ZENOCRATE. My lord, such speeches to our princely sons Dismay their minds before they come to prove The wounding troubles angry war affords.
CELEBINUS. No, madam, these are speeches fit for us; For, if his chair were in a sea of blood, I would prepare a ship and sail to it, Ere I would lose the title of a king.
AMYRAS. And I would strive to swim through<43> pools of blood, Or make a bridge of murder'd carcasses,<44> Whose arches should be fram'd with bones of Turks, Ere I would lose the title of a king.
TAMBURLAINE. Well, lovely boys, ye shall be emperors both, Stretching your conquering arms from east to west:-- And, sirrah, if you mean to wear a crown, When we<45> shall meet the Turkish deputy And all his viceroys, snatch it from his head, And cleave his pericranion with thy sword.
CALYPHAS. If any man will hold him, I will strike, And cleave him to the channel<46> with my sword.
TAMBURLAINE. Hold him, and cleave him too, or I'll cleave thee; For we will march against them presently. Theridamas, Techelles, and Casane Promis'd to meet me on Larissa-plains, With hosts a-piece against this Turkish crew; For I have sworn by sacred Mahomet To make it parcel of my empery. The trumpets sound; Zenocrate, they come. Enter THERIDAMAS, and his train, with drums and trumpets. Welcome, Theridamas, king of Argier.
THERIDAMAS. My lord, the great and mighty Tamburlaine, Arch-monarch of the world, I offer here My crown, myself, and all the power I have, In all affection at thy kingly feet.
TAMBURLAINE. Thanks, good Theridamas.
THERIDAMAS. Under my colours march ten thousand Greeks, And of Argier and Afric's frontier towns Twice twenty thousand valiant men-at-arms; All which have sworn to sack Natolia. Five hundred brigandines are under sail, Meet for your service on the sea, my lord, That, launching from Argier to Tripoly, Will quickly ride before Natolia, And batter down the castles on the shore.
TAMBURLAINE. Well said, Argier! receive thy crown again. Enter USUMCASANE and TECHELLES. Kings of Morocco<47> and of Fez, welcome.
USUMCASANE. Magnificent and peerless Tamburlaine, I and my neighbour king of Fez have brought, To aid thee in this Turkish expedition, A hundred thousand expert soldiers; >From Azamor to Tunis near the sea Is Barbary unpeopled for thy sake, And all the men in armour under me, Which with my crown I gladly offer thee.
TAMBURLAINE. Thanks, king of Morocco: take your crown again.
TECHELLES. And, mighty Tamburlaine, our earthly god, Whose looks make this inferior world to quake, I here present thee with the crown of Fez, And with an host of Moors train'd to the war,<48> Whose coal-black faces make their foes retire, And quake for fear, as if infernal<49> Jove, Meaning to aid thee<50> in these<51> Turkish arms, Should pierce the black circumference of hell, With ugly Furies bearing fiery flags, And millions of his strong<52> tormenting spirits: >From strong Tesella unto Biledull All Barbary is unpeopled for thy sake.
TAMBURLAINE. Thanks, king of Fez: take here thy crown again. Your presence, loving friends and fellow-kings, Makes me to surfeit in conceiving joy: If all the crystal gates of Jove's high court Were open'd wide, and I might enter in To see the state and majesty of heaven, It could not more delight me than your sight. Now will we banquet on these plains a while, And after march to Turkey with our camp, In number more than are the drops that fall When Boreas rents a thousand swelling clouds; And proud Orcanes of Natolia With all his viceroys shall be so afraid, That, though the stones, as at Deucalion's flood, Were turn'd to men, he should be overcome. Such lavish will I make of Turkish blood, That Jove shall send his winged messenger To bid me sheathe my sword and leave the field; The sun, unable to sustain the sight, Shall hide his head in Thetis' watery lap, And leave his steeds to fair Bootes'<53> charge; For half the world shall perish in this fight. But now, my friends, let me examine ye; How have ye spent your absent time from me?
USUMCASANE.