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That perfect bliss and sole felicity;
The sweet fruition of an earthly crown。
THERIDAMAS。 And that made me to join with Tamburlaine;
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 gain'd each of them a crown;
So do we hope to reign in Asia;
If Tamburlaine be plac'd in Persia。
COSROE。 The strangest men that ever nature made!
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;
Are dry and cold; and now doth ghastly Death
With greedy talents gripe my bleeding heart;
And like a harpy tires on my life。
Theridamas and Tamburlaine; I die:
And fearful vengeance light upon you both!
'Dies。TAMBURLAINE takes COSROE'S crown; and puts it on
his own head。'
TAMBURLAINE。 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
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 pronounc'd me king of Persia。
'Exeunt。'
ACT III。
SCENE I。
Enter BAJAZETH; the KINGS OF FEZ; MOROCCO; and ARGIER; with
others; in great pomp。
BAJAZETH。 Great kings of Barbary; and my portly bassoes;
We hear the Tartars and the eastern thieves;
Under the conduct of one Tamburlaine;
Presume a bickering with your emperor;
And think to rouse us from our dreadful siege
Of the famous Grecian Constantinople。
You know our army is invincible;
As many circumcised Turks we have;
And warlike bands of Christians renied;
As hath the ocean or the Terrene sea
Small drops of water when the moon begins
To join in one her semicircled horns:
Yet would we not be brav'd with foreign power;
Nor raise our siege before the Grecians yield;
Or breathless lie before the city…walls。
KING OF FEZ。 Renowmed emperor and mighty general;
What; if you sent the bassoes of your guard
To charge him to remain in Asia;
Or else to threaten death and deadly arms
As from the mouth of mighty Bajazeth?
BAJAZETH。 Hie thee; my basso; fast to Persia;
Tell him thy lord; the Turkish emperor;
Dread lord of Afric; Europe; and Asia;
Great king and conqueror of Graecia;
The ocean; Terrene; and the Coal…black sea;
The high and highest monarch of the world;
Wills and commands; (for say not I entreat;)
Not once to set his foot in Africa;
Or spread his colours in Graecia;
Lest he incur the fury of my wrath:
Tell him I am content to take a truce;
Because I hear he bears a valiant mind:
But if; presuming on his silly power;
He be so mad to manage arms with me;
Then stay thou with him;say; I bid thee so;
And if; before the sun have measur'd heaven
With triple circuit; thou regreet us not;
We mean to take his morning's next arise
For messenger he will not be reclaim'd;
And mean to fetch thee in despite of him。
BASSO。 Most great and puissant monarch of the earth;
Your basso will accomplish your behest;
And shew your pleasure to the Persian;
As fits the legate of the stately Turk。
'Exit。'
KING OF ARGIER。 They say he is the king of Persia;
But; if he dare attempt to stir your siege;
'Twere requisite he should be ten times more;
For all flesh quakes at your magnificence。
BAJAZETH。 True; Argier; and tremble's' at my looks。
KING OF MOROCCO。 The spring is hinder'd by your smothering host;
For neither rain can fall upon the earth;
Nor sun reflex his virtuous beams thereon;
The ground is mantled with such multitudes。
BAJAZETH。 All this is true as holy Mahomet;
And all the trees are blasted with our breaths。
KING OF FEZ。 What thinks your greatness best to be achiev'd
In pursuit of the city's overthrow?
BAJAZETH。 I will the captive pioners of Argier
Cut off the water that by leaden pipes
Runs to the city from the mountain Carnon;
Two thousand horse shall forage up and down;
That no relief or succour come by land;
And all the sea my galleys countermand:
Then shall our footmen lie within the trench;
And with their cannons; mouth'd like Orcus' gulf;
Batter the walls; and we will enter in;
And thus the Grecians shall be conquered。
'Exeunt。'
SCENE II。
Enter ZENOCRATE; AGYDAS; ANIPPE; with others。
AGYDAS。 Madam Zenocrate; may I presume
To know the cause of these unquiet fits
That work such trouble to your wonted rest?
'Tis more than pity such a heavenly face
Should by heart's sorrow wax so wan and pale;
When your offensive rape by Tamburlaine
(Which of your whole displeasures should be most)
Hath seem'd to be digested long ago。
ZENOCRATE。 Although it be digested long ago;
As his exceeding favours have deserv'd;
And might content the Queen of Heaven; as well
As it hath chang'd my first…conceiv'd disdain;
Yet since a farther passion feeds my thoughts
With ceaseless and disconsolate conceits;
Which dye my looks so lifeless as they are;
And might; if my extremes had full events;
Make me the ghastly counterfeit of death。
AGYDAS。 Eternal heaven sooner be dissolv'd;
And all that pierceth Phoebus' silver eye;
Before such hap fall to Zenocrate!
ZENOCRATE。 Ah; life and soul; still hover in his breast;
And leave my body senseless as the earth;
Or else unite you to his life and soul;
That I may live and die with Tamburlaine!
Enter; behind; TAMBURLAINE; with TECHELLES; and others。
AGYDAS。 With Tamburlaine! Ah; fair Zenocrate;
Let not a man so vile and barbarous;
That holds you from your father in despite;
And keeps you from the honours of a queen;
(Being suppos'd his worthless concubine;)
Be honour'd with your love but for necessity!
So; now the mighty Soldan hears of you;
Your highness needs not doubt but in short time
He will; with Tamburlaine's destruction;
Redeem you from this deadly servitude。
ZENOCRATE。 Leave to wound me with these words;
And speak of Tamburlaine as he deserves:
The entertainment we have had of him