TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT

Act I, Scene i

[Enter] MYCETES, COSROE, MEANDER, THERIDAMAS, ORTYGIUS, [MENAPHON], with others

MYCETES
Brother Cosroe, I find myself aggrieved
Yet insufficient to express the same,
For it requires a great and thund’ring speech.
Good brother, tell the cause unto my lords,
I know you have a better wit than I.	5
COSROE
Unhappy Persia, that in former age
Hast been the seat of mighty conquerors
That in their prowess and their policies
Have triumphed over Afric and the bounds
Of Europe, where the sun dares scarce appear	10
For freezing meteors and congealed cold,
Now to be ruled and governed by a man
At whose birthday Cynthia with Saturn joined,
And Jove, the Sun, and Mercury denied
To shed their influence in his fickle brain!	15
Now Turks and Tartars shake their swords at thee,
Meaning to mangle all thy provinces.
MYCETES
Brother, I see your meaning well enough,
And through your planets I perceive you think
I am not wise enough to be a king.	20
But I refer me to my noblemen,
That know my wit and can be witnesses.
I might command you to be slain for this –
Meander, might I not?
MEANDER
Not for so small a fault, my sovereign lord.	25
MYCETES
I mean it not, but yet I know I might.
Yet live, yea live, Mycetes wills it so.
Meander, thou my faithful counsellor,
Declare the cause of my conceived grief,
Which is, God knows, about that Tamburlaine	30
That like a fox in midst of harvest time
Doth play upon my flocks of passengers,
And, as I hear, doth mean to pull my plumes.
Therefore ’tis good and meet for to be wise.
MEANDER
Oft have I heard your majesty complain	35
Of Tamburlaine, that sturdy Scythian thief
That robs your merchants of Persepolis,
Treading by land unto the Western Isles,
And in your confines with his lawless train
Daily commits incivil outrages,	40
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,	45
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,
Whom I may term a Damon for thy love.	50
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?	55
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	60
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,	65
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 conquerest all thy foes.	75
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 killed men,
And from their knees, even to their hoofs below,
Besmeared with blood; that makes a dainty show.	80
THERIDAMAS
Then now, my lord, I humbly take my leave.              Exit
MYCETES
Theridamas farewell ten thousand times.
Ah Menaphon, why stay’st thou thus behind,
When other men press forward for renown?
Go Menaphon, go into Scythia	85
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
That he may win the Babylonians’ hearts,	90
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	95
Lament to see the folly of their king.
MYCETES
Well here I swear by this my royal seat –
COSROE
[Aside] You may do well to kiss it then.
MYCETES
– Embossed with silk as best beseems my state,
To be revenged for these contemptuous words.	100
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.	105
Meander come, I am abused Meander.
Exit [MYCETES with his train]. 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 –
The plot is laid by Persian noblemen	110
And captains of the Median garrisons
To crown me emperor of Asia.
But this it is that doth excruciate
The very substance of my véxed soul:
To see our neighbours that were wont to quake	115
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 India,	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	125
By curing of this maiméd 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.
COSROE
But Menaphon, what means this trumpet’s sound?
MENAPHON
Behold, my lord, Ortygius and the rest,
Bringing the crown to make you emperor.	135
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,	145
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.
Therefore, to stay all sudden mutinies,	150
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	155
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
And in assurance of desired success,	160
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,	165
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!
COSROE
And Jove may never let me longer live	170
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,	175
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	185
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!
Exeunt