepherd, so embellishèd
With nature’s pride and richest furniture?
His looks do menace heaven and dare the gods,
His fiery eyes are fixed upon the earth,
As if he now devised some stratagem,
160 Or meant to pierce Avernus’ darksome vaults
And pull the triple-headed dog from hell.
TAMBURLAINE [to TECHELLES]
Noble and mild this Persian seems to be,
If outward habit judge the inward man.