TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT

Act I, Scene i

[Enter] ORCANES, King of Natolia; GAZELLUS, Viceroy of Byron; URIBASSA, and their train, with drums and trumpets

ORCANES
Egregious viceroys of these eastern parts,
Placed by the issue of great Bajazeth
And sacred lord, the mighty Callapine,
Who lives in Egypt prisoner to that slave
Which kept his father in an iron cage:	5
Now have we marched from fair Natolia
Two hundred leagues, and on Danubius’ banks
Our warlike host in complete armour rest,
Where Sigismund the King of Hungary
Should meet our person to conclude a truce.	10
What, shall we parley with the Christian,
Or cross the stream and meet him in the field?
GAZELLUS
King of Natolia, let us treat of peace,
We all are glutted with the Christians’ blood
And have a greater foe to fight against –	15
Proud Tamburlaine, that now in Asia
Near Guyron’s head doth set his conquering feet,
And means to fire Turkey as he goes.
’Gainst him my lord must you address your power.
URIBASSA
Besides, King Sigismund hath brought from Christendom	20
More than his camp of stout Hungarians,
Slavonians, Almains, Rutters, Muffs, and Danes,
That with the halberd, lance, and murdering axe,
Will hazard that we might with surety hold.
[ORCANES]
Though from the shortest northern parallel,	25
Vast Gruntland, compassed with the frozen sea,
Inhabited with tall and sturdy men,
Giants as big as hugy Polypheme,
Millions of soldiers cut the arctic line,
Bringing the strength of Europe to these arms,	30
Our Turkey blades shall glide through all their throats,
And make this champion mead a bloody fen.
Danubius’ stream that runs to Trebizon,
Shall carry wrapped within his scarlet waves,
As martial presents to our friends at home,	35
The slaughtered bodies of these Christians.
The Terrene main wherein Danubius falls
Shall by this battle be the bloody sea.
The wand’ring sailors of proud Italy
Shall meet those Christians fleeting with the tide,	40
Beating in heaps against their argosies,
And make fair Europe mounted on her bull,
Trapped with the wealth and riches of the world,
Alight and wear a woeful mourning weed.
GAZEIXUS
Yet, stout Orcanes, prorex of the world,	45
Since Tamburlaine hath mustered all his men,
Marching from Cairo northward with his camp
To Alexandria and the frontier towns,
Meaning to make a conquest of our land,
’Tis requisite to parley for a peace	50
With Sigismund the King of Hungary,
And save our forces for the hot assaults
Proud Tamburlaine intends Natolia.
ORCANES
Viceroy of Byron, wisely hast thou said:
My realm, the centre of our empery,	55
Once lost, all Turkey would be overthrown,
And for that cause the Christians shall have peace.
Slavonians, Almains, Rutters, Muffs, and Danes,
Fear not Orcanes, but great Tamburlaine –
Nor he, but Fortune that hath made him great.	60
We have revolted Grecians, Albanese,
Sicilians, Jews, Arabians, Turks, and Moors,
Natolians, Sorians, black Egyptians,
Illyrians, Thracians, and Bithynians,
Enough to swallow forceless Sigismund,	65
Yet scarce enough t’encounter Tamburlaine.
He brings a world of people to the field:
From Scythia to the oriental plage
Of India, where raging Lantchidol
Beats on the regions with his boisterous blows	70
That never seaman yet discovered,
All Asia is in arms with Tamburlaine;
Even from the midst of fiery Cancer’s tropic
To Amazonia under Capricorn
And thence as far as Archipelago,	75
All Afric is in arms with Tamburlaine.
Therefore, viceroys, the Christians must have peace.