Ay, such a stomach, cruel Tamburlaine, as I could willingly feed upon thy blood-raw heart.
TAMBURLAINE. Nay, thine own is easier to come by: pluck out that; and 'twill serve thee and thy wife.--Well, Zenocrate, Techelles, and the rest, fall to your victuals.
BAJAZETH. Fall to, and never may your meat digest!-- Ye Furies, that can mask(223) invisible, Dive to the bottom of Avernus' pool, And in your hands bring hellish poison up, And squeeze it in the cup of Tamburlaine! Or, winged snakes of Lerna, cast your stings, And leave your venoms in this tyrant's dish?
ZABINA. And may this banquet prove as ominous As Progne's to th' adulterous Thracian king That fed upon the substance of his child!
ZENOCRATE. My lord,(224) how can you suffer these Outrageous curses by these slaves of yours?
TAMBURLAINE. To let them see, divine Zenocrate, I glory in the curses of my foes, Having the power from the empyreal heaven To turn them all upon their proper heads.
TECHELLES. I pray you, give them leave, madam; this speech is a goodly refreshing for them.(225)
THERIDAMAS. But, if his highness would let them be fed, it would do them more good.
TAMBURLAINE. Sirrah, why fall you not to? are you so daintily brought up, you cannot eat your own flesh?
BAJAZETH. First, legions of devils shall tear thee in pieces.
USUMCASANE. Villain, knowest thou to whom thou speakest?
TAMBURLAINE. O, let him alone.--Here;(226) eat, sir; take it from(227) my sword's point, or I'll thrust it to thy heart. [BAJAZETH takes the food, and stamps upon it.]
THERIDAMAS. He stamps it under his feet, my lord.
TAMBURLAINE. Take it up, villain, and eat it; or I will make thee slice(228) the brawns of thy arms into carbonadoes and eat them.
USUMCASANE. Nay, 'twere better he killed his wife, and then she shall be sure not to be starved, and he be provided for a month's victual beforehand.
TAMBURLAINE. Here is my dagger: despatch her while she is fat; for, if she live but a while longer, she will fall(229) into a consumption with fretting, and then she will not be worth the eating.
THERIDAMAS. Dost thou think that Mahomet will suffer this?
TECHELLES. 'Tis like he will, when he cannot let(230) it.
TAMBURLAINE. Go to; fall to your meat. What, not a bit!--Belike he hath not been watered to-day: give him some drink. [They give BAJAZETH water to drink, and he flings it on the ground.] Fast, and welcome, sir, while(231) hunger make you eat.--How now, Zenocrate! doth not the Turk and his wife make a goodly show at a banquet?
ZENOCRATE. Yes, my lord.
THERIDAMAS. Methinks 'tis a great deal better than a consort(232) of music.
TAMBURLAINE. Yet music would do well to cheer up Zenocrate. Pray thee, tell why art thou so sad? if thou wilt have a song, the Turk shall strain his voice: but why is it?
ZENOCRATE. My lord, to see my father's town besieg'd, The country wasted where myself was born, How can it but afflict my very soul? If any love remain in you, my lord, Or if my love unto your majesty May merit favour at your highness' hands, Then raise your siege from fair Damascus' walls, And with my father take a friendly truce.
TAMBURLAINE. Zenocrate, were Egypt Jove's own land, Yet would I with my sword make Jove to stoop. I will confute those blind geographers That make a triple region in the world, Excluding regions which I mean to trace, And with this pen(233) reduce them to a map, Calling the provinces, cities, and towns, After my name and thine, Zenocrate: Here at Damascus will I make the point That shall begin the perpendicular: And wouldst thou have me buy thy father's love With such a loss? tell me, Zenocrate.
ZENOCRATE. Honour still wait on happy Tamburlaine! Yet give me leave to plead for him, my lord.
TAMBURLAINE. Content thyself: his person shall be safe, And all the friends of fair Zenocrate, If with their lives they will be pleas'd to yield, Or may be forc'd to make me emperor; For Egypt and Arabia must be mine.-- Feed, you slave; thou mayst think thyself happy to be fed from my trencher.