[Enter] COSROE, MENAPHON, ORTYGIUS, CENEUS, with other SOLDIERS.
COSROE
Thus far are we towards Theridamas
And valiant Tamburlaine, the man of fame,
The man that in the forehead of his fortune
Bears figures of renown and miracle.
But tell me, that hast seen him, Menaphon,
What stature wields he, and what personage?
MENAPHON
Of stature tall, and straightly fashionèd,
Like his desire, lift upwards and divine;
So large of limbs, his joints so strongly knit,
10 Such breadth of shoulders as might mainly bear
Old Atlas’ burden. ’Twixt his manly pitch,
A pearl more worth than all the world is placed,
Wherein by curious sovereignty of art
Are fixed his piercing instruments of sight,
Whose fiery circles bear encompassèd
A heaven of heavenly bodies in their spheres
That guides his steps and actions to the throne
Where honour sits invested royally;
Pale of complexion, wrought in him with passion,
20 Thirsting with sovereignty, with love of arms.
His lofty brows in folds do figure death,
And in their smoothness amity and life.
About them hangs a knot of amber hair
Wrappèd in curls, as fierce Achilles’ was,
On which the breath of heaven delights to play,
Making it dance with wanton majesty.
His arms and fingers long and sinewy,
Betokening valour and excess of strength;
In every part proportioned like the man
30 Should make the world subdued to Tamburlaine.
COSROE
Well hast thou portrayed in thy terms of life
The face and personage of a wondrous man.
Nature doth strive with Fortune and his stars
To make him famous in accomplished worth,
And well his merits show him to be made
His fortune’s master and the king of men,
That could persuade at such a sudden pinch,
With reasons of his valour and his life,
A thousand sworn and overmatching foes.
Then, when our powers in points of swords are joined
40 And closed in compass of the killing bullet,
Though strait the passage and the port be made
That leads to palace of my brother’s life,
Proud is his fortune if we pierce it not.
And when the princely Persian diadem
Shall overweigh his weary witless head
And fall like mellowed fruit, with shakes of death,
In fair Persia noble Tamburlaine
Shall be my regent and remain as king.
ORTYGIUS
In happy hour we have set the crown
50 Upon your kingly head, that seeks our honour
In joining with the man ordained by heaven
To further every action to the best.
CENEUS
He that with shepherds and a little spoil
Durst, in disdain of wrong and tyranny,
Defend his freedom ’gainst a monarchy,
What will he do supported by a king,
Leading a troop of gentlemen and lords,
And stuffed with treasure for his highest thoughts?
COSROE
60 And such shall wait on worthy Tamburlaine.
Our army will be forty thousand strong
When Tamburlaine and brave Theridamas
Have met us by the river Araris,
And all conjoined to meet the witless king
That now is marching near to Parthia,
And with unwilling soldiers faintly armed,
To seek revenge on me and Tamburlaine –
To whom, sweet Menaphon, direct me straight.
MENAPHON
I will, my lord.
Exeunt.
[Enter] MYCETES, MEANDER, with other LORDS and SOLDIERS.
MYCETES
Come, my Meander, let us to this gear.
I tell you true, my heart is swoll’n with wrath
On this same thievish villain Tamburlaine,
And of that false Cosroe, my traitorous brother.
Would it not grieve a king to be so abused
And have a thousand horsemen ta’en away?
And, which is worst, to have his diadem
Sought for by such scald knaves as love him not?
I think it would. Well then, by heavens I swear,
10 Aurora shall not peep out of her doors
But I will have Cosroë by the head
And kill proud Tamburlaine with point of sword.
Tell you the rest, Meander, I have said.
MEANDER
Then, having passed Armenian deserts now,
And pitched our tents under the Georgian hills,
Whose tops are covered with Tartarian thieves
That lie in ambush waiting for a prey,
What should we do but bid them battle straight
And rid the world of those detested troops,
Lest, if we let them linger here a while,
20 They gather strength by power of fresh supplies?
This country swarms with vile outrageous men
That live by rapine and by lawless spoil,
Fit soldiers for the wicked Tamburlaine.
And he that could with gifts and promises
Inveigle him that led a thousand horse
And make him false his faith unto his king
Will quickly win such as are like himself.
Therefore cheer up your minds, prepare to fight.
He that can take or slaughter Tamburlaine
30 Shall rule the province of Albania.
Who brings that traitor’s head, Theridamas’,
Shall have a government in Media,
Beside the spoil of him and all his train.
But if Cosroë (as our spials say,
And as we know) remains with Tamburlaine,
His highness’ pleasure is that he should live
And be reclaimed with princely lenity.
[Enter a SPY.]
SPY
An hundred horsemen of my company,
Scouting abroad upon these champian plains,
40 Have viewed the army of the Scythians,
Which make reports it far exceeds the king’s.
MEANDER
Suppose they be in number infinite,
Yet being void of martial discipline,
All running headlong after greedy spoils
And more regarding gain than victory,
Like to the cruel brothers of the earth
Sprung of the teeth of dragons venomous,
Their careless swords shall lance their fellows’ throats
50 And make us triumph in their overthrow.
MYCETES
Was there such brethren, sweet Meander, say,
That sprung of teeth of dragons venomous?
MEANDER
So poets say, my lord.
MYCETES
And ’tis a pretty toy to be a poet.
Well, well, Meander, thou art deeply read,
And having thee I have a jewel sure.
Go on, my lord, and give your charge, I say,
Thy wit will make us conquerors today.
MEANDER
Then, noble soldiers, to entrap these thieves
60 That live confounded in disordered troops,
If wealth or riches may prevail with them,
We have our camels laden all with gold
Which you that be but common soldiers
Shall fling in every corner of the field,
And while the base-born Tartars take it up,
You, fighting more for honour than for gold,
Shall massacre those greedy-minded slaves;
And when their scattered army is subdued
And you march on their slaughtered carcasses,
70 Share equally the gold that bought their lives
And live like gentlemen in Persia.
Strike up the drum, and march courageously!
Fortune herself doth sit upon our crests.
MYCETES
He tells you true, my masters, so he does.
Drums, why sound ye not when Meander speaks?
[Strike drums.] Exeunt.
[Enter] COSROE, TAMBURLAINE, THERIDAMAS, TECHELLES, USUMCASANE, ORTYGIUS, with Others.
COSROE
Now, worthy Tamburlaine, have I reposed
In thy approvèd fortunes all my hope.
What think’st thou, man, shall come of our attempts?
For even as from assurèd oracle,
I take thy doom for satisfaction.
TAMBURLAINE
And so mistake you not a whit, my lord,
For fates and oracles of heaven have sworn
To royalize the deeds of Tamburlaine,
And make them blest that share in his attempts.
And doubt you not but, if you favour me
10 And let my fortunes and my valour sway
To some direction in your martial deeds,
The world will strive with hosts of men-at-arms
To swarm unto the ensign I support.
The host of Xerxes, which by fame is said
To 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,
Enrolled 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 admirèd arms.
THERIDAMAS [to COSROE]
You see, my lord, what working words he hath.
But when you see his actions top his speech,
Your speech will stay, or so extol his worth
As I shall be commended and excused
For turning my poor charge to his direction.
30 And these his two renownèd friends, my lord,
Would make one thrust and strive to be retained
In such a great degree of amity.
TECHELLES
With duty and with amity we yield
Our utmost service to the fair Cosroe.
COSROE
Which I esteem as portion of my crown.
Usumcasane and Techelles both,
When she that rules in Rhamnus’ golden gates
And makes a passage for all prosperous arms
Shall make me solely emperor of Asia,
40 Then shall your meeds and valours be advanced
To rooms of honour and nobility.
TAMBURLAINE
Then haste, Cosroë, to be king alone,
That I with these my friends and all my men
May triumph in our long-expected fate.
The king your brother is now hard at hand.
Meet with the fool, and rid your royal shoulders
Of such a burden as outweighs the sands
And all the craggy rocks of Caspia.
[Enter a MESSENGER.]
MESSENGER
My lord, we have discovered the enemy
50 Ready to charge you with a mighty army.
COSROE
Come, Tamburlaine, now whet thy wingèd sword
And lift thy lofty arm into the clouds,
That it may reach the king of Persia’s crown
And set it safe on my victorious head.
TAMBURLAINE [brandishing his sword]
See where it is, the keenest curtle-axe
That e’er made passage thorough Persian arms.
These are the wings shall make it fly as swift
As doth the lightning or the breath of heaven,
And kill as sure as it swiftly flies.
Thy words assure me of kind success.
60 Go, valiant soldier, go before, and charge
The fainting army of that foolish king.
TAMBURLAINE
Usumcasane and Techelles, come.
We are enough to scare the enemy,
And more than needs to make an emperor.
[Exeunt.]
[Enter the armies] to the battle [and exeunt], and MYCETES comes out alone with his crown in his hand, offering to hide it.
MYCETES
Accurst be he that first invented war!
They knew not, ah, they knew not, simple men,
How those were hit by pelting cannon shot
Stand staggering like a quivering aspen leaf
Fearing the force of Boreas’ boist’rous blasts!
In what a lamentable case were I
If nature had not given me wisdom’s lore!
For kings are clouts that every man shoots at,
Our crown the pin that thousands seek to cleave.
Therefore in policy I think it good
10 To hide it close – a goodly stratagem,
And far from any man that is a fool.
So shall not I be known, or if I be,
They cannot take away my crown from me.
Here will I hide it in this simple hole.
Enter TAMBURLAINE.
TAMBURLAINE
What, fearful coward, straggling from the camp,
When kings themselves are present in the field?
Thou liest.
TAMBURLAINE Base villain, dar’st thou give the lie?
MYCETES
Away, I am the king. Go, touch me not.
20 Thou break’st the law of arms unless thou kneel
And cry me, ‘Mercy, noble king!’
TAMBURLAINE
Are you the witty king of Persia?
MYCETES
Ay, marry, am I. Have you any suit to me?
TAMBURLAINE
I would entreat you to speak but three wise words.
MYCETES
So I can, when I see my time.
TAMBURLAINE [seizing the crown] Is this your crown?
MYCETES Ay, didst thou ever see a fairer?
TAMBURLAINE You will not sell it, will ye?
MYCETES Such another word, and I will have thee executed.
30 Come, give it me.
TAMBURLAINE No, I took it prisoner.
MYCETES You lie, I gave it you.
TAMBURLAINE Then ’tis mine.
MYCETES No, I mean I let you keep it.
TAMBURLAINE Well, I mean you shall have it again.
[Giving the crown]
Here, take it for a while. I lend it thee
Till I may see thee hemmed with armèd men.
Then shalt thou see me pull it from thy head.
Thou art no match for mighty Tamburlaine.
[Exit TAMBURLAINE.]
MYCETES
40 O gods, is this Tamburlaine the thief?
I marvel much he stole it not away.
Sound trumpets to the battle, and he runs in.
[Enter] COSROE [crowned], TAMBURLAINE, THERIDAMAS, MENAPHON, MEANDER, ORTYGIUS, TECHELLES, USUMCASANE, with Others.
TAMBURLAINE [presenting COSROE with MYCETES’S crown]
Hold thee, Cosroe, wear two imperial crowns.
Think thee invested now as royally,
Even by the mighty hand of Tamburlaine,
As if as many kings as could encompass thee
With greatest pomp had crowned thee emperor.
COSROE
So do I, thrice-renownèd man-at-arms,
And none shall keep the crown but Tamburlaine.
Thee do I make my regent of Persia
And general lieutenant of my armies.
Meander, you that were our brother’s guide
10 And chiefest counsellor in all his acts,
Since he is yielded to the stroke of war,
On your submission we with thanks excuse
And give you equal place in our affairs.
MEANDER [kneeling]
Most happy emperor, in humblest terms
I vow my service to your majesty,
With utmost virtue of my faith and duty.
COSROE
Thanks, good Meander, [MEANDER rises.]
Then, Cosroë, reign,
And govern Persia in her former pomp.
Now send embassage to thy neighbour kings
20 And let them know the Persian king is changed
From one that knew not what a king should do
To one that can command what ’longs thereto.
And now we will to fair Persepolis
With twenty thousand expert soldiers.
The lords and captains of my brother’s camp
With little slaughter take Meander’s course
And gladly yield them to my gracious rule.
Ortygius and Menaphon, my trusty friends,
30 Now will I gratify your former good
And grace your calling with a greater sway.
ORTYGIUS
And as we ever aimed at your behoof
And sought your state all honour it deserved,
So will we with our powers and our lives
Endeavour to preserve and prosper it.
COSROE
I will not thank thee, sweet Ortygius;
Better replies shall prove my purposes.
And now, Lord Tamburlaine, my brother’s camp
I leave to thee and to Theridamas,
40 To follow me to fair Persepolis.
Then will we march to all those Indian mines
My witless brother to the Christians lost,
And ransom them with fame and usury.
And till thou overtake me, Tamburlaine,
Staying to order all the scattered troops,
Farewell, lord regent and his happy friends!
I long to sit upon my brother’s throne.
MENAPHON
Your majesty shall shortly have your wish,
And ride in triumph through Persepolis.
Exeunt; TAMBURLAINE, TECHELLES, THERIDAMAS, USUMCASANE remain.
TAMBURLAINE
50 And ride in triumph through Persepolis’!
Is it not brave to be a king, Techelles?
Usumcasane and Theridamas,
Is it not passing brave to be a king,
And ride in triumph through Persepolis?
TECHELLES
O my lord, ’tis sweet and full of pomp.
USUMCASANE
To be a king is half to be a god.
A god is not so glorious as a king.
I think the pleasure they enjoy in heaven
Cannot compare with kingly joys in earth:
To wear a crown enchased with pearl and gold,
60 Whose virtues carry with it life and death;
To ask, and have; command, and be obeyed;
When looks breed love, with looks to gain the prize,
Such power attractive shines in princes’ eyes.
TAMBURLAINE
Why, say, Theridamas, wilt thou be a king?
THERIDAMAS
Nay, though I praise it, I can live without it.
TAMBURLAINE
What says my other friends? Will you be kings?
TECHELLES
Ay, if I could, with all my heart, my lord.
TAMBURLAINE
Why, that’s well said, Techelles. So would I,
70 And so would you, my masters, would you not?
USUMCASANE
What then, my lord?
TAMBURLAINE
Why then, Casane, shall we wish for aught
The world affords in greatest novelty,
And rest attemptless, faint and destitute?
Methinks we should not; I am strongly moved
That if I should desire the Persian crown
I could attain it with a wondrous ease.
And would not all our soldiers soon consent
If we should aim at such a dignity?
THERIDAMAS
80 I know they would with our persuasions.
TAMBURLAINE
Why then, Theridamas, I’ll first essay
To get the Persian kingdom to myself;
Then thou for Parthia, they for Scythia and Media.
And if I prosper, all shall be as sure
As if the Turk, the Pope, Afric, and Greece
Came creeping to us with their crowns apace.
TECHELLES
Then shall we send to this triumphing king
And bid him battle for his novel crown?
USUMCASANE
Nay, quickly then, before his room be hot.
TAMBURLAINE
90 Twill prove a pretty jest, in faith, my friends.
THERIDAMAS
A jest, to charge on twenty thousand men?
I judge the purchase more important far.
TAMBURLAINE
Judge by thyself, Theridamas, not me,
For presently Techelles here shall haste
To bid him battle ere he pass too far,
And lose more labour than the gain will quite.
Then shalt thou see the Scythian Tamburlaine
Make but a jest to win the Persian crown.
Techelles, take a thousand horse with thee
100 And bid him turn him back to war with us
That only made him king to make us sport.
We will not steal upon him cowardly,
But give him warning and more warriors.
Haste thee, Techelles. We will follow thee.
[Exit TECHELLES.]
What saith Theridamas?
THERIDAMAS Go on, for me.
Exeunt.
[Enter] COSROE, MEANDER, ORTYGIUS, MENAPHON, with other SOLDIERS.
COSROE
What means this devilish shepherd to aspire
With such a giantly presumption,
To cast up hills against the face of heaven
And dare the force of angry Jupiter?
But as he thrust them underneath the hills
And pressed out fire from their burning jaws,
So will I send this monstrous slave to hell,
Where flames shall ever feed upon his soul.
MEANDER
Some powers divine, or else infernal, mixed
Their angry seeds at his conception;
10 For he was never sprung of human race,
Since with the spirit of his fearful pride,
He dares so doubtlessly resolve of rule,
And by profession be ambitious.
ORTYGIUS
What god, or fiend, or spirit of the earth,
Or monster turned to a manly shape,
Or of what mould or mettle he be made,
What star or state soever govern him,
Let us put on our meet encount’ring minds,
And, in detesting such a devilish thief,
20 In love of honour and defence of right
Be armed against the hate of such a foe,
Whether from earth, or hell, or heaven he grow.
COSROE
Nobly resolved, my good Ortygius.
And since we all have sucked one wholesome air,
And with the same proportion of elements
Resolve, I hope we are resembled,
Vowing our loves to equal death and life.
Let’s cheer our soldiers to encounter him,
30 That grievous image of ingratitude,
That fiery thirster after sovereignty,
And burn him in the fury of that flame
That none can quench but blood and empery.
Resolve, my lords and loving soldiers, now
To save your king and country from decay.
Then strike up drum! [Strike drum.]
And all the stars that make
The loathsome circle of my dated life,
Direct my weapon to his barbarous heart
That thus opposeth him against the gods,
40 And scorns the powers that govern Persia!
[Exeunt.]
Enter [the armies] to the battle, and after the battle enter COSROE wounded, THERIDAMAS, TAMBURLAINE, TECHELLES, USUMCASANE, with others.
COSROE
Barbarous and bloody Tamburlaine,
Thus to deprive me of my crown and life!
Treacherous and false Theridamas,
Even at the morning of my happy state,
Scarce being seated in my royal throne,
To work my downfall and untimely end!
An uncouth pain torments my grievèd soul,
And death arrests the organ of my voice,
Who, ent’ring at the breach thy sword hath made,
50 Sacks every vein and artier of my heart.
Bloody and insatiate Tamburlaine!
TAMBURLAINE
The thirst of reign and sweetness of a crown,
That caused the eldest son of heavenly Ops
To thrust his doting father from his chair
And place himself in th’empyreal heaven,
Moved me to manage arms against thy state.
What better precedent than mighty Jove?
Nature, that framed us of four elements
Warring within our breasts for regiment,
60 Doth teach us all to have aspiring minds.
Our souls, whose faculties can comprehend
The wondrous architecture of the world
And measure every wand’ring planet’s course,
Still climbing after knowledge infinite
And always moving as the restless spheres,
Wills us to wear ourselves and never rest
Until we reach the ripest fruit of all,
That perfect bliss and sole felicity,
The sweet fruition of an earthly crown.
THERIDAMAS
And that made me to join with Tamburlaine,
70 For he is gross and like the massy earth
That moves not upwards nor by princely deeds
Doth mean to soar above the highest sort.
TECHELLES
And that made us, the friends of Tamburlaine,
To lift our swords against the Persian king.
USUMCASANE
For as when Jove did thrust old Saturn down,
Neptune and Dis gained each of them a crown,
So do we hope to reign in Asia
If Tamburlaine be placed in Persia.
COSROE
The strangest men that ever nature made!
80 I know not how to take their tyrannies.
My bloodless body waxeth chill and cold,
And with my blood my life slides through my wound.
My soul begins to take her flight to hell,
And summons all my senses to depart.
The heat and moisture, which did feed each other,
For want of nourishment to feed them both,
Is dry and cold, and now doth ghastly death
With greedy talons gripe my bleeding heart,
And like a harpy tires on my life.
90 Theridamas and Tamburlaine, I die,
And fearful vengeance light upon you both!
[He dies.]
He [TAMBURLAINE] takes the crown and puts it on.
Not all the curses which the Furies breathe
Shall make me leave so rich a prize as this.
Theridamas, Techelles, and the rest,
Who think you now is King of Persia?
ALL Tamburlaine! Tamburlaine!
TAMBURLAINE
Though Mars himself, the angry god of arms,
And all the earthly potentates conspire
100 To dispossess me of this diadem,
Yet will I wear it in despite of them
As great commander of this eastern world,
If you but say that Tamburlaine shall reign.
ALL
Long live Tamburlaine, and reign in Asia!
TAMBURLAINE
So, now it is more surer on my head
Than if the gods had held a parliament
And all pronounced me King of Persia.
[Exeunt.]