SCENE III.

[_Enter_] TAMBURLAINE, TECHELLES, USUMCASANE, THERIDAMAS, _a_ Basso, ZENOCRATE, [ANIPPE,] _with others_.

_Tamb._ Basso, by this thy lord and master knows I mean to meet him in Bithynia: See how he comes! Tush, Turks are full of brags, And menace more than they can well perform. He meet me in the field, and fetch thee hence! Alas! poor Turk! his fortune is too weak 6 To encounter with the strength of Tamburlaine. View well my camp, and speak indifferently; Do not my captains and my soldiers look As if they meant to conquer Africa? 10

_Bas._ Your men are valiant, but their number few, And cannot terrify his mighty host. My lord, the great commander of the world, Besides fifteen contributory kings, Hath now in arms ten thousand Janissaries, 15 Mounted on lusty Mauritanian steeds, Brought to the war by men of Tripoli; Two hundred thousand footmen that have serv’d In two set battles fought in Græcia: And for the expedition of this war, 20 If he think good, can from his garrisons Withdraw as many more to follow him.

_Tech._ The more he brings the greater is the spoil, For when they perish by our warlike hands, We mean to seat our footmen on their steeds, 25 And rifle all those stately Janisars.

_Tamb._ But will those kings accompany your lord?

_Bas._ Such as his highness please; but some must stay To rule the provinces he late subdu’d.

_Tamb._ [_To his_ Officers.] Then fight courageously: their crowns are yours; 30 This hand shall set them on your conquering heads, That made me Emperor of Asia.

_Usum._ Let him bring millions infinite of men, Unpeopling Western Africa and Greece, Yet we assure us of the victory. 35

_Ther._ Even he that in a trice vanquish’d two kings, More mighty than the Turkish emperor, Shall rouse him out of Europe, and pursue His scattered army till they yield or die.

_Tamb._ Well said, Theridamas; speak in that mood; 40 For _will_ and _shall_ best fitteth Tamburlaine, Whose smiling stars give him assured hope Of martial triumph ere he meet his foes. I that am term’d the scourge and wrath of God, The only fear and terror of the world, 45 Will first subdue the Turk, and then enlarge Those Christian captives, which you keep as slaves, Burdening their bodies with your heavy chains, And feeding them with thin and slender fare; That naked row about the Terrene sea, 50 And when they chance to breathe and rest a space, Are punish’d with bastones[310] so grievously, That they lie panting on the galley’s side, And strive for life at every stroke they give. These are the cruel pirates of Argier, 55 That damned train, the scum of Africa, Inhabited with straggling runagates, That make quick havoc of the Christian blood; But, as I live, that town shall curse the time That Tamburlaine set foot in Africa. 60

_Enter_ BAJAZETH _with his_ Bassoes, _and contributory_ KINGS [_of_ FEZ, MOROCCO, _and_ ARGIER; ZABINA _and_ EBEA].

_Baj._ Bassoes and Janissaries of my guard, Attend upon the person of your lord, The greatest potentate of Africa.

_Tamb._ Techelles and the rest, prepare your swords; I mean to encounter with that Bajazeth. 65

_Baj._ Kings of Fez, Moroccus, and Argier, He calls me Bajazeth, whom you call Lord! Note the presumption of this Scythian slave! I tell thee, villain, those that lead my horse Have to their names titles of dignity, 70 And dar’st thou bluntly call me Bajazeth?

_Tamb._ And know, thou Turk, that those which lead my horse, Shall lead thee captive thorough Africa; And dar’st thou bluntly call me Tamburlaine?

_Baj._ By Mahomet my kinsman’s sepulchre, And by the holy Alcoran I swear, 76 He shall be made a chaste and lustless eunuch, And in my sarell[311] tend my concubines; And all his captains that thus stoutly stand, Shall draw the chariot of my emperess, 80 Whom I have brought to see their overthrow.

_Tamb._ By this my sword, that conquer’d Persia, Thy fall shall make me famous through the world. I will not tell thee how I’ll handle thee, But every common soldier of my camp 85 Shall smile to see thy miserable state.

_K. of Fez._ What means the mighty Turkish emperor, To talk with one so base as Tamburlaine?

_K. of Mor._ Ye Moors and valiant men of Barbary, How can ye suffer these indignities? 90

_K. of Arg._ Leave words, and let them feel your lances’ points Which glided through the bowels of the Greeks.

_Baj._ Well said, my stout contributory kings: Your threefold army and my hugy[312] host Shall swallow up these base-born Persians. 95

_Tech._ Puissant, renowmed, and mighty Tamburlaine, Why stay we thus prolonging all their lives?

_Ther._ I long to see those crowns won by our swords, That we may reign as kings of Africa.

_Usum._ What coward would not fight for such a prize? 100

_Tamb._ Fight all courageously, and be you kings; I speak it, and my words are oracles.

_Baj._ Zabina, mother of three braver boys Than Hercules, that in his infancy Did pash[313] the jaws of serpents venomous; 105 Whose hands are made to gripe a warlike lance, Their shoulders broad for complete armour fit, Their limbs more large, and of a bigger size, Than all the brats ysprung from Typhon’s loins; Who, when they come unto their father’s age, Will batter turrets with their manly fists;— 111 Sit here upon this royal chair of state, And on thy head wear my imperial crown, Until I bring this sturdy Tamburlaine, And all his captains bound in captive chains. 115

_Zab._ Such good success happen to Bajazeth!

_Tamb._ Zenocrate, the loveliest maid alive, Fairer than rocks of pearl and precious stone, The only paragon of Tamburlaine, Whose eyes are brighter than the lamps of Heaven 120 And speech more pleasant than sweet harmony! That with thy looks canst clear the darkened sky, And calm the rage of thund’ring Jupiter, Sit down by her, adorned with my crown, As if thou wert the Empress of the world. 125 Stir not, Zenocrate, until thou see Me march victoriously with all my men, Triumphing over him and these his kings, Which I will bring as vassals to thy feet; Till then take thou my crown, vaunt of my worth, 130 And manage words with her, as we will arms.

_Zeno._ And may my love, the King of Persia, Return with victory and free from wound!

_Baj._ Now shalt thou feel the force of Turkish arms, Which lately made all Europe quake for fear. 135 I have of Turks, Arabians, Moors, and Jews, Enough to cover all Bithynia. Let thousands die; their slaughtered carcasses Shall serve for walls and bulwarks to the rest And as the heads of Hydra, so my power, 140 Subdued, shall stand as mighty as before. If they should yield their necks unto the sword, Thy soldiers’ arms could not endure to strike So many blows as I have heads for thee. Thou know’st not, foolish, hardy Tamburlaine, What ’t is to meet me in the open field, 146 That leave no ground for thee to march upon.

_Tamb._ Our conquering swords shall marshal us the way We use to march upon the slaughtered foe, 149 Trampling their bowels with our horses’ hoofs; Brave horses bred on the white Tartarian hills; My camp is like to Julius Cæsar’s host, That never fought but had the victory; Nor in Pharsalia was there such hot war As these, my followers, willingly would have. 155 Legions of spirits fleeting[314] in the air Direct our bullets and our weapons’ points, And make your[315] strokes to wound the senseless lure,[316] And when she sees our bloody colours spread, Then Victory begins to take her flight, 160 Resting herself upon my milk-white tent. But come, my lords, to weapons let us fall, The field is ours, the Turk, his wife, and all. _Exit with his followers._

_Baj._ Come, kings and bassoes, let us glut our swords, That thirst to drink the feeble Persians’ blood. _Exit with his followers._

_Zab._ Base concubine, must thou be plac’d by me, That am the empress of the mighty Turk?

_Zeno._ Disdainful Turkess and unreverend boss![317] Call’st thou me concubine, that am betroth’d Unto the great and mighty Tamburlaine? 170

_Zab._ To Tamburlaine, the great Tartarian thief!

_Zeno._ Thou wilt repent these lavish words of thine, When thy great basso-master and thyself Must plead for mercy at his kingly feet, And sue to me to be your advocate. 175

_Zab._ And sue to thee! I tell thee, shameless girl, Thou shalt be laundress to my waiting maid!— How lik’st thou her, Ebea? Will she serve?

_Ebea._ Madam, she thinks, perhaps, she is too fine. But I shall turn her into other weeds, 180 And make her dainty fingers fall to work.

_Zeno._ Hear’st thou, Anippe, how thy drudge doth talk? And how my slave, her mistress, menaceth? Both for their sauciness shall be employed 184 To dress the common soldiers’ meat and drink, For we will scorn they should come near ourselves.

_Anip._ Yet sometimes let your highness send for them To do the work my chambermaid disdains. _They sound the battle within._[318]

_Zeno._ Ye gods and powers that govern Persia, And made my lordly love her worthy king, 190 Now strengthen him against the Turkish Bajazeth, And let his foes, like flocks of fearful roes Pursu’d by hunters, fly his angry looks, That I may see him issue conqueror!

_Zab._ Now. Mahomet, solicit God himself, 195 And make him rain down murdering shot from Heaven To dash the Scythians’ brains, and strike them dead, That dare to manage arms with him That offered jewels to thy sacred shrine, When first he warr’d against the Christians! 200 [_They sound_] _to the battle again._

_Zeno._ By this the Turks lie welt’ring in their blood, And Tamburlaine is Lord of Africa.

_Zab._ Thou art deceiv’d.—I heard the trumpets sound As when my emperor overthrew the Greeks, And led them captive into Africa. 205 Straight will I use thee as thy pride deserves: Prepare thyself to live and die my slave.

_Zeno._ If Mahomet should come from Heaven and swear My royal lord is slain or conquered, Yet should he not persuade me otherwise 210 But that he lives and will be conqueror.

BAJAZETH _flies and_ [TAMBURLAINE] _pursues him. The battle short, and they enter_. BAJAZETH _is overcome_.

_Tamb._ Now, king of bassoes, who is conqueror?

_Baj._ Thou, by the fortune of this damned [foil].[319]

_Tamb._ Where are your stout contributory kings?

_Re-enter_ TECHELLES, THERIDAMAS, _and_ USUMCASANE.

_Tech._ We have their crowns, their bodies strow the field. 215

_Tamb._ Each man a crown! Why, kingly fought, i’ faith. Deliver them into my treasury.

_Zeno._ Now let me offer to my gracions lord His royal crown again so highly won.

_Tamb._ Nay, take the Turkish crown from her, Zenocrate, 220 And crown me Emperor of Africa.

_Zab._ No, Tamburlaine: though now thou gat the best, Thou shalt not yet be lord of Africa.

_Ther._ Give her the crown, Turkess: you were best. _He takes it from her, and gives it to_ ZENOCRATE.

_Zab._ Injurious villains! thieves! runagates! How dare you thus abuse my majesty? 226

_Ther._ Here, madam, you are Empress; she is none.

_Tamb._ Not now, Theridamas; her time is past. The pillars that have bolstered up those terms, Are fallen in clusters at my conquering feet. 230

_Zab._ Though he be prisoner, he may be ransomed.

_Tamb._ Not all the world shall ransom Bajazeth.

_Baj._ Ah, fair Zabina! we have lost the field; And never had the Turkish emperor So great a foil by any foreign foe. 235 Now will the Christian miscreants be glad, Ringing with joy their superstitious bells, And making bonfires for my overthrow. But, ere I die, those foul idolaters Shall make me bonfires with their filthy bones. For though the glory of this day be lost, 241 Afric and Greece have garrisons enough To make me sovereign of the earth again.

_Tamb._ Those walled garrisons will I subdue, And write myself great lord of Africa. 245 So from the East unto the furthest West Shall Tamburlaine extend his puissant arm. The galleys and those pilling[320] brigandines, That yearly sail to the Venetian gulf, And hover in the Straits for Christians’ wrack, Shall lie at anchor in the isle Asant,[321] 251 Until the Persian fleet and men of war, Sailing along the oriental sea, Have fetch’d about the Indian continent, Even from Persepolis to Mexico, 255 And thence unto the straits of Jubalter;[322] Where they shall meet and join their force in one Keeping in awe the bay of Portingale,[323] And all the ocean by the British shore; And by this means I’ll win the world at last. 260

_Baj._ Yet set a ransom on me, Tamburlaine.

_Tamb._ What, think’st thou Tamburlaine esteems thy gold? I’ll make the kings of India, ere I die, Offer their mines to sue for peace to me, And dig for treasure to appease my wrath. 265 Come, bind them both, and one lead in the Turk; The Turkess let my love’s maid lead away. _Thy bind them._

_Baj._ Ah, villains!—dare you touch my sacred arms? O Mahomet!—O sleepy Mahomet!

_Zab._ O cursed Mahomet, that makes us thus The slaves to Scythians rude and barbarous! 271

_Tamb._ Come, bring them in; and for this happy conquest. Triumph and solemnise a martial feast. _Exeunt._