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That she shall stay; and turn her wheel no more;
As long as life maintains his mighty arm
That fights for honour to adorn your head。
Enter PHILEMUS。
ZENOCRATE。 What other heavy news now brings Philemus?
PHILEMUS。 Madam; your father; and the Arabian king;
The first affecter of your excellence;
Come now; as Turnus 'gainst Aeneas did;
Armed with lance into the Aegyptian fields;
Ready for battle 'gainst my lord the king。
ZENOCRATE。 Now shame and duty; love and fear present
A thousand sorrows to my martyr'd soul。
Whom should I wish the fatal victory;
When my poor pleasures are divided thus;
And rack'd by duty from my cursed heart?
My father and my first…betrothed love
Must fight against my life and present love;
Wherein the change I use condemns my faith;
And makes my deeds infamous through the world:
But; as the gods; to end the Trojans' toil;
Prevented Turnus of Lavinia;
And fatally enrich'd Aeneas' love;
So; for a final issue to my griefs;
To pacify my country and my love;
Must Tamburlaine by their resistless powers;
With virtue of a gentle victory;
Conclude a league of honour to my hope;
Then; as the powers divine have pre…ordain'd;
With happy safety of my father's life
Send like defence of fair Arabia
'They sound to the battle within; and TAMBURLAINE enjoys
the victory: after which; the KING OF ARABIA enters
wounded。'
KING OF ARABIA。 What cursed power guides the murdering hands
Of this infamous tyrant's soldiers;
That no escape may save their enemies;
Nor fortune keep themselves from victory?
Lie down; Arabia; wounded to the death;
And let Zenocrate's fair eyes behold;
That; as for her thou bear'st these wretched arms;
Even so for her thou diest in these arms;
Leaving thy blood for witness of thy love。
ZENOCRATE。 Too dear a witness for such love; my lord!
Behold Zenocrate; the cursed object
Whose fortunes never mastered her griefs;
Behold her wounded in conceit for thee;
As much as thy fair body is for me!
KING OF ARABIA。 Then shall I die with full contented heart;
Having beheld divine Zenocrate;
Whose sight with joy would take away my life
As now it bringeth sweetness to my wound;
If I had not been wounded as I am。
Ah; that the deadly pangs I suffer now
Would lend an hour's licence to my tongue;
To make discourse of some sweet accidents
Have chanc'd thy merits in this worthless bondage;
And that I might be privy to the state
Of thy deserv'd contentment and thy love!
But; making now a virtue of thy sight;
To drive all sorrow from my fainting soul;
Since death denies me further cause of joy;
Depriv'd of care; my heart with comfort dies;
Since thy desired hand shall close mine eyes。
'Dies。'
Re…enter TAMBURLAINE; leading the SOLDAN; TECHELLES;
THERIDAMAS; USUMCASANE; with others。
TAMBURLAINE。 Come; happy father of Zenocrate;
A title higher than thy Soldan's name。
Though my right hand have thus enthralled thee;
Thy princely daughter here shall set thee free;
She that hath calm'd the fury of my sword;
Which had ere this been bath'd in streams of blood
As vast and deep as Euphrates or Nile。
ZENOCRATE。 O sight thrice…welcome to my joyful soul;
To see the king; my father; issue safe
From dangerous battle of my conquering love!
SOLDAN。 Well met; my only dear Zenocrate;
Though with the loss of Egypt and my crown!
TAMBURLAINE。 'Twas I; my lord; that gat the victory;
And therefore grieve not at your overthrow;
Since I shall render all into your hands;
And add more strength to your dominions
Than ever yet confirm'd th' Egyptian crown。
The god of war resigns his room to me;
Meaning to make me general of the world:
Jove; viewing me in arms; looks pale and wan;
Fearing my power should pull him from his throne:
Where'er I come the Fatal Sisters sweat;
And grisly Death; by running to and fro;
To do their ceaseless homage to my sword:
And here in Afric; where it seldom rains;
Since I arriv'd with my triumphant host;
Have swelling clouds; drawn from wide…gaping wounds;
Been oft resolv'd in bloody purple showers;
A meteor that might terrify the earth;
And make it quake at every drop it drinks:
Millions of souls sit on the banks of Styx;
Waiting the back…return of Charon's boat;
Hell and Elysium swarm with ghosts of men
That I have sent from sundry foughten fields
To spread my fame through hell and up to heaven:
And see; my lord; a sight of strange import;
Emperors and kings lie breathless at my feet;
The Turk and his great empress; as it seems;
Left to themselves while we were at the fight;
Have desperately despatch'd their slavish lives:
With them Arabia; too; hath left his life:
All sights of power to grace my victory;
And such are objects fit for Tamburlaine;
Wherein; as in a mirror; may be seen
His honour; that consists in shedding blood
When men presume to manage arms with him。
SOLDAN。 Mighty hath God and Mahomet made thy hand;
Renowmed Tamburlaine; to whom all kings
Of force must yield their crowns and emperies;
And I am pleas'd with this my overthrow;
If; as beseems a person of thy state;
Thou hast with honour us'd Zenocrate。
TAMBURLAINE。 Her state and person want no pomp; you see;
And for all blot of foul inchastity;
I record heaven; her heavenly self is clear:
Then let me find no further time to grace
Her princely temples with the Persian crown;
But here these kings that on my fortunes wait;
And have been crown'd for proved worthiness
Even by this hand that shall establish them;
Shall now; adjoining all their hands with mine;
Invest her here the Queen of Persia
What saith the noble Soldan; and Zenocrate?
SOLDAN。 I yield with thanks and protestations
Of endless honour to thee for her love。
TAMBURLAINE。 Then doubt I not but fair Zenocrate
Will soon consent to satisfy us both。
ZENOCRATE。 Else should I much forget myself; my lord。
THERIDAMAS。 Then let us set the crown upon her head;
That long hath linger'd for so high a seat。
TECHELLES。 My hand is ready to perform the deed;
For now her marriage…time shall work us rest。
USUMCASANE。 And here's the crown; my lord; help set it on。
TAMBURLAINE。 Then sit thou down; divine Zenocrate;
And here we crown thee Queen of Persia;
And all the kingdoms and dominions
That late the power of Tamburlaine subdu'd。
As Juno; when the giants were suppress'd;
That darted mountains at her brother Jove;
So looks my love; shadowing in her brows
Triumphs and trophies for my victories;
Or as Latona's daughter; bent to arms;
Adding more courage to my conquering mind。
To gratify the'e'; sweet Zenocrate;
Egyptians; Moors; and men of Asia;
From Barbary unto the Western India;
Shall pay a yearly tribute to thy sire;
And from the bounds of Afric to the banks